Author: Daily Post Nigeria

Controversial musician, Portable, has claimed that Carter Efe’s victory in the celebrity boxing bout on Friday was scripted by organisers to evade payment of N23 billion to people who placed bets on his winning.

Portable made the claim after being mocked by many celebrities on social media.

DAILY POST reports that Carter Efe, a streamer, defeated Portable in a celebrity boxing match that was held in Lagos on Friday to win a N50 million cash prize.

Carter was crowned the winner of the match after the boxing judges scored him 30 and Portable 27.

Following how Portable was beaten, many Nigerian celebrities mocked the singer over his week-long verbal threats to defeat Carter.

However, speaking amid the ongoing mockery, the singer in an Instagram video on Sunday afternoon stated that the organizers crowned Carter Efe to avoid making a N23 billion betting payment to beneficiary.

“Na zazu, anywhere I follow is where una go follow. I’m the king while you guys are the chiefs. Everybody go dey follow my way. You guys don’t have a different pattern, different content, different music and lifestyle. Aside from being a celebrity or a musician, can’t you invent something new?

“I make Nigeria boxing big by originating celebrity fights. All of you mocking me can’t kill me. So, you guys don’t love me. To those mocking me, for your information, I have already been paid N40 million before the match, we are only fighting for the remaining N10 million.

“My fans, I was paid N40 million before the fight and was also paid N1 million each per post to promote the match five times, that is N5 million and N45, million in total. Carter Efe was throwing fowl blow on me, the referee was not fair to me. Even if I win the match, na 17 million in dollars be the money wey everybody wey do betting for my victory go collect. That’s 23 billion in naira, who go pay am, can organisers pay?

“Carter Efe’s victory was intentional. How many people bet on Carter? Most of the people bet on me. They believe in me and I believe in myself and in God. Na me be first musician wey bring boxing come Nigeria.”

DAILY POST reports that the singer had previously beaten Speed Darlington and Charles Okocha in 2025.

Watch him speak 

 

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Celebrity boxing: Carter Efe’s victory scripted by organisers to evade N23bn betting payment – Portable

Former Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa star, Darren Bent, has identified Myles Lewis-Skelly as the player Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta will drop from his starting XI to face Atletico Madrid in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League semi-final second leg fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

Speaking on Premier League Live, Bent said Martin Zubimendi should take Lewis-Skelly’s place in the starting XI to take on Atletico Madrid.

This comes after Arteta decided to start Lewis-Skelly over Zubimendi against Fulham in a Premier League encounter on Saturday.

“Zubimendi will probably come back in (Arsenal’s starting XI against Atletico ahead of Lewis-Skelly) because he is the more senior player,” Bent said.

“But I think the manager will be looking at Lewis-Skelly’s performance (against Fulham), thinking, do you know, what if a game’s going on against Atletico and it’s not quite working, he will have no doubts whatsoever.”

UCL: Darren Bent identifies Arsenal player Arteta will drop against Atletico Madrid

Legendary Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was taken to hospital after falling unwell at Old Trafford.

The incident happened before Sunday’s Premier League clash between the Red Devils and Liverpool.

The BBC reports that it was a precautionary move and not an emergency situation.

However, Ferguson was driven from the stadium in an ambulance.

United officials are optimistic Ferguson will recover soon enough to return home.

Michael Carrick’s men are looking to pick up at least a point, that will see them qualify for next season’s Champions League.

EPL: Sir Alex Ferguson taken to hospital before Man Utd vs Liverpool clash

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, and the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, have urged the Federal Government to ensure more press freedom and adequate protection of journalists.

The groups made the call at a joint news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, to mark the World Press Freedom Day celebrated annually on May 3.

The joint news conference was addressed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Mr Kolawole Oluwadare, and NGE Secretary, Mr Onuoha Ukeh, who was represented by Mr Gabriel Akinadewo.

The conference was themed ‘Role of the Media in Promoting People’s Rights, Accountability and Access to Justice in the Context of Growing Insecurity in Nigeria’.

SERAP and NGE emphasised that protecting journalists and safeguarding information integrity were central drivers of peace, security and democratic stability.

According to the groups, any credible peace promotion or security strategy in Nigeria must integrate support for free, independent and pluralistic media, alongside humanitarian, institutional and economic responses.

