“There was a time we had 90 million turnover and we had to pay back 22 million per year for the stadium, I couldn’t sleep because we had to qualify for the champions league to pay back the money. We had to sell our best players. Other clubs came in with lots of money but we were on the same level from 2007 to 2016”
Arsene Wenger
My very dear Aisha Yesufu @AishaYesufu ,
Now that you have permitted me to speak about your journey into politics and the recent non-primary process, I shall.
First, hearty congratulations, Aisha, on your exceptional, standard‑setting run for the FCT Senate seat.
In just a few weeks, you showed what becomes possible when a selfless, sensible, competent, and courageous citizen steps into politics for the right reasons. You embodied everything Nigeria desperately needs more of in public office.
You should be immensely proud. You played by the rules, fought with integrity, and stayed the course until the entrenched barriers that routinely shut out citizens like you reared their familiar head. No reasonable observer is in doubt: what happened to your aspiration is the very disease that continues to cripple governance in Nigeria and across Africa.
Your experience is yet another reminder that until citizens collectively dismantle these systemic barriers, good governance will remain elusive.
I have often spoken publicly about your rare character, your courage, competence, and unwavering commitment to accountability and justice. Long before electoral politics, you earned national relevance through sacrifice and fearless citizenship. You spoke when silence was safer. You stood firm when retreat would have been easier. You have consistently shown that active citizenship matters, which is why I call you one of the greatest occupants of #TheOfficeOfTheCitizen.
At a time when many seek office for privilege, you stepped forward to serve, to legislate, and to institutionalize the values you have long demanded from outside government. Your aspiration symbolized the possibility that principled citizens can transform advocacy into governance.
No honest observer can deny your consistency, patriotism, and resilience. You are one of the most selfless and courageous minds your party- the National Democratic Coalition (NDC)- could have offered in 2027. Yet you asked only for a level playing field and were denied even that basic fairness.
It is therefore baffling that the NDC leadership failed to guarantee a transparent and credible internal process. Political parties are the gatekeepers of democracy. When they fail to practice democracy internally, that becomes a red flag and I hope your party NDC takes the right turns necessary to reclaim that ground. Nigerians yearning for a new political culture are watching, and parties that claim to champion democratic renewal must embody the values they proclaim.
The lesson here is bigger than you, Aisha. It is about whether Nigeria is ready to open political pathways for ethical, competent and capable citizens. Until that answer becomes “yes,” our democracy will continue to recycle mediocrity while excluding excellence.
Aisha, I know you will always hold your head high. You may not have secured the ticket, but you have earned something far more enduring. You have earned the confidence and admiration of countless Nigerians who now better understand the cost of our broken political culture.
Nigeria will yet be grateful that you chose not only to speak as a citizen, but to step forward and offer yourself for public service by running for the Senate.
Your journey has only just begun. We are many that are cheering you on!
Blessings and hugs always. 💜🫂✍🏾✍🏾✍🏾
🚨💣 Andoni Iraola, set to become the next Liverpool manager as revealed earlier today!
The negotiations will move forward quickly to get it done with formal steps but #LFC decision made…
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On the Record: NDC Primaries... A Better Abuja Is Inevitable | #AishaforSenate2031
As the dust settles on the NDC Primaries, I want to set the record straight: I did not quit, I did not drop out of the race. I stayed to the end. I also do not intend to litigate a process that was never truly allowed to happen, I share my truth because the people of Abuja deserve the truth.
Why I Ran
I came into politics from a deep conviction: that to drive the transformation we hope to see, it is not enough to complain from the outside. You must step into the ring with your convictions and fight to get into the positions where decisions are made with the weight of the law.
I understood what I was getting into. I knew that the quality of our politics has not yet risen to the occasion, that values-based candidates do not easily emerge by merit in a system built to resist them. But I made a decision going in: I would not compromise my values. I would stand for what is right. I did not leave advocacy to go into politics. I took advocacy into politics.
The Campaign We Built
I ran a campaign I am truly proud of. Our ground game was on point. We had grassroots credibility, the kind you don't manufacture in a backroom. The SAY-Nation volunteer network was formidable, so formidable that the process had to be taken out of the open and resolved through a clandestine affirmation behind closed doors.
