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Media personality Charles Oputa popularly known as Charly Boy, has celebrated the engagement of his daughter, Adaeze, to her female partner.

Charly Boy shared a video from the engagement ceremony on his Instagram page, with a caption celebrating the couple.

‘My beautiful Princess and her Husband. Folks, wish dem well for me,’ he wrote.

Adaeze also confirmed the engagement in a separate post on Instagram, sharing a photo with her partner.

‘We’re Engaged!’ she wrote, alongside the hashtag #mrsandmrs.

‘Here’s to a lifetime of love, laughter, growth, and making beautiful memories together. I can’t wait for everything God has in store for us. Forever sounds even sweeter with you,’ she added.

Charly Boy, also known as Area Fada, is known for his outspoken views on social issues and has previously spoken publicly about his family.

Afrobeats singer Skales has commended his female colleagues in the entertainment industry, saying it is not easy to thrive as a woman in the Nigerian music scene.

The ‘Shake Body’ crooner gave the remarks on his X handle, amid a viral podcast interview where singer Fave spoke about the challenges faced by female artistes.

‘Big up all the females in the entertainment industry… it ain’t easy being a woman in this industry… big up to y’all for real,’ Skales wrote.

His post came after Fave, on the Afropolitan podcast, claimed that female artistes face more hurdles because they are judged not only by their talent but also by their sex appeal.

Fave also claimed that she, alongside Tems and Ayra Starr, changed the narrative for women in Afrobeats.

‘When Tems, I and Ayra Starr came into the scene, we came with different voices that were different from the very feminine voice people were used to. Before us, female artistes used to sing in a very feminine way,’ she said.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun yesterday inaugurated the state Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 general election.

He urged members to begin consultations, grassroots mobilisation and sustained engagement with voters across the state.

Prince Abiodun, who is chairman of the Campaign Council, said the inauguration marked the beginning of a new phase in the party’s preparations for the elections, directing members to translate the council’s organisational structure into effective action across the state’s 20 local governments, 236 wards and polling units.

The governor advised the council to work for the success of APC candidates, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, his running mate, Alhaja Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, as well as the party’s candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and House of Assembly.

Speaking at the inauguration in Abeokuta, Abiodun directed members to hold their inaugural meeting immediately and begin consultations and campaign activities without delay.

‘Let consultations and campaign now begin,’ he declared.

The governor said elections were not won merely through political reputation or the size of rallies, but through ‘scientific, deliberate and intentional preparation, organisation, vigilance and sustained engagement with the electorate.’

He urged members of the campaign council to take the APC message to markets, farms, workplaces, religious communities, professional associations, neighbourhoods and homes, noting that effective mobilisation must involve listening to the people and understanding their concerns.

‘Our campaign must be based on ideas, achievements and a credible vision. We must reach every local government area, ward, polling unit and community,’ he said.

He called for unity and discipline within the party, saying the ability of the APC to manage competing interests during the processes that produced its candidates demonstrated the importance of putting the collective interest above individual considerations.

‘Unity is not the absence of differences. It is the wisdom to ensure our differences do not become greater than our common cause,’ he said.

Abiodun says the campaign council brings together party leaders, strategists, professionals and grassroots organisers from across the three senatorial districts, with committees responsible for strategy, mobilisation, reconciliation, finance, security, media, youth and women engagement, welfare, transportation, digital communication, protocol, as well as traditional and religious affairs.

He cautioned members against treating their appointments as mere titles, saying membership of the council carried a responsibility requiring discipline, strategic thinking and humility.

‘These appointments are not decorative titles. They are instruments of service and responsibility,’ he said.

The governor charged the campaign organisation to communicate the achievements of his administration in infrastructure, education, agriculture, health care, security, investment promotion and social intervention.

He noted that the Gateway International Airport remained central to the state’s vision of developing an integrated aviation, agriculture, industrial and logistics hub, while other interventions had contributed to improving the business environment and positioning Ogun as a leading industrial and investment destination.

‘These are not abstract promises. They are visible on our roads, in our schools and hospitals, in our agricultural communities and in businesses expanding across our state,’ Abiodun said.

He warned that achievements could be misunderstood if they were not properly communicated, urging the campaign council to counter misinformation with facts, humility and clarity.

‘Good work that is not effectively explained may be misunderstood, while falsehood repeated without challenge may begin to appear credible,’ he said.

The governor directed the campaign organisation to operate as one coordinated political machinery, with leaders providing direction, committees translating strategy into action and grassroots structures sustaining engagement with voters.

He warned against factionalism, indiscipline and sabotage, stressing the need for proper reporting, early identification of challenges and prompt resolution of emerging issues.

Abiodun also charged APC members to maintain issue-based and civil communication throughout the campaign, rejecting insults, violence and intimidation.

‘Political victory loses its value when purchased at the expense of peace, because leadership cannot build upon the ruins of a divided society,’ he said.

The governor expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his leadership and partnership with Ogun State through the Renewed Hope Agenda.

