Adam Idah scored a 90th-minute winner as Celtic beat Glasgow rivals Rangers 1-0 on Saturday to lift the Scottish Cup and complete a league and cup double.

A scrappy game was decided by an error as Jack Butland fumbled Paulo Bernardo’s effort and Idah pounced for his ninth goal of a loan spell from Norwich.

“I said I’d come here to try and score as many goals as I could, I didn’t think I’d score a goal like this in front of all these fans. It’s an amazing feeling,” said Idah, who only made the move to Glasgow in January.

People Talk: On sale of new Naira notes at Nigerian parties0:00 / 1:00
“It’s hard to put into words. Anyone here can see what it means to the fans, to the players. I’ve always supported Celtic, it’s amazing!”

Rangers thought they had taken the lead earlier in the second half when Abdallah Sima turned home a corner at the far post.

But after a VAR review, Celtic goalkeeper Joe Hart was handed a reprieve in the final match of his career as the former England international had been pushed by Nico Raskin.

Celtic were far from their best but maintained their unbeaten record in five meetings against Rangers this season, which has also secured them direct qualification for next season’s Champions League by winning the Scottish Premiership.

Victory also continued Brendan Rodgers’ remarkable Scottish Cup record across two spells in charge of the Hoops.

Rodgers has never lost a Scottish Cup tie in 17 matches and takes his trophy haul as a Celtic boss to nine in three-and-a-half seasons.

Celtic’s win also has historical significance as they move level with Rangers’ total of 118 trophies.

The head-to-head between the clubs is also now level after 441 meetings with 169 wins each and 103 draws.

Erik ten Hag made a convincing case to be spared the sack as Manchester United upset Manchester City to take the FA Cup with a shock 2-1 victory in Saturday’s final.

Ten Hag was reportedly set to be dismissed regardless of the result at Wembley after a troubled campaign that even the United manager described as “terrible” this week.

But United’s hierarchy might be having second thoughts after Ten Hag’s tactical masterclass ruined City’s history bid.

City were hot favourites to win a second successive Premier League and FA Cup double.

Yet Ten Hag found a way to neutralise Pep Guardiola’s side as first half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo put United on course to win the FA Cup for the first time in eight years.

Jeremy Doku squeezed an 87th minute strike past Andre Onana’s weak attempted save but it was too late to rescue City.

Having ended a turbulent season on a high note, if Ten Hag’s two-year reign does end, his exit would provoke memories of fellow Dutchman Louis van Gaal’s Old Trafford departure.

Van Gaal was fired just two days after United’s FA Cup final victory against Crystal Palace in 2016.

Ten Hag will hope a more apt comparison is Alex Ferguson’s 1990 FA Cup final win against Palace, which kick-started his remarkable run after calls for his sacking earlier that season.

Ferguson was in attendance as a match labelled Ten Hag’s funeral turned into a triumph for the much-maligned Dutchman.

United shareholder Jim Ratcliffe, who has control of football operations at Old Trafford, was also watching from the stands alongside co-owners Joel and Avie Glazer.

Linked with Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino and Gareth Southgate, among others, there is still plenty for Ratcliffe to ponder after United finished eighth in the Premier League this season — their lowest final position since 1990 — and crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage.

Ten Hag believes a lengthy injury list was the root of the problems and can point to the two trophies he has won in three cup final appearances with United as proof of what he can do when his team are at full strength.

Ten Hag ended United’s six-year trophy drought by winning the League Cup last year and has now avenged their 2-1 loss to City in the FA Cup final 12 months ago despite finishing 31 points behind the champions this term.

– Stay of execution –

United will also qualify for the Europa League, avoiding a first season without European action since 2014-15. 

They benefitted from an unusually tepid City performance as their double bid fell flat in their first domestic defeat since losing at Aston Villa in the league 171 days ago.

Last weekend, City became the first team to win the Premier League in four consecutive seasons.

But Guardiola’s men looked hungover after the celebrations that followed their sixth title in seven years.

City were furious when their strong penalty appeal was rejected inside the first minute after Lisandro Martinez’s shove sent Erling Haaland sprawling.

Content to sit deep with all 11 men behind the ball, United stifled City impressively and gleefully accepted their gift-wrapped opener in the 30th minute. 

Diogo Dalot’s punt forward should have been dealt with by Josko Gvardiol, but the left-back hesitated as he looked for an offside flag.

