Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina has described as a `misquote’ the report that President Muhammadu Buhari had pledged only one term presidency and will never seek re-election in view of his age status.

President Buhari, 75, had on Monday shortly before he left for London, declared his intention to run for presidential election in 2019.

Adesina, who is the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity and currently on the entourage of the president to London, was reacting to a contributor on Channel television programme via Skype, on Tuesday.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/10/buhari-misquoted-on-one-term-presidency-adesina/

Kostas Manolas sent Roma through to the semi-finals of the Champions League after an incredible 3-0 victory over Barcelona at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday saw them overhaul a 4-1 first-leg deficit and advance on away goals.

The superb Edin Dzeko set the ball rolling in the sixth minute, and after Daniele De Rossi converted a penalty 13 minutes after the break to get the home fans believing, Manolas glanced home a brilliant header with eight minutes left to send the Roma supporters into raptures and leave Barca wondering what had hit them.

Just as they were at the Camp Nou, Roma were aggressive from the off, and Dzeko gave the home side a deserved lead after just six minutes, brilliantly bringing down De Rossi’s clipped through ball, holding off Samuel Umtiti and poking the ball past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/10/breaking-roma-send-barca-out-after-miracle-comeback/

Anthony Joshua wants to face fellow unbeaten world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder next, rather than Alexander Povetkin, the British boxer told the BBC on Tuesday.

Joshua unified the World Boxing Association, International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Organisation heavyweight titles by outpointing New Zealand’s Joseph Parker in Cardiff on March 31.

Immediately afterwards, he called out Wilder, the American who holds the World Boxing Council’s heavyweight belt.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/10/unification-bout-anthony-joshua-eager-to-face-wilder/

Chelsea have been warned that they are “in danger of becoming another Arsenal”, with Paul Merson seeing similarities between the struggles in north and west London.

The outspoken former Gunners star has not been shy when it comes to offering an opinion on goings on at Emirates Stadium, with Arsene Wenger’s side considered to have regressed as they face the threat of missing out on Champions League football in successive seasons.

Rivals at Stamford Bridge are also in danger of missing out on a top-four finish, a year on from being crowned Premier League champions.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/08/paul-merson-chelsea-in-danger-of-becoming-another-arsenal/

Barcelona equaled the Spanish top flight record of 38 successive games without defeat following their 3-1 La Liga win over Leganes on Saturday.

By the victory, the Catalan side have matched Real Sociedad’s unbeaten run between 1979 and 1980.

La Liga top scorer Lionel Messi struck a hat-trick for the runaway leaders. Barca’s last defeat in the league was a 2-0 loss at Malaga on April 8, 2017.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/08/barcelona-equal-la-liga-record-of-38-games-without-defeat/

Gareth Bale was unhappy after being left on the bench at Juventus in midweek, according to Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane.

Bale’s dream first season in the Spanish capital in 2013/14 ended with a Champions League final win – in which he scored – but in the past two campaigns, injuries have not helped the Welshman’s progression at the Bernabeu.

However, a clean bill of health since December has not been rewarded with appearances, and Bale did not even celebrate Cristiano Ronaldo’s stunning overhead kick in Turin.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/07/zinedine-zidane-gareth-bale-unhappy-after-champions-league-snub-against-juventus/

Paul Pogba still needs to mature in order to reach the level of Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, according to Steve McClaren.

De Bruyne has been far more productive than the Frenchman this season, helping City extend a clear advantage in the race for the Premier League title, which they can clinch with a win over Manchester United on Saturday.

Pogba, who has come under criticism on a couple of occasions for his performance levels at United, has created 65 fewer chances for his side than his Belgian rival, who has played 11 games more.


Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/06/steve-mcclaren-paul-pogba-less-mature-than-kevin-de-bruyne/

The Peoples Democratic Party alleged in Abuja on Thursday, that the All Progressives Congress and cabal in the presidency had turned “the National Health Insurance Scheme into their Automated Teller Machine where funds are taken at their conveniences.”

