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Friday, November 25, 2016

Photo from former child star Benita Okojie's traditional wedding






Former child star Benita Okojie and Olawale Adeyina had their traditional wedding today. The gospel artiste and her media enterpreneur hubby attended Redeemers University together. Happy married life to them...



Why I had a secret wedding and never share photos of my husband online - Di’ja






Mavin star, Afro Di’ja, aka Hadiza Salma Blell, had an exclusive interview with LIB recently where she gave reasons why she had a secret wedding to her husband Rotimi and why she never shares photos of him online.

"It was very intimate and it was also in my home town, Kaduna, so it’s kind of hard to get people to come over there and then Kaduna is not as ‘Noisy’ as Lagos. So anything like that could be probably called low key. I just don’t translate them into being posted on my page.And I guess in the ‘Post it’ ‘Tweet it’ world; you almost kind of look abnormal if you don’t
But it’s not like am going out of my way not to, i guess it’s just not in my character to do it all the time, but i’m also getting better at my Instagram. At least you see my baby and all other stuff, (laughs). So I always say there is difference between privacy and secrecy, it’s not something to hide. Again, i guess people forget that when you are in the entertainment industry, you also have to live a normal life. For instance, i wake up in the morning and i give my son a bath, and sometimes my mom will, and other times, it is a maid and an aunt that would help me with him. So don’t forget you have a real life too and you have people to answer to as well. Again you wake up and you have people that are depending on you, and people you pay for the work they do for you, you know as much as we have this entertainment life, and it’s amazing, i mean, God bless you all for liking us so much because it’s actually your love that has put us on the pedestal, but we also do these things and wake up with a regular life, so in that sense and sometimes because i could get carried away, that's majorly the problem.



Read the full interview below...

LIB: Tell us how it’s been, working with Don Jazzy, and Mavin Record as a whole?

Di’ja: Working with Mavin has really, really been a dream come true, because, the record is like a family. It’s like working with your brother. I mean sometimes you have your arguments and other times you have your fun moments. There are so many memorable moments and pretty cool ones. Sometimes when you are working in Mavin, you don’t get to see each other that much. Sometimes you see, Korede, sometimes you see, Reekado, and sometimes you see Tiwa, but we are getting to a point where we see each other alot more now. So it’s fun, it’s exciting and it has its own moments too. But what you do is to pick up and you start moving again, yeah!

LIB: talking about the record label, you guys recently got a new addition to the family. What do you think of Iyanya joining the label?

Di’ja: It is Iyanya, and i mean, he is Iyanya. He is a brand on his own, so him coming in, only adds to the label and makes it greater especially for someone like myself that is still seeing so many new things that I could add and then increase my own talents and what I want to share with everybody. He is a blessing, because there is so much we can learn from him, and there is so much I can learn from him. You know, in Mavin record we are like a family, we like to collaborate with each other, and by the Grace of God, we are going to get to that point where we start doing songs together, so i think it’s a new chapter that we should all look forward to.


LIB: How do you manage being a mother and an artiste?

Di’ja: (Laughs) Well, there are so many people that have done this before me, thousands and millions of them. So I think that the best thing to have is an amazing support system, when you have an amazing support system and you have people that are willing to work together with you, for your interest as well as theirs, it makes it a lot easier to get bye especially when you are doing stuff. I mean, I can’t tell you it’s been easy. I give my mom so much respect, I respect her so much already for the kind of support i get from her. it makes you want to appreciate your own mom or your parents like ten times more. It is amazing, for me. It’s an amazing journey right now. My son is the light of my life. You know what i mean. I also have an amazing husband that is very supportive, and i have an amazing family, and we all work together to make it happen, yeah.

LIB: You don’t share pictures of your husband on the social media, why is that?

Di’ja: Even before we got married he is a very private person, and i actually believe in respecting people’s zones until they are ready. It’s not like we don’t. So because a lot of things don’t happen right now-people are like, why are you not doing this and why are you not doing that, what’s wrong, what are you hiding, you know what i mean? We are not hiding anything, we actually go to events together and do stuff together, and i just feel, for me, am not very good at..., I like enjoying the moment, yeah, and am actually very bad at doing the posting thing. I don’t know if you have noticed, i mean recently, I started doing selfies when people were like, Di’ja, why are you not doing selfies? So not long ago, i did my very first mirror selfie, (Laughs). Not like i don’t want to do these things sometimes, I just enjoy the moments and forget to take pictures when we hang out, that’s why presently, i am always begging my crew, (‘please help me take pictures mek me sef dey pose na, wetin dey happen?’) So, it’s just that thing where I am enjoying the moment and then I forget. So we are not hiding anything. Sometimes if he can make it with me to an event, he comes, and if can’t, he will come to the next. So it’s not like he is not there, or that it doesn’t happen, i guess it’s just that, it happens and i don’t get to translate it on my page.

LIB: Was that why you did a very low key wedding?

Di’ja: Well, i mean, if you call having about 400 people grace your wedding low key, then i guess, yeah. It was more of just intimate and it’s also in my home town, Kaduna, so it’s kind of hard to get people to come over there and then Kaduna is not as ‘Noisy’ as Lagos. So anything like that could be probably called low key, but like i said, most of these things are happening but, where the problem lies is that i just don’t translate them onto being posted on my page. And i guess in the ‘Post it’ ‘Tweet it’ world; you almost kind of look abnormal if you don’t. But it’s not like am going out of my way not to, i guess it’s just not in my character to do it all the time, but i’m also getting better at my Instagram. At least you see my baby and all other stuff, (laughs). So I always say there is difference between privacy and secrecy, it’s not something to hide. Again, i guess people forget that when you are in the entertainment industry, you also have to live a normal life. For instance, i wake up in the morning and i give my son a bath, and sometimes my mom will, and other times, it is a maid and an aunt that would help me with him. So don’t forget you have a real life too and you have people to answer to as well. Again you wake up and you have people that are depending on you, and people you pay for the work they do for you, you know as much as we have this entertainment life, and it’s amazing, i mean, God bless you all for liking us so much because it’s actually your love that has put us on the pedestal, but we also do these things and wake up with a regular life, so in that sense and sometimes because i could get carried away, that's majorly the problem.

