Here are the stories that drove conversation this week

Beyoncé’s ”The Lion King” album

This week was explosive and it was all about Beyoncé, from releasing the tracklist of The Lion King album which featured a handful of Afrobeats artistes to the conversation of Afrobeats gaining more global prominence. The album, The Lion King: The Gift is out and available for streaming and downloads on many platforms.

Mikel Obi retires from international football

John Obi Mikel has announced his retirement from international football. His decision to quit the national team came hours after the country’s third-place finish at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Obi made the announcement on Thursday on Instagram.

Atiku, PDP closes case at presidential election tribunal

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has informed the presidential election petition tribunal of its decision to close its case. The opposition party made the announcement after presenting its last witness, Osita Chidoka. Chidoka is a former aviation minister and was the national collation agent for the PDP during the presidential election.

Gov Makinde makes asset public, declares N48b 

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has published his asset declaration document on Monday, which shows he has in excess of N48 billion in both cash and properties. The governor complied with Nigeria’s code of conduct law that mandates senior public office holders to file their asset details while assuming office and occasionally update them.

We are still negotiating for Chibok girls, Sharibu, others’ release – Presidency

The Presidency says it is still negotiating with Boko Haram terrorists for the release of the abducted Chibok school girls, Leah Sharibu and other kidnapped Nigerians. It faulted a former CNN anchor, Isha Sesay, for saying in her newly published book that Nigerians and the government had forgotten the kidnapped girls because they were from poor homes.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Monday,  said Sesay’s new book titled, ‘Beneath the Tamarind Tree,’ was laced with many untruths.

Miyetti Allah calls for Obasanjo’s arrest

The apex Fulani socio-cultural organisation in Nigeria, Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, has criticised Nobel laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, for blaming herdsmen for the insecurity in the country, while calling for the arrest of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Obasanjo had written an open letter to President Buhari on the prevalence of insecurity in the country, calling for a national dialogue where the Fulani and other ethnic groups can be open about their grievances that have led to the insecurity in the country.

Xeneophobic killings of Nigerians must stop, Lawan tells South Africa

Senate President Ahmad Lawan says Nigeria has had enough of the killing of its citizens in South Africa. Mohammed Isa, his special assistant on media and publicity, quoted Lawan as saying this when he hosted Bobby Moroe, South African commissioner to Nigeria. At least 120 Nigerians have lost their lives to xenophobic attacks in South Africa in the last three years.

The most recent victim was Elizabeth Ndubisi-Chukwu, deputy director-general of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN), who was found dead in her hotel room in Johannesburg.

Obasanjo writes Buhari again, warns him to end violent attacks across Nigeria

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has written yet another letter to Buhari, warning that Nigeria is tipping towards a dangerous cliff and only the president could forestall such a looming disaster. Obasanjo a former Nigerian leader, between 1999 and 2007, said Nigeria has been consumed by violence and ethnic divisions since Buhari assumed office four years ago, in a manner not seen for decades.

Tinubu questions claim on killers of Fasoranti’s daughter

A national leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has faulted claims that the killers of Funke Olakunrin, daughter of a leader of Afenifere, Reuben Fasoranti, were herdsmen. He spoke on Sunday while on a condolence visit to the Akure country home of Fasoranti. “I am extremely concerned about security, I don’t want a stigma, I can go through (the) history of kidnapping in Nigeria and we know how and where it all started, there are a lot of copycats,” Tinubu said while responding to questions from reporters.

We stand with you – CAN tells Pastor Fatoyinbo

The Commonwealth of Zion Assembly (COZA) had two special guests on Sunday’s service, and a clip circulated on the social media went viral on Monday. The first was Reverend Dr. Jonah Samson, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) FCT chapter. The second was Reverend Dr. Israel Akanji, the chairman, CAN North Central. The presence of both pastors comes just two weeks after Biodun Fatoyinbo, the head pastor of COZA was forced to take a ‘leave of absence’ after two decades of accusations of sexual misconduct, sexual assault, coercion and rape. This is the first time CAN is actively aligning itself with the church, a worrying development considering the public demand for pastor Fatoyinbo to answer for the accusations against him only began to produce results.