Author: Vanguard News

Noah Okafor fired Leeds to a long-awaited 2-1 win over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford as the Premier League strugglers boosted their bid to avoid relegation on Monday.

Okafor punished United’s sloppy defending with a brace in the first-half before Lisandro Martinez was sent off after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair after the interval.

Casemiro got one back for United, but Leeds held on for their first win against United since a shock 2010 FA Cup success when they were in the third tier.

The Yorkshire club were able to celebrate their first top-flight win against United since 2002 and their first league victory at Old Trafford in 45 years.

A first win in seven league matches lifted Daniel Farke’s side six points clear of the relegation zone, with six games left to preserve their top-flight status after last season’s promotion.

As well as battling for survival, Leeds are through to the FA Cup semi-finals, where they face Chelsea at Wembley on April 26.

While Manchester City and Liverpool are United’s main rivals, their fans’ enmity with Leeds supporters goes back decades, featuring numerous clashes between hooligan gangs.

That made the defeat a bitter pill to swallow for United fans, who booed Michael Carrick’s side at full-time.

It was only Carrick’s second defeat in 11 games since he replaced the sacked Ruben Amorim as interim boss in January.

United remain in third place, seven points ahead of sixth-placed Chelsea in the race to qualify for the Champions League via a top-five finish.

The last time United played Leeds, Carrick was on holiday with former Old Trafford team-mate Wayne Rooney and their respective families in Barbados.

Carrick has revitalised United since taking charge, but one win from their last four games is a step back.

United’s trip to Chelsea on Saturday offers another chance to take a step towards returning to Europe’s elite club competition for the first time since 2023-24.

Leeds had failed to score in their previous four league games, but they blew United away with a blistering start.

When Jayden Bogle whipped a fifth-minute cross towards Dominic Calvert-Lewin, United defender Leny Yoro was unable to clear and Okafor pounced with a clinical finish from 10 yards.

With Harry Maguire suspended, United were shambolic at the back in the first-half and Okafor netted again after more defensive miscues in the 29th minute.

United made a hash of clearing twice in quick succession and the ball was eventually worked to Okafor, whose strike took a hefty deflection off Yoro as it flashed past Senne Lammens.

Carrick’s men were back in action for the first time in 24 days and they looked rusty after the enforced break.

Lisandro Martinez was forced to make a last-ditch tackle on the goal-line to stop Ao Tanka scoring a third for Leeds after the Japan midfielder danced around Lammens.

Benjamin Sesko’s effort was cleared off the line soon after the interval and United’s nightmare evening continued when Martinez saw red in the 56th minute.

Martinez needlessly tugged Calvert-Lewin’s long hair and referee Paul Tierney sent him off after consulting the pitch-side monitor.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, United reduced the deficit in the 69th minute when Casemiro met Bruno Fernandes’ cross with a thumping header past Karl Darlow from six yards.

It was Fernandes’ 17th league assist this season, closing the gap on the single-season record of 20 held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Calvert-Lewin squandered a golden opportunity to wrap up the points, heading straight at Lammens from close-range.

Darlow made a superb save from Sesko’s header before Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte had efforts cleared off the line as Leeds held firm in a frantic finale.

AFP

The post Leeds break 45-year wait for league win at Man Utd appeared first on Vanguard News.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has explained the reasons behind his movement across political parties, saying his decisions were guided by principles rather than personal interests.

Ogun West chapter of the City Boy Movement has praised Governor Dapo Abiodun for what it described as a decisive step in settling the state’s succession debate.

The group also declared its full backing for Senator Solomon Adeola (APC/Ogun West) as preparations begin for the 2027 governorship race.

Coordinator of the movement, Ayodeji Idowu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday following Abiodun’s public endorsement of Adeola, widely known as Yayi, as the All Progressives Congress consensus candidate for the next governorship election.

The endorsement was made during a strategic caucus meeting involving APC leaders and key stakeholders, where discussions focused on succession planning and the party’s roadmap ahead of the upcoming election cycle.

In a video from the meeting, Abiodun was seen informing party members that a decision had already been reached regarding the party’s preferred candidate.

Reacting, Idowu said the governor’s action had ended years of uncertainty around succession in Ogun State, describing it as a sign of political foresight and commitment to continuity.

