A former National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, says the government of President Bola Tinubu is indifferent to the plight of Nigerians and the sorry state of the nation.

He lamented that despite the widespread hardship and hunger in the country, Tinubu’s government has embarked on frivolous and extravagant spending. 

He noted that the federal government insensitivity and lack of optics and tact in handling matters of national significance have made the country highly volatile.

He charged Nigerians to rise to the occasion and begin the process of reforming the Democratic structures of the country in the aftermath of the #EndBadGovernance with a view to ousting the APC from power.

Lukman in a statement issued Sunday titled, “#EndBadGovernance Campaign: What Next?”, every committed democrat in the country must wake up to this challenge and seek to mobilise Nigerians to direct their anger creatively and positively towards reformation of democratic structures in the country. 

He said: “As it is, the President Asiwaju Tinubu’s administration seems to be on a roller coaster of aggrandised spendings amid mass hunger and poverty in the country, which is partly responsible for the highly volatile situation in the country.

“Every committed democrat in the country must wake up to this challenge and seek to mobilise Nigerians to direct their anger creatively and positively towards reformation of democratic structures in the country.”

The former APC chieftain said that given that majority political leaders are already aggrieved and with the way the government has rendered virtually all registered political parties comatose, the process of uniting aggrieved political leaders across all parties must earnestly commence.

He added: “This is the point when ideally, opposition leaders such as Alh. Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi and Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso should step forward to provide the needed leadership to reform our democracy and ensure the emergence of a functional political party capable of rescuing Nigeria.

“In addition to opposition leaders, other political leaders in APC who have been edged out of the party should join forces with opposition leaders to rescue the country and put Nigeria back on the path of democratic development.

“These leaders include Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Chief Rotimi Amaechi, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Sen. Ibukunle Amosun, Mal. Nasir El-Rufai, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and many others.

“While acknowledging that there are already unfolding initiatives in this direction, the rising anger in the country must be utilised and directed to strengthen the emergence of a veritable functional political party different from APC, PDP, LP and NNPP. As it is, it must be acknowledged that these parties cannot serve as the platforms to rescue Nigeria from its current unfortunate self-inflicted downward spiral producing mass poverty and starvation.”

Nigerian music icon Peter Okoye, one half of the legendary duo P-Square, has ignited a firestorm by tearing into his twin brother, Paul Okoye, aka Rudeboy, in a blistering open letter that has sent shockwaves through the music world.

In a recent interview, Rudeboy dropped bombshells about how their relationship hit rock bottom just two years after their much-celebrated reunion in 2021. He boldly took credit for their hit songs, subtly downplayed Peter’s contributions, and even revealed a shocking twist—his arrest by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in December 2023, a situation he claimed was orchestrated by none other than his own blood, Peter.

Peter, who had enough of playing the silent role, chose Monday, August 12, 2024, to break his silence in the most explosive way possible.

Through his Instagram page, he unleashed a scorching open letter that left no stone unturned. With words dripping with bitterness and long-suppressed resentment, Peter accused his twin of chronic disrespect, relentless sabotage, and masterminding a campaign to turn their loyal fans against him.

In this unfiltered tirade, Peter didn’t just respond—he dismantled. He called out Paul’s audacity in claiming to have written and sung 99% of P-Square’s hits, a move that blatantly erased Peter’s pivotal role in their success.

Peter highlighted how he has always used “we” and “us” when speaking about P-Square, underscoring his belief in their unity, while accusing Paul of selfishly clinging to “I” and “me,” as if P-Square’s triumphs were a solo effort.

His words; 

“Every time I have spoken in interviews about P-SQUARE, I have always used “we” and “us” because I saw us as a team. But whenever you speak, it’s always “l” and “me,” even when I’m standing right beside you. It’s as if I never existed.

“My brother, neither of us is the most talented artist in the world, but you fail to understand that God gave us this talent and even granted us another chance to excel after our last breakup. Instead, you chose to turn the most awarded and decorated music group in Africa into a laughingstock again.

“One thing you need to understand clearly is that the fans didn’t fall in love with P-SQUARE because of who sang or danced the most. What made us special was the magic that came from our combined effort – us two! P-SQUARE was a force, and the fans fell in love with P-SQUARE because of our uniqueness and unity. We both have talent, no doubt, and I have often praised you in our interviews for your songwriting ability. I have also praised anyone who has ever written a song for us or even for me as Mr. P.”

Peter Okoye, a father of two, pointed out how Paul, instead of uniting with him to reclaim their top position in the music industry, chose to side with their elder brother, Jude Okoye. He expressed how Paul has consistently sidelined and demeaned him.

He also accused his twin brother of repeatedly disrespecting him, his wife, his family, his talent, his ideas, and much more.

But Peter didn’t stop there. He dropped a tantalizing hint that the full story behind the EFCC drama, which also involved their former manager and elder brother, Jude Okoye, was yet to be told.

He promised to reveal his side of the sordid affair later today, leaving fans on the edge of their seats, hungry for more details in this unfolding family feud.

