The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is increasingly mired in turmoil, with crises escalating daily.

Recent reports from a credible source have unveiled a shocking development: two influential governors from northern states, who currently serve within the PDP, are poised to defect ahead of the pivotal 2027 election.

The party’s predicament is further reflected in the exodus of members, as disheartened individuals abandon ship for the All Progressives Congress, African Democratic Congress, and Labour Party. This mass departure stems from deep-seated, unresolvable issues that have left the opposition party floundering and its leadership in disarray.

As if the situation could not become any more dire, a federal high court in Abuja has delivered a substantial blow by halting the PDP’s much-anticipated national convention, originally scheduled for November 15 and 16 in the vibrant city of Ibadan, Oyo State. This legal setback has only deepened the party’s woes, casting a shadow over its future.

In a judgment delivered on Friday, James Omotosho, presiding judge, held that by failing to conduct valid state congresses before moving to hold a national congress, the party breached provisions of the 1999 constitution, guidelines of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as well as its own constitution.

A source, who requested anonymity, disclosed that two Northern governors have decided to defect shortly after the Bayelsa state governors were reportedly set to join the APC on Monday.

Douye Diri, governor of Bayelsa, will officially join the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday, TheCable understands.

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Sources informed TheCable that President Bola Tinubu, APC governors, and members of the party’s national working committee (NWC) will receive Diri into the ruling party.

Sources familiar with the backroom manoeuvring said Diri, who resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on October 15, has been engaged in discreet negotiations with APC figures to finalise his defection plan.

A party source said the delay in Diri’s formal defection was to ensure the “seamless integration of the PDP bloc into the APC’s Bayelsa structure” and to “prevent internal friction” ahead of the 2027 elections.

The defection is one of the most significant political realignments in the south-south since 2023, signalling APC’s renewed push to expand its base in the oil-rich zone hitherto dominated by the PDP.

In recent months, the PDP has been hit by a wave of high-profile defections, including several lawmakers in the national assembly, weakening its influence.

The exodus has not been limited to the national assembly. This year alone, the PDP has lost at least four sitting governors — Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Umo Eno (Akwa Ibom), Peter Mbah (Enugu) and Diri (Bayelsa).

The gale of departures has cut the party’s governorship count to eight, amid growing speculation that Agbu Kefas, governor of Taraba, will be the next to cross over to the APC.

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Recent insights from reliable sources suggest that Liverpool’s ongoing struggle with poor performance is linked to a significant disagreement between star forward Mo Salah and the club’s head coach, Arne Slot.

This discord appears to have impacted team dynamics and cohesion, contributing to the team’s inability to secure favorable results on the pitch.

The Reds’ struggles continued as they were beaten 3-0 by Crystal Palace at Anfield. Before that, they had lost four straight Premier League games, falling to seventh place on the table seven points behind league leaders Arsenal.

Slot made ten changes to the starting lineup that lost to Brentford in their previous league match, but the result didn’t improve.

According to the source, there appears to be tension between the coach and Mohamed Salah regarding selection decisions. Both parties seem to be struggling to find a common ground in their approach.

Mohamed Salah has already given an insight into Arne Slot’s likely reaction to Liverpool’s poor run of form. The Reds have lost six of their last seven games in all competitions after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

A much-changed Liverpool side exited the competition with a whimper courtesy of an Ismaila Sarr brace and a late goal from Yeremy Pino. However, it was merely a continuation of the slump that has seen Slot’s side lose their last four Premier League matches.

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The reigning champions have now fallen to seventh in the table and face a tricky test against Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday, with games against Real Madrid and Manchester City following next week. There will be plenty of eyes on how Liverpool fare this weekend as Slot looks to overcome the first major issue of his tenure.

Last season, the new Liverpool boss only added Federico Chiesa to his squad as the Reds dominated the Premier League. Liverpool’s subsequent big-money signings have led to problems with the team rediscovering the same balance.