LIB: Let’s get back to music. Your music kind of stands out from what every other Mavin artiste does. How have you been able to maintain your distinct style of music?

Di’ja: First of all, thank you so much for even listening to my music, but i don’t think, adding new things into your music or adding commercial things into your music, makes you un-original. I actually love commercial music. I think I’m in my own world because sometimes i actually think that my music is not commercial pop, but it is everybody else that tells me something else. So i guess as the saying goes, the word celebrity means you are a celebrated person, meaning, you are working for the people. So i don’t run away from being influenced by certain things because no matter how you look at it, everything from when you are born is influenced by something, even how you think and what you are, regardless that somebody told you that, that’s what you are going to be, it’s later, later that you will start forming that, ah!, ‘i want to be myself; you know what i mean. So we have a platform called 'music' to express different things. But first of all, i always give it up to the grace of God, i cannot lie, I’m very much in the believe that it’s not all me, because, as much as i have plans, it’s God that says it all. So apart from that, i honestly just do what i love. I do music i would love to hear and when same is compared to what every other person is doing, people would kind it. But i don’t really think there is so much difference in music in terms of how it makes people feel. For me music is how you interpret it, if it makes you feel good and you are listening to it, then that is your kind of music and there is no need to be figuring it out, like what kind of genre it is, because even as we dey now, (everything just dey fuse) you know, everything just ends up coming back together. So for me, i think i just enjoy what i do and i do what i enjoy, and if you like it along the way, I’m very grateful and if you don’t, i hope that i do something you’d like. But i try not to... (as you guys deh talk am, trend setter), i just try my best, even if I try it and I look somehow doing it, I try it again and you know, one might just end up refining it. Everybody started somehow, and refined themselves later. For me, i just keep doing what am doing and refining same, so the more people I know and the more things that influence me, the more it allows me to form my own music. Again, I also think it’s the lack of my ability to copy someone, that gives me the 'how' to form my own music. (So because i no fit be you, i go com add one kind style like this to my song), and people would be like, ‘ah! You are original. So nothing under the sun is original my dear, we are just influenced by something somehow.

LIB: How come apart from ‘Dorobucci’ you and Tiwa have not collaborated?

Di’ja: Uhm, do you see how many we are? And how do you know we haven’t? I keep telling people that, it’s not all the songs that you recorded today, that you’d be release today. So depending on how long you have been working. When you started is only as irrelevant as whatever people feel that they already know about what you are doing, but then you have been working on many things, but I always say, how do you even know we haven’t collaborated yet, it’s just that the said song, you haven’t heard it yet. Then there are so many of us, and there are so many songs in Mavin right now, because we like music, and each and every one of us, bring something very different, which is why it works so well. So sometimes you see similarities some other times you see differences, and it is those differences that complements the other. So you never know what to expect until you see.

LIB: How do you feel about Tiwa being referred to as the first lady of Mavin records?

Di’ja: But i met her there, right? I mean, she is the first lady of Mavin records. It’s kind of funny when people want to state the obvious. Tiwa is such an inspiring person. Set aside the fact that we are even in the same record label, i mean, she has done so much and been through so much, and she still keeps this standard of performance that she does all the time, you know what i mean, you can see it. For me, it’s inspiring, and like i said, i met her there. When you go to a place and you meet someone there, it’s one of two things, it’s either you learn from them or you don’t, and so what i am doing and what would be good for me is to learn from somebody that is that strong and that can inspire me and it’s really mad cool, yeah.


LIB: So what is the biggest challenge you’ve faced working with Mavin record?

Di’ja: I think one of the greatest challenge you will face working with Mavin is actually feeling like you are creating hits. Because hits are being made in that place, and na you go tell yourself sey, (omoh, mek i stand up), you know what i mean. Whatever challenge i am going to be talking about now, is going to be my strength later, because, those guys force you to be better, because you can’t be in Mavin and not do great music, i mean, we have hard times and no matter what, you are going to try certain things and people are not going to like it, but if you are in that group of people, you would be inspired to try something else. So it’s more or less of saying, ‘How do you keep up? That’s what you should be asking me, because everybody is hungry and everybody is working, and what i like about Mavin is that nobody is going to tell you to work. When you see what people are creating, you yourself you’d just be like, (omoh, make i do something or, why i dey sleep sef, why i dey nap). So it’s a beautiful place to be in.

LIB: So do you plan to own a record label

Di’ja: Uhm, it is not in my plans, and it’s not like there is anything to fear about doing that, it’s just that owning a record label is a very hard work. Dealing with artist with very different personality types, thoughts and creativity is not very easy. So is not something i can say, oh, because you did it then i can do it. So right now, in my mind, i will never tell you that nothing is ever going to make me own one, but as of now, i don’t feel i am that kind of person to own one. But then i can have artistes, i mean people that are doing very well that i can be part of their lives and development ‘cos i always believe that if God blesses you with something, if you can in turn do it for somebody else, even if it is one person, then you’ve tried. So i can help someone else build, but to say to own a label right now, i don’t think i am just about that kind of a person right now.

LIB: You are actually a very beautiful lady, and we believe you would have lots of male admirers, so how do you manage that part of your life?

Di’ja: Anybody that kind of walks around have admirers, even babies, people chuckle and admirer them. Having admirers is not something only me encounters, everybody does. So you treat them with respect. If he crosses the line, then you check him, but i believe you treat everybody with some kind of respect.

LIB: Tell us how many children you plan to have as an artiste?

