No fewer than 10 thousand members of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Idanre/Ifedore Federal Constituency of Ondo State, on Thursday, defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress. Earlier, the member of the House of Representatives from the Federal Constituency, Mr Festus Akingbaso, announced his defection to the ruling party. Receiving the defectors in Idanre town on Thursday, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who was represented by his deputy, Olayide Adelami, lauded the federal lawmaker for leading his supporters and party faithful from PDP to APC. Aiyedatiwa said, “I want to congratulate our people in Idanre and Ifedore LGAs for having a worthy son, who has been representing you well at the National Assembly. Festus Akingbaso has witnessed all that the APC is doing in Ondo State and at the federal level. We are happy to receive him and members of the PDP.” According to the governor, the economic transformations of the President Tinubu-led government are already producing positive results in many areas of the economy. While handing the APC flag to Akingbaso, chairman of the APC in the state, Ade Adetimehin expressed optimism that the Idanre and Ifedore Federal Constituency would henceforth record 100 per cent votes for the APC with the defection of the federal lawmaker. “The Federal constituency used to be divided for APC and PDP, but with the defection of Hon. Akingbaso to our party, Idanre and Ifedore will henceforth record 100 per cent votes for the APC.” Adetimehin called on the people to support President Bola Tinubu in his Renewed Hope Agenda, aimed at bringing succour to the common man, adding that Ondo State was now fully for the APC. Akingbaso, in his remarks at the event, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa for providing purposeful leadership and prioritising the welfare of the people of the state, saying he took the decision to join the APC to support the governor in his quest to bring governance closer to the grassroots. “As a member of the National Assembly for two years, I have witnessed the giant strides of President Tinubu at the top level, and it is important that I bring my supporters to work with the governor in Ondo for the overall success of the party,” Akingbaso stated.

Scottish Cup semi-final: St Johnstone v Celtic Venue: Hampden Park, Glasgow Date: Sunday 20 April Time: 15:00 BST Coverage: Follow on BBC Sport website & app; listen on BBC Sounds or BBC Radio Scotland What is it with Celtic and the Scottish Cup? It was the first major trophy they won and, since that day on 9 April, 1892, they have continued a love affair with the competition that has seen them rack up record after record. The Glasgow club will make yet another semi-final appearance on Sunday against St Johnstone as they look to lift the trophy for a third consecutive season. Let us look at Celtic's romance with the cup in numbers. Queen's Park had won half of the first 18 Scottish Cup finals when they faced an emerging Celtic side on 12 March 1892. The cup final was played at the home of city rivals Rangers, with new stands being erected at Ibrox to accommodate a then record crowd of 40,000. With the pitch declared playable despite an inch and a half of snow covering the surface, Celtic emerged victorious thanks to a 60th-minute John Campbell goal. However, following a joint protest from the two clubs to the Scottish FA, the match was declared void because of repeated crowd encroachment. Campbell would find the net again in the replay in front of 26,000 a month later, with Alexander McMahon scoring a hat-trick and James Kelly grabbing Celtic's other goal in a 5-1 win. Celtic thus became the first club to complete the treble of Scottish Cup, Glasgow Cup and Glasgow Charity Cup. Celtic head to Hampden on Sunday having won the Scottish Cup in the previous two seasons. They defeated Inverness Caledonian Thistle 3-1 in the 2023 final and edged out Rangers 1-0 last May. Two is also the number of times Celtic have failed to win a Scottish Cup tie in the last eight years - both against Rangers. They lost 2-0 to their Old Firm rivals in the fourth round in April 2021 and 2-1 to the eventual cup winners after extra time in the semi-final a year later. Celtic hold the record for consecutive Scottish Cup final wins. Aberdeen, Queen's Park and Rangers have all won it three seasons in a row, but only Celtic have won it four times - between 2017 and 2020. Celtic have lifted the Scottish Cup six times in the last eight seasons, with only St Johnstone and Rangers breaking their grip on the trophy temporarily. Indeed, they have won it seven times in the last 11. Celtic hold the record for the biggest Scottish Cup final victory. Hibs travelled to Hampden in May 1972 full of confidence given their side contained lauded players such as John Brownlie, John Blackley, Alex Edwards, Pat Stanton, Arthur Duncan and Alan Gordon. Celtic had suffered a shock 4-1 loss to Partick Thistle in the League Cup earlier in the season, but Jock Stein's own star-studded side made no mistake this time, sweeping Eddie Turnbull's team aside 6-1 in front of a crowd of 106,102. Dixie Deans grabbed a hat-trick, Lou Macari a double and captain Billy McNeil the other as Gordon replied for Hibs. Celtic have won the domestic treble a record eight times and are on course for another, having already lifted the League Cup while leading the Premiership by 15 points. They last won the treble in 2022-23. Eight is also the record number of Scottish Cup final appearances, held by legendary Celtic winger Bobby Lennox. Celtic equalled Queen's Park's then record of 10 Scottish Cup final wins in March 1923. Forward Joe Cassidy scored the only goal against Hibs in front of 82,000 at Hampden. Two seasons after equalling Queen's Park's record, Celtic became the first club to surpass that total. Patsy Gallacher and Jimmy McGrory scored the goals, with David McLean replying for Dundee in front of 75,317 at Hampden. Legendary Celtic player and boss Willie Maley holds the record for the number of Scottish Cup final wins as a manager. Born in Ireland but capped for Scotland, the former half-back first steered his side to a 2-0 victory against Rangers in 1899 and won it a 14th time 38 years later with a 2-1 win over Aberdeen in 1937 - the day before his 69th birthday. Rangers have never again matched Celtic's total of Scottish Cup final wins since they levelled the score at 31 each by defeating Dundee 1-0 at Hampden in 2003. That was the first time they had been level since the Parkhead side beat their Ibrox rivals 3-2 to lift the trophy for a fourth time in 1904, and then lifted it for a fifth time three years later by defeating Hearts 3-0. Celtic have now lifted the Scottish Cup 42 times after last season's 1-0 win over Rangers thanks to striker Adam Idah's late winner. That extended their lead over Rangers, who have won the trophy 34 times. McGrory, who also played for Clydebank and went on to manage Celtic, holds the record for most Scottish Cup goals. His 74 goals in the competition helped him create a British record of 550 in top-flight football and he remains Celtic's all-time top scorer with 522 goals in 501 games - including a record 62 in one season. Another club legend as both a player and manager, McNeill holds the record for the most Scottish Cup appearances. McNeill, who captained the side to European Cup glory in 1967 and was team boss twice, played 94 times in the competition, winning it seven times. That aforementioned 2-1 win over Aberdeen in 1937 was watched by a record 147,365 fans packed into Hampden. That is more than 11,000 more than the next highest attendance - in 1952 for Motherwell's 4-0 win over Dundee.

