The Zamfara State Chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has extended an open invitation to Governor Dauda Lawal and other credible politicians in the state to join the party ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with newsmen in Gusau on Friday, the State Chairman of ADC, Kabiru Garba, disclosed that the party had already received over 100 new members from various political parties in the last ten days, describing the defections as a major boost to the party’s strength and credibility.
“As I am speaking now, over 100 members from various political parties have so far defected to the ADC in Zamfara within the last ten days,” Garba said.
He expressed optimism that more politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would soon join the ADC fold in Zamfara, emphasising that the party is open to all who possess political integrity and a commitment to good governance.
“We are appealing to credible politicians who have a good record of political integrity to join the ADC. All we need is credibility,” he added.
Garba affirmed that the ADC leadership in the state remained solid and prepared to lead the party to victory in the upcoming election cycle. He said the party’s structure and manifesto are well-positioned to address the developmental needs of Zamfara State and Nigeria at large.
“We are ready to lead this party to success in 2027. We are capable, and our party’s manifesto is tailored toward the development of Zamfara and the nation as a whole. ”
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The ADC chairman described the party as a welcoming platform for all leaders who are focused on positive change.
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA) has disbursed over ₦38 million as relief support to 28 victims affected by separate fire incidents in Minna, the state capital, in 2024.
The Director General of NSEMA, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, disclosed this during the symbolic presentation of cheques to some beneficiaries at the agency’s headquarters in Minna. Others, he said, will receive their payments electronically.
Baba-Arah conveyed Governor Umaru Bago’s heartfelt sympathy to the victims and advised residents to take fire safety precautions seriously by switching off all electrical appliances when leaving homes or business premises.
The DG explained that the fire outbreaks occurred at three locations across Minna: Tunga Locust, where several shops were razed in an incident on February 9, 2024; Maitumbi, where a residential house was destroyed by fire, resulting in significant property loss; and Chanchaga, where a single victim was affected.
He added that Governor Bago has approved the disbursement of 25% of the total estimated losses to both landlords and tenants — a significant improvement from the 10-15% compensation practised in previous administrations.
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One of the beneficiaries, Mahmoud Mohammed, a landlord at Tunga Locust, expressed deep gratitude to the state government, commending the governor’s empathy and timely intervention.
Additionally, another beneficiary, Juliet Nwabuze, expressed that she was overwhelmed with joy.
“We are truly grateful to the governor. I had already lost hope, especially when I remembered how my friend lost everything to fire during the last administration and received nothing in return,” she said.
Stories about Liam and Noel have been circulating online as their Oasis Live ’25 tour kicked off in Cardiff, and one fan shared an Oasis story which they claimed was the ‘best of all time’
Noel tormented Liam with the cheeky prank(Image: Getty Images)
Noel Gallagher is known for his dry sense of humour, however some Oasis fans are only just finding out about a cheeky prank the musician played on his brother Liam Gallagher for years.
Stories about Liam and Noel have been circulating online as their Oasis Live ’25 tour kicked off in Cardiff last night (Friday July 4), and one fan shared an Oasis story on X which they claimed was the ‘best of all time’.
The fan, named Paul, shared a screenshot from an article which revealed Noel spent years moving furniture around to ‘make Liam believe in ghosts’.
Captioning the post, Paul said: “Fairly certain that no Oasis story will ever be better than this. “
The Vice article referenced a story from The Mirror back in 2016. It reported that Noel had decided to play the prank on Liam and have ‘decades of fun’ as Liam is ‘terrified of evil spirits’.
Noel recalled at the time: “It’s highly amusing and if we were ever anywhere remotely spooky, we’d tell Liam that the house was haunted, particularly his bedroom.
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“We convinced him his bedroom was haunted, so when he’d get up in the morning and go and have his breakfast, someone would go in and turn the pictures back to front, or f***ing move a lamp beside his bed across the other side of the room.
“He’d arrive pale: ‘Have you been in my f***ing room? ’ ‘No, why? ’ ‘You’ve been in my room, because now the f***ing lamp is in the toilet. ’ ‘No way, f***ing hell. Wow. ’
“Yeah, that was amusing. That was worth it. ”
The X post about the story has gone viral in the last few days, racking up more than 600,000 views.
