Sowore: SaharaReporters publisher says Buhari has no brain, declares for president

SaharaReporters publisher has declared his intention to run against President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 presidential elections.

Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of online news platform, SaharaReporters has said President Muhammadu Buhari has no brain as he declares his intention to run against him in 2019.

Sowoore made the remark at the venue of his presidential ambition declaration in Ikeja, GRA on Sunday, February 25, 2018.

"Buhari is not even analogue. He can't even use a telephone by himself," Sowore said as he announced his decision to run against Buhari in 2019," he said.

Continuing, Sowore promised to turn Nigeria into a construction site should he be elected into office.

He said: "In my first day as a president, I'll turn Nigeria into a construction site. I have created jobs before. Since Buhari became president, his cows haven't multiplied. He has had 150 cows since.

"If you ask Nigerians about the economic plans of Buhari, they'll point to the British accent of the finance minister. How does accent create jobs?

 

"As activists,  we can run Nigeria.  If a goat gets the kind of waiver Dangote gets,  the goat will be rich.

"Jagaban has taken every piece of land you can find in Lagos. Saraki has taken over Kwara.

"I have fought a lot of bad guys before, I will do so again."

The declaration is currently going on, Pulse will be updating this report as events unfold.

Sowore: SaharaReporters publisher says Buhari has no brain, declares for president

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Lassa Fever: Association advises FG to involve social media

Prof. Peter Katchy, the national president of the association, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.

The National Complementary and Alternative Medical Association has advised governments to use the social media for wider sensitisation and mobilisation against the growing threat of Lassa fever.

Prof. Peter Katchy, the national president of the association, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Sunday.

He said that the social media was already becoming a media of choice for news and information for most Nigerians because a growing number of people now have smart or android phones.

He said life-saving messages could be shared to friends and loved ones on the same social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Messanger, among others.

“Result-oriented awareness campaigns during outbreaks such as Lassa fever will encourage people with symptoms to seek immediate health care.

“The campaigns should use modern communication strategies and channels, especially the social media.

“While the language should be adapted to local language and culture of the people to be easily accepted,’’ he said.

Katchy also called for more awareness sensitisation on promotion of appropriate hygiene practices such as hand-washing with soap and running water.

According to him, safe preparation and storage of food at home and public places will further protect everyone against Lassa fever.

“Our people should be made to know the great benefits of environmental sanitation and proper deployment of rodenticides at the right time and quantity,’’ he said.

Statistics from the National Centre for Disease Control revealed that the country recorded 913 suspected cases of Lassa fever from the fresh outbreak.

The centre figure showed 73 deaths with the disease spreading to 17 out of the 36 states in the country.

Lassa Fever: Association advises FG to involve social media

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Sports: Ester Ledecka completes historic Olympic run winning gold in both ski and snowboard events

After Ester Ledecka's amazing upset victory in the ladies' Super-G event, she made history on Saturday by taking gold in snowboard parallel giant slalom.

• Ester Ledecka made history at the Winter Olympics, becoming the first athlete to ever medal in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding events at the same games.
• Ledecka's run began with her shocking upset win in ladies' Super-G, an event in which she had never placed higher than 29th.
• Just before the games came to a close, she completed her historic feat, winning her best event, the women's snowboard parallel giant slalom.

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Ester Ledecka completed one of the greatest individual feats ever accomplished at the Winter Olympics on Saturday, winning the women's snowboard parallel giant slalom event to take her second gold medal of the games in two different sports.

While many athletes have medaled twice at the same Winter Games, no athlete has come close to Ledecka, as her first gold medal win at Pyeongchang 2018 came not in another snowboarding event, but in skiing.

Ledecka, a snowboarder by trade, shocked the sporting world last week when she finished first in the ladies' Super-G — an event she had competed at at the international level before, but had never placed higher than 29th. Her run was so improbable that the NBC announcing team had actually already named another skier the winner, under the assumption that none of the remaining athletes, Ledecka included, had a shot at catching the favorite.

Ledecka was as shocked as anyone else at her win — when she reached the bottom of her run, she appeared in disbelief and confusion as she realized that she had overtaken the lead.

But as shocking as her win was, it was just the start of her Olympic run. On Saturday, she completed it — taking gold in her best event, women's snowboard parallel giant slalom, which she had been favored in at the start of the games.

With the two gold medals, Ledecka became the first athlete in history to win gold in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding at the same Winter Games.

Her performance will go down as one of the most impressive in the history of the Olympics. While many athletes have won multiple gold medals in a year, Ledecka was the first woman to even compete in both Alpine skiing and snowboarding events, and she ended up winning gold in both. Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, but imagine if he had attempted to win gold in both swimming and diving — that's the type of accomplishment Ledecka pulled off with her historic feat.

After her run, Ledecka said she hoped her success would inspire future athletes — kids who might be growing up with a love of both sports.

"Do whatever you want," she said. "If you want to choose just one, then choose just one. I wanted to choose both and a lot of people told me that it's not possible to get to the top in both."

At just 22 years old, there's no doubt that Ledecka has a bright future in both sports.

Sports: Ester Ledecka completes historic Olympic run winning gold in both ski and snowboard events

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#PressforProgress in 2018?

By Denerele Animasaun

Next week is the International Women’s Day and this year’s  theme is #PressforProgress. It is obvious, there is much more to do in terms of gender parity to lift Nigeria females out of poverty and lack of opportunities. This year, it is hoped that many will pledge one action during international women’s day. Take your pick-maintains gender parity mind-set, challenge stereotypes and bias, forge positive visibility of women, influence other’s beliefs or actions and most importantly, let’s all celebrate women’s achievements.

