Thierry Henry Explains Why He Rates Lionel Messi Above Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi is a debate that feels as old as time, but when a player who also touched those sorts of heights during his career weighs in, it's worth listening.

Thierry Henry has explained in an interview with FIFA that he favours Messi out of the two, in part because he's seen the Argentine up close by playing with him for a spell at Barcelona:

Well, I played with Leo, so you can guess my answer (laughs). I have enormous respect for Cristiano who has managed to remain at the highest level for many yearsand by that I mean at an extraordinarily high level.

It’s one thing to have to have a single great season, but to maintain it for so many years is something else.

I don’t think we fully realise just what these guys are achieving. So, while huge respect goes to Ronaldo, having played with Messi and shared extraordinary moments with him, both in victory and defeat, it has to be Leo.

Henry recently retired and became a pundit on Sky Sports' football coverage, as well as a trainer for the Arsenal youth team.

He was Messi's team-mate between 2007 and 2010 at Barcelona.

While he never played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, he was at Arsenal when the Portugal forward was at Manchester United, and Henry was still at Barcelona when Ronaldo joined Real Madrid in 2009 in a record-breaking deal.

Can strongman Buhari mend a broken Nigeria?

According to a recent poll, an equal number of Nigerian voters—41%—fell on either side of the debate surrounding the postponement of presidential elections. It is perhaps no coincidence that those numbers almost perfectly overlap with the results of a December 2014 presidential voting survey, in which each of the two main parties racked up 42% of the total tally. By a rule of thumb, supporters of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and president Goodluck Jonathan backed the postponement, while those of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the main opposition party, opposed it.

The opposition’s candidate is Muhammadu Buhari, a former military ruler, and three-time presidential contender, who has since his emergence undergone what is arguably the most impressive political rebranding in the history of Nigeria. A man once given exclusively to babarigas—traditional dress favored by Hausa-Fulani men from northern Nigeria—now poses for photographs bow-tied and besuited, or in the traditional outfits of southeastern Nigeria and the oil-rich Niger delta, regions in which he has consistently recorded meager votes in his three previous attempts at the presidency.

Buhari and his supporters insist that the PDP forced the postponement to undermine the APC’s unprecedented momentum, and to buy more time to work out a way of rigging an election it looks set to lose. The PDP has denied those allegations, focusing instead on querying the preparedness level of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

By all accounts, the INEC has not lived up to its responsibility. Going by several indices (distribution of biometric voter-cards, accreditation of observers, training of election personnel) the preparations have been shoddy, and a February 14 election, had it gone ahead, would have been—not uncharacteristically, it must be said—chaotic.

The PDP is also increasingly voicing its opposition to the planned deployment of handheld card-readers that the INEC wants to experiment with during the coming elections. The fingerprint technology on which the card readers are based is designed to produce greater transparency in the elections by ensuring that no one is able to vote more than once. (One of the commonest of conventional voter-fraud methods in Nigeria has been through the mass thumb-printing of ballot papers.)

On the surface, the PDP’s argument is that the card readers are untested, and that it would be imprudent to attempt an experiment using the all-important presidential election as a catalyst. The actual reason, in my opinion, is not far-fetched: by insisting on the use of non-biometric cards, the PDP will be able to throw open the elections for the sort of rigging that earned it landslide victories in the last four presidential elections.

Between insisting on the use of card-readers and biometric cards, and that the rescheduled elections must on no account be postponed again, the APC has its hands full. If it wins these two battles, its chances of forming the next central government are significant.

The party, a merger of Nigeria’s three leading opposition parties, has been fighting against-all-odds battles even before it was formally registered by the electoral commission in July of 2013. The first hurdle was a court case by an organization—presumably sponsored by the PDP—that called itself the African People’s Congress and laid claim to the “APC” acronym, insisting it had filed for registration as a political party before the All Progressives Congress.

Having been registered, the APC wasted no time firming up its position, attracting a raft of high profile defectors—including five governors—from the ruling party. The PDP, sufficiently jolted, let go of Bamanga Tukur, the divisive chairman under whose watch the defections happened, and replaced him with Adamu Mu’azu, a former governor with a knack for political strategy.

The next big hurdle for the APC was the selection of presidential and vice presidential candidates. Considering its origins as a coalition of disparate political movements, it seemed unlikely that it would manage the process of selecting flag-bearers that everyone felt were in their interest.

It spectacularly disappointed pessimists. In the days that followed, tensions swiftly rose over the choice of a running mate to Buhari. Again the party smoothed over a looming dissension, and presented a cerebral professor of law as Buhari’s deputy—a necessary contrast to the former military man’s gruff, blunt demeanor. This carefully structured campaign-organogram helped bring on board the influential interests who had lost out up until then.

Events over the last several months would then conspire to ensure that incumbent president Jonathan’s most formidable opponent would not even be the APC, or Buhari, but instead the terrorist group Boko Haram, and, to a lesser extent, the Nigerian currency (the naira).

The abduction by Boko Haram of more than 200 schoolgirls in Chibok last April, and the belated, incoherent response of the Jonathan government, dealt a huge blow to his reputation at home and abroad. Since then, Boko Haram has marched on confidently, seizing and holding towns and villages, keeping the military consistently on defense. Last year alone, the group’s onslaught claimed the lives of more than 4,000 persons; and more than 1.5 million Nigerians have been displaced as a result.

