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News_Naija

Oborevwori, Okowa, Others Dump PDP For APC

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, the immediate past governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, and all members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State have defected to the All Progressives Congress. The announcement was made on Wednesday in Asaba, the Delta State capital, by Senator James Manager, shortly after a meeting that lasted over six hours at Government House, Asaba. Manager stated, “All PDP members in the state, including the governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, all the local government chairmen and others, have agreed to move to the APC. “We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said. The Delta State Commissioner for Information, Mr Aniagwu Charles, officially confirmed the governor’s defection and the collective decision of Delta PDP leaders and stakeholders to join the APC. “There is a need for us to adjust our drinking patterns. And in adjusting that drinking pattern, we needed to make a decision that would further help to cement the development in our state, to build the court of law that has existed in our state, to further advance the cause of security and the welfare of our people, and, to a large extent, ensure that development in Delta is not truncated,” Aniagwu stated. He continued, “In taking that decision, we concluded that leaving the PDP was very necessary for us to be able to collaborate and build a state that every Deltan will be proud of. We believe that what is happening, and the state of the PDP, is akin to that palm wine whose taste has changed — and there was a need for us to change the drinking party.” Charles added that the decision was unanimously made by party leaders and stakeholders, hinting at a formal public declaration soon. “By the grace of God, on Monday next week, we will be able to make a very big statement confirming that we are moving into the APC,” he said. The move marks a significant turning point in Delta State politics, signalling a broader political recalibration that could reshape party dominance in the South-South region.

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Worldnews

Pakistan Announces Retaliatory Measures Against India After Kashmir Attack

The tit-for-tat measures come after gunmen killed at least 26 people in Indian-administered Kashmir on Tuesday. Pakistan has announced a series of retaliatory diplomatic moves against India and demanded evidence to back up the Indian government’s claims that Islamabad was involved in the Kashmir attack. Suspected rebels killed at least 26 people on Tuesday in the picturesque tourist resort of Pahalgam in the deadliest such attack in a quarter-century in Indian-administered Kashmir. A statement issued in the name of The Resistance Front (TRF), which is believed to be an offshoot of the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba armed group, claimed responsibility for the attack. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised in a speech on Thursday to hunt the Pahalgam gunmen to the “ends of the earth”. New Delhi has also suspended India’s participation in a water-sharing agreement and sealed its main land border with Pakistan among other retaliatory measures. On Thursday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paused a canal irrigation project, a day after India withdrew from the Indus Waters Treaty in a move that has caused concern about Pakistan’s water supplies. In a statement released by his office, Sharif said that while Pakistan is concerned about the loss of the tourists’ lives [in Indian-administered Kashmir], “the Committee reviewed the Indian measures announced on 23 April 2025 and termed them unilateral, unjust, politically motivated, extremely irresponsible and devoid of legal merit.” “In the absence of any credible investigation and verifiable evidence, attempts to link the Pahalgam attack with Pakistan are frivolous, devoid of rationality and defeat logic,” the statement added. Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif later told Al Jazeera, “I refute, strongly refute, the allegations levelled by the Indian government,” and added that the country has “no connection” with armed groups operating in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad has also announced the impending closure of the Wagah border with India, but said it will remain open until April 30. All Indian citizens, excluding Sikh pilgrims, were ordered to leave in 48 hours. Pakistan also suspended visas issued to Indians under the SAARC programme, reduced the Indian High Commission staff in Islamabad to 30 and closed its airspace to all Indian aircraft, while all trade activities with India were suspended. Reporting from Haripur in Pakistan, Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said it was a “tit-for-tat response”. “All eyes will be on what India does next, because Modi has been saying that there will be a swift response. He’s meeting his party leaders in India, so that will be important,” he said. “But Islamabad has not minced its words, either, by saying that any military response will be met reciprocally from the Pakistani side as well,” he added. Pakistan and India both claim Kashmir in its entirety but administer parts of it separately. On Thursday, Police in India-administered Kashmir released sketches and announced a reward for information about three suspects believed to be behind Tuesday’s deadly attack. A reward of 2 million Indian rupees (about $23,000) has been offered for any information leading to their capture. Police say the suspects are members of the group Lashkar-e-Taiba; they have been named as Hashim Musa (alias Sulaiman), Ali Bhai (alias Talha Bhai), and Adil Hussain Thoker. According to police, Musa and Bhai are believed to be Pakistani nationals. Thoker, also known as Adil Guree, is a resident of Kashmir, and investigators have linked him to the attack based on testimony from the wife of one of the victims. A senior police official told Al Jazeera that more than 1,500 people have been detained for questioning in connection with the continuing investigation. The region remains tense with heightened security and unease widespread across the region, two days after the Pahalgam attack. But shops and businesses began reopening following a shutdown observed in protest yesterday. Local trade bodies and political leaders had called for the shutdown as they took to the streets to condemn the deadly assault. “Everything looks gloomy. We don’t know what the future holds for this place,” said Mehraj Ahmad Malik, who sells dried fruits in the main city of Srinagar. “Everything was abuzz two days ago, and now there is fear and silence.” Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed deep sorrow over the recent attack in Pahalgam, acknowledging the loss of “25 guests who came here to enjoy their vacation” and praising a resident who “sacrificed his life to save the people there”. “The people of Kashmir came out and voiced the same thing: that they were not involved and the attack was not for them,” he told India’s ANI news agency. “Please don’t think that Kashmiris are your enemies; we are not guilty of it … We have also suffered for the last 35 years.” Follow Al Jazeera English:...