Salah previously explained how Slot reacted to setbacks following a 3-1 home win over Southampton in March. Liverpool had fallen behind just before the break, much to the manager’s frustration, before Darwin Nunez’s equaliser and two penalties from Salah secured three points. Slot will likely have a similar reaction to his side’s recent run of defeats.

Salah admitted that the Liverpool boss had been angry with his players after struggling to create chances against Southampton and conceding moments before the interval. “It was a bit of frustration. His head was going for us,” Salah admitted.

“We were sloppy and slow in the first half. I don’t think we played good today. If you want to win the Champions League or Premier League you have to win these games like that.”

In his post-match press conference, Slot shared that he had called out his players in the dressing room. “I don’t think I was wrong this time if I said at half-time that energy levels were far, far, far too low, and that is what I had to change and that’s why we made three substitutions,” he said.

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‎The Super Falcons of Nigeria on Tuesday qualified for the Women African Cup Of Nations (WAFCON) coming up in Morocco next year, as reported by newsdiaryonline.

‎‎The Super Falcons played 1:1 draw with their Benin Republic counterpart in the second leg of the qualifier at the MKO Abiola Sports Complex, Abeokuta
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‎Nigerian defender Ashleigh Plumptre scored in the 11th minute, heading the ball home from a corner kick.

‎ The goal compounded the woes for the Amazon, who had previously lost the first leg 2 goals to nil in Lome.

‎During the second half, the Beninoise came out more impressive and were rewarded in the 61st minutes through a direct free kick from Yasminath Djibril , beating Nigeria’s goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie.

‎‎The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the duo of Deborah Abiodun and Esther Okoronkwo sustained injuries and were substituted during the match.

‎Speaking at the post match press conference, Super Falcon’s Coach , Justine Madugu, said that though the team played below expectations, he was, however, happy for the qualification.

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‎“In terms of results, sometimes there can be off days, there can be bad days and we want to consider today’s match from this perspective.

‎“The performance is not what we need but we expected it.

‎“It didn’t come so much as a surprise because even, at the press conference yesterday, we knew it was going to be a tough game,” he said.

‎The 10th time African champion will be hoping to make it 11th time at the 2026 tournament in Morocco.

Aceodds’ supercomputer, Betsie, has backed Arsenal to win the Premier League this season, as reported by Daily Post.

Betsie, however, appears to disagree with an earlier prediction made by Manchester United legend Gary Neville over how many points Arsenal will need to be champions.

Arsenal went four points clear at the top of the Premier League table after beating Crystal Palace 1-0.

As the Gunners celebrated their victory, the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea all suffered defeats.

Manchester City are six points behind the Gunners, while Liverpool trail by seven and Chelsea by eight.

Neville had predicted that Arsenal are not going to have 100 or even 90 points to win the league, saying “high 80s will win them this title.”

Betsie said the Gunners would win the league with fewer points. After last weekend’s matches, the supercomputer predicted Arsenal will win with around 82 points.

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It said that Liverpool will come behind with about seven points, while Man City and Chelsea will follow.

The supercomputer further predicted that West Ham, Wolves and Burnley would be relegated.

Up next for Arsenal in the Premier League is a trip to Burnley.

Tension is escalating in anticipation of Sunday’s El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, particularly following the provocative remarks made by the young talent Lamine Yamal.

The 17-year-old winger accused Los Blancos of stealing and complaining while appearing on the Kings League YouTube channel, just days before the highly anticipated clash at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Yamal, known for his confidence, made the remark while comparing Real Madrid to an opposing team in the fan-favourite online league, Sports Illustrated reports. His statement referenced ongoing debates about refereeing bias in La Liga, bringing to the fore the long-standing accusations of favouritism toward Real Madrid.

Yamal’s latest comments immediately caught fire across Spanish media, with Marca reporting that several Madrid players are “fed up” with Yamal’s antics and feel his words crossed a line ahead of one of the biggest matches in world football.