Around October of last year, at a time when Boko Haram was stepping up its attacks and seizing increasingly larger swathes of territory, the naira began to slump, thanks to crashing oil prices. If Boko Haram was mainly affecting people in the country’s remote northeastern region, the devaluing naira took its own fight straight to the economic heartlands of the country—the southern cities that are the hubs of Nigeria’s banking and manufacturing industries.

The net effect of terrorism and the economic downturn has been devastating for the president’s re-election prospects. Boko Haram has depleted his northern support base so profoundly that he spent quite a bit of time on the campaign stump trying to convince northerners that he is not, in fact, a Boko Haram sponsor.

The naira—which has now fallen by about 20% against the US dollar—is undermining his support among the business community (manufacturers and merchants heavily dependent on dollar-denominated imports of raw materials and machines), and among the multitudes of Nigerians paying for education and healthcare abroad. Linked to the currency crisis is a budgetary one. Nigeria, dependent on crude oil for as much as 75% of government revenues (and 90% of foreign exchange earnings), is earning much less now than it did a year ago. It is not a pretty picture at all. External reserves are down to about $33 billion, the lowest in several years. This itself raises an important question: what did the Jonathan government do with three years of record-high oil prices?

This is where Buhari enters the picture, poised to demolish an incumbent already weakened by allegations that he has overlooked monumental corruption in his government, an Islamist insurgency in the north, and a weakening naira.

Part of Buhari’s allure lies in the ambivalent affinity that Nigerians have with “strongmen”—military-style figures who sweep in to rescue a flailing country from a misruling government. Buhari has the good fortune of being a retired strongman about to get a second chance.

On January 1, 1984, when a group of coup-plotters, having just overthrown the elected government of Shehu Shagari, asked him, then a major general in the Nigerian army, to lead the succeeding military government. Over the next twenty months, he went about his redemptive task with gusto, slugging the recently deposed politicians with long jail terms, slashing public service jobs, executing drug pushers using retroactive decrees, and generally seeking to instill his own brand of discipline in a country that had long discarded restraint.

By the time he was himself overthrown in August of 1985, Nigerians had generally had enough of his highhandedness. Therein lies an interesting paradox: Nigerians, as much as they’ve loved their strongmen, have never had much patience for those ones who either went too far, or didn’t know when their time was up.

In this love-hate relationship with strongmen lies a substantial part of Buhari’s surprising popularity—and president Jonathan’s unpopularity. Here is a an incumbent who has built a reputation on not being a strongman. Months after his election in 2011, he told a church gathering that Nigerians generally want a president who is “a lion or a tiger,” or behaves like “the kings of Syria, Babylon; the Pharaoh, all the powerful people that you read about in the Bible.” He made it clear he was none of those. “I am not a lion, I am also not a general,” he said. “I can change this country without those traits.”

Now, arrayed against an ex-general who has acquired many enemies as a result of his draconian rule, and who, 30 years ago chased armed-to-the-teeth Chadian rebels out of Nigeria, Jonathan looks to many Nigerians like the weaker choice.

The obvious danger here is that Nigerians might be expecting too much from Buhari. While his army background might work some magic against Boko Haram, there are no strongmen strong enough to prop up declining federal revenues or floundering currencies. There is no amount of political will that can singlehandedly cause oil prices to break free of a $50-a-barrel curse.

As Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith, director of the Center for Public Policy Alternatives, a Lagos-based thinktank, recently told me: “Since this [will be] a new government altogether, there’ll be a steep learning curve. It won’t matter that Buhari was in power once. The world was a different place, the country was a different place.”

Buhari’s best hope is that he might be better able to bandage the wounds through which the country is bleeding revenue. But considering just how numerous—and how deep—these wounds are, that in itself might be all the game-changing move this broken country needs.

WRITTEN BY

Tolu OgunlesiWest Africa correspondent, The Africa Report

Photos Of Obasanjo Tearing His PDP Membership Card To Spite Jonathan

Well, we broke the news that the ex-president tore his PDP membership card earlier today denouncing the party. These are exclusive photos of the card tearing ceremony, baba go help from some mysterious man, smiling and tearing the card, what a shame!

He handed his membership card to a PDP Ward 11 leader in Abeokuta North Local Government, Alhaji Sarajudeen Oladunjoye and asked him to tear it.

This happened during a press conference held in his hilltop residence at the Gateway state. He reportedly instructed his aid to pick it up and give it to him. He stated that 

"If this is why we cannot have Nigeria  we desire, I am no longer part of this"

the end product:

You Should Be Ashamed Of Yourself" Heated M.I Abaga Slams Etcetera Over Article

Well Etcetera had this to say about entertainers endorsing politicians (As you know M.I has been very active in endorsing Ambode)

Some say Afro Candy is a prostitute. Some say she’s not or at least, not yet. A few others say she’s a porn star, which is not in the same league as prostitution. Porn stars are taxed, prostitutes are not. So Afrolicious baybay, you have to up your game to get into the league of prostitutes, if it is what you really desire. My suggestion would be; instruct your agent or booker to get you appearances in any of the political campaign videos, so you can put to use that floppy behind your mama gave you. And if you are lucky enough, you can get cameos and wiggle that thing around the aspirants themselves. You have to get your bum (sorry your hands) bloodied to earn the highly coveted “Political prostitute” tag. Now my Candilicious Afrolistic baybay, these are a few names of the latest political prostitutes in the country: Olamide, Banky W, Don Jazzy, Flavour, Duncan Mighty, D banj, Mercy Johnson, Ibinabo, Ini Edo, Mama Gee, Naeto C, Joseph Yobo, Daddy Showkey, Kanu Nwankwo, and Sammie Okposo.

