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Cristiano Ronaldo, Teammates Arrive Lagos on Pre-Season Tour
Cristiano Ronaldo and his team, Al Nassr, have arrived in Lagos as they continue their preseason training.
They had been in Lisbon, Portugal, but have now moved to Lagos to keep preparing for the new season in the Saudi Pro League.
Ronaldo came with some of his teammates, including new player João Félix. The team shared pictures on social media, saying: “Lisbon chapter closed, Lagos chapter loading.” This message showed that they were done in Lisbon and ready for their next stop.
Earlier in the preseason, Al Nassr played a match against French club Toulouse and won 2-1. Ronaldo scored one of the goals. Now, the team is focusing on their next match, which will be against their rivals, Al Ittihad, in the Super Cup.
Al Nassr has added more star players like Sadio Mané and João Félix to strengthen the team. The club posted photos of their arrival in Lagos, and fans are excited to see these top footballers in their city.
During one of the training sessions, people noticed Ronaldo wearing a bib with the number 9 instead of his famous number 7. In some of his Instagram photos, he was seen in orange and yellow training bibs with “9” on them.
In another football update, Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Manchester United, criticized his team after their 2-2 draw with Everton in the Premier League Summer Series. He was unhappy with the way the team performed, even though they won the tournament.
Manchester United had their worst season last year, finishing 15th in the league. Fernandes said he had a chance to leave for another club, but decided to stay because he was promised improvements.
Even though the team had wins over West Ham and Bournemouth in preseason, Fernandes said they repeated old mistakes against Everton. He was honest about it, saying, “It’s improving, but it’s not where we want it to be. It’s a game of football; there’s always passion there. Whatever happens, happens. There was nothing spicy there; it’s normal; it is part of the game.”
He added that the U.S. tour helped the players connect more, but said, “We looked a bit lazy today and we need to change that.”
Fernandez also had a message for the club’s management. He said they need to sign more good players to create competition and help the team grow. “I don’t want to have a dig at anyone, but I think the club is doing the best they can in terms of all the financial situations they talk about,” he explained.
He continued: “I don’t know about it; I’m not involved in that. But obviously it was crystal clear we needed more competition for the players that were here. We needed more quality to get everyone to step up a bit more and to have more to do to get into the starting line-up. I think that’s what the club and the manager are trying to do and hopefully we can get one or two players more to help with that.”
New players such as Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha played well in the game against Everton. The club is now trying to sign Benjamin Sesko, but they are also facing competition from another club backed by big money.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 elections, Mr. Peter Obi, is set to formally join the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on December 31, 2025.
The development would put to rest months of speculation about where the former Governor of Anambra State would pitch his tent in the coming elections.
Reports claim that Obi would be defecting with serving senators and other lawmakers elected on the platform of the LP, as well as remnants of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in the South East region.
Specifically, Obi would be defecting alongside the Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh; that of Anambra North, Tony Nwoye; Abia South, Enyinnaya Abaribe; PDP chieftain Ben Obi; and members of the Obidient movement in the region.
It is not clear if the Abia State governor, Alex Otti, is part of the planned movement to the ADC.
The governor was recently approached by the PDP to join the party and re-contest his current position in 2027.
Further reports quoted Obi’s spokesperson, Valentine Obienyem, as confirming the planned defection of his boss to the ADC.
“Yes, it is true,” he reportedly said on Sunday.
Senator Umeh said the event would hold in Enugu, adding that it would involve all Obi’s supporters across the South East region.
“They will come from Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi and Imo states to join those in Enugu, where this exercise will hold on 31st December,” he reportedly added.
Sources hinted that Obi, who has not hidden his intention to appear on the ballot in 2027, would contest the presidential ticket of the ADC.
On his part, Chief Chekwas Okorie, reportedly said that the expected formal defection of Obi to the ADC is a healthy development that could reshape the thinking and permutations of the 2027 general elections.
“I imagine that he would be defecting along with most of his associates and followers. I believe that a fortified and strong ADC will add value to the opposition and assuage the general fear of a possible one-party option to Nigerians come 2027. The APC, ADC and possibly the PDP locking horns in the 2027 democratic encounter promises a vibrant and robust electioneering campaign that will provide Nigerians the required options to make informed choices in electing their preferred leaders at all levels. I imagine that the APC leadership will return to the drawing table to map out the strategy to confront the emerging challenge. Nigerians are in interesting times,” Okorie stated.
National President of Njiko Igbo Forum (NIF), Rev Okechukwu Obioha, vouched support for Obi to ensure he reaches the pinnacle of his political career. He, however, cautioned that the ADC should not compromise merit and integrity in the choice of its presidential candidate, stressing that Obi remains the “hope for the restoration of the country on the path of greatness.”