From my archive-women hold up half the skies 03/16.:

Nigeria did not fare well, and was 118th in the ranking and she can do better. I am sure those who are not concerned that Nigeria did not make it higher in the ranking. They should be concerned, we all should be. We all have to share the responsibility of lifting our girls and woman so that they can live up to their full potential. So if  Rwanda, South Africa and Namibia, can do so, why can’t Nigeria? According to the World Bank, if, young Nigerian women had the same employment rates as young Nigerian men, they would add 13.9 billion Naira in annual GDP. It makes sense, you would think that Nigeria, should work towards mandatory education for all girls, just as it is for boys.

Girls are often not given that opportunity as in our society we often write off the girl child. In a nation of 180 million people, women make up 49.5% of the population so there is no better place for parity. It is common in our culture to place more value on boys than girls. You can see that, in that way we react at the arrival  of a baby boy; that of jubilation and in contrast, the arrival of a baby girl is often greeted with muted commiserations from friends and family. If the truth be told, the mother is often made to feel a failure if she does not provide the family with a male and an heir. The odds are already stacked against the female and Nigeria is not alone.

The sad fact is one-quarter to one-half of girls in developing countries become mothers before age 18 according, to the United Nations Population Fund. The focus should therefore be on health and human rights of girls and women. Only then, we can begin to seriously make the pledge towards gender parity. Let us do away with sound bites and the rhetoric, we need commitment and actions. We need to change our mind-set in the way that girls and women are treated in our society.

 

The post #PressforProgress in 2018? appeared first on Vanguard News.

#PressforProgress in 2018?

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Strategy: Dollar General is defying the retail apocalypse and opening 900 stores — here's what it's like to shop there

Dollar General's squat, boxy stores feature fluorescent lighting, narrow aisles, and basic metal shelving.

• Dollar General is opening 900 stores this year, remodeling 1,000 locations, and relocating 100 stores.
• In the most recent quarter, the retailer's same-store sales sales grew 4.3%.

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Retailers are closing thousands of stores in one of the biggest waves of closures in years.

But there's at least one company bucking that trend: Dollar General. Instead of shutting down stores, Dollar General is opening hundreds of more locations.

The discount chain says it plans to open 900 stores this year, remodel 1,000 locations, and relocate 100 stores.

In the most recent quarter, the retailer's same-store sales sales grew 4.3%, and total sales rose 11% to $5.9 billion. We went to a Dollar General store in Richmond, Virginia, to find out what makes it so successful.

At the entrance of the store, shoppers are greeted with a "last chance" table of discounted goods.

The store feels tiny. Most Dollar General Stores range between 7,000 and 10,000 feet, which is about half the size of a CVS store. It's lit with bright, fluorescent lights and features narrow aisles with basic metal shelving.

To the left of the entrance, there's a large selection of snacks, drinks, and candy similar to what you might find at a gas station or convenience store.

Wine and beer are easily accessible.

This is the only refrigerated section in the store.

It features dairy products like cheese, milk, and eggs, as well as frozen meals and pizzas. This section of the store also features dry packaged foods like cereal and soup.

One aisle features items that all cost $1. These products aren't necessarily discounted — they just come in smaller package sizes than what shoppers would find at Walmart or Kroger.

For example, this box contains just five trash bags, compared to the boxes of 24 or more bags that Walmart carries. I compared Dollar General's prices on these trash bags and six other items to Walmart's prices for the same products, and I found minimal differences. Dollar General was nearly 3% more expensive overall on a basket that cost $35.75.

I was surprised to find clothing, lingerie, and shoes in the store.

There are also toys, gardening equipment, kitchen tools and small appliances, home decorations, and craft supplies.

No shelf space goes unused. It seems that Dollar General has managed to squeeze everything you would find at a Walmart store into one-tenth of the space.

This helps keeps costs low by ensuring that the stores are cheap to build and require very little labor. Dollar General typically staffs only two to four employees at a time to work the registers and keep the shelves stocked.

But the close quarters mean the aisles are a mess when employees are restocking shelves.

Some of the merchandise is also in disarray.

One aisle devoted to vitamins and over-the-counter medications was completely blocked by an empty box.

Some boxes are deliberately placed in the aisles to bring attention to special deals.

There are also branded displays around the store, like this station of Starbucks drinks.

Shoppers don't seem to mind the cramped space. The smaller store size means they can get in and out of the store quickly with whatever they need.

The register was empty when I tried to check out. I waited five minutes and eventually left to find an employee who could help me.

Dollar General's strategy to keep prices low by driving down labor and infrastructure costs is readily apparent in the stores. But the breadth of products in such a conveniently sized store is unparalleled, making it clear why Dollar General is growing when most other retailers are shrinking.

Strategy: Dollar General is defying the retail apocalypse and opening 900 stores — here's what it's like to shop there

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In Zamfara: Govt calls for deployment of more policemen

The Secretary to Zamfara State Government said that the security operatives in the state were inadequate considering the population of the state.

Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi, the Secretary to Zamfara State Government, has identified inadequate security personnel as the major obstacles threatening peace restoration in the state.

Shinkafi said this on Saturday in Gusau at an interactive session with the National Economic Council Fact Finding Committee and stakeholders on security challenges in the state.

He said that the security operatives in the state were inadequate considering the population of the state.

Shinkafi said the state had only 2,000 conventional policemen as against the 8,000 required, 400 mobile policemen, 313 soldiers and 150 air force personnel.

He listed other problems as shortage of weapon among the security personnel, porous borders, low level of literacy and poverty.

The SSG maintained that frequent transfer of security personnel had also made it impossible for security agencies to understand the nature of security challenges in the state.

He appealed to the Federal Government to deploy more security operatives to the state and provide them with adequate funds to discharge their duties.

Senator Ahmed Sani said Zamfara was no longer facing farmers/herdsmen clashes but attack by criminals and insurgents and urged the federal government to intervene.

He also charged communities to contribute their quarter by providing useful information to security operatives.