The party said the nation had yet to recover from past revelations of an alleged withdrawal of N10bn when an alleged fresh plot by the Federal Government to loot another N25bn from the coffers of the scheme was exposed.

It said that Nigerians were still lamenting the N10bn stolen earlier from the agency’s savings in the Treasury Single Account by the cabal in the presidency.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/06/pdp-federal-government-has-turned-nhis-into-atm/

Former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Onaiyekan, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and stakeholders from civil society organisations yesterday in Abuja expressed concern over the nation’s 2019 election and disturbances across the country.
The stakeholders were worried that the atmosphere of do or die politics and weak electoral institutions could affect the forthcoming election.

At a consultative meeting championed by the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), West Africa Network for Peace (WANEP) and Working Group on Peace and Good Governance, the elder statesmen also expressed deep concern over the growing insecurity across the country.

Read More: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/06/jega-gambari-onaiyekan-others-raise-concern-over-2019-election/

The Peoples Democratic Party has called on Nigerians to resist the attempt by the presidency to take $1bn from the national coffers under the guise of financing the military.

The Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, had told State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday that Buhari had approved the purchase of equipment worth $1bn for the military.

The minister was silent on the source of the money.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/06/1bn-equipment-fund-meant-for-apc-campaign-not-military-pdp-alleges/

Arsenal took a giant step towards reaching the Europa League semi-finals after a 4-1 rout of CSKA Moscow and Atletico Madrid did the same with a 2-0 home win over Sporting Lisbon on Thursday.

Lazio also stayed on course to progress after an action-packed 4-2 home win over Salzburg in their quarter-final first leg and upstarts RB Leipzig will head to Olympique de Marseille with a 1-0 advantage.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey and France striker Alexandre Lacazette scored two goals each in a blistering first half for Arsenal, cancelling out a superb free kick by CSKA’s Aleksandr Golovin at the Emirates stadium.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/05/arsenal-atletico-move-near-europa-league-semi-finals/

The National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress said it would take a final decision on the party’s executives’ tenure extension on Monday.
The National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, announced this on Wednesday in Abuja at the end of a three-hour meeting between governors elected on the party’s platform and the National Working Committee.
The party had on Tuesday constituted a 10-member technical committee headed by Governor Simon Dalung of Plateau State to advice its leadership on the way forward on the tenure issue.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/05/tenure-extension-apc-fixes-date-for-odigie-oyegun-others-to-know-fate/

FC Barcelona has capitalised on two disastrous own goals of AS Roma to thrash the Italian side 4-1 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday.

The victory helped them to take a huge step towards reaching the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time in three years.

Roma’s captain Daniele De Rossi hit an unstoppable shot into his own net to break the deadlock in the 38th minute of what had been a delicately poised first leg.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/05/fc-barcelona-secure-big-win-against-roma/

Real Madrid forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has broken yet another record with his first goal in their Champions League quarter-final clash with Juventus on Tuesday.

Some poor defending from Juve in only the 3rd minute allowed Isco acres of space on the left flank and the Spaniard put the ball for Ronaldo in the box.

The Portugal’s captain’s goal means he becomes the first player in the history of the Champions League to score in ten consecutive games in the competition.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/04/champions-league-ronaldo-breaks-record-with-goal-against-juventus/

Juventus legend, Alessandro del Piero has warned Real Madrid ahead of Tuesday night’s UEFA Champions League first leg quarter-finals clash in Turin.

Del Piero said Juventus have improved as a team since losing the Champions League final 4-1 to Real Madrid last season.

The two sides will renew their rivalry in the Champions League quarter-finals tonight, with the Serie A champions attempting to beat the Los Blancos after their humbling in last year’s showpiece at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/03/champions-league-del-piero-warns-real-madrid-says-juventus-are-stronger-than-last-season/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday alleged that the presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) was using the recently released looters’ list to divert “public discourse from the raging questions on their numerous scandals, manifest sleazes and overall failures in governance.”

