It reportedly took the intervention of the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomole, a leader of the party, Bola Tinubu, and the national chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Balarabe Musa, to prevent Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, from defecting from the APC.

Until the eve of the defection day, Mr Sani was among aggrieved senators who were set to dump the party, it was learnt.

On Tuesday, 15 members of the ruling party changed allegiance, with 12 joining the PDP.

Read more at: https://www.thenewsbook.net/shehu-sani-asiwaju-tinubu-balarabe-musa-stopped-my-defection

Lionel Messi scores a hat-trick as Barcelona walloped Deportivo La Corona 4-2 to be crowned 2018 La Liga champions with four games to place.

It was not an easy win at the Riazor for the newly crowned champions, although they took a two-goal lead with Philippe Coutinho (7) and Messi (38) netting before Lucas Perez (40) deservedly pulled a goal back for Deportivo in the first half.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/29/messi-bags-hat-trick-as-barcelona-is-crowned-la-liga-champions/

Arsene Wenger was denied a point on his last visit to Old Trafford as Arsenal manager when Marouane Fellaini’s injury-time header snatched victory for Manchester United.

Wenger, warmly applauded by the home fans before kickoff, made eight changes from the side that drew with Atletico Madrid in the Europa League on Thursday as he looked ahead to the second leg next week.

The manager, fielding the youngest Arsenal team at Old Trafford since the one that was thrashed 8-2 in 2011, opted to give a debut to 20-year-old defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/29/late-manchester-united-goal-snatches-victory-in-arsene-wengers-old-trafford-farewell/

Rafael Nadal won his 11th Barcelona title on Sunday when he breezed past Greek teenager Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-1 in the final.

It was world number one Nadal’s 55th career clay-court title while he also extended his winning streak on the surface to 46 consecutive sets.

The 31-year-old Spaniard won his 11th Monte Carlo Masters last weekend also without dropping a set.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/29/breaking-rafael-nadal-cruises-to-11th-barcelona-title/

Carlo Ancelotti has turned down the offer to take over as Italy coach, according to press reports on Sunday.

Italy have been without a permanent coach since Gian Piero Ventura was sacked after the four-time champions failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 60 years after losing to Sweden in a two-legged playoff in November.

Ancelotti, who was sacked by Bayern Munich last September, had met with Italian Football Federation (FIGC) officials in Rome last week.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/29/carlo-ancelotti-turns-down-italy-coaching-job/

It is not a constitutional provision that one must visit the United States of America before becoming the president of Nigeria, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar , an aspirant, has said.

The Vice President from 1999 to 2007 told the BBC Hausa service that he could be Nigeria’s president without visiting the USA.

According to the Punch newspaper, Atiku stated this on Saturday during an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation Hausa Service.


Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/29/atiku-abubakar-nigerias-president-that-cannot-visit-u-s/

The ongoing process to recall Senator Dino Melaye has commenced with electorates showing reluctance to appear for verification.

As at 11:00am, DAILY POST correspondent, who visited some polling units in Lokoja, especially in Mopa, and Yagba East LGAs, reports that residents stayed away from the exercise.

At Amorley frontage, no electorate had appeared to be verified as of the time of this report.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/28/dino-melayes-recall-apathy-trails-exercise-in-kogi/

Arsene Wenger is unsure of the welcome he will receive on his final visit to Old Trafford as Arsenal boss on Sunday after many “great battles” against Manchester United during his two decades in charge.

The 68-year-old Frenchman, leaving the club at the end of the season, will bring a side that is a pale shadow of the team that challenged United’s Premier League dominance during his first decade in charge.

Wenger’s clashes with former United boss Alex Ferguson are the stuff of legend and his relationship with current Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has been laced with bitterness.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/28/arsene-wenger-set-for-old-trafford-farewell/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari for saying he will win the 2019 presidential election.

PDP said Buhari was “suffering from self-deception to think he can win the 2019 Presidential election, in spite of his abysmal performance and widespread rejection by Nigerians.”

Recall that Buhari had while speaking at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium in Bauchi, the Bauchi state capital, yesterday, expressed optimism that he will win the 2019 Presidential election.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/27/2019-presidency-stop-deceiving-yourself-you-cant-win-pdp-blasts-buhari/

The Supreme Court of Nigeria has ordered a speedy retrial of the case between NFF President Amaju Pinnick and embattled NFF Factional leader, Chris Giwa, at the Federal High Court Jos.

Delivering the judgment, the Supreme Court held that the Appeal Court which gave judgment in favour of Pinnick after the High Court ruling in 2015 which favoured Giwa, did not follow the principles of law.

