The deepening turmoil within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as a faction of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, announced the expulsion of several high-ranking party figures. In an unprecedented move, the faction declared Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal expelled from the party.

Nigerian music video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, says he has been receiving death threats after expressing his views on same-sex relationships. Over the weekend, Omori stirred controversy online when he described homosexuality as “evil” in a post on X. His comment quickly went viral and sparked reactions across social media. He has now alleged that his life is being threatened after an online magazine claimed he made the controversial statement to promote his eyewear brand.

Panic broke out on Tuesday at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national headquarters in Abuja as security operatives fired gunshots and used teargas to control escalating tension between rival party factions. The crisis began when the National Working Committee (NWC) elected in Ibadan and the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, scheduled parallel meetings for the same day.

Senator Ned Nwoko has denied claims that he is seeking to reconcile with his estranged wife, Nollywood actress Regina Daniels. Regina had earlier alleged that Nwoko was sending family members to beg her for a reunion while still attacking her publicly. Her colleague, Doris Ogala, also supported this claim in a post on Instagram. However, Nwoko, through his communication lead, dismissed all suggestions that he wants Regina back.

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has issued a warning to students and the general public about a fake student loan portal circulating online. According to the agency, a fraudulent message is being shared on social media claiming that the Student Loan Registration Portal is open. The message directs users to a third-party link — a link NELFUND confirmed is unauthorised and completely fake.

A United States lawmaker, Riley M. Moore, has expressed deep concern after 25 schoolgirls were kidnapped and a vice principal was killed during an attack in Kebbi State. Moore reacted on X, calling for prayers for the victims and urging stronger action against rising insecurity in Northern Nigeria. He noted that the attack occurred in a Christian community and described the incident as “horrific.”

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has urged the American government to impose targeted sanctions on Nigerian officials following what he described as rising attacks on Christian communities across Nigeria. Cruz made the call in a statement shared on his official X account on Monday. He accused Nigerian authorities of allowing a climate where violent attacks and mass killings occur without consequences.

A total of 34 countries have now qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Germany and the Netherlands became the latest teams to secure their places after their convincing victories on Monday night. Germany sealed qualification with a dominant 6-0 win over Slovakia at the Red Bull Arena, while the Netherlands defeated Lithuania 4-0 to book their ticket to next year’s tournament.

Chelsea have launched a move for Nigerian midfielder Abduljelil Kamaldeen (h/t Footy Africa). The Blues are the only side to make a concrete approach for him. The Chelsea target starred for Nigeria at the most recent FIFA Under-20 World Cup, where he put his name on the radar of several European clubs in recent months. However, according to Kwara Football Academy director Ibrahim Bako, only Chelsea have taken the decisive step to sign the 16-year-old.

Following Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) apologised to President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government and Nigerians. In the game on Sunday, Nigeria took an early lead in the third minute through a deflected strike from Frank Onyeka before Meschak Elia drew DR Congo level later in the first half. With no further goals in regulation time or extra time, the match ended 1–1 after 120 minutes.

Former Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema has heaped praise on Kylian Mbappe's performance, but at the same time, he has acknowledged that he needs more support from his teammates. After emerging as the top goal-scorer in La Liga last term, the French forward has been in steaming form this season, already topping the scoring charts. Mbappe has been the torch-bearer for Madrid this season, almost single-handedly carrying Los Blancos with his 18 goals in 16 games.

Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua will fight YouTube star Jake Paul in a professional bout in Miami next month, with the two fighters set to share a reported $184m purse. 36-year-old Joshua will take on the YouTuber-turned-boxer at Kaseya Centre in Miami, Matchroom Boxing announced on Monday. The fight will consist of eight three-minute rounds and represents a significant payday for both fighters, with reports suggesting an even split of the massive prize pot.

U.S. Soccer has appointed Dan Helfrich, former Chair and CEO of Deloitte Consulting LLP, as its next Chief Operating Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Helfrich will report to CEO and Secretary General JT Batson and oversee the federation’s day-to-day operations. His hiring comes shortly after his retirement from Deloitte in December 2025. In announcing the hire, U.S. Soccer said Helfrich will oversee implementation of the federation’s strategic plan, known as In Service to Soccer, using the sort of operational rigor he applied at Deloitte.