A statement by PDP’s spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan said the nation had now seen that the Federal Government had no case against the PDP, as the looters’ lists only had individuals who were not indicted or convicted for corruption.”

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/03/buhari-using-looters-list-to-divert-attention-from-his-many-scandals-pdp/

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has been ruled out of Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg tie against Liverpool at Anfield after failing to recover in time from a thigh injury.

The Argentine is City’s all-time top scorer having notched 199 goals in all competitions for the club.

“He has stayed in Manchester, he didn’t come,” City manager Pep Guardiola told a news conference ahead of training on Tuesday.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/03/aguero-ruled-out-of-man-city-liverpool-ucl-clash/

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has inaugurated a 10-member committee to examine the proposal by President Muhammadu Buhari that executive members of the party, from the national to the ward levels, should not be granted tenure extension.
Buhari had at the last National Executive Council meeting of the party said it was wrong to grant tenure extension to executives of the party.
This led to a sharp division within the ranks of the NEC members, resulting in a resolution to set up a Technical Committee to examine the issue.

Read more at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/04/03/odigie-oyegun-inaugurates-10-member-committee-on-buharis-no-tenure-extension/

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday said the latest report by Transparency International (TI) has shown that corruption has worsened under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

It stressed that the report has vindicated its stand that the current APC-led government is inherently and overtly corrupt.

The party said, by TI’s report, the African Union (AU) must have “realized its error in naming President Buhari as the African Union (AU) anti-corruption champion and should immediately withdraw the conferment”.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/22/transparency-internationals-report-has-exposed-buharis-govt-as-overtly-corrupt-pdp/

Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger, has revealed that Mesut Ozil’s immune system is “a bit in trouble”, after the German playmaker was again bedridden with illness this week.

Ozil will not be available for the Gunners’ Europa League fixture against Ostersunds on Thursday, after he spent Monday and Tuesday in bed.

It is the fourth time in little over a year that Ozil would be sick.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/22/arsenal-vs-ostersunds-wenger-reveals-why-ozil-always-takes-ill/

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as baseless allegations raised by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday accusing the opposition party of engaging in “destructive propaganda”.

PDP had expressed doubt over the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free and fair elections in 2019 and called for a review of the voters register in Kano and Katsina States to address alleged instances of the registration of underage voters in the recently conducted polls in the two northwestern states.

Reacting to the issues raised, the National Publicity Secretary of the ruling APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said that the PDP’s alerts to Nigerians contained wild and unsubstantiated allegations against the party, government and critical institutions as the INEC.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/21/pdp-engaging-in-destructive-propaganda-apc/

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero clashed with rival supporters as Wigan’s stunning FA Cup victory was marred by ugly scenes at the final whistle.

The Argentine appeared to lash out at a supporter during a pitch invasion after the Sky Bet League One club’s 1-0 win dumped the Premier League leaders out in the fifth round.

Objects including an advertising board were thrown at police and stewards from the end housing the away fans and Latics chairman David Sharpe has confirmed they will investigate what happened.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/20/wigan-to-probe-post-match-trouble-as-sergio-aguero-clashes-with-fans/

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has described Nigeria as a country with unquantifiable passion and love for football, and where football is more than a religion.

“I was told that in Nigeria football is passion, but it is a lie because it is more than that. In Nigeria I was told that football is love, but it is a lie it is more than that.

“In Nigeria, I was told that football is a religion, but it is a lie. It is more than that. In Nigeria, football is life,” he said in Lagos on Monday.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/20/football-is-life-in-nigeria-fifas-gianni-infantino/

Stefan de Vrij will not be returning to Lazio after his contract expires this summer, the Serie A club have confirmed.

The 26-year-old Netherlands international, who is a rumoured target of Manchester United, has been in negotiations with Lazio over a new deal but was unable to come to an agreement.