It affirmed that it is only the High Court that can rule on the substantive case.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/27/nff-supreme-court-orders-retrial-of-giwa-pinnick-case/

Governor Peter Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a captured president who has been reduced to offering condolences to Nigerians slaughtered by herdsmen instead of taking firm action to stop the atrocities.
Reacting to the latest killings by Fulani herdsmen in Benue State, Fayose wondered why a retired Army General and one-time military Head of State who contested and won election on the premises of providing security to the citizens has suddenly become lame duck.
“This is a killer government,” the governor said, adding that it is shameful that Nigerians are dying daily with Buhari clueless and incompetent to handle the crisis.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/27/buhari-is-a-captured-president-fayose/

There is pressure on the President of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, to drop his 2019 presidential ambition, The Eagle Online has learnt.
This followed the emergence of fact that plans have been concluded to emasculate him by giving him the “Atiku treatment” and arresting his associates and aides by anti-graft agencies, especially the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Eagle Online was told that following the decision of Saraki to seek for the presidency in 2019 on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, foot soldiers of President

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/27/pressure-on-saraki-to-drop-presidential-bid-as-plans-heighten-to-arrest-him-his-aides-senators/

The chairman of All Progressives Congress, Borno State chapter, Ali Dolori, has described alleged defection of former factional chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to the APC, as “a rumour.”

He said said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, while reacting to the development.

“I want to assure you that the news remains a rumour, because somebody is only trying to fly a kite that is capable of causing confusion during the state congress.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/26/borno-apc-senator-sheriff-only-flying-a-kite/

Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal farewell started in the perfect manner as the Gunners scored three goals in seven second-half minutes to ease to victory against West Ham at the Emirates.

This was the first match since Wenger announced he would be leaving the club at the end of the season on Friday, after almost 22 years.

BBC reports that the victory was also the perfect warm-up to Thursday’s Europa League semi-final first leg against Atletico Madrid.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/22/arsenal-thrash-west-ham-4-1/

Chelsea booked an FA Cup final showdown with Manchester United as Olivier Giroud tormented Southampton again with a sublime strike in Sunday’s 2-0 win at Wembley.

Giroud has made a habit of scoring against Southampton and the France forward was their nemesis in a one-sided semi-final.

Opting to select Giroud instead of Alvaro Morata proved a shrewd move by Chelsea manager Antonio Conte as the former Arsenal star produced a tremendous piece of skill to break the deadlock early in the second half.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/22/chelsea-face-man-utd-in-fa-cup-final-as-giroud-sinks-saints/

Andres Iniesta hinted he may have played his last final for Barcelona after they crushed Sevilla 5-0 to win the Copa del Rey on Saturday.

Barcelona captain Iniesta said he would reveal his future plans “this week” as the 33-year-old weighs up an offer from China that would take him away from his boyhood club.

There was no sign of age catching up with the Spaniard at the Wanda Metropolitano where Iniesta capped a sublime performance by scoring Barca’s fourth goal.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/22/andres-iniesta-says-emotional-final-may-be-his-last-for-barcelona/

Patrick Vieira is flattered to be named among the potential candidates to succeed Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, but claims he is happy at New York City.

The Frenchman was an integral member of Wenger’s successful early teams at Highbury, winning three Premier League titles and three FA Cups between 1996 and 2005.

He later played for Juventus, Inter and Manchester City, and is now coaching the latter’s sister club in Major League Soccer.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/21/patrick-vieira-arsenal-links-good-for-my-ego/

Departing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has asked the club to hire Patrick Vieira as his replacement.

Wenger shocked the football world on Friday morning, when he announced he was stepping down as the Gunners boss after this season.

According to beIN Sports, the Frenchman has now recommended Vieira to be his successor, although the board is split on his advice.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/20/arsene-wenger-recommends-patrick-vieira-for-arsenal-managerial-post/

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero will be out of action for up to five weeks but he should be ready for the World Cup with Argentina, manager Pep Guardiola says.

The 29-year-old, who has scored 21 English Premier League goals for Manchester City this season, is recovering from knee surgery having not started a match for the last six weeks.

When asked on Friday if Aguero’s season with Manchester City was over, Guardiola said: “Here, yeah. It’s four or five weeks (out). We will try and get him ready for the World Cup.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/20/injured-aguero-should-be-ready-for-world-cup-guardiola/

Manchester United gave the perfect response to Jose Mourinho’s withering criticism as they got back on track with a 2-0 win against Bournemouth on Wednesday.

Goals from Chris Smalling and Romelu Lukaku sealed the points at Dean Court after Mourinho made seven changes in the aftermath of United’s shock defeat to struggling West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

That limp surrender had gifted the Premier League title to Manchester City, prompting Mourinho to accuse his players of complacency.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/18/epl-man-united-back-on-track-as-mourinho-wields-axe/

Newcastle United virtually guaranteed their Premier League safety as they came from a goal down to beat Arsenal 2-1 at a spring-like St James’ Park on Sunday.

Alexandre Lacazette’s stretching volley gave Arsenal the lead in the 14th minute but Ayoze Perez clipped in Newcastle’s equaliser on the half hour mark.

Newcastle were the better side after the break and took the lead in the 68th minute when Matt Ritchie fired home after a neat flick from Perez.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/15/newcastle-humble-arsenal-at-st-james-park/

Manchester City won the Premier League title as Manchester United’s shock 1-0 home defeat by West Brom confirmed their rivals as champions.

Second-place United are now 16 points behind Pep Guardiola’s side with only five games left to play.

