A group of All Progressives Congress (APC) stakeholders in Kwara State has formally requested that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq intervene regarding the party’s candidacy for the Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero Federal Constituency in the upcoming 2027 elections. The stakeholders, including local government council officials and APC leaders from Ekiti and Oke-Ero, contend that the candidate currently recognized by the party is not the individual who won the primary election held on May 16, 2026.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• Disputed Results: The petitioners claim that Abolarin Ganiyu won the primary with 17,128 votes, while the incumbent, Raheem Tunji Olawuyi, received only 2,978 votes. They expressed concern that Olawuyi, who reportedly placed sixth, is being presented as the winner.

• Political Imbalance: The stakeholders argue that the constituency has suffered from political inequity since 1999, as the seat has consistently been held by representatives from either Irepodun or Isin local government areas. They noted that Ekiti and Oke-Ero, which collectively comprise 20 of the constituency’s 42 wards, have never produced a representative.

• Call for Action: In their open letter, the leaders urged Governor AbdulRazaq to work with the APC national leadership to recognize Abolarin Ganiyu as the legitimate candidate. They stated that this correction is necessary to uphold justice, equity, and internal party democracy.

Portugal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Croatia in Toronto on Thursday, punching their ticket to the World Cup round of 16. Although Ivan Perisic gave Croatia the lead in the 53rd minute, Cristiano Ronaldo equalized via a 68th-minute penalty before Goncalo Ramos scored a header in the fourth minute of stoppage time to clinch the win. A potential late equalizer from Josko Gvardiol was overturned by VAR for offside. Following the win, an emotional Ronaldo dedicated the performance to his late teammate, Diogo Jota, wearing a jersey with Jota’s number 21. Portugal is now set to face European champions Spain in Dallas this Monday.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The Kaduna State High Court, presided over by Justice Darius Khobo, has rejected the third bail application submitted by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai in his ongoing trial involving the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC). The application, which sought release on medical grounds, claimed that the former governor suffered from advanced metastatic prostate cancer requiring treatment outside of Nigeria.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

However, the ICPC successfully challenged this claim by presenting evidence from the National Hospital in Abuja. Key findings from the proceedings included:

• The Chief Medical Director of the National Hospital, Muhammad Raji Mahmud, provided documentation confirming that the hospital’s records contained no evidence of the former governor ever being a patient at the facility.

• The hospital further clarified that the medical report submitted as “Exhibit A” was issued without the knowledge or authorization of its management.

• Consequently, Justice Khobo ruled that the discredited medical report could not justify granting bail.

Despite denying the bail request, Justice Khobo ordered the ICPC to permit the former governor unrestricted access to his personal physicians and to facilitate his transport to any specialized diagnostic or clinical facilities within Nigeria as needed during his trial.

El-Rufai, who has been in ICPC custody since February 19, faces nine counts related to dishonest disposal of loan funds and the alleged conferment of benefits under false pretenses, to which he has pleaded not guilty. This ruling follows a previous denial of bail in April, where the court determined that keeping the former governor in custody served the interests of justice. Additionally, he remains subject to separate prosecution by the ICPC at the Federal High Court in Kaduna.

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