Former Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo said the European Union Observer Mission (EUOM) 2023 general elections report can not delegitimize the government of President Bola Tinubu.

Keyamo stated this in a statement via his verified Twitter handle on Monday.

Recall that the EUOM, in its report less than a week ago, pointed out some flaws in the general election and made recommendations to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

But, the EU’s report has been greeted with reactions and backlash from some Nigerians, including Keyamo.

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, stated that there is no election worldwide without irregularities.

He explained that the issue is whether the supposed irregularities affected the election outcome.

According to him, the EU’s report is not a document that tells who won or lost an election.

Keyamo, a spokesperson for the defunct Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, noted that only the Judiciary can legitimize or delegitimize President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government.

He stated, “It is only a forensic examination of the entire process by the judiciary that can determine the extent to which the supposed ‘irregularities’ affected the outcome of the elections. And there are legal rules already laid down to achieve this.

“The EU report is NOT (and cannot be) a document that tells you who won or lost an election. It only reports the ‘irregularities’ noticed and recommends improvement in future elections.

“Therefore, all the hoopla over that EU report is neither here nor there when it comes to legitimizing or delegitimizing the government of the day. That power or responsibility belongs to the Judiciary,” he said.

Recall INEC had declared Tinubu, the winner of the presidential election.

However, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Peter Obi of the Labour Party are currently at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, challenging the victory of Tinubu.

President Bola Tinubu on Monday told the new, Service Chiefs, the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the acting Inspector General of Police, IGP, that they should work as a team and deliver on the mandate given to them.

This is as the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu has assured the President and the entire Nigerians that the security agencies will accomplish the objective of securing the country, establish peace and stability.

President Tinubu had his maiden meeting which held behind closed doors with the NSA, the Service Chiefs and the acting IGP on Monday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, the NSA, Mallam Ribadu, said that the President directed them to work as a team and deliver on their mandate.

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, he said, “We’re here to thank Mr President for the opportunity he gave us to serve our country and to serve his own government. We also pledged our loyalty to him, Nigeria and Nigerians.

“We believe the choice he made is the right one, the correct one, and we know what he wants for this country. We’re going to work tirelessly to ensure that we accomplish that objective of securing our country, establishing peace, stability and let’s get our lives back.

“He gave us the assurance that he’s with us hundred percent. He told us that we must work as a team and that there’s work to be done, he’ll expect us to deliver and we’re grateful for the opportunity. That’s why we are here.”

Asked what will be the starting point of the new security heads, Mallam said, “Where we are today and you can see already things are improving in our country. If you see the record of crimes and activities of criminals are going down, it will continue to go down. We’ll secure this place.

“Nigerians have seen the quality of the people that are given opportunity, they are probably some of the best we have and they are not going to fail you, they’ll certainly deliver. Thank you very much.”

Apart from the NSA, others in attendance were the Chief of Defence Staff, Major General Christopher Musa, the Chief of Army Staff, Major General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Hassan Abubakar, and the Acting IGP, Kayode Egbetokun.

…Refuses To Assess Government Performance

Leader of pan-Yoruba group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has refused to recognize the administration of President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing the government as non-existent.

Adebanjo spoke during an Arise TV interview monitored by THE WHISTLER refusing to comment on the performance of Tinubu about a month after he was sworn in as president.

The Afenifere leader held that the presidential elections have not been concluded with the ongoing Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

He said, “Afenifere’s stance for now is not to comment on Tinubu’s administration because we believe that the elections is not completed yet, it’s still in progress, that is why we are in court, so commenting on someone who is there and who we don’t believe should be there until the final decision of the court will be probative and reprobative.

“We are not talking about his ability, we are talking about the process of his getting there, which is flawed. How can you build something on nothing, he is enjoying a lacuna, nothing is settled until it’s finally settled, that’s our stance.

“I refuse to comment on somebody that is not existing yet until the final arbiter of the court, our party may be wrong but that is our own stance. I cant recognize him in an office that I believe don’t exist. Even if the court decides, we can still express opinions. The stance of Afenifere is that we want a free, fair and credible election and that’s what we are questioning. Even if he’s doing well, does that absolve the way he got there?” Adebanjo queried.