Street by street, ward by ward, conversation by conversation, we built something real. To every volunteer who knocked on doors, every supporter who argued our case in market squares and motor parks, every young person who believed that this time could be different: I see you, and I am deeply grateful. You showed Abuja what a people-powered campaign looks like.
The Process That Wasn't
What was billed as a primary was, in truth, a predetermined outcome dressed in procedural formalities. The primaries were repeatedly postponed. Venues were changed at the last minute. Guidelines of the party were not followed. Delegate based process was introduced to be conducted at a central location instead of the direct primaries to be conducted at Local Government headquarters. When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room, away from the people whose voices it was supposed to reflect. The party will indeed go on to release statements upon statements about the free and fair nature of the Abuja FCT primaries. They are entitled to their voice, but the facts that transpired when litigated by conscience and the guidelines of the electoral act do not reflect justice and fairness.
Why I Didn't Escalate
I ran to win. But when the process was subverted, I made a choice: I would not exhaust myself in a grievance process designed to wear people down. I chose instead to extract every lesson this experience had to offer.
I now understand the architecture of the system in ways no textbook, no punditry, no amount of outside observation could ever teach. That knowledge is worth more than any petition I could have filed. I leave this process with something far more valuable than a ticket; I leave with clarity.
It is important to note that this account reflects my experience in the Abuja FCT Senatorial race. It does not speak to what transpired in other states, nor do I claim to understand the specifics of those contests. Every state had its own dynamics, and I will not generalise from my experience.
On the NDC
For now, despite its shortcomings, the NDC remains the only party that has given the better Presidential candidate in the 2027 electoral cycle a platform to run. To everyone within the party working to make this possible, I am grateful. Transformation does not come from outside alone. It must also be fought for within.
A Better Abuja Is Inevitable
This is not the end. What we built, the network, the credibility, the grassroots trust, cannot be taken away in a backroom.
On the Record: NDC Primaries... A Better Abuja Is Inevitable | #AishaforSenate2031
As the dust settles on the NDC Primaries, I want to set the record straight: I did not quit, I did not drop out of the race. I stayed to the end. I also do not intend to litigate a process that was never truly allowed to happen, I share my truth because the people of Abuja deserve the truth.
Why I Ran
I came into politics from a deep conviction: that to drive the transformation we hope to see, it is not enough to complain from the outside. You must step into the ring with your convictions and fight to get into the positions where decisions are made with the weight of the law.
I understood what I was getting into. I knew that the quality of our politics has not yet risen to the occasion, that values-based candidates do not easily emerge by merit in a system built to resist them. But I made a decision going in: I would not compromise my values. I would stand for what is right. I did not leave advocacy to go into politics. I took advocacy into politics.
The Campaign We Built
I ran a campaign I am truly proud of. Our ground game was on point. We had grassroots credibility, the kind you don't manufacture in a backroom. The SAY-Nation volunteer network was formidable, so formidable that the process had to be taken out of the open and resolved through a clandestine affirmation behind closed doors.
Street by street, ward by ward, conversation by conversation, we built something real. To every volunteer who knocked on doors, every supporter who argued our case in market squares and motor parks, every young person who believed that this time could be different: I see you, and I am deeply grateful. You showed Abuja what a people-powered campaign looks like.
The Process That Wasn't
What was billed as a primary was, in truth, a predetermined outcome dressed in procedural formalities. The primaries were repeatedly postponed. Venues were changed at the last minute. Guidelines of the party were not followed. Delegate based process was introduced to be conducted at a central location instead of the direct primaries to be conducted at Local Government headquarters. When the moment came, the contest was not decided by delegates in the open; it was affirmed in a closed room, away from the people whose voices it was supposed to reflect. The party will indeed go on to release statements upon statements about the free and fair nature of the Abuja FCT primaries. They are entitled to their voice, but the facts that transpired when litigated by conscience and the guidelines of the electoral act do not reflect justice and fairness.
Why I Didn't Escalate
I ran to win. But when the process was subverted, I made a choice: I would not exhaust myself in a grievance process designed to wear people down. I chose instead to extract every lesson this experience had to offer.
