Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 22nd October, 2022
Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 22nd October 2022.
Following the recent court ruling on the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, national dailies were awash with reports of wild jubilation in South-East villages, towns and cities. Apparently, it wasn’t just Kanu and IPOB sympathizers that were ecstatic about the judgment but residents whose lives, limbs and livelihoods have suffered a great deal on account of the Federal Government’s continued detention of the separatist leader. It is disheartening that the Buhari government is bent on taking this glimmer of relief from South-East folks and other lovers of peace in Nigeria.
On Thursday, October 13, the Court of Appeal in Abuja struck out the terrorism charges which the Nigerian government filed against Kanu and ordered his release from the State Security Service custody. The definitive verdict faulted the process through which the IPOB leader was brought before the court to answer to a 15-count terrorism charge. It held that Kanu’s abduction and rendition from Kenya violated the international convention on terrorism, thus, robbed any Nigerian court of the necessary jurisdiction.
In their audacious judgment, the three-man panel of the Appellate Court pointed out that the Federal Government, in its desperation to bundle the secessionist leader back home from Kenya, flagrantly breached every extradition procedure, which include a formal application for extradition to the host country, permission from the court, and statement of the alleged offences in connection with the extradition.
The Nigerian government, after Kanu’s rendition, arraigned him before Justice Binta Nyako on a 15-count terrorism charge, which the judge reduced to seven. The accused however faulted Nyako’s order to respond to the seven charges and went on Appeal where his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome SAN, recalled that on June 27, 2021, the Federal Government forcefully arrested and renditioned Kanu in a “most cruel and inhuman manner”.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
Naija News understands that the Nigerian leader is currently presiding over the unveiling event at the State House in Abuja.
Present at the unveiling is the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu and other party stakeholders.
It was gathered that top officials of the ruling party are finding it difficult to gain entrance to the Banquet Hall due to the heavy presence of security operatives.
Operatives of the Department of State Service were reportedly at sensitive locations in the Presidential Villa as state governors are also just arriving at the event venue.
In his welcome address, Adamu reportedly said with the formal inauguration of the PCC, the party is set to crush all opposition on the way to its victory during the election next year.
Naija News understands that President Buhari is also expected to, at the inauguration of the PCC, unveil the action plan for the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar has returned to Nigeria.
The former Vice President returned to Nigeria from France on Friday, Naija News reports.
He was seen in the company of former Kogi Senator, Dino Melaye and the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.
The PDP candidate is set to attend the party’s campaign rally in Benin City, the Edo State capital.
There had been rumours that Atiku’s trip to France was because of ill health but his media aide, Paul Ibe dismissed such rumours, saying his principal travelled for a business trip.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday will honour the former president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan and 43 other prominent Nigerians with service awards.
Naija News gathered that the event is ongoing at the Conference room of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The event will see the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and 15 other governors, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and service chiefs honoured with various awards for their services.
Nigeria Excellence Award in Public Service was set up to recognize distinguished public service to Nigeria, either contributions to individuals, state or local community, or the public through excellence in leadership, service, or humanitarianism.
People who are eligible for the award must be living Public Officials or private citizens excelling consistently in a given sphere of influence, in good character standing, and must also be at the forefront of service and innovation.
Sherrif Oborevwori has been confirmed as the standard flagbearer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the 2023 governorship election in Delta State.
The Supreme Court affirmed this in its ruling on Friday.
Naija News reports that the apex court in a unanimous decision by a five-man panel led by Justice Amina Augie, dismissed an appeal that was lodged against the Delta State House of Assembly Speaker by a faction of the party in the state.
The faction which was led by a governorship aspirant, Olorogun Edevbie had in an appeal earlier, alleged that Oborevwori submitted false and forged documents to the PDP, in aid of his qualification to contest the election billed for March 11, 2023.
He told the court that whereas Oborevwori had in an affidavit he deposed to, claimed that he was born in 1963, he, however, tendered a West African Examination Council, WAEC, certificate that was issued to someone that was born in 1979.
However, the Appellant insisted that all the documents Oborevwori tendered to his party, in support of his qualification to contest the election, did not match his name at birth.
A former Senate President and a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), David Mark David Mark, has lost his first son at the of 51.
Naija News learned that the son of the former Senate President, Tunde Mark, died of cancer in the early hours of Friday in London, United Kingdom.
A close family source told Daily Sun that the corpse is expected to be flown to Nigeria in the coming days for proper burial.
However, details are still sketchy as at the time of filing in this report.
In a statement, the Special Adviser to Senator Mark, Paul Mumeh, said Tunde was born on October 13, 1971, and attended Yaba Military School where he obtained his first school leaving certificate.
He later proceeded to Bradfield College, Berkshire, UK, for his Secondary school education.
Tunde, who was a Biochemist, obtained B.Sc degree from Kings College, London. He also studied immunology alongside biochemistry and later Biological Sciences in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
It is no longer news that politics, in Nigeria particularly, has ceased to be what it used to be but is now entangled with obnoxious events not limited to division among ethnic groups, hatred of one’s kindred, deceitfulness, religious indoctrination, oppression and hands soaked in all sought of evil including bloodbath.
The common phrase, ‘politics is a dirty job/business’ may somewhat define the events we see in Nigerian politics today. Unlike other countries where there are just a few political parties to contest in a poll, Nigeria, despite the recent deregistration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), still has on its ballot 18 registered political parties, all expected to participate in the coming elections.
The problem, however, is not the number of political parties we have in this part of the world, but the atmosphere stakeholders of these parties have created year after year.
It is four months left today for the citizens to again decide by votes a new breed of leaders to champion the affair of the country. Having suffered a series of hardships caused by bad economy, the latest song out there is ‘my candidate is this, my candidate is that, our part is this and yours is that’.
Candidates of top political parties have been seen here and there making promises, each having handy solutions to the problems that have bedevilled the nation.
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, debunked reports that his friends and allies have replaced six suspended departmental directors at the party’s secretariat.
Naija News gathered that Adamu had on April 22 ordered six directors namely Elder Anietie Offong (Welfare); Bartholomew I. Ugwoke (Research); Abubