President Bola Tinubu has performed the lesser hajj, known as Umrah, in Saudi Arabia.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

The President shared a video of the religious exercise on his X account on Friday, revealing that he used the opportunity to pray for Nigeria and its citizens.

Tinubu also asked Almighty Allah to grant the country enduring peace, protect its people and bless ongoing efforts to build a more prosperous nation.

In his message accompanying the video, the President expressed gratitude to God for the opportunity to perform Umrah, describing the experience as a deeply spiritual moment.

He wrote: “I am grateful to Almighty Allah for the privilege of performing Umrah here in Saudi Arabia.

“This is a deeply spiritual moment for me, and an opportunity to offer prayers for our beloved country, Nigeria, and all our people.

“May Almighty Allah accept our prayers and supplications, grant our nation lasting peace, strengthen our unity, protect our people, and bless our collective efforts to build a more prosperous Nigeria.

“May He grant us wisdom and strength in the service of our nation and accept our Ibadah.”

It will be recalled that Tinubu arrived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Thursday to perform the lesser hajj and offer prayers for Nigeria.

The Convener of the Northern League of Democrats, Umar Ardo, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is the only political party actively campaigning ahead of the 2027 presidential election.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

He accused opposition parties of neglecting grassroots mobilisation and concentrating their activities on social media.

Ardo made the remarks on Thursday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he discussed the state of political campaigns ahead of the next general election.

According to him, a drive through Abuja and other parts of the country would reveal that the APC is the only party visibly engaging in campaign activities.

He argued that opposition politicians were largely confined to social media, where they spend more time reacting to developments than taking the initiative and defining the direction of the election.

“There is a one-sided political campaign. If you drive around Abuja and other states, it is only APC you will see. Other political contenders, you will see them on social media almost always reacting rather than acting and defining the election,” Ardo said.

He added that the situation creates the impression that the political campaigns are not being conducted on an equal footing.

Ardo urged opposition parties to move beyond online engagements, take their campaigns to the streets and present their own agendas to Nigerians instead of constantly responding to the APC.

Meanwhile, Ardo has also expressed doubts about the possibility of a presidential coalition between the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) counterpart, Peter Obi.

Speaking during the same Arise Television interview, he argued that Atiku was unlikely to withdraw from the presidential race, despite the possibility of retaining his support base if he decided to step aside.

He, however, said Obi could be more willing to withdraw but might struggle to convince his supporters to accept such a decision.

According to Ardo, the differing positions of the two politicians and the reactions of their respective supporters are major obstacles to achieving a strong opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 election.

“My view is that Atiku does not have the propensity by himself to say, ‘I will step down.’ If he says so, he will not have a problem with his support base. But the issue is that he is highly unlikely to say that.

“Then Peter Obi has the propensity to say, ‘I will step down.’ But if he says so, he will not have his support base. He will not be able to carry his support base. His support base will not go with him. So, now, these are the two problems,” he said.

Ardo maintained that unless the two challenges were resolved, a merger between the politicians would remain difficult.

He, however, argued that even without a formal alliance, either Atiku or Obi could independently challenge the incumbent, depending on how effectively they organise and strategise their campaigns.

He said both politicians had the capacity to upset the existing political order and defeat the incumbent in the 2027 presidential election if they pursued the right strategies.

Arsenal midfielder Max Dowman is set to serve a three-match suspension after the Football Association (FA) rejected the club’s appeal against his red card during Tuesday’s Carabao Cup defeat to Fleetwood Town.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

An independent Regulatory Commission on Thursday dismissed Arsenal’s arguments that the dismissal was wrongful and the punishment excessive, upholding the decision to send off the 16-year-old for violent conduct.

Dowman was shown a straight red card in the 85th minute of the fourth-round encounter at Highbury after reacting to a heavy challenge from Fleetwood midfielder Harrison Neal. Although the teenager did not fully kick out at his opponent, his foot made contact with Neal.

Confirming the decision, the FA said in a statement: “An independent Regulatory Commission has dismissed claims of both wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment for Max Dowman.”

The governing body added: “The Arsenal player was sent off during their EFL Cup game against Fleetwood Town on Tuesday 27 October and will be suspended for three matches.”

The FA also disclosed that the commission’s full written reasons for its decision would be published at a later date.

Arsenal had submitted their appeal on Wednesday, hoping to overturn the dismissal, but the commission rejected the club’s case.

The suspension represents Dowman’s second red card in a short period, following another dismissal earlier this month while playing for England’s Under-19 team.

His sending-off came during a disappointing night for Mikel Arteta’s side, who crashed out of the competition after playing out a 1-1 draw against the League Two side before losing 5-3 in the penalty shootout.

Arteta appeared unhappy as the youngster made his way off the pitch. Reflecting on the incident after the match, the Arsenal manager said: “When we prepared the context of the match, we were very clear on the things to respect, the things that emotionally we have to dominate. It was very clear.”

Dowman’s suspension comes at a difficult time for Arsenal, who are already short of options on the wings due to injuries involving Bukayo Saka, Christos Tzolis and Noni Madueke.

Arteta’s men are expected to return to Premier League action against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday, November 1.