I now understand the architecture of the system in ways no textbook, no punditry, no amount of outside observation could ever teach. That knowledge is worth more than any petition I could have filed. I leave this process with something far more valuable than a ticket; I leave with clarity.
It is important to note that this account reflects my experience in the Abuja FCT Senatorial race. It does not speak to what transpired in other states, nor do I claim to understand the specifics of those contests. Every state had its own dynamics, and I will not generalise from my experience.
On the NDC
For now, despite its shortcomings, the NDC remains the only party that has given the better Presidential candidate in the 2027 electoral cycle a platform to run. To everyone within the party working to make this possible, I am grateful. Transformation does not come from outside alone. It must also be fought for within.
A Better Abuja Is Inevitable
This is not the end. What we built, the network, the credibility, the grassroots trust, cannot be taken away in a backroom.
WHO IS AFRAID OF PRIMARIES?
Election is not won by social media propaganda nor by orchestrated smear campaign. Election is won by engaging electorate one wishes to serve respectfully and with empathy and compassion.
My dear FCT Residents, especially those who are registered members of our great party Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) let’s remain focused first, on the number one priority of promoting our great party and secondly on choosing candidates that will best represent us. The time of voting or making choices out of fear is gone. This time we will make our choices out of courage and belief in the mantra: POWER BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE!
To my teeming supporters across the FCT do not be deterred, continue your ground work across the 62 wards. We are ready to meet them on the primaries ground!
Let me repeat,
WHO IS AFRAID OF PRIMARIES?
#AishaForSenate
#AishaForBetterFCT
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year ✅
United Players' Player of the Year ✅
FWA Footballer of the Year ✅
Premier League Player of the Season ✅
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BREAKING🚨🩵: Gary Neville on Pep Guardiola legacy at Manchester City
“Listen, I’ve sat here for years defending Sir Alex Ferguson and rightly so because what he did at Manchester United was unbelievable but after watching Manchester City lift the FA Cup again today, I think we’ve got to be honest about what we’re witnessing with Pep Guardiola.
This isn’t normal anymore. It’s beyond dominance.
Every single season people say City will slow down, people say the hunger will disappear, people say another team will catch them… and yet Pep keeps evolving, keeps rebuilding, keeps winning. Different players, different systems, same outcome: trophies.
Look at today’s final, the control, the mentality, the confidence. They don’t even panic in big moments anymore. That comes directly from the manager.
I’m telling you now, I genuinely think Pep Guardiola has surpassed Sir Alex Ferguson in terms of coaching level and football quality. I never thought I’d say that publicly, but what he’s done at Manchester City is outrageous.
Sir Alex built dynasties over decades, absolutely. But Pep has completely changed English football. He’s raised the tactical standard of the Premier League to a level we’ve never seen before.
And with another FA Cup now added to everything else he’s won at City… honestly, the argument is becoming impossible to ignore.
We are watching the greatest Premier League manager ever.”
🚨🗣️ | Arsenal Legend Theo Walcott Slams Bruno Fernandes on winning ‘Undeserved’ FWA Footballer of the year:
“I have to be honest, I am looking at the FWA results and I am struggling to understand the logic. For me, Bruno Fernandes is a talented player, yes, but does he deserve to be the Footballer of the Year? Absolutely not. To be the best in this country, you must lead your team to the very top, you must show up in the biggest moments against the biggest rivals. I did not see this consistency.
In my view, the award belongs to Declan Rice. What he has done for Arsenal this season the leadership, the physicality, the way he dictates the tempo it is a level above. The only reason Bruno is holding that trophy today is because the vote was a mess. You have Rice, you have Saka, you have Gabriel, and even Raya getting votes. The Arsenal excellence is so spread out that the journalists split their ballots.
Meanwhile, at Manchester United, who else are they going to vote for? There is nobody else. The United fans and the media had only one name to click, so he wins by default, not by being the superior footballer. It is a 'consolation prize' for a club that is still miles behind the standard we set. If you put Bruno in that 2004 Arsenal team, he wouldn't even make the bench because he lacks the discipline. He wins an individual award while the real winners are preparing for trophies. That is the difference between a great player and a legendary one."
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