Obiageri Amaechi opened Team Nigeria’s athletics account with a silver medal on the first day of the discipline at the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games, The PUNCH reports. Amaechi threw 56.99m, narrowly missing out on gold by just 0.05m to Nora Monie, who grabbed the top spot with a mark of 57.04m. Ozlem Becerek of Turkey settled for bronze with a throw of 55.56m, while Nigeria’s national record holder Chioma Onyekwere-Lyons finished fourth at 55.08m.

The Nigeria Football Federation has issued a heartfelt apology to President Bola Tinubu, the Federal Government, and Nigerians following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals. In a statement issued on Monday, the NFF described Sunday’s loss to DR Congo in the Africa Playoff Final in Rabat as “a moment of profound sadness for Nigerian football.”

The Lagos State Domestic and Sxual Violence Agency has confirmed that Nollywood actor Olanrewaju James, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, has been officially added to the Lagos State Sx Offenders’ Register after completing his prison sentence for s*xually assaulting a minor. Baba Ijesha was convicted in 2021 for assaulting a 14-year-old girl and was sentenced to prison. In a statement released on Saturday, November 17, the Lagos State Government—through the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Lawal Pedro—debunked reports claiming that the Court of Appeal had cleared the actor.

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday sentenced the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Calabar, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, to five years’ imprisonment for sexual harassment. The sentence comes without an option of fine. Justice James Omotosho ruled that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) successfully proved counts one and two against Ndifon beyond reasonable doubt.

The Kano Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has warned that another full shutdown of public universities may be unavoidable as negotiations with the Federal Government continue to drag without meaningful progress. Speaking at a press briefing in Kano on Monday, the Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhammad, said members are growing increasingly frustrated by what they describe as the government’s slow and unserious approach to resolving long-standing issues.

Nigerian actress Regina Daniels has warned her estranged husband, Senator Ned Nwoko, to stop harassing her or she will make public a series of allegations including murder cases, fraud and land grabbing. In a post shared on her Instagram page, Regina accused Nwoko of years of manipulation, intimidation and calculated attempts to destroy her reputation. She said he is attacking her both publicly and privately because he knows her image is central to her career and livelihood.

The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE) has threatened a nationwide shutdown following claims that staff of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) were assaulted by armed police officers in Imo State. In a statement issued by its Acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, the union said the incident occurred at the Egbu 132/33kV Transmission Substation, where workers on duty were reportedly beaten, held at gunpoint, and some abducted.

The Federal Government has opened the application portal for the Student Venture Capital Grant, a national initiative that offers equity-free funding of up to ₦50 million to support student-led innovations. The announcement was made on Monday in a statement released by the Federal Ministry of Education and signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director of Press and Public Relations. According to the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, the programme is a key part of the government’s push to boost innovation across Nigerian tertiary institutions.

As the road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup intensifies, a growing number of teams have officially booked their spots for what promises to be a historic tournament. With 48 nations set to compete — a record for the men’s World Cup — the qualifying race has already delivered a mix of stalwart powerhouses and exciting debutants.Here’s a look at the nations that have clinched qualification so far, and what their inclusion means:-

Fast bowler Scott Boland has identified Joe Root as the England player Australia need to keep quiet in the Ashes series. Australia have a history of targeting a particular England player – legendary fast bowler Glenn McGrath made it a pre-series ritual to single out England batters, while captain Michael Clarke asked his pacemen to nullify Alastair Cook when Australia won 5-0 in 2013-14.

A non-league match had to be called off at half-time after the referee was targeted with alleged sexist abuse. The game featuring AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Coventry Sphinx could not continue beyond the first half after sexist abuses were hurled at a female referee officiating the game. The FA are now set to conduct the necessary investigations to get to the bottom of the incident.

Bandits reportedly killed three people and abducted at least 64 others during an attack on Fegin Baza village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Saturday. Residents told Daily Trust that the gunmen stormed the community in large numbers, shooting sporadically before whisking away dozens of villagers. Women and children were said to be among those taken to an unknown destination.