The All Progressives Congress (APC) has strengthened its presence in Sokoto State following the defection of a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Aminu Ibrahim, to the ruling party.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

He explained that his defection was motivated by his desire to contribute to the development of Sokoto State, particularly in education and other key sectors of the economy.

The former rector said he considered it a responsibility to deploy his academic knowledge and professional experience towards improving the welfare of the people.

Reacting to the development, the Sokoto State APC Chairman, Haruna Sarkin-Gobir Adiya, welcomed Ibrahim into the party, describing his arrival as a significant boost to its membership.

Adiya urged the new member to work closely with other party leaders and members to strengthen unity and cooperation as the APC prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Nentawe Yilwatda, has dismissed allegations that the ruling party protects its members from prosecution and conviction over corruption and other offences.

Yilwatda made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

He argued that the party could not support the denial of anyone’s fundamental human rights, including the right to participate in an election, through what he described as strict prosecution.

He said, “Nobody is protected in the APC. I don’t want to mention names, but I know members of our party (APC) who are undergoing prosecution – who appear in court every day. As APC members, we can’t use strict prosecution to go ahead and deny people their fundamental human rights.”

The APC chairman also expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu would win the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2026, citing the party’s internal polling results.

According to him, the APC had conducted assessments across the states and its findings indicated that Tinubu was in the lead.

“We have done fact-finding; we are leading. We have done our polls. We have our own polls that give us the real statistics across the states,” he said.

When asked whether the polls indicated that Tinubu would win, Yilwatda responded, “Of course!”

He further maintained that the APC was not intimidated by opposition parties, arguing that the ADC and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) had an electoral disadvantage because, according to him, they had not won any elections before 2027.

On the tax reforms introduced by the President, Yilwatda said the new tax regime had benefited the poorest Nigerians by expanding the tax base and increasing government revenue.

Addressing the power sector, he also claimed that the APC-led government had enabled state governments to generate, transmit and distribute electricity.

The Kwankwassiyya Movement has said the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) will take advantage of the available legal provisions and engage the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address the omission of its deputy governorship candidate in Kano State, Mustapha Rabiu Kwankwaso, from the commission’s final list of candidates.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

It would be recalled that Kwankwaso and his principal, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, were left out of the list released by INEC. The NDC has described the omission as an error and said it is working to have the situation corrected.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television, the spokesperson for the Kwankwassiyya Movement, Habibu Mohammed, said there was no clear justification for excluding Kwankwaso from the list. He added that the movement would engage the electoral commission to resolve the matter.

Mohammed maintained that Kwankwaso completed his registration with the NDC within the stipulated timeframe.

He said, “It came as a shock because there had been no issue with INEC. Kwankwaso, a former deputy governor, is registered with the NDC and met the stipulated deadline.

“Electoral provisions give candidates 14 days to seek redress if their names are omitted from the list. We will explore that opportunity and engage with INEC.

“Actually, we believe there is no particular reason for the omission. INEC itself has not advanced any reason. We believe it may be an administrative error or something else because we do not have any pending judgment or court order.

“This is a man who has already served as a deputy governor, so we cannot even question his qualification. We also believe he was duly registered with the NDC within the stipulated period.

“Therefore, the omission came as a shock. However, in politics, we have seen many things, and we believe there are always ways to resolve issues. There is also a provision in the Electoral Act.

“If he is not on INEC’s list, I believe the Kwankwassiyya Movement, being law-abiding and committed to doing things the right way, will explore that opportunity and engage INEC. We are confident that the matter will be resolved because we see no reason why it should be otherwise.”

Nigerian striker Victor Boniface has received a warning from Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes after reportedly walking towards the dressing room when he realised he would not feature in Saturday’s 4-3 Bundesliga win over Mainz.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The 25-year-old forward remained on the bench as Leverkusen coach Carles Martínez made his final substitutions in the 84th minute, introducing Equi Fernández and Jonas Hofmann in place of Aleix García and Patrik Schick.

Boniface reportedly left the bench and headed down the tunnel after discovering that he would not be given an opportunity to play.

Martínez said he was unaware of the incident during the match but indicated that he would discuss the matter with the Nigerian international.

“If that’s what happened, we’ll speak to him,” the coach told Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, adding that decisions over team selection were part of football.

Rolfes also commented on the situation, issuing a warning while adopting a somewhat humorous tone.

“Perhaps he went into the dressing room a little too early today. It won’t happen next time,” the sporting director said.

Despite the reported incident, Rolfes praised Boniface’s improving fitness and professionalism, describing him as a valued member of the squad and training group.

The Super Eagles striker has struggled to secure regular playing time this season, making only one Bundesliga appearance so far. He played five minutes in Leverkusen’s 3-2 opening-day defeat to SV Elversberg, during which he provided an assist for Christian Kofane.

Since then, Boniface has missed out on appearances against Union Berlin, Leipzig and Mainz, while he was not involved in the match against Augsburg.

However, an injury to Kofane could create an opportunity for the Nigerian forward to compete for more playing time as he seeks to revive his career at Leverkusen.

The German club’s Europa League trip to Lech Poznań on Thursday could provide Boniface with another chance to impress, depending on Martínez’s team selection.