Liam and Noel performing during the opening night of their Live 25′ Tour at Principality Stadium in Cardiff(Image: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
One person called the tale “so good”, while another quipped: “The things people do to keep their spirits up! “
A third chimed in: “It’s just the sort of thing an older sibling would do! “
Noel and Liam’s first show at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium saw the pair out on stage together after ending a row which has lasted over a decade.
The brothers, from Manchester, came out to a roaring crowd and walked to the stage with their song “F**king in the Bushes” playing. They then performed their hit “Hello,” a thousands of pints were thrown into the air by fans.
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Oasis played some of their biggest hits from the show, with the tour setlist featuring tracks such as Acquiesce, Morning Glory, Some Might Say, Bring It On Down, Cigarettes & Alcohol and Live Forever.
Joe Burns says Italy’s cricketers have the chance to “create a legacy” as he attempts to guide the European nation to their first ever World Cup.
Opening batter Burns, 35, made four centuries in 23 Tests for Australia between 2014 and 2020 but made himself available to play for Italy last year, qualifying through his grandparents.
He has since been appointed captain of Italy, who will battle it out with Guernsey, Jersey, Scotland and the Netherlands in a European regional qualifier for next year’s 2026 T20 World Cup.
The two teams who finish top of the round-robin tournament held in the Hague between 5 to 11 July will qualify for the event in India and Sri Lanka.
“We’re very confident that if we play to our best, we’ll be going to a World Cup,” Burns told BBC Sport.
“It’s not lost on us the magnitude of the impact we can have on Italian cricket. We talk a lot as a team about creating a legacy for the generations to come after us.
“To wear the Italian cap at a World Cup would make us a groundbreaking team. And we think we’ve got the team to get there. “
The first recorded game in Italy was played in Naples in 1793 by sailors from the fleet of Lord Nelson, and today there are more than 3,500 competitive players and in excess of 100 clubs.
They are currently 32nd in the International Cricket Council world rankings but do not have any proper turf pitches.
Italy’s squad have prepared for the tournament with a short training camp in Rome, some friendlies on grass in Horsham before warm-up games in the Netherlands.
Burns said there is a “huge opportunity” for cricket, and T20 in particular, to really grow in Italy and qualifying for the T20 World Cup could prove to be a major catalyst.
“I feel like Associate cricket is very much the grassroots of international cricket,” Burns added.
“But I really think that in 30, 40 or 50 years from now, Italy could be a massive player in world cricket.
‘Nonna would be very proud’
Morris Paganotti
Burns’ desire to play for Italy has allowed him to connect with his heritage.
His grandfather was an Italian POW, who left the country with his wife in the years which followed the Second World War.
They hailed from a small town in the commune of Delianuova, in Calabria, in the ‘toe’ of southwest Italy.
His mother – Grazia – was born in Brisbane but Burns says he always “felt Italian” growing up with memories of attending church, following Serie A and special afternoon lunches on Sundays.
“I grew up with Italian traditions and that Italian connection,” Burns said.
“So it’s nice to, I guess, combine the two loves of family and cricket and be able to play on the world stage. I’m at in this stage of my career, it’s really reinvigorating for the love of the game. “
Burns has quietly followed the cricket fortunes of Azzurri for a long time, and first made contact with the Federazione Cricket Italiana in 2009.
His grandfather passed away before he was born but his late grandmother did see him play international cricket.
He continued: “I remember my ‘nonna’ watching when I played for Australia, and she was always asking my mum what was going on and asking why I was hitting the ball in the air when I was nicking it to the slips!
“I’m sure she’s looking on very proudly now I’m playing for Italy. I hope the Italian cricket team is a bit of a beacon for Italians around the world. “
One of the main reasons Burns decided to play for Italy was in tribute to his brother, Dominic, who passed away last year.
“Really, it’s my two life communities that are helping me and my family through a tough time,” he said.
Oasis ticket prices have dropped to a jaw-dropping £72 for their Cardiff seats as more tickets are issued to allow fans to witness the Gallagher brothers reunite
Oasis tickets are now on sale at a staggeringly low price(Image: PA)
The long awaited reunion of Oasis has kept fans on the edge of their seats since the announcement was made last year. Many at the time complained that tickets to the UK leg of their world tour were hard to come by due to issues with ticket sales website, or in fact the price was too high.
