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A member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, has apologised to President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, over his role in the impeachment moves against the State Assembly Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa.

Gbajabiamila had said he almost lost his job as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff due to Elliot’s involvement in the attempt to impeach Obasa.

He disclosed that Tinubu had informed him of Elliot’s involvement but he denied it only for the Department of State Services, DSS, to affirm the President’s claim.

Reacting, the veteran Nollywood actor-cum politician vowed never to let Gbajabiamila down because he learnt everything he knows about politics from him.

Featuring on TVC’s Your View, Elliot also hinted on running for a fourth term as lawmaker in the state.

He said: “The Gbaja this and Gbaja that of the world. My own baba. I know you’re upset, and I want to say I’m sorry in front of everyone. I’m not saying: ‘Oh, yes, media will come out. Oh yes, Desmond begs again.’ Yes, because he’s my egbon. And I grew up learning everything I knew in politics through him.

“He might be upset over something or whatever it was. I’m human. To err is human, to forgive is divine. So I’m sorry, my daddy, if I’ve offended you in any way.

“To the matriarch of Surulere, Mama, I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, but I’ll keep the party strong.

“My scorecard is there for everyone living in Surulere, and I’ll never let you down if given the opportunity to serve you again.”

I won’t let you down again – Desmond Elliot apologizes to Tinubu’s CoS, Gbajabiamila

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has raised concern over Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate, disclosing that a woman dies every seven minutes during childbirth in the country. The UNICEF Chief of Maiduguri Field Office, Francis Busiku Butichi, made the disclosure on Friday in Maiduguri during the symbolic handover of WASHFIT supplies to health facilities in […]

The post Every seven minutes, a woman dies during childbirth in Nigeria — UNICEF appeared first on Tribune Online.

Manchester United midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, has expressed his disappointment at seeing Declan Rice join Arsenal.

Fernandes acknowledged that he felt ‘really sad’ about Manchester United’s failure to secure Declan Rice before his transfer to Arsenal.

United had been contenders to acquire Rice prior to his decision to move to Arsenal in a £105 million deal from West Ham in 2023.

Rice has emerged as one of Arsenal’s key players this season as Mikel Arteta’s team approaches the club’s first Premier League title since 2004, while they also have the opportunity for a double as they face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30.

On the other hand, Fernandes has once again been a pivotal player for United this season, currently boasting 19 assists for the campaign, just one short of the all-time record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Last week, Fernandes was awarded the Football Writers’ Association’s men’s Footballer of the Year award, narrowly surpassing Rice by just 28 votes.

In an interview with the FWA, Fernandes praised Rice and disclosed that he still maintains contact with the Arsenal midfielder after they trained together in Portugal three years ago.

“To be honest, I admire him [Rice] a lot, first of all as a person because I knew him from the Algarve when we were training together and everything,’ Fernandes stated in an interview with Joel Beya for the FWA.

“Of course, I was already aware of him from West Ham, and we all recognized the qualities he possessed. I have always believed that Rice was a player suited to play for Manchester United.

“I was uncertain if it was the right opportunity or chance for him to join Manchester United, but I have always thought he would be an ideal fit for our club, not only for the player he is but also for the person he is and the professionalism he demonstrated to me along with his personality.”

EPL: ‘I admire him a lot, sad Man United didn’t sign him’ – Fernandes on Arsenal star

The United Arab Emirates, UAE, has moved to speed up the construction of a major new oil pipeline designed to bypass the strategically important Strait of Hormuz following disruptions to exports caused by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

According to official reports released on Friday, the planned West-East Pipeline will significantly expand the export capacity of the state-owned oil company, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, through Fujairah Port and is expected to become operational next year.

The development was announced by the Abu Dhabi Media Office, which stated that Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had instructed ADNOC to fast-track delivery of the strategic project.

The UAE already operates an existing 360-kilometre pipeline linking the Habshan oil fields to Fujairah, with an estimated capacity of about 1.8 million barrels of oil per day, according to information published by the Port of Fujairah.

