The Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of fuelling internal divisions in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Mohammed claimed that the ruling party had deliberately planted moles within the PDP in Rivers State.

He stated that the APC picked the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to serve in its administration because they do not have people who can perform better than PDP members.

The governor stated this when the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT) paid him a visit on Wednesday.

He expressed concern over the power struggle between Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State and his predecessor, Wike.

According to him, “We have to close ranks. It is something that is baffling some of us but any challenge is not insurmountable; it will be surmounted by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that and that is why there is a problem.

“It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged. And you will notice that this is a creation of the other side (APC).

“They want us to be in disarray; it (the crisis) is the creation of the APC. They always want to have moles within us; they want to have the knowledge of what is happening within us

“And you can see that even Wike who is in the APC and in the PDP is performing very well. They (APC) don’t have people who can perform like our members and that is why they chose to pick him and give him a state-like structure to run, and to us, it is a commendation.”

However, Mohammed assured that efforts are underway to take decisive action to unify the party, stating, “We cannot compromise the peace and unity of our great party.”

The Emir of Minna, Alhaji Umar Farouk Bahago, has stated that the economic challenges currently faced by Nigerians were inherited from the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Emir made these remarks during a sensitisation event on federal government intervention programmes, organized by the Office of the Minister of Information and National Orientation in Minna, Niger State.

Represented by Alhaji Maikudi Achaza, the Hadinin Minna, the Emir praised President Bola Tinubu for his efforts in addressing the issues caused by past corruption. He pointed out that many citizens remain unaware of Tinubu’s initiatives due to inadequate communication, particularly in local languages.

Former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar also expressed concern about the worsening hardships faced by Nigerians. He urged the Tinubu administration to take urgent action to alleviate the suffering of the people. During a courtesy visit from the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights, a Minna-based civil society group, Abdulsalami criticized the distribution of palliatives, stating they are not an effective solution to the rising cost of living.

He emphasized that leaders need to connect with ordinary citizens and understand their struggles, noting that high transportation costs, increased fuel prices, rising school fees, and lack of financial resources are making life difficult for many.

Abdulsalami proposed that the government should sell essential food items at reduced prices to help citizens cope with inflation, rather than relying solely on palliatives. He also urged Nigerians to remain peaceful ahead of the planned #EndBadGovernance protests on October 1, 2024, and advised the government not to take citizens for granted.

The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, represented by Asabe Sule Garba, emphasized that the event aimed to raise awareness about the federal government’s efforts to improve the lives of citizens. He reiterated President Tinubu’s commitment to accountability and transparency and called for public support.

Nollywood actress Elma Godwin has joyfully announced the arrival of her second child with her husband.

The excited mother took to her Instagram page to share the delightful news with fans and colleagues, posting adorable photos of herself and the newborn.

In the heartwarming post, Elma introduced her baby girl, Aninoritse Bridget-Chimereya Ludart, born on September 13, 2024.

What captivated many was the striking similarity between mother and daughter, with the little one sporting a distinctive patch of white hair on her forehead, just like Elma.

The actress referred to her newborn as her “twin,” expressing her gratitude to God for the blessing.

She wrote:

“I gave birth to my twin!! Aninoritse Bridget-Chimereya Ludart arrived on the 13th of September 2024. We @ludart_solutions and @ariludart are so over joyed and grateful to God.”

Fans and fellow celebrities quickly flooded the post with congratulatory messages, celebrating the joyful occasion with the star.

The Kwara State environmental task force has sealed off 14 buildings for violating environmental regulations, specifically for failing to provide adequate toilet facilities. The buildings affected are located in the Sabo-Oke (8 buildings) and Onikun-Kewu Street, Adabata (6 buildings) areas within Ilorin South and Ilorin West local government areas.

Hajia Nafisat Musa Buge, the Commissioner for Environment, disclosed this during a press briefing on Wednesday. She highlighted the state government’s dedication to ensuring a hygienic environment to prevent the spread of cholera and other health issues.

“Our Environmental Health Officers have begun house-to-house inspections of toilet facilities to promote healthy living among residents,” Buge said. Recent inspections found buildings with exposed human waste due to faulty soakaway systems, which posed serious health risks. As a result, these buildings were sealed.

Buge assured the public that inspections would continue across all 16 local government areas to enforce compliance with environmental laws. She urged landlords to provide proper toilet facilities in their properties and warned that failure to comply would result in prosecution under Section 5, Subsection 2 of Kwara State Environment Laws.

