News

Ekiti 2022 – Biodun Oyebanji Wins APC Governorship Primary

Biodun Oyebanji has beat 7 other aspirants to emerge as the flagbearer of the All Progressive Congress at the party’s governorship primary ahead of the June polls.

Oyebanji who is the immediate outgoing Secretary to the State government of Ekiti State polled 101,703 votes out of the total 104,983 votes which were counted.

Jigawa State Governor, Abubakar Badaru who is the Chairman of the APC Governorship Primary Electoral Committee for Ekiti declared Oyebanji the winner. He announced the first runner-up to be Kayode Ojo who received 767 votes.

Also vying for the opportunity to fly the APC flag were National Assembly member, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele who got 760 votes; former Minister of Works, Senator Dayo Adeyeye who scored 691 votes; as well as House of Representatives member, Femi Bamisile who accrued 400 votes.

Abubakar Badaru declared that the primary was free and fair and that he had not received any complaints from any other aspirant.

On the contrary, all of the 7 other aspirants, earlier in the day, decried the mode with which the primaries were conducted. They noted that the names of presiding and returning officers appointed by the Local Government Electoral Committee were those of loyal supporters of Biodun Oyebanji.

The aggrieved aspirants called for the cancellation of the primaries and pulled out of the race before lodging their complaints at the Independent National Electoral Commission, the state headquarters of the Nigeria Police, and the Department of State Services.

One of the aspirants Senator Bamidele while speaking to the press alleged that the results of the primary were predetermined and as such was detrimental to the success of the APC at the imminent gubernatorial polls.

“They shouldn’t embarrass APC with this conduct. We want the Committee to stop the process. They have made the result sheets available to Biodun Oyebanji’s supporters to write the results,” the Senator said.

“The outcome of this election is predetermined. We want the process canceled because we don’t want the committee to embarrass our party by forcing us to confront them in the court.”

Regardless of the complaints, the primary held with Oyebanji who is perceived as the preferred candidate of the current governor, Fayemi emerging as the winner.

Oyebanji would later say that the primary was conducted in a free and fair manner and that pulling out of the race was not the smart option for his fellow contestants as there is an appeal panel in place to handle any possible griaveances that could arise.

At the June 18 polls, Oyebanji, should his win not be successfully contested, would be facing PDP’s Olabisi Kolawole the immediate past State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party.

Entertainment

2Baba unfollows wife Natasha and refollows ex-wife Annie

Nigerian music legend Innocent “2Baba” Idibia has unfollowed his wife, Natasha Osawaru, on Instagram, days after a reported public confrontation between the two at a nightclub opening in Abuja.

The incident reportedly occurred on Friday at the launch of the “90s Lounge,” where 2Baba was billed to perform. According to accounts circulating online, Osawaru arrived at the venue accompanied by several men before approaching the singer’s vehicle, triggering a commotion that required the intervention of police and security personnel.

An eyewitness account shared by a social media user claimed Osawaru had demanded to speak with 2Baba on arrival, though the widely circulated video from the scene does not show what specifically triggered the confrontation.

Following the incident, 2Baba was said to have told Osawaru he was no longer interested in continuing their relationship. Checks on his Instagram account on Sunday confirmed he had unfollowed her, while Osawaru continued to follow him.

The fallout comes just over a year after 2Baba’s very public split from his ex-wife, actress Annie Macaulay Idibia, ending a 13-year marriage in January 2025. He confirmed his relationship with Osawaru, an Edo State lawmaker, shortly after, proposing in February 2025 and marrying her in a private traditional ceremony that July.

In a further twist, checks on Monday showed that 2Baba and Annie have since followed each other again on Instagram, more than a year after the pair had unfollowed one another following their separation. The renewed connection has fuelled fresh speculation and reactions online, with many commenters framing the timing as a kind of poetic justice given the current strain between 2Baba and Osawaru.

