CELEBRITY
Veteran sports journalist and governorship aspirant, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf widens consultations, meets Obasanjo
First Nigerian woman sports caster, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf who is a governorship aspirant in Ogun State south west Nigerian has intensified her efforts at succeeding her former boss in office.
Until recently, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf was a special adviser to the current governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun.
She was also the first Nigerian woman to be a sports journalist on television when she pioneered at the NTA Ibadan in the late 1980s before transferring her services to NTA Lagos under the tutelage of the late Fabio Lanipekun.
She is gunning for another first, to be the first woman governor of the political heavy weight of Ogun State which has been the breeding ground of top Nigerian politicians and technocrats.
Among such heavyweights are Chief Obafemi Awolowo, General and Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Vice President Yemi Osibajo among others.
In continuation of her consultations with major stakeholders in Ogun State, Modele Sarafa-Yusuf visited former two-time Nigerian leader, Olusegun Obasanjo at his presidential library.
According to the former journalist, she has discussions on her plans for the Ogun State. Many successful Nigerian politicians were former journalists.
Among such were Dr, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo , Olusegun Osoba and Alhaji Lateef Jakande whose four year tenure in Lagos State has not been matched by any governor any where in Nigeria since the late journalist left office nearly forty years ago.
According to Sarafa-Yusuf, she had “very fruitful discussions” with Obasanjo. “Baba has been apolitical for a few years now, but his love for Nigeria in general, and Ogun State in particular, is not in doubt.
“He gave us very useful tips and prayed for us. Truly grateful for his time and words of wisdom.
By the way, Baba still dey kampe! He’s the fittest 85 year old man I know – 85 being the “official age” according to Baba himself.”
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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