He also acknowledged the contributions of former governors Olusegun Osoba, Gbenga Daniel and Ibikunle Amosun; former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Ambassador Sarafa Tunji Isola; Deputy Governor Noimot Salako-Oyedele; APC State Chairman, Chief Yemi Sanusi; Adeola; Adegunwa-Balogun; Director-General of the Campaign Council, Senator Lekan Mustapha; and other party leaders.

The governorship candidate, Adeola, in keeping with the governor’s call for an inclusive grassroots campaign, urged party members across the state to regard the 2027 election as a collective responsibility and assured those whose names were not included in the campaign council that they remained part of the party’s mobilisation structure.

He stressed that the campaign council was established to provide coordination and direction, rather than to exclude other members of the party, urging all APC members to remain active in their wards and local government areas.

Adeola called for sustained consultations and grassroots engagement, urging party members to take the party’s message to communities and work collectively for all APC candidates, from the presidential election to the governorship and legislative contests.

He said the party would provide the necessary coordination and support to strengthen mobilisation across the state, urging members to remain united and focused on the common objective.

Chief Osoba urged members of the party to close ranks, present a united front and work collectively for the success of the APC in the 2027 elections.

He appealed to aggrieved members to ‘sheathe their swords’ and work for the party, assuring them that their contributions would not be in vain.

He urged party members to put the interests of the APC above personal grievances and ensure that the campaign council remained focused on its mandate.

Abiodun thereafter formally declared the campaign council inaugurated and urged members to commence work immediately towards the party’s objectives in the 2027 general election.

‘Let us speak with one voice, work with one purpose and march in one direction,’ he said.

Delta State Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, has said the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu are beginning to stabilise the Nigerian economy, with the potential to improve purchasing power and drive sustainable growth.

Aniagwu, who spoke on Morning Dew, a programme on DOTT TV, said the reforms should be viewed beyond the immediate economic difficulties they have caused.

He stressed that their broader objective is to reposition the economy for long-term stability and growth.

He likened the reform process to treating an injury, saying that although the application of iodine to an open wound could intensify pain temporarily, the ultimate objective is to facilitate healing.

According to him, Nigeria had suffered years of economic distortions, including fiscal pressures, inadequate revenue, foreign exchange challenges and weak productive capacity, which made fundamental reforms necessary.

He said: ‘When you sustain an injury, there is a tendency that you are going to experience some pain. Again when you apply iodine to treat such open wound, it tends to cause further discomfort, but after some time, the injury begins to heal.’

Aniagwu also compared the reform process to choosing between two vehicles travelling to different destinations.

He said Nigerians might prefer the comfort of a luxury vehicle, but if it was heading in the wrong direction, a less comfortable vehicle travelling towards the desired destination would ultimately be the better route.

He said the Tinubu administration had chosen the latter path by undertaking difficult reforms designed to correct structural problems in the economy.

The commissioner acknowledged that the reforms had brought significant pressure on households, particularly through higher prices of goods and services, but argued that the government’s focus was gradually shifting from macroeconomic stabilisation to measures capable of improving conditions at the grassroots.

His position is partly reflected in recent assessments by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

The IMF said reforms implemented over the past three years had improved Nigeria’s macroeconomic outcomes and resilience, while noting that poverty and food insecurity remained serious challenges.

The World Bank similarly said Nigeria had made progress in restoring macroeconomic stability, with inflation easing, external and fiscal positions strengthening and economic growth remaining resilient, although household incomes had yet to recover fully.

Aniagwu said one of the key benefits of stabilising the macroeconomic environment was that governments would have greater capacity to pay salaries, pensions and contractors, thereby injecting money into the wider economy.

He explained that when workers receive their salaries on time, the money circulate through schools, shops, transport operators, landlords, farmers, traders and other businesses.

He said the same principle applied to government infrastructure projects, arguing that payment to contractors create economic activity because contractors subsequently purchase materials, engage workers and patronise other businesses.

‘Once the purchasing power is enhanced, people make more demands. When they make more demands, farmers can afford to grow more,’ he said.

Aniagwu also cited government intervention programmes targeted at small businesses and vulnerable Nigerians as part of efforts to move the benefits of economic stabilisation from the macroeconomic level to households.

He said the Federal Government and states needed to continue implementing measures that would strengthen productive capacity, support small businesses and improve the ability of Nigerians to participate meaningfully in economic activities.

The commissioner said the reforms should therefore be understood as a gradual process, stressing that economic transformation could not be achieved overnight.

He added that the objective should be to create an economy in which improved fiscal stability, stronger production, increased investment and enhanced purchasing power eventually translate into better living conditions for Nigerians.

The IMF has projected Nigeria’s real GDP growth at 4.1 per cent for 2026 and 4.3 per cent for 2027, while stressing that sustained reforms, fiscal discipline and policies that support inclusive growth would remain important.

Canada and its Prime Minister Mark Carney have drawn regular scorn from President Trump as the two nations remain locked in an escalating trade war.

But, European leaders gave the visiting Canadian premier a standing ovation yesterday.

