Author: Daily Post Nigeria

The Labour Party, LP, has conducted its primaries to produce candidates for the upcoming by-elections on 20th June, 2026.

This is in compliance with the timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the conduct of the by-elections to fill vacancies in various constituencies across the federation.

At the primary election held at the party’s zonal office in Nasarawa North, former Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, emerged as the party’s candidate through a consensus arrangement. 

The exercise attracted a large turnout of party faithful who gathered to affirm his candidacy for the forthcoming Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election.

Similarly, in Enugu North Senatorial District, seasoned diplomat, Amb. Simon Ejike Eze, emerged as the party’s candidate through a peaceful and rancour-free consensus process. 

Party members from across the senatorial district turned out in large numbers to endorse his candidature ahead of the by-election.

Other candidates who emerged through the same consensus process are Sam Kinanee for Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Ige Aiyeobasan Asemudara for Ondo South Senatorial District, Abubakar Yahaya Muhammad for Dawaki Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, and Muhammad Aliyu Galadima for the Zuru State Constituency by-election in Kebbi State.

It would be recalled that the seats for Enugu North, Nasarawa North and Rivers South-East Senatorial Districts became vacant following the deaths of the senators representing the three districts in the current 10th Senate, while that of Ondo South became vacant as a result of the resignation of the erstwhile senator representing the district. 

In Enugu North, Senator Okey Ezea passed away in a Lagos hospital on 18th November 2025 at the age of 62 after a brief illness. Until his death, he remained the only elected office holder in Enugu State elected on the platform of the Labour Party who stayed faithful to the party despite the wave of defections that affected the party last year.

Also, in Nasarawa North, Senator Godiya Akwashiki died on 31st December 2025 at the age of 52 after a prolonged illness, while Senator Barinada Mpigi, who represented Rivers South-East Senatorial District, passed away on 18th February 2026 at the age of 64. In Ondo South, the Senate on 28th April declared the seat of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim vacant following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

The Labour Party commended the INEC for its professionalism and diligence in monitoring the primaries, which were conducted peacefully, transparently and successfully across the affected constituencies.

The party congratulated all the successful candidates and called on its members, supporters all lovers of democracy in the affected districts and constituencies and rally behind them in the June 20 by-elections.

Labour Party ends primaries for June 20 by-election, Maku, Eze, others emerge candidates

Former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami has been declared the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate for the 2027 election in Gombe State. 

Pantami was announced on Tuesday at a gathering attended by Senator Ibrahim Dankwambo, who is also a former governor of Gombe State.

Pantami, who withdrew from the APC governorship primary, reportedly reached out to Gombe PDP leaders to seek the gubernatorial ticket, a request which was granted.

DAILY POST recalls that Pantami was a minister under former president Muhammadu Buhari between 2019-2023. 

Former minister, Isa Pantami declared PDP guber candidate in Gombe

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has formally presented the official results of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Ogun East Senatorial District to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Governor Abiodun, who emerged as the APC candidate for the Ogun East Senatorial District election, expressed profound gratitude to Almighty God, President Tinubu, party leaders, stakeholders, and the people of Ogun East for the confidence and trust reposed in him throughout the primary process.

The Governor commended the President and leader of the party for his inclusive democratic policies, particularly his insistence on direct primaries, which he said have enabled members of the APC to freely exercise their franchise, while also fostering a stronger sense of belonging and ownership within the party.

He described the successful conduct of the primary election as a reflection of the unity, strength, maturity, and democratic spirit within the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State.

Prince Abiodun reaffirmed his commitment to continued service, noting that his aspiration to represent Ogun East Senatorial District in the Senate is driven by the desire to further advance development, peace, inclusiveness, and economic prosperity in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole.

The Governor also appreciated party members, leaders, supporters, and stakeholders for their unwavering encouragement, solidarity, and commitment to the collective vision of building a greater Ogun State.

Tinubu’s inclusive leadership strengthening APC democracy – Dapo Abiodun

A chieftain and presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Adewole Adebayo, has lamented the current living standard in Nigeria, stressing that the situation is training citizens to become thieves.

Adebayo made this statement on Tuesday during a live appearance in an interview on ‘Morning Show’, a programme on Arise Television.

