President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday led other senior members of the government to the National Arcade in Abuja to participate in the Wreath Laying Ceremony, marking the climax of 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.
[Nation]
The Nigerian women’s football team, Super Falcons, will today fly to Australia to step up their preparations for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) announced the nine-time African champions will depart Abuja for a 15-day training camp in Australia, before the World Cup with their base at Brisbane, which is also the venue for two of their group matches.
The team were hosted to a farewell dinner last night at the Transcorp Hotel Abuja with the First Lady Oluremi Tinubu in attendance.
The World Cup, featuring 32 teams, will be hosted by Australia and New Zealand between July 20 and August 20.
Nigeria’s opening match is against Olympic champions Canada at Melbourne’s Rectangular Stadium on July 21, before matches against co-hosts Australia and Republic of Ireland on July 27 and July 31 respectively at the Lang Park in Brisbane.
[Leadership]
Cesc Fabregas ex-Arsenal star has announced his retirement from football at the age of 36.
The Spaniard will move into coaching with Italian side Como, which was the Serie B club he played for last season.
During his spell, he played for Arsenal, Barcelona, Chelsea and Monaco.
Fabregas said, “It is with great sadness that the time has come for me to hang up my playing boots.
“From my first days at Barca, Arsenal, Barca again, Chelsea, Monaco and Como, I will treasure them all.
“From lifting the World Cup, and the Euros, to winning everything in England and Spain and nearly all the European trophies, it has been a journey that I’ll never forget.
“All those who have helped me, my team-mates, coaches, directors, presidents, owners, fans and my agent. To all my family, from my parents and my sister to my wife and kids, I cherish your advice, mentorship and guidance. To my opponents who tried to knock me, thank you for making me stronger.
“It has already been more than worth it with all the great memories and friends that I have made on the way. I’ve also learnt 3 languages and became more compassionate and wiser along my travels. I lived experiences that I never thought in a million years I would even come close to.”
Fabregas joined Barca’s La Masia Academy in 1997 when he was 10.
He played Premier League matches for Arsenal between 2004 and 2011 and won the FA Cup before leaving for Barcelona.
After three years in Barcelona, he moved to Chelsea in 2014.
He won the European Championship in 2008 and 2012 and was part of the golden team that lifted Spain’s first World Cup in South Africa.
Katerina Siniakova captured her fourth career title and first of the season after defeating Lucia Bronzetti 6-2, 7-6(5) in the final of the Bad Homburg Open. The victory capped off a stellar week for the reigning Doubles No.1, who was playing just her third tournament since recovering from a wrist injury that ruled her out of most of the clay season.
Siniakova entered the week ranked No.52 in singles and had not won a singles match since Indian Wells. At the Miami Open, she sustained a right wrist injury in her first-round match against Claire Liu and did not play again until Roland Garros.
Her first-round win in Bad Homburg over Elisabetta Cocciretto snapped a four-match losing streak, and she carried that momentum into her first Top 20 win of the season, defeating No.2 seed Liudmila Samsonova 7-5, 4-6, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
Playing her first singles final since winning 2022 Portoroz, Siniakova maintained complete control over the 65th-ranked Italian from the start. Not even a delayed start due to rain or a prolonged interruption after the first set could deter Siniakova, who came into the final having lost just one set all week.
Siniakova's only wobble came as she served for the win at 6-2, 5-3. Siniakova struck two double faults and two unforced errors in a disastrous service game to let the Rabat champion back in the set. In all, Siniakova lost 13 consecutive points before settling herself to hold to 6-5.
Having rediscovered her range, Siniakova sealed the victory in the tiebreak. After seeing Bronzetti save three match points, the Czech closed out her first grass-court title after 1 hour and 36 minutes. Siniakova finished the match with 16 winners to 27 unforced errors.
[wtatennis]
Daniil Medvedev feels World No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz will win up to five Wimbledon titles in his career.
The Russian No. 1 has had a terrific start to the 2023 season, winning five ATP singles titles before traveling to Paris for Roland Garros. However, since his first-round defeat at the Paris Major, Medvedev has struggled for form.