ALSO READ:

Gov. Dave Umahi, the Chairman of the  committee commended the effort of the state government and security agencies, noting that the security challenges in the state started with herdsmen/farmers clashes before moving to cattle rustling and insurgency.

He said there was need to improve herdsmen/farmers relationship as well as deployment of more security personnel to the state.

NAN reports that the event was attended by traditional and religious leaders, farmers, herdsmen and politicians.

In Zamfara: Govt calls for deployment of more policemen

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Coutinho & Dembele took step forward in Barcelona win, says Valverde

Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi may have orchestrated the Blaugrana’s comeback against Girona, but the coach reserved praise for his side’s big signings

Coutinho & Dembele took step forward in Barcelona win, says Valverde

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Barcelona equal record for unbeaten La Liga run

The La Liga leaders have surpassed the club record for an unbeaten run in the league, set under Pep Guardiola

Barcelona equal record for unbeaten La Liga run

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EXTRA TIME: Boateng evokes memories of AC Milan vs. Arsenal meeting

Oh well, who remembers the 30-year-old’s sensational effort against the Gunners at the San Siro Stadium in 2012?

EXTRA TIME: Boateng evokes memories of AC Milan vs. Arsenal meeting

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Igbo politicians behind ‘fake’ IPOB leader – Pro Biafra group

Odd Enough: Logan Paul seems to think a suicide awareness video will make up for his stupidity

Not long after being punished for uploading a callous video of a suicide victim in Japan, YouTuber Logan Paul is back online with a new video  about suicide prevention.

The disgraced vlogger returned to YouTube with a PR-manufactured video about suicide

Not long after being punished for uploading a callous video of a suicide victim in Japan, YouTuber Logan Paul is back online with a new video  about suicide prevention.

We'll give credit where credit is due: It's a well-produced video that tackles a very serious mental health issue. But if you also find that it comes off as a disingenuous attempt at damage control, well, you're not alone.

If you need a refresher, here's the backstory on the Logal Paul YouTube controversy. At the end of December, Paul and his buddies went to Japan to film several episodes of his daily video series. On New Year's Eve, Paul published the second-to-last video in his Japan series what was meant to be a camping excursion in the "haunted" Aokigahara forest, a notorious location for suicides. Instead of camping, Paul and his crew found a real-life suicide victim. After initially panicking, they proceeded to film the body and crack jokes  and then upload the footage.

READ ALSO: Man commits suicide after attacking wife with machete

The backlash was swift and extreme. Paul lost deals with YouTube, was criticized by major celebrities, and after two apologies, was essentially forced off the internet for the better part of a month. If you want to catch up, here's Men's Health's complete timeline of the entire scandal.

Paul returned to YouTube on Wednesday with a seemingly heartfelt video comprised of multiple interviews with survivors of suicide attempts and mental health professionals. The video opens with suicide survivor Kevin Hynes telling his story, then segues into Paul's explanation of what he's trying to do in the series.

"Kevin Hines was 19 when he jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge," Paul says. "He is one of the many incredible people I've been grateful to met over the last three weeks as I aim to further understand the complexities surrounding suicide."

Taken completely out of context, the video itself is pretty good. Paul tells Hines' story and conducts an extensive interview with Dr. John Draper, the director of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. In another segment of the video, Paul explains to his followers many of whom are young people  the five things they can do to help someone who may be considering suicide.

"I know I've made mistakes, and I know I've let people down, but what happens when you're given an opportunity to make a difference in the world?" Paul says. "It's time to learn from the past and get as I get better and grow as a human being. I'm here to have a hard conversation so that those who are suffering can have easier ones… I know while I'm not able to solve the problem by myself, I want to be a part of the solution."

Paul also said he's pledging to donate $1,000,000 to various suicide prevention charities; the first $250,000 will go to Draper's NSPL.

That's all well and good, but the video is also very obviously the product of a professional PR campaign to rehabilitate the star's image a point that did not go unnoticed by some of Paul's peers.

"Hey @LoganPaul, first off thank you for your video on suicide awareness," Jimmy Wong, another prominent vlogger tweeted. "Trust, we are grateful you used your platform to teach your audience about an important issue, but let's take a step back here, and look behind the PR team that made this."

In an impassioned Twitter threat, Wong attested that Paul's behavior in Aokigahara was just an extreme end-point to a career filled with discriminatory, predatory, abusive, and inappropriate behavior toward strangers. (Take, for instance, this earlier video in Paul's Japan series, where he and friends accosted strangers in a real-life game of Pokemon Go.)

"I'm putting you on the spot @LoganPaul  if you are truly changing, then it should show in every video you make from here on out," Wong continued. "It DOES NOT END with a well timed PR piece, where you wash your face and hands in slow-mo, have a new haircut, and speak with a somber affectation."

YouTube personality Casey Neistat weighed in, too. ".@LoganPaul has a long way to go and people are right to continue to question his motives, but today's video was a thoughtful first step," he tweeted. "Hopefully this is part of a true effort to move on from sensationalist content."

If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately or call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Odd Enough: Logan Paul seems to think a suicide awareness video will make up for his stupidity

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Guy Smarts: A cheating girlfriend kickstarted this guy's jaw-dropping bodybuilding transformation

There are a lot of ways to cope when finding out your long-term girlfriend has been cheating on you, some better than others.

After a rough breakup, Dwayne O'Connor coped by hitting the gym hard

There are a lot of ways to cope when finding out your long-term girlfriend has been cheating on you, some better than others. Dwayne O'Connor's coping mechanism can certainly be added to the list of better ways he took his stress and pain to the gym, and came out almost unrecognizable.

O'Connor, a 26-year-old personal trainer from Derby, United Kingdom, told Men's Health that he originally turned to fitness after his unexpected breakup because he saw it as "something I could depend on, something that wouldn't let me down." He had been working as a personal trainer prior to then, so he knew his way around a gym. But he was looking for something more than his stale routine gym routine that kept him in okay enough shape.