The groups expressed concerns about the scale and persistence of killings, abductions, sexual violence, forced displacement and destruction of property in some parts of Nigeria, including Benue, Borno, Kwara, Plateau and Sokoto states.

They said that thousands had reportedly been killed and millions displaced, with rural communities repeatedly targeted and women and children bearing the brunt of the violence.

They groups urged the federal and state governments to prevent foreseeable harm, protect communities, investigate rights violations, prosecute perpetrators and their sponsors and ensure access to justice for victims.

They added that the violations constituted breaches of the country’s obligations under the constitution, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“The humanitarian consequences remain severe; communities destroyed, livelihoods lost and victims left without effective remedies,” they said.

They noted that Nigerian authorities had obligations to protect journalists and end insecurity, urging the authorities to exercise due diligence in preventing and addressing violations.

The SERAP and NGE said the UNESCO theme for 2026 World Press Freedom – “Shaping a Future of Peace” – showed that a free and independent media was central to peace and development.

They said that the erosion of independent journalism and civic information ecosystems directly contributed to governance breakdown, adding that attacks on journalists fueled corruption, weakened accountability and spread misinformation.

The groups recalled that Sections 22 and 39 of the Nigerian Constitution mandated media accountability and guaranteed freedom of expression.

They called on the authorities to protect civic space, promote ethical reporting and recognise killings and abductions as grave human rights violations.

They also urged prompt and independent investigations, prosecution of perpetrators and effective remedies for victims, including compensation and rehabilitation.

The groups called for more transparency in security operations, creation of public reporting systems and invitations to UN and African human rights rapporteurs for fact-finding missions.

They urged the National Assembly to convene a public hearing on insecurity and attacks on journalists.

Press Freedom Day: Attacks on journalists weakening accountability – SERAP, NGE

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, are currently holding a closed-door meeting at the Benue State Government House.

The meeting follows President Bola Tinubu’s directive for both leaders to urgently resolve their differences without further delay.

Initially scheduled for Thursday, April 30, 2026, the stakeholders’ meeting was rescheduled and is now taking place on Sunday, May 3, 2026, in Benue State.

The meeting is part of ongoing efforts to address and resolve the lingering internal crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

Those expected at the meeting include 10 elders and stakeholders from Akume’s camp, 10 elders and stakeholders from Governor Alia’s camp, members of the Benue State House of Assembly, members of the National Assembly from Benue State, as well as Federal Government appointees from the state.

Gov Alia, Akume hold peace talks in Benue

Former Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo Agege, and Delta State governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, have continued to trade words over the 2023 governorship election.

While in Lagos days ago during a lecture on ‘Inclusive Governance and National Unity: Lessons from Delta State for a United Nigeria’, the governor celebrated his victory over Omo-Agege.

He recollected that his closeness to the grassroots informed the abysmal performance of Omo-Agege in the 2023 governorship election in Delta State.

Oborevwori stated openly that he defeated Omo-Agege, despite the senator having them.

“He was able to struggle to get four local government areas but I won in 21 local government areas because I am with the people. I listen to them, I hear them, I call them, they call me,” Oborevwori said.

Provoked, Omo-Agege responded that re-litigating the matter in the media or at public events serves no useful purpose.

He pleaded for peace, healing and reconciliation, rather than promoting vendetta.

“My attention has been drawn to comments reportedly made by His Excellency, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, during his lecture yesterday in Lagos on _“Inclusive Governance and National Unity: Lessons from Delta State for a United Nigeria,”_ where he referenced the 2023 Delta State Governorship Election.

“If we were still in different political parties, I would feel compelled to respond in full measure, as an adversary would. But that is no longer the case. We are now one family under the All Progressives Congress (APC). What Delta APC needs today is not division, but unity.

“As a frontline leader in our party, my goal is clear: to secure victory for every APC candidate, from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu down to our House of Assembly candidates. That commitment remains sacrosanct.

“The 2023 Governorship Election has come and gone and is now behind us. The Supreme Court has spoken, and its decision is final. And I respect the judgment fully. As a democrat, I congratulated Mr. Governor then for the now-famous 360,000 votes that won him the election in 21 local government areas, and I do so again now.

“Let us choose unity over division. Let us choose victory over vendetta. In Delta APC, unity must be more than talk. It must be our strength. The past is in the rearview mirror. Our focus must now be on 2027. Let us look forward.

