Governor Abiola Ajimobi The vision for Southwest regional integration driven by a single political party has continued to be a mirage with the defeat suffered by All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State. Although the architects of the regional integration argue that collaboration of the six states within the geographical zone was non-political but to advance their economic, social and cultural interests which had its roots from the First Republic when the region was being governed by Action Group (AG) under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The dominance of a party continued in the region for a greater part of the Second Republic when Unity Party (UPN) held sway in the Southwest between 1979 and 1983, but it has become tough in the current dispensation for a political party to win all the six states and push the regional integration agenda from the same political philosophy. Labour Party (LP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled Ondo State for...

The Nigerian Army has been in the eye of the storm over the conduct of soldiers deployed to provide security during the 2019 elections. The soldiers have been roundly accused in several quarters of committing infractions, including partisan interference in the electoral process, that seriously undermined the credibility and sanctity of the elections. In fact, in the estimation of many observers, both Federal Government and the Army stand condemned over the undue militarisation of the electoral process. Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai / AFP But it is an accusation that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in this interview with Vanguard, dismisses in its entirety. By Ebele Orakpo T HE military was accused of aiding in  election malpractices like snatching of ballot boxes. Your reaction? Militarisation has to be defined. What do you mean by militarisation? How exactly did the military take part in the elections? Generalisation is not t...

The beginning of Obafemi Martins’ career has been quite interesting.  A talented young man who was scouted by coach of FC Ebeide while he was knocking a ball around the street. ECSTACY : Nigeria and Birmingham City striker Obafemi Martins celebrates after scoring the winner against Arsenal in Sunday’s Carling Cup final at Wembley. Martins goal ended Birmingham’s nearly half a century trophy-less era. Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins (born 28 October 1984) plays as a forward. He is known for his speed on the ball. After leaving Nigeria for Italy at age 16, he has since played for a number of top-division clubs across Europe. He began his senior career in 2002 at the Italian Serie A club Inter Milan, before moving to the English Premier League club Newcastle in 2006, and then the German Bundesliga club VfL Wolfsburg in 2009. Having joined Russian Premier League side Rubin Kazan in July 2010, they loaned him to Birmingham City in January 2011. In club football, Martins ha...

Two suspected homosexuals were seriously dealt with after they were allegedly caught during sex romp. It was gathered that the duo were apprehended by residents who reportedly spotted them engaging in sexual intercourse and decided to teach them lesson over the act which they labelled a ‘taboo’. The young men were paraded outside while totally naked as they were slapped and beaten with shovel, sticks amongst other things. It is believed that the incident happened recently in South Africa.

GOVERNORSHIP Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, has said that Governor Rochas Okorocha should hide his face in shame rather than blaming him and the National leadership of the party for his failed plot to install his son in-law as governor of Imo State. Okorocha and Uzodinma Uzodinma who was reacting to the comment by governor Okorocha that the APC failed to win the Imo governorship election due to the candidacy of Uzodinma, reminded the governor that even as” a sitting governor he failed to win a senatorial election and got a Returning Officer to announce him winner under duress. “ I thought by now Okorocha should be hiding his face in shame after he lost his bid to install his son in-law and win his senatorial election. Despite all the billions he spent to stop me and the APC in the state from the results from the polling units I won the election and we will prove it. “But Okorocha has lost his deposit and he is finishe...

Aisah, the wife of President Muhammadu Buhari, has been given a new appointment by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) Aisha on Thursday was appointed as the UNAIDS Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the appointment came as a result of the expiration of the initial appointment in 2018. Aisha while accepting the appointment, urged women in Nigeria to conduct regular HIV and AIDS tests to guard against Mother-to-Child transmission of the disease. She said this on Thursday when she received a delegation of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) led by its Executive Director, Mr. Michiel Sidibe, at the State House, Abuja. She said the measure would ensure treatment of women living with the disease to have babies free of HIV and AIDS. The wife of the President assured the delegation of her commitment to continuing the advocacy against the sp...

A FTER  its production officially kicked off in Graz in May, the new G-Class has become one of the most demanded passenger cars of 2018. This new model has been hailed as the “biggest transformation” in the G’s 39 years-old history, as it raises the bar in all relevant areas while maintaining familiar and popular features from its design icon. This is just as Weststar Associates Limited, the authorized general distributor of Mercedes-Benz in Nigeria said it is proud to welcome the new “G” to customers and enthusiasts of Mercedes-Benz in the country. According to Mr. Mirko Plath, Managing Director/CEO Weststar Associates Limited, “Mercedes-Benz lovers and off-road enthusiasts in Nigeria can now enjoy the revolutionary attributes of the new G-Class model. This is a product that speaks for itself as its design is considerably more robust and suitable for off-road operations in its segment. This means an SUV that is capable of handling any type of road condition.” The ext...