But now fans who missed on tickets now have the opportunity to watch their favourite band on stage for a fraction of the price.
Tickets for their Cardiff gig tonight, held at the Principality Stadium, have now been dropped to £72. 15 for tonight’s show on the resale site Twickets.
And this is for U34 Row 32. This was noticed when the filters for the price section of the website changed to “low to high”.
Oasis finally reunited on stage last night in Cardiff(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
It comes after Liam shouted out to the crowd at last night’s show in Cardiff: “Are you having a good time? Is it worth the £40,000 you paid for a ticket?”
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The rock band who took the nineties by storm with hits including Wonderwall, kick started their reunion tour Oasis Live ’25 in Cardiff.
This is the first location of many as they then make their way around the rest of the UK and the world.
Liam and Noel Gallagher were last seen on stage together 16 years ago before their well publicised fall out which resulted in the brothers not speaking to each other for many years.
But it looks as though the hatchet has been well and truly buried as the brothers came out on stage last night (July 4) hand in hand.
The pair treated fans to their iconic hits including Supersonic and Champagne Supernova.
Other UK cities on their tour list include Manchester Edinburgh, London and Dublin.
Noel Gallagher on stage performing the band’s legendary hits(Image: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
And as a nod to the iconic rock and roll group, the city of Cardiff have made a special effort to embrace the spirit of the group by laying on a number of Oasis themed treats.
Doughtnut brand WhoCult have provided residents and fans with Oasis Doughnuts at Digsy’s Dinner.
Health food shop Holland & Barrett have been offering free Kombucha to residents and Pizza Express have been running a limited edition Oasis inspired menu.
At the time of their reunion announcement it was uncertain whether the brothers would repeat old habits and lock horns once again, ahead of the Cardiff concert.
But according to body language expert Judi James, they appeared in harmony and put on a united front.
She told The Mirror: “It was really enough to see them on the same planet, in the same vicinity or on the same stage and getting through their set without anyone walking off.”
She added: “But they gave the fans a celebratory ritual that almost suggested an air of sibling peace and harmony, walking out with their arms raised together in acknowledgment. Analysis of the ritual is fascinating. It’s Liam who has grabbed Noel’s wrist to raise their arms, suggesting he’s the one wanting to push the idea that they’re reunited for real. “
Judi then explained: “He also places a confident and controlling hand onto Noel’s shoulder, raising his maracas in the air in what looks like a V sign to signal victory. “
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The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has vowed to resist any attempt by the National Assembly to remove labour matters — including the minimum wage — from the exclusive legislative list of the Federal Government to the concurrent list, where individual states would determine their workers’ wages.
NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, issued the warning on Friday during the National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the Central Working Committee held in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
Describing the move as “an exercise in futility”, Ajaero argued that the issue of minimum wage is treated globally as a national matter in line with International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, which regard member countries as entities, not sub-national units such as states.
He alleged that the plan by lawmakers was a calculated attempt to “bastardise” the national minimum wage structure and shift other labour-related responsibilities to the states, including the establishment of state industrial courts that would independently handle wage disputes — a move he said violates ILO principles.
“The National Assembly should not go into this exercise in futility unless members will also allow their respective states to determine their wages.
“If they attempt to smuggle labour matters into the concurrent list, we will mobilise workers to protest against it, even up to election day,” the labour leader said.
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Speaking later with journalists, the NLC President reaffirmed that organised labour would firmly oppose any effort to undermine the minimum wage, calling on lawmakers to uphold justice and protect the interests of the citizens they represent.
“All over the world, there is a minimum wage for the protection of workers. In Nigeria, there is legislation for a minimum wage of ₦70,000. The law permits states to pay more than that, and in fact, many states currently pay above the minimum wage,” he said.
Ajaero insisted that states must not be allowed to determine minimum wages independently, warning that such a move would endanger the welfare of average workers across the federation.
He also clarified that the NLC leadership was not aware of any state that had refused to pay the newly approved minimum wage.