“Your Excellency’s visionary leadership, political maturity, and commitment to the stability and progress of Ogun State have once again been demonstrated through this bold and strategic decision,” the statement read.

“By choosing a worthy, people-oriented, and ready-made successor in Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, you have laid a solid foundation for continuity, good governance, and sustainable development in the state,” it added.

The group also congratulated Adeola on emerging as the party’s consensus choice, pointing to his achievements in infrastructure and his connection with grassroots communities as indicators of his preparedness.

“His outstanding contributions to infrastructure development, coupled with his track record of delivering impactful, people-centred projects, clearly distinguish him as a leader prepared for the task ahead,” the statement read.

The City Boy Movement further assured that it would activate its network across Ogun West to rally support for the APC in the election.

“We are fully committed to mobilising our structures and grassroots network to ensure a resounding victory at the polls,” Idowu said.

The post Ogun 2027: City Boy Movement backs Abiodun’s choice of Adeola appeared first on Vanguard News.

Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in the North-East, revealing that more than 400 residents are currently in the captivity of terrorists following recent attacks on communities in the state.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, Ndume described the development as heartbreaking, noting that many of the abducted victims are women, children, and the elderly.

“I’m just coming back from the affected communities. We have statistics of over 400 people in captivity as displayed in the frightening videos released by the terrorists,” he said.

The lawmaker explained that the attacks have left communities such as Goshe completely devastated, with widespread destruction of homes and infrastructure.

“Everything has been destroyed in Goshe. As I said last time, there’s only a small mosque standing,” Ndume stated.

He noted that displaced residents who fled to Pulka are living under harsh conditions and are increasingly demanding to return to their ancestral homes despite the destruction.

“Our people are resilient. They don’t want to stay in IDP camps in Pulka because the environmental conditions there are worse than Goshe. They are insisting that if possible, they should be allowed to go back and camp there, even if it is temporary,” he said.

Ndume added that the influx of displaced persons has overwhelmed Pulka, with many taking refuge in a primary school, thereby disrupting normal academic activities.

“They are currently housed in a primary school, which means they have displaced the pupils. It is better to take them back to Goshe where they are willing to stay, even in makeshift shelters,” he said.

He called for urgent measures to improve access to affected communities, particularly the road linking Pulka to Goshe, which he described as a major operational challenge for both civilians and security forces.

“One of the advantages the insurgents are taking is that the road from Pulka to Goshe, which is only about 12 kilometres, is not motorable. If that road is fixed, you can get there in 10 to 20 minutes,” Ndume explained.

On the recent resurgence of attacks, the senator attributed the escalation to retaliatory actions by insurgents following military operations that targeted their leadership.

“When security forces went after their commanders and killed many of them, the insurgents regrouped and launched retaliatory attacks. They are now targeting our own military leadership,” he said.

Ndume declined to comment on specific intelligence failures but stressed that inconsistent and unpredictable responses from security agencies have contributed to the current situation.

“People expected decisive action after the declaration of a state of emergency on security, but what we saw was not consistent or predictable enough to end this threat,” he noted.

He also expressed concern over what he described as inadequate equipment, manpower, and motivation for troops deployed in the affected areas.

“Our soldiers are doing their best, but they don’t have enough equipment, they don’t have the numbers, and they need more motivation,” he said.

The senator maintained that the insurgency could be significantly curtailed within a short period if the government demonstrates the required political will.

“If the government is serious, we can end this thing in six months. All we need is to train, equip, and properly motivate our soldiers,” he asserted.

Ndume further called for stronger collaboration between federal and state authorities, suggesting the creation of a centralised “situation room” to enable real-time coordination and rapid response to security threats.

“If you declare a state of emergency on security, then it should reflect at the state level. There should be a situation room where the president is constantly briefed and immediate decisions are taken,” he said.

He also appealed to the international community, particularly the United States, to support Nigeria with intelligence sharing, advanced technology, and specialised military expertise.

“What we need is intelligence and technology. We don’t have enough drones. With proper deployment of drones and surveillance systems, we can significantly reduce this problem,” Ndume said.

Explaining how such a large number of people could be abducted without interception, Ndume pointed to the geography of the area, noting that several communities are closely linked and largely ungoverned.

“It’s not that they transported them in buses. These communities are within short distances, and people move on foot or bicycles. Many of these villages are practically stateless,” he explained.