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News_Naija

FULL LIST: Oborevwori, Other Sitting Governors Who Dumped One Party For Another

Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, on Wednesday, officially dumped the Peoples Democratic Party and joined the All Progressives Congress. Oborevwori’s move isn’t the first time a sitting governor has changed political camps and he likely won’t be the last. Over the years, several governors have crossed party lines while still in office. PUNCH Online has compiled a list of sitting governors who defected from one party to another. See list below: Sheriff Oborevwori The latest on this growing list, Oborevwori, won the 2023 governorship election under the PDP. On Wednesday, he was officially received into the APC by top party leaders. In a press briefing, Senator Ebiowou Manager and Information Commissioner Aniagwu Charles confirmed the governor’s defection, describing it as a move with serious implications for 2027. Aminu Tambuwal The former Sokoto governor first left the PDP for the APC while serving as Speaker of the House of Representatives. In 2018, he returned to the PDP while still governor and aimed for the presidential ticket, which he lost to Atiku Abubakar, who also left the APC for the PDP. Tambuwal wasn’t the only Sokoto governor to switch parties. Others include: Attahiru Bafarawa: All Nigeria People’s Party to PDP Aliyu Wamakko: PDP to APC Abdulfatah Ahmed While governor of Kwara State, Ahmed made headlines for his political switches. He left PDP for APC in 2013. He returned to PDP in 2018 Boni Haruna Governor of Adamawa State from 1999 to 2007, Haruna also defected from PDP to AC while in office. Ikedi Ohakim Governor of Imo State in 2007, Ohakim switched from the Progressive Peoples Alliance to the PDP. Murtala Nyako Nyako ruled Adamawa State from 2007 to 2008. He left the APC and moved to the PDP. Rochas Okorocha Elected Imo State governor in 2011, Okorocha defected from the All Progressives Grand Alliance to the APC during his time in office. Other are: Mahmuda Shinkafi (Zamfara): ANPP to PDP Bello Matawalle (Zamfara): PDP to APC Also, states like Benue, Ondo, Rivers, Cross River, Edo, Kano, Kebbi, and Jigawa have all experienced political defections by sitting governors at various times.    

