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Lookman Out Of Atalanta Clash With Barcelona Over Knee Injury
Nigerian international Ademola Lookman will miss his Atalanta side’s Champions League clash with Barcelona on Wednesday after he suffered a knee injury during a training session.
The Serie A club, in a short statement on their website, said the 27-year-old forward hurt the lateral joint in his right knee in training Tuesday morning and would not travel to Spain where on Wednesday the club will seek to secure direct qualification for the last 16 of the Champions League.
Atalanta did not say how long the Nigerian winger would be out of action, but Italian media reported he could be sidelined for up to a month.
Lookman will be a huge loss for Atalanta as he has scored 14 goals and set up six more this season.
He also scored a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final triumph over German champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Atalanta have punched well above their weight both in Italy and abroad in recent seasons, with Gian Piero Gasperini’s side still hanging on in the Serie A title race and riding high in Europe’s elite club competition.
The Bergamo-based outfit sit seventh in the 36-club league phase of the Champions League, but with a host of clubs within a point of them anything but a win at already-qualified Barca will likely mean a play-off spot.
What Peter Obi Told Me About Labour Party – Nasir El-Rufai
Former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has said the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) deviated from its founding mission.
Naija News reports that El-Rufai said he no longer recognizes his party. He stated that APC was created to solve a problem but that would not be possible again.
Speaking at a national conference in Abuja on strengthening democracy in Nigeria, on Monday, he said, “I no longer recognize the APC. No party organ has met in two years—no caucus, no NEC, nothing. You don’t even know if it is a one-man show; it’s a zero-man show.”
The former Minister of the Federal Captial Territory (FCT) urged Nigerians to resist incapable leaders and illiterates ascending to leadership positions.
“You cannot afford to have illiterates, semi-illiterates, and cunning people as your leaders. This is why we end up with the poor leadership we have today,” he stated.
While not proclaiming his departure from the ruling party, El-Rufai said the distance between him and APC was widening.
“The problems that led to the creation of the APC remain unresolved, but I no longer believe the APC is interested in addressing them. The distance between me and the party is widening,” he clarified.
Speaking on the challenges of the opposition parties, the former Kaduna State governor said the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) was engineered by outsiders.
According to him, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, told him he was worried by the crisis in LP.
“There are internal mercenaries in the PDP, hired and motivated to destroy the party. The Labour Party is also facing similar issues. Peter Obi himself told me, ‘I don’t know what’s happening in the party I contested with’,” he added.
The APC chieftain said there “seems to be a deliberate project to destroy opposition parties“.
He further warned against undermining democracy, stating that the nation would not want to experience military rule.
Annie Idibia: ‘2face Has Been Bottled For So Long, I Got A Lot To Expose’ – Nollywood Actress, Doris Ogala
Nollywood actress, Doris Ogala has claimed that the marriage breakup between Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, better known as 2Baba, and his wife, Annie Idibia Macauley, was long overdue.
Naija News reports that Doris, in a post via her Instagram story on Tuesday, claimed that Annie engaged in ‘juju’ to keep her marriage with 2face.
The movie star claimed that Annie was not victimized as many assumed, stressing that 2Baba is the real victim in their troubled marriage.
Doris Ogala expressed confidence that 2Baba and Annie would reunite and called on the singer’s family to save their brother.
The thespian also said the women supporting Annie are witches, adding that 2Baba has been bottled for so long, hence the reason his musical career crumbled.
She said, “This thing is a projection on their marriage. It’s long overdue. Though Annie isn’t innocent. But trust me, whatever she did was because she didn’t want to lose 2face. This thing na juju tuzzle. But the other one upgraded because she has a witch on her side. The victim here is 2baba.
“These women are evil. Annie isn’t a child. These people just want to frustrate 2face. Annie clung to 2face for a long time. You’ve suffocated this guy for a long time. They will get back together. I bet you. I will advise 2face’s family to save their brother oo. This woman hmmm.
“I’m still grieving. I got a lot to expose. All these ladies are witches and Stella is their blogger. 2face has been bottled for so long. My guy’s musical career finished, and they want to play the victim card. All of you should wait for me. Evil people.”
Super Eagles player Moses Simon welcomes third child with wife
Super Eagles winger, Moses Simon has announced the birth of his third child with his wife, Ibukun Moses-Simon
The footballer took to his official Instagram account to announce the arrival of their bundle of joy, expressing gratitude to God.