Gvardiol headed the ball over City keeper Stefan Ortega, who had rashly rushed off his line, leaving Garnacho with the simple task of tapping into the empty net as Ten Hag clenched his fist in celebration.

Garnacho, 19, was the first teenager to score in the FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo for United against Millwall 20 years ago.

Just nine minutes later, the 19-year-old Mainoo punished more sloppy City defending.

Garnacho advanced unchecked down the right wing and found Fernandes, whose superb first-time pass reached the unmarked Mainoo for a clinical close-range finish. 

City pushed harder after the interval but although Doku’s shot slipped through Onana’s grasp to set up a tense finale, it wasn’t enough to deny United.

As the final seconds ticked away, Ten Hag stood in the sunshine nervously waiting to celebrate a dramatic win that could earn an unexpected stay of execution or serve as his final fling.

The Kano State Police Command has said that security agencies in the state will adhere strictly to the Federal High Court order that all parties in the Kano Emirate controversy maintain status quo.

Also, the Commissioner of Police, Usaini Gumel, said the order by the Kano Governor, Abba Yusuf to arrest Aminu Ado Bayero was on social media and not formally transmitted.

Gumel addressed newsmen on behalf of other heads of security agencies.

Recall that on May 23, a Federal High Court in Kano ordered the state government not to enforce the Emirate Council Repeal Law 2024.

The law had ensured the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano.

But Aminu Babba Dan Agundi, the Sarkin Dawaki Babba of the Kano emirate, filed a suit.

Mohammed Liman, the judge, ruled that the defendants “suspend” and “not give effect to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law, 2024 as they affect all offices and institutions of the Emirate Council created pursuant to the provisions of the Kano State Emirate Council Law, 2019”.

The court also ordered that all processes be served on the inspector-general of police (IGP) in Abuja.

The court also ruled that “all parties” “maintain status quo until June 3, 2024″.

Ado Bayero

Reacting, the deposed 15th Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, assured that justice would prevail. He urged residents to maintain law and order.

He spoke on Saturday at the mini-palace where he has been since returning to the state after dethronement.

His words: “I call on the people to remain law-abiding while awaiting the outcome of the legal process in this tussle.

“We call on the authority to do justice in this matter. Kano is a very influential state in Nigeria. Whatever affects Kano affects Nigeria.

“May peace reign in Kano. We pray for Allah to bless Kano with responsible and just leaders.

“Justice is the way to go on every issue. There will be justice. Nobody is above the law. We will accept whatever the law says.

“I appreciate all the people who have shown concern. As I said, justice will take its course. We will keep on praying for peace in Kano State. May Allah the Almighty protect us.”

Police’s position

Meanwhile, Gumel, the Police Commissioner, statted the position of security agents on the matter.

He addressed the press alongside a brigade commander of the Nigerian Army and officials of other security agencies.

His words: “The police command is expressly obeying the Court Order with SUIT No. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024 Dated 23rd May, 2024 issued by the federal high court sitting in Kano alongside all law enforcement agents in the state.

“Therefore, we are calling on members of the public to know that the police in the state is working together with the military and other security agencies to provide the adequate security to everyone, as we are committed to carrying out our statutory duties as provided by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Starting in June, Nigerians will have the convenience of passport home delivery, eliminating the need to visit the immigration office for collection.

This development was announced by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday when he inspected the electronic gates at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport’s new terminal in Abuja.

Tunji-Ojo said the delivery will not include every location to avoid overloading and damaging the system.

He said the Nigerian Immigration Service would start home delivery in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Abuja.

He stated that for Nigerians in the diaspora, the home delivery service would initially launch in the United States and the United Kingdom, with preliminary testing to ensure its effectiveness.

The minister explained that the delay in implementing home delivery was due to a lack of data centres.

He noted that the NIS had been relying on a private company’s data centre and emphasised the need for a permanent solution to this problem.

“We have completed the whole solution but when we came on board, we realised that the data centre was not really there. We were leveraging on a private company data centre and we appreciate them for that assistance. We think that it is better to create a permanent solution to problems rather than quick fixes.

“We could have done it in February but we had to build our data centre from scratch to be able to keep the integrity of our data and national security intact. This is more important. It is disgraceful that NIS is 61 years old and NIS is a custodian of biometric data of Nigeria and we believe that NIS should be in charge of the data of Nigeria.

“It is not acceptable that this data is domiciled in a third party and that is why we have been able to do this,” he said.