“I am however proud of the over 240,000 votes that gave us victory in four Delta Central LGAs. To every Deltan who supported me in 2023, and to everyone who believed in our vision: I am forever grateful. You have my assurance: I owe you, and indeed all our people, an even greater level of service.

“Since May 29, 2023, I have pursued one mission: strengthening the unity of our party. I will not relent. I respectfully urge His Excellency, the Governor of Delta State and Leader of the APC in Delta State, to join me in fostering healing, reconciliation, and inclusion. We must silence every voice and action that seeks to divide us. Only a united APC can deliver Delta State for President Tinubu and win every seat in 2027,” Omo-Agege stated.

Again, Omo-Agege, Oborevwori trade words over 2023 Delta guber election

The Eastern Union, Sunday, berated the alleged clampdown on opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

EU’s National President, Charles Anike, in a chat with THE WHISTLER claimed that “while former President Goodluck Jonathan’s government tolerated opposition, the All Progressives Congress leadership under both Buhari and Tinubu has no room for any form of opposition”.

Anike said Nigerians should learn lessons from the nation’s prevailing political situation. He told former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amechi, among others who spearheaded the formation of APC, “to tell Nigerians what they have learnt”.

Anike, who was reacting to the seeming grounding of the main opposition African Democratic Congress, said, “The truth remains that there is really no crisis in ADC from within; what we are witnessing is an autocracy towards redirecting the country to a one-party state. The purported crisis in ADC is engineered from the outside, especially when Mr Peter Obi decamped to the party. The APC leadership believes that the only way forward for them is to plant and fuel crisis in the parties, the same way they used Lamidi Apapa and Julius Abure to disorganize the Labour Party, which informed Obi’s decamping to ADC.”

He said the sole goal of APC was to ensure that LP’s presidential candidate in 2023, Mr Peter Obi, does not appear on ballot papers. Quoting him, “APC knows that Peter Obi is the red card in hands of the suffering masses of Nigeria.”

He supported Obi’s defection to another political party. “Our advice to Obi is move to any other party that will give him ticket to contest the general election. Nigerians believe in him and would follow him to wherever he goes. Though there are moles in most political parties, nevertheless, Obi is still standing. We assure him that Nigerians will go with him.”

Group Compares Opposition Under Tinubu With Jonathan; Mocks Amechi, Atiku is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed plans for another visit to the United States ahead of the 2027 election cycle.

According to him, the trip will focus on Nigeria’s worsening security, governance and economic conditions.

The planned visit, which comes about 8 months to the 2027 presidential election, follows a similar pattern as his 2019 and 2022 U.S. trips.

Speaking through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Sunday, Atiku said the trip is “driven by one overriding concern: the alarming deterioration of security, governance, and economic stability in Nigeria.”

The 2027 presidential hopeful said Nigeria is facing “a full-blown internal crisis” that could no longer be “downplayed, politicized, or explained away.”

He mentioned violence in the North-West, North-East, and Middle Belt as evidence that Nigeria is experiencing “a pattern of systemic failure” rather than isolated incidents.

“Communities are being overrun, livelihoods destroyed, and citizens abandoned to their fate,” Ibe said, adding that “any government that cannot guarantee basic security forfeits the moral basis of its mandate.”

On Economy, Atiku said rising inflation, a weakened naira and declining purchasing power has left millions of Nigerians in distress.

“Nigerians are not just tired, they are being stretched to the limits of endurance,” the statement added.

He also warned that declining public confidence in governance and the country’s electoral process “poses a direct threat to national stability.”

The statement added, “As the country moves toward another election cycle, he insists that any attempt to undermine transparency or manipulate outcomes will carry serious consequences for both unity and legitimacy.

“Addressing the anticipated criticism of his international engagement, Atiku is unequivocal: telling the truth about Nigeria is not unpatriotic. He rejects the notion that engaging global partners amounts to inviting foreign interference, stressing that Nigeria does not exist in isolation and cannot pretend that its internal failures have no external implications. He maintains that the world already sees what is happening; the real question is whether Nigerian leaders are prepared to confront it honestly.

“He reiterates that only Nigerians will decide Nigeria’s leadership, but insists that international partners have a legitimate interest in the stability, governance standards, and democratic health of a country as strategically important as Nigeria.”