The commissioner also called on residents to support the government’s efforts in maintaining a clean and safe living environment for everyone.

Nollywood’s resilient star, Bisola Badmus, has been inundated with an outpouring of love and support following her heart-wrenching revelation about her ongoing battle with a brain tumor.

The actress, recently opened up about her struggles during a candid appearance on Biola Adebayo’s show.

In that revealing interview, Bisola laid bare the painful realities of her estranged relationship with her alleged baby daddy, Fuji icon KWAM 1 (King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall).

With raw emotion, she detailed how the singer has allegedly neglected his responsibilities towards their son, Malik, leaving her to shoulder the overwhelming burden of parenthood alone.

However, amidst the heartache came a beacon of hope. Following her passionate outcry, Biola Adebayo joyfully announced that Bisola’s son had just been awarded a scholarship from a kind-hearted Nigerian, a generous gesture that brought a sigh of relief to the struggling mother.

Biola expressed her gratitude to everyone who has rallied around Bisola, offering love and support since the interview aired.

Adebayo also shared the heartbreaking losses Bisola has endured: the passing of her mother, father, and younger brother, all while now battling her own sickness.

She wrote;

“THANK GOD WE FINALLY GOT A SCHOLARSHIP FOR MALIK! OLUWASEUN” God continue to help her, I pray she will never lack money and the gift of good people around you Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us since yesterday. Im grateful.,

“Within a few years, she lost her dad, mum and her younger brother. Now she has a Brain Tumor sad she has spent quite a fortune and she’s still spending. Thank God she’s getting better, but she needs all the love she could get now”

SEE HER POST BELOW

In the comments section of Biola’s announcement about the scholarship, fans seized the moment to voice their frustrations with KWAM 1, dragging him for his apparent lack of involvement and responsibility.

SEE REACTIONS BELOW

Nollywood’s vibrant comic actress and filmmaker, Ariyo Oluwakemisola Apesin, widely known as Kemity, recently dropped a bombshell about her chaotic romantic life that left jaws dropping.

In an electrifying live session with the fiery content creator Neecee Boss, streamed on her page, Kemity opened up about the tumultuous realities of love, marriage, and the men who have come and gone in her life.

Kemity, a mother of two, with a voice heavy with emotion, revealed a heart-wrenching experience involving her baby daddy that shattered her world.

According to her, while she was in the throes of labor at the hospital—teetering between life and death and fighting to bring her daughter Ifeoluwa into the world—her baby daddy, the very man who was supposed to be her pillar of support, was caught in a scandalous act of infidelity.

This follows the Yoruba movie star’s December 2023 announcement that she is officially off the market after sharing a video of herself proudly wearing her engagement ring.

Kemity revealed that she said “yes” to her boo and promised to share more details about their engagement.

In the heartwarming proposal video shared by one of her colleagues, Kemity looked stunned as her partner popped the question beside their Christmas tree, both dressed in matching Christmas pajamas.

Celebrating with her on Instagram were stars like Funke Akindele, Biola Bayo, Omowunmi Ajiboye, Yetunde Barnabas, Afeez Owo, Itele, and Bukola Adeeyo.

As the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award slowly approaches, debates on who will win the men’s category have surfaced on social media.

With that in mind, we have compiled five reasons why Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman is guaranteed to win the prestigious African Footballer of the Year 2024 award.

Following the impressive form of Victor Osimhen in 2023, the Nigerian international became the fifth Nigerian footballer ever to clinch the award and the first in the 20s era to ever do so.

It is safe to say that Nigeria is returning to being the dominant force in African football as another Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman is perfectly poised to clinch the award making it back-to-back wins for Nigeria.

Questions as to what qualification Ademola Lookman possesses to win such an award have been asked and given his impressive run in the Serie A and also at AFCON 2023, it is safe to say that the winger is definitely not far from winning the award.

Can Ademola Lookman win the African Footballer of the Year 2024?

As things stand, Ademola Lookman is in the best position to be crowned the African Footballer of the Year 2024. The major prerequisites to clinch the award have been ticked by the Nigerian international at both club and national level.

Ademola Lookman’s individual stats

Ademola Lookman’s individual stats as a footballer for Atlanta in the 2023/2024 series A and Europa League season were exceptional and the Nigerian international has also carried the form into the 2024/2025 season at the club.

The winger has been exceptional and is not shy of creating chances and also converting them himself.