Di’ja: You know artistes call their albums children too, so which one are you talking about-(Laughs). Uhm, as many as God gives me I will take. I mean if you get to a point where, if God continues to bless you, then you say, okay, I want to chill, then fine. But as of now, I have just had my first one and it’s also a very amazing experience and hard work, but it’s not that kind of hard work that you are never going to do. It is just that kind of work that no matter how tired you are, you are just gonna do it, but honestly, God is the one that can answer that question for you, because i have learnt that no matter how much i tell you the things i want to do, they will change. So i would rather not go back and then look at it and when they ask me a question and be like how is it that i said i want ten kids and i only have two? But i would say, as many healthy kids as God can give me, that i can handle, I’d take.

LIB: How has it been working as a married woman now, compared to when you were not married?

Di’ja: Honestly it is a whole new experience, because you equally have people who need your attention, a hundred per cent. So i am not going to say, i would put fifty per cent here and put the rest there. I have to put in two hundred per cent. Because, like i was saying, regardless of how you live your life, you are still going to do your work. So you can’t say you want to give your family fifty per cent and all that, you have to give them even more love. For me, it has just increased my heart and increased how much i actually have the capacity to love something actually beyond myself. So it’s something i am doing because it’s there now, and am not changing the situation. It is fun and it’s hard work, because you are balancing studio time and home.

LIB: So what kind of support do you get from your husband

Di’ja: I get a lot of support. You like a woman, it’s either meeting expectations or not meeting expectations, you know the way the world is moving, and the love that people have for you, so for me it’s a learning experience and it is beyond anything i can actually tell you in words. It is something i didn’t plan and i am grateful for it.

LIB: Going back to divorce rate in the country, especially amongst celebrities, how do you feel about it and what’s your take about it?

Di’ja: Well, i don’t know if it is necessarily fair to say amongst celebrities, it is just because celebrity lives are kind of out there in the open and sort of magnified, it looks like it’s that much. But there is a lot that goes on in the country that I feel like it’s actually neglected in terms of..., i mean, it’s almost like a psychological warfare people are dealing with in this country. So there is just so much out there happening in people's homes. So it’s not like these things are so much amongst celebrities. It is just that when you see something in a certain industry over and over again, you just believe that it is so much there. But I just think, it is everywhere and it is what it is. If you have a divorce experience, people should more of be asking, ‘how do you deal with it’ as opposed to why it’s happening because there are certain things that are happening and we can stop them, so if it is happening, then we should be dealing with, how to take care of people after it happens as opposed to beating it on the head that it is actually happening. So let's actually focus our energy on ‘how to help people after a divorce or something', as opposed to, oh, it’s happening so much, is it because of the industry, is it because of this or that, because alot of things happen every day, and then the social media has just made it magnified on a certain group of people, so that's my take and how i feel about it.

LIB: So how do you think it can be managed then?

Di’ja: Everything can be managed by the power of God. I mean, I can’t tell you how to manage things happening in people’s homes. So I don’t even know the root of the problem so, i can’t really tell you how to fix something if i don’t even know the root of the problem. But i think, the problem is, we have so much opinion with surface knowledge and we do not even know the root of certain problems, and we can’t really fix something that we feel we have answer to already. I think the power that the public has is that they can have a public opinion, and when you have an opinion, you suddenly start feeling that things are not moving the way they should, or things are not the way they should be. So it’s time, first of all they need time. You need time to fix everything and nothing is going to happen overnight, nothing good is happens overnight, or nothing that will be everlasting will happen overnight. So you need time in order to manage things like that. For me the biggest thing is, the less people prying into things and making them magnified than they really are, the better these people would also sort of manage their lives. And i think managing information would also help people psychologically to sort of deal with their internal problems. You know we are in the new age of spreading information whether it is true or not, and these thinks actually affect people, you kind of have to be psychologically strong to deal with all the information sometimes. We are not really dealing with guns we are dealing with psychological warfare in the world, like; people’s minds are actually messing with them; because people sometimes look at something that should be in their marriages, and they compare it with someone else’s and you are like telling yourself, ‘ah ah! My own is not like this and so on and so forth. You know, i think, we really need to work in healing each other and healing ourselves within and kind of not try to focus on every other person’s problems, because if we start fixing our problems, that’s one problem down right? So everybody should ‘kinda mind your own’ because if you mind your own and you deal with your problems internally, then everything on the outside will be automatically fixed, let's start there first, yeah!

LIB: Yeah, so do you mind sharing how you have managed to keep the bond alive in your marriage? Let there be a message to someone who is already struggling with his or her marriage right now, or celebrities who actually have divorced or are struggling with theirs right now.

Di’ja: (Sings song with her fingers pointed upward—Oluwa ni, you don see Oluwa ni, ooo?). You see your mama prayers enh, mek you no joke with your mama prayer at all. I earnestly believe so strong in prayers. I am not trying to skip your question or anything, but nothing is possible if there is no strength in God. If you don’t love God, you cannot love a human being. I am not trying to tell you that people that don’t have love for God now that that's why we are separating so much, or maybe that okay the God i pray to, is not the God they pray to, and different things or whatever. For me if you have something higher than you that you love, the love that you will give to a human being would be priceless. So you can’t..., i mean, i believe so greatly in the Almighty. So this is how i am going to answer this question, i have love for God and i have fear for the almighty. So it’s hard for me to take my hand and not use it to help somebody. If you pray, you will find the answers you need for your marriage i believe. There is so many answers in sitting down to yourself and having a conversation with God, or even a relationship with him. It is called faith. We believe in what we don’t see, so if you have faith, there is so many boundaries you can break, yeah!

LIB: So when is Di’ja giving her fans an album?

Di’ja: By 2017, at least. We have been working on a beautiful music and great music for you to dance to. I love music, and that’s the truth, my category in Nigeria, is Alternative. There is so much that is going to happen (in sha Allah) in 2017, and it’s already happening, so i just need your support and your attention.

LIB: Have you regretted anything in life?

Di’ja: I don’t regret anything because whether i like or not, it happens.

LIB: What do you think the Nigerian music Industry can do differently, what advice do you have to give the Industry?