I have been asked several times if our celebs should get involved with politics. But today, let me push the same question in different words to everyone reading this article. Do politicians making affiliations with celebs prompt you to vote for them? For me, it’s a definite No. Nigerians are not influenced by celebs to indulge in certain acts because their favourite celeb says so. For instance, I like Kate Henshaw but expecting me to vote for a candidate she supports in the forthcoming elections is like asking me to start buying a particular milk brand because Don Jazzy endorsed it. Puh-leez, things like that don’t cut it here in Naija. Naija is a different kettle of fish compared to what is obtainable in places like the US.

The politicians using celebs for their campaigns should ask themselves what on earth the average person has got in common with Dbanj. He has millions and he may never have to lift a finger again in his life if he so desires. And you think the boys in Okokomaiko who are not smiling will listen to his unrealistic rants on TV and radio? Using a celeb for election campaigns is as stupid as the political aspirants themselves dancing in their campaign musical videos. Imagine Jimmy Agbaje and Ambode dancing in their campaign videos? Ok, I am sorry, no imagination is needed. I feel sorry for the politicians that Nigerians are not fooled by all the media images of celebs pushed at them every day on TV. It has become so much that we can’t tell the difference anymore between political campaign videos and the Nigerian musical videos.

The only cocktail of politics and celebrity that the masses are bound to endorse is that of creating useful awareness that will benefit the larger society. People like Bono have political views which bring attention to real, humanitarian issues that transcend the established political doctrines and have nothing to do with producing those plastic karaoke like political jingles our entertainers are paid to produce. Those entertainers who see nothing wrong in frolicking with politicians will say I am speaking from a misguided perspective. Go ahead, defend your support for that politician. Tell me you are campaigning for change. You can’t fool anyone but yourselves.

Hey, my Afro Candilicious baybay, you go ahead with your trade okay? Don’t let the criticisms of your fellow entertainers bother you anymore. Tell them your porn is definitely a kinder and gentler version when placed side by side with their political prostitution. Now, good day ladies and gentlemen. Please don’t forget to tip the waitress on your way out.

M.I wont let that just go away, he come for Etcetera in the most epic way!

I remember a time when etcetera and I were hustling the music business together. Doing what we had to to come up..

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    Hoping that one day we would be in a position for political candidates to seek out endorsment. I’m sorry you aren’t here with us.. Huh??

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    1. The primary thing an entertainer brings to any platform is eyeballs. Look at views with a star and views without. #yoursmarterthanthis

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    2. The only reason you write your articles is because that’s your hustle #igetitigetit #hopesayyoudemakemoney #yoursmarterthanthis

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    3. If you had a large fan base.. Your lack of class and an ethical compass as a writer shows you would probably support Hitler 4 d right sum

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    You should be ashamed at yourself. That you would so classlesly criticize anything that puts money in your colleagues hands

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    And here is my opinion.. Since you freely give yours out. Your album is quite possibly the worst album released by a Naija artist ever!

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

    Etc etc..

    — jude abaga (@MI_Abaga) February 14, 2015

6 Things That Are Very Likely To Happen Before March 28 Elections

Conspiracy theories are often baseless and almost certainly nonsense. But at this point where all kinds of reports are flying around and nobody’s sure what’s coming up, people are really taking some of these theories seriously.

One of the theories that was in the media before the election was postponed last week was that the government was plotting to postpone the election. And the election was eventually postponed. So it looks like the conspiracy theories aren’t so ludicrous after all if you look at the current political situation.

On that note lets discuss five things that might happen before March 28 based on the conspiracy theories spreading right now.

1. The election will be shifted again.

INEC said it postponed the elections to avert potential insecurity, but most people think this is a ploy by the president and his team to buy themselves some more time so they can work out some strategy.

Now some people suspect the election will be shifted again because there’s been no clear assurance that the security people won’t push for another extension.

So are we going to have another extension to give the army and its foreign allies some more time to fight the insurgency in the northeast? That’s the next statement some people are expecting from the government or Jega.

2. An interim government will be set up.

There were reports online recently that the president will hand over to an interim government led by Chief of Army staff, Kenneth Minimah, if Buhari wins the coming election. The reports say the interim will govern for six months and then fresh elections will be held. The army denied this of course, but some people still think it might happen.

3. Jega will be fired.

Newspapers are saying there’s an ongoing plot to sack Jega or force him to a terminal leave. His tenure ends in June, but word in the media is that there are plans to remove him before March 28. One or two people have even been tipped to replace him. The theory is the government wants to remove him for the way he’s managed the election process so far and the way he presented the postponement, which seemed to lay the blame on the government’s table.

Femi lives in Lagos. He says, “One thing that’s clear is that Jega has compromised his reputation. He’s not as credible as he was five years ago when he first took the job. But even if they fire him now, it’s too late. They should let him finish his tenure and then we can look for someone else. Jega has smeared his name already.”

4. The army will seize government.

 Babangida set off a revolt in 1993 when he annulled the election and put Ernest Shonekan in charge of an interim government. In the midst of the crisis, Abacha overthrew Shonekan and seized the government. Some people say we might be going in that direction again.

Olusegun Obasanjo said in a recent interview, “I sincerely hope that the president is not going for broke and saying ‘look dammit, it’s either I have it or nobody has it.’ I hope we will not have a coup…I hope we can avoid it.”