HERE’S THE FULL, UNFILTERED LETTER HE UNLEASHED BELOW

Esther Nwachukwu, the controversial Nollywood actress also known as Esther Sky, has expressed her desire to be Senator Ned Nwoko’s eighth wife.

Speaking in the teaser of the upcoming episode of ‘The Honest Bunch’, Esther Sky said she won’t marry for love but money.

“I want to be Ned Nwoko’s eighth wife…. In this generation, women love money more than love,”she said.

The co-host, Nedu, asked: “So, you don’t care about love?”

Nwachukwu replied: “Nobody marries for love these days. Did Dangote’s daughter marry a poor man?”

Nedu: “Those ones are used to money already.”

Nwachukwu: “You can’t be from a poor background and marry someone from a poor background. I’m from a very humble background and I’m an only child.”

Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) season 9 contestant, Wanni has expressed her confidence in making it to the final of the reality show.

During a chat with fellow housemate Onyeka, Wanni boldly declared her intentions.

“I’m here for publicity and here to stay till the last day. At the end of the day, we left work to be here. We were paid for 10 gigs and we did three, so we have work,” she said.

She elaborated on her motivations, revealing that she and her twin sister, Handi, are participating for exposure and to make the most of their time on the show.

Wanni, alongside her twin sister and DJ partner, Handi, has yet to face elimination, maintaining their position in the competition.

Both sisters have managed to avoid falling into the bottom four, a critical point where eviction risks are highest.

In other news, Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) Season 9, housemates Wanni and Handi have been crowned the newcustodians for Week 3.

This fresh twist in the show, introduced this season, has already added a new layer of intrigue and strategy among the contestants.

The role of The Custodians is a pivotal one, with significant powers granted to the winning pair. As part of their responsibilities, the custodians have the authority to select housemates for eviction at the end of each week.

The process for choosing The Custodians involves a competitive game among the housemates.

Big Brother Naija (BBNaija)Season 9, housemate Kassia has expressed her disbelief over the eviction of the Ndi Nne duo, the reigning Head of House.

The duo, alongside Radicals, Zinwe, and Flourish, found themselves in the bottom four, ultimately being sent home by the custodians, Streeze, who chose an “evict only” box during Sunday’s live show.

Kassia’s reaction came during a conversation with fellow housemates later that evening. She voiced her shock, noting the dramatic shift from being Head of House to eviction. 

“Immediately Ebuka called them [Ndi Nne], I was telling Kelly that, ‘God forbid. From Head of House to your house,’” Kassia said, eliciting laughter from her housemates.

This season’s new rule stipulates that the Head of House is not immune to eviction, a significant change from previous seasons.

Only the custodians and winners of the Immunity Challenge are protected from being sent home. The unexpected eviction of NdiNne has stirred conversations among viewers and housemates.

In related news, The duo known as Ndi Nne, made up of Nneamaka and Chinne, has been evicted from the ongoing Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) Season 9 reality TV show.

The eviction took place on Sunday, August 11, during the live eviction broadcast. The power to evict a pair fell to The Custodians, Steeze, which includes Mayor Frosh and Toby Forge.

After a deliberative process, they opted to evict Ndi Nne from the competition. Despite their previous achievements, including winning the Head of House title in the second week of the season titled “No Loose Guard” and triumphing in the Custodian challenge…

Napoli’s director, Giovanni Manna, has confirmed that Super Eagles of Nigeria striker, Victor Osimhen has expressed his desire to leave the Italian club, which could be a major boost for Chelsea and his other suitors.

Despite already securing a deal to sign Atletico Madrid’s Samuel Omorodion, Chelsea are still in need of a prolific goal scorer and has maintained their interest in Osimhen. The 25-year-old Nigerian striker is reportedly a top priority for Chelsea as they look to strengthen their forward line for the upcoming 2024-2025 season.

Osimhen’s impressive performances have garnered attention from several top clubs in Europe, including Chelsea, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Liverpool. However, his €130 million release clause has deterred many suitors, leaving Chelsea as the primary European club interested in signing him.

Note that Osimhen has been absent from Napoli’s pre-season fixtures and was also missing from their Coppa Italia first-round match against Modena.

Last weekend, Napoli’s director confirmed Osimhen’s desire to leave the club, stating that the striker wants to depart and that the club is prepared for his potential exit.

“Victor Osimhen has asked to leave the club,” the club’s director told reporters in Italy.

“He wants to go. The situation is clear; there were already chances for his exit last summer. Victor wants to leave. We will see in the next 20 days.

“Victor is a player who wants to leave, and last year there was already a situation in place. We are calm because we have players in the squad ready to replace him.

“Osimhen is a strong player, but we want to protect the integrity of the group, and we prefer to protect the harmony of the group. But we will see what happens over the next 20 days.”

This development could lead to negotiations between Napoli and Chelsea, especially considering Napoli’s interest in signing Romelu Lukaku from Stamford Bridge.

Although Osimhen’s agent has initially rejected the idea of a swap or loan deal, the player’s eagerness to move away from Napoli may force a reconsideration.

Minister of Sports Development, John Enoh, has stressed that the ministry has started reviewing Nigeria’s poor performance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Recall that Nigeria sent 88 athletes to compete in 12 sports at the 2024 Olympics, and all of them failed to win a medal for the country. This marks one of the country’s worst showings in Olympic history.