One performance that would not be forgotten for days or years to come would be his trailblazing performance at the UEFA 2023/2024 Europa League final fixture Atalanta vs Bayer Leverkusen where he became the first African footballer in the history of any UEFA competition to score a hattrick in the finals.

Ademola Lookman’s Serie A stats (2023/2024)

• Matches Played: 31
• Goals Scored: 11
• Assists: 7
• Shots on Target: 25
• Yellow Cards: 4
• Red Cards: 0

Ademola Lookman’s UEFA Europa League stats (2023/2024)

• Matches Played: 11
• Goals Scored: 5
• Assists: 1
• Shots on Target: 9
• Yellow Cards: 2
• Red Cards: 0

Lookman’s Ballon d’Or 2024 nomination

Ademola Lookman became the only African player to be shortlisted in the final 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2024 Men’s Player of the Year award. This is a huge booster for his quest for the African Footballer of the Year 2024, as him being the only player with a nod in the men’s category recognizes his exceptional abilities in the 2023/2024 season. It remains to be seen if he would make the final top 10 shortlist at the award ceremony but Lookman seems to be focused now on working hard in the 2024/2025 season.

Ademola Lookman at AFCON 2023

Ademola Lookman was a game-changer for Nigeria at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast. It is safe to say he played a huge role in Nigeria’s progression to the finals of the tournament against all odds.

AFCON performance of both the player and his country would also be a huge decider in determining the winner of the African Footballer of the Year and as of the moment, the Atalanta forward ticks the two boxes with ease.

Ademola Lookman delivered an impressive performance during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with the following key stats:

• Goals Scored: 3
• Netted twice in the Round of 16 against Cameroon.
• Scored the decisive goal in the quarter-final clash with Angola.
• Assists: 1
• Matches Played: 4
• Man of the Match Awards: 1 (in the match against Cameroon)
• Big Chances Created: 2
• Chances Created: 7
• Key Passes: 6

Importance in both the national team and at club level

The importance of a player at both national and club level would also play a huge role in selecting the African Footballer of the Year in the Men’s category.

The importance of a player in any team can be determined by the number of appearances such a player makes for his side and how much of a game-changer he is in such a team.

Over time Ademola Lookman has exerted his dominance in both the national and the club level making it almost impossible for both teams to function effectively in his noticeable absence.

Whenever Lookman is on the field of player there is always an extra spring in the gameplay of both Nigeria and Atalanta as he can be found opening spaces and creating chances during an attack.

Ademola Lookman titles won

Recognizing football as a team sport is also important which is why aside from what you have achieved as an individual on the field of play, what your team has achieved also plays a huge role in determining the winner of the Footballer of the Year award.

With Ademola Lookman’s side Atalanta picking up the UEFA Europa League title in the 2023/2024 club football season with him being a major contributor in guaranteeing his side the title in the finals, the scales of the African Footballer of the Year 2024 have officially tipped in his favour.

These five key reasons could tip the scales in favour of Ademola Lookman for the highly coveted African Footballer of the Year awards 2024.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has disclosed that Nigerians living abroad contribute $20 billion annually to the country’s economy, representing 6.1% of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This was announced by NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, during her presentation at the “Africa Diaspora Day on the Hill” event, part of the Congressional Black Caucus Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

Dabiri-Erewa highlighted the remarkable achievements of Nigerians in various sectors globally, commending their role as strategic partners in the country’s growth. She noted that the remittances have played a crucial role in supporting families, boosting local economies, and aiding national development.

The Chairman also emphasized NiDCOM’s efforts to engage the diaspora through the National Diaspora Policy, which seeks to harness the resources, skills, and expertise of Nigerians abroad. This policy aims to create opportunities for increased participation in the nation’s development, including investment in key sectors such as healthcare, education, and infrastructure.

She stated, “Nigerians abroad continue to significantly impact both the Nigerian economy and their host countries. Their contributions in areas such as technology, medicine, education, and business have elevated Nigeria’s global profile.”

The “Africa Diaspora Day on the Hill” event provided a platform for discussions on how African diasporas can drive positive change in their home countries. Dabiri-Erewa stressed the importance of stronger ties between the Nigerian government and its diaspora community to ensure continued contributions to Nigeria’s economic growth.

The statement issued by Gabriel Odu of NIDCOM’s Media, Public Relations, and Protocols Unit also highlighted the need for more initiatives to mobilize resources from the diaspora for national development, as well as fostering collaboration between Nigeria and other African countries with large diaspora populations.