Di’ja: Honestly, what i would actually like to say is, ‘more support from the people, more support from everybody. You have to realise that there is something we don’t do. We actually don’t give credit enough here in Nigeria. The Nigerian Music Industry has employed a lot of people, and as much as it might not be up to the standards that we expect it to be, it has given jobs, and i think that the more assistance we get from different organisations that are related to the Nigerian music industry, even from outside as well, you know, if anybody has better ways to do something, where ever we can get extra funding coming from, it would help the industry. I mean, alot of people are actually trying. So, I don’t particularly like talking down on what feeds me, because there moments when i have had really bad moments, yes, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that for you it’s been all bad, because when i was having it fun i wasn’t complaining but when thing are not going so cool, that’s when i start saying how crappie it is and all that stuff. So if we have the right arms and support, everything is going to flourish in the industry more than it is already doing, but you have to give it credit for where it is already, i mean it still has holes, but it’s definitely feeding us.

LIB: Is there anything you don’t like happening in the industry you want to point out.

Di’ja: There is always something you don’t like. The thing is, what you actually don’t really like in the industry is what is actually needed in the industry to make it flourish, ‘cos it is entertainment we talking about. So as much as am going to sit here and tell you i don’t like certain things, the whole idea is to have our audience entertained. So anything i don’t like, will probably be entertaining somebody else. So for me, it’s anything you are doing, you try and do it in your favor, as long as you are not hurting anyone in the process, i mean, yeah, that's it.

LIB: In one of Lynxxx’s recent reports as a singer, he said he switched from circular to doing what many people now brand as Gospel music, because according to him, he wasn’t finding fulfillment in the former, so as a circular music artiste, are you finding fulfillment in what you are doing in relation with serving God?

Di’ja: First of all, i would actually give credit to Lynxxx for mentioning a few times that being close to God doesn’t necessarily mean, he is shutting everyone else out. He is singing songs that he feels is glorifying his God, you know, but he didn’t tell anybody he is a gospel artiste. Again, I think we always try to define certain things the way it makes sense to us and we actually do not listen to what the other person is trying to tell us, like if it doesn’t fit into what we have in our minds, we think it is its wrong. I really can’t tell you, I mean even in terms of religion, there is still so much that i am even learning, because i don’t know it all; and i am constantly asking God, whatever is not good enough for me, push it far, and whatever is good for me, bring it close. I don’t know what those things really are sometimes, and sometimes i do know what they are. So when God answers your questions sometimes he answers them in such a way that you are the one that can really tell he has answered your questions. So i just ask God anything that i am doing that i am not supposed to be doing, please take it far from me. And i can’t tell you other than that, because sometimes somebody else be saying 'if you are really close to God, you shouldn’t be doing what you are doing', so i really can’t even argue with them, because, the truth is, i don’t even know exactly what i should be doing until am even doing it, because a lot of us ask which way is the right way? And there are ways that we’ve learnt, that (no matter how you do am, naim be dey right way), and then (e get some people wey be sey, no matter how the thing do you), make you respect your elders and parents sha, and they don’t really look at how you try do am. So this question with God, i really can’t tell you that what I’m doing is the right thing o, but i can tell you that every time i pray to God, i tell him to push anything that is not good for me far, and any door that is okay for me, if he opens it, i will take it as a blessing and if he closes it, i’d take it that it means i should move the other direction, so yeah.

LIB: what’s your advice to upcoming artistes?

Di’ja: honestly if you really believe in what you are doing, really don’t give up. There is really no hard formula to this, just hard work; so no hard formula to making it. There is this quote i always like to say; ‘you can’t really cheat a hustle.’ As much as some people look so good on camera, and it’s looking as if nothing has ever touched them, that’s the art of this entertainment industry that no matter how sad you are, once you on that camera, you have to make that smile come back. So just keep doing what you are doing to pursue your dreams, as long as you are not hurting anybody, put the 'pedal to the meddle,' keep pushing it and then you honestly pray, ‘cos you really can’t joke with your prayers and I’m not trying to change anybody’s mind or anything, but i really do believe in it, in terms of faith, i really believe it helps do things people say you can’t do".

'I will ensure 2017 budget is not padded' - Pres Buhari






The distortions that happened to Budget 2016, in which series of rogue projects and figures were injected into the financial document won't happen to next year's budget, President Buhari has vowed. Receiving in audience members of the Governance Support Group (GSG), led by Hon. Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, at State House, Abuja, Friday, the President said:




"I am waiting for the 2017 Budget to be brought to us in Council. Any sign of padding anywhere, I will remove it."
President Buhari re-iterated that he had been in government since 1975, variously as governor, oil minister, head of state, and Chairman of the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), "and never did I hear the word 'padding' till the 2016 Budget."
He promised that such would never happen again under his watch.
The President said the government stands by its tripod campaign promises of securing the country, reviving the economy, and fighting corruption, but lamented that some people are deliberately turning blind eyes to prevailing realities in the country.
"They don't want to reflect on the situation in which we are, economically. They want to live the same way; they simply want business as usual," he said.
On violence that attend rerun elections in the country, President Buhari stated:
"I agonized over the elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Rivers states. We should have passed the stage in which people are beheaded, and killed because of who occupies certain offices. If we can't guarantee decent elections, then we have no business being around. Edo State election was good, and I expect Ondo State election to be better."
Speaking on the anti-corruption cases before the courts, the President said he believed the cleansing currently going on "will lead to a better judiciary. When people are sentenced, Nigerians will believe that we are serious."
President Buhari equally told his guests that the progress being made in agriculture and exploitation of solid minerals "gives a lot of hope," adding:
"Our grains go up to Central African Republic, to Burkina Faso, but they can't buy all the grains harvested this year. And next season should be even better. We will focus on other products like cocoa, palm oil, palm kernel, along with the grains. We can start exporting rice in 18 months, and we are getting fertilizers and pesticides in readiness for next year."
Speaking on behalf of members of GSG, Hon. Nwajiuba said the government had succeeded to a large extent on the security and anti-corruption fronts, adding that the group was positive that the economy would soon experience a turnaround, "as the government is working very hard in that direction."
The group said the biggest constituency of the President was the poor and lowly, and thus recommended what it calls "a social re-armament of the poor."