Carney embraced the prospect of his country becoming the European Union’s first associate member, shrugging off a threat by Trump and saying closer ties with the EU would ensure no country could control Canada’s markets or undermine its sovereignty.

In a speech to the European Parliament, Carney repeatedly extolled cooperation between Europe and Canada – but the now-souring relationship with the U.S., which has defined Canada’s economy for decades, hung over yesterday address.

Trump’s tariffs, demands for economic concessions, and repeated talk of making Canada the 51st state have pushed Ottawa to reduce its dependence on its neighbour and seek a far deeper economic, security and political relationship with Europe.

Carney told the parliament that he welcomed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s partnership proposal, unveiled Wednesday, though he acknowledged that ‘associate membership’ remains to be defined.

But the Canadian leader outlined his own vision: deeper integration across trade, defense, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, energy, space, research and financial services to make both sides less vulnerable to economic and geopolitical pressure. He later told reporters he was not pursuing full membership of the EU.

‘We do not seek power to dominate others,’ he said. ‘On the contrary, we are pursuing resilience so that no one can control our open markets, impair our sovereignty, threaten our territorial integrity, or undermine our freedoms, our democracies, our rule of law.’

Carney got a warm welcome when he walked into the chamber in Strasbourg, France – with many lawmakers coming up to shake his hand and pose for selfies. His address got a standing ovation.

Speaking Wednesday in Charlotte, North Carolina, after von der Leyen floated the idea of welcoming Canada as an associate EU member, Mr. Trump threatened to respond by imposing more tariffs on the European bloc, possibly even cutting off trade completely in certain areas.

Trump conditioned his latest threat on the ‘intention’ of European leaders, saying: ‘If it’s a good intention, that’s fine. If it’s a bad intention, we’ll put very heavy tariffs on Europe.’

He didn’t say how he would discern the intentions of any eventual move by the EU to grant Canada a new, special status with the bloc, but he mocked the prospect as ‘laughable’ and called America’s neighbour to the north a ‘terrible trade partner.’

New bridges to replace the ‘old world order’?

Carney’s address appeared to show his determination to push forward in shaping a new ‘world order,’ without shedding any tears over what he said in January was the death of the old one.

For generations, Canada built its economy around integration with the United States.

But in a very loosely veiled jab at the world’s longtime singular superpower, Carney warned at the World Economic Forum in Davos that great powers like the United States were using economic dependence to bully smaller nations.

He said there had been a ‘rupture in the world order’ and warned that when countries negotiate alone with a dominant power, ‘we negotiate from weakness. We accept what is offered.’

‘We know the old order is not coming back. We shouldn’t mourn it,’ Carney said in Davos. ‘We believe that from the fracture, we can build something bigger, better, stronger, more just. This is the task of the middle powers.’

He clearly signaled his desire to forge closer ties with Europe in that address eight months ago, touting ‘a comprehensive strategic partnership with the EU’ to deepen defense procurement collaboration, as well as ‘efforts to build a bridge’ economically that he said ‘would create a new trading bloc of 1.5 billion people,’ combining European and Canadian markets.

Trump rebuked him the next day, and Carney’s speech on Thursday could further strain the relationship with the U.S.

The ‘associate member’ status that von der Leyen proposed for Canada does not currently exist in the bloc’s treaties, and it would have to be created and the terms negotiated.

She said Europe wants to take its relationship with Canada to ‘the highest level possible,’ moving beyond their existing free trade agreement to create an ‘Alliance for the Future’ encompassing a ‘common prosperity and economic security space.’

Carney will host EU leaders for a summit in Montreal on Oct. 29 and 30, where the two sides are expected to discuss the proposed new relationship in more detail.

Canada sends roughly 70% of its exports to the United States, making it highly exposed to Trump’s tariffs. Ottawa has, nonetheless, retaliated and rejected U.S. demands that Carney says threaten Canadian sovereignty. Europe took a different path, shelving retaliation and accepting tariffs of up to 15% on most EU exports to the U.S.

Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s ambassador-designate to the EU, said Wednesday that Canada is not seeking full EU membership because that would require surrendering some sovereignty. Instead, Ottawa wants ‘to get as close as we possibly can’ to Europe while increasing Canada’s independence.

Canada has already taken a major step toward European integration. This year it became the first non-European country to join the EU’s 150-billion-euro ($173 billion) SAFE defense procurement program, giving Canadian companies access to joint procurement as Europe increases defense spending. The two sides have also discussed closer cooperation on energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and digital trade.

‘The policies and rhetoric of the Trump administration are clearly pushing both Canada and the EU to imagine a world without strong U.S. leadership and to act accordingly,’ said Daniel Béland, a political-science professor at McGill University in Montreal.

Nelson Wiseman, a professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, said: ‘Carney’s shrewdness in dealing with Trump has captured Europe’s attention.’

Wiseman said Europeans have long regarded Canada as a country that understands the United States particularly well because of their deep economic and political ties. Carney’s willingness to resist Mr. Trump rather than quickly accept Washington’s demands has reinforced that perception, he said.