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US President Joe Biden on Wednesday met the leaders of African nations that hold elections in the new year to press for a free vote. On the sidelines of a summit that has brought most African leaders to Washington, Biden and his top aides met separately with a group of six leaders as part of his democracy push. The group included Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who is ineligible to seek a third term in February to lead Africa’s most populous country, and President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo who took office in 2019 in the vast country’s first peaceful transfer of power. Also participating were Gabon’s Ali Bongo Ondimba, who has been president since 2009 after succeeding his longtime-ruling father, and the leaders of Liberia, Madagascar and Sierra Leone, according to the White House. Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security advisor, said ahead of the meeting that the president would call for free elections across the continent. He said the parti...

The police have said they will launch a manhunt for politicians procuring Permanent Voter Cards for the purpose of rigging the 2023 general elections. This came as the Independent National Electoral Commission vowed that anyone caught buying or selling PVCs would be arrested and prosecuted, warning politicians and political parties that it would not condone any illegal acts. The development is coming on the heels of reports that some politicians were buying up PVCs and inducing voters to harvest their Voter Identification Numbers. The INEC National Commissioner overseeing the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Plateau states, Mohammed Haruna, had on Monday in Abuja raised the alarm that some politicians were buying PVCs ahead of the 2023 polls. He also disclosed that two persons have been recently convicted for illegal possession of PVCs in Sokoto and Kano states. But speaking to The PUNCH on Tuesday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Rotimi Oy...

Morocco came into this game thinking they have overachieved, they came to the match knowing they were not the ones under pressure. They knew they were the underdogs, but even underdogs can bite. Just one bite and the giant will crawl. That was exactly what happened.  Portugal started the game with almost the same team that rolled over Switzerland as though they didn't even exist. They put 6 past the Swiss, brushed them by and rolled the round leather into a net that seemed wider than the usual. On this evening, however, against the Atlas Lions of Morocco, they found their tactics and strategies not enough.  Even their vast array of attacking talents - Sylva, Ramos, Felix,  Fernandes, Leao and the greatest of them all, greater than even Eusebio and Figo combined, Cristiano Ronaldo - could not conjure something special against Bono.  Make no bones about this, the Moroccans are no pushovers. They had taken scalps from the balding Belgium Brains and the buddi...

Music star, Oladapo Oyebanjo popularly known as D’banj, has broken his silence after his release from the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.   The singer was detained over allegations of fraud associated with the N-Power programme.   D’banj  took to his Instagram account a few hours after he was released on Friday and denied any fraudulent dealings and that he was released based on self recognition.    He said, “Global thank you to the world. I was invited on an ongoing investigation in ICPC. I have assisted the commission with all I know and I am confident in their capacity to unravel the truth. I have no business with fraud, all I do is chop life. I was released on self-recognition because nothing was seen or found on me. God bless you all my people.”   Credit: Instagram | iambangalee -

An American sports journalist, Grant Wahl, has died in Qatar, where he was covering the World Cup. According to ESPN, Wahl died while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. Reports reveal that Wahl fell back in his seat in the press box at Lusail Iconic Stadium during extra time and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance. Emergency services workers responded very quickly, the reporters said, and the reporters later were told that Wahl had died. Wahl had written on Monday on his website that he had visited a medical clinic while in Qatar. Earlier during the World Cup, Wahl drew international attention after saying he was briefly stopped from attending the US match against Wales in November for wearing a rainbow-coloured T-shirt. Wahl said he was detained for 25 minutes at Ahmed Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, then was let go by a security commander. Credit: Twitter| Fulham FCUSA -

An Edo State High Court sitting in Auchi has sentenced one Taofeek Isah to death by hanging for kidnapping and attacking with harmful substances. The court also sentenced two of Isah’s accomplices, Jeremiah Okamudu and Miracle Pius to four and 19 years in prison respectively and discharged the fourth accused persons. Justice Philip Imoedemhe held that the evidence tendered had convinced the court beyond reasonable doubt that the 1st, 2nd and 4th defendants were guilty of the crimes. During the trial, the prosecutor, Clement Eseigbe, told the court that Isah connived with three of his friends to kidnap, gangrape and grievously assaulted one 20-year-old Blessing Ezekiel on October 22, 2021, at Okpella community in Etsako East LGA.

Mr Emmanuel Sanwo-Olu, a 27-year-old man and father of three children, has filed a suit before the Delta State High Court 2 sitting in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area, urging it to declare Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos State, as his father. In the suit no: EHC/148/2022 between Emmanuel Moses Sanwo-Olu and Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the claimant argued that he was a product of a relationship between his mother, Grace Moses, and the defendant in 1994/95. Also, in his writ of summons issued by J. O. Aikpokpo-Martins, the claimant is praying the court for the following: “A declaration that the defendant is the biological father of the claimant begotten from Madam Grace Moses of Oleri, Delta State. “An order directing and compelling the defendant to acknowledge and accord the claimant all the rights of a son in accordance with all the laws applicable whether customarily, statutorily, or constitutionally. “An order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendant from furt...