DAILY POST reports that President Tinubu, upon assumption of office on May 29, 2023, announced the removal of fuel subsidy, leading to the increase in prices of virtually everything in the market.

Reacting, Adebayo said, “The current living standard is training citizens to become thieves. I ran for President in 2023, but I didn’t realise I was running to be a prophet. Everything I predicted has happened. 

“President Tinubu’s policies have ruined the economy and weakened Nigerians’ purchasing power, without delivering the accountability people sought. 

“What we have today in Nigeria are people in power, not a government as contemplated by our constitution. The SDP will focus on healthcare, education, and improving citizens’ purchasing power. We are targeting voters who didn’t exercise their right in 2023 to boost our numbers.”

Hardship in Nigeria training citizens to become thieves – SDP’s Adebayo

many Nigerians still discover that their phones cannot connect to 5G. This is because not every smartphone supports the hardware and network bands required for 5G connectivity.

The post How to check if your Nigerian phone is 5G compatible appeared first on Tribune Online.

Former Minister of Communications, Isa Pantami, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Gombe State for the 2027 elections.

Pantami secured the PDP ticket after defecting from the All Progressives Congress, where he had faced political challenges and internal opposition.

His move to the PDP follows months of reported tensions within the APC, including disagreements with party stakeholders and struggles over his political ambitions in Gombe State.

Political observers say his defection and emergence as PDP candidate could reshape the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 governorship race.

Pantami Emerges PDP Governorship Candidate In Gombe is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan is eligible to contest in the 2027 general elections.

The judge gave the ruling while delivering judgment in a suit filed by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Jideobi Johnmary, seeking to stop Jonathan from participating in future presidential election, haven taken the oath of office twice as president.

Justice Lifu dismissed the suit on the grounds of being an abuse of court process.

According to Lifu, the suit was a waste of the court’s precious time because both the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal have already resolved the eligibility of Jonathan.

“I am bound by the above decision of the Court of Appeal and this court, I have no more to add”, Lifu said

Meanwhile, he slammed a cost of N20 million against the plaintiff in favour of Jonathan and N1 million in favour of the Attorney-General of the Federation.

Argentina World Cup winner Angel Di Maria has blamed former Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal for his unhappy spell at Old Trafford, saying the Dutch coach focused only on the negatives in his performances.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Sport, Di Maria said his relationship with Van Gaal deteriorated after an encouraging start following his then British-record £59.7m move from Real Madrid in 2014.

“Things started really well,” Di Maria said. “Everything was flowing.

“Then I started to have issues with Van Gaal and from there everything fell apart.”

Di Maria enjoyed a bright opening to life in England, scoring three goals and providing four assists in his first six appearances for United.

However, Van Gaal frequently changed the Argentine’s position, using him on both wings, as a number 10 and in midfield, as the manager searched for consistency in his performances.

“Like I said, I started really well. Everything was perfect,” Di Maria said.

“But then suddenly we started having lots of meetings about all the things I was doing wrong on the pitch.

“He never showed me what I was doing well, just the negatives, over and over. Eventually I got fed up.”

Di Maria also revealed that personal issues away from football worsened his time in Manchester, including an attempted burglary at his Cheshire home while he and his family were inside.

“Life there was very different. It gets dark really early and then the cold started,” he said.

“Everything kept snowballing. There was also the break-in at my house.

“When all of that happens; when you are not playing, when things aren’t going well for you, when you have problems inside the club, it ends up affecting you a lot. It made me hate being there.”

The Argentine said he eventually decided to prioritise his family over his football career in England.

“I got robbed in Paris too and still stayed for another two or three years, because life there was good,” he said.

“In Manchester, everything just snowballed. I wanted to prioritise my family and that is why I left.”

Di Maria’s wife, Jorgelina Cardoso, had also publicly criticised life in Manchester in a previous interview with the Daily Mail.

“I didn’t like it at all,” she said. “People are all weird. You walk around and you don’t know if they’re going to kill you. The food is disgusting. The women look like porcelain.

“Angel and I were in Madrid, at the best team in the world, perfect food, perfect weather, everything was perfect. And then came United’s proposal.

“I told him ‘no way, no way’, but he kept saying we will be a little more financially secure and we have to go.

“We fought about it. I don’t blame him for going there. It was horrible.