Enoh acknowledged the disappointment and emphasized the need for reflection as the country prepares for the upcoming Paralympics, scheduled to commence on August 28 in Paris.

The minister expressed regret over the subpar performance of Team Nigeria and extended his apologies to Nigerians.

He highlighted the provision of necessary funding, early payment of allowances, and timely disbursement of training grants, indicating that financial constraints were not a factor in Nigeria’s Olympic campaign.

However, he admitted that the outcomes did not meet the nation’s expectations and emphasized the need to provide a comprehensive explanation to the public.

The Sports Minister’s statement reads: “The Olympic Games, Paris 2024, has ended, and I accept that our performance should have been a lot better. It fell short of our objectives, expectations, and hopes of Nigerians. I must apologize to our compatriots and reflect on what went wrong while looking forward to the Paralympic Games, Paris 2024 (August 28- September 8).

“In all these, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federation, HE Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ensured that funds were not a limiting factor. Athletes’ competition requirements were provided, allowances were paid early, and training grants were disbursed to all athletes. I made myself readily available to deal with any issue throughout the competition. Therefore, the underwhelming performance of our team is puzzling. We owe Nigerians an explanation.

“As a responsible organization, we have swung into a review process. We shall evaluate the competition readiness of every athlete comprehensively, including their injury and medical history within the limits of patient confidentiality. The role of coaches and administrative staff will also be examined.”

Enoh also discussed the challenges faced by the Ministry of Sports Development in preparing for the Olympics within a limited timeframe. He revealed that when he assumed office in August 2023, the ministry had to oversee four major international competitions, including the AFCON, the African Games, and the Olympics and Paralympic Games, all within a short period.

He explained: “When I assumed office as the Minister of Sports Development in August 2023, I was confronted with the task of executing four international competitions namely the AFCON, the African Games, and the Olympics and Paralympic Games in a matter of a few months. I was also reminded that the Olympic Games is the world’s supreme sports competition, and countries require at least four years to prepare for it. I held extensive discussions with the management staff of the ministry and got to know that preparations for the Olympics, which was less than a year away, had not started.

“After the African Games, subsequent meetings were limited to the federations that had bright chances of qualifying for the Olympics. Medal projections were made by all the federations, although their athletes were still trying to qualify; which lasted until about June 2024. The concerned federations prioritized qualification over preparations for the Games. This seems to have always been the case. This has to change.”

A Muslim cleric allegedly beheaded a 14-year-old boy, identified as Malik Kareem, for ritual purposes in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Saturday.

Naija News learnt that the tragic incident which has thrown the area into confusion occurred at the Olorisaoko community in the Akinyele Local Government Area of the state.

The victim reportedly wrote his final subject for the West Africa Examination Council at Iyana Community Grammar School, Olode, Moniya, Ibadan.

According to PUNCH, the victim, alongside his three other age groups, contacted a Muslim cleric, now at large, for a money ritual on Saturday.

However, the victim was unaware that the three other boys had bargained with the cleric to kill him for a money ritual.

Confirming the development, a family source who spoke with the publication as mentioned earlier said, “I was at home when one of my brothers ran to the house to inform me about the unfortunate incident. We quickly rushed down to the place to confirm it. When we got there, the Muslim cleric had already run away, but we found the victim’s lifeless body on the ground without a head.

“He was found in a pool of blood in that Islamic cleric’s house. The head has already been cremated.

“The other three boys had earlier bargained with the cleric that they would use their friend for a money ritual. So, when they got there, he (the victim) was strangulated to death, beheaded and cremated. They will be using it to take pap every day, according to what they told us.”

Also, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, has confirmed that investigations had already commenced on the incident.

He said, “Investigations have commenced on the incident, and you will be updated accordingly.”

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mike Ozekhome, has stated that Nigeria needs an indigenous and people-centric constitution to redirect the country’s journey of no destination.

He argued that the 1999 Constitution was military-imposed, and not subject to any referendum.

The human rights lawyer urged President Bola Tinubu to muster the political will to get the nation a people-centred constitution.

He stated this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics show.

Asked whether a new constitution is an antidote to poverty, insecurity, and other challenges confronting the Nigerian state, Ozekhome said, “It is. The killings you are seeing, the poverty, the corruption, they are all symptoms of a larger problem which is the basis of what we are talking about. When you solve it, other things will be in place.”

“Nigeria is a country still yearning for nationhood. We are not united.

“The brand new constitution must be subjected to the referendum of the people,” he said.

Ozekhome further stated that the engine (constitution) of the Nigerian state has knocked and should be replaced.

“The political elite has to agree. If you are driving a car and the car has a knocked engine. Is it not the engine you should look at? Do you begin to panel-beat the car, spray it with beautiful paint, and buy new tyres? Will that move the car?

“I am saying that the engine of the Nigerian state, for now, is knocked and it is giving rise to all these mutual suspicion, religious intolerance,” he said.

He said economic reforms are good but must not be put before a people-centred constitution.