H added that the data centre has been constructed and the passport delivery issue has been resolved.

“It is about national security and I can assure you that It is comparable with anyone you can find anywhere in the world.

“We have built the data centre, sorted the passport delivery solution and done the final presentation in terms of technology deliverables and the tracking solution which will all be embedded in the application we have so we do not create multiple lines of failure,” the minister said.

Speaking further, the minister stated that the final presentation of the electronic visa has been completed.

He added that it will reduce the visa processing time from 72 hours to 48 hours.

“The passport automation process is almost complete,” he added.

This announcement comes nine months after the minister initially declared that home delivery of passports to Nigerians would commence by February 2024.

In October, Tunji-Ojo stated that starting in February 2024, Nigerians would be able to have their passports delivered to their homes, offices, or any other location of their choice.

…Suspension Illegal – Party Spokesman

It’s one crisis after another for the Labour Party (LP) as the Edo State chapter of the party has suspended the embattled National Chairman of the party, Julius Abure, over alleged anti-party activities.

Abure who has been fighting to keep his position for several years now has been hit by yet another suspension in a letter of suspension dated May 14, 2024.

To see through his suspension, another letter of ratification dated May 15, 2024, was ratified at a meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) on Friday night in Benin.

The letter announced that Abure, who has defied all odds to stay on as chairman, has been suspended with immediate effect.

The letters indicated that Abure has been suspended from the party in Ward 3 in Arue-Uromi, in Esan North-East Local Government Area of Edo State for alleged “high-handedness and anti-party activities.”

The letters further read, “While the suspension is with immediate effect, you are advised to restrain from holding out or parading yourself a member of Labour party, Ward 3, Arue, Uromi in Ean North-East LGA, Edo State.”

While the letter of suspension was signed by the Ward Chairman, Thompson Ehiguese and Ward Secretary, Stanley Usiomoh, the letter of ratification of his suspension was forwarded to the State Executive Committee of the party through the State Chairman by the Local Government Chairman of the party in Esan North-East, Patrick Onogbeni and LGA Secretary, Ehikioya Eromosele.

“The LGA Executive met today, 15th of May, 2024 about 12 noon, to consider the matters presented on the suspension and accordingly found them weighty and the suspension ratified and upheld,” the letter read.

It noted that, “The state executive committee considered the letters, together with the issues contained therein, and ratified Abure’s suspension.

“With the ratification of his suspension, the basis of his chairmanship of the party at the national level has been vitiated, and by implication, he stands suspended as the party’s national chairman.”

But in a swift reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh told newsmen that the suspense was illegal.

He stressed that, “The ward, LG or even the state have no power to suspend the National Chairman. An Edo High Court has also ruled on this matter. Also, an Appeal Court has ruled on this matter.

“This dimension is a continuation of the attack on the person of Abure as witnessed during the governorship primaries. It will also amount to nothing and we are not perturbed,” Ifoh stated.

The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the deposed Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero.

The order was contained in a statement on Saturday by the Director General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Kano, Sanusi Tofa.

The governor said Bayero should be arrested for allegedly creating tension in the state.

The statement titled ‘Gov. Yusuf Orders Arrest of Deposed Emir of Kano Aminu Ado Bayero,’ read, “The Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has ordered the immediate arrest of the former Emir of Kano, Aminu Ado Bayero, for creating tension in the state.

“The former Emir was smuggled into Kano city last night in an attempt to forcefully return to the palace two days after being deposed by the Governor.

“In a statement issued by Mr Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the spokesperson to the Governor, it was confirmed that the new Emir, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, arrived at the palace in the company of the Governor, the Deputy Governor, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and other top government functionaries at about 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, 25th May 2024.

“As the Chief Security Officer of the state, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has directed the Commissioner of Police to arrest the deposed Emir with immediate effect for disturbing public peace and attempting to destroy the relative peace the state enjoys.”

Bayero, whose whereabouts had been unknown since he was deposed on Thursday returned to Kano on Saturday.

The state House of Assembly repealed the law that ex-Governor Abdullahi Ganduje had signed on December 5, 2019.

After signing the law, Ganduje split the emirate into five and appointed Emirs to each.

Upon signing the repealed Kano Emirates Council Law, Yusuf gave all the Emirs affected by the law 48 hours to vacate their palaces and hand them over to the Commissioner of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.

He subsequently announced the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi, whom Ganduje had deposed in 2020 as Emir of Kano.