He added that the insurgency has evolved over the years from a religious extremist movement into a complex network involving terrorism, criminality, and opportunistic violence.

“It started as an extremist ideology, but it has now turned into terrorism and even a business. Criminal elements infiltrated it, and it spread like cancer,” Ndume said.

The senator warned that the crisis, which began in the North-East, is gradually expanding to other parts of the country, with increasing incidents of killings and kidnappings reported in the North-West and North-Central regions.

“But now the North-West—Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina—are competing with us in terms of losses of lives and kidnappings. The problem is spreading,” he cautioned.

Over 400 Borno Residents In Terrorists’ Captivity, Situation Worsening – Ndume is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

High humidity during Nigeria’s rainy season creates ideal conditions for fungal skin infections to spread rapidly. Ringworm (dermatophytosis), athlete’s foot and similar infections thrive in warm, moist environments, especially when sweat, damp clothing and poor hygiene are involved.

Eighteen Senegalese football supporters convicted over a pitch invasion during the chaotic Africa Cup of Nations final in Rabat in January on Monday denied any wrongdoing.

A Moroccan court in February sentenced the 18 Senegalese football fans to prison terms ranging from three to 12 months over charges of hooliganism.

Prosecutors have sought lengthier sentences in the appeals court in Rabat.

The Senegalese argued Monday that they had been forced on to the pitch because of a surging crowd or to avoid being spat upon and projectiles thrown towards them.

They said it was not to protest a refereeing decision at the end of the contentious AFCON final on January 18 which Senegal won 1-0.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) reversed Senegal’s win last month, awarding the title to Morocco two months after the final.

The Senegalese Football Federation immediately instructed its lawyers to lodge an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Defence lawyer Naima El Guellaf asked Monday that videos of the incidents be shown so as to verify the identities of the 18 Senegalese in court.

It is a move rejected by the prosecution, who said the Senegalese were caught in the act.

“The entire world saw these terrible images live,” it argued.

The judge is yet to respond to the request to replay videos of the incidents.

“There have been mistakes, the people involved in what happened are currently in Senegal and are not present here,” a second defence lawyer, Patrick Kabou, told AFP.

AFP

The post Jailed Senegalese fans deny wrongdoing in AFCON final chaos appeared first on Vanguard News.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has defended his record of frequently defecting to different political parties, saying what matters most is his principles.

Speaking on Monday while appearing on Arise TV, the former Labour Party presidential candidate said he will continue to reject transactions and personal interests while seeking a total destruction of what he called criminal structures in the country’s political system.

Obi explained that his first switch, from APGA to the PDP, was driven by a dispute with his successor as Anambra governor.

He explained, “I moved from APGA to the PDP because of issues with my successor. Rather than allow it to become destructive to governance, I moved out.”

According to him, the PDP offered no better environment, describing the party as one where members ignored rules and reduced politics to a game of favours.

“People were not playing by the rules. It was transactional. I cannot be part of a transactional system,” Obi said.

He also pointed to internal crises and legal disputes within the Labour Party as factors that eroded its viability as a platform.

Obi is currently working with opposition figures linked to the African Democratic Congress as part of efforts to build a unified front ahead of future elections

He acknowledged public doubts about some of his new allies but said their past affiliations were less important than their current commitments.

“What is important is not what people were yesterday, but what they are today,” he said.

He said the broader goal was to rebuild an opposition capable of offering Nigerians accountable leadership, and warned that he would not walk away from that fight regardless of obstacles.

“We are ready to work with people who are committed to change. If the process is compromised again, we will continue the fight,” he said.

Obi also described the current political system as one rooted in criminality that needed to be dismantled.

“We must dismantle this criminality that exists today,” he said.

Obi formally registered as a member of the ADC on March 7, completing his registration at his hometown in Agulu, Anaocha Local Government Area of Anambra State, during the party’s membership registration and mobilisation exercise across the state’s 21 local government areas.

At the event, he said the South-East was working as a bloc for the 2027 elections and called on supporters to mobilise voters at the grassroots.

“In this particular journey of 2027, we in the South-East are working as a family and we are discussing with other regions. We are working to unite all opposition. The common goal is to create a new Nigeria,” he said.