5. The election will be suspended.

One senator named Babafemi Ojudu alleged recently that the president intends to extend his tenure by two years on grounds that Nigeria is at war — the war against Boko Haram.

He said, “If anybody thinks there’s going to be an election on March 28, the person is deceiving himself.  There are conscious attempts at lobbying some of us to work against having elections. Therefore, where they’ve got to now is the preliminary stage.”

Section 135 of the Constitution says, “If the federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the president considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the period of four years [of the president’s tenure]; but no such extension shall exceed a period of six months at any one time.”

What this means technically is that the president can put off this election for the next six months with the support of the National Assembly and then put it off again for another six months and so on, as long as he continues to maintain that we’re in the middle of a war. That way, the president can put off the elections for an indefinite period, essentially suspending the elections.

Some of these theories are plausible while others are just plain ridiculous — or are they ? We’ll find out in the coming weeks and months.

TY Bello’s Story On All She Did To Get Pregnant After 9 Years Of Marriage

After 9years of wait, pressure and tribulations from different concerned friends and worried members of the family, celebrity photographer and singer, TY Bello welcomed a set of twin boys in October 2014.

Although she’s still savouring the immeasurable joy of motherhood, but TY Bello had to endure struggle with Endometriosis, IVF and ceaseless pressure from friends and family before she finally became a proud mother.

In a recent interview, TY, who revealed she went through IVF to conceive her boys, said the journey to pregnancy was a very intense one for her, as she also cleared the rumours that she employed the services of a surrogate mother to carry the twins for her.

“My journey to pregnancy was a very intense one. I had just been through the toughest nine years of trying to get pregnant, being confident that it would be a breeze since I had always known that I would make a great mother. It was quite humbling when it didn’t happen as I had envisioned it. It was grueling actually,” she said

She also hinted that she had always joked about having twin boys to make up for the lost time of motherhood and that she never knew God was listening to her.

“At first we didn’t know I was carrying twins. When I was going for my test, I didn’t feel pregnant. Before I went, I heard in my spirit, ‘Wear something nice’. I questioned the voice and wondered if it was nice to dress so nicely and get disappointed, setting myself for a heartbreak. In the end, I obeyed. I decided in my mind that whether I was pregnant or not, I was not going to stop believing. My doctor was very dramatic about the announcement too. She screamed so much we couldn’t even decipher her words. I had a delayed reaction as her words wouldn’t sink in. It was overwhelming, We were truly happy and couldn’t stop crying.

I remember two people, Pastors Obi Pax Harry and Angela Ashong telling me matter-of-factly that I was going to have twins. It happened to the detail. My friends know how I have always made it a joke about having twin boys to make up for lost time. I wanted boys because I joked that I was an eternal fourteen year old lanky boy myself and so we would all get along. I can’t believe God was listening. It was few months before we could confirm that we were having boys.”

The ‘Land is green’ crooner also said she discovered that a long standing undiagnosed battle with Endometriosis was responsible for her delay in pregnancy

“In perfect timing though, two older friends of mine, Dr Odaga and Mrs Morin Desalu came into our lives and helped us be more proactive in our journey to becoming parents. What started with dark clouds took a turn. For instance when Aunty Morin whisked my husband and I to see her doctor at George’s hospital. We discovered that a long standing yet undiagnosed battle with Endometriosis was responsible and I just assumed I had the worst period pains. Shortly after that, through Dupe Kupoluyi, we met a fantastic doctor named Yemisi Bero at the Arc Clinic who became our fertility doctor.

I went through my IVF cycle with her, probably in the middle of the busiest seasons in my career. I remember jabbing myself at airports sometimes just to keep with the schedule as I worked like crazy. Sometimes I think I stayed so ridiculously busy just to keep my mind off the difficult process. To the glory of God, that cycle was successful and everything inside of me screamed for me to slow downed but I didn’t just know how. I decided to start a pregnancy journal and instinctively titled it “Quiet Streams” Immediately I knew then that everything was going to change and it did. It was like a switch was flipped and my body went rest mood.”

Just like some other women who have stayed over four years in marriage without a child, TY Bello’s friends and family pressurized her severely during the wait for her babies.

“Oh you can’t even begin to imagine. Society and even your personal fears can pressure you before a desire manifests. In our society, as with most, once you hit a four year mark after your wedding, everyone around you starts to blare their alarm. Nine years? Now that was deafening. Every time I prayed, I knew everything was going to be fine and my life was in the course set for me. The pressure gets more difficult when you are trying and it isn’t happening.

It was important I turn a deaf ear sometimes. It was important that I didn’t feed my doubts. Someone once said to me after the babies came, “You can’t call your experience waiting, you were living your life to the full before their arrival”. I explained that was exactly my waiting experience. I always say that Christ came to die that we may have life and have life abundantly and that I want to live life to the maximum. If you allow yourself to sustain a state of misery because you don’t have something, whether marriage, children or a dream career, then you can’t have a full life. It is in the place of living outside of the tyranny of the desire that it comes to you in its full glory. I knew for sure I was born to be a great mum. I just wasn’t sure on how it would play out but I knew it would happen nonetheless.”