In a recent conversation with the ATP, Daniil Medvedev opined that Alcaraz could win up to five Wimbledon titles, given the way he operates on every surface. However, he also added that it is tough to say because grass is 'a tough surface'.
“In my opinion, the way Carlos plays on every surface, he can win maybe five Wimbledons, but you never know. It's a tough surface to play on," he said.
The Russian went on to recall playing against the Spaniard and said that this year the 20-year-old has improved on grass.
"When we played [in 2021], he was not the same player, so I managed to get the best of this match," Medvedev said. "Last year, I think he improved [on grass] already, played this four-setter against [Jannik] Sinner [in the fourth round]. I remember it was a great match."
The 2021 US Open winner mentioned that grass is really tough for the players, but he feels Carlos Alcaraz's potential is 'really high' on this surface.
“So I think his potential is really high on any surface, but grass is a tough surface for many players. Let's see how he handles this task," Daniil Medvedev added.
The two-time Australian Open finalist also expressed his admiration for Alcaraz for playing so well on grass despite the perception that his style of play does not suit the surface.
“Then there is going to be someone else [like Alcaraz], where you say in your mind that while his game is not really suited for grass — maybe he doesn't go to the net that often and stuff like this — and then he plays so well on grass, and he says it himself that it is his best and favorite surface. That's where it's surprising," he concluded.
Daniil Medvedev will kickstart his 2023 Wimbledon campaign by taking on Britain's Arthur Fery in the first round. The Russian was barred from participating in 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In his last appearance in 2021, Medvedev reached the fourth round of the tournament, where he lost to Hubert Hurkacz.
Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, will play against France's Jeremy Chardy in the opening round of Wimbledon. The top seed recently won his first grass-court title at the Queen's Club Championships. In 2022, at Wimbledon, he lost to Jannik Sinner in the fourth round of the tournament.
[sportskeeda]
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (middle) being congratulated by Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba (left) while the wife of the governor, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke watches in admiration, during the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, signing his Oath of Office while his wife, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke (second left) and their children, watch during the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (fourth left), followed by his wife, Dr (Mrs) Ibijoke; wife of the Deputy Governor, Mrs Oluremi Hamzat; Dr Obafemi Hamzat; Chief Judge of the State, Hon. Justice Kazeem Alogba (left) and family members during the inauguration of Governor Sanwo-Olu/Deputy Governor Hamzat for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.
Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu (left) and Deputy Governor, Dr Obafemi Hamzat congratulate each other after being sworn-in for second term in Office, at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Monday, May 29, 2023.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday led other senior members of the government to the National Arcade in Abuja to participate in the Wreath Laying Ceremony, marking the climax of 2023 Armed Forces Remembrance Day celebration.
[Nation]
The former Abia State governor took to his Facebook page on Tuesday to celebrate Zina as she was called to the bar on Tuesday.
Kalu shared photos from the ceremony on his page, showering prayers on his daughter.
The Abia State former governor wrote, “Congratulations to our beautiful daughter Zina, on her call to the bar. May God keep blessing you forever and always. Your hard work finally paid off.
We feel so proud of you sweetheart.”
[NaijaNews]
The development was confirmed by his media aide, Paul Ibe in a statement released on Tuesday amidst speculation that Atiku has ill health.
Ibe, however, stated that the former vice president travelled out of the country for purely business.
Naija News gathered that the former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the former lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Dino Melaye followed Atiku on his trip to Europe.
Atiku travelled out of Nigeria in the middle of the presidential campaign of the main opposition party.
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Ndudi Elumelu and an associate of the presidential candidate Timi Frank were seen with him.
See the pictures below:
Meanwhile, a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has claimed that the former Vice President travelled out of the country because he is ill.
Fani-Kayode stated this in a post on his Twitter handle on Tuesday.
The former minister claimed that Atiku collapsed after returning to Abuja after the PDP presidential campaign rally in Kaduna on Monday.
He claimed that the former vice-president had complained of dizziness and severe pains in his head.
[NaijaNews]
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), on Monday, paid a courtesy visit to Ahmad Gumi, the Islamic cleric.
Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate, visited the cleric in his official residence in Kaduna state.