It is City’s third title in seven seasons and a first under the Spaniard in his second campaign in charge.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/15/manchester-city-win-premier-league-as-manchester-united-lose-to-west-brom/

Spanish club FC Barcelona responded to their shock Champions League elimination to AS Roma by beating Valencia 2-1 in a La Liga encounter on Saturday at Nou Camp.

By the victory, the Catalans set a Liga record run of 39 games unbeaten and taking them ever closer to another title.

Luis Suarez gave Barca the lead after a quarter of an hour by meeting a delicious outside-of-the-foot pass from former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho, scoring with one touch from close range.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/14/barca-extend-unbeaten-la-liga-record-with-valencia-defeat/

Pep Guardiola has made the extraordinary suggestion that Manchester City could suffer a stunning Premier League title collapse.

“Of course it can happen, I assure you,” said Guardiola.

Guardiola is concerned about the psychological effect that three defeats in a week might have on his players as they look to secure the trophy.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/14/guardiola-fears-manchester-city-could-lose-title/

Manchester United may wonder which Paul Pogba is going to turn up when struggling West Bromwich Albion visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.

Will it be the player who has disappointed for much of the season, or the one who lived up to his £89 million ($126 million) price tag for once with a match-changing second-half display against Manchester City last weekend.

Pogba scored twice in three minutes at the Etihad Stadium as United turned a two-goal deficit into a 3-2 victory, and in doing so forced their rivals to wait a little longer to secure the Premier League title.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/14/paul-pogba-issue-hanging-over-manchester-united/

Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool stars that Roma’s epic comeback against Barcelona proves the Italian club shouldn’t be underestimated when they clash in the Champions League semi-finals.

Klopp could have been forgiven for feeling relieved that Liverpool avoided holders Real Madrid and formidable German champions Bayern Munich in Friday’s draw.

But the Liverpool manager insists Roma will present a formidable barrier to his team’s bid to reach the Champions League final for the first time since 2007.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/13/champions-league-semis-dont-take-roma-for-granted-warns-klopp/

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has urged Nigerians to prevail on the national assembly to override President Muhammadu Buhari’s veto on the 2010 electoral act amendment bill

He said the bill will guarantee a free, fair and credible electoral system.

The governor made the call on Thursday while declaring open the 2018 annual Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) section on Legal Practice Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/13/ask-national-assembly-to-override-president-buharis-veto-on-election-reordering-governor-wike-tells-nigerians/

Massimiliano Allegri warned that Juventus will unleash fury in their quest for a seventh straight Serie A title after another shattered Champions League dream.

“We start again with our heads high, even very high,” said coach Allegri after the bitter disappointment of winning 3-1 on the night at Real Madrid only to lose their quarter-final 4-3 on aggregate, after Cristiano Ronaldo’s 97th-minute penalty.

“There’s no use crying about it. We’re disappointed but we need to get that out of our system because we’re back in league action on Sunday

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/13/juventus-set-to-unleash-fury-on-seventh-straight-title-bid/

The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said, yesterday, that there was a plot by the Federal Government to foist a one-party system on Nigerians.

To achieve this, the party said government had hatched a plot to humiliate and intimidate its members, including the Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, and some governors elected on its platform.

Addressing a press conference at Wadata Plaza, Abuja, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said All Progressives Congress, APC-led government was leading the onslaught against some highly-placed PDP members, using state power to achieve its aim.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/12/federal-government-plotting-to-foist-one-party-system-on-nigerians-pdp/

Cristiano Ronaldo insists Juventus should have no complaints about the dramatic late penalty he scored to send Real Madrid into the Champions League semi-finals.

Ronaldo held his nerve at the Santiago Bernabeu to score and seal a 4-3 aggregate triumph for Real after Juve had staged a sensational comeback to lead 3-0 on Wednesday and draw the tie level.

Mario Mandzukic headed home twice in the first half before Blaise Matuidi capitalised on an error from Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas to keep the Italians’ dream alive.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/12/ronaldo-dismisses-juventus-protests-as-real-madrid-survive-champions-league-scare/

The Ogun State governor, Sen. Ibikunle Amosun, has declared that his successor would be a woman and ‘a whiz kid’.

The Governor’s declaration apparently shocked members of his cabinet who were with him at a World Press conference to herald the 3rd African Drum Festival at MITROS Suites and residences, Ibara GRA, Abeokuta.

Amosun, who was fielding questions from newsmen on the sustainability of the Drum Festival after his tenure ends next year, assured that his choice of replacement would be “a whiz kid, who will surpass him in all ramifications.”

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/11/2019-a-woman-will-succeed-me-governor-amosun/

Jurgen Klopp insisted his Liverpool side overcame the best team in the world after second-half goals from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino sealed an authoritative Champions League quarter-final win against Manchester City.

Needing a considerable feat of escapology following last week’s 3-0 first-leg defeat at Anfield, City led inside two minutes through Gabriel Jesus as the “thunderstorm” Klopp foresaw in his pre-match news conference came to pass.

Bernardo Silva hit the post and Leroy Sane had a goal incorrectly ruled out for offside but Liverpool held out, leaving Salah and Firmino to clinically punish a flagging City after the break.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/11/jurgen-klopp-hails-liverpool-for-beating-best-in-the-world-manchester-city/