The All Progressives Congress Youth Parliament, North-East Zone, has warned against what it described as rumours circulating about the potential substitution of Vice President Kashim Shettima ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking during a press conference on Friday in Bauchi, the group’s chairman, Kabiru Kobi, said such a move would not only be detrimental to the party’s unity but could also jeopardise President Bola Tinubu’s chances of re-election. Kobi noted that the speculation around Shettima’s possible replacement has created unease within the APC, potentially leading to internal strife that could undermine the party’s prospects in the next general election. He urged party stakeholders to learn from past mistakes and avoid internal conflicts that could lead to implosion, citing the Peoples Democratic Party’s loss in 2015 as a cautionary tale. According to him, the APC Youth Parliament fully supports the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in 2027, describing the duo as “tested and trusted.” He said “We want to state it unequivocally clear that any attempt to reconfigure the joint ticket of His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu/Kashim Shettima in 2027 will only bring resentment that could linger beyond the elections, with negative reverberations capable of affecting the party’s success. “It is far from hidden that the ghost of the PDP’s past actions still haunts the party today — history has little patience for those who choose to ignore its lessons. “As APC sails through these tumultuous waters, we must ask some pertinent questions: Can the party survive the machinations of fifth columnists within, who aim to use conspiracy theories to destroy the progress made with the 2027 elections on the horizon? “Should we ignore all the lessons of history and allow excessive ambition to cloud the reasoning of key players, ignoring the dangers ahead?” Kobi further stated, “At this juncture, we wish to inform His Excellency, our popular and charismatic leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that the calculated attacks are not truly aimed at the Vice President but at you. What these assailants are trying to achieve by this hypocrisy is to replace Kashim Shettima with someone of a fragile political reputation. “They know fully well that the Vice President would pacify his supporters to leave everything to God, and that would leave you to face the wrath of the Nigerian populace. This is because — in His just nature — God dislikes injustice.” The group vowed to continue mobilising unwavering support for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket and called on all party members to rally behind the duo. Kobi also expressed concern over rising tensions within the APC, which he warned could destabilise the party before the 2027 elections. He stressed the need for unity and collaboration among members. He concluded by reaffirming the group’s confidence in Tinubu’s leadership and vision for the country, particularly his courage in making tough economic decisions.

Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke. Chris Sutton and Alan Shearer. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. The Premier League has been littered with deadly strike partnerships over the years. But you can add another duo to the long list of double acts: Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa. The pair both scored in Brentford's 4-2 win against Brighton, with Mbeumo scoring two before Wissa added the Bees' third. It was the seventh time they have both got on the scoresheet in the same game this season. It has helped put the Brentford pair alongside some Premier League greats, but where do they rank in the competition's history? With five matches left this season, Mbeumo and Wissa's chances of breaking a Premier League record are still alive. The seven matches the pair have both scored in this season is a campaign-high, ahead of the six that Liverpool's Salah and Cody Gakpo have both netted in. But the Brentford duo will have their eyes on matching - or even beating - the Premier League record, jointly-held by Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, Mane and Salah (twice). Salah and Firmino both scored in 10 matches in the 2017-18 campaign, while the Egyptian equalled his own record with Senegal winger Mane in the 2021-22 season. Six further partnerships have scored in eight or more matches in a single campaign, meaning Mbeumo and Wissa are joint-10th on the list. Their goals against Brighton meant Mbeumo and Wissa have scored in the same match for the 18th time during their Brentford careers. Only seven pairings in Premier League history have a better overall record. "That's an incredible achievement from the two of them," said manager Frank after the win against Brighton. "When you consistently over the past six seasons have produced top scorers, that must be something we're doing right. "I'm happy that Mbeumo is shining and is the main man now for us. But I think it's a duo. "Wissa is fantastic. He has scored actually more open-play goals than Brian. But Brian is the penalty taker, unbelievable at penalties, assists, work ethic, an unbelievable player." But they will have to seriously ramp up their scoring rate if they are to catch the record set by Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, who both found the back of the net in 37 matches for Spurs in the same game.