He added that the election of Tinubu was antithetical to the principle of power rotation, “Go and read why we support Obi, its not a question of his (Tinubu) ability or capability, its because a significant section of the country has been shortchanged, we are not paying lip service to a united Nigeria and that cannot be changed by any theory. So nothing is existing yet.”

Meanwhile, Adebanjo also clarified that Afenifere is not a socio-cultural organization, “We are a political party, called Action Group. We are a political party with a definite identity.”

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, nullified the expulsion of former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged anti-party activities.

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, held that Nnamani was not given fair hearing in accordance with the PDP’s constitution.

Justice Omotosho said that going by the Article 57 of the Constitution of the PDP, it was only the National Executive Council (NEC) that can convene a disciplinary committee as against the National Working Committee (NWC), which took the decision.

The judge said that the constitution of the party stipulated that it was the NEC that was vested with the power to take disciplinary action against any erring member who is a governor, deputy governor and a serving member of the National Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnamani, who represented Enugu East Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, lost his re-election bid to a Labour Party candidate, Kelvin Chukwu, in the Feb. 25 poll.

The PDP NWC, at its 566th meeting, had expelled the former senator on Feb. 10 for allegations bordering on anti-party activities.

He was initially suspended on Jan. 20 before he was subsequently expelled.

Nnamani was alleged to have campaigned for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, against the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

NAN reports that Tinubu was declared the winner of the Feb. 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling the highest votes and was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29.

But Nnamani, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/163/23 filed on Feb. 6, had sued the INEC, PDP national chairman and the NWC as 1st to 3rd respondents over alleged breach of his fundamental rights to fair hearing.

In the originating summons, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether he could be suspended without giving him the constitutional right to fair hearing.

He wanted the court to determine having regard to the provisions of Article 57 of the party, the decision of the NWC suspending him on Jan. 20 was not null and void.

He, therefore, prayed the court to declare that by virtue of the party’s constitution, the respondents did not validly conduct a disciplinary measure against him before his suspension.

Nnamani argued that besides being a serving senator, he was a two term governor of Enugu State.

He said that he was neither notified of any complaint against him nor afforded opportunity to fair hearing.

But the respondents, in a counter affidavit and a preliminary objection, sought an order dismissing the suit.

They argued that Nnamani campaigned for another political party while being a member of the PDP.

They said contrary to his argument, the party had the power to suspend him having being found to engage in anti-party activities.

They further argued that the issues bordered on the internal affairs of the party which the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine.

Justice Omotosho said that though the Supreme Court held that the issue of party membership, etc, was within the party’s jurisdiction and a no-go area to the courts, he said Section 46(2) of the 1999 Constitution vested the power on the court to hear alleged breach of person’s rights

He cited previous cases to back his decision.

“This court will not dabble into the internal affairs of party but will restrict itself to whether the fundamental right of the plaintiff has been breached,” he said.

He said though these rights are not absolute, they are entrenched in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, and that the African Charter on Peoples Rights also makes provisions for fundamental rights.

The judge agreed that a member of a political party must abide by its rules and regulation, having freely submitted himself to its rules, he however said that the court would only interfer where the party had violated its own rules and regulation.

He observed that Articles 4 and 5 of the PDP gave provisions for fair hearing to erring members.

According to him, fair hearing is giving equal opportunity to parties and where fair hearing has been done, a party cannot complain.

“But the complaint of the plaintiff is that he was not giving fair hearing,” he said, in accordance with Article 57 of the party’s constitution.

“The law is clear that specific provisions override general provisions,” he said.

He said the available fact before the court was that the NWC, at its 566th meeting, considered all the allegations against Nnamani and approved his suspension for one month.

Besides, the judge also observed that it was the NWC that expelled him on Feb. 10 in a press release.

Omotosho, who said that this was a gross violation of the party’s constitution, held that this had rendered all the actions null and avoid.