"It was more about feeling better at the start," he said, "I just didn't want to have a belly anymore." But that quickly evolved into something else  a passion for bodybuilding. "Through bodybuilding you can shape your own body, and that's pretty awesome," he said.

O'Connor said he was also motivated to pursue bodybuilding because he'd always admired the big, strong characters on television shows  the good guys who always seemed to win in the end. "I wanted to look strong so I felt strong… then maybe I wouldn't lose anymore, either," he said.

"Plus, cardio sucks," he added.

O'Connor said it wasn't as simple as flicking a switch and heading into the gym religiously. Early on, the wound left by his ex was still pretty raw. "The hardest part of the routine was accepting that this was the new routine," he said. "My old life was over. When you're with someone for a long time, you do things together all the time… I had to admit to myself that whatever I had before was gone forever."

Today, O'Connor's Instagram is filled with pictures and videos of him working out and him showing off his jaw-dropping physique. This is exactly what it means to turn lemons into lemonade.

As for dealing with cheaters, O'Connor advises anyone to keep their head up and realize they're likely not really to blame, at all. "If you end up with egg on your face because you've been cheated on, don't take it so personally. It's a reflection of the person who did it, not you," he said. "Don't damage your body or health with drinking or junk food… keep busy, productive and positive."

Guy Smarts: A cheating girlfriend kickstarted this guy's jaw-dropping bodybuilding transformation

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No Jokes: Restaurant charges customers for sitting without ordering

This eatery has revealed the consequences of sitting for more 30 minutes without buying anything from the store.

A Nigerian eatery has taken the Nigerian phrase, "boys are not smiling," pretty seriously with the new move they just adopted.

The eatery has revealed the consequences of sitting for more 30 minutes without buying anything from the store.

ALSO READ: Man arrested for poisoning restaurant food

A customer who visited the restaurant, did not share the name of the restaurant but shared a photo of a warning pasted on the tables in the restaurant.

The warning reads, "sitting for 30 minutes and not buying anything worth N1500, will be charged N2000."

See the post below:

ALSO READ: Why are Nigerians so crazy about this food?

As hilarious as it may seem, this restaurant is here for business, no jokes.

No Jokes: Restaurant charges customers for sitting without ordering

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Oyegun: The 79-year-old APC chairman giving Tinubu a hard nut to crack

Since 2016, both Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun have not enjoyed the best political relationship.

79-year-old National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, John Odigie Oyegun, has literally been accused of giving Asiwaju Bola Tinubu a hard nut to crack.

Since 2016, the politicians have not been enjoying best relationship politically as the party chairman had consistently wielded his power as the honcho-head of the ruling party.

Recently, Tinubu had accused Oyegun of sabotaging his efforts in reconciling the APC and unifying a fractured governing party as he was directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The politician in Oyegun

The politician, who was the Executive Governor of Edo State between 1992 and 1993, kicked off his political years before emerging as a governor.

Oyegun had worked as a civil servant and a major Permanent Secretary in many ministries before his retirement and active involvement in politics.

He became a prominent politician in Edo state after his emergence as the state governor in the aborted third republic and has remained in the political sphere.

After his removal from office by late General Sani Abacha, he had joined forces with other politicians and activists in the struggle that bore National Democratic Coalition, NADECO. In the same struggle was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was elected as a Senator representing Lagos West Constituency.

 

Following the arrival of democracy, Oyegun had remained a politician but was yet to strike till he emerged the chairman of the Technical Working Committee of the Coalition Of Democrats for Electoral Reforms in 2009.

After his tenure, his confidence in politics was further boosted and found his feet in the ANPP.

While in ANPP, Oyegun had become a power force and one of the leaders of the party that had the ears of President Muhammadu Buhari, who was the party's presidential candidate.

The merger of Action Congress, All Nigeria Peoples Party and Democratic Peoples Party in 2011, provided Oyegun the opportunity to regain political prominence haven pitched his tent with Asiwaju Tinubu in the newly formed All Progressive Congress that defeated PDP's 16 years rule.

ALSO READ: Tinubu insults Oyegun over reconciliatory mission

On June 13, 2014 Odigie-Oyegun was elected as national chairman of the APC after Bisi Akande had controlled the party as the interim chairman.

In many climes, APC national leader, Tinubu, is thought to have played an important role in the election that brought Oyegun in as the party's national chairman.

The choice of Oyegun, from the mostly Christian south of the country, is calculated to win both Christian and Muslim voters in the challenge to PDP.

 

7 Quick facts about Oyegun

Oyegun was elected governor of Edo State in 1992 under SDP.

Oyegun spent 20 months in office, served from January 1992 to November 1993.

Oyegun is the first National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress. He was preceded by Bisi Akande, who served as interim chairman of the ruling party.

Oyegun was a power broker and a leader of the ANPP.

Oyegun is a graduate of Economics from the University of Ibadan.

Oyegun has one wife and 12 children.

Oyegun was born on August 12, 1939 to an Edo father and a Delta mum.

The rift with Tinubu

Months after the APC had won the presidential election, cracks in the party started becoming visible with top politicians battling to get juicy positions in the newly formed government.

As the cracks grew wider, leaders of the party began aligning with their favourites and more camps in the party were born.

The leadership of the National Assembly was the first salvo that irked disunity chord as leaders of the APC failed to agree on the candidates. This was perceived an insult to Asiwaju, who had allegedly worked out individuals to lead the NASS.

President Buhari had further fuelled the anger amongst leaders when his relationship with Asiwaju seemed strained while he enjoys a good relationship with Oyegun.

Though both Tinubu and Oyegun had denied having issues claiming all is well, the 2016 Ondo governorship election revealed the real cracks in their relationship.