Nigerian musician Paul Okoye, aka Rudeboy of the P-Square duo, has insisted on splitting with his twin brother, Peter Okoye.

Recalls that the crisis between the two brothers became public after Paul, in an interview, accused Peter of petitioning the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to arrest him.

However, expressing his frustration during an Instagram live session on Wednesday, Paul claimed he did most of the work while others benefitted.

Speaking in pidgin, he said: “Those days of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop, I no dey do again. So I would rather continue working for myself. Every time, only me dey sing all the songs. I no dey do again.”

The singer had recently noted that the rift between him and his brother is more complicated than it is viewed.

P-Square first split in 2017 and reunited in November 2021.

There are strong indications that President Bola Tinubu may scrap the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation as part of a major cabinet rejig.

The exercise would also see some portfolios split and others merged into a single entity, while some ministers would be relieved of their duties, a Presidency source told The PUNCH.

Tinubu has been facing increasing pressure from within and outside his party, the All Progressives Congress, to sack underperforming ministers in his cabinet.

Although the President had warned against underperformance about 10 months ago, the cabinet had remained largely intact, save for the suspension of the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu.

Last November, after a three-day retreat for cabinet members and presidential aides, Tinubu announced that a Central Delivery Coordination Unit headed by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs. Hadiza Bala-Usman, would measure the performance of ministers and other top government officials.

Their performance would determine who would leave or remain, Tinubu stated.

 “If you are performing, nothing to fear. If you miss the objective, we’ll review it. If no performance, you leave us. No one is an island and the buck stops on my desk,” the President told participants.

In early September, Sunday PUNCH stated that a cabinet reshuffle was imminent.

However, sources in the Presidency who confided in our correspondent said the reshuffle would transcend portfolio swaps. Instead, some portfolios and ministries would be split, merged or scrapped.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak on the matter, said the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, whose helmswoman, Dr. Betta Edu, was suspended in January, would be scrapped entirely. Nonetheless, the officials were reluctant to disclose which other ministries would be affected.

“I think it is overdue now. In fact, he (Tinubu) was supposed to announce the changes last week, but he was out of the country; that was why. But he wants to do it while he is around.

“It is not just about reshuffling his cabinet. He is also going to restructure some of the ministries for effectiveness and output because the current structure in some of them is not effective.

“Just to let you know, he may be scrapping the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs because he does not think there is a need for it. There are several agencies that are performing those functions already and they can do it without a ministry. So, he sees no need for it,” the source said.

The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development was established in August 2019 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. 

Buhari said its formation was part of his strategy to streamline and coordinate humanitarian interventions, disaster response, and social welfare programmes in the country.

Nigeria has been dealing with numerous crises such as internal conflicts, particularly from Boko Haram insurgencies, natural disasters, and a rising number of internally displaced persons.

The ministry was tasked with managing these matters, along with various social investment programmes such as the N-Power scheme, Conditional Cash Transfer and the Homegrown School Feeding Programme, amongst others.

While announcing his new ministers in August 2023, President Tinubu re-scoped the ministry to ‘Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.’

However, the ministry had been mired with various allegations of corruption, mismanagement and inefficiency, with most of these controversies centering on its first minister, Sadiya Farouq, who served from its inception until 2023.

Farouq’s successor, Edu, was also suspended for allegedly diverting ₦585m in ministry funds to a personal bank account.

While announcing her suspension January 7, the Presidency said Tinubu had tasked a panel, headed by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to, among other functions, “conduct a comprehensive diagnostic on the financial architecture and framework of the social investment programmes to conclusively reform the relevant institutions and programmes in a determined bid to eliminate all institutional frailties for the exclusive benefit of disadvantaged households and win back lost public confidence in the initiative.”

On the timing of the reshuffle, another source disclosed that the President planned to finalise it before departing for New York, USA to participate in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

“Soon, I can say it will happen soon. The arrangement is that he is supposed to do it before leaving for the UNGA this week. And I see nothing hindering that for now.

 “It is confirmed. There is a particular portfolio that has to be split into two. Others will be merged, and some will be scrapped. That is what I know,” the source said.

Meanwhile, a third source confirmed that some frantic lobbying had begun as some cabinet members had been contacting their godfathers to prevail on the President in their favour.

 “Yes, that is a typical thing. Some of the ministers will be calling their godfathers to influence the President. It is a normal thing. But the President will still do what is on his mind for the country.”