The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has downplayed rumours of him contesting the presidential election in 2027. Wike said it would be unfair to run for the presidency against President Bola Tinubu, who is his employer. Tinubu had appointed Wike, a former two-time governor of Rivers State, as the FCT Minister in 2023. During the 2023 electioneering period, Wike and his G-5 Integrity group from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, worked for Tinubu’s victory. The group turned against the then PDP’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar despite threats to expel them from the party. Speaking during a media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Wike said: “We are the ones here that is going to make it happen, I’m not going to run because it would be unfair for me to go and stand in an election against the person who appointed me. “At least I have conscience even though people are rumoring that be careful of Wike, he is going to run.”

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has disclosed that Nigerians know where he stands regarding his support for President Bola Tinubu. Wike said he doesn’t need any form of meeting to confess his support to Tinubu. He disclosed this during end-of-year media chat in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he dismissed an allegation against him by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State. Recall that Makinde recently told journalists that Wike, during a visit to the State House in 2024, promised to “hold PDP” for Tinubu. Wike dismissed Makinde’s claim, stressing that the meeting they held with the President had nothing to do with PDP, but to show support for his leadership. “Seyi said I told Tinubu that I will hold PDP for him. Nothing like that happened. “Everyone knows my stand on Tinubu, I don’t need a meeting to tell him that. “As a minister, I have a duty to ensure that members of the G-5 benefitted from the Tinubu administration in one way or the other.” Wike maintained that the Oyo governor owed his people a duty to tell them how the N50 billion intervention funds from Tinubu meant for the January 2024 explosion in Bodija area of the state was spent. He noted that such money should have been appropriated before spending.

World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua was involved in a road accident today in Makun, Ogun State. Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway around past 11am on Monday. The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated. Our correspondent, who witnessed the accident told THENEWSCREDIT that Joshua sustained minor injuries, saying that two people died on the spot. Orojo who stated that the accident happened just before Danco Filling Station in Makun, before Sagamu Interchange inward Ibadan axis of the road. He stated that two people died on the spot. “It was a two-vehicle convoy: a Lexus SUV and a Pajero SUV. Joshua was seated behind the driver, with another person beside him. There was also a passenger sitting beside the driver, making four occupants in the Lexus that crashed. His security detail was in the vehicle behind them before the crash. “Other eyewitnesses and I began the rescue and flagged down oncoming vehicles to assist. A few minutes after the crash, officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived. The passenger beside the driver and the person beside Joshua died on the spot,” he said. Fans have flooded social media with messages of concern, while local authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash. Efforts to reach the TRACE Commandant, Akinbiyi Babatunde on further updates about the crash were futile as calls placed to his line did not go through. Meanwhile, the Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said in a phone call that he would get back to our correspondent shortly. “I’ve seen the videos too, but I will get back to you on it,” he said. More updates on Joshua’s condition are expected shortly. In a brief statement he later shared with our correspondent about 30 minutes later, he confirmed the crash, noting that “two died, while Joshua and one other have been hospitalised and are receiving treatment at a hospital that would not be disclosed.”

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Prof Nentawe Yilwatda, has said he is learning politics from President Bola Tinubu. Yilwatda made this statement on Saturday shortly after he was conferred with the traditional title of “Kaeh-rit” (meaning “the good seed of Ampang East”) in Plateau State. According to him, Tinubu is the best person to learn from. “I’m learning from the best leader, Asiwaju Tinubu. Mr President is one of the best politicians you can learn from, and since adopting me as his son, I’ve learned so much from him. “He is teaching me, and so I’m learning. If you see me succeeding, it’s because I’m learning from the very best politician ever produced in Nigeria. So why not? I will work towards achieving what he has done also, being one of the best politicians in Nigeria,” Yilwatda said. The APC National Chairman said he is hopeful that Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s recent defection to the APC, would bring benefit to the state. Yilwatda stressed the party’s inclusive membership policy, saying all members have equal rights within the party. Our correspondent reports that this is the second traditional title bestowed on Yilwatda in two weeks. Recall that the Tiv Nation in Benue State conferred a traditional title on Yilwatda in recognition of his humanitarian services.

South African based goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, has revealed why he was pained despite Nigeria’s 3-2 win over Tunisia on Saturday. The goalkeeper said that conceding two goals against the North Africans was not what he wished for, but something he could not control. Nigeria was outstanding in the first period of the game, scoring late to go into the break 1-0. After Osimhen’s first half goal, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman scored in the second half to make it 3-0 for the Super Eagles only for Tunisia to fire two late goals to make it 3-2. He told journalists after the game, “First game, second game…, we really don’t wish to concede. We really wish to keep a clean sheet. It pains me a lot when I concede but we keep going as a team.” The goalkeeper has now conceded three goals in two games at the tournament going on in Morocco. Nwabali said he would not want to let in another goal in the competition and if this happens, it would Brighten his chances of completing for the best goalkeeper of the tournament.

