Author: Chief Editor

Abimbola Adelakun For a long time, Nigeria has bandied around what has amounted to a myth that whoever seeks the presidency hardly gets it. Historical observers have variously posited that what we have almost always had are “accidental” presidents—men reluctant to step out for leadership roles but who somehow, through whimsical engineering of fate, find the presidency thrust on them. A run through the list of our past leaders, civilian and military, attests to this. It was a myth that held up until Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) showed up and ran until he eventually became president in 2015.…

Microsoft Corp (MSFT.O) said on Wednesday it was making substantial cuts to its business in Russia, joining a string of companies that are reducing their exposure or pulling out of the country following its invasion of Ukraine. The company, however, said it would fulfill its existing contractual obligations with Russian customers, while the suspension of new sales that was announced earlier in March remains in effect. “As a result of the changes to the economic outlook and the impact on our business in Russia, we have made the decision to significantly scale down our operations in Russia,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. Bloomberg…

Bayern Munich have ruled out a summer move for Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, PUNCH Sports Extra reports. The German champions are in search of a new No.9 to replace Robert Lewandowski, who is on his way out this summer. Italian website Corriero dello Sport had reported in May that Bayern were interested in the Napoli striker but on Tuesday, Skysports Germany transfer expert Marc Behrenbeck revealed that the Bavarians could afford the Nigerian, who is currently valued at €110m by the Partenopei. “Yes, he (Osimhen) played a great season, is a really good player, but according to our information it…

Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Erling Haaland are the most valuable players in the world, according to research group CIES Football Observatory. Mbappe, 23, who rejected a move to Real Madrid to stay at Paris St-German, tops the list with an estimated transfer value of 205.6m euros (£175.7m). Real Madrid’s Brazilian winger Vinicius Jr, who scored the winner in the Champions League final against Liverpool, is second at £158.3m, with Norway’s Manchester City-bound striker Haaland third (£130.4m). Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham (£114.1m) is the most valuable English player on the list in fifth place, ahead of England team-mate and Manchester City midfielder…

Former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba and Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, put up a poor showing at the presidential primary of the All Progressives Congress. While Nwajiuba could only garner one vote, Bakare failed to match his grit with action after he recorded no vote. Prior to the ballot casting, the senior pastor had shunned calls for him to step down for other stronger contenders, vowing that he would rather step up. At the end of the proceeding, the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, clinched the sole ticket at…

Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, on Wednesday congratulated former Lagos State governor, Bola Tinubu, on his victory at the All Progressives Congress presidential primary election. The governor in a congratulatory message personally signed by him said the emergence of Tinubu as flagbearer of the APC in the 2023 general election would be a victory for the Nigeria project. According to him, the Jagaban “has the capacity to provide the needed leadership that would consolidate and continue to ensure the country’s democratic gains.” Ganduje commended the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), for providing the enabling environment that produced…

Luka Modric has signed a new deal to keep him at Real Madrid until the end of next season, the European champions said on Wednesday. The Croatia midfielder, who turns 37 in September, played a key role in Carlo Ancelotti’s side last term as they won the La Liga and Champions League titles. “Real Madrid C. F. and Luka Modric have reached an agreement to extend the player’s contract until 30 June 2023,” the club said in a statement. Modric, who won his 150th international cap in Croatia’s 1-1 draw with France on Monday, also signed a one-year deal 12…

Former Lagos State governor Bola Ahmed Tinubu has won the presidential ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 general election. Tinubu won the ticket at the APC presidential primary election at Eagles Square, Abuja on Wednesday. The former Lagos State governor polled 1271 votes in total to clinch the ticket ahead of former minister of transportation Rotimi Amaechi, vice president Yemi Osinbajo and Senate President Ahmad Lawan. Amaechi was the closest to Tinubu with 316 votes. Osinbajo, who many thought would give Tinubu a tough run, came third with 235 votes while Lawan polled 152 votes. Kogi…

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against excluding his name on the ballot for the scheduled convention to pick the party’s presidential flag bearer for the 2023 election, saying the decision will be a recipe for trouble. The Kogi state governor, who is one of the 23 aspirants cleared to contest the party’s presidential ticket, alleged a gang up against him by the APC northern governors and some elite whom he alleged have conspired against him. Bello, boasting of possessing the capacity to win overwhelmingly during the party primaries if the process is…

The South African government said on Tuesday it was taken aback by Ryanair’s (RYA.I) decision to force UK-bound travelers holding the country’s passport to take a test in Afrikaans language to prove nationality, calling the move a “backward profiling system”. The Irish low-cost airline had from last week started forcing UK-bound travelers with a South African passport to take a test in Afrikaans, a language spoken by just 12% of the country’s population and often associated with the apartheid and white minority rule. Europe’s largest airline by passenger numbers, which does not operate flights to and from South Africa, had cited that…