He celebrated his wife of 10 years for her strength, stating that he is proud of her.
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Moses Simon in a jointly shared post with his wife shared various photos of his family ranging from her maternity shoot with their two daughters as well as a photo of the whole family at the hospital with their newborn.
The Nantes of France star wrote on both his X and Instagram page:
“I find no words strong enough to express my exact feelings, I’m sincerely grateful to GOD. GOD has blessed my home with a baby boy.”
“Thanks my Queen for this marvelous gift to our family, you are indeed a strong woman and I am always proud of you ❤️ ?.”
The 28-year-old married his wife, Ibukun Sarah Adenuga in 2015.
The couple are also parents to two daughters.
![](https://www.withinnigeria.com/entertainment/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/01/IMG_9709.jpeg)
‘I Warned Tinubu About The Role Of Aregbesola In His Political Family’ – Omipidan
A former Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the one-time governor of Osun State, Adegboyega Oyetola, Ismail Omipidan, says he has always been sceptical about the loyalty of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
Omipidan added that prior to the 2023 election, he warned President Bola Tinubu about the role of Aregbesola within his political circle.
According to the journalist, his position was formed based on what he saw in Ondo and Osun States before, during and after their 2017 and 2018 governorship elections, respectively.
He explained that he spoke to Tinubu in 2018 prior to his appointment in 2019 as the CPS to the then Governor Oyetola.
Naija News reports Omipidan shared the details afresh in an extract of his recently unveiled book, ‘Persona Non-Grata’, which he posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
He also shared his experience with Aregbesola in the build-up to the 2014 governorship experience in Osun State.
“Before my appointment as the Chief Press Secretary in 2019, I had always shown more than a passing interest in Osun politics. In 2014, when Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola was seeking a re-election, I set up a six-man media team to do an intervention on his behalf six months before the election. I funded the team and deployed my Facebook timeline in support of Aregbesola.
“Once the election was won and lost, members of the team approached me and asked when we would be going to Osun to celebrate. That was the first time I let them
know no one was paying my bills and that I had no link with anyone in government.
“Most of them were shocked at my revelation because for the six months the team worked, in the build up to the election, I made logistics available throughout.
“Prior to joining my principal in 2019, I knew what the issues were. I knew how they struggled to win the 2018 election. In fact, I had predicted in one of my articles before the 2018 election that no clear winner would emerge from the first ballot. I went further to state emphatically that any of the two leading candidates that was interested in winning must negotiate with Senator Iyiola Omisore, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, to carry the day. That was exactly what eventually happened.
“For me, the 2018 election was a referendum on Aregbesola. He was faced with what could be regarded as the “battle of his life,” the journalist narrated.
I Have Been Vindicated
Omipidan said Aregbesola’s attitude towards Tinubu’s presidential ambition has vindicated whatever reservations he has about the former Osun Governor.
He also hinted that the political arrogance of Aregbesola, coupled with the failure of Oyetola to heed political warnings, led to his failed bid to be re-elected as the Osun State Governor.
“After the election, I suggested, through my writings on Facebook, to Oyetola to drop the garb of arrogance of Aregbesola and the know-it-all attitude of that administration if he wanted to succeed. I equally admonished Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to do an introspection on the role of Aregbesola within the political family.
“I took that position based on what I saw in Ondo and Osun States before, during and after their 2017 and 2018 governorship elections respectively.
“And I want to believe that I am vindicated by Aregbesola’s disposition towards President Tinubu’s presidential ambition four years after my suggestion.
“May Allah continue to grant the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi Aljannah Firadus. He did a yeoman’s job in Osun, whereas Aregbesola carried on in that election as if nothing was at stake,” he wrote.
Atiku Makes Heavy Allegation, Accuses Tinubu’s Govt Of Buying Opposition With ₦50 Million Each
The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu’s government of paying opposition leaders ₦50 million each to undermine Nigeria’s democratic process.
He lamented that democracy in the country might collapse soon if urgent action is not taken to combat corruption.
Atiku shared his reservation at a national conference on strengthening democracy, organized by various civic organizations in Abuja on Monday.
According to Atiku, “I want to say it here publicly. I met with a political party leadership in the present opposition, and they told me flatly that this government gives them N50 million each.