J K Rowling is back on Forbes' list of richest people after four year absence






The super successful author whose Harry Potter franchise forms the core of her fortune dropped off the money pile four years ago but recent assessment of her earnings suggests she is a dollar billionaire once more due to the unstoppable march of Harry Potter.

The new film inspired by the Potter world, entitled Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them; the author’s involvement with theme parks; and a series of stage productions have all contributed to her resurgence, the New York Times suggested.



The newspaper said that while its calculations are only smart guesswork, Rowling’s total earnings come in at $1.2 billion.

The paper said the core of Rowling’s wealth remains the seven Harry Potter books, which have sold an estimated 450 million copies, with estimated total revenue of £6.1 billion with her share amounting to £900 million at a standard 15 percent author’s royalty.



The author earned as much as £80million from just her Harry Potter theme parks.

Photos: Soon-to-be bride, Zahra Buhari, engages in charity work in Abuja







Zahra who in a couple of days would be getting married to her fiance, Ahmed Indimi, yesterday engaged in some charity work in the Federal Capital Territory Abuja. Zahra is the ambassador for Ace charity, an NGO based in Abuja. Zahra. See more photos





The threat of a new political party by Reuben Abati






Read his piece below...

When aggrieved politicians within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) decided to join forces with members of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the All Progressives Peoples Alliance (APGA) to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2013, they had well-defined, if not so clearly stated, even if poorly conceived objectives: to send President Jonathan out of power, displace the PDP which had clearly become a dominating hegemonic party, exert vengeance and offer the people an alternative.
The triumph of the APC in the 2015 elections resulting in victory at the Presidential level, in 23 states out of 36, and also in the legislature, state and federal, was propelled on the wings of the people’s embrace of this slogan of change. Change became the aphrodisiac of Nigeria’s search for democratic progress. The new party’s promises were delivered with so much certainty and cock-suredness. Those who were promised free meals were already salivating before casting the first vote.

The permanently opportunistic players in Nigeria’s private sector could be seen trading across the lines as they have always done. Everyone knew the PDP had too much internal baggage to deal with. The opposition exploited this to the fullest and they were helped in no small measure, not just by the party’s implosion, but also the offensiveness of the claims by certain elements within the PDP that their party will rule Nigeria forever. This arrogance had gone down the rank and file resulting in bitter conflicts among the various big men who dominated the party. The party failed from within, and even after losing the 2015 elections, it has further failed to recover from the effects of the factionalism that demystified it and drove it out of its hegemonic comfort zone. It took the PDP 16 years to get that hubristic moment. It is taking the APC a much shorter time to get to that same moment.

The displacement of the PDP gave the impression that Nigeria’s political space, hitherto dominated by one party, and a half, out of over 30 political parties with fears of a possible authoritarian one-party system, had become competitive. But the victory of a new party over a dominant political party in power such as occurred in 2015, has not delivered the much-expected positives: instead, questions have been raised about the depth of democratic change and the quality of Nigeria’s political development. The disappointment on both scores has been telling.

The ruling APC has not been able to live up to expectations. In less than two years in power, it has been behaving not like the PDP, but worse. Not a day passes without a pundit or a party member or a civil society activist suggesting that the only way forward is the formation of a new political party. There are over 30 registered political parties in Nigeria; no one is saying that these political parties should be reorganized and made more functional; the received opinion is that a new political party would have to replace the APC.

The implied message is the subject of political science. Many political parties in Africa, not just in Nigeria, lack substance. They reflect the problematic nature of party politics in the continent, even after the third wave of the continent’s democratic experience. Party organizations are weak, their organs are inchoate, their fortunes are mercurial. In Nigeria, this seems to be more of a post-military rule reality, for in the First and Second Republics, some of Nigeria’s political parties appeared to be more relatively people-based and socially-rooted. The military left behind an authoritarian streak at the heart of Nigeria’s party politics, producing political parties since 1999 that do not fully reflect or assimilate the people’s yearnings.

There isn’t therefore yet in place a mass-based, people-driven political party to replace the elite-based hegemonic parties we have, despite early efforts in the past in this direction by the likes of Aminu Kano and his People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Movement of the People (MOP), Tunji Braithwaite’s Nigeria Advance Party (NAP), Gani Fawehinmi’s National Conscience Party (NCP) and Wole Soyinka’s Democratic Front for the People’s Federation. There was also the Labour Party, mentioned separately here, advisedly, because it ended up abandoning its social democratic base, and became like the regular parties, an elite cabal, with the initial progressives who championed it on the platform of the Nigeria Labour Congress, moving ideologically to the right in an attempt to align with the Nigerian mainstream and its ready benefits. A profile of this political party and its initial principal promoters would reveal just how alimentary Nigerian politics is.

Our immediate concern, however, is to argue that those who are raising the flag of a new political party as the answer to the emerging failure of the APC and the growth of factions among its members, and by extension, the spreading despair in the land, are missing the point. They are not promising any revolutionary change nor are they interested in deepening Nigeria’s democratic change. Permit me to quote Danjuma Gambo, of the Enugu Chapter of the Civil Liberties Organization (CLO) who reportedly said: “A new political party is what we need. A new party with new plan, (and an) ideology that will bring succor to the sufferings of Nigerians is the answer.”

Gambo deserves some credit: he phrases the matter delicately as a commentary on the incumbent dominating political party and government. His “what we need”, “new plan” “ideology” means change, another form of change to end, he tells us, “the sufferings (sic) of Nigerians”. We ask him, although he seems to have answered the question already: what happened to the change that happened in 2015? So we ask another question: if the formation of a new political party did not solve Nigeria’s problems since 2015, what is the guarantee that a new party would gain power and perform better than the ruling APC? Professional politicians don’t comment on the matter as carefully as Gambo attempted. They are brazen about it and they have been loud too. They make it sound like a threat and a given solution. When you hear them boasting that a new political party is on the way, you are left in no doubt that they are issuing a threat. But is a new political party the solution to Nigeria’s foreign exchange crisis or the people’s angst?

