Multiple award winner, Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy has posed himself as the highest-paid musician in the history of Africa.
Burna Boy
Oluwa Burna who declared 2022 as the year of love and light, took to his Twitter handle gloating about achieving power on Saturday, March 26.
The Grammy Award winner stated that though money isn’t what gives him satisfaction, it did not stay away from the truth that he earns a whole lot of it. He tweeted.
“I said money doesn’t satisfy me and it’s my Truth by it Doesn’t change the fact that I’m the highest-paid artist in the History of African music. Believe it or not.”
His statement brought quite a number of mixed reactions as some of his followers altercated him as they compared him with some of his colleagues, from the likes of Davido and Wizkid.
A couple of tweets he posted, got a handful of his fans worried as he spoke about the need of living and dying on stage with his band, The Outsiders.
According to Burna, the only time his heart feels at peace is on stage as that is where he wants to live and die. He wrote… “At this point, I just want to LIVE and DIE on STAGE with my Band The OUTSIDERS. I’ve achieved All the dreams I ever personally had. Money gives me No satisfaction, Nothing really does, except being On STAGE with my God-sent band.”
“I thank God and the world for giving me This. I just wish the world would leave me out of all politics and just let/watch me perform till I Die. The only time my heart feels genuine peace is On stage and that’s where I want to live and Die”
He signed out the message with love in keeping with his 2022 promise.
A frontline National Chairmanship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Mohammed Sani Musa has announced his withdrawal from the race.
Senator Sani Musa
Musa made this known in a statement issued, Saturday, by his spokesman, Nasir Mohammed.
Musa, currently representing Niger East Senatorial District at the Nigerian Senate, announced this decision after the aspirants’ meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, the leader of the party yesterday.
He pledged to support Adamu, who is the choice of Buhari, to emerge as the next chairman of the party.
Following rumours of his plan to dump the APC, a socio-political group, Grassroot Mobilization Movement has urged former Chief of Staff to Abia State Governor, Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu to consider joining People’s Democratic Party, PDP as his new political family and not APGA.
Hon Mascot Uzor Kalu
The group, advised Kalu to accept to the offers from Abia PDP and jettison APGA.
The group specifically urged Kalu to join hands with the party in rescuing the country from hardship being experienced under the All Progressives Congress, APC led administration.
The group stated this in a statement signed by its Director General, Prince Samuel Agbaeze on Friday in Umuahia.
Report had it that a source in Abia State government made the revelation on Mascot Kalu’s possible switching of party
Following the report, Kalu’s political ally , Pastor Nelson Umezie confirmed that the movement to a new party is inevitable considering the treatment APC has meted on Mascot Kalu
He noted that there is heavy possibility of Kalu decamping to a new party to pursue his future goals in no distant time .
His words : “This movement is inevitable considering the poor treatment the APC has given him . Mascot joined the APC in 2014 with his mother Elder Mrs Eunice Uzor Kalu and have been supporting the party in different capacities. He has committed his resources and energy in building and sustaining the party and what did he get in return ? poor treatment .
“Many times his name was picked up by the party for board appointment or management of parastatals but it never materialized. The party has failed to distinguish Mascot from his elder brother, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu who has his life and dream to pursue and himself who has his family , life , goals, aspirations to pursue . The party has refused to recognize him despite all his huge contributions.
“The excuse has been that his senior brother is a principal officer in the Senate . In other words they don’t need him in the party , they probably need only his senior brother . When you are working for a party and the party is not working for you, the best is to go to where your efforts will be appreciated.” Umezie said
Agbaeze said, “Mascot Uzor Kalu is welcomed to the PDP. We are appealing to him to join the PDP and jettison APGA. His future is in the PDP.”
Members of the All Progressives Congress who gathered at the venue of the convention at Eagle Square were seen pushing down the demarcated entrance in attempts to force their way in.
APC Convention
In a video posted by @IfedolapoOsun on Twitter, the members eventually fell the demarcation to gain entrance.
“As we earlier said yesterday, the fight is about to start. They are running kitikiti, katakata Video: Aggrieved APC members break entrance,” he tweeted.
