Connect with us

Trending News

Ademola Lookman switches allegiance to Nigeria

Published

on

ADEMOLA LOOKMAN TO PLAY FOR NIGERIA

 

Leicester City winger Ademola Lookman has had his application to change his nationality to represent Nigeria instead of England approved by FIFA, it was confirmed on Thursday.

LOOKMAN WITH THE UNDER-21 TROPHY WITH ENGLAND

Lookman, who is on loan at Leicester from RB Leipzig, was part of England’s stunning title win at the 2017 Under 20s World Cup alongside the likes of Dominic Solanke, Kyle Walker-Peters and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The 24-year-old London native, who was born to Nigerian parents and grew up in Peckham, has not played for England’s senior team.

Lookman follows in Everton winger Alex Iwobi’s footsteps in representing England at youth level before going on to represent Nigeria at senior level.

And Nigeria have been looking to recruit Lookman since last year.

Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) chief scout Tunde Adelakun told BBC Sport Africa in November: ‘We are aware of Lookman’s desire to play for us and I have spoken to him as well. However, there is a process to it.

LOOKMAN IN ENGLAND’S SHIRT FOR UNDER-21

‘After this process, then comes the consideration and decision of the head coach (Gernot Rohr) on whether or when he deems it fit to get him involved.’

See also  I paid N80m ransom to Tukur Mamu for my mum, sister’s release, witness tells court

The 24-year-old was part of England’s Under 20s World Cup winning side in 2017.

Lookman has only represented England at Under 21 level and is yet to win a senior cap.

Nigeria will look to get Lookman involved as soon as possible as they look to qualify for this winter’s World Cup in Qatar, with the Super Eagles set to face Ghana in a two-legged play-off next month.

It comes after a disappointing Africa Cup of Nations campaign, which saw them crash out at the last-16 stage after falling to a 1-0 defeat by Tunisia despite enjoying a stellar group stage record.

And with Lookman now available for selection, they will be hoping to qualify for Qatar World Cup. The Super Eagles have only failed to reach the finals once in their last seven attempts.

Lookman featured 11 times at U21 level for the Young Lions, scoring one goal under Aidy Boothroyd.

Lifestyle

MC Oluomo takes English lessons after ‘kundusi’ backlash

Published

on

By

Musiliu Akinsanya, better known as MC Oluomo, president of the national union of road transport workers, has revealed that he is currently taking English lessons to improve his efficiency in the language.

The NURTW boss made the revelation at a political rally in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, where he addressed actor Adams Kehinde, better known as Lege Miami.

Speaking in Yoruba, the union leader said he and Lege Miami both struggle to speak English fluently, which is why he decided to enrol in classes.

“Lege, you and I have something in common because my English is also not fluent. We are both not fluent in English. But I’m working on improving my English. I’m now attending lessons,” he said.

MC Oluomo also dismissed the notion that his frequent travels should have made him fluent, stressing that his American citizenship gives him unrestricted entry into the United States.

See also  How we killed naval officer with iron rod — Suspects

“I travel around the world. I am a citizen of America. When I get to immigration, and they ask how many weeks I want to stay, I tell them no, this is my home. I am a US citizen; I am going home,” he stated.

He went on to praise his children, noting that they speak English better than he does.

“My children can speak better than me. My children in the US are nurses, a doctor and an engineer,” he said.

“If I get somewhere and cannot speak English well, I will give the microphone to one of my children,” he added.

The remark came over a year after MC Oluomo was mocked online in April 2025 for pronouncing “kudos” as “kundusi” during an event in Abuja.

Continue Reading

News

ADC rejects court judgment invalidating Atiku’s candidacy

Published

on

By

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected Thursday’s court judgment that nullified the candidacy of its standard-bearer for the 2027 elections, Atiku Abubakar. 

Earlier in the day, a federal high court in Abuja nullified the David Mark-led
ADC, and invalidated all decisions made by the party’s caretaker committee, including Abubakar’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The presiding judge, Justice Peter Lifu
declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and ruled in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former national deputy chairman (north-east) of the party.