She also reacted to the rumors that she did not carry her boys herself, that she engaged the services of a surrogate, TY said

“Funny enough I had a shoot during my pregnancy and the makeup artist who did my makeup during my maternity shoot was in a room where this was being thrown around and she couldn’t stop laughing as she spent enough time with me when I was pregnant. I was blessed to have Kelechi Amadi-Obi make the photographs and it was special as he had photographed our wedding as well.
Its beautiful to have your bump photographed in appreciation but not necessarily as evidence of your being with a child. There are women who would become mothers via adoption or surrogacy. The difference is insignificant. We all carry our children” 

Toyin (Ty) Bello (nee Sokefun) is a Nigerian musician. Her music is eclectic: urbane, groovy and soulful; and is laced with hip hop, jazz and R&B. She is a University of Lagos economics graduate. She was a member one of Nigeria’s most celebrated urban gospel band- Kush made up of her, Emem and Lara.

I’m Being Harshly Judged By My Past Records – Buhari

The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential flag bearer, General Muhammadu (rtd) in a live interview with Christiane Amanpour, on Wednesday evening said it was wrong for anyone to use what transpired during the military era to judge him in his quest to return to power under a democratic government.

He also said that he would ensure that corruption is rooted out of the system as soon as he is elected, agreeing with the statement that if ”Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.”

This was as he welcomed former President, Olusegun Obasanjo’s endorsement of his candidacy.

The former head of state while speaking from his Abuja office, affirmed that the Boko Haram insurgency would be upstaged by his administration by blocking corruption and other leakages. He said that the major problem with the war against Boko Haram was that the money voted to address the menace was always not used appropriately, blaming corruption and lack of accountability as well as poor welfare of the army for the failure of the current administration to win the war against insurgency.

When asked what he thinks of Nigerians having to grapple with the difficult option of choosing from a failed president and a former military dictator with a bad human rights record, he said: “All those things you mentioned were done under military administration; if we did not suspend the constitution then, it would have been difficult for us to operate under those circumstances. So I do not think I should be judged as an individual for those things that happened then.”

He further said that the approach under a democratic government would be different from the regime where the constitution was suspended.

Welcoming the endorsement of President Obasanjo, he said: “Well it will certainly bring more supporters to us and more confidence for those who were sitting on the fence because General Obasanjo is highly respected and as far as the nation is concerned, there is no issue that can be deliberated upon without people seeking his opinion.”

Buhari also spoke on the postponement of the election dates which he described as unfortunate. According to him, “That is a disappointment because the presentation made by the INEC was that they were ready to conduct the elections on the date chosen a year ago, and for them to be forced virtually by the military that they cannot guarantee the safety of their workers and shift it by six weeks is disturbing.”

It would be recalled that INEC on Saturday night shifted the general elections earlier scheduled to hold on February 14 and 28 to March 28 and April 11 after the Nigerian security chiefs wrote a letter demanding for a shift in the dates, saying they could not guarantee the safety of Nigerians during and after the elections. One of the reasons given by the military was that it would commence a serious onslaught against the Boko Haram Insurgents in the northeast and cannot entertain distractions of an election during the offensive.

President Jonathan had during a media chat on Wednesday evening however debunked the position of INEC that the elections were shifted because of just security issues. He said poor distribution and collection of PVCs were chiefly responsible for the shift in dates. He said the security issues raised were related to the collection of PVCs. He said ‘’ During the Council of State meeting, the issue of security was emphasised and there is no way security chiefs would have disclosed all the details to everybody but they disclosed some things to me which they did not mention to others.

“There are two aspects to the issue of insecurity. The first is Boko Haram and the second is the threat factor in the country.

“When INEC picked the dates for elections, the threat level was not high until we started the campaign. So, it was important for the security chiefs to review the security architecture otherwise the country would have gone up in flames.

“In election, a lot of problems are involved. When the issue of PVC was being branded as a problem, INEC, from what Jega mentioned that day, clearly was not ready for the elections. They said they were ready but they were not.

“The day we held that meeting that led to this adjustment of dates, in Lagos for example, only about 38 per cent of registered voters had their PVCs. That means if we conduct elections in Lagos, 62 per cent of voters would not have been able to vote.

“Don’t you think there are security implications in that?

"Some other states had slightly above 30 per cent collection while some had 50 per cent and there were some states that had 60 to 70 per cent. The security agencies highlighted the security implications of this but ordinary people might not see it that way.”

I Intentionally Infect My Wife With HIV/AIDS - Nigerian Actor, Hanks Anuku

Original Nollywood bad boy, Hank Anuku has tested positive to HIV. The born-again actor, according to pulse.com.gh, revealed in an interview that he left Nigeria on April 2011 to Zambia where he took part in various plays on teaching about HIV and AIDS without his wife and two kids for six month, and ended up sleeping with 80 women.

“Life in Zambia was heaven on earth because we could enjoy life, moving in all places but I was missing my family. During that time I had quite a number of sexual activities and I slept with different women. When I came back home I never took care of the family. I started drinking life a fish and became an irresponsible husband leaving the entire burden to my wife,” he said.

The veteran actor also revealed he affected his wife knowing well he could be HIV positive “I got tested while I was in Zambia after one of my girlfriends advised me about her pregnancy. She had gone for pregnancy tests and during that time she was tested for HIV and the results was shocking, she was positive. She forced me to get tested but I could not come to terms with the results. After I got tested I came back to Zimbabwe and I kept quiet about the issue. I never told my wife about the issue. I infected her but I regret. I later on received some counseling and it well well,” he explained

“During my peak of popularity I had sex with approximately 80 women, within Harare and Zambia. In 2002 it was so amazing to be on TV. I abused the fame. To make matters worse I lacked counseling and I failed to handle it properly, leaving me in this mud. I am now a born again Christian with UFIC under the guidance of Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa.” He continued.

