Singer Speed Darlington has made a public apology to Burna Boy, appealing to the Grammy-winning star to withdraw the court charges filed against him.

What he said

In a video posted on Instagram on Thursday, 12 November 2026, Speed Darlington, whose real name is Darlington Okoye, admitted that his words may have caused Burna Boy pain and embarrassment. He said he had wrongly assumed that other people shared his own temperament and tolerance, and pledged to stop all comments about the singer, direct or indirect, if the charges are withdrawn. He also promised to stop mentioning Burna Boy's name altogether once the matter is settled.

How the feud began

The dispute escalated in October 2024, when Speed Darlington posted videos questioning Burna Boy's Grammy win for his album 'Twice as Tall' and making disparaging remarks about him. The matter later became a legal case, with Speed Darlington facing charges filed after a complaint from Burna Boy's camp.

How people reacted

The apology drew a wave of reactions online, with many users surprised by Speed Darlington's change of tone. Burna Boy had not publicly responded at the time of writing.

Afrobeats star Ayra Starr has been announced as one of the performers at the 2027 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

The line-up

The festival's organisers revealed the line-up on Instagram on Wednesday, 11 November 2026. Ayra Starr is on the Sunday bill for both weekends and is expected to perform on 11 and 18 April 2027. The Sunday shows are headlined by American R&B star SZA, with Don Toliver, Kygo, Jorja Smith, Victoria Monét and Tove Lo among the other acts. Dua Lipa is among the festival's other headliners. Coachella takes place at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, from 9 to 11 April and 16 to 18 April.

Her reaction

The singer shared the news on her own Instagram page with a short message telling fans she would see them in the desert.

Background

Ayra Starr, signed to Mavin Records, rose to international fame with hits such as 'Rush' and has become one of the most successful young Nigerian artists of her generation. Coachella is one of the world's biggest music festivals.

Dr. Mo has expressed admiration for former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, now the NDC presidential candidate, describing his travel schedule as one that is very hard to keep up with.

"Just visualise what I'm saying"

According to Dr. Mo, travelling with Obi means moving from one city to another, sometimes across continents, with little time to settle before the next journey.

"We move from Lagos to Abuja, then take off to London. From there, we spend eight hours flying to Houston, hold a meeting and move to Phoenix, then California. We return to Texas, go to Dallas, fly back to the UK and eventually return to Nigeria," he said.

"Just imagine it. Just visualise what I'm saying."

"One in a million"

Dr. Mo described Obi as "one in a million", expressing admiration for the amount of travelling and the number of engagements he handles.

For anyone who has done long-distance travel, moving through several cities, attending meetings and catching yet another flight can be exhausting. Doing it repeatedly, while running a national campaign, is another level entirely.

Over to you

How does Peter Obi manage such a demanding schedule, and where does he get the energy to keep moving?

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has drawn attention after reportedly leading supporters in reciting Nigeria's former national anthem rather than the current one.

What happened

A video from the party's town hall meeting in Oregun, Lagos, on Thursday, 12 November 2026, which went viral afterwards, shows Obi and the NDC's Lagos governorship candidate, Funso Doherty, choosing not to recite the current anthem when attendees were asked to stand for it. Instead, they and the crowd recited the old anthem, 'Arise O Compatriots', together.

The anthem change

Nigeria replaced 'Arise O Compatriots', which had been in use since 1978, with its original post-independence anthem, 'Nigeria We Hail Thee', in May 2024. President Bola Tinubu signed the change into law after the bill passed quickly through the National Assembly. The speed of the change drew criticism at the time.

Response

Neither Obi's campaign nor the APC had commented on the video at the time of writing.

Background

The same town hall meeting was disrupted earlier in the day by suspected thugs, before it went ahead. The presidential election is scheduled for 16 January 2027.