Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, on Wednesday took a swipe at Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of neglecting governance.

According to Wike, the governor is aggressively pursuing his second term agenda when he is yet to submit a budget to the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Wike spoke during a press briefing in Abuja.

The FCT minister expressed disappointment over what he described as misplaced priorities by the governor.

“The governor is yet to submit his budget to the House of Assembly but he is busy running for second term ambition,” Wike said.

Wike criticised Fubara for focusing more on political campaigns and re-election efforts at the expense of key governance responsibilities.

The minister warned that the delay in budget presentation could hamper the smooth running of government activities and the delivery of essential services to the people of Rivers State.

Arsene Wenger made his feelings clear on Arsenal’s celebrations after the win over Atletico Madrid – and they were different to Wayne Rooney’s

Arsene Wenger has leapt to Arsenal’s defence over their Champions League celebrations, insisting they were ‘deserved’ and ‘normal’ after Wayne Rooney’s brutal criticism. The England icon immediately took aim at Mikel Arteta and the players by claiming the jubilant scenes at the end were over the top.

Bukayo Saka scored the decisive goal just before half-time to clinch a 2-1 aggregate win and set up a final against either Bayern Munich or Paris Saint-Germain.

The Gunners celebrated wildly after the final whistle, drawing criticism from Rooney, who was at the Emirates as a pundit for Prime Video. The Manchester United legend said: “They deserve to be in this position but they haven’t won it yet. I think the celebrations are a little bit too much. Celebrate when you win.”

Legendary former Gunners boss Wenger disagreed with that stance, insisting the Gunners had every right to enjoy the moment. Speaking on beIN Sports, the Frenchman said: “They celebrate well tonight, which is normal, but you want to focus already on the final and the next games.

“The celebration is deserved and happiness is normal – absolutely normal – but the next step is to go to the final and win in.”

Wenger felt that the Gunners were worthy winners, saying: “I think Arsenal wanted it a bit more than Atleti and they were more decisive in the duels.

“We said before the game that to go to the final, they needed to be strong defensively and they didn’t concede a goal tonight. They played a team who for 45 minutes absolutely needed to score a goal and they didn’t give them a chance.

“I believe it shows how strong Arsenal are defensively and how disciplined they are, as well as the limitations of Atletico, who were not good enough in the final third.

“In the end, it’s a well-deserved win for Arsenal, there’s no doubt they were the better team over the two legs.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State has defended its adoption of consensus candidates for the 2027 governorship, National Assembly and State Assembly elections, insisting that direct primaries remain available for any aspirant dissatisfied with the arrangement.

The party, in a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Moses Kyari, said consensus was adopted in line with the APC constitution as a legitimate and preferred method for candidate emergence, stressing that the process was designed to promote party unity.

The clarification comes amid growing discontent among some aspirants over the recently announced consensus candidates, as the party seeks to calm tensions and rebut claims of exclusion.

Former Communication Minister, Isa Pantami had vowed to fight out what he described as injustice, even if it involves losing his life.

Report said that governorship aspirants, Pantami, the immediate former Transportation Minister Saidu Ahmed Alkali, and Senator Danjuma Goje, aspirant for Gombe Central senatorial zone, have rejected the consensus, which has not favoured them.

The ruling party in Gombe State on Sunday adopted Jamilu Gwamna as its consensus governorship candidate and ratified 33 lawmakers for the 2027 polls.

According to the APC, the adoption of consensus followed extensive consultations involving the Party Elders Committee, State Working Committee, State Executive Committee and all aspirants.

The party maintained that every aspirant was duly informed and invited to participate in the consensus-building process, but noted that some of those now objecting to the outcome had declined participation.

“It is surprising and disingenuous that individuals who voluntarily absented themselves from the process would now seek to question an outcome they refused to help shape,” Kyari said.

The APC, however, stressed that consensus was only the party’s first option and not a binding final decision, noting that aspirants who reject the arrangement are free to test their popularity through direct primary elections.

“Neither the Electoral Act nor the APC Constitution imposes consensus as a fait accompli. Where any aspirant disagrees with the consensus arrangement, the party has no alternative but to proceed with the direct primary option,” the party stated.

The development underscores efforts by the ruling party in Gombe to manage internal disagreements ahead of what is expected to be a keenly contested 2027 electoral cycle, while preserving cohesion within its ranks.

The APC also called on aspirants and their supporters to avoid inflammatory statements capable of undermining party unity, urging all stakeholders to rally behind the collective objective of victory at the polls.