The conundrum is easy to resolve. It is easy for the political elite in Nigeria to change their garments, sans remorse, ideology or sentiment and that is how some of the most prominent political figures in Nigeria today have changed party membership cards more than five times in the last 17 years. The politics of elitism in Nigeria is simply about access to power, position and privileges. It has nothing to do with the people’s interests. The APC is in crisis for this reason, very much like the PDP, and even the smaller parties, because these are political parties of big men of influence. Conflict results when they are not allowed to exercise that influence by other competing big men, who are similarly if not equally driven by ego, religion and superior ethnic considerations.

The exercise of influence as a party big man follows a known pattern: after electoral victory, the big man wants the spoils of victory; he wants positions for his followers, contracts for wives and children and the freedom to have a say in the new government. Any attempt to shut him down, oppose him, or sideline him or her, immediately creates a crisis within the party. The greater the number of such big persons who feel short-changed and marginalized, the greater the chances of such factionalism that would trigger threats of a new political party. New groups can create new tendencies in society, but in Nigerian politics, new groups don’t really emerge, it is the same recycled set moving from one political party to a new or another one, looking for benefits.

Poverty, low literacy and the weakness of public institutions make the people vulnerable. The people embrace slogans and the dividends of what is now known in Nigeria as “stomach infrastructure.” They are deceived by the politicians’ display of affection and empathy. Because they are hungry, they accept money to attend rallies to help create an illusion of populism and acceptability. On election day, they sell their votes and sign off their freedom. After the election, they are too ashamed to speak up or they compensate for their psychological distress by subscribing to the politics of vengeance. A patrimonial and neo-patrimonial political system such as we run in Nigeria promotes nothing but difference, disappointment and distrust. Those who are plotting to create a new political party should be told that the harvest is predictable: more intense leadership competition, high level conflict among big men, greater deception, increased difference and tension within the polity. Political parties are governed by rules: the Nigerian political system operates above rules. It is possibly one of the most Machiavellian in Africa.

What do we need? Not recycled politicians posing as new party men and women. But this: effective party organizations, like the NCNC, the NEPU, the NPC, the AG, APGA, UPN, UMBC of old which belonged to the people and reflected their aspirations. The only difference should be a necessary disconnect with the politics of ethnicity at the heart of the party formation process in Africa which, as seen, defeats the objectives of true democracy and modernization. Institutionalization of the political party system will also ensure stability within the democratic order: after a bitter political contest in the United States in 2016, the two dominant political parties - The Republican and the Democratic have remained stable, and the country is being projected as supreme.

We should end this then where we started: leadership is the principal challenge. Until we sort that out, Nigeria’s politics will remain trapped in the throes of ethnicity, patrimonialism, authoritarian dominance, the threat of system volatility and fragmentation and the politics of revenge.

DJ Khaled shares photos of celebrities carrying his son






DJ Khaled has been sharing photos of his son, Asahd, on IG describing how much joy and happiness he brings to him. He also shared photos of celebrities like Nicki Minaj, Rick Ross, August Alsina and Future cradling him. See more after the cut...









Un video pubblicato da DJ KHALED (@djkhaled) in data:

For those who thought Dj Cuppy was responsible for Anichebe's good form this season, no, it's his new workout routine



Nigerian footballer Victor Anichebe has been in immense form this season, scoring vital goals that have helped revitalize Sunderland's season after coach David Moyes switched to a 4-4-2 formation.

Injuries and poor form made his former club West Brom desert him, but this season he's been in good form and some of his fans have pointed his new relationship with Dj Cuppy, daughter to billionaire businessman Femi Otedola, as the reason for his success on the field. But, no! That's not the reason, as Anichebe has changed his workout routine with his personal trainer Nicky Holender.


In a new report, Anichebe's trainer revealed how he begged him to help him get in shape so he can be remembered this season.

Read the Dailymail Uk report on Anichebe below:

It is mid-afternoon on a scorched soccer field in Westwood, Los Angeles. The Hollywood Hills and its famous sign are visible through the summer haze. Next door is the Pierce Brothers Memorial Park, resting place of Marilyn Monroe and Dean Martin.

But this is not glamorous. An out-of-contract Premier League footballer is tied to a goal-post. He is fighting the urge to vomit. For 15 minutes he has been resisting the elasticated rope around his waist and sprinting to the halfway-line, jogging back before repeating the drill.
And this is merely the warm-up. Only later does the football emerge. Then, with his legs turning to jelly, the striker is fed ball after ball, controlling before beating his only opponent and firing into the empty goal.

Anichebe has been doing this for six weeks. For company, he has only Nicky Holender, the London-born personal trainer to Hollywood's A-listers and the man responsible for Gerard Butler's muscle-bound torso in the movie 300.

At 7am Pacific Time last Saturday, the 39-year-old father of three watched on TV from his home in Westwood as, 5,000 miles away on Wearside, Anichebe scored two late goals in Sunderland's 3-0 win over Hull. Afterwards, the man of the match made special mention of Holender.

'Those goals, that was exactly what we'd worked on all summer,' Holender, a former footballer, model, singer and actor, tells Dailymail UK's Sportsmail.'I had a plan where I'd put him through hell for 20 minutes. I annihilated him. Then we'd start working on finishing, one-on-ones, explosive bursts so that his body would get used to doing that when tired. Doing it 20 times over.Victor gets tired and he's carrying that weight, his body gets into a situation where it can't cope — that's when you break down.

'We had to get his muscles used to coping with that immense power for 90 minutes, not 75. Look at his goals against Hull. Both one-on-one with a defender in the box, one touch to get away from him and bang — goal. That's what you'll see with Victor this year, at the end of games he will be stronger than everyone else on the pitch. I train NFL players and Victor has the perfect body-type for a running-back. Of all the players I work with, his raw physical and technical ability makes him unplayable if he's in the right condition.'Anichebe has been working with Holender for four years. This summer, however, Holender sensed a change in his mindset. The pair would meet at 9am at a gym in Santa Monica. A two-hour workout would be followed by lunch and another two-hour field session.

