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Our Reporter, Abuja  Real Madrid have parted ways with manager Xabi Alonso just seven months into his tenure, less than 24 hours after the club’s defeat to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final. The decision follows mounting pressure on the former midfielder in recent weeks, amid reports of unrest within the squad. Sunday night’s El Clásico loss proved decisive, prompting the club to bring Alonso’s reign to an abrupt end. In a statement released on Monday evening, Madrid confirmed that the 42-year-old had left the club “by mutual agreement.” Alonso, a club legend, made 236 appearances for Los Blancos…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has questioned the whereabouts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu amid worsening economic hardship and insecurity in the country. Obi raised the concern in a statement posted on his X handle, arguing that the President’s visibility and direct engagement have become imperative as Nigeria grapples with deepening leadership and socio-economic challenges. According to the former Anambra State Governor, the perceived absence of the President at such a critical moment raises serious concerns about accountability and leadership. “This is a critical demand for accountability in a national…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other key stakeholders of the party in the South-East have endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term in office in 2027. The endorsement was made on Saturday in Enugu during a high-level meeting of APC leaders from the zone, where the stakeholders also pledged to mobilise massively for the President’s re-election. They cited President Tinubu’s pragmatic, inclusive politics—anchored on bridge-building, partnerships and alignment with the Federal Government—as the basis for their decision. The stakeholders further resolved to promote collective regional interests over individual…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Amid public outcry over the activities of bandits, the Katsina State Government has defended its reported move to secure the release of about 70 suspected bandits currently in custody. The state government said the decision is part of efforts to sustain an ongoing peace deal with armed groups operating across the state. Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr. Nasir Muazu, explained that the move was aimed at consolidating peace agreements reached between affected communities and repentant bandits in several local government areas. Muazu was reacting to public backlash following a leaked government letter seeking judicial…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia A Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Christian Anokwuru, has challenged former governors of Abia State, including Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Theodore Orji and Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu, to stop invoking the name of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in their opposition to Governor Alex Otti and instead present their own records of achievement while in office. Rev. Fr. Anokwuru, who is the Special Adviser on Policies and Interventions to Governor Otti, was reacting to recent statements by the former governors and other opposition figures, who reportedly vowed to ensure that Otti serves only one term and that Abia State…

Ike Nnachi, Abakaliki The Ebonyi State Government has dismissed claims by some host communities that it plans to use limestone deposits belonging to Nigercem Plc to power a proposed new state-owned cement plant. Speaking to journalists in Abakaliki, the state capital, Engr. Ben Okah described the allegations contained in a recent letter written to the governor as “misinformed” and lacking any factual basis. Okah was reacting to a letter written by lawyers on behalf of four host communities, in which they accused the state government of planning to use limestone found within their communities to power a proposed cement plant…

Ben Ezechime, Enugu Public Affairs analyst, Dr Ambrose Igboke, has advised Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to preserve the unwritten agreement by the country’s Political elites on the rotation of power between the South and North. He said this, while featuring in a Channel’s Television Newspaper review programme. Igboke, who is the Chairman of Guild of Public Affairs Analysts, Enugu State chapter said that Atiku’s 2027 Presidential ambition was a threat to the power rotation principle. According to him, Atiku tried it in 2023 general election after the late General Muhammad Buhari from the North completed eight years of two terms. He…

Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka The Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI), a youth-led organisation, has urged the National Assembly to fast-track voting on four critical constitutional reform bills currently before the legislature. In a statement, CATYCOI Executive Director, Comrade Nonso Orakwe, said Nigerian youths—who make up over 60 per cent of the population—are eager to see reforms that promote development and inclusive governance. According to him, the bills address key national issues, including gender equality, independent candidacy, electoral integrity, and the speedy determination of election petitions. The first bill, A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution…

Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia Abia First Lady, Mrs Priscilla has gifted motherless babies homes in the state N1million each, food items and sanitary supplies. Mrs Otti who made the donation during an unscheduled visit to the affected homes, said the gesture was borne out to his passion for the vulnerable children and their caregivers. She reaffirmed her commitment to child welfare, recalling her declaration at the start of the administration that every Abia child is her child. She stated that the Abia State Government, through the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection, is intensifying…

By Vitus Ozoke There is an ever-present temptation – especially in Nigerian politics – to confuse motive with merit. Just because an action is driven by bad actors does not automatically make the action itself wrong. This is the critical distinction missing from much of the noise surrounding the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara. Yes, the Rivers State House of Assembly’s move is inseparable from the poisonous feud between Fubara and his estranged godfather, Nyesom Wike. Yes, Wike’s criminal fingerprints – real or perceived – litter every political crisis in Rivers like a bad stench that refuses…