Today’s Headlines:Messi reveals biggest regret of his career;Otti faces 14 contenders for Govt House

Argentina football legend Lionel Messi has expressed regret over not learning English while growing up, saying he had the opportunity to study the language but failed to take advantage of it.

The Inter Miami forward spent more than two decades at Barcelona before moving to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and later joining the Major League Soccer side in 2023.

The 39-year-old admitted that learning English earlier in life would have helped him communicate more easily with people he has met throughout his illustrious career.

Messi, who has won eight Ballon d’Or awards and captained Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup, said his failure to learn the language remains one of his personal regrets.

Governor Alex Otti will be facing 14 others for control of Abia Government House in 2027 as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the list of Abia State governorship candidates and their deputies of the various political parties that will contest the 2027 polls.

The three-page document, titled “Governorship Election 2027 – Final List of Candidates,” contains the names of candidates from 15 political parties, alongside their ages, gender and educational qualifications.

The document also provided details of the candidates’ academic qualifications, starting from First School Leaving Certificates and secondary school certificates to university degrees and postgraduate qualifications.

According to the document, of the 15 governorship candidates listed, 14 are male, while one is female. The deputy governorship candidates include both men and women.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said Islamic leaders will draw the attention of political leaders to the hardship facing Nigerians and press for measures to improve the welfare of ordinary citizens.

He said religious leaders were aware of the concerns being raised by Nigerians and would continue to urge those in authority to address the challenges confronting the country.

The Sultan spoke  at the grand finale of the centenary celebration of Az-Zumratul Adabiyyatul Kamaliyyah School of Arabic and Islamic Studies in Ilorin, founded by the late Sheikh Muhammad Kamaldeen Al-Adabiyy, the first Mufti of Ilorin.

As leaders of Islam, we are always aware of all the issues people are raising in the public domain. We will do our best and bring attention to the leaders on what they should do for the common man on the street,” the monarch said at the weekend.

A Federal High Court sitting in Jos, Plateau State, on Monday, declared Hon. Ayuba Dalyop Mandung the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for Jos South State Constituency in the Plateau State House of Assembly.

The court, presided over by Justice Dorcas Agishi, also restrained the APC from parading Mancha John Vincent as the party’s duly nominated candidate for the constituency.

The judgment followed a suit instituted by Mandung against Vincent, the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), challenging the alleged alteration of the results of the party’s primary election conducted on May 20, 2026.

At the heart of the dispute is the alleged alteration of the APC primary election results for Giring Ward after they had been announced at the ward level.