Holender says: 'He'd left West Brom and felt everyone had forgotten how good he was.

He told me, I'm 28, now is the time, I'm ready to show people I've still got it". He was begging me to train two times a day. He said, "When I go back, everyone will remember me".'It was mid-August when Holender asked Anichebe to play for his team, Funkytown, in the semi-pro LA Premier League. After three goals in the city of El Segundo, the home of LAX airport, Holender knew it was time for Anichebe to book a flight to the UK and step up his search for a new club.

'This was a decent standard, Conference level in England,' says Holender. 'For his second goal he got the ball in our area. He just started running and didn't stop. He went by half of their team and scored. He finished his hat-trick with a 25-yard screamer. 'I was like, "Yeah, you're ready to go home now".'fortnight Anichebe signed for Sunderland and his former Everton boss David Moyes.
Holender adds:

'He had plenty of offers but I've always known he loves David. Victor can save Sunderland this season. Especially playing with Jermain Defoe, there will be no stopping him.' More photos of Victor and his trainer, below...












Culled from Daily Mail UK's Sportsmail

DOWNLOAD MUSIC:Don Fodio – Hello (prod. Young John)


Don Fodio – Hello (prod. Young John)






Don Fodio – Hello (prod. Young John)


Usman Ligali better known as DonFodio is a multitalented entertainer who Started his Entertainment career first as a rapper, A member of the group called deform group Images, the group recorded there first single Ewajo in 1999 and the single got the group lots of shows performing alongside notable Nigerian Artist like The Remedis, Plantainzhun boyz, Tribes men and so on, But the Group was dissolved due to poor management.

DonFodio soon starts his solo career and discover his love for storytelling and decided to attend PEFTI to shape his screen play written skill after graduation In 2004 he wrote his first ever screen play which was Produced by Taiwo Oduala and after that he also wrote screen plays for a few other movie producers. After attending various movie locations with various movie makers in Nollyhood, in 2010 He traveled to the United States to study and develop more on his movie making Career.

He is studying Film-making/Cinematography at the Academy of Art University CA.

Living In the Bay Area (Dub-Nation..Go Warriors), DonFodio also has continue to perform as a Afro Dancehall Artist across the Bay Area.

As a Moviemaker, He is presently working on a YouTube series called What The Heck area (WTHM) and also working has a Music video director for various local artists in the Bay Area.
DOWNLOAD AUDIO


DOWNLOAD NUSIC:Subzilla – O Da Bo (prod. Dr. 02Beat)

Subzilla – O Da Bo (prod. Dr. 02Beat)

Subzilla – O Da Bo (prod. Dr. 02Beat)
When we think It’s Over! Rave of the moment, Subzilla dishes out another catchy tune tagged “O DA BO” from the stables of Lams Records. It takes a talented artiste to be consistent as Subzilla keeps topping charts with his previously released tunes “Sisi Eko” & “Salome”.
The awesome visuals that was shot for “Sisi Eko” & “Salome” gave it an opportunity to get a premiere via MTV Base alongside other TV Stations. Indeed, Subzilla is not ready to settle for less as he hits us with “O Da Bo”.
Get your loud head phones and Speakers, Bounce on this new Jam because it’s the next thing to disturb the street, clubs and Yes! Hack Your playlist.
Listen Up & Enjoy
Follow @iamsubzilla
DOWNLOAD AUDIO 

DOWNLOAD MUSIC:DJ Blink X Wurdplay – Money Train

DJ Blink X Wurdplay – Money Train



DJ Blink X Wurdplay – Money Train


Ferrariflowz presents ‘Money Train’ The audio movie starring 5 star Disc jockey ‘Dj Blink’ and super talented lyricist ‘Wurdplay’ .

With a captivating hook from Dj Blink and slaying verses form Wurdplay, Money train is definitely the hiphop club banger for the season .

Money train is only a teaser from what is to come from ferarriflowz entertainment in 2017 . Download , enjoy share and stay tuned.

Money Train was mixed and mastered by Timi Blaze.

DOWNLOAD MUSIC:DJ Trynott (Jiggaman) ft. Dansinzu X Wizzy Pee – CARO

DJ Trynott (Jiggaman) ft. Dansinzu X Wizzy Pee – CARO






DJ Trynott (Jiggaman) ft. Dansinzu X Wizzy Pee – CARO


United States based Nigerian artist/Deejay, DJ Trynott formerly known as Jiggaman just dropped a brand new single titled “CARO” and featuring Dansinzu and Wizzy Pee.

Signed under Loud Music Business (LMB), “CARO” is produced by Illuminati Beats.

Enjoy!

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
https://twitter.com/DJTRYNOTT
https://www.instagram.com/djtrynott/

VIDEO: Meyar – Only You

VIDEO: Meyar – Only You



VIDEO: Meyar – Only You


The wait is over as MEYAR finally showcases the official music video to his trending single titled ‘ONLY YOU’ which was directed by MEX.
The flygerian singer, songwriter and performing artiste is currently signed to Kinging Records.

‘ONLY YOU’ is an upbeat afro pop love song with honest lyrics, passionate and well delivered singing, flawless vocals with an exciting drama concept.

Watch, Download and Enjoy.

VIDEO: Navio – RIDER


VIDEO: Navio - RIDER




VIDEO: Navio – RIDER


When it comes to breaking boundaries with music, Navcorp has always been a step ahead. This ground breaking music project is for a song called named “Rider”. Aptly named because Navio fans are known to support in force.

In this next move, we see nothing short of a music video shot like a movie by Carlos Nunez. The influence for the video will come from a Michael Mann directing style. With a mixture of hand held, industry sized drone and stationery shots, showing the glossy side of Ibitha and Miami in a gritty Hip Hop style.

The song is a carefree expression about being true to the #Squad, having fun and representing your own side and will be out in a few short days.