Alonso keeps focus on the pitch In the midst of the growing tension, Real Madrid head coach Xabi Alonso was asked to respond to Yamal’s comments during his pre-match press conference.

However, the Los Blancos manager took the high road, refusing to fan the flames or stir more controversy before the biggest game in La Liga this weekend, per One Football.

“El Clasico is special. It has always been and always will be. For us, the important thing is the pitch, what happens on the field, and how we want to play tomorrow’s game. That’s what concerns me most.”

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Alonso emphasized the significance of Sunday’s fixture for his young squad, calling on fans to fill the stadium with energy.

“We want the stadium to vibrate, to push us forward. Hopefully, we’ll end up celebrating with our fans.”

Alonso’s composed response was directly opposite to Yamal’s fiery rhetoric, signaling Real Madrid’s intention to let their football do the talking.

What’s at stake in Sunday’s El Clasico

Sunday’s El Clasico showdown at the Santiago Bernabéu carries even more weight than usual.

Barcelona trail Real Madrid by just two points at the top of La Liga, meaning a win would see them leapfrog their eternal rivals and reclaim first place.

The Catalans will have to depend on the brilliance of Yamal and Marcus Rashford as they will be without some key players, including Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, for Sunday’s encounter.

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But beyond the table, this latest war of words has added extra bite to an already explosive rivalry.

With Yamal’s comments lighting the fuse, Real Madrid’s players are expected to come out with added fire and determination.

Liverpool manager Arne Slot has brushed aside concerns over Mohamed Salah’s recent goal drought, insisting the Egyptian forward’s scoring touch will return soon.

Salah, who has scored just three times this season — one from the penalty spot — has now gone six matches without finding the net.

His last appearance saw him come off the bench for just 16 minutes in Liverpool’s midweek Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. The forward’s dip in form dates back to March, with only five goals in his last 23 games.

That win in Germany ended Liverpool’s worst run of results since 2016, but whether Salah’s form contributed to that slump — or was a consequence of it — remains open to debate.

Slot, however, remains unfazed, ESPN reports late Friday.

“I don’t know if it’s sharpness or not. It’s so difficult, I could come up with a few reasons which I’m not sure are the reasons.

“In general, football players miss chances and Mo is a human being as well. We are not used to him missing chances, let alone a few in a row, but these things can happen.

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“It’s easier to finish a chance if you are 3-1 up than if you are 1-0 down but maybe that is not true for him.

“But the main thing is Mo has always scored goals for our club and the last thing I worry about is Mo starting to score goals again.

“That is what he has done his whole life and that is what I expect him to do in the upcoming weeks and months for our club as well,” Slot said.

The Dutch coach also pointed to Liverpool’s summer overhaul — including the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and a £450 million influx of new players — as a factor in the team’s growing pains.

“I think [Salah] has been in promising positions often enough for him to score goals but maybe with Trent even more — I don’t know.

“But in general for every player, if you have quite a few changes in your squad during the summer then everyone has to find new connections again.

“Mo is not an exception to this and it might have something to do with that.

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“In an ideal world, you play every game with the same team but it’s not realistic for a team which plays every three days. Even if you wanted to, it is not possible as Jeremie Frimpong has been in and out with injuries a few times, Conor Bradley has had injuries, let alone [Alexis] Mac Allister missed out on pre-season and so did Alex [Isak],” Slot said.

Slot and Salah will hope Saturday’s evening clash away to Brentford provides the spark the Egyptian needs.

The Bees have often brought out Salah’s best — he has scored six times in seven appearances against them.

Liverpool, however, will again be without Jeremie Frimpong and Alisson Becker, both sidelined with hamstring injuries. Updates are awaited on Alexander Isak, who sustained a groin problem midweek, and Ryan Gravenberch, who missed the Frankfurt trip with an ankle issue.

As the Reds look to rebuild rhythm, all eyes will be on Salah to rediscover the ruthless edge that made him one of Europe’s deadliest forwards.

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