Man City are considering taking legal action after a Real Madrid presedential candidate said he would sign Erling Haaland, if elected.

What actually happened?

Real presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme, who faces current president Florentino Perez in Sunday’s vote, claimed on Spanish TV show El Hormiguero on Wednesday night that Haaland had a release clause and wants to move to the Bernabeu. He also held up a Real shirt with ‘Haaland 9’ on the back.

Riquelme, who also promised to sign Haaland’s City team-mate Rodri, said: “If I break my promises regarding either of these players, I’ve signed a guarantee where I’d pay 100 per cent of membership costs for next season.

“Haaland has a release clause, and he wants to come to Madrid.”

What was City’s response?

However, Manchester City have moved quickly to refute those claims, saying in a statement that there is “no chance” Haaland will be leaving the Etihad Stadium any time soon. The Premier League club also said they are considering legal action over the shirt stunt.

A City spokesperson said in a statement: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue.

“There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it.

“We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

Haaland is under contract at the Etihad until the summer of 2034 and Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta and his father Alfie Haaland laughed off suggestions the 25-year-old could soon be heading to the Spanish capital.

A joint-statement released in the early hours of Thursday morning said: “All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.”

What was Perez’s response?

Meanwhile, current Real president Florentino Perez made his own election pledge on Wednesday night, seemingly confirming Jose Mourinho’s return to Real Madrid as manager, if he wins next Sunday’s presidential election.

Perez posted a video on X in which Mourinho features in a Real shirt saying: “Yes”, while the only other words to accompany it say: “Meanwhile, on TV, they just keep talking and talking and talking. So much history to be made.”

The video was posted in response to Riquelme’s TV apperaance promoting his rival bid.

Perez has made no secret of his intention to name Mourinho as head coach should he win the vote and remain for an eighth term in the role, but his social media post appears to have made it official.

Mourinho is widely expected to agree a three-year-deal to return to the Bernabeu Stadium and replace Alvaro Arbeloa, who was appointed in January after Xabi Alonso’s departure.

Benfica have yet to confirm Mourinho’s departure, while speculation has been mounting that Marco Silva is being lined up as his successor after the Portuguese announced he will leave Fulham when his contract expires in June.

Real Madrid’s presidential election on Sunday will be decided by the club’s members. It is the first contested election since 2006 as club members will choose between incumbent Perez, 79, and businessman Riquelme, 37.

The Chairman of the Accord in Osogbo Local Government Area of Osun State, Asimiyu Ajibola, popularly known as Baba Isila, was shot by suspected gunmen on Wednesday night in Osogbo.

The shooting has prompted a police investigation into what the state government described as an attempted murder.

Report says the attack occurred at about 10:00 pm around the MDS area of Osogbo, near the Osogbo Community Bank axis, causing panic among residents as gunshots rang out in the neighbourhood.

Report quoted a source in the area, who did not wish to be named, as revealing that“The assailants opened fire on a blue Toyota Corolla conveying Ajibola and his associates while they were travelling through the area.

“The gunmen pursued the vehicle and unleashed a barrage of gunfire in what appeared to be a coordinated attack.

“We were coming from the MDS area of Osogbo and all of a sudden, the gun-wielding men chased and released a volley of bullets on all of us in the car.”

The eyewitness said the occupants managed to escape and sought refuge at the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters in Osogbo before the attackers fled the scene.

“We managed to escape to the Dugbe Divisional Police Headquarters in Osogbo where we ran to for protection before the assailants retreated and ran away,” he added.

The Accord LG chairman was subsequently rushed to the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, where he was admitted for treatment following injuries sustained during the attack.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Osun State Police Command confirmed that it had launched a comprehensive investigation into the shooting.

Police spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the incident occurred along the MDS area of Osogbo when two armed men riding a motorcycle allegedly attacked Ajibola.

The Command said officers immediately responded to the distress call, evacuated the victim to a medical facility and deployed tactical teams to pursue the fleeing suspects.

“Medical personnel have confirmed that Ajibola is in a stable condition and responding positively to treatment.

“Exhibits recovered from the scene are undergoing forensic analysis as investigators work to identify and apprehend those responsible for the attack,” the statement added.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, condemned the act and ordered a high-powered investigation into the incident.

He also directed all relevant investigative units to deploy every available resource to unravel the circumstances surrounding the attack, identify those responsible and ensure prompt arrest and prosecution.

The Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, NERC, has approved a special compensation package for eligible Band A electricity customers affected by power supply shortfalls caused by grid generation constraints between February and March 2026.

In a public notice issued on Thursday, the commission said the directive became necessary following significant generation shortages across the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry, NESI, which hindered Distribution Companies, DisCos, from delivering the committed service levels to some Band A customers.

According to NERC, the shortfalls were largely caused by inadequate gas supply and the vandalism of critical gas and transmission infrastructure, factors beyond the direct control of the DisCos.

The commission said the compensation scheme covers the period from February to March 2026.

Under the directive, Band A feeders that recorded an average daily supply of between 18 and 20 hours will continue to be compensated under the existing framework contained in Addendum No. NERC/2024/003 for both Maximum Demand (MD) and Non-Maximum Demand (Non-MD) customers.

For Band A feeders that received less than 18 hours of electricity supply, NERC said the affected feeders would not be downgraded during the covered period. Instead, eligible Non-MD customers will receive compensation equivalent to 20 per cent of the approved February 2026 energy cap applicable to their feeders, while MD customers will receive compensation equivalent to 20 per cent of the average energy billed per MD customer in February 2026.

The commission stated that prepaid customers will receive the compensation through token credits, while postpaid customers will benefit through bill adjustments.

NERC directed that compensation for February 2026 must be completed by May 31, 2026, while compensation for March 2026 must be implemented no later than June 30, 2026.

It also barred DisCos from offsetting compensation credits against any existing customer debts and directed them to clearly inform customers of the value and period of compensation received.

The commission reaffirmed its commitment to protecting electricity consumers while ensuring the stability and sustainability of the electricity market.

It added that it would continue to monitor implementation and verify compliance by DisCos to ensure all eligible customers receive the compensation due to them.