The club’s sporting director Igli Tare confirmed a breakdown in talks, with Lazio having pulled their final offer off the table.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/19/lazio-confirm-departure-of-manchester-united-target-stefan-de-vrij/

A faction of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Kaduna State, loyal to Governor Nasir el-Rufai, ‎on Monday overturned the six-month suspension slammed on him.

The governor was yesterday suspended for six months by the “Akida APC” faction of the party after a stakeholders’ meeting.

They accused the governor of “anti-party activities.”

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/19/apc-faction-overturns-gov-el-rufais-suspension/

A faction of the All Progressive Congress, APC, in Kaduna state has suspended the governor of the state, Nasir el-Rufai, for six months.

The governor’s suspension is coming three days after the faction, known as Kaduna Restoration Group, issued him a query and suspended three of his aides.

The party faction led by the Senator representing Kaduna North Central, Suleiman Hunkuyi, had accused El-Rufai of “anti- party activities and anti-human activities.The Senator said if El-Rufai did not respond to the query within 48 hours, “the state working committee will sit down and deliberate.”

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/18/apc-suspends-gov-el-rufai/

Former Military President, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, at the weekend charged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure that it provides the best option for Nigerians by adopting zero tolerance for imposition of any candidate during the party’s primary.

He however gave a pass mark on PDP’s opposition role in the polity, noting while many thought it could fit the part after many years as a ruling party, it has made the people the centre of their move to return to power.

Babangida who underscored the import of PDP’s visits to Benue, Taraba and Zamfara States which have been experiencing attacks added that the people will not forget the party because it was with them in time of sorrow.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/18/2019-general-babangida-tasks-pdp-on-providing-better-choice-for-nigerians/

FC Barcelona got back to winning ways on Saturday after two consecutive draws, with a 2-0 victory at Eibar, thanks to goals from Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba.
With the hard-fought victory, the Catalan side have now gone 10 points clear at the top of the Liga standings.
Suarez latched on to a pass from Lionel Messi to dribble round the home side’s goalkeeper and slot into an empty net in the 16th minute.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/18/la-liga-suarez-alba-strike-to-give-barca-win-at-stubborn-eibar/

Claude Puel insists the Riyad Mahrez saga was put to bed once and for all with the reception the midfielder received from the Leicester fans on Friday night during their 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the FA Cup.

Mahrez made his return to the starting line-up – and was back at the King Power Stadium – for the first time since going AWOL after the collapse of his proposed transfer to Manchester City.

The Algerian received warm applause from the home supporters when his name was announced before the FA Cup fifth-round tie, and a standing ovation when he was substituted late on.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/17/leicester-have-put-riyad-mahrez-saga-behind-them-claude-puel/

Former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has declared his support for the National Assembly on the re-ordering of the 2019 elections.
Jonathan said this on Friday during a meeting with the the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, and members of the party’s National Working Committee at the Jonathan Foundation in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
He said the new arrangement was in order and would go a long way in ensuring that more quality people are elected at all levels.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/17/order-of-polls-jonathan-backs-national-assembly-labels-apc-a-failure/

Roger Federer smashed his way into tennis history books on Friday, beating Dutch Robin Haase to reach the semi-finals of the Rotterdam Open.

More significant, he earned the needed points to topple Rafael Nadal

as the tennis world number one, becoming the oldest man, at 36, to reach tennis zenith.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/16/federer-makes-history-as-tennis-oldest-number-one/

Neymar’s father has labelled his son’s critics as “vultures”, following Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League defeat by Real Madrid.

The Brazil superstar set up Adrien Rabiot’s opener at the Bernabeu, but was largely ineffectual from there on, as he was outshone by Cristiano Ronaldo.

It led to criticism of the world’s most-expensive player, as the the Ligue 1 giants face a difficult battle to reach the last eight.

Read More at: http://www.newsbook.ng/2018/02/16/neymars-father-reveals-vultures-attacking-his-son/