Former Barcelona defender Abelardo Fernandez has criticised Lamine Yamal for speaking publicly about his chances of winning the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Yamal has been one of the leading candidates for the award after helping Barcelona win La Liga and Spain win the World Cup. He has also been recognised as one of the best players in the world this year.

The Barcelona winger has shown confidence in his chances. In a recent interview, he said he believes he deserves the award because of what he has achieved this season and identified Kylian Mbappe as his main rival.

However, Abelardo believes Yamal should not have spoken so directly about deserving the prize.

According to the former Barcelona player, Yamal can believe he is one of the favourites, but he should avoid publicly saying that he deserves the Ballon d’Or.

Abelardo also said he did not like similar comments made by Mbappe about his own chances of winning the award.

Yamal says he will not beg for the award

Yamal has also made it clear that he does not intend to campaign for the Ballon d’Or.

Earlier this month, he said he was proud of what he achieved with Barcelona and Spain and would leave the decision to the journalists who vote for the award.

Yamal finished second in last year’s Ballon d’Or voting behind Ousmane Dembélé. The 2026 winner will be announced in London on October 26.

The Ballon d’Or race is expected to be closely contested, with Yamal, Mbappe, Harry Kane, Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia among the leading names.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anthony Ehilebo, has expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Nigeria, alleging that some individuals now view insecurity as a profitable enterprise.

Speaking on News Central’s Politics HQ on Friday, Ehilebo said the failure of authorities to bring perpetrators of major terrorist attacks and kidnappings to justice has contributed to the continued spread of insecurity across the country.

He cited the abduction of schoolgirls in Borno State and the attack on students in Buni Yadi as examples of incidents in which those responsible have not been adequately held accountable.

“When Boko Haram kidnapped girls in Borno State, till today we have not found those responsible and held them to account. Buni Yadi happened and nobody was held to account, and it spread to other schools,” he said.

Ehilebo noted that insecurity in Nigeria has evolved into different dimensions, including terrorism driven by extremist ideology and criminal activities motivated by financial gain.

“There are multiple facets and there is one that is solely domiciled within terrorism and if you look at the literal translation of Boko Haram, it means western education is haram according to radical Islamic teachings,” he stated.

He also alleged that some people now engage in kidnapping and related crimes for economic reasons, citing a recent case involving a senior special assistant in a state government who was reportedly arrested for allegedly staging her own abduction in an attempt to obtain ransom from the government.

“It has now become an industry and a commercial venture for some and for some it has become literally a religious thinking process,” he said.

The PDP chieftain argued that the lack of consequences for criminal acts has encouraged the persistence of insecurity, stressing that stronger political will is required to address the challenge effectively.

“The bottom line that has kept this is the consequence, which is almost driven by political will,” he added.

Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin

The Ag. Director of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), North Central Zone, Mr. Bello Abdul-Hakeem, has emphasised the pivotal role of technical education in fostering national development.

Bello made this declaration during his recent visit to the Kwara State Polytechnic as part of his familiarization tour of educational institutions within the north central region.

In his address, the Ag. Director emphasised NBTE’s commitment to bolstering skills acquisition among youths, highlighting that such initiatives are essential in combating unemployment across the country.

Bello praised the Kwara State Polytechnic for its well-established academic programmes and for ensuring that all its courses are fully accredited.

He encouraged the management of the Kwara Polytechnic to continue to be committed to excellence and innovation in technical education.

Responding, the Rector, Engr. Dr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, expressed gratitude for the Ag. Director’s visit and reiterated the institution’s dedication to adhering strictly to NBTE’s regulations regarding academic programmes.

He emphasized Kwarapoly’s mission to equip students with the essential skills needed to compete effectively in the job market.

“We are committed to ensuring our students graduate with dual certifications: the National Diploma (ND) or Higher National Diploma (HND) alongside the National Skills Qualification (NSQ) certificate,” he stated.

The Rector also took the opportunity to seek support from the zonal office for the accreditation of some recently launched programmes, reinforcing the Polytechnic’s efforts to stay at the forefront of vocational education.

The visit marked a significant step towards fostering a robust technical education environment, ensuring that students are well-prepared to meet the demands of the labour market and contribute meaningfully to the nation’s economy.

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