Author: Drum Africa Correspondent

Speculation is rife that Inter Miami are close to signing Brazilian forward Neymar Jr, according to a report by Marca on Saturday. The Brazilian, who joined Saudi club Al-Hilal from the big-spending Paris Saint-Germain in 2023, formed a formidable partnership with former teammates Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez as the trio dazzled European football during their time at Barcelona with their goal-scoring abilities and strong collaboration. The trio’s partnership was dubbed ‘MSN’ during their time at the Catalan club. Unfortunately, Neymar has struggled with fitness issues, and there are indications that Al-Hilal may terminate his contract, having featured only seven…

The Chairman of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission, Babatunde Osibodu, declared the All Progressives Congress the winner of the Saturday Local Government elections in the state in the early hours of Sunday. Osibodu said the “APC won all 20 local government seats and 236 councillorship wards in the state.” He announced this at the electoral body’s headquarters in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta, the state capital, while presenting the official results in a live broadcast. Osibodu said, “A total of 613,156 votes were cast in the chairmanship elections across the 20 local government areas. “The elections saw participation from 19 political parties,…

President Bola Tinubu is set to attend the 19th G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from November 18 to 19, 2024.  This invitation was extended by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, current President of the G20. The summit, themed “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet,” will gather leaders from the world’s top 20 economies, including the European Union and African Union. As a strong advocate for reforming global governing institutions, Nigeria has consistently presented its credentials for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. President Tinubu is expected to push for these…

President Bola Tinubu has conferred Nigeria’s second-highest national honour, the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tinubu made the announcement during a bilateral meeting with the Indian leader at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja. The President stated that the honour was “to signify our appreciation of India as Nigeria’s partner.” Modi, who arrived in Abuja on Saturday evening, was received at the forecourt of the Villa at around 10:20 a.m. on Sunday. Upon arrival, the Indian leader was welcomed with the Indian anthem, after which a Guard of Honour, mounted by…

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the winner of the Ondo State Governorship election, on his victory. Aiyedatiwa, who ran under the All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner of the election held on Saturday. Tinubu commended Aiyedatiwa and the other 17 candidates for demonstrating maturity and a sense of purpose during the campaigns and election.He attributed the success of the polls to the civility displayed by the people of Ondo State and encouraged political actors to maintain their orderly conduct during post-election activities. He praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its handling of the electoral…

Nigeria’s representative, Chidimma Adetshina, finished as the first runner-up at the 73rd Miss Universe Competition held in Mexico. The final moments of the prestigious event at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico announced early Sunday morning saw an electrifying face-off between Nigeria and Denmark, as the two women stood poised to claim the crown. The competition, described as one of the most thrilling in recent years, celebrated the talents, intelligence, and elegance of women from around the globe. In a post via Instagram, the organisers said, “The final two! Nigeria and Denmark, two incredible women, one unforgettable moment.” Miss…

Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was proclaimed the victor of Saturday’s Ondo State gubernatorial election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, made the announcement at the INEC collation center in Akure on Sunday. Akinwumi said the APC candidate secured 366,781 votes to defeat runner-up Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 117,845 votes. Aiyedatiwa, who squared off against the likes of Falaiye Ajibola (Accord Party), Akinuli Omolere (Action Alliance), Olatunji Popoola (All…

The Abia state Chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the just concluded Local Government election in the state. The state Chairman of IPAC Mr Uluocha Chimex who made their position known while addressing the press in Umuahia noted that for the Governor’s party to lose and his own party, the YPP got 2 Chairmanship seats out of 17 LGAs and ZLP getting 15 seats point to the credibility and transparency of the election. Mr. Chimex recalled that they had earlier signed a peace accord to go into the election peacefully and accept the…

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has penned a letter to the Nigerian Army regarding the recent attack on an army checkpoint in Umuahia, which tragically claimed the lives of several soldiers. The letter, dated November 14, 2024, and personally signed by Otti, was addressed to Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, the acting Chief of Army Staff. The governor said, “It is with a deep sense of loss that I write to commiserate with you over the unfortunate and barbaric killing of five soldiers by yet-to-be-identified assailants at the boundary town of Umuopara, in Umuahia South LGA of my state. “Indeed,…

Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 33.88% in October 2024, up from 32.7% in September 2024, reflecting a 1.18 percentage point month-on-month increase. This was contained in the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Friday. The Bureau attributed the rise in inflation to increased transportation costs and higher food prices. On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 6.55% points higher than the rate recorded in October 2023 (27.33%). This indicates that the headline inflation rate increased in October 2024 when compared to the same month in the preceding year. On a month-on-month…