Bala had approached the court to challenge the process by which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party after Ralph Nwosu, the former national chairman, resigned.

But in a statement, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC spokesperson, described the verdict as a “desperate attempt to cripple the opposition and deny Nigerians the right to choose their leaders in the forthcoming general elections”.

See also  FULL LIST OF WINNERS: Ademola Lookman named 2024 CAF men’s player of the year

He said the judgment’s timing, barely 24 hours after the “massive turnout” at the ADC presidential campaign rally in Sokoto, “exposes the growing desperation of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)”.

“We have reasons to believe that the judgment had long been written on this case. The Sokoto rally was simply a trigger that stampeded its delivery,” the statement reads.

“Yesterday, Nigerians came out in their hundreds of thousands to demonstrate their support for the ADC and our promise of making life affordable for them. Today, they are being told that the party that they support and the candidates that they have supported at all levels could be erased by the stroke of a reckless judicial pen.

“Do these people understand what they are playing with? This is not about Atiku Abubakar or David Mark. It is about the democratic rights of Nigerians to freely choose their own leaders. It is about the rights of thousands of candidates to participate in a democratic process.”

See also  FULL LIST OF NOMINEES: Ademola Lookman nominated for 2024 Ballon d’Or

Abdullahi said the judgment is legally indefensible and would be challenged through every available judicial process.

“We have seen this script before. When they are scared that the opposition is gathering steam, they use their judges in the courts to influence legally indefensible judgments. But the millions of Nigerians that are hungry and waiting for them at the ballot box see right through them and will not sit down in silence while our democracy is taken away by the courts,” he said.

“We warn the APC: do not play with fires you cannot control. The peace and stability of Nigeria are bigger than the ambition of any president or political party. Nobody should be so desperate to retain power that they are prepared to put the entire country at risk. This is not the time to play silly games with the stability of this country.

“Nigeria belongs to Nigerians, not to the APC. The presidency is not an inheritance. If the President thinks he has performed well in office, why is he afraid of competition? If the APC thinks that its policies and candidates are popular, why don’t they subject themselves to free and fair elections?”

See also  JUST IN: PDP picks Anyanwu as Gov candidate in Imo

Abdullahi urged ADC members to remain calm and law-abiding while the party pursues all legal means to overturn the judgment.


Continue Reading

News

UPDATED: Court sacks Mark-led ADC leadership, nullifies Atiku’s 2027 presidential nomination

Published

on

By

A federal high court in Abuja has sacked the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by David Mark.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, Justice Peter Lifu, the presiding judge, declared the Mark-led caretaker committee illegal, ruling in favour of Nafiu Bala Gombe, a former national deputy chairman (north-east) of the party.

Justice Lifu also invalidated all decisions taken by the party’s caretaker committee, including the nomination of Atiku Abubakar as the ADC presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

It would be recalled that Bala approached the court to challenge the process by which Mark and other members of the caretaker committee assumed control of the party after Ralph Nwosu, the former national chairman, resigned.

According to him, following Nwosu’s resignation, he was constitutionally entitled to assume the party’s leadership.

He therefore asked the court to nullify all decisions taken by the Mark-led leadership and restrain Mark and Rauf Aregbesola from parading themselves as the party’s national chairman and national secretary, respectively.

See also  AFCON: Ademola Lookman's dad happy after son fires Nigeria into semi-final

He argued that their emergence violated the ADC constitution and provisions of the Electoral Act.

The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, listed the ADC, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mark, Aregbesola and Nwosu as defendants.

In his judgment, Lifu upheld Bala’s claims and granted the reliefs sought, effectively invalidating the actions of the caretaker committee, including the process that produced Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.

INEC had earlier published Atiku’s name as the ADC’s candidate for the January 16, 2027 presidential election. The former vice-president has also picked Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers, as his running mate.

Reacting to the ruling, Nkemakolam Ukandu, the ADC national welfare secretary, said the party would challenge the judgment at the appellate court.

Continue Reading

Trending News