According to him, responsible leadership welcomes scrutiny as a pathway to improvement.

“In a direct message to the current administration, Atiku warns against complacency and deflection. He states that power is not an entitlement but a responsibility, and that Nigerians expect results, not explanations. He calls on the government to urgently reset its priorities, restore public confidence, and demonstrate a clear, credible strategy for addressing insecurity and economic decline.

“To Nigerians, he delivers a blunt reminder: no nation survives in silence. He urges citizens to remain vigilant, engaged, and unyielding in their demand for accountability, emphasizing that real change will not come from outside the country but from the collective will of its people….The choice, he says, is between confronting hard truths now or allowing the country to drift further into instability. For him, the moment demands courage, honesty, and decisive leadership, anything less would be a disservice to the nation and its future.”

Atiku’s last confirmed U.S. visit was in October 2022, when he travelled to Washington, D.C. during his campaign for the 2023 presidential election as candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

During the visit, he met U.S. officials, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, businessmen and members of the Nigerian diaspora.

In January 2019, he visited the U.S. ahead of Nigeria’s presidential election. It was his first trip in 13 years after a reported U.S. visa ban linked to a corruption probe into allegations of bribery during his time as vice president.

Atiku Begins Pre-Election Ritual, To Denounce Tinubu’s Performance In U.S. is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Kelechi Iheanacho netted the winning goal as Celtic secured a 2-1 win over Hibernian at the Easter Road on Sunday.

The win kept the Hoops Scottish Premiership title hopes alive.

Daizen Maeda gave Celtic the lead from a simple tap-in two minutes before the break.

The hosts levelled through Joe Newell in first half stoppage time.

Iheanacho was introduced in the 70th minute, replacing Yang Hyun-jun.

The Nigeria international fired home the winning goal two minutes later.

It was the forward’s seventh goal across all competitions for Celtic this season.

Martin O’Neill’s side remain second on the table level on points with league leaders Hearts, who have a game in hand.

Scotland: Iheanacho nets winner for Celtic against Hibernian

The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, has said that respecting contractual agreements between parties is fundamental to building investor confidence in Nigeria.

The Director General of the Commission, Dr. Jobson Oseodion Ewalefoh, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, assuring stakeholders that their investments are protected within a stable and predictable regulatory environment.

This is as the government agency hailed the resolution of the long-standing public-private partnership concession dispute involving the Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2), Lagos.

He said such commitment sends a strong signal to both local and international investors that Nigeria remains a reliable and credible investment destination.

He further described the president’s intervention as a masterstroke, particularly as it successfully resolved a long-standing impasse across multiple administrations.

Ewalefoh further noted the Presidency’s commitment to the rule of law in the resolution of the impasse, which followed a coordinated process involving the grantor, the Federal Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, the concessionaire—Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited—and the ICRC, whose concurrence was obtained on the agreed framework in line with established PPP guidelines.

He stated that “with the removal of restrictive provisions and the restoration of clarity within the concession framework, Nigeria can now fully explore the development of new aviation infrastructure within Lagos State, including projects such as the proposed Lekki Airport, as well as complementary commercial and support facilities around existing terminals.”

He emphasized that the development reinforces investor confidence in a predictable regulatory environment, adding that “when investors see that a dispute of this magnitude can be resolved through a balanced and forward-looking approach, it sends a powerful message about policy stability, regulatory certainty, and respect for agreements. These are the foundations upon which successful PPPs are built”.

He also pointed out that the outcome delivers tangible benefits to the economy and the public, including improved infrastructure utilization, enhanced operational efficiency, and the potential for increased revenue generation, noting that “this resolution is in the interest of the government, the concessionaire, the investing community, and ultimately the Nigerian people who rely on efficient and modern infrastructure”.

Ewalefoh reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ensuring that all PPP arrangements are implemented in line with established guidelines, with strong emphasis on value for money, transparency, and public interest.

“The ICRC will continue to provide the regulatory guidance required to sustain this momentum, ensuring that future concessions are better structured, better managed, and better aligned with national development priorities.”

Recall that the MMA2 dispute arose from a disagreement between the Federal Government, through the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited over the implementation of the PPP agreement, particularly clauses on exclusivity and the development of competing or complementary infrastructure within the same airport corridor.

MMA2 dispute: Respect for contractual agreements will boost investment in Nigeria — ICRC