Residents of Oyo State who recently completed voter registration will begin collecting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from Friday as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

INEC announced on Tuesday that it had printed 77,015 PVCs for newly registered voters across the state.

The commission’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Oyo State, Professor Adeniran Tella, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan.

According to Tella, the newly printed cards will be distributed to eligible registrants across the state’s 351 Registration Areas and wards.

The collection exercise is scheduled to commence on Friday, October 9, 2026, and run until Thursday, October 15, 2026.

Tella said eligible voters would be able to collect their PVCs between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily, including weekends.

He explained that the exercise forms part of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

The statement read in part: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Oyo State is to commence the distribution and collection of the newly printed Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)’s first batch of 77,015 across the 351 Registration Areas/Wards to eligible registrants for a seven-day period as from Friday 9th to Thursday, 15th Oct. 2026 ahead of the preparations towards the conduct of 2027 General Elections in the State.

“The exercise is expected to take place as from 9:00am to 3:00pm daily including weekends.”

INEC urged all newly registered voters to make use of the seven-day window to collect their PVCs ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rasidi Ladoja, has called for urgent intervention to address the deteriorating condition of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Ladoja made the appeal on Tuesday when the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, and the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Ali Pate, paid him a visit in Ibadan.

The former Oyo State governor urged the Federal Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to take immediate steps to revive the medical facility.

Expressing concern over the state of the hospital, the monarch highlighted what he described as a severe shortage of medical personnel at UCH.

“I am worried about the present precarious situation of the health facility. There is also an acute shortage of medical personnel.

“Urgent action must be taken to arrest the situation. However, I commend the efforts of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for bringing back the lost glory of the hospital,” Ladoja said.

Meanwhile, Ladoja recently dismissed reports suggesting that he had already endorsed a preferred candidate for the 2027 Oyo State governorship election.

The Olubadan made his position known when he received the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Barrister Hazeem Gbolarumi, at his palace in Ibadan.

Gbolarumi, a former deputy governor of Oyo State, had visited the monarch to seek his royal blessing and support ahead of the 2027 election.

He was accompanied by the PDP State Chairman, Professor Abdulrahman Akinoso; the State Secretary, Dr Biola Olanipekun; and other party leaders.

During the visit, Gbolarumi said he was the first governorship candidate to visit the Olubadan’s palace to seek his blessing ahead of the election.

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted that he deserves to face punishment for leaving Portugal’s Nations League camp but has made it clear that the incident will not signal the end of his international career.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The 41-year-old Al-Nassr captain broke his silence in a lengthy statement after departing Portugal’s training camp in Copenhagen ahead of the Nations League clash with Denmark.

Ronaldo acknowledged that his decision to leave the camp had consequences and said he was prepared to accept whatever punishment the Portuguese Football Federation decides to impose.

“The Portuguese Football Federation must assess the consequences of my actions and punish me for them. I believe the punishment should not be reduced,” Ronaldo said in a statement posted on his official Instagram page on October 6.

“I have already apologised, but I know that actions have consequences.”

Ronaldo’s departure reportedly followed a disagreement with Portugal head coach Jorge Jesus over his involvement in the team’s matches against Norway and Denmark.

The veteran forward was an unused substitute as Portugal defeated Norway 2-1 on September 27 before being informed that he would not start against Denmark. He subsequently left the national team camp, sparking speculation that he may have played his final game for Portugal.

However, Ronaldo has now dismissed those suggestions, insisting that he remains committed to international football and plans to return after serving any suspension handed to him.

“If I am physically well, playing for my club, with goals, I hope, after serving the suspension that may be applied to me, I will be available, as I have always been until today, to compete and win for our national team,” he said.

Beyond accepting responsibility for his actions, Ronaldo also provided his version of events that led to his departure and accused Jesus of breaking a promise to him on two occasions.

According to the Portugal captain, he and Jesus initially agreed on a plan aimed at managing his fitness and workload. Under that arrangement, Ronaldo said he was expected to sit out the matches against Norway and Denmark.

However, Ronaldo claimed the plan changed on the day of the Norway game when Jesus told him he would be brought on for 30 minutes.

“Everyone knows the rest. I warmed up from half-time onwards, watched the minutes tick by and wasn’t called on,” Ronaldo said.

“The manager had broken his word to me.”

Ronaldo said the incident was later discussed in a meeting involving Jesus and Al-Nassr sporting director Simao Coutinho.

He claimed they subsequently reached an understanding about how the matter would be publicly explained and prepared an eight-point document outlining the agreed position.

Ronaldo stressed that he had never demanded an apology from Jesus. Instead, he said he expected the coach’s public explanation to accurately reflect their private discussions.

Among the points Ronaldo said had been agreed was that he had accepted Jesus’ original plan, never questioned his decisions and had remained professional throughout the situation.

He also said Jesus acknowledged that it was a mistake to have a player of Ronaldo’s stature warm up without eventually bringing him onto the pitch.

However, Ronaldo claimed that the agreed explanation was not followed.

“It was the second time he had broken his word to me,” Ronaldo said. “I decided to leave the training camp without waiting for any further broken promises.”

Jesus has disputed Ronaldo’s account. The Portugal manager denied on Sunday that such an agreement had been reached, although he indicated that the door remained open for Ronaldo to return to the national team.

Ronaldo currently has 146 goals in 234 appearances for Portugal, making him the world-record holder for both international goals and appearances.

He has also played a major role in some of Portugal’s greatest achievements, helping the country win Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League on two occasions.

Ronaldo Rejects Farewell Talk

Despite being 41, Ronaldo has rejected suggestions that his remaining time with Portugal should be reduced to a ceremonial farewell.

The Al-Nassr star responded to reports that the Portuguese Football Federation could organise a farewell match for him, insisting that he still sees himself as a competitor who wants to contribute rather than a player preparing to retire.

“I have heard a great deal of talk about farewell matches, that I must have a dignified farewell and that the Federation wants to give me that opportunity. I learned in life, often hungry and with nothing to eat, that no one gives anything to anyone,” Ronaldo said.

“I can promise all my fans, naturally and especially all Portuguese people, that we will have one or more farewell matches; there will be time for that. But when I think of the national team, what I really think of is competing.”

Ronaldo also recalled one of the most painful moments of his international career to demonstrate how deeply he values representing Portugal.

He referred to the period when he received news of his father’s death while on national team duty but chose to remain with the squad until after their next match.

“That is what I thought on the day I was given the news of my father’s death. I was at a camp with our national team, and I decided to stay there until the end of the match the following day. I did for the country what I would never do for any club.”