Author: Tahir Ahmed

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Pep Guardiola admitted his wild celebration of Matheus Nunes’s stoppage-time winner against Aston Villa felt strange because Manchester City don’t score as many late goals as their Premier League rivals. Nunes fired City to a crucial 2-1 victory over top-five rivals Villa in the fourth minute of stoppage-time at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday. Guardiola responded to Nunes’s composed finish from an acute angle by launching into a frenzied fist-pumping dance of joy including a primal roar that underlined the significance of the result. City had been seconds away from a damaging result in the race…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Barcelona inched closer to the La Liga title with a 1-0 win over Mallorca on Tuesday which took them seven points clear of Real Madrid. Spain international Dani Olmo slotted home to help Barca turn up the heat on second-placed champions Madrid, who visit Getafe on Wednesday. Hansi Flick’s side, aiming for a potential quadruple, outplayed the visitors but could not extend their lead at the Olympic stadium as goalkeeper Leo Roman made save after save. With Saturday’s Copa del Rey final against rivals Real Madrid in mind, Flick rested several of his usual starters. The…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Paris Saint-Germain have etched their name into football history, setting a new record for the longest unbeaten away run in Europe’s top five leagues. The newly crowned Ligue 1 champions achieved the milestone during a 1-1 draw against Nantes. The match saw PSG take the lead through Vitinha’s 33rd-minute strike, only for Nantes’ Douglas to level the score with seven minutes remaining. The result extended PSG’s remarkable run to 39 consecutive away games without defeat, with 30 victories and nine draws. This surpasses the previous record set by AC Milan in 1993. Under manager Luis Enrique,…

By Umar Osabo PhD. It is rare for a single article to ignite a collective reflection so urgently and so painfully. Idris Muhammed Abdullahi’s essay, “ **HABA AREWA* : One Hundred and Fifty Million Souls Yet, Conquered Without a Single Bomb?”, has done just that. It isn’t just a cry of frustration; it is a necessary indictment of a region rich in people and potential, yet paralyzed by its own choices. The tragedy of Northern Nigeria is not war or natural disaster. It is not external occupation or foreign sabotage. No, Arewa, with its over 150 million resilient souls and…

By NEXTER Popular Yobe philanthropist, Kashim Musa Tumsah, has announced plans to commence another water projects for communities across the state in the ongoing effort to compliment the effort of Governor Mai Mala Buni in addressing water shortage in the state. In a post on his social media handle, the oil and gas lawyer and diplomat said the next phase of water project through solar-powered boreholes was being put together along with his friends as a way of appreciating Allah for allowing him experience another birthday. Recall that many communities in the state have benefited from solar water and street…

By NEXTER The Presidency has dismissed reports suggesting that the Vice President, Kashim Shettima has been barred from accessing the Presidential Villa. In a statement issued on Saturday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), the Presidency described the reports as “deliberate and well-planned orchestration of falsehood.” It claimed the reports were meant to sow discord within the highest levels of government. The statement said the Vice President has, in recent times, become the target of sustained campaigns of misinformation aimed at creating the illusion of tension between him…

By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo Nigeria’s Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, expressing a preference for the outright removal of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. Speaking during a media parley in Abuja on Friday, Wike, the immediate past governor of Rivers State, acknowledged the president’s decision as necessary to prevent further unrest but said it fell short of his expectations. “As a politician, I am not happy with the declaration of Emergency Rule in Rivers State. I wanted the outright removal of the governor,”…

PDP lacks structure to challenge APC in 2027—Wike *Berates Atiku for spearheading coalition ahead of 2027 elections By Abubakar Y Ojima-Ojo The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has declared that the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lacks the organisational strength to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 Nigerian general elections. Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, Wike dismissed the PDP’s preparedness, likening its efforts to a student pretending to study for an examination. “The PDP is not ready for the 2027 election. It is very obvious,” he said.…

By Modu Zanna The emerging ethnic narrative ahead of the 2027 general elections in Yobe State is understandably eliciting attacks and condemnations from its sons and daughters as well as well-wishers across all ranks. The deluge of condemnations and ill-feelings that trailed the recent simple but impactful Facebook post by one Hussaini Mohammed Isa, narrowing the governorship contest in the state to a particular tribe or ethnic group, have been unprecedented and overwhelming. In the write up titled: “Meet Tumsah, Another Possible Contender In Yobe Guber Race”, Isa tried to rationalise why it is impossible for a person from minority…

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe will miss Sunday’s Premier League clash with Manchester United after being admitted to hospital. The League Cup winners said Howe, 47, was taken into hospital on Friday but is conscious and talking to family. “The Magpies’ head coach was admitted to hospital late on Friday evening having felt unwell for a number of days,” Newcastle said in a statement. “Medical staff kept Eddie in hospital overnight for further tests, which are ongoing. He is conscious and talking with his family, and is continuing to receive expert medical care. “Everyone at Newcastle United extends their best wishes…