The new project is expected to double ADNOC’s export capacity through Fujairah, further strengthening the country’s oil transportation network outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route frequently affected by regional tensions.

The UAE, which recently withdrew from Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries earlier this month, has also announced plans to increase its oil production capacity to five million barrels per day by next year.

Oil infrastructure in Fujairah has faced repeated attacks since the escalation of the Middle East conflict. In one of the latest incidents on May 4, three Indian nationals were reportedly injured following an attack on oil facilities in the area.

Iran war: UAE fast-tracks new oil pipeline to bypass Strait of Hormuz

The Kebbi State government has launched a digital training programme for civil servants in the state aimed at boosting effective service delivery. Flagging off the training exercise at the ultra-modern State Secretariat in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, Governor Nasir Idris reminded workers that the present administration belongs to them, hence the need to sustain their […]

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In a major push to expand Nigeria’s transport infrastructure and stimulate economic development, the Federal Government has signed contracts and Memoranda of Understanding for eight strategic road projects across different parts of the country. The projects form part of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s infrastructure renewal agenda aimed at improving connectivity, reducing travel time […]

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Ekiti State Police Command has arrested no fewer than 11 suspected political thugs allegedly hired to disrupt the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the House of Representatives earlier scheduled for Friday. The State Commissioner of Police, Micheal Falade disclosed this during a press conference held on Friday at the command headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, […]

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Planning to study in Australia? Learn the 2026 proof of funds requirements for Australian student visas.

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Fulham head coach Marco Silva has confirmed Alex Iwobi is in contention to face Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux on Sunday.

Iwobi sustained a hamstring injury in Fulham’s 0-0 draw against Brentford last month.

The midfielder has missed the Whites last three league games due to the setback.

In his absence, Fulham recorded one win, and two defeats.

Silva confirmed the Nigeria international is back in full training, and is available to face the Old Gold.

“Alex (Iwobi) is back in contention for  the game. Last week, he did some training sessions with us. And this week, throughout, he’s been working with us. It’s been a good week for him,” the gaffer told a press conference on Friday.

EPL: Iwobi available for Wolves clash — Silva

Nanle Miracle Dariye, the son of former Plateau State Governor, Joshua Dariye, has withdrawn from the House of Representatives race for the Mangu/Bokkos Federal Constituency.

The younger Dariye had entered the House of Representatives race on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Nanle, who announced his decision in a statement he posted on his social media handles on Friday and addressed to his supporters, stated that he had to take the painful decision of withdrawing from the race after extensive consultations and meetings with his family, party leaders and other critical stakeholders of the ruling party, including Governor Caleb Mutfwang.

Nanle who described the move as painful and difficult, noted that it came after deep reflection and consideration of prevailing political realities.

“I have made the painful and difficult decision to withdraw from the House of Representatives contest after a series of consultations, a personal meeting with His Excellency the Governor of Plateau State, and deep reflection,” he wrote in the statement.

He added that his decision to step down from the race was guided by the need to preserve unity, peace, and stability within the constituency and the ruling party.

Nanle went on to express gratitude to his supporters for their commitment and sacrifices throughout the campaign, acknowledging the high expectations surrounding his candidacy.

“At moments like this, leadership demands not only courage to aspire but also wisdom to make difficult sacrifices for the greater good.

“I believe that preserving unity, peace, and stability within our constituency and party is bigger than any personal ambition,” he said.

He however, urged his supporters to remain calm and not allow the development to create division or weaken their collective resolve.

“Let us continue to work for the progress of our constituency and support every genuine effort aimed at advancing the welfare of our people.

“Although I am stepping away from this race, I am not stepping away from our people, our dreams, or our collective future. My commitment to the peace, unity, development, and progress of Mangu/Bokkos remains unwavering,” he stressed.

Ex-Plateau Gov Dariye’s son, Nanle withdraws from Reps race