He said the court was convinced that the plaintiff had been able to establish his case against the respondents.

Justice Omotosho consequently gave an order nullifying the decision of the PDP NWC that was taken on Feb. 10, expelling the ex-lawmaker.(NAN)

A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, nullified the expulsion of former Governor of Enugu State, Chimaroke Nnamani, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over alleged anti-party activities.

Justice James Omotosho, in a judgement, held that Nnamani was not given fair hearing in accordance with the PDP’s constitution.

Justice Omotosho said that going by the Article 57 of the Constitution of the PDP, it was only the National Executive Council (NEC) that can convene a disciplinary committee as against the National Working Committee (NWC), which took the decision.

The judge said that the constitution of the party stipulated that it was the NEC that was vested with the power to take disciplinary action against any erring member who is a governor, deputy governor and a serving member of the National Assembly.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Nnamani, who represented Enugu East Senatorial District in the 9th Senate, lost his re-election bid to a Labour Party candidate, Kelvin Chukwu, in the Feb. 25 poll.

The PDP NWC, at its 566th meeting, had expelled the former senator on Feb. 10 for allegations bordering on anti-party activities.

He was initially suspended on Jan. 20 before he was subsequently expelled.

Nnamani was alleged to have campaigned for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, against the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

NAN reports that Tinubu was declared the winner of the Feb. 25 presidential election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after polling the highest votes and was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29.

But Nnamani, in a suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/163/23 filed on Feb. 6, had sued the INEC, PDP national chairman and the NWC as 1st to 3rd respondents over alleged breach of his fundamental rights to fair hearing.

In the originating summons, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether he could be suspended without giving him the constitutional right to fair hearing.

He wanted the court to determine having regard to the provisions of Article 57 of the party, the decision of the NWC suspending him on Jan. 20 was not null and void.

He, therefore, prayed the court to declare that by virtue of the party’s constitution, the respondents did not validly conduct a disciplinary measure against him before his suspension.

Nnamani argued that besides being a serving senator, he was a two term governor of Enugu State.

He said that he was neither notified of any complaint against him nor afforded opportunity to fair hearing.

But the respondents, in a counter affidavit and a preliminary objection, sought an order dismissing the suit.

They argued that Nnamani campaigned for another political party while being a member of the PDP.

They said contrary to his argument, the party had the power to suspend him having being found to engage in anti-party activities.

They further argued that the issues bordered on the internal affairs of the party which the court lacked the jurisdiction to determine.

Justice Omotosho said that though the Supreme Court held that the issue of party membership, etc, was within the party’s jurisdiction and a no-go area to the courts, he said Section 46(2) of the 1999 Constitution vested the power on the court to hear alleged breach of person’s rights

He cited previous cases to back his decision.

“This court will not dabble into the internal affairs of party but will restrict itself to whether the fundamental right of the plaintiff has been breached,” he said.

He said though these rights are not absolute, they are entrenched in Chapter 4 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, and that the African Charter on Peoples Rights also makes provisions for fundamental rights.

The judge agreed that a member of a political party must abide by its rules and regulation, having freely submitted himself to its rules, he however said that the court would only interfer where the party had violated its own rules and regulation.

He observed that Articles 4 and 5 of the PDP gave provisions for fair hearing to erring members.

According to him, fair hearing is giving equal opportunity to parties and where fair hearing has been done, a party cannot complain.

“But the complaint of the plaintiff is that he was not giving fair hearing,” he said, in accordance with Article 57 of the party’s constitution.

“The law is clear that specific provisions override general provisions,” he said.

He said the available fact before the court was that the NWC, at its 566th meeting, considered all the allegations against Nnamani and approved his suspension for one month.

Besides, the judge also observed that it was the NWC that expelled him on Feb. 10 in a press release.

Omotosho, who said that this was a gross violation of the party’s constitution, held that this had rendered all the actions null and avoid.

He said the court was convinced that the plaintiff had been able to establish his case against the respondents.