BREAKING NEWS! The Great Monarch Of Benin Kingdom Is Dead

The Great Oba of Benin Reportedly joins his ancestors. His Royal Majesty Omo n’Oba n’Edo Uku Akpolokpolo Erediauwa, the monarch of Benin Kingdom has joined his ancestors. He was 92 years old.According to authoritative sources within and outside Edo State, the well-regarded king transited to the great beyond about two weeks ago.

His death is still being kept secret because by Benin tradition, the death of an Oba could only be officially announced 30 days after his transition.The Oba was said to have died in his palace. Immediately he was confirmed dead by his personal physician, a delegation of senior Benin chiefs went to the house of the heir apparent the throne, Prince Eheneden Erediauwa to inform him of the development.

Investigations by ionigeria news revealed that the Oba died about two days before the campaign rally of the Presidential candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Major General Mohammadu Buhari in Benin City. Buhari had his rally in Benin City on Thursday, January 29, 2015. That is why the Monarch could not receive Major General Buhari.

Similarly, when President Goodluck Jonathan visited Benin City for his campaign rally, he was only received at the palace by a team of Benin chiefs led by the Iyase, Chief Sam Igbe. Oba Erediauwa was born in 1923, son of Oba Akenzua II.

Before being crowned he was known as Prince Solomon, Aiseokhuoba, Igbinoghodua Akenzua. He attended Edo College, Benin City, Government College, Ibadan then Yaba College, before going to King’s College, Cambridge to study Law and Administration. He joined the Eastern Nigeria Civil Service in 1957 as a District Officer, later moving to the Federal Civil Service where he retired as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health in 1973.

For a short period he was the regional representative of Gulf Oil. In 1975 he was appointed Commissioner for Finance in Bendel State during the Military Administration of Major-General George Agbazika Innih.Ascending to the throne as the 38th Oba of Benin on 23 March 1979.

During this period, he several times acted as a peacemaker between politicians. For example, he intervened in a dispute between Abia State governor Orji Uzor Kalu and Tony Anenih, Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party Board of Trustees, and resolved another face-off involving Anenih and former Edo State Governor Lucky Igbinedion.

More recently, he tried to broker peace between the feuding members of Edo State House of Assembly.It would be recalled that his wife, Queen Esther died about a year ago. we made some calls to one or two family members, but they neither refuted nor confirm the story to be true or false.

We therefore believe this has a lot to do with the tradition of keeping quiet for 30 days. so we advise you handle this as speculation until the palace releases its official statement, so we do not offend the traditions of the great Bini kingdom.May his soul rest in perfect peace.

Donjazzy Finally Reveals His Girlfriend, A Very Pretty Lady!

Donjazzy has finally showed off the woman in his life after hiding her for all these years….lol! I don’t know her name yet but trust me to find out.. by the way she is very cute!

Truelove!!! Tania Omotayo Models for her boo's new clothing line

The ‘Ayo” hitmaker Wizkid is set to launch his clothing line “Star Boy” wears soon and its said to include shirts, caps and more. His girlfriend Tania Omotayo modeled for his clothing line as She put on a “Star Boy” T-shirt to promote his new business.

Now that's true love......

See A Picture Of Emir Sanusi With His Three Wives And Twelve Children

The 57th Emir of the ancient city of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II‘s coronation took place last week. and here is a picture of his family portrait.

Turn Up! Olamide, Phyno & Reminisce Spotted Doing Just That in The Club

Arguably Nigeria’s hottest 3 rappers right now Olamide, Reminisce and Phyno were spotted by the men behind the camera as they turn up in the club.

The almost perfect photo captioned the three rappers as the beat dropped so you can see each one of them about to start up the baddest dance routine ever.

“@daddymiliano be like ezz not my fault!!! @iamreminisce be lyk u can’t tehhh me nuthin ah be lyk uwa atoka!!! #rrr #localrappers,” captioned Phyno on Instagram

Olamide, Reminisce and Phyno recently released a single tagged Local Rappers.

Kcee, Flavour and Phyno, Private Jet

Kcee, Flavour and Phyno, Private Jet

You Need To See This PDP Campaign Banner

This ad banner was used at the PDP Presidential campaign rally in Yenagoa. What do you think?

And This Happened!… Rihanna Kisses Sam Smith At The 2015 Grammy Awards

Quite some amazing things happened last night at the 57th Grammy Awards, one was when Rapper, Kanye West wanted to create a controversial moment when an artiste, Beck, won the award for the best album of the year. Another was the achievements of the King & Queen of Music, Jay Z & Beyonce when they both won their 21th & 20th Grammys respectively.

This also happened, Pop queen, Rihanna showed “RnB” singer, Sam Smith love at the event after he was awarded four times yesterday nigth… he was awarded mainly for his hit song, ‘Stay With Me’.

The ‘FourFive Seconds’ singer was photoed from inside the event planting a warm and emotional kiss on Sam Smith’s cheek, showing him appreciation for his works.

Sam Smith looked pleasurably shocked by Rihanna’s touching gesture that left both his eyes and mouth ajar .

Sam Smith is said to be the biggest winner of the event last night as he bagged four Grammy trophies for Records of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Act and Best Pop Vocal Performance. Most of which went for his hit song, ‘Stay With Me’.

Congratulations to him though..