Do you know people still lose vital opportunities because a mail they are expecting  entered spam filters? Unfortunately, a lot of people are not fond of checking their spam mails thereby  concluding that their mails were not sent. However, there are multiple factors that play important roles in determining whether or not your emails get delivered to the inbox. spam Here are some of the things you must do to enable your emails  get    past the spam filters… *You must get express permission to email The first rule of email marketing is to get express permission. To get express permission, you will need an option form on your site that makes it perfectly clear that your visitors are subscribing to your email list. Do not manually add emails that you got off  business cards you collected at a conference. While you may think that they  would appreciate your newsletter, sending emails to them violates the CAN-SPAM Act,...

Everything you need to live well Ex-porn star turned sports commentator, Mia Khalifa is engaged to longtime boyfriend Chef Robert Sandberg, and he proposed to her in a very special way in Chicago. Apparently, Robert Sandberg hid the ring in a bowl of dried ingredients and Mia almost ate the ring with the ‘new serving’ but thankfully Sandberg was on ground to warn her, and he proposed to her on the spot. She said YES. Sharing the news on his Instagram page, Sandberg wrote; We went to Chicago this weekend and had a wonderful dinner at Smyth. I proposed to @miakhalifa and she said YES! The ring was hidden in a bowl of dried ingredients and came out as a “new serving”. Mia was to curious and to eager to taste so she started to eat the inedible ingredients. I told her not do it and then I put the ring on the finger. I love you so much❤️ Mia Khalifa also confirmed the news on her page as she shared adorable photos of the couple, writing; Thank you a million times over ...

Makinde Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Saturday, February 23 election, Atiku Abubakar, yesterday held a close a closed-door meeting with former President Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta. A statement issued by Media Aide to the former President, Kehinde Akinyemi, disclosed that Atiku went into a meeting with Obasanjo and came out at about 1.00pm before having lunch with his host. The details of the meeting were not disclosed as Abubakar as at the time left at about 2pm. After Atiku’s visit, Oyo State Governor-elect, Seyi Makinde also visited Obasanjo. Makinde, who was elected on PDP’s platform, was accompanied by his Deputy, Akeem Ademola, Oyo State PDP Chairman, Kunmi Mustapha, Senator Hosea Agboola, Bose Adelabu and Lagos State PDP Chairman, Dominic Agboola, among others. Obasanjo tasked Makinde to jettison the type of democracy, which would only target selfish interests of the few. However, Chairman, Anambra State Peoples Democra...

Dear friends, take your time and read my story, I pray you find Grace to stand through! Recently, I had to take a step that I was 100% sure was godly and morally correct but It looked so foolish to several people, but with God on my side and with the encouragement of sincere believers, I'm strengthened! It goes thus: Sometimes December, 2016, I got enrolled in a national scheme of the Federal Government of Nigeria called N-POWER, it's a current and working scheme that was set up by this present government to ameliorate or ease the high level of unemployment in the Nigeria. Fortunately, I got an admission in December, 2018 to further my studies in the University of Benin, and as part of the pact or agreement between the Federal Government of Nigeria and the volunteers of N-POWER, it's required of us to work full time, that is; for no reason must we get into any endeavour that will clash with the normal working hour at our Place of Primary Assignment (PPA). Prio...

Supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) celebrate with party flags in Abuja, Nigeria, after candidate President Mohammadu Buhari was re-elected on February 26, 2019. – Muhammadu Buhari was re-elected Nigeria’s president, results showed February 26, 2019, after a delayed poll that angered voters and led to claims of rigging and collusion. Buhari, 76, took an unassailable lead of more than four million votes as the last states were yet to be declared, making it impossible for his nearest rival, Atiku Abubakar, to win. The win was confirmed as Abubakar won in the very last state to declare — Rivers in the south — but could not claw back the deficit. (Photo by KOLA SULAIMON / AFP) The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday declared candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winners of Lagos Mainland House of Assembly Constituencies I and II in Lagos State. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN reports that the results were declared at the La...

Everything you need to live well Singing superstar Jennifer Lopez and retired baseball great Alex Rodriguez have been one of the most glam celebrity couples in recent years. Fans, get ready: a J-Rod wedding is on the cards. Lopez and Rodriguez confirmed on Instagram late Saturday that they are engaged. Both posted a picture of their hands at sunset, with Lopez’s enormous diamond ring. While the multi-hyphenate singer-actress-dancer-producer only captioned the pic with heart emojis, Rodriguez went a bit farther, writing in lower-case letters: “she said yes.” (FILES) In this file photo taken on May 07, 2018 Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez arrive for the 2018 Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. – Singing superstar Jennifer Lopez and retired baseball great Alex Rodriguez have been one of the most glam celebrity couples in recent years. Fans, get ready: a J-Rod wedding is on the cards. Lopez and Rodriguez confirmed on Instagram late Saturday March...