The LP standard bearer announced the meeting on his Twitter handle, sharing photos from the visit.
See photos below:
[TheCable]
Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, met in London, United Kingdom, on Thursday.
Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, Seyi Makinde of Oyo, and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia are some of Wike’s allies that attended the meeting.
Ahmadu Fintiri, governor of Adamawa, who heads Abubakar’s delegation for peace talks with Wike’s team, was also in the meeting.
The meeting comes hours after former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Peter Obi, presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), and Wike met in the European country.
It also comes days after Wike and his associates met with Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in France.
TheCable had reported how Abubakar travelled to the UK on Wednesday in a last-ditch effort to reconcile with Wike amid the latter’s association with members of the APC.
Previous attempts by Abubakar to reconcile with Wike have proved abortive.
THE RIFT
The opposition party has been embroiled in crisis since the conclusion of its presidential primary election in May.
Wike had contested the presidential ticket, but he lost to the former vice-president.
The cracks widened after Atiku Abubakar named Ifeanyi Okowa, governor of Delta, as his running mate for the 2023 presidential election.
Following the announcement, some party stakeholders expressed concerns that Atiku overlooked Wike — who was said to have been recommended by a panel set up at Atiku’s instance.
The division in the party worsened after Atiku granted an interview to Arise TV, during which he gave his rationale for overlooking Wike.
Days after the interview, Wike fired back, accusing the party’s presidential candidate of telling “many lies”.
Atiku has been making efforts to reconcile with Wike but there has been little progress thus far. Last week, a three-member delegation he constituted met with Wike’s team in Rivers.
The Rivers governor is reportedly demanding the resignation of Iyorchia Ayu, PDP national chairman, as a precondition for peace talks.
As the 2023 election approaches, a former Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gumbi/Wajake ward in Wamakko Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State, Abubakar Rugga Wajake, has moved from the party to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that Mallam Sa’idu Umar (Mallam Ubandoman Sokoto); the PDP governorship candidate in Sokoto State, was on hand to officially receive Rugga on Sunday.
Politicians from the two leading parties in Sokoto State have been locked in a game of wits, which is manifesting in the spate of defections.
Findings by this newspaper revealed that disagreements over the outcome of the APC party primary election caused some politicians to jump ship.
Notable among the Sokoto State APC stalwarts who have joined the PDP in the last two months are former Ministers of Transport, Culture, and Tourism Development, Yusuf Suleiman and Senator Bello Jibril Gada, two serving national lawmakers — Abdullahi Balarabe Salame (Gwadabawa-Illela), Yusuf Musa Kurdula (Gudu-Tangaza) and the Speaker of the Sokoto State House of Assembly, Aminu Achida.
Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos and presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday, attended the burial ceremony of Margaret Obaigbena, late mother of Nduka Obaigbena, chairman of Thisday and Arise News.
The burial took place in Owa-Onyibu, Delta state.
In attendance were Kayode Fayemi, Charles Soludo, Godwin Obaseki and Ifeanyi Okowa, governors of Ekiti, Anambra, Edo and Delta respectively.
Also present was Aliko Dangote, president of the Dangote Group.
Below are photos:
Naija News recalls that the singer and her boo held their traditional marriage ceremony in Port Harcourt on 18th July 2022.
Photos of their court wedding which was held today, 4th August 2022 were shared on Instagram.
The couple was captured excited about their big day.
Mercy captioned the photos: “To God be the Glory. Great things He has done. Forever to go with you Sweet @theofficialblessed”
Blessed Uzochikwa, the minister in charge of The WaterBrook Church, reacted to a throwback video of him saying Mercy is like a sister to him.
This comes after Nigerians dug up the viral video with the statement, following the news of their engagement.
The clergyman in the video had said: “I got to stop laughing. I love Mercy Chinwo so much, she’s like a sister to me. Amazing lady, very powerful, very anointed, so beautiful…”
However, during a ministration at his church on Sunday 26th, June, Pastor Blessed reiterated that Mercy Chinwo is her sister asking if he’s not a brother.
According to him, Christians are like brothers and sisters in the kingdom of God but many people are carnally minded.
He urged his members to always look around the sisters when it’s time to get married.