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UEFA has explained why Arsenal was denied a late penalty in their Champions League semi-final first leg at Atletico Madrid.

Eberechi Eze, who had come on as a substitute in the second half, fell over inside the box in the 78th minute.

Referee Danny Makkelie initially awarded against Atletico defender David Hancko.

But despite Hancko making contact with Eze’s foot, the VAR intervened and asked Makkelie to review the incident at the on-pitch monitor.

After watching multiple replays, Makkelie decided to rule out the penalty-kick.

The decision left Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta fumming and called it “completely unacceptable”.

However, in a terse statement, UEFA said: “Atleti player, No 17, did not commit a foul on the opponent.”

UCL: UEFA releases statement on Arsenal’s Eze cancelled penalty against Atletico

The wave of political defections in Jigawa State appears to be gaining momentum as Governor Umar Namadi has received two prominent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

This was contained in a statement issued by Hamisu Mohammed Gumel, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

The defectors, Alhaji Sani Haru Babura from Babura Local Government Area and Alhaji Mustapha Sule Tankarkar from Sule Tankarkar Local Government Area, formally joined the APC at the Government House, Dutse, alongside their supporters and local party structures.

Receiving the new entrants, Governor Namadi described their decision as a major political statement, noting that their exit from the PDP underscores the changing political dynamics in the state.

“These are people who have spent 28 years in the PDP without thinking of changing parties. Today, they are here,” the governor said, attributing the development to growing confidence in the APC’s leadership and direction.

He further highlighted the political weight of the defectors, describing them as individuals with strong grassroots influence and credibility, capable of shaping political outcomes at the local level.

Governor Namadi maintained that the increasing influx of members into the APC signals its position as the dominant political force in Jigawa State, adding that the party remains open to all who are willing to contribute to its vision.

“The message is clear. APC is the leading party in Jigawa State. You either come and join the train, or you will be left out,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Alhaji Sani Haru Babura and Alhaji Mustapha Sule Tankarkar said their decision to leave the PDP was informed by Governor Namadi’s leadership style and what they described as his commitment to fairness and development.

They also pledged to mobilise support for the APC and work towards its success in future elections.

Defections deepen in Jigawa as PDP stalwarts dump party for APC

Public Affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu has accused the Federal Government of bias following the flag-off of a N25 billion ecumenical chapel project at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.

Shehu made his position known in a post shared on X on Wednesday night, reacting to reports that the Federal Government and the Christian Association of Nigeria have commenced construction of the facility.

“The N25 Billion project was flagged -off on April 26, 2026 by the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, Aviation Minister, Festus Keyamo, CAN President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, other Senior Federal Government and CAN officials.

“According to SGF George Akume, the project represents a “confluence of faith and progress” which will meet passengers’ physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

“Archbishop Okoh said travelers need a place where they can regain their calm before they enter the aeroplane,” Mahdi quoted.

According to him, the involvement of top government officials in the project shows that it has full backing at the highest level.

“For this project to be flagged off by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Aviation Minister means the President is fully aware and has given his consent,” he said.

Shehu also pointed to the allocation of land for the project, suggesting that key government figures must have been involved in approving the space.

He further questioned when Muslim travellers would be given the same prominent and visible land space to build a mosque at the airport.

“When will equal financial contribution be provided to the Muslim faithful as was done for CAN?” he asked.

He also queried whether government officials would show similar support for a mosque project, including attending a groundbreaking ceremony.

“When will some Muslim ministers be sent to perform the same role?” he added.

“When will P-ABT put a disclaimer that he is not aware of the N25billion Federal government/CAN Project so that Muslim faithfuls will “believe him as neutral”

He argued that without equal treatment, the project risks creating the impression of partiality.

“This N25 Billion project is an equation with two variables, one known and the other unknown. For the picture to become clear, the equation must be balanced otherwise it remains the case of: “A mother in charge of the kitchen will feed her children first and out of hate will deliberately starve the others to death,” he said.

Mahdi Shehu accuses Nigerian govt of bias over N25bn airport chapel project

A staff member at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, in Lagos, Frank Omorojie, has been commended for returning a lost purse containing cash and important travel documents to its owner at the departure hall of Terminal 2.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at the Rwanda Air check-in area, where Omorojie reportedly discovered the misplaced item.

The purse contained $1,700, a Nigerian and British passport, as well as a credit card.

According to airport sources, the discovery immediately raised concerns about tracing the owner, but Omorojie promptly handed the item over to Aviation Security, AVSEC, personnel without hesitation.

Following standard airport procedures, the recovered belongings were properly documented and transferred to the Customer Service unit, which quickly made a public announcement to locate the owner.

Within a short time, a Nigerian passenger scheduled to travel to Kigali, Rwanda, who had already feared the items were lost permanently, was reunited with all her belongings intact.

Airport officials described the incident as a clear demonstration of professionalism and integrity, noting that such actions reinforce public confidence in airport operations and staff conduct.

Speaking briefly, Omorojie said his decision was guided by simple principles of honesty.

“I just did what was right,” he said.

His action has since drawn praise from colleagues and airport authorities, who described it as a commendable example of responsibility and ethical conduct in public service.

Airport staff returns $1,700, passports to passenger at Lagos airport

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged leaders, aspirants, and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to desist from destructive politics.

Shettima made the call in a statement on Wednesday, calling on all and sundry to exercise restraint and maintain party unity as political consultations for the 2027 general elections begin.