Chelsea have released their line-up that will tackle Wolves in today’s Premier League fixture at Stamford Bridge. The Independent UK reports that the Blues manager, Maurizio Sarri, has released a list of 21 players. Chelsea head to the game following a 2-1 victory over Fulham last weekend. Below is the Chelsea squad against Wolves: Kepa, Caballero, Rudiger, Christensen, Luiz, Azpilicueta, Emerson Palmieri, Alonso, Zappacosta, Ampadu, Jorginho, Kante, Barkley, Loftus-Cheek, Kovacic, Willian, Hudson-Odoi, Hazard, Pedro, Higuain, Giroud The kick-off time for the match is 3:05pm.

Curvy Ghanaian actress, Moesha Boduong may not exactly look like a Monalisa or Cleopatra in the beauty department, but her voluptuous figure, well phrased and punctuated in the right places will stand her out in any crowd. In a recent interview with SVTV AFRICA, Moesha explained why she would never date a poor or broke guy. “ My first boyfriend was a man without cash and we were struggling together but he cheated on me severally and got my heart broken. After such experience, I vowed never to date a broke guy. I can’t date a man without a car, a man with at least a Corolla or a Hyundai isn’t bad for a guy who wants to date me,” she said. Contrary to the notion that she dates several men, Moesha has gone as far as advising other ladies to shun the practice, saying it can never make them rich. “Sleeping with different men will never make you successful or rich. No man will spend on a hoe, men love women who are exclusive. Don’t believe in everything you read on social med...

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State,   Mr .  Abba Kabir, escaped a mob attack on Saturday . Mr. Abdullahi Haruna, a spokesman for the Kano police command confirmed this in a statement on Saturday. He explained that Mr. Kabir almost got mobbed before he was rescued by security operatives while attempting to vote at his Chiranchi ward in Gwale Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. “It was a normal mob action which often happens when two oppositions come face to face with each other,” the statement said. “However, the presence of our security men in the area could not allow any disturbances and the person in question was escorted out of his ward peacefully.” The police also warned residents of Kano to stay away from celebrating election victory in some places across the state when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not made any official announcement. According to the command...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Alhaji Nasir Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the state assembly seat to represent Daura constituency in the Katsina State House of Assembly. Daura is the hometown of President Muhammadu Buhari. Dr. Abdulwahab Musa, the Returning Officer, who announced the results, said Nasir Yahaya scored 31,062 votes to defeat his opponent Lawal Hussaini of PDP, who scored 8,335 votes and Maryam Maidawa of SDP, who polled only 2 votes. He said the total number of registered voters were 85,807, while those accredited were 40,822. The votes cast were 40,781, and valid votes were 39,695, while rejected votes were 10,086. In a related development, the electoral body also declared the incumbent Speaker of the Katsina House of Assembly, Alhaji Tasiu Musa, winner of the Zango state constituency election. He scored 23,319 votes to win Zango LGA state constituency and secured a seat in the state house of a...

There was a massive celebration earlier today after a woman gave birth to a bouncing baby boy while going to vote in the governorship and states assembly elections in Rivers. It was gathered that the woman went into labour while trying to exercise her franchise and was helped by some nurses and other women to give birth by the roadside at Rumuchuolu Eneka area in Port-Harcourt. The residents were overwhelmed with joy after the delivery and have name the baby after the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike, who is seeking re-election.

Babajide Sanwo-Olu (middle)  The All Progressives Congress, APC governorship candidate in Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has said he will emerge winner in the election holding in the state today. The APC candidate made this known while speaking with journalists shortly after voting alongside his wife, Ibijoke, at the Lateef Jankande/Femi Okunnu Polling Unit in Ikoyi.  Sanwo-Olu said it was exactly six months ago that he obtained the form and joined the Lagos governorship race and that he is confident of emerging the winner since he had made the necessary engagements and had taken his campaign to different parts of the state.

Bola Tinubu Bola Tinubu, a national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says “O to ge”, the slogan used to dislodge Senate President Bukola Saraki is not applicable in Lagos. Loosely translated as “enough is enough”, the slogan yielded massive rewards for Kwara APC as the party displaced all the three sitting senators in the state, won all house of reps seats and President Muhammadu Buhari defeated Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic (PDP), with over 150,000 votes in the state. Some politicians and activists opposed to Tinubu had attempted to use a similar strategy to stop the emergence of Babajide Sanwo-Olu, his preferred candidate. But fielding questions from reporters after casting his ballot at polling unit 047, ward 3, Ikeja local government area of the state, Tinubu said in Lagos, the people should consider “o to pe”, translated as “it’s worthy of praise”. He said there is a limit to copying concepts from other states, expre...