The policemen were equally seen pushing back the people, hitting them with batons as they tried to raise the fallen demarcation again.
Earlier, the members were seen queuing in an orderly manner as they entered the venue. ABN TV had earlier reported that security operatives were heavily positioned at the venue
The security operatives were placed at strategic locations around Eagles Square.
The operatives combine soldiers, policemen, men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and other paramilitary operatives from the Federal Road Safety Commission, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
Our correspondent, who moved around the venue of the convention, observed that police patrol vans, manned by armed policemen, were stationed at strategic locations around The Eagle Square.
Also, stop and search was for those who attempted to pass through the road that linked the venue while vehicular movements were restricted and several vehicles were also turned back by security operatives.
Six persons vying for the position of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress have stepped down from the contest.
APC National Convention
The six former candidates have backed the candidate of the President, Major General Muhammdu Buhari (retd.) as their consensus candidate, Senator Abdullahi Adamu.
This was contained in a letter sent to the Chairman of the APC Election Sub-Committee on Friday, signed by Senator George Akume, who was also among those vying for the position.
Former Nigerian Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has praised the Super Eagles after they held Black Stars of Ghana to a goalless draw, in their 2022 World Cup qualifying playoff first leg in Kumasi.
Super-Eagles in Kumasi
The Eagles battled their host to a stalemate in front of a over 50,000 home fans inside the Baba Yara Stadium on Friday.
They went close on several occasions to open the scoring with Moses Simon with the best chance which the keeper saved.
Also, a penalty was awarded to the Eagles for hand ball but was overturned for a foul committed by Kelechi Iheanacho.
And reacting to the result, Atiku urged the Eagles to make sure the clinch the World Cup ticket in the second leg.
“Well done Super Eagles. You have a second chance on Tuesday to make Nigeria’s participation in Qatar 2022 a reality. As one we can surmount any challenges,” he wrote on Twitter
The second leg comes up inside the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday.
With attention focused on possible frictions coming out from today’s national convention of the All Progressives Congress, APC, expectations that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP would reap from the possible crisis were at the weekend being played down.
Peter Obi
The PDP, according to party insiders is also faced with its own internal discord centered around the zoning of the presidency with the party increasingly being polarised between those in support of zoning and those pushing for the presidential ticket to be thrown open.
Saturday Vanguard reports that leading the battle for the ticket to be thrown open are supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who have been engaged in a battle of wits with their opponents supportive of zoning.
Last Monday, the Atiku camp it was gathered deployed its operatives led by a former influential but former South-South senator to mobilise support for Atiku at the South-South retreat of the PDP that took place in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
The modus operandi of the Atiku supporters at the summit, it was gathered, was the narrative that Atiku is the only one who can win the presidency for the PDP.
“Winnability should be projected” above all other considerations, the Atiku supporters said.
However, critics have also flayed the Atiku campaign for not being consistent, citing the former vice-president’s past positions on zoning and open attack on President Goodluck Jonathan for taking the turn of the North in 2011.
Saturday Vanguard reports that at the PDP National Convention in 2010 that Atiku turned away from congratulating Jonathan after he fought and lost the 2011 ticket of the PDP to Dr. Jonathan.
However, the move by the national leadership of the PDP to resolve the battle over zoning turned into an academic exercise earlier this week when Atiku made his formal declaration for the presidency on Wednesday.
The declaration according to PDP insiders has made the work of the Zoning Committee a difficult one.
While party stakeholders initially believed that the decision to zone the office of national chairman to the North meant that the presidential ticket would come to the South, that impression has been largely erased with the active campaign of mainly northern presidential aspirants. Besides Atiku, former Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, of Sokoto and Governor Bala Mohammed, Bauchi are also active, lobbying for the ticket.
Saturday Vanguard reports that until recently that promising southern aspirants had been largely silent on their intentions.
However, the declaration by Mr Peter Obi and what sources disclose as the active consultations by Governor Nyesom Wike may change the dynamics for the PDP.
Obi it was gathered, has consulted widely among national leaders including some former Heads of State who have given him the nod to forge ahead.
Wike has also been consulting actively among the party grassroots and is believed to be banking on the active support he has been giving to the party, especially in states without PDP governors.