Tinubu fell out with Oyegun when the party Chairman backed Rotimi Akeredolu for the Ondo governorship seat against Segun Abraham who was Tinubu’s handpicked candidate.

Akeredolu would go on to win the primary and the general election in that Southwest State.

In September 2016, Tinubu had said he had lost confidence in the national Chairman of the party, Chief John Oyegun.

Tinubu on Sunday, September 24, asked Oyegun to resign, accusing him of sabotaging the will of democracy in the APC governorship primary in Ondo State.

Subsequently, Tinubu called for the resignation of Oyegun saying Oyegun has not only breached the good pledges of the party in a most overt and brazen display but has also dealt a heavy blow to the very party he professes to lead.

Though Tinubu has recoiled to his shell to re-plan and restrategize, he was not quick to forget how Oyegun dealt him a heavy blow in 2016.

On February 6, 2018, the Presidency announced the appointment of Tinubu to lead the reconciliation process of the APC ahead of the 2019 general elections.

ALSO READ: Oyegun replies Tinubu, promises to back him up

And merely three weeks after the appointment, Tinubu has accused Oyegun of sabotaging his efforts at reconciliation.

Tinubu even alleged that Oyegun has inaugurated officials across the States “parallel to the officials already heading the State chapter of the party.

Tinubu wins this round

Following Tinubu's outburst, Oyegun had met with President Buhari on Friday, February 23, 2018 and announced that he is willing to back Tinubu's reconciliatory moves.

Oyegun had officially written to Tinubu congratulating him of his appointment as well as promising to back all efforts made in reconciling the ruling party.

He wrote: "Let me once again formally congratulate you on the peacemaking assignment Mr. President has entrusted you with.

"It is most challenging but I believe you will ultimately justify the confidence reposed in you by Mr President. In this, you have my fullest support."

Tinubu copied President Buhari, Vice President Osinbajo, Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker of the House Yakubu Dogara in his letter.

Oyegun also sent copies of the letter to President Buhari, Osinbajo, Saraki and Dogara in his reply.

One begin to wonder how Tinubu intends to reconcile the party, when he and Oyegun are yet to reconcile their political differences and self-entitlement of the leadership of APC.

Oyegun: The 79-year-old APC chairman giving Tinubu a hard nut to crack

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Finance: 14 luxury car brands people love more than Tesla

It's no secret that Tesla owners love their cars, but the general public may not share the same affection for the brand.

• It's no secret that Tesla owners love their cars, but the general public may not share the same affection for the brand.
• Tesla ranked last for positive brand perception compared to 14 other luxury car brands, according to a recent industry report.
• News around the brand, including recalls and the fatal Tesla Autopilot crash, were factors that played into the low ranking.

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Tesla may be one of the best known and most-loved car brands around, but that doesn't mean the company is immune to bad news.

This week NetBase unveiled its 2018 "Luxury Brands" industry report — mining data from billions of sources including social media sites, news articles, blog posts, social review sites, and forums — to discover how people feel about certain high-end brands.

In the automobile category, Tesla Motors ranked last for "net sentiment" — how positively a brand is perceived — with a score of just 36%. That's surprising, given Tesla was ranked number one on Consumer Reports 2017 Annual Owner Satisfaction Survey.

Land Rover was the most positively viewed brand, with a net sentiment score of 90%. Jaguar was the only other car brand to score below 50% for net sentiment, coming in at 44%.

A few factors may play into Tesla's low net sentiment score. NetBase concluded that safety is ruling the conversation for luxury car brands — something Tesla has struggled with lately.

In April of 2017, Tesla recalled 53,000 of its Model S and Model X cars globally for a parking brake issue, which caused a stir on Twitter. And in June, news came out about the fatal Tesla Autopilot crash, which killed driver Joshua Brown the year before.

For better or worse, Tesla Motors is one of the most talked about brands. It landed at number three of 15 for mentions, and compared to other luxury brands in various categories — such as fashion, jewelry, and hotels — Tesla's overall brand awareness is very high.

To determine its rankings, NetBase analyzed each brand's overall performance for various factors, including: mentions (the volume of conversation happening around that brand), brand awareness (as a measure of earned impressions), reach (a measure of owned impressions), net sentiment (how positively a brand is perceived on a scale of +100% to -100%), and brand passion (the amount of emotion towards a brand). Their analysis was based on posts between January 1, 2017 to January 1, 2018 — looking at English-written posts and stories internationally.

Scroll through to see how luxury automobile brands ranked on Netbase's net sentiment score and overall mentions.

1. Land Rover

Mentions: 2,557,587

Net Sentiment: 90%

2. Bentley Motors

Mentions: 1,040,907

Net Sentiment: 84%

3. Maserati

Mentions: 1,789,999

Net Sentiment: 73%

4. Alfa Romeo

Mentions: 1,005,885

Net Sentiment: 73%

5. Volvo

Mentions: 3,733,610

Net Sentiment: 67%

6. Audi

Mentions: 9,871,213

Net Sentiment: 66%

7. Porsche

Mentions: 8,635,997

Net Sentiment: 65%

8. Cadillac

Mentions: 3,294,494

Net Sentiment: 64%

9. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars

Mentions: 2,703,625

Net Sentiment: 64%

10. BMW

Mentions: 18,351,177

Net Sentiment: 60%

11. Mercedes

Mentions: 16,462,966

Net Sentiment: 58%

12. Ferrari

Mentions: 10,790,362

Net Sentiment: 56%

13. Aston Martin

Mentions: 3,100,217

Net Sentiment: 50%

14. Jaguar

Mentions: 6,091,521

Net Sentiment: 44%

15. Tesla Motors

Mentions: 13,335,923

Net Sentiment: 36%

Finance: 14 luxury car brands people love more than Tesla

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Sports: Decorated Olympian Allyson Felix breaks down the importance of #BlackGirlMagic

Allyson Felix is the most decorated female track and field star. She stopped by Business Insider to talk about what it means to be black at the Olympics.

