Arsenal’s quest to claim the Emirates Cup remains unfulfilled following a 3-2 loss to Borussia Dortmund on Sunday afternoon. Despite an encouraging start by Mikel Arteta’s side, Dortmund struck first when Samuele Inacio capitalized on a defensive lapse. Konstantinos Karetsas then extended the visitors’ lead with a brilliant curling shot.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Ethan Nwaneri gave the Gunners a lifeline just before halftime by pulling a goal back. However, Dortmund re-established their two-goal cushion shortly after through a scrappy corner-kick finish.

Arsenal kept pressing and eventually won a penalty, allowing new acquisition Viktor Gyokeres to calmly convert and bring the score to 3-2. Although they fought hard for a late equalizer, the hosts ran out of time, extending their drought in the tournament to five consecutive years. Arteta’s squad will look to fine-tune their preparations ahead of the new Premier League season when they face Italian club Como on Wednesday.

Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of sustaining a two-decade-long campaign of falsehoods against his principal. Ibe contends that Obasanjo routinely resurrects allegations of corruption and betrayal against Atiku, particularly during election seasons.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Ibe’s statement was a direct response to Obasanjo’s recent claim that Atiku had enlisted the late former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Umar Na’Abba, to orchestrate his impeachment while they were in office. Dismissing the accusation as baseless, Ibe pointed out that because Na’Abba passed away in December 2023, he is unable to refute the claim.

“Finally, former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s campaign of lies, political manipulation and orchestrated deceit stacked against Atiku Abubakar for over 20 years, for political expediency, is falling apart like a pack of cards,” Ibe stated.

To counter Obasanjo’s narrative, Ibe referenced former House of Representatives Chief Whip Abubakar Bawa Bwari, who was active in the politics of that era. According to Ibe, Bwari has stated that Na’Abba never pursued Obasanjo’s removal and that, conversely, Atiku acted as Obasanjo’s emissary to the legislature to smooth over tensions.

Ibe also challenged revisionist accounts suggesting Obasanjo knelt before Atiku to beg for support for his 2003 re-election bid. Instead, he cited a video featuring former Abia State Governor Orji Kalu, who recounted that it was Atiku who actually knelt before a gathering of 17 PDP governors to plead for their support for Obasanjo.

Kalu reportedly said in the video, as quoted by Ibe, that Atiku declared his loyalty to Obasanjo, stating, “He does not want to be disloyal to Obasanjo. That four years is like four days.”

Furthermore, Ibe claimed Kalu revealed that the PDP governors were prepared to replace Obasanjo with Atiku due to the former president’s alleged authoritarian tendencies. Kalu noted that while Atiku was positioned to become president, he refused to betray Obasanjo, citing the trust the former president had placed in him.

Ibe also brought up the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) controversy that emerged prior to the 2007 election. He noted that Obasanjo petitioned the Senate to investigate Atiku for alleged fund diversion. In response, Atiku voluntarily waived his immunity to appear before the probe, insisting the funds were secure in fixed deposits and that the investigation was politically motivated to sabotage his presidential ambition because of his opposition to Obasanjo’s “third-term agenda.“

Concluding his statement, Ibe cited the autobiography of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, in which the monarch reportedly documented how Obasanjo allegedly weaponized the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), then led by Nuhu Ribadu, against businessman Mike Adenuga in relation to the PTDF affair.

Reports indicate that a son of the late Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau, identified as Ibn Mohammed bin Shekau by security analyst Zagazola Makama, has surfaced within the terrorist organization’s ranks. This development has sparked anxiety about the potential revival of his father’s extremist ideology and network.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Abubakar Shekau, who took control of the group after founder Mohammed Yusuf died, orchestrated numerous brutal assaults against civilians, security forces, and government facilities across Nigeria and neighboring nations, frequently using propaganda videos to claim responsibility and spread terror. Following his death in 2021 during clashes with the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), the regional balance of power shifted, with ISWAP absorbing some defectors while loyalists maintained the Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS) faction. Observers are now closely monitoring Ibn Mohammed’s activities to see if he aims to claim a major leadership role within the remaining insurgent faction.