ONE WORD

By Dare Babarinsa Chief Olusegun Osoba, the two-time former Governor of Ogun State, is a significant presence on the Nigerian media space. His engaging memoir, Battlelines, is devoted more to his media experience as expected. The presentation of the book on Monday July 8, attracted members of the Nigerian ruling class including Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the shakers and movers of the Nigerian press, especially those giants from the ancient regime when the old Daily Times ruled its empire. The empire is lost, but the allure remains and the princes of old times are still moving with the assured bounce that shakes the ground. For more than half-a-Century, Osoba has been a witness to history and he has transformed to become a significant player on history’s centre stage. Now he is an elder statesman who is still involved in partisan politics as a chieftain of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC. It is significant that many top politicians from across the political divides...

Tanko Muhammad A Federal High Court in Abuja has struck out a suit challenging Justice Tanko Muhammad’s competence to hold the office of the Chief Justice of Nigeria. The Presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo made his judgement on the grounds that Malcolm Omirhobo Foundation who is the plaintiff, lacked the locus standi to institute the suit. READ ALSO: Buhari Asks Senate To Confirm Tanko Muhammad As CJN Justice Ekwo also held that the group does not have the power to engage in the public interest litigation which it claimed to be undertaking by filing the action. He adds that contrary to the claim of the plaintiff to be a non-governmental organisation, there is no legislation in Nigeria permitting the registration of any group as such and no group registered under the Part C of the company could engage in such litigation. Justice Ekwo asks the National Assembly to emulate some Commonwealth countries like Uganda and Zimbabwe that have separate legislations on registration...

A woman Priscilla Ncube has told a court in Zimbabwe that her husband is a satan after confessing that he was practising satanism and that he also wanted her to be part of devil worshipping. Ncube claimed her husband of 45 years Stephen Ncube sold himself out when he allegedly threatened to suck her blood until she died, if she refused to join his alleged satanic cult. She said her husband once took her to their rural areas where he tried to initiate her into powers of darkness by instructing her not to eat for some days while praying for her every night until she escaped and sought refuge at a neighbour’s house. Stephen had a different story to tell, noting that the wife had no respect for him as the head of the family. “My wife, Priscilla Ncube is abusive. We have been married for 45 years and she constantly accuses me of engaging in wizardry. “Whenever I try to reprimand her she does not listen and she insults me saying I am a satanist. This has been going on for over se...

Donald Trump is not a fan of Libra, Facebook’s proposed cryptocurrency, the president made clear in a series of tweets on Thursday evening. “Facebook Libra’s ‘virtual currency’ will have little standing or dependability,” Trump tweeted. “If Facebook and other companies want to become a bank, they must seek a new banking charter and become subject to all banking regulations, just like other banks.” Trump is the latest—and most high-profile—public official to raise doubts Facebook’s cryptocurrency plans. On Wednesday, Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell warned that “Libra raises many serious concerns regarding privacy, money laundering, consumer protection and financial stability.” Some members of Congress have also signaled skepticism, with one group of Democrats in the House calling on Facebook to suspend work on Libra while policymakers examine its implications. For his part, Trump isn’t just hostile toward Libra. In another Thursday tweet, he declared that he was “not a...

Antoine Griezmann has completed his £108million move to Barcelona from Atletico Madrid. The La Liga champions have been courting the Frenchman for the past two summers and have now finally landed their man after paying his release clause in full. The 28-year-old will now join Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez to form a deadly trident at the top of the pitch for Barcelona. Griezmann departs Atletico, having scored 133 goals in 257 appearances during his five-year spell at the club. The forward came close to joining Barcelona last year before making a dramatic U-turn to sign a new contract, but earlier this summer expressed a clear desire to join the Catalan side. Griezmann's signing is expected to end speculation of Neymar making a sensational return to Barcelona this summer. Griezmann had angered a large section of Barcelona supporters after having a change of heart last summer to instead sign a new long-term deal at Atletico. Marca claim Barcelona have deliberately sch...

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has informed the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal that some of its witnesses were attacked by armed men. Mr Levi Uzoukwu, who is counsel to the party and its candidate in the 2019 presidential election, Atiku Abubakar, said this at the resumed sitting of the Tribunal on Friday in Abuja. He said one of the petitioners’ witnesses called him to tell him that some gunmen attacked them on their way to the nation’s capital from Zamfara State. According to the lawyer, some of the witnesses were injured while others have gone missing. Consequently, the Tribunal adjourned the trial until Monday, July 15. More to follow… Channels TV

  Oba of Benin The Benin Monarch, Oba Ewuare II on Friday said every attempt he made to intervene in the imparse between Governor Godwin Obaseki and his predecessor, Adams Oshiomhole, came to naught, as the situation kept escalating fast. The Monarch disclosed this Friday in his palace, when he​ played host to members of the ad hoc committee set up by the House of Representatives to mediate in the ongoing Edo State House of Assembly crisis. He said he had met with both Oshiomohle and Obaseki on separate occasions, without any headway “Let me thank you you for coming to see us, to show your respect to us, we appreciate you very much. “I want to say this is not an easy task for you, we all know that we have some chiefs who are politicians, they have been trying their best on their own and also coming to brief me. “My chiefs who are politicians have asked me to invite the parties, and as I told President Muhammadu Buhari when I visited him on my own, I have been ta...