Author: damazah@gmail.com

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Cross River, Arthur Archibong, has accepted Gov. Bassey Otu’s challenge to an open debate. Archibong said he was ready to debate Otu at any time and venue the governor chose, provided Otu attended personally. The candidate spoke with journalists in Calabar on Tuesday, responding to a challenge issued by the state Commissioner for Information, Ekpenyong Cobham. “I am willing to honour the challenge to a debate, on one condition: that Gov. Bassey Otu will be there in person. “The people deserve to hear directly from those seeking to lead them, not from…

The Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) has revealed that more than two million Nigerians are living with avoidable blindness, largely caused by cataracts. The vice-president of the OSN, Abubakar Rafindadi, a professor, disclosed this on Wednesday at a press briefing ahead of the 51st Annual General Meeting and Annual Scientific Conference, Abuja ASO 2026, scheduled for 2 to 4 September in Abuja. Mr Rafindadi said that despite ongoing efforts to tackle avoidable blindness, the country has not attained the cataract surgical rates required to reduce the burden significantly. “The statistics have not changed dramatically. We are still fighting a heavy…

Condolences have continued to pour in following the death of veteran journalist and publisher of The Eagle Online, Dotun Oladipo, with colleagues, professional bodies and associates describing him as a committed journalist who contributed to the growth of Nigeria’s media industry. Mr Oladipo died on Tuesday in Lagos, aged 56. Among those who have mourned him is S.K. Usman, a retired brigadier general and former Director of Army Public Relations, who described the late journalist as a close friend, dependable professional and trusted colleague. In a condolence message issued on Wednesday, Mr Usman said Mr Oladipo’s death was particularly painful…

Savio grabbed a goal and assist on a dream debut as Tottenham thrashed Charlton to progress into the third round of the Carabao Cup.The Brazilian, signed from Man City for £85m on Tuesday, was introduced as a second-half substitute and took just 11 minutes to open his account, adding to the hype surrounding his arrival in north London. Roberto De Zerbi named a strong side to face the Championship opposition, with many senior names included in the starting XI after Spurs’ dreadfully disappointing defeat to Brentford in their Premier League opener. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video…

Selena Gomez is pushing back against accusations that she defrauded investors behind the mental health startup Wondermind. About two weeks prior, Gomez, her mother Mandy Teefey, and The Newsette founder, Daniella Pierson, were sued by investors who claim they pumped nearly $1.2 million into Wondermind, which launched in 2021, and were fed false promises about the company’s infrastructure, leadership, and resources as the company collapsed. The trio, who founded the startup, were sued for securities fraud, common law fraud, and breach of contract.  On Wednesday, lawyers for Gomez filed a motion to dismiss the artist from the suit, and said she should…

Felix Omoh-Asun in Benin Edo State Government has offered reason why it secured a 10 per cent equity stake in a 200-megawatt Independent Power Plant (IPP). The plant is being developed by Edo North Electricity Company Limited as part of efforts to improve power supply in the state. The Commissioner for Power, Hon. Paul Usenbo, who disclosed this after the company received its licence, said the commitment to addressing the state’s power challenges in the state prompted the action to buy stake in the plant. He described the development as a major milestone for the project. He said the company…

Her persistent effort to establish herself and her art as an international brand paid off. In the 21st century, as Japanese contemporary art and popular culture gained global attention, interest in her work soared, as did prices for it. She herself referred to the phenomenon as “Kusamania.”When one of her 1960 “Infinity Net” paintings sold for $7.1 million at Christie’s in 2014, it was the most expensive work by a living female artist ever bought at auction. She was represented by David Zwirner Gallery in New York.In recent years, Ms. Kusama made lucrative arrangements to endorse commercial products, from cosmetics…

Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.A Singapore-based activist fund has offered to take over a Samsung affiliate, arguing its shares are undervalued, in the first big test of South Korea’s new shareholder protection rules.Flashlight Capital Partners sent a letter to five Samsung Group units on Thursday, offering to buy their combined 20.6 per cent stake in S-1 Corporation, South Korea’s largest security services provider, for Won906.6bn ($655mn).The offer, which would give Flashlight control over management of the company, is the first takeover bid for a Samsung affiliate…

It’s said celebrity deaths come in threes. We lost Sam Neill last month, and the legendary Dolly Parton yesterday. Now we find out that the universe has also seen fit to deprive us of the glorious presence of Tim Curry, who died at home yesterday in Los Angeles at the age of 80. No cause of death has been given, but Curry had been in ill health since 2012, when he suffered a stroke and required brain surgery; he had been confined to a wheelchair ever since. Curry’s longtime friend and manager, Marcia Hurwitz, confirmed the actor’s passing to Deadline…

•If you want to lead Nigeria, your past must be clear — ACF •It’s right, proper to bare your life journey — PANDEF •Contestants must present scorecards, not promises — MBF •Background checks raise moral issues, but law remains supreme — Afenifere By Dapo Akinrefon, Samuel Oyadongha, Peter Duru and Juliet Umeh LAGOS — Ahead of the 2027 general elections, prominent socio-political organisations, yesterday, threw their weight behind calls for presidential candidates and other politicians seeking elective offices to open up their pasts for public scrutiny, saying Nigerians had a right to know the antecedents, educational background, integrity and track…