Justice Omotosho consequently gave an order nullifying the decision of the PDP NWC that was taken on Feb. 10, expelling the ex-lawmaker.

(NAN)

The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has reappointed Mr. Gboyega Akosile, as his Chief Press Secretary (CPS).

The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola. 

The appointment according to the Head of Service takes immediate effect.

Before his reappointment, Akosile had served as the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu during his first term. He was also the Media Adviser to the Governor since the inception of the second term of Babajide Sanwo-Olu's administration on May 29, 2023.

 Signed

Hakeem Muri-Okunola

Head of Service 

Lagos State Government.

Eagle-eyed tennis fans would’ve spotted Iga Swiatek’s mismatched kit as she kicked off her Wimbledon campaign on Monday.

The world No.1 came through in straight sets against Zhu Lin on Court One as she bids to win her fifth grand slam title following a hat-trick of victories at the French Open and her triumph last year in the US. Swiatek's latest victory comes off the back of a new deal off the court as well.

In March, Swiatek signed a money-spinning contract with Swiss brand On Running - the shoe company associated with Roger Federer - after a four-year association with Asics. She announced: "I’m thrilled to announce I am the first female tennis athlete at On. I’m happy the On team believes in me as an athlete and a person. We plan to grow, develop and make an impact together. Big thanks to my team for this amazing achievement in business."

However, the Polish star was spotted still wearing her former sponsor’s Gel Resolution 9 footwear on court almost four months later as she got her trophy tilt underway in SW19 with a 6-1, 6-3 win over her Chinese opponent to book her spot in round two. Wimbledon men's champion Novak Djokovic also wore Asics shoes but has a separate clothing deal with Lacoste.

Swiatek does not have the best pedigree on grass, having never made it past the fourth round, but signs are positive that this will be the year she has a proper crack at winning the title. Zhu - ranked 34th in the world - was no match for her, with a routine victory only slightly delayed by a rain shower that saw the roof closed. 

The all white dress code is a big tradition at the All England Club in SW19 but a recent rule change now permits athletes to wear different colour underwear. The shift has been welcomed by players.

Heather Watson told Sky News: "When Wimbledon announced about the undershorts I was so happy because it makes such a difference. I speak openly about my period, I don't think it's a taboo subject and I would love for people to talk about it more.

"Last year I went on the pill to stop myself bleeding because I knew I had to wear white undershorts and I didn't want any embarrassment. We're running around sweating, doing the splits on court. This year I knew my period was going to be during Wimbledon again so I'm very happy I won't have to do the same thing as last year."

[mirror]

And there shouldn't have been. Wimbledon, especially the Centre Court to Djokovic is what Roland Garros is to Rafael Nadal. Although, one may never, or rarely see the Spaniard in such a mood whilst a delay in play. Djokovic, despite only an exhibition match to show as his preparation for the Grand Slam post his record win in French Open last last month, cruised his way through the to Round 2 of Wimbledon as he beat Argentina's Pedro Cachin 6-3, 6-3, 7-6(4).

With the win, Djokovic matched Nadal's monumental feat at the Roland Garros, leaving him only behind Roger Federer now. It was the 18th time Djokovic scripted a round-one win at the SW19, same as Nadal did in French Open. Only Federer at the Australian (21) and US Open (19), and Djokovic himself at the RG (19) have appeared in more singles Majors main draws without ever losing in the opening Round than Djokovic in Wimbledon.

It was also his 29th straight win at the Slam, having never lost a match since 2017 when he had retired from his quarterfinal tie with an elbow injury. It is now the fourth-longest winning streak in men's singles at the SW19 in Open Era after Bjorn Borg (41 wins between 1976 and 1981), Federer (40 wins between 2003 and 2008) and Pete Sampras (31 wins between 1997 and 2001). It’s been 2,183 days, to be precise.

The win also added to Djokovic's staggering streak of 40 straight victories at Centre Court, still the most by any player in the Open Era at the venue. The next-best streak belong to Federer and Helen Wills Moody, who had both won 32 matches in a row on Centre Court. Federer's streak was between 2003 and 2008 and Wills Moody's was from 1927 to 1938.