“If we are not careful, we are talking to some of you here, but you are recipients of the N50 million from the APC government. Do we really want to fight for democracy?”
Atiku lamented the erosion of democratic values, criticizing the current National Assembly as a “rubber stamp” for the government and raising doubts about the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral umpire.
He cited an example from Turkey, where the electoral body refused to declare a president-elect who fell short of the required vote threshold, as a benchmark of integrity Nigeria should emulate.
Calling for opposition parties to unite, he reflected on his decades-long struggle for democracy, noting personal sacrifices, including an attempt on his life, the seizure of his businesses, and exile.
“If we don’t unite and take action, we may end up with no democracy at all. God forbid,” Atiku said.
Democracy Without Good Governance Is Failure – Peter Obi
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has said democracy fails when it cannot deliver good governance to citizens.
The former Governor Obi stated this on Monday while speaking at the ‘National Dialogue on Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity’, held at the Intercontinental Hotel in Abuja.
The former presidential candidate noted that for democracy in Africa to thrive beyond its current fragile state, it must operate within its foundational tenets, going beyond ceremonial elections.
“This requires building critical institutions that command trust and deliver absolute respect for the people’s will. Governance can only deliver tangible benefits when the will of the people prevails,” he said.
The Labour Party chieftain decried that democracy since the commencement of the 4th republic in Nigeria may be failing as poverty continued to plague the citizens.
“With about 100 million Nigerians living in absolute poverty and 150 million in multidimensional poverty, democracy is fast losing its essence if it fails to address the fundamental needs of its citizens, particularly in critical areas such as health, education, and poverty alleviation,” he stated.
The former governor of Anambra State called for introspection of the nation’s democracy.
He said to achieve functional democracy in the country, the government must prioritize institutional strengthening and deliver good governance to citizens.
“We must confront the fundamental question: is democracy truly addressing the needs of Nigerians? Are we building institutions that uphold accountability, justice, and fairness?
“To achieve a functional democracy, we must prioritize strengthening independent institutions, fostering governance that delivers economic and social progress, encouraging active citizenship to hold leaders accountable, and empowering our youth as drivers of nation-building.
“Now is the time to deepen democracy and build a better future for all Nigerians. Amid the rise of coups across Africa and the growing fragility of democracies globally, it is evident that democracy cannot thrive without trust, robust institutions, and a steadfast commitment to the welfare of the people,” he added.
No Political Peer Has Sacrificed For Democracy Like Me – Atiku
The former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has warned that democracy in Nigeria was failing to deliver expected good governance to citizens.
Atiku stated this while speaking as a thematic discussant of a Paper titled ‘Party Politics and Political Integrity: The Role of Political Parties and Opposition in Democracy’ presented by Professor Bayo Olukoshi at the National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria held at the Continental Hotel Abuja, on Monday.
Atiku noted that the nation’s democracy was at crossroads and must be rescued from its challenges.
“There’s no doubt that our democracy is at a crossroads. Put simply, it is at the risk of eroding completely. And it is not caused by one single person or one single administration.
“In fact, a number of us have been warning over the years that we may come to this pass if we lose our vigilance and fail to take corrective actions to protect and deepen our democracy.
“At the risk of sounding modest, I doubt that there are many contemporary senior political leaders who have spoken out and done more to promote democratic governance in our country than me,” he said.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said some of the sacrifices he made for democracy in the country were a result of political struggles.
“In addition to public statements and presentations, I brought some actions to our courts which produced landmark judicial decisions intended to uphold democratic principles and practices.
“Some of that effort was thrust upon me by circumstances of political struggles. But much of my effort was because of two things: my participation among other leaders in the struggles to ease the military out of power; and my deep and enduring belief that democracy is the best route to development and unity for our diverse country and peoples,” he stated.
Governance Failure and Electoral Malpractices
Former Vice President Atiku decried that democracy in the country has been devoid of good governance.
He noted that citizens have also been denied the right to elect their leaders as a result of state capture and electoral malpractices.
“One thing we can’t seriously dispute is the serious decline in governance consistent with the erosion of people’s freedoms to choose leaders. Nostalgic references to First Republic’s development strides relative to the subsequent periods are indicative of this decline.