There are indications that suspected terrorists in the North are relocating following the missile attacks carried out by the United States of America on Thursday night. Credible community leaders told THENEWSCREDIT that they noticed movements as the hoodlums migrated in small numbers after the Christmas Day attacks. President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the US military carried out deadly strikes against Islamic State terrorists in northwestern Nigeria. Confirming the strike, the Federal Government said it gave the US support and that the strikes were carried out on targeted areas being used by the terrorists. However, no casualty was recorded in the two locations struck by the missiles. At Jabo, Tambuwal Local Government Area of Sokoto State, a missile hit a farmland, while some buildings were affected in Offa, Kwara State. Officials of Tangaza LGA in Sokoto State, however, said additional missile strikes were carried out on suspected hideouts of the Lakurawa armed group in parts of the Sokoto axis. Although there were no deaths, several residents sustained injuries, while properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. Influx of bandits in Benue The Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West LGA of Benue State, Daniel Abomtse, raised the alarm over the influx of armed herders into some communities following the US strike. Speaking to one of our correspondents on Saturday, the traditional ruler said he noticed the presence of armed herders in his domain. He said, “I felt their movement in my local government as well as in Agatu LGA. They have been running away from Sokoto to coastal areas in Gwer West and Agatu with sophisticated arms and grazing openly. They are in my domain.” While appreciating the US strike, Abomtse called on Trump to extend the operations to Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Niger and Plateau states. “What President Trump has done is the best thing to have happened to the government of Nigeria. I commend him for dealing with the menace in the country, which began about 16 years ago,” he added. Efforts to get confirmation of Abomtse’s claims from the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, as her phone rang out and messages sent were not replied to as of the time of filing this report. Sokoto terrorists in disarray Security sources and residents said the Christmas attacks had disrupted the operations of bandits and forced them out of their hideouts. Community leaders in Tangaza, Gudu and parts of Illela in Sokoto told Sunday PUNCH that there had been signs of dislocation and movement among armed groups since the strike. According to some of them, who spoke on condition of anonymity, some bandits were seen moving in smaller numbers towards remote forest corridors, while others were believed to have attempted crossing into neighbouring border communities to evade aerial and ground surveillance. A community leader in Tangaza said the airstrike “sent a strong signal” and forced criminal elements to abandon familiar routes and camps. “People are cautious, but there is relief that their hideouts were hit,” he added. Government officials in Sokoto State said intelligence assessments were ongoing to determine the direction and scale of bandit movement after the strike. A senior official said security agencies had been placed on alert to prevent terrorists from infiltrating safer communities, stressing that border patrols and joint operations with federal forces were being intensified to block escape routes. A security expert, Bashar Umar, said the state government, in collaboration with the military and other security agencies, was strengthening surveillance across flashpoints, particularly in border local governments to curb the terrorists movement. US scans Sambisa Forest A United States congressman, Riley Moore, said the strikes prevented “deadly Christmas attacks in Nigeria”. Moore, who stated this on Saturday on X, noted that Christians in Nigeria were killed in the last two Christmas seasons. “This year, thanks to @POTUS, radical Islamic terrorists were on the receiving end of 12 Tomahawk missiles as a present. “The successful strikes on ISIS, in coordination with the Nigerian government, are just the first step to secure the country and end the slaughter of our brothers and sisters in Christ,” Moore added. THENEWSCREDIT learnt that the US had resumed surveillance operations in the Sambisa Forest, Borno State. A Sahel-focused terrorism tracker, Brant Philip, disclosed this on X on Saturday, sharing flight-tracking data indicating that an aircraft was operating over Borno State. According to the post, the aircraft identified was a Gulfstream V, a long-range business jet commonly modified for ISR missions. “The United States resumed ISR operations today on ISWAP in the Sambisa forest, Borno State in North-East Nigeria, after a pause of one day following the strikes in Sokoto State,” he wrote. Terrorists dislocated, may seek international support – Experts A security analyst and Chief Executive Officer of Beacon Consulting, Kabiru Adamu, said fleeing terrorists might attempt to cohabit with law-abiding citizens. Adamu, a resident of Sokoto, said the terrorists might also seek support from international terror groups and governments sympathetic to their cause. He called on security agencies to enhance surveillance capabilities to monitor terrorist movements and prevent infiltration of safe areas. Adamu said, “There is going to be dislocation after the US strike. The terrorists will leave known locations and most likely try to integrate with law-abiding communities. “They will also spin a narrative that a Christian country, the United States, is attacking Muslims in Nigeria. They will not say they are terrorists but will use this to gather support or sympathy. “They will seek support from other terror groups around the world, including membership, tactics and funding. Nigeria may become a theatre of terror conflict as a result. “Propaganda is another strategy they will adopt after the attacks, especially in cyberspace. They are likely to release fake news and propaganda materials to drive support and attract funding and membership.” Also, a Professor of Political Science and Defence Studies at the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, Tar Usman, said the US military onslaught would distract the terrorists from planning and executing attacks as they grapple with the reality that a powerful global nation had joined forces with Nigeria. According to him, the uncertainty surrounding possible future strikes will heighten fear among the terrorists and disrupt their operations. “We do not know when next they (US) will strike, so there will be panic in the camp of the terrorists, and that is a good one for us because it will distract them from carrying out their notorious activities,” he added. He explained that insurgent groups often take advantage of periods of calm to plan attacks, but noted that the current situation could deny them that opportunity. Usman, however, cautioned that the intervention would not automatically bring an end to terrorism, warning that the groups could adopt new tactics. He said, “I can also see a situation where they will try to disappear and mix with the public, but with vigilance, I hope our intelligence agencies would intercept them. “We should not be under any illusion that they will abandon their notorious activities instantly. Maybe in the fullness of time, we will see the full impact of the US intervention.” A top government source told Sunday PUNCH that the US and Nigeria were collaborating to end killings, banditry and kidnapping. The source disclosed that some of the terrorists were escaping to Kogi and neighbouring states, adding that measures were being put in place to flush them out.

