Liverpool manager Arne Slot will be absent from the touchline for Wednesday’s home game against Newcastle after receiving a two-match suspension and a substantial fine for his conduct during the Merseyside derby.

The chaotic scenes unfolded after James Tarkowski scored a stoppage-time equalizer in Everton’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Goodison Park on February 12.

Following the final whistle, referee Michael Oliver sent off Slot, his assistant Sipke Hulshoff, Liverpool’s Curtis Jones, and Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure.

On Wednesday, the FA announced that an independent regulatory commission had sanctioned Everton, Liverpool, Slot, and Hulshoff.

“It was alleged that the Liverpool head coach acted improperly and/or used insulting or abusive language and behavior towards both the match referee and an assistant referee after the game,” the FA statement read.

“Arne Slot admitted the charge, and the Regulatory Commission imposed a two-match touchline suspension and a £70,000 ($89,000) fine.”

Additionally, Everton and Liverpool were fined £65,000 and £50,000, respectively.

Slot and Hulshoff were both dismissed after confronting Oliver following the match. Speaking at a press conference two days later, Slot admitted he had let his emotions get the best of him and acknowledged he had made the wrong decision.

“I should have handled things differently after the game, but football is an emotional sport, and sometimes people make mistakes—that’s exactly what I did,” the Dutch coach stated.

Jones and Doucoure were involved in a confrontation after the Everton midfielder celebrated in front of Liverpool supporters, prompting Jones to react before players and staff from both teams intervened.

Slot will be watching from the stands for Wednesday’s game against Newcastle, as well as Liverpool’s home match against Southampton on March 8.

However, the ban only applies to domestic fixtures, meaning he will be allowed on the touchline when Liverpool face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last-16 first leg on March 5 and during the League Cup final against Newcastle at Wembley on March 16.

Currently leading the Premier League, Liverpool hold an 11-point advantage over second-placed Arsenal and are strong contenders to claim their 20th English top-flight title.

Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has revealed that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), under his leadership, inherited a debt of N8.9 billion.

Speaking at the ongoing National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja, Ganduje explained that the debt resulted from expenses related to pre-election legal disputes, election cases, and appeals for legislative, governorship, and presidential elections.

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“The current NWC inherited debts and legal liabilities amounting to N8,987,874,663 due to various legal engagements,” he stated.

He added that the National Legal Adviser, Prof. Abdul Kareem Kana (SAN), has been making efforts to reduce the financial burden.

“We still earnestly appeal to the National Executive Committee to intervene accordingly,” he urged.

The meeting was attended by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, state governors, NWC members, and other key party figures.

Tope Fasua, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Economic Matters, has urged Nigerian youths to focus on being productive and creative rather than spending time criticizing leaders on social media.

Speaking during an interview on *Channels TV* on Tuesday, Fasua emphasized that young people have access to numerous opportunities and skills they can acquire to secure employment.

“The opportunities are there—open your eyes and stay positioned,” he said. “If someone makes themselves unemployable, they will struggle. But if you take advantage of available resources, even free online training, you can improve your chances.”

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He added, “It’s either you spend time insulting the government and wealthy individuals online, or you take training to reposition yourself for better opportunities.”

While acknowledging the current economic challenges, Fasua pointed out that the Tinubu administration’s reforms are beginning to yield positive results.

He remarked, “Times have changed. Nobody is saying people should continue to suffer. But often, people only express hardship, while those benefiting from the economy remain silent.

“For instance, in this same country, a comedian reportedly lost over $3 million—about ₦6 billion—to forex gambling. No one would have guessed he had that amount, and he still has money today. So, we are not saying people should suffer; we are saying the economy is already gaining momentum.”

The Special Offences Court in Lagos has declined to halt the trial of former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele over corruption allegations.

In a ruling on Wednesday, Justice Rahman Oshodi dismissed a request for his recusal, stating that claims of bias against him were unproven.

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Referring to various legal precedents, the judge emphasized that judicial bias alone is not enough to warrant disqualification or recusal unless it is personal or stems from specific judicial reasoning.

Consequently, he ruled that the application for his recusal lacked merit and rejected it.

During Monday’s hearing, Emefiele’s lead counsel, Olalekan Ojo (SAN), had asked Justice Oshodi to step down from the case.

Ojo argued that by allowing the prosecution to pose a leading question—despite the defence’s objection—the judge had made it difficult for the defence to conduct a fair cross-examination. He, therefore, requested the judge’s withdrawal from the proceedings.

Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the immediate deployment of the Intelligence Response Team to facilitate the safe rescue of Afenifere Youth Leader, Prince Eniola Ojajuni, who was abducted on February 17, 2025, while traveling to Abuja.

He also instructed the team to make Ojajuni’s rescue a top priority.

In a statement on Wednesday, Force Public Relations Officer ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi reassured the public of the police’s commitment to securing Ojajuni’s release by utilizing all necessary resources and expertise.

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“The IGP commends the bravery and swift response of the officers who remain dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of citizens. In this regard, he has directed the urgent deployment of the FID Intelligence Response Team to focus on rescuing Prince Eniola Ojajuni, the Afenifere Youth Leader, who was kidnapped on February 17, 2025, on his way to Abuja.

“The Nigeria Police Force is fully committed to his safe return and is deploying every available resource and expertise to accomplish this,” Adejobi stated.

He also urged Nigerians to refrain from spreading unverified information about the case on social media.

“The public is advised to exercise caution and avoid social media speculation or sharing unverified details about the ongoing rescue efforts. Such actions could inadvertently compromise the operation and endanger the victim’s safety.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in its mission to dismantle criminal networks across the country and ensure lasting peace and security,” he added.