Wike, like Obi, has also been able to win favour from a large proportion of PDP stakeholders with his performance in Rivers State having invited several leaders to commission his projects in the state.
The pressure on the PDP to zone the ticket to the South was further canvassed at the Monday retreat of the PDP where all four governors and party leaders endorsed the joint resolution of Southern governors for the PDP ticket to be zoned to the South after eight years of the presidency in the North. However, the membership of the PDP zoning committee is being fingered as what could influence the party to throw it open. With one representative from each state and Abuja the northern representatives have numerical strength. And as it is obvious the party, for strategic reasons, not zone it to the north on account of it’s zoning committee membership there are indications the party may through the Presidential ticket race open to all.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation Amaju Pinnick has eulogized Moroccan referee Redouane Jiyed for his brave performance in Friday’s 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs between the Black Stars and Super Eagles.
President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Amaju Pinnick
The Super Eagles believed they had won a penalty 15 minutes from time after Black Stars midfielder Baba Iddrisu appeared to have handled the ball in the box.
But the decision was overturned after Jiyed consulted with the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), which was being used in an African World Cup play-off for the first time.
Pinnick believes the center referee got his decision right as there was a foul on a Ghanaian player during the build-up to the incident.
“I think the referee did well. It was a correct call. The Nigerian player pushed Baba Iddrisu and that made him touched the ball,” Pinnick stated on Akoma FM.
“We have no problem with officiating. However, will win convincingly at home. Our team is better but we were unfortunate today. Football is football.”
The two teams will clash in the second leg at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday.
Super Eagles interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen blamed his side’s poor marksmanship for their 0-0 draw against the Black Stars of Ghana on Friday, reports says.
Super Eagles Coach, Augustine Eguavoen
Ghana dominated possession in the 2022 FIFA World Cup playoffs first leg tie at the Baba Yara Sports Stadium, Kumasi.
The Super Eagles should however have beaten the hosts had they taken most of the chances they created.
Rangers midfielder Joe Aribo came close to breaking the deadlock four minutes before the break, while winger Moses Simon wasted the game’s best chance in the 55th minute.
“We had two clear chances to just finish Ghana, but I think getting a draw is good even though we wanted to win here (in Ghana),” Eguavoen told reporters after the game.
The two teams will clash in the second leg at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday.
Ex-National Secretary of the Labour Party, Dr Kayode Ajulo has warned that the consensus arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is expected to produce its National Chairman will be declared illegal if challenged in court.
Kayode Ajulo
He said any aspirant for the office of the National Chairmanship of the party has the ‘locus’ to challenge the consensus on the grounds that their rights to fair contest has been denied and the court would listen.
In a statement which he sent to DAILY POST on Saturday in Abuja, the lawyer argued that the Electoral Act, as amended, did not make provision for consensus arrangement, hence, it’s strange to law, warning that it would be declared a nullity if the APC goes ahead with consensus.
Part of his statement read, “It is no more news that the National Convention of the All Progressives Congress has been slated for (today) Saturday, the 26th of March, 2022.
“Several notable Nigerians like the former Governor of Zamfara State, Gov. Abdulaziz Yari, Mallam Salihu Mustapha, Muhammed Etsu, Senator Sani Musa, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and others have showed intentions to vie for the National Chairmanship position of the party.
“In a twist of event, the APC governors and President Muhammadu Buhari, exercising their right of choice have resolved to pick one of the candidate as the Party’s Consensus Candidate for the position of the National Chairman of the Party at the upcoming National Convention.”
According to the statement, the party was not done with consensus for the National Chairmanship, but other positions in the National Working Committee (NWC) of the Party.
He said: “Section 82(3) of the Electoral Act, 2022* provides that:
“The election of members of the executive committee or other governing body of a political party, including the election to fill a vacant position in any of the aforesaid bodies, shall be conducted democratically and allowing for all members of the party or duly elected delegates to vote in support of a candidate of their choice”.
The National Convention of the APC is currently taking place at Eagle Square, Abuja.
Abia State governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Mascot Uzor Kalu, has expressed concern over what he described...