“I just told him, ‘darling, I want to kill myself, it’s night time at two o’clock.’”

By March of his only season at United, Di Maria had begun falling out of favour under Van Gaal following injuries and a red card in an FA Cup match against Arsenal.

After the season ended, the winger refused to join United’s pre-season tour of the United States before sealing a £44.3 million move to Paris Saint-Germain.

“He said I never showed up [for pre-season] but I had already said I wanted to leave and that I wasn’t going to report back to the club,” Di Maria said.

“I stayed in Rosario until a decision was made.

“If you are unhappy, your family is unhappy, if your house gets burgled, you fall out with the manager and things aren’t going well, it’s very difficult to say I loved my time in Manchester. That is the reality.”

Despite the difficult experience, Di Maria insisted he has no regrets about joining Manchester United.

“But when it comes to the Premier League, the atmosphere, life at the club, honestly, I was left with a really good feeling because there were great people inside the club who always treated me well, who always supported me and helped me with everything. For that, I’m grateful,” he said.

“It was a decision I wanted to make. I wanted to go to United. The football, arriving at the stadiums, the atmosphere, the love from the fans, I don’t regret any of it.

“Joining them was incredible. I played as Manchester United on the PlayStation. I used to play with Rooney and suddenly, he was beside me.

“Of course, I understood the number seven was the biggest shirt number at Manchester United. But to me, it was just a number, like I wore 22 at Madrid.”

Van Gaal, responding to the comments, reportedly said Di Maria’s signing had been a club decision rather than one he personally requested, while maintaining that he struggled to find a position where the Argentine was effective.

Di Maria Says Van Gaal Made Him ‘Hate’ Manchester United is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Gael Monfils brought the curtain down on his French Open career, exiting Roland Garros after a dramatic five-set defeat to fellow Frenchman Hugo Gaston in front of an emotional home crowd in Paris.

The 39-year-old, playing what is expected to be his final appearance at the tournament, fought back from two sets down before eventually losing 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-0 on Court Philippe-Chatrier.

Monfils received a standing ovation as chants of “Gael, Gael, Gael” echoed around the stadium following the match, while tributes from tennis greats including Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic were displayed on the big screen.

Despite the defeat, Monfils produced flashes of the athleticism and flair that made him one of tennis’ most popular entertainers, thrilling fans with trademark ‘tweeners’, acrobatic movement and relentless court coverage.

“I was never quite good enough to win a Grand Slam,” Monfils said before the tournament. “But maybe I won something more important than that — a tennis career I’m proud of.”

Former world number one junior Monfils enjoyed a 23-year professional career that included 13 ATP titles, a career-high ranking of sixth in the world and 38 victories over top-10 opponents, including multiple wins against Federer and Nadal.

Monday’s appearance marked his 70th Grand Slam main-draw appearance and his 19th at Roland Garros, where he reached the semi-finals in 2008 and three additional quarter-finals.

French Open tournament director Amelie Mauresmo paid tribute to Monfils’ impact on the sport and his enduring popularity among fans.

“Gael has always brought something special to tennis,” Mauresmo said. “His energy, personality and connection with the crowd made him unique.”

Elina Svitolina, Monfils’ wife and fellow tennis star, described him as a “magician”, while Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime called him “loved everywhere he goes.”

Monfils’ influence extended beyond his on-court exploits, with Naomi Osaka and Frances Tiafoe crediting him as an inspiration for young black players coming through the sport.

“Seeing representation is so important,” Osaka said. “On the men’s side, I always looked up to him and Tsonga for such a long time.”

Tiafoe added: “He’s a complete legend. He’s definitely been ‘big brother’ to me. He’s unbelievable for the game and always will be.”

The farewell celebrations for Monfils began last week with a charity exhibition event titled “Gael & Friends”, featuring appearances from Jannik Sinner, Djokovic, Osaka, Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Monfils is expected to retire from professional tennis at the end of the season.

Monfils’ Roland Garros Career Ends Amid Emotional Tributes is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Chinese authorities have executed Xu Yao, the former executive convicted of poisoning billionaire gaming tycoon Lin Qi, nearly four years after the Yoozoo Games founder died in Shanghai following a dispute linked to the popular science fiction franchise 3 Body Problem.   Local media reported that Xu, who was executed on 21 May, poisoned Lin […]

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