Allyson Felix is the most decorated female track and field star. She stopped by Business Insider to talk about the rise of #BlackGirlMagic, and being an inspiration for aspiring athletes.

Felix is working together with the YMCA on a campaign to bring awareness to students about STEM opportunities. Following is a transcript of the video.

Allyson Felix: Well I love hearing about #BlackGirlMagic, I think it's amazing. I love that it really soared after the Olympics, because it's true about representation and really inspiring others to — whether it's athletics or whatever it is, just knowing that they can go after their dreams and it doesn't matter where you come from, how you're brought up, that you can really reach your goals.

I definitely had no idea that at the World Championships that our opening pose would blow up the way that it did. My teammates wanted to get creative with it, and so came up with that. It was just something different, it was the first year that they were having like an entrance, with music and stuff like that, and so it was just something cool, but we had no idea where it would go.

The 4×100 in Brazil was a really crazy race, because we had had an incident earlier where when I was running the baton in, there was a collision with an outgoing runner, and so we actually dropped the baton, got disqualified, got put back in the race, had to run all by ourselves, alone on the track, which was the strangest thing, and so I think by going through all that adversity, and coming back together, it really just made us stronger, and so when we got on the track and had the chance to compete for gold, we just went after it and thankfully were able to run a really fast time and win a gold medal.

I think it's really important to be an African American woman at the Olympics. I think representation is extremely important. For me it's a privilege and an honor to be there representing and knowing that little girls and boys are back home and hopefully they find inspiration from this. I know for myself that was true, I watched Dominique Dawes and I was fascinated by her and her performance in the Olympics, and I really want to do the same.

The Olympics is always gonna be your biggest stage, and it's always where you wanna perform the most, but you'll definitely have races that are just as competitive, some that are more competitive, and you're constantly seeing this high level of competition. But the Olympics always raises the stakes because not only do you have to face this competition, but you also have to perform on the world's biggest stage.

Yeah, so right now I am getting ready for this season, but beyond that, I'm excited for World Championships in 2019, and then I would love to end my career by making a fifth Olympic team, so that's my big goal, working hard to be able to make a fifth and final team.

Sports: Decorated Olympian Allyson Felix breaks down the importance of #BlackGirlMagic

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In Makurdi: Benue capital city records first rainfall in 2018

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) records that that the rain which was preceded by a mild breeze, started at about 10 PM and lasted till 1 AM on Saturday.

Makurdi, the Benue capital city on Friday recorded its first rain fall in 2018.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) records that that the rain which was preceded by a mild breeze, started at about 10 PM and lasted till 1 AM on Saturday.

NAN reports that the rain arrived much earlier than last year when it came in March.

NAN also reports that apart from 2014 which experienced early showers, the rain always set in around March.

NAN reports that the heatwave that had tormented Makurdi residents has eased for a more humid weather with farmers warming for an early commencement of the cropping season.

In Makurdi: Benue capital city records first rainfall in 2018

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Son of the Devil: Pastor murders pregnant girlfriend, church member and baby

Cyril Okoro, said the pastor has been arrested in connection with the murder of three persons – two women and a nine-month-old girl.

A pastor, Chidiebere Okoroafor, has reportedly confessed to killing his girlfriend, her baby and another church member in Afam, Rivers state.

The Rivers State, deputy commissioner of police, Cyril Okoro, said the pastor has been arrested in connection with the murder of three persons – two women and a nine-month-old girl.

Okoro, in Port Harcourt on Friday, February 23, 2018, alleged that the pastor murdered the three persons on December 13, 2017.

The police chief also said the suspect had confessed to the crime following overwhelming evidence, and would soon be arraigned court.

The victims

The victims of the pastor were identified as 25-year-old Uluoma Onweagbo and her nine-month-old baby, Christabel Joseph and Ada Ezeawa.

The victims were members of the pastor's church in Afam, Rivers State.

 

Pastor's confession according to the police

“The pastor in a most bizarre manner gruesomely murdered three of his own flock, including an unborn child.

"The pastor had a sexual relationship with Onweagbo, which resulted in a pregnancy.

"On December 11, 2017, Ada Ezeawa and Onweagbo, along with her baby strapped to her back, set out to confront the pastor over the pregnancy.

"He ingeniously separated his accusers, by luring Ada Ezeawa to an uncompleted building, while he told Onweagbo to stay three “poles” away.

"The pastor strangled Ezeawa in the uncompleted building. Moments after, the suspect rejoined Onweagbo and left with her and the baby on a tricycle (keke) to Afam Roundabout.

"From the roundabout, they took a motorbike to an isolated bush on Igberu Road where he murdered his second victim in the isolated bush, using the wrapper with which she strapped her baby to the back to suffocate her.

“The baby was equally discovered dead,” he said.

ALSO READ: Man hires assassin to murder rich family in order to inherit wealth

Pastor apologises for his alleged crime

The suspect has apologised to the family of the victims, claiming the killing was the handiwork of the devil.

However the police has said the murder by the suspect is premeditated, callous and devoid of human sympathy.

Son of the Devil: Pastor murders pregnant girlfriend, church member and baby

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Big Brother Naija: Cee C gets into a fight with Ifu for saying Alex has bigger bum and hips [Day 26 recap]

Cee C gets into a fight with Ifu, Tobi tells Cee C she's always wrong, the housemates choose their favourite pair: Here's a recap of #BBNaija day 26.

Have you been following the new season of Big Brother Naija? Here are some important things you probably missed on day 26.

Check out a recap of day 26, including social media reactions.

