Nigerian-born former two-time world heavyweight boxing champion, Anthony Olaseni Oluwafemi Joshua has stepped up his training routine with some gruesome drills ahead of his long-awaited grudge fight with fellow-Briton, Tyson Fury later this year.
Sports247 gathered that, in order not to be caught off guard by the very resilient Fury during their hugely expected bout in December, Joshua has resorted to an ancient method of stretching his body to the limit, while staying in peak shape.
Joshua, who has always been known to devote himself to tough physical drills during training, is keeping himself trim for the clash with the help of an ancient stretching machine, as the countdown gets tighter towards their epic bout in Cardiff, Wales on December 11th.
With the fight’s venue eventually taken away from Madison Square Garden in New York, USA, after Joshua’s camp held firm on it holding in the UK, the London 2012 Olympic Games gold medalist wants to take full advantage of stepping out on familiar terrain.
Before Cardiff was eventually chosen, both boxers continued raising contrasting views and exchanged hostile banter but, with the issue now solved, Joshua has shared a video of himself hooked up to a modern-day version of an ancient body suspension and stretching kit.
A report by UK’s SunSport adds, “In medieval times, Slavic martial artists and warriors would use a version of the machine to strengthen their tendons and open up their joints to stay combat-ready.
“Joshua looks to be just that after having his limbs and back contorted by the gruelling apparatus. At one point in the video, AJ was suspended in the air by his arms and legs (then) effortlessly twisting his core and lower back nearly 180 degrees.”
Sports247 reports further that it us now left to be seen if the unorthodox fitness technique would be good enough not only to keep ‘AJ’ in peak shape but also build his staying power, ahead of what could jolly well be a long night in the roped square with ‘The Gypsy King.’
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has omitted former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, from its final list of governorship candidates for Gombe State ahead of the February 6, 2027 election.
Politics Nigeria reports that the commission released a list of 16 cleared candidates for the election, but Pantami’s name was missing despite his earlier inclusion in the provisional list published on August 29.
Among the candidates on the final list are Bala Bello Tinka of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Babayo Ardo Kumo of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC).
Others include Zubairu Mu’azu Halilu of the Labour Party (LP), Lamela L. Silas of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ibrahim Jalo Abubakar of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Adamu Mohammed Ma’aji of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Pantami’s exclusion comes amid a series of legal disputes over his emergence as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the state.
The former minister had initially sought the APC governorship ticket but left the party after it settled for Gwamna as its consensus candidate. He subsequently joined the PDP and emerged as the party’s flag bearer through voice affirmation at its governorship primary.
However, a Federal High Court sitting in Gombe nullified his initial emergence on May 26, following a challenge to the primary process.
The court ordered a fresh primary election, which Pantami won on September 29 with 2,054 votes, defeating Khamisu Ahmed Mailantarki and Usman Aliyu Garry.
Garry had challenged Pantami’s emergence, arguing that the required primary election was not properly conducted before the former minister was declared the party’s candidate.
Despite winning the court-ordered rerun, Pantami’s eligibility remained in doubt following the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 judgment on provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 governing political party membership registers and candidate eligibility.
The Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 and upheld INEC’s revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 elections.
The provisions bar political parties from fielding candidates whose names were not included in the membership registers submitted to INEC within the stipulated period.
INEC has maintained that parties found to have violated the requirements will not be permitted to participate in the elections through candidates whose nominations breach the law.
Mohammed Haruna, an INEC national commissioner in charge of information and voter education, said the commission would not allow parties to replace candidates affected by the provisions.
Haruna made the clarification during an appearance on Trust TV’s programme on Wednesday evening, explaining that allowing substitutions would enable political parties to benefit from their own violations.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan
He cited previous disputes involving Zamfara and Plateau states to illustrate the consequences of parties failing to comply with electoral requirements.
“It’s like you committed an offence. And then, you come and benefit from it,” Haruna said.
He added that allowing parties to substitute candidates in such circumstances would amount to permitting them to benefit from an offence they had committed.
Haruna also indicated that the commission expected to make a definite pronouncement on the implications of the Supreme Court judgment by the following Tuesday.