Madonna Shocks The World As She Bares Butt At The 2015 Grammys

Elections Postponement: Presidency Shops For Jega’s Replacement

With the successful postponement of the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Presidency has launched a two-pronged war to ensure that President Goodluck Jonathan wins the election convincingly. The two strategies are to stop Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress candidate from contesting the election with Jonathan and the replacement of the INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, with a less independent-minded person. Jega, it was gathered, had been described by hawks around the president of being too independent-minded and ‘uncooperative’ despite being given the job on a platter of gold by the president’s men.

Vanguard learnt that Jega might have unwittingly played into the hands of the forces arrayed against him by agreeing to shift the elections. Legal war to disqualify Buhari Competent sources said last night that the move to remove Jega and the legal fireworks against Buhari, would be taken up simultaneously with effect from this week given the timeframe made possible by the shift. The retired general is to be prosecuted by a team of legal luminaries for ‘lying on oath’ that he had a school certificate with the Nigerian Army when he knew that it was untrue.

The plaintiffs are said to have settled for trying Buhari for alleged ‘perjury’ instead of outright non-possession of certificate following legal advice that the latter would be more difficult to prove within the time at their disposal. Vanguard learnt that although Jega reluctantly succumbed to pressure from the Presidency and its security chiefs to shift the polls, he might still not be allowed by the forces to conduct the rescheduled elections between March 28 and April 11.

Vanguard gathered from competent sources that the Presidency was no longer comfortable with Jega and was, therefore, working tirelessly to get him out of the commission to pave the way for a more ‘trusted hand’ to conduct the rescheduled elections. It was learnt that the forces arrayed against the INEC boss had convinced the President not to renew Jega’s tenure, which is expected to lapse on June 13 this year.

The forces, it was learnt, felt that Jega was rather too ‘difficult’ to deal with, having not allowed himself to be dictated to by anyone since assuming office like other appointees of the government.

It was learnt that in a bid to sweep off Jega from his seat without raising any dust, he would be asked to comply with the civil service procedure by proceeding on his three months terminal leave with effect from March 1, this year since he is expected to retire on June 13.

Eminem Wins Record Sixth Best Rap Album Grammy

Los Angeles (AFP) - Eminem won the Grammy Sunday for Best Rap Album for “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” beating out newcomers to cement his role as the most awarded and top-selling rapper ever.

With the win, Eminem has won a record six Grammys for Best Rap Album.

"The Marshall Mathers LP 2" was his eighth studio album, and was considered a sequel to his largely autobiographical "The Marshall Mathers LP" from 2000, which remains the fastest-selling album by a solo artist in the United States.

The now 42-year-old Eminem beat out a field that included Iggy Azalea, who would have been the first solo woman to win in the category. Eminem raised controversy with a recent song in which the rapper — or, he says, a character he is playing — threatens to rape Azalea.

Azalea hit back by charging that Eminem was old and could not think of anything new other than to threaten a young woman.

Eminem did not appear to accept the award, presented at a ceremony ahead of the main televised Grammy gala that features major pop performers.

On “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” Eminem teamed up with veteran producer Rick Rubin, who brought in hard rock elements, as well as his veteran mentor Dr. Dre. The album features the hit “The Monster,” in which Eminem again collaborated with singer Rihanna.

Eminem – who is sober after a long history of substance use – on the album reflected at length on his trajectory into superstardom from his troubled youth in Detroit, where he grew up as Marshall Bruce Mathers III in a largely African American community.

But Eminem also encountered further controversy on the album by using anti-gay slurs. Eminem had for years tried to battle accusations of homophobia, going so far as to perform at the 2001 Grammys in a duet with Elton John, who is gay.

Eminem argued that he supports gay rights but that he uses the slur as a narrative device.

On “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” Eminem also patches up with his mother after a notoriously difficult relationship, including past lyrics in which he hinted at violence against the “selfish bitch.”

Maheeda Celebrates Daughter’s Birthday With Sweet Birthday Message And New Pics

The controversial lady, Maheeda‘s daughter is a year older today. Her daughter named Divine turned 14, and to celebrate her lil kid, Maheeda took to Instagram to share new pics of her daughter and posted sweet birthday message.

Read the message below:

Sam smith Grabs 4 Grammy Awards – See The Complete Winners List

Checkout the complete winners list of The Grammy awards 2015..

Record of the Year
Sam Smith – “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)”
Steve Fitzmaurice, Rodney Jerkins & Jimmy Napes, producers; Steve Fitzmaurice, Jimmy Napes & Steve Price, engineers/mixers; Tom Coyne, mastering engineer Label: Capitol Records; Publishers: Sony/ATV Songs LLC obo Naughty Worlds Ltd./Universal-Polygram Int. Tunes, Inc. obo Salli Isaak Songs, Ltd./Universal Polygram Int. Tunes, Inc. obo Method Paperwork

Song of the Year
Sam Smith – “Stay With Me (Darkchild Version)”
James Napier, William Phillips & Sam Smith, songwriters

Album of the Year
Beck – Morning Phase
Beck Hansen, producer; Tom Elmhirst, David Greenbaum, Florian Lagatta, Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, Robbie Nelson, Darrell Thorp, Cassidy Turbin & Joe Visciano, engineers/mixers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer

Best New Artist
Sam Smith

Best Pop Duo/Group Performance 
A Great Big World With Christina Aguilera – “Say Something”

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga – Cheek To Cheek

Best Pop Solo Performance
Pharrell Williams – “Happy”