The Vice President, in the statement titled: “2027: Don’t Pull Down the Roof”, likened the APC to a family that must not destroy its own house over internal ambitions.

According to him, the political season comes with familiar fever of democracy, stressing that consultations have begun across wards, local governments, party offices and private homes.

“The political season is here again. We don’t have to pull down the roof. We all should desist from destructive politics.

“Aspirants are making calls, elders are receiving visits, supporters are counting delegates, and the marketplace of ambition is alive once more.

“This is proof that our democracy still breathes. It is evidence that power in our republic is still something to be negotiated, contested, persuaded, and earned. But every season of politics also comes with its temptations.

“It comes with the temptation to mistake disagreement for betrayal, competition for enmity, preference for exclusion, and media interpretation for truth,” the statement partly read.

2027: ‘Don’t pull down roof, desist from destructive politics’ – VP Shettima to Nigerians

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has alleged that elements within the All Progressives Congress, APC, are planning to disrupt the August 15, 2026, governorship election in the state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor claimed that certain actors in the opposition party were resorting to anti-democratic tactics due to fear of losing the forthcoming poll.

The statement asserted that the alleged plot was driven by internal assessments within the opposition, which purportedly showed dwindling public support for the party ahead of the election.

“Having seen clearly that Osun people have rejected them, they are now resorting to anti-democratic means in a last-ditch effort to secure power,” the statement read.

According to the governor’s camp, opinion surveys allegedly commissioned between late 2025 and March 2026 placed the APC’s popularity below 30 per cent, while Adeleke’s approval rating ranged between 68 and 72 per cent.

“This clearly shows that Governor Adeleke enjoys overwhelming support from the people. The opposition can already see the outcome ahead of August 15,” he added.

The governor further alleged that recent remarks by Akin Ogunbiyi concerning the position of President Bola Tinubu unsettled factions within the Osun APC.

He claimed that the situation heightened tensions among party members, particularly within factions linked to former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, prompting what he described as desperate political manoeuvres.

The statement also accused the opposition of attempting to destabilise other political platforms and pushing for their deregistration after failing to gain control.

Reacting, the Osun APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, dismissed the allegations, describing them as unfounded and indicative of anxiety within the governor’s camp.

Olabisi said, “This is simple arithmetic. Those eminent politicians in their camp have all left. Look at Wole Oke, Fadahunsi, Ajilesoro, Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi and many others.

“So, what is left of their party? Apart from the fact that their party is unpopular, it is also spineless. The people of Osun should discountenance Adeleke because he doesn’t know what he is saying.”

Adeleke accuses APC of plotting Osun election disruption

Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has approved the appointment of Dr Mohammed Goje as the Acting Secretary to the State Government, with immediate effect.

The approval was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Buni’s Media Aide, Mamman Mohammed.

According to the statement, Goje, until his appointment, was the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).

The governor urged the new appointee to rededicate himself to the service of the state and the betterment of its people.

The appointment follows the emergence of former Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, as the preferred successor to Governor Buni ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

Buni appoints Goje as Yobe SSG

The family of the late legendary rapper Tupac Shakur has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles, seeking unspecified damages tied to the artist’s murder in 1996.

According to the BBC, the suit names former gang leader Duane “Keefe D” Davis, who is currently awaiting trial for his alleged role in the shooting, as the main defendant, alongside additional unnamed co-conspirators.

Davis is the only person ever charged in connection with Tupac’s death, after years of investigations. He has pleaded not guilty.

The new lawsuit alleges there was a “complex conspiracy” to murder the star, and says its aim is to uncover the identity of the “individuals who were involved” through disdiscovery 

Shakur was one of the most prominent rappers of the early 1990s, selling more than 75 million records, including hit singles Hit ‘Em Up and California Love.

He also had an acting career, with roles in Juice, Above The Rim, and Poetic Justice. But his career came to an abrupt halt when he was shot four times in a drive-by attack in Las Vegas in September 1996. He died in the hospital six days later, at the age of 25.

Mr Davis was charged with murd£r in September 2023. Police alleged he planned the sho0ting with his nephew, following an altercation with Shakur in a casino.

In court, prosecutor Marc DiaGiacomo described Mr Davis – a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips street gang – as the “on-ground, on-site commander” who “ordered the de@th” of Shakur.

Police said that Mr Davis got the gun from an unnamed associate, and mentioned Mr Davis’s “own admissions” to media outlets that he was in the vehicle from which the shots were fired. They did not state who fired the weapon.

Read more on www.lindaikejisblog.com

The Yobe State All Progressives Congress (APC) Critical Stakeholders’ Forum has announced former Secretary to the State Government, Baba Malam Wali, as its preferred candidate for the 2027 governorship election.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to Governor Mai Mala Buni, Mamman Mohammed, following the outcome of the stakeholders’ meeting held on Wednesday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the stakeholders described Malam Wali as a seasoned technocrat with the requisite qualifications, patience, and temperament for effective leadership and governance.

“The forum noted that the former SSG has been an active player in various administrations in the state for many years, which qualifies him to ensure continuity of the state’s development mission and vision.

“The party, at its stakeholders’ meeting last week, agreed to produce its candidates through the consensus mode of election,” the statement added.

It further stated that Governor Buni and the forum’s chairman, Senator Ibrahim Gaidam, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to sustained dialogue aimed at entrenching unity within the party.

Ex-Yobe SSG Wali emerges Buni’s preferred candidate for 2027 governorship race