Highlighting recent police successes in February, Adejobi revealed that operatives in Taraba State raided a suspected criminal hideout at Wamunchi dry-season rice farms on February 26, 2025. The operation led to the arrest of 20 suspects and the recovery of an AK-47 rifle, seven rounds of live ammunition, a motorcycle, three Dane guns, and a bow and arrow.

In Oyo State, a swift response from tactical teams and local security outfits resulted in the rescue of three kidnap victims taken from the palace of Baale Tajudeen Inaolaji on February 24, 2025. The operation also led to the arrest of one of the kidnappers.

A Magistrate’s Court in Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has sentenced a 21-year-old man, Adebanjo Segun, to six months in prison for stealing a fowl.

The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ogbonnaya Dyke, revealed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, Segun was arrested on February 19, 2025, for stealing a hen. Investigations later uncovered that he had committed a similar offence in December 2024 but was pardoned as a first-time offender.

The statement read: “Upon discovering his previous offence, he was arraigned before the Ago-Iwoye Magistrate’s Court on February 20, 2025, on a charge under Section 430 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2006.

“After pleading guilty before His Worship O.F. Adeduntan (Mrs.), he was convicted and sentenced to six months in prison.”

In a related case, the court also sentenced a 20-year-old man, Kazeem Tobi, to six months in prison for stealing an Elepaq generator worth approximately ₦120,000.

Tobi was apprehended by an NSCDC patrol team at Idode One Way in Ago-Iwoye while trying to sell the stolen generator to a scavenger.

Ogbonnaya stated that the suspect was re-arrested on February 4, 2025, and following investigations, was charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and possession of stolen property.

“The defendant pleaded guilty before His Worship O.F. Adeduntan (Mrs.) and was remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Ijebu-Ode. The case was adjourned to February 10, 2025, for trial and sentencing.

“Upon reviewing the facts, the court found him guilty under Section 430 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun State, Nigeria, 2006, and sentenced him to six months in prison,” Ogbonnaya added.

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) gathered at the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja for its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.

Security was tightened around the venue on Blantyre Street, with armed personnel, including soldiers from the Guards Brigade, blocking access. Vehicular and pedestrian movement was restricted, and journalists were barred from entry despite an accredited media list released earlier by party spokesperson Felix Morka.

Among the early attendees were members of the National Working Committee (NWC), the Forum of State Chairmen, former Zamfara governor Abdulaziz Yari, Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu, and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu. Also present were governors from Edo, Benue, Ondo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Yobe, Niger, Lagos, Kogi, Ogun, and Imo, along with the deputy governor of Ebonyi and former governors of Kogi, Kebbi, Niger, Zamfara, and Plateau.

Notably absent from the meeting were former President Muhammadu Buhari, former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers governor and ex-Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi.

President Bola Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas arrived at noon, with APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje presiding over the session.

This NEC meeting, the first since Tinubu took office in May 2023, followed the party’s national caucus meeting held a day earlier at the Presidential Villa.

Some APC leaders, including El-Rufai and former National Vice Chairman Salihu Lukman, have previously criticized the party for lacking internal democracy.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that automating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IREV) would enhance trust in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Speaking on Tuesday at the YIAGA Africa reflection conference on democratic elections in West Africa in Abuja, Jonathan emphasized that the controversy surrounding the malfunction of IREV during the 2023 presidential election could have been avoided if the system was fully automated, reducing human interference.

He explained, “For instance, if BVAS captures data, it should be automatically uploaded to IREV without requiring human intervention. This way, there will be no excuses about glitches. If the process is fully automated, no individual can manipulate the system for personal gain.”

Jonathan acknowledged that while the introduction of technology alone has not resolved all electoral challenges in Nigeria, it remains essential and should be improved upon rather than discarded.

BVAS and IREV are innovations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results.

Before the 2023 elections, INEC pledged to use IREV to transmit results in real-time. However, it failed to do so during the presidential election, citing technical glitches.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan and former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, have raised concerns about political interference in appointing electoral commissioners.

Speaking at the “Reflection Conference on Democratic Elections in West Africa,” organized by Yiaga Africa in Abuja, Jonathan and Jega highlighted the negative impact of political pressure on electoral integrity.

Jonathan emphasized the issue of “ghost voters” in Nigeria, arguing that credible individuals must manage electoral processes.

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He urged electoral officials to resist undue political pressure, saying, “If you accept to be INEC Chairman or Commissioner, you should be ready to walk away if pressured to act wrongly.”

He further stressed the need for ethical leadership in electoral management to prevent manipulations and ensure that only legitimate votes count. Jonathan also condemned the increasing regionalization of elections, which he said influences even religious leaders’ predictions.

Reflecting on elections across West Africa, Jonathan praised Ghana’s democratic resilience despite limited technology and commended Liberia’s peaceful transition after former President George Weah conceded defeat.

However, he noted pre-election unrest in Senegal, though the voting process itself was credible.

Jega, on his part, outlined key threats to democracy in the region, including political interference in appointing or removing electoral officials, intimidation of election workers, obstruction of legal reforms, and deliberate introduction of weak regulations that enable fraud.

He also pointed out issues like strategic changes in electoral laws favoring incumbents and withholding funding from electoral bodies to undermine their operations.

Jega called on citizens, civil society groups, and reform advocates to remain vigilant and push for credible elections across West Africa.

President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday presided over the first national caucus meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

This was the first such meeting since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023 and was held in preparation for the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting scheduled for Wednesday.

Attendees included APC National Chairman Abdullahi Ganduje, Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, APC governors, National Working Committee members, and other key party leaders.

Meanwhile, some APC stakeholders, including former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former National Vice Chairman Salihu Lukman, have raised concerns over a lack of internal democracy within the party.

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