Best Pop Vocal Album
Sam Smith – In The Lonely Hour

Best Rock Performance
Jack White – “Lazaretto”

Best Rock Album
Beck – Morning Phase

Best Rock Song
Paramore – “Ain’t It Fun”
Hayley Williams & Taylor York, songwriters

Best Alternative Rock Album
St. Vincent – St. Vincent

Best Metal Performance
Tenacious D – “The Last In Line”

Best Rap Performance
Kendrick Lamar – “I”

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration
Eminem Featuring Rihanna – “The Monster”

Best Rap Song
Kendrick Lamar – “I”
K. Duckworth & C. Smith, songwriters

Best Rap Album
Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP2

Best R&B Performance 
Beyoncé Featuring Jay Z – “Drunk In Love”

Best Traditional R&B Performance
“Jesus Children”
Robert Glasper Experiment Featuring Lalah Hathaway & Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Best R&B Song
Beyoncé Featuring Jay Z – “Drunk In Love”
Shawn Carter, Rasool Diaz, Noel Fisher, Jerome Harmon, Beyoncé Knowles, Timothy Mosely, Andre Eric Proctor & Brian Soko, songwriters

Best Urban Contemporary Album
Pharrell Williams – Girl

Best R&B Album
Toni Braxton & Babyface – Love, Marriage & Divorce

Best Contemporary Instrumental Album
Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer – Bass & Mandolin

Best Dance/Electronic Album
Aphex Twin – Syro

Best Dance Recording
Clean Bandit Featuring Jess Glynne – “Rather Be”

Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media 
Frozen
Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Tom MacDougall & Chris Montan, compilation producers

Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media 
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Alexandre Desplat, composer

Best Song Written for Visual Media
“Let It Go” from Frozen
Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, songwriters (Idina Menzel)

Best Country Album 
Miranda Lambert – Platinum

Best Country Solo Performance 
Carrie Underwood – “Something In The Water”

Best Country Duo/Group Performance
The Band Perry – “Gentle On My Mind”

Best Country Song
“I’m Not Gonna Miss You”
Glen Campbell & Julian Raymond, songwriters (Glen Campbell)

Best Bluegrass Album
The Earls Of Leicester – The Earls Of Leicester

Best American Roots Performance
Rosanne Cash – “A Feather’s Not A Bird”

Best American Roots Song 
Rosanne Cash – “A Feather’s Not A Bird”

Best Americana Album 
Rosanne Cash – The River & The Thread

Best Folk Album
Old Crow Medicine Show – Remedy

Best Music Video
Pharrell Williams – “Happy”

Best Music Film
20 Feet From Stardom
Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer & Judith Hill
Morgan Neville, video director; Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers, video producers
We Are From LA, video director; Kathleen Heffernan, Solal Micenmacher, Jett Steiger, video producers

Producer of the Year, Non-Classical 
Max Martin
“Bang Bang” (Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj)
“Break Free” (Ariana Grande Featuring Zedd)
“Dark Horse” (Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J)
“Problem” (Ariana Grande Featuring Iggy Azalea)
“Shake It Off” (Taylor Swift)
“Unconditionally” (Katy Perry)

Best Instrumental Composition 
John Williams – “The Book Thief”

Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella
Pentatonix – “Daft Punk”

Best Arrangement, Instrumental and Vocals
Billy Childs – “New York Tendaberry”

Best Recording Package 
Jeff Ament, Don Pendleton, Joe Spix & Jerome Turner, art directors
Pearl Jam – Lightning Bolt

Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package 
Susan Archie, Dean Blackwood & Jack White, art directors
The Rise & Fall Of Paramount Records, Volume One (1917-27)

Best Album Notes
Ashley Kahn
John Coltrane – Offering: Live At Temple University

Best Historical Album
Colin Escott & Cheryl Pawelski, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer
Hank Williams – The Garden Spot Programs, 1950

Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical 
Beck – Morning Phase
Tom Elmhirst, David Greenbaum, Florian Lagatta, Cole Marsden Greif-Neill, Robbie Nelson, Darrell Thorp, Cassidy Turbin & Joe Visciano, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical
Tijs Michiel Verwest, remixer
John Legend – “All Of Me (Tiesto’s Birthday Treatment Remix)”

Best Surround Sound Album
Beyoncé – Beyoncé
Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering engineer; Beyoncé Knowles, surround producer

Best Regional Roots Music Album
Jo-El Sonnier – The Legacy

Best Reggae Album
Ziggy Marley – Fly Rasta

Best World Music Album
Angelique Kidjo – Eve

Best Children’s Album
Neela Vaswani – I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up For Education And Changed The World (Malala Yousafzai)

Best Musical Theatre Album
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
Jessie Mueller, principal soloist; Jason Howland, Steve Sidwell & Billy Jay Stein, producers (Carole King, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)

Best Blues Album
Johnny Winter – Step Back

Best Spoken Word Album
Joan Rivers – Diary Of A Mad Diva

Best Comedy Album
“Weird Al” Yankovic – Mandatory Fun

Best New Age Album
Ricky Kej & Wouter Kellerman – Winds Of Samsara

Best Improved Jazz Solo
Chick Corea – “Fingerprints”

Best Jazz Vocal Album
Dianne Reeves – Beautiful Life

Best Jazz Instrumental Album 
Chick Corea Trio – Trilogy

Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album 
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band – Life In The Bubble

Best Latin Jazz Album
Arturo O’Farrill & The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra – The Offense Of The Drum