Miracle wins Friday Games

After winning the Wager and the Head of House title, Miracle landed another victory during the Arena Games.

During the arena games, Biggies asked the housemates to solve five challenges in a record ten minutes. Biggie had designed the Game for Housemates to make the best use of speed, agility and balance under pressure.

Miracle emerged the winner and can't wait to see what Biggie's reward for him is today.

 

Ifu Ennada and Cee C get into a fight

After Ifu said Alex's bum and hips are bigger than Cee C's, the two got into a fight.

Cee C told Ifu she had 'comparing issues' and is the least person with the right to criticize her. Perhaps, Cee C was angry because she has a problem with Alex's closeness to her former partner and love interest, Tobi.

Also, the comparison was made in front of Tobi, who neither took side with Cee C nor try to calm her down.

 

 

Tobi tells Cee C she was wrong

As is often the norm, Cee C expected Tobi to contribute or take sides with her during her fight with Ifu.

Surprisingly, Tobi told her that she was wrong about the whole thing. He also asked that they become just friends since he can't make any impact in her life.

 

 

 

Who is your favourite housemate?

Biggie asked the housemates to come up with the names of their two preferred Pairs.

Here's how they voted:

Tobi from the Tolex (Tobi and Alex) pair chose Mito (Miracle and Anto) and Tena (Teddy A and Nina)

Lolu and Cee C chose Mito (Miracle and Anto) and Bamco (Bambam and Rico)

Miracle and Anto chose Bamco and Gelah (Angel and Ahneeka)

Nina and Teddy chose Tolex and Gelah.

Rico and Bambam chose Gelah and Tena

Leo and Ifu chose Bamco and Tena

Tena picked Tolex and Gelah

Ahneeka and Angel chose Tena and Mito.

Biggie informed them that the results would only be made known after the live Eviction show. 

What was your favourite part of Big Brother Naija day 26?

Big Brother Naija: Cee C gets into a fight with Ifu for saying Alex has bigger bum and hips [Day 26 recap]

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Guy Smarts: This 43-year-old police officer is about to break a world record in marathon running

For most people who run, completing a marathon is the ultimate accomplishment. For Pasadena Police Department Officer Donald Sevesind, completing a marathon meant that he had 99 more to go.

He set out to become the youngest full-time police officer to complete 100 full marathons and 100 half marathons

For most people who run, completing a marathon is the ultimate accomplishment. For Pasadena Police Department Officer Donald Sevesind, completing a marathon meant that he had 99 more to go.

Sevesind set out to become the youngest full-time police officer to complete 100 full marathons and 100 half marathons. So far, he has completed 123 halfs and 99 fulls—only one race away from the Guinness Book of World Records. The 43-year-old ran his first marathon (the L.A. Marathon) in 1991 at the age of 16, and hasn’t he slowed down since.

“I had no idea what I was getting myself into by trying to complete such a distance,” Sevesind told Men's Health. “But I loved running and racing so much, I set out to achieve this impossible goal.”

Impossible? No. But running 100 marathons and 100 half marathons in the matter of a few decades has certainly posed its challenges. Sevesind works as a full time police officer and runs races in his full uniform.

“I would never have thought that when I became a police officer, I would attempt to run a long distance in my full police uniform,” he says. “I have to say it has been one of the most difficult things I have ever attempted. If you can imagine running with an extra 30 pounds on your body, adjusting your running form due to work boots that do not have any flexibility, and struggling to take a full breath because your police vest constricts your breathing, that’s what it feels like running in a Full Class A uniform.”

That’s certainly not the most ideal situation to be in, especially when you’re running races such as the Running With the Devil Marathon in Henderson, Nevada.

“It was the most intense — as well as insane — race I have ever run,” Sevesind says. “Imagine running on a two lane asphalt road, in the middle of June, with a start time close to 10 a.m., and the temperature exceeding 105 degrees. That was my experience that day. It was an awesome but crazy — and given the chance, I'd go run it again.”

Sevesind credits consistent training and incorporating varied workouts as the reason he has been able to stay healthy and compete. “I’m a true believer in incorporating other training programs into my workouts—not only for running, but for an overall healthy lifestyle,” Sevesind says. “I believe one of the most important programs that any athlete can to do is the warm-up and stretching routine before any kind of rigorous training. I also include elliptical and treadmill workouts as alternate forms of workouts.”

To help preserve his knees on longer runs, Sevesind says he puts in miles on the indoor track at his gym to help absorb the hard impact on my legs, as opposed to running on the streets. “I incorporate more cross training in my routine compared to a dedicated runner logging an insane amount of miles per week. It seems to work for me,” he says.

And no matter what, he gets a workout in every day — even if it’s a quickie. “A police officer's work schedule is not the typical 9 to 5 job,” he explains. “It can be difficult at times to try and get a run in or plan a workout with family or friends because of my work schedule. But I use running as a stress reliever and try to include a workout, however small, every day.”

And now that he’s only got 26.2 miles to go before he grabs the world record he’s striving for, Sevesind has his eyes set on L.A. “For my 100th Marathon, I’m going back to where it all started — the 2018 Los Angeles Marathon. It’s where I got ‘bit by the marathon bug’ and my it’s been my most favorite marathon to date.”

For his final marathon, he plans to wear his uniform as his way in honoring fallen police officers that were killed in the line of duty. He will also be raising money for two police organizations: Pasadena Police Activities League and the California Peace Officer's Memorial Foundation. “It’s my way to ‘give back’ to the community I serve,” he explains.

While reflecting on how far he’s come (literally, 4,205.1 miles while racing), Sevesind offtered words of encouragement not only for other runners, but anyone else who wants to push themselves physically. If I could tell everybody out there, runners and non-runners alike, to pick a goal that is attainable and to pursue that goal to a certain point, I think that’s what I’d want to leave them with. Just keep picking goals that only you can achieve and never let anybody tell you that this goal is unreachable.”