The governor issued a reappointment letter to Sanusi on Friday, and Sanusi led Jumat prayers at the Government House, Kano.

In the early hours of Saturday, Ado Bayero returned to Kano into the waiting hands of a crowd of supporters, according to a video sighted by Daily Trust.

On Friday, Governor, Abba Yusuf reappointed Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir of Kano.

Sanusi received his letter of reinstatement at the Government House in Kano.

The governor said, “By the powers conferred on me by the Kano Emirate Council Law of 1984 and 2024, and supported by the recommendation of the kingmakers, I have the singular pleasure of confirming the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and the head of the Kano Emirate Council.”

Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the country would need about $10 billion yearly to achieve energy transition by 2060, which amounts to $360 billion.

Shettima stated this yesterday at an energy transition symposium organized by the Development Agenda Magazine, in Abuja.

He said before then, the country must maximise petroleum resources in the short term to provide the base-load energy that would turbocharge the economy.

Represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Power and Infrastructure, Sadiq Wanka, he said: “But full implementation of the Nigeria Energy Transition would not be easy.

“It requires concerted effort locally and international collaboration to source financing and to prepare the Nigerian workforce for a Net-Zero economy and to have a truly just energy transition.

“If we take the issue of financing alone , funding the energy transition requires investments of over $10 billion per year up to 2060.

“With 45% of Nigerians lacking access to electricity, and GDP per capita that is half that in Egypt and a third of that in South Africa, the urgency of, improving the economic condition of Nigerians is clear, But there are critical environmental/considerations which if not adequately managed would actually hamper our ability to change the lives of millions of our people for the better.

“Majority of this money would necessarily come from the private sector including through initiatives to access high -integrity carbon markets.

“But we are up to the challenge. The administration of President Ahmed Tinubu is willing to take the difficult decisions and the rich resource base and depth of human capital in our dear country will ensure our success.”

The Vice President also, noted that the two-pronged strategy to pursue renewables alongside oil and gas investments has yielded notable results that support the overall energy transition, like the “Climate Change Act signed in 2021 seeks to mainstream climate action into national plans and programmes.

“A renewed push towards hydroelectric power seeks to tap into over 14,000MW of near- term hydropower potential.

“The 700MW Zungeru Hydropower plant just came online in 2024. The national regulator has also mandated electricity distribution licensees to procure a certain percentage of their power from renewables.

“The Electricity Act 2023 which Mr. President signed, strongly supports the transition to a more renewable energy mix.”

Also, Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, said his state has adopted what he called “unique approaches of placing people in the centre of its development plan.”

Represented by the Managing Director of Kaduna Power Supply Company (KAPSCO), Idris Aminu Idris, Uba said: “The Kaduna Solar for Health programme began with the goal of improving access to healthcare by delivering sustainable, uninterrupted power supply to Primary Healthcare Centers (PHC) and Maternity Health Clinics across all Local Government Areas (LGA) in Kaduna State.”

According to him, “the scope of the project expanded to include rural isolated General Hospitals across 255 wards in Kaduna State.

“The objectives of the Kaduna Solar for Health program are to increase access to healthcare; to ensure 1 hospital in every ward and LGA has access to reliable power 24hrs/day; to eradicate petrol and diesel generators which cause noise and pollute the environment with toxic waste such as CO, that can lead to serious Environmental and Health issues.”

Editor in Chief of Development Agenda Magazine, Paddy Ezeala, said the event was organized for chart a way on how to achieve a seamless energy transition.

Ezeala said: “Speakers at today’s event are speaking on how the Energy Transition movement is likely to affect Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots and more specifically those impacted by the extractive industry activities.

“These include those presently impacted by fossil fuels extraction or those affected by extraction of minerals powering so called clean energy, such as lithium, cobalt etc.”

President Bola Tinubu, in a meeting with Yoruba Leaders of Thought, pledged his commitment to meeting Nigerians’ expectations, emphasizing that Nigeria’s bleeding has ceased.

Expressing concern over the state of local government administration, Tinubu advocated for a more efficient system that promotes community development within Nigeria’s federal structure. 

Acknowledging the challenges faced during his administration’s first year, Tinubu affirmed, “We took over, and we have stopped the bleeding. I can say categorically now that Nigeria is no longer bleeding.”