Obi Defends Defections, Says Criminal Structures Must Be Dismantled is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Former Nigerian Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, took the witness stand at Southwark Crown Court on Monday and firmly denied soliciting or receiving bribes during her tenure from 2010 to 2015.

Testifying in her defence, the 65-year-old ex-minister told the jury: “I did not abuse my office during that period.” She insisted she “did not ask, seek or solicit bribes” and had always acted in good faith while trying to reform Nigeria’s notoriously corrupt oil sector.

Alison-Madueke, who also served as the first female President of OPEC, described herself as an outsider who entered politics and pushed back against entrenched corruption. She claimed this made her a target of powerful interests.

“I became a target,” she said, adding that she had been threatened and scapegoated. She maintained that all expenses for her UK accommodation, hotels, chauffeurs, and related logistics were official, properly reimbursed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), and tied to her ministerial duties.

She explained that a service company was established in London to handle logistics because NNPC’s financial systems were “in a mess” at the time.

Properties in areas such as Gerrards Cross, Regent’s Park, and St John’s Wood were used for government-related work, and supporting documents for reimbursements had allegedly “disappeared.”

Regarding specific allegations, including a £100,000 cash delivery by one of her chauffeurs, Alison-Madueke said she was not aware of it at the time and that the money had “nothing to do with her.”

She also denied influencing oil contract awards in exchange for personal benefits, stating that major decisions were handled by the NNPC and relevant committees, with her role often limited to rubber-stamping recommendations.

Alison-Madueke faces five counts of accepting bribes and one count of conspiracy to commit bribery.

Prosecutors allege she received luxury properties, refurbishments worth millions of pounds, high-end shopping sprees (including over £2 million at Harrods), and other benefits from oil industry figures in return for favourable contracts.

She, along with co-defendants Olatimbo Ayinde (an oil executive) and her brother, Doye Agama, have all pleaded not guilty.

The trial, which began in January 2026, is expected to continue for several more weeks, with a possible verdict around late April.

The case has drawn significant attention in Nigeria and internationally as one of the highest-profile corruption prosecutions linked to the country’s oil sector. Alison-Madueke’s testimony marks the start of the defence phase after months of prosecution evidence.

Diezani Denies Bribery, Claims NNPC Funded UK Living Expenses is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Experienced tactician Hassan Abdallah has revealed that he was framed up for bribery during his time with Nigeria National League, NNL, side, Heartland.

DAILY POST reports that Abdallah managed Heartland during the 2021-22 season.

Abdallah spent around two months with the club.

The former Flying Eagles assistant coach insisted that he is still being owed by the Naze Millionaires.

“When I was here with Heartland a lot of things happened, people set me up with bribery allegations.

“My team, they were not paid, up till now I’m still being owed by Heartland that was how I left the club with no support,” the tactician said.

Abdallah is currently in charge of Nigeria Premier Football League, NPFL, side, Warri Wolves.

Warri Wolves suffered a 3-0 defeat to Owerri-based club Kun Khalifat FC in a week 34 encounter at the Dan Anyiam Stadium on Sunday.

NPFL: Abdallah reveals tough ordeal at Heartland

The presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi, has said no other contender can match his plans for transforming Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi made the assertion during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday while responding to claims that he may struggle to secure votes in the region without the backing of key northern political figures such as Rabiu Kwankwaso and Nasir El-Rufai.

Addressing the concern, Obi said while collaboration with influential northern politicians is important, his vision for the region stands out.

“I work with them so that they can do that but I can tell you, nobody can do what I intend to do in the north,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor outlined agriculture as a key driver of economic transformation in the North, describing the region’s vast land resources as a major untapped asset.

“I will change the north, our greatest asset is in the north. The vast uncultivated land is our future. We can make more money from agriculture than we make from oil, and that we have to start doing immediately,” Obi stated.

He also linked economic development to improved security, arguing that investments in critical sectors would help address the root causes of instability in the region.

“If we want to secure the north today, we need to start investing in those critical areas (such as) agriculture, starting pulling people out of poverty, investing in education, investing in health, and that we can do,” he added.

Obi’s comments come amid the leadership crisis within the ADC, while opposition leaders seek to consolidate support across key regions, particularly in Northern Nigeria, which remains a decisive voting bloc.

The post 2027: Nobody can do what I intend to do for the North  -  Peter Obi appeared first on Vanguard News.