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Futbol

Salah Laps Up Contract Acclaim - Now Van Dijk May Follow 'next Week'

While any player's worth to a football team has to be measured in more than statistics, Mohamed Salah's goal and assist numbers show exactly why he is worth pretty much any amount of money a week for Liverpool. With his assist for Luis Diaz to open the scoring against West Ham on Sunday, Salah has now been directly involved in 45 Premier League goals this season - netting 27 and providing another 18. This is a new record for a player in a 38-game season, surpassing Thierry Henry from 2002-03 and Erling Haaland's total two years ago. Salah is now 15 goal involvements clear of any other player in Europe's top five leagues in 2024-25. Sunday also showed how important Alisson and Virgil van Dijk are as Liverpool close in on the league title - but without Salah, there most likely would be no title at all. With their second league title of the Premier League era seemingly sewn up weeks ago, the latter part of Liverpool's season has been largely focused on three key players out of contract in the summer. While Trent Alexander-Arnold seems Real Madrid-bound and Van Dijk is yet to formally sign a new deal, the future of Salah was secured this week to the joy of Liverpool fans. His performance on Sunday illustrated just why Liverpool were so keen to persuade him to turn down the millions of Saudi Arabia and stay on Merseyside, and just why the fans were so thrilled he did so. "Mo Salah, Mo Salah, running down the wing," was the chant for much of the game while, when his name was announced in the pre-match line-up, it got one of the biggest cheers of the afternoon. And in the 18th minute, Salah responded with a beautifully played pass with the outside of his left boot, which was cleverly left by Diogo Jota to allow Diaz to slot home. It was a record-breaking assist for Salah, one which helped move Liverpool to within six points of a Premier League title - and their first won in front of fans following their triumph in the Covid-affected season in 2020. "When we won it we won it in lockdown," Salah told Sky Sports after the game. "So let's go for it and win it." Sunday was a game of three phases for Liverpool. The first half was the Salah phase, in which his brilliance put the Reds ahead and could have led to a goal or two more. The second phase was that of Alisson, whose brilliance between the sticks ultimately earned Liverpool the win more than any other factor. He missed the defeat at Fulham with concussion, and conclusively proved his importance here. And the final, shortest but most dramatic phase belonged to Van Dijk. After Liverpool were pegged back, the captain rose highest to meet an 89th-minute corner, score the winner and send both the Reds fans and manager Arne Slot into raptures. "As a manager you are looking for the ones who have achieved a lot already in their careers to step up," Slot said in his post-match media conference. "It is always at the end of the season that the moments get bigger and bigger. "Alisson had his best game of the season today, Virgil scored the header and Mo was again important, he was lively in the first half - we saw the Mo Salah again from the first part of the season." With Salah signed up and Alexander-Arnold seemingly out the door, attention now turns to the future of Van Dijk - and the Egyptian was making eyes at his captain after the game. "I'm glad that we managed to do it before the end of the season and hopefully Virgil soon will be nice," Salah told Sky Sports. "He can do whatever he wants but I would love to see him here again next year." Van Dijk, who marked his 100th match as Liverpool captain in the most dramatic fashion possible, dropped a hint of his own. "Everyone knows how much I love this club so let's see what next week will look like," he said. Asked about this, Slot played a forward defensive of which England cricketing legend Sir Alastair Cook would be proud. "I think he means, let's see what next week brings when we play Leicester City," he said, to chuckles from the assembled journalists. "By far the most important thing this club is looking at is two more wins. "We should be completely focused on that, my full focus is on Leicester and I'm sure Virgil's is as well." Slot is right to make sure his team are fully focused on the present task. They were below par against West Ham, who had most of the second-half momentum and twice hit the woodwork. But the job could be done next weekend, if Arsenal lose at Ipswich and Liverpool beat Leicester. Should the Gunners and the Reds go perfect in their upcoming games, Liverpool would win the title in their next home league game against Spurs - at the end of the month. Slot, for his part, is not fussy about where the trophy is secured. "If I have to win it 50km from here or wherever, I don't care where to win it. We still have to win two more games," he said. But he would love to have Van Dijk's future officially resolved before the Dutchman lifts that trophy, to go alongside the priceless signature of Salah.