Guy Smarts: This 43-year-old police officer is about to break a world record in marathon running

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Engineer: Inshop Technical Support at Lorache Group

LORACHE LIMITED is a marketing management, Human Capital development and Business Process & Strategist consultancy outfit, registered with Company & Allied Commission (CAC) of Nigeria to perform such businesses. LORACHE deals in sales and marketing consultancy and training organisation working across multiple industries, including the consumer goods, finance, capital market, pharmaceutical, telecommunication, entertainment and leisure sectors etc. We develop integrated sales and marketing strategies focused around the point of purchase. We also devise transformational strategies through organisation design, process definition, and commercial ability development. LORACHE provides a range of open and dedicated training programmes that gives insight and help clients develop and maintain the flow of integrated information and commercial insights to gain competitive advantage.
Engineer: Inshop Technical Support at Lorache Group

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Accounts Officer at IL Bagno

IL Bagno is the regional distributor for the world’s leading manufacturers of sanitary ware and bathroom fittings and accessories. We excel in the provision of total bathroom solutions, creating unique and innovative bathroom themes for both the domestic and commercial markets. Incorporated in Nigeria as a private limited liability company, under the name ‘Black Pelican Ltd’ on the 11th of November 2003, we commenced operations in May, 2004.
Accounts Officer at IL Bagno

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Murder: Court Grants Olukere Of Ikere-Ekiti Bail

The Olukere of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Ganiyu Obasoyin, was on Friday granted bail by an Ekiti State High Court, after spending almost two months in prison custody. The monarch was arrested and remanded on December 25, 2017 over the murder charge slammed on him by the state government. Trouble started after Obasoyin’s Hotel, Arede Royal Suites […]

The post Murder: Court Grants Olukere Of Ikere-Ekiti Bail appeared first on Leadership Nigeria Newspapers.

Murder: Court Grants Olukere Of Ikere-Ekiti Bail

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Presidential Race: Fela Durotoye is a breath of fresh air, but 2019 is too soon for him

Fela Durotoye wants to become Nigeria's president in 2019. That isn't going to happen.

Motivational speaker Fela Durotoye threw his hat into the 2019 presidential ring on Thursday, February 22, 2018 in typical tech savvy fashion.

“Therefore, to be clear, I am aspiring to contest as a presidential candidate in the 2019 general elections”, Durotoye announced via an email sent to the Fela Durotoye Leadership Network.

Durotoye will be running on the platform of the Alliance for a New Nigeria (ANN), a political party “founded by professionals and technocrats with great political insight and wisdom required to build a formidable nationwide grassroot movement within the next 12 months and beyond”, he says.

“It’s time to choose our future over our past”, he declares. “It is our time and together we will deliver the future”.

 

Honestly, I very much would love for someone outside of the establishment to become Nigeria’s president in my lifetime. It was why I signed up to the Chris Okotie campaign in 2003 and 2007, distributing the candidate’s plans for a new Nigeria on cassettes all around Ojota in Lagos.

Durotoye’s biggest challenge at the moment can be situated in his own declaration statement.

Biggest hurdle

“It’s 12 months to the presidential election and we only have enough time to act quickly. So, let’s make each day count”, he says.

Therein lies the problem with the Fela Durotoye presidential dream. You don't build a "formidable nationwide grassroot movement" under 12 months. 2019 is just too soon for Durotoye and everyone else who is just making his presidential plans public.

 

You don’t wake up one day to become president because you talk a good game and appeal to a youthful demographic. This declaration from the 46-year-old Durotoye is coming a couple of years late. He should have been on that shop window years before.

Chris Okotie example

Okotie was pretty much the same. He would get up in the middle of the night–few months before the general election–and tell everyone who cares to listen that God has ordained him to be Nigeria’s president.

Fresh faced Okotie had no grassroot structure to his name, no ground game, embarked on zilch door-to-door campaign and appealed only to the elite who flocked his church while speaking through their nostrils.

To beat the PDP and APC at their own game, a newcomer had to have been working his socks off years prior. Durotoye should have been in our faces the moment Buhari was elected president in 2015. He should have been proffering solutions to Nigeria’s problems since the APC seized the reins of leadership from the PDP.

 

Durotoye should have been offering alternative policy proposals every other day on television and the internet since 2015.

He can actually start now. He’s only 46 after all. He won’t be elected president in 2019 for sure. For Durotoye, it’s time to begin walking the talk by building a ground game—one that would grant him instant name recognition in the villages of Cross River and Taraba ahead of the 2023 vote.

He's got to begin building that grassroot movement for 2023 if he's really serious about being president.

Yes, Nigeria needs a fresh face. But it’s got to be one who has earned his epaulet. Durotoye hasn't.

Presidential Race: Fela Durotoye is a breath of fresh air, but 2019 is too soon for him

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J.Cole: US rapper is coming to Lagos, to perform with Wizkid, Davido

The Grammy-nominated rapper is set to headline a concert in Lagos alongside two of Africa’s biggest stars, Davido and Wizkid, this April.

Acclaimed US rapper, J.Cole is coming to Nigeria.

The Grammy-nominated rapper is set to headline a concert in Lagos alongside two of Africa’s biggest stars, Davido and Wizkid, this April.

With four successful studio albums under his belt, J. Cole is one of the most prominent rappers of this generation. His previous two projects – “2014 Forest Hill Drive” and “4 Your Eyez Only” –pulled off the impressive feat of going platinum without any collaborations.

 

The concert tagged “Castle Lite Unlocks” is put together by Castle Lite Nigeria, and will be the first time J.Cole is visiting the country. It will hold on April 27, 2018, at the Eko Hotels & Suites, Lagos.

J.Cole: US rapper is coming to Lagos, to perform with Wizkid, Davido

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