Nigerian actress and media personality, Toke Makinwa has shared her opinion on infidelity disparity between the male and female genders. Speaking in a recent episode of her Toke Moments podcast, the movie star claimed that women cheat more than men but more discreet. She explained that it is easier for women to cheat unlike men, who have to spend resources, efforts and time to do so. Makinwa explained that the realisation that women can also cheat makes her not to regard cheating as a dealbreaker. She said, “Cheating is not a dealbreaker for me but it comes with a caveat. When I say it some people think that I am encouraging cheating. No. As I grow older, I realised that it is not just men who can cheat. Why are we making these men feel so special as if it is only them? “Do you know how easy it is for a woman to cheat? It is even easier for us. But men will spend money, efforts and time to cheat. “But we, we are the ones receiving. It is easier for women to cheat. You know, we have work boyfriend. A woman not cheating is not because she cannot cheat, it is probably because she has one thing you lack, it is strength. “Women cheat more, but they know how to hide it.”

Nollywood actress and producer, Allwell Ademola, has reportedly died, entertainment sources said on Saturday. Ademola, 43, is said to have suffered a heart attack at her residence before she was taken to hospital, according to reports circulating within the film community. Fellow actress, Faithia Williams, took to Instagram to share her reaction to news of Ademola’s passing, writing, “Haaaa. This hit me so bad. Eniobanke. Allahu Akbar..Allwell” Also reacting, popular actress Mide Martins posted a photo of Ademola on Facebook, writing, “BLACK SATURDAY……This is not fair😭 May God forgive your shortcomings Allwell😭😭😭” Another colleague, Damola Olatunji, posted a candlelight image with the caption: “Life is a mirage.” Actress, Bidemi Kosoko, expressed disbelief at the reports, saying: “No way. No, no,, no. Ko possible ooo. This isn’t true. God forbid, in Jesus’ name. “I refuse to accept this one Lai Lai God forbid. Olorun oni je. Just reply to my message, abeg Oremi/ aunty mi. I will wait patiently for your reply.” Tributes have begun pouring in on social media as colleagues and fans react to the news.

Former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, has claimed that billionaire businessman Deji Adeleke, father of music star, Davido, wields the real power in Osun State, not Governor Ademola Adeleke. Speaking during an interview on state affairs with Edmund Obilo, Adesiyan alleged that Deji Adeleke is the true authority behind the state government, describing him as the “real governor” of Osun. “Deji Adeleke is the governor. Who is Ademola Adeleke? Can that one become governor?” Adesiyan said. “Deji is the one in charge.” He further stated that Deji Adeleke has long exercised significant influence in Osun politics, even during the tenure of his brother, the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke. “I served under his brother when he was in government. I knew the influence Deji wielded over his senior brother,” Adesiyan added. According to him, Deji Adeleke is a powerful businessman and “a capitalist to the core,” whose influence, he claimed, extends deeply into the political structure of the state.

Former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as a “small boy,” stressing that he made a man who was meant to assassinate the late former Minister of Justice, Bola Ige to emerge as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship candidate in Osun State. Fayose accused Makinde of abusing his power and weakening the PDP structure in the Southwest. In an interview with TVC, the former governor said Makinde has chased away PDP members who helped him rise politically. He accused the governor of hijacking valuable state assets under his leadership. Fayose said: “Almost everybody who worked for his ascension has been driven away.” Accusing the governor of destroying the party’s foundation in the region, Fayose said “Makinde has destroyed all PDP structures in the South-West. “In Osun recently, somebody who did not obtain the form of PDP became the candidate of the party. “The person that was meant to kill Bola Ige at that time became the candidate of PDP in Osun, he didn’t obtain form. “When I went to Osun to do primary, Makinde organized the drivers union to attack me, he eventually sent that guy to Agodi Prison now, Makinde is a small boy.”