There have been a few setbacks to the release of the video. Navio had to shoot with a severe fracture to his forearm. Also the Costa Nostra theme happened at the same time as one of his own family members was robbed. So out of respect the release was delayed.

The song itself was produced by Aethan who added some live bass and guitar riffs to keep it interesting, while maintaining a movie like theme to the song as well. Recorded by Samurae at TA and given a cinematic master by Dawoo at Audio Central Studios which really pushed the envelope.

New music: Genuine Michael - Dangerous


It's Truly a reality that one of the quick rising Nigerian R&B Pop Singer, Joe Michael, prevalently known as "Genuine Michael" The sahawagana crooner is back with his new hit Single Video-titled, Dangerous, under the stables of Freshkid ent. Music is Food to the Soul! Value this visual the video was directed by C.A.R.D.O.S.O Imagery Watch underneath

"Thanks to everyone that called me ugly" IG user writes as she shares transformation photo






Instagram user Nadia shared throwback photo and current photos, thanking those who made fun of her looks in the past. She wrote;




"Thank you to every/anyone that called me ugly. 12yrs/32yrs Fast forward the girls that's called me ugly currently have no brows them big ass breast you had in 6th grade are now sagging... lol and I'm pretty sure that puss ain't right... lol. So thank you God for my ugly mug... flat chest... and big teeth... #wewinning and I can cook cause mom's had me locked in the house teaching me to be a good wife... ( imagine me twerking right now with my tongue out"

Ex-beauty queen, Sandra tries to prove she got the Benz car from her man as a gift, shares pics of them cruising in it






Queen of Aso Universe 2015, Sandra Ekwusiobi, was few months ago accused of lying about getting a Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class from her man as a lot of people claimed the car belonged to Prince Nku who is actress, Uche Elendu's ex-husband.

Trying to prove she wasn't lying, Sandra shared photos of her and her man, Prince Nku cruising in the car, which could still be his and not hers! See more photos below...






VIDEO: Stella Damasus – Grateful

VIDEO: Stella Damasus - Grateful


VIDEO: Stella Damasus – Grateful


Happy Thanksgiving to all the folks in America.

This is The Official Music Video to the song GRATEFUL performed by Stella Damasus from THE ALTERNATIVE ALBUM. The song is the official soundtrack to the movie BETWEEN produced by Daniel Ademinokan & Stella Damasus for INDEX TWO STUDIOS.

VIDEO Premiere: Solidstar – Emergency

VIDEO Premiere: Solidstar - Emergency


VIDEO Premiere: Solidstar – Emergency

Off his recently released W.E.E.D Album, amazingly talented music act Solidstar, releases the visuals to “Emergency“.

VIDEO: DJ Cuppy Turntable Session

dj-cuppy-turntable-session


VIDEO: DJ Cuppy Turntable Session


DJ Cuppy is a successful female Disc Jockey and brand to reckon with when it comes to music and entertainment in Nigeria, and around the world. The professional Disc Jockey spins different genres of music from Hip-Hop, House, Dancehall, Afrobeats etc. Her ability to trill and entertain different types of audience across the globe makes her a unique African talent.

Just a few months after moving to London, Cuppy says she is back in full work mode and is ready to dominate dance floors around the world and most importantly make audiences feel good through music.

Her turntable jam session video gives us an electrifying mix with a great fusion of House Music and Hip-Hop. Cuppy is certainly not just a pretty face, the girl’s got skills too

VIDEO: Koker x DJ Shabsy – Gan Gan


VIDEO: Koker x DJ Shabsy - Gan Gan



VIDEO: Koker x DJ Shabsy – Gan Gan

Koker and DJ Shabsy comes through with crisp visuals of their recently released single titled – “Gan Gan“.

Enjoy and don’t forget to leave your thoughts below

VIDEO: Terry Apala – Omidan

screen-shot-2016-11-24-at-5-59-42-pm



“What a year it has been for Terry Apala!!!

With “Modernize” still popping up the charts and then dropping arguably one of the biggest songs in 2016 in “Champagne Shower” while collaborating with the A-listers like Flavour, DJ Jimmy Jatt, etc, there seems to be no stopping NelsonJack Entertainment’s TERRY APALA at the moment as the man himself comes through once again with another tune dubbed OMIDAN, accompanied with visuals.

Directed by Michael Williams, TERRY APALA shows his sultry side on this one and as always, delivered in a fascinating fashion which should finally silence the doubters. It’s very safe to say that Terry Apala is definitely here to stay.

Expect more from Terry Apala in months to come.”

VIDEO: Guiltybeatz ft Mr Eazi – Chance (Fr3 Me)

screen-shot-2016-11-24-at-3-11-23-pm



VIDEO: Guiltybeatz ft Mr Eazi – Chance (Fr3 Me)

Mr Eazi delivers vocals on his producer’s record “Chance (Fr3 Me)” dedicated to his Ex AMA.

Watch the visuals and share your thoughts below.

Exclusive: Police charge Seun Egbegbe to court for phone theft at Ikeja, Lagos






Movie Producer Seun Egbegbe was on Tuesday Nov 22nd arrested at Computer village, Ikeja for allegedly stealing 9 iPhones. According to reports, Seun attempted to escape from the shop with the phones, allegedly telling the sales girl that he was coming back. He left, crossed the road and entered into a waiting taxi. The sales girl who claimed she was hypnotized, said she came back to her senses and raised an alarm. Some Traders chased and caught up with Seun, beat him up before finally handing him over to the police.
Although Egbegbe released a statement denying the allegations, it was revealed yesterday that he was still in Police custody. LIB can now exclusively confirm that he was officially charged to court by the Police this morning. He's presently at the Magistrate court in Ikeja.

According to Lagos state Police PRO, Dolapo Badmus, "After Discreet Police Investigation and two nights in custody, Seun Egbegbe has been charged to court for stealing."

Tiwa Savage shares throwback photo



She shared the photo on social media with the caption "TBT .... @tojufoyeh where did you find this picture...I can't believe I was this skinny OMG"
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