This isn’t the first sign of tension surrounding the marriage. In a previous incident, 2Baba reportedly interrupted a livestream in which his former managers were discussing his private life, telling them directly to stop. Shortly after, a heated exchange between him and Osawaru was heard off-camera before the broadcast was abruptly cut.

Throughout the public scrutiny surrounding his relationships, 2Baba has maintained that Osawaru was not the reason for his separation from Annie.As of publication, neither 2Baba nor Osawaru has issued a public statement addressing the nightclub incident or the changes to their social media activity.

Celebs

Nollywood star Tonto Dikeh launches Christian Prayer Ministry

The former Nollywood actress kicked off her ministry in Abuja, called New Wine Prophetic Tabernacle. After months of announcing her plans to go into ministry, former Nollywood star Tonto Dikeh is now leading a Christian gathering in Abuja. In a video clip shared on her Instagram page, the 40-year-old was captured leading a powerful prayer session in her newly launched New Wine Prophetic Ministry.

The former Nollywood star describes her New Wine Prophetic Tabernacle as an interdenominational altar dedicated to prayer, revival, spiritual training, and the awakening of consecrated believers.

“NEW WINE PROPHETIC TABERNACLE (NWPT) @nwpt_global is an interdenominational altar, spiritual home, and global movement of consecrated believers called to experience the raw power, purity, and presence of God. Grounded in the foundational truth of Scripture “And no one puts new wine into old wineskins…” (Mark 2:22).
NWPT exists as a dwelling place of His presence for those who refuse to settle for lukewarm Christianity and are hungry for genuine revival, fire, and transformation.”

She added that her ministry is not a church but an intense gathering of those consecrated and equipped for the purposes of God. Since converting to a born-again Christian, Tonto Dikeh has been vocal about her faith. In February 2026, she completed a discipleship programme at Pastor Jerry Eze’s Streams of Joy International church, sharing her certificate on Instagram and speaking about a profound spiritual rebirth that had reshaped her perspective on life, faith, and service.

The vocal embrace of her Christian faith has not been without some controversy. In March 2026, a video where she was performing a deliverance on a schoolgirl went viral online and led to massive criticism, including the threat of a lawsuit by a Human Rights Lawyer.

Entertainment

$20K, ₦400m mansion, other lavish gifts Peller and Jarvis received for wedding

The wedding of TikTok stars Habeeb Hamzat, popularly known as Peller, and Elizabeth Amadou, better known as Jarvis, was filled with memorable moments. Beyond the glamorous outfits, celebrity guests, and cultural displays, it was the extravagant gifts presented to the newlyweds that became one of the biggest talking points.

Even before the wedding day, gifts had already started pouring in, while several admirers promised to present theirs during the ceremony. Peller’s longtime TikTok supporter, Gregory, kicked off the celebrations with a generous wedding gift of $20,000.

Gregory travelled to Nigeria specifically for the wedding and expressed excitement about being part of the occasion. Speaking during the event, he also revealed his interest in investing in Nigeria. “I can’t relocate, but Peller and Peller are going to work on some investment opportunities in Nigeria. One of the things that I really wanna do is open a school here. Hopefully we can do it; that would be my dream

One of the biggest surprises of the day came from Delta based billionaire Mohammed Ochacho, who presented the couple with a mansion worth ₦400 million in Lifecamp, Abuja.

While announcing the gift, the businessman explained that his children encouraged him to make the presentation. “On behalf of my children, I am presenting a brand new house for you worth ₦400 million in Lifecamp, Abuja.”

The gesture came just days after Peller met Ochacho at music executive Soso Soberekon’s event. During that meeting, the billionaire introduced the content creator to some of his associates and had earlier promised him 10 cows as part of his wedding gifts. Peller later jokingly called him out for not fulfilling that promise before the mansion was eventually unveiled.

In June 2026, Peller proposed to Jarvis during a private beachside ceremony at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Ghana

Just weeks later, he paid her bride price during a traditional introduction ceremony in Edo State, after which they had a court wedding.