[Hindustan Time]

Two grand footballing institutions have forged quite the connection over the years.

Contemporary behemoths Chelsea and the historically significant AC Milan have enjoyed the talents of some of the game's all-time greats, some of whom have suited up in both west London and Italy's fashion capital.

While far from an all-timer, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, who promised so much before a serious Achilles injury suffered in 2019 tamed his lofty trajectory, will be the latest to suit up for both clubs after he completed a £15m move to the Rossoneri.

Here's a list of all the players to play for Chelsea and Milan.

Players who have played for both Chelsea and AC Milan

Al Nassr have completed the signing of Inter midfielder Marcelo Brozovic on a three-year contract.

The 30-year-old is the latest high-profile player to move to the riches of the Middle East, where he'll link up with Cristiano Ronaldo.

A number of Premier League players have already departed for Saudi Arabia - Kalidou Koulibaly, Edouard Mendy and N'Golo Kante headlining a mass exodus from Chelsea - while the league's biggest acquisition is perhaps Karim Benzema - he's joined champions Al Ittihad after opting to end an illustrious trophy-laden stint at Real Madrid.

90min revealed that Brozovic had been courted by Barcelona as they looked to replace Sergio Busquets in the anchor role, but the Croatian has been lured to Saudi Arabia on a big-money contract.

"When it comes to a player, many factors take over," Inter CEO Beppe Marotta told Sky Italia about a potential exit for Brozovic earlier in the week. "Clearly the economic one is the most important one.

"The situation is not closed and is not defined. Who decides is the player himself. We are not obligated to give him up. The biggest problem is the contractual relationship between him and the new club.

"If there is a solution we will close the issue, otherwise we will take him off the market."

Inter had been willing to part ways with Brozovic in a bid to raise money this summer, and further outgoings are expected at San Siro in a bid to balance the club's books.

Lautaro Martinez has been interesting Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United, while goalkeeper Andre Onana is of particular interest to the latter amid continued uncertainty over the future of David de Gea.

The Nerazzurri are at least hopeful of concluding a deal for Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku, but their outgoings will need to significantly outweigh any incomings in a bid to be compliant with FFP rules.

Al Nassr have also made an attempt to sign Crystal Palace talisman Wilfried Zaha, who is now out of contract, in addition to moving for Hakim Ziyech - his move is on hold though after issues arose in his medical, leading the Saudi side to change the terms of their original offer.

[90mins]

According to Corriere dello Sport (via SportWitness), Chelsea are pressing to sign Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in the summer transfer window.

The London giants recently confirmed the purchase of Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal, but they are still keen on pursuing a marquee striker over the coming weeks. As per Corriere dello Sport, Vlahovic is the main target for Chelsea, and they are pushing hard to find an agreement with Juventus.

The Italian outlet add that Juventus are prepared to consider his sale for £69 million. Chelsea are currently front-runners in the pursuit of the Serbian, but it is claimed that they could face competition from other English clubs as well as Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Talented striker

Vlahovic was regarded as one of the best strikers in European football during his time at Fiorentina. He was brilliant during the 2021 calendar year, scoring 37 goals for the Serie A outfit. However, he has failed to replicate the same form since his move to Turin in January 2022.

Vlahovic has accumulated only 23 goals and six assists from 63 games for Juventus thus far. A lot more was expected from him, and it appears the Bianconeri are open to selling him for the right price. A move to a new club could change his fortunes, and it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will win the race.

The London giants have the funds to afford his signature. They recently went on a huge selling spree in the transfer market, and are now expected to spend the funds on the purchase of new signings. Jackson was signed recently, but the club may want someone more experienced to be their first-choice striker.

Vlahovic has been identified as the main target, but Chelsea could face competition from the likes of Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. United are yearning for a top-class striker ahead of next season while Spurs could make a serious move if they lose Harry Kane to Bayern Munich during the summer.

[football-talk]