“The deterioration in people’s freedom to choose their leaders has led to what many now regard as state capture in our country, the gravest consequence of which is the increasing difficulty in removing those in power through democratic means.
“This conference is, therefore, very germane indeed. Change through democratic means is still better for democracy and development to endure. The work being proposed by the organizers of this conference is vitally important for safeguarding and deepening our democracy,” Atiku stated.
The Way Forward
On the way forward, the four-time presidential candidate called for institutional strengthening.
Starting from party politics, Atiku called for people-based ownership and funding of political parties to strengthen the nation’s political institutions.
“Democracy can’t be sustained without strong political parties, especially opposition parties. Parties need to be strong and democratic enough to be able to fulfill their roles. Ownership of parties by or their subordination to individual big men is the antithesis of democracy.
“Members must invest in and co-own parties. When people start from the point of view that ‘Tinubu is rich or Peter Obi is rich or Atiku is rich, so I don’t have to contribute, they surrender to the big man’s dominance of parties,” he said.
The PDP chieftain further called for a reform of the nation’s electoral laws and judiciary.
He emphasized that these institutions play a critical role for democracy to deliver good governance to citizens.
“If the rot in our judiciary persists without severe consequence for the perpetrators, our parties and our democracy are unlikely to survive,” he warned.
‘Return To Your Legislative Duties Or Resign’ – APC Chieftain Tells Obasa
All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Lagos State, Fouad Oki, has urged the impeached speaker of the Lagos House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, to return and continue his legislative duties for the good of his constituency or resign.
Recall that Obasa was impeached over gross misconduct and abuse of office, but the lawmaker claims he is still the speaker of the Lagos Assembly.
Former Deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda, who emerged as Speaker of the Assembly following the impeachment of Obasa, formally occupied the office of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday.
In an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Fouad advised the Agege lawmaker that there is no shame in accepting the current reality and should forget about returning to the speakership position.
Fouad said either Obasa resigns or returns to focus on his duties in the House like other lawmakers in making good laws for Lagos State.
He said, “Matters of the Lagos Assembly are past events… what has played out in Lagos is very clear: there is party organisation, and there’s party with convention. You know conventions are unwritten rules or unwritten laws.
“Now we have different layers of control, of check and ballances in Lagos politics. What has played out is a clear testament of what politics should be…let us learn a few lessons from what has happened.
“For those that are yet to know that in politics there is hierarchy, control, checks and balances the events of last week has shown that…There’s no shame in it.
“Nothing he could do other than go back to the house and continue his job as a legislator. Another side to that is that he should throw in the hat and say ‘I’ve had enough, let someone else take over from me.
“Other than that he should just continue his basic responsibility of continuing to participate in making good laws for the good people of Lagos. He’ll take it like every other human being. It comes and goes. It is gone.”
Court Fixes Date To Deliver Ruling On Suit Seeking To Stop Wike From Arresting Abuja Sex Workers
A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled March 12, 2025, for its judgment in a case seeking to stop the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) from arresting and prosecuting commercial sex workers (CSWs) in Abuja.
Justice James Omotosho fixed the date after hearing arguments from the plaintiffs and the defense regarding the suit filed by the Incorporated Trustee of Lawyers Alert Initiative for Protecting the Rights of Children, Women, and the Indigent.
The lawsuit, filed on May 14, 2024, names the AEPB, FCT Minister, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) as defendants.
The plaintiffs, represented by lawyers Rommy Mom, Bamidele Jacobs, and Victor Eboh, sought two key reliefs:
1. A determination of whether the AEPB’s duties under Section 6 of the AEPB Act, 1997, extend to the arrest, detention, and prosecution of women suspected of engaging in sex work.
2. A declaration that Section 35(1)(d) of the AEPB Act, 1997, does not classify women as “articles” or their bodies as “goods for purchase.”
The plaintiffs argued that the actions of the AEPB, including charging suspected sex workers before the FCT Mobile Court and describing them as “articles,” were discriminatory and violated Section 42 of the Nigerian Constitution, which prohibits discrimination.
They further sought a declaration that the AEPB’s responsibilities do not include the harassment, arrest, or raid of women suspected of engaging in sex work.
Justice Omotosho will deliver judgment on March 12, 2025, potentially setting a precedent regarding the legal treatment of individuals suspected of engaging in sex work and the scope of the AEPB’s authority.