The Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) has acknowledged that referee Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias committed severe officiating errors by failing to send off Atlético Madrid players Cuti Romero and Kang-in Lee during Real Madrid’s 2-1 defeat in the Madrid derby.

The admission follows scrutiny from Los Blancos, who published a formal statement describing the officiating at the Metropolitano as “catastrophic.”

According to report, the CTA reviewed the match and determined that Ortiz Arias missed two clear direct red cards in the first half that directly impacted the LALIGA fixture.

In the 35th minute, Romero caught Jude Bellingham’s knee with his studs. Ortiz Arias initially booked Bellingham, but video assistant referee Trujillo Suárez intervened.

Ortiz Arias subsequently rescinded Bellingham’s card and cautioned Romero. The CTA concluded that the challenge warranted a straight red card for serious foul play.

Nine minutes later, Kang-in Lee stepped on Federico Valverde’s left ankle from behind. The CTA ruled that the tackle carried excessive force in a dangerous area and should have resulted in a direct expulsion, noting that the VAR room failed to intervene.

While the CTA admitted faults regarding the Atlético challenges, the committee formally endorsed the decision to send off Real Madrid defender Dean Huijsen in the 52nd minute.

Huijsen held back Giuliano Simeone inside the penalty area to stop a clear goalscoring opportunity. Ortiz Arias initially awarded a penalty and a yellow card before Trujillo Suárez recommended an on-field review. The referee upgraded the punishment to a red card, a sequence the CTA considers procedurally correct.

Alejandro Grimaldo converted the resulting penalty, and Jonathan David added a second in the 59th minute before Antonio Rüdiger scored a late header to conclude the 2-1 result.

Mourinho slams referee selection

The CTA’s assessment validates the post-match frustrations of Real Madrid manager José Mourinho, who brought a physical poster of the unpunished tackles to his media briefing.

Beyond criticising the specific on-field decisions, the Portuguese manager targeted the CTA’s appointment process directly.

Mourinho argued that assigning Ortiz Arias to the fixture was a failure, stating that the referee lacked the requisite experience to manage the volatility and pressure of a high-stakes Madrid derby.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), has gone to court to challenge a N200 million fee the Abia State Government reportedly imposes on presidential candidates who want to display campaign materials in the state.

Makinde and the APM argue that the fee, which is twenty times what the Electoral Act 2026 allows a candidate to spend on billboards in any single state, is a backdoor bid to shut out non-incumbent candidates from public view and make compliance with campaign spending limits impossible.

In suit HC/214/2026 filed at the Abia State High Court, they are challenging Governor Alex Otti, the state Attorney General, the Abia State Signage and Advertisement Agency (ASAA) and the state House of Assembly. Their lawyer is Musibau Adetunbi (SAN).

The plaintiffs say Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2026 caps total spending for a presidential campaign at N10 billion nationwide. They argue that if every state and the FCT charged a similar fee, billboard charges alone would exceed 80 per cent of that limit.

They said they learnt of the fee while preparing to begin their nationwide campaign.

The plaintiffs raised six questions for determination and are asking for eight reliefs. Key among them:

An order setting aside ASAA’s regulations on political campaigns, including the N200m fee or any other amount.

An injunction restraining the defendants and their agents from enforcing the fee and from “removing, defacing, destroying and obstructing” their campaign billboards and outdoor advertisements in Abia.

A declaration that the N200m schedule is inconsistent with federal law, unconstitutional, null and void ab initio, under Item F, Section 15(a) and (f) of the Third Schedule and Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, and Sections 92 and 99 of the Electoral Act 2026.

A declaration that the fee breaches Section 99(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, which bars the use of state apparatus or regulatory bodies to advantage or disadvantage any party or candidate, and undermines the principle of a level playing field.

INEC’s exclusive powers: The plaintiffs contend that under the Constitution and Section 9(1) of the Electoral Act, INEC alone has the power to make rules and regulations on campaigns for the purpose of elections.

State apparatus: They say that by fixing an exorbitant fee, the defendants are using ASAA to “constructively exclude” non-incumbent candidates from public visibility, contrary to Section 99(2).

Right to campaign: Section 99 guarantees candidates an unhindered right to campaign publicly once the statutory period opens, they argue, and the fee violates it.

Limits of state power: They acknowledged that outdoor signage falls under the Residual List and is a state matter, but insisted that states cannot exercise that power in a prohibitive or discriminatory manner that frustrates or overrides an Act of the National Assembly on campaigns.

Supremacy of federal law: Under Sections 1(3) and 4(5) of the Constitution, any state law, directive or regulation inconsistent with the Electoral Act is void to the extent of that inconsistency, they said.

The plaintiffs warned that unless the court intervenes swiftly, Makinde will suffer irreparable harm to his constitutional right to seek public office, and the principle of a level playing field will be badly compromised.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not be physically present at the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, in New York, United States.

The development follows an announcement by the Presidency that the President would return to Nigeria after his three-week vacation in Europe.

Stanley Nkwocha, spokesman to Vice President Kashim Shettima, announced the development in a statement on Sunday.

According to the statement, Tinubu had directed the Vice President to lead Nigeria’s delegation to the UNGA.

Tinubu’s absence was also confirmed after a provisional list of speakers showed that Shettima would represent Nigeria at the high-level General Debate.

Tinubu had been listed as the 10th speaker during the morning session on the second day of the high-level General Debate scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.

The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly began on September 8, 2026, while the high-level week is scheduled to take place from September 22 to 29 in New York City.