“It has been challenging. It has been fulfilling as well. We took over, and we stopped the bleeding. I can say categorically now that Nigeria is no longer bleeding. And it will not bleed to death but will now move to prosperity. That is the promise I made to you all, and it is also the charge you gave me.”

He also called for deepening governance and reinforcing leadership across all levels of government and institutions. He added that his administration is committed to encouraging fiscal federalism and strengthening the system to enhance inclusion and equity for all Nigerians.

“Local government administration is being suffocated. People are looking for opportunities to ensure that they survive and become more purposeful through community development programmes. I will not support any effort to make the local government a unitary system by handing all core responsibilities to the federal government. That is criminal when there is a federal system.

“We have a federal system. There are state and federal administrations. We have two components. States must do whatever is in the best interest of their administration process. There is no one-size-fits-all. That is what we should do by looking at the revenue formula, and we must be consistent with federalism: fiscal federalism. You should expect those things from me, not the knee-jerk reactions ahead of elections.

“I can tell you that Nigeria is no longer printing paper money and deceiving itself that it has a base for survival. Nigeria went through terrible labour pains, but we have seen the baby coming out alive,” the President concluded.

Honourable Bayo Aina, speaking on behalf of the Yoruba Leaders of Thought, commended Tinubu’s investment in national infrastructure, praising his dedication to responsible governance across sectors.

The 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP and former governor of Kano State, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso said he didn’t give any directive on reinstatement of HRH Muhammadu Sanusi II as Emir of Kano.

Kwankwaso said he also received the news of the reinstatement of the Emir like every other persons.

The former Minister of Defence stated this in an interview monitored on the BBC Hausa service on Friday.

In his word, “what you saw is what I also saw but I will go to Kano very soon and I will speak with some of the assembly members, especially the speaker, and the Governor on what is happening.

When asked that to many people, a thing of this nature cannot happen without his knowledge as a leader of the party, Kwankwaso said, “Rabiu Kwankwaso has burnt his hands over dictating what to do. We are still with the Governor working together.

“It’s just a matter of offering advice and if you are not asked to, you keep quiet so long things are going right we just pray and hope that they succeed.

“When I said we will revisit the case, I didn’t say the direction to follow. I just said it will be reviewed… When I go there, I will hear what happened and I am sure they will tell me whatever happened and whatever they tell me, we just pray for them. I heard the Assembly members have repealed the law.

“What we were telling them was they should go and investigate whether what happened was done out of goodwill or not. What happened appears to be a vendetta or cheating. It’s just a matter of did Ganduje do right or wrong? It’s not about going against him.

“For those that are looking at it from the perspective of whether it’s going to be tenure-based are somehow right but who started it? When I came back as Governor in 2011;

“…everybody knew that late Emir of Kano, Ado Bayero, was not supporting us, he was supporting Shekarau but when we got into power we never thought of dethroning him.

Nigerians slam minister over comments on Tinubu's reforms, say govt economic policies created more hunger

Louisiana governor signs bill making abortion drugs 'controlled dangerous substances'
“This is why we are telling people that everybody should maintain their position,” Kwankwaso however stated.

The 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has bemoaned the desecration of traditional institutions in the northern part of the country.

He stated that the system that protects the monarchs and traditional institutions in the region has been destroyed.

Sanusi made this known while delivering his appreciation speech after receiving his letter of appointment from the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, at the Government House in Kano on Friday.

The monarch, who decried the needless division of emirates in some northern States, hailed the Kano State house of assembly for abrogating the law used to dethrone him and also used to create the now abolished Emirates in the State.

“In the northern part of this country, we have seen it in different states how politicians balkanised emirates, with one Emir becoming 20, some 19. In states of northern Nigeria, there are Local Governments with two or three first-class Emirs all because the system has been destroyed.

“This thing that has been brought to Kano, had it been allowed, one day we will wake up with the Emir of Kumbotso, Bichi, Fagge and 44 Emirs. So what the government and the assembly did is a rescue mission.”

Presenting the appointment letter to Sanusi, the governor said, “By the powers conferred on me by the Kano Emirate Council Law of 1984 and 2024, and supported by the recommendation of the kingmakers;

“I have the singular pleasure of confirming the reappointment of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the Emir of Kano and the head of the Kano Emirate Council.”

Yusuf noted that Sanusi’s reappointment was “based on his competence, credibility and popularity,” urging the new Kano Emir “to be guided by the principles of Islamic teachings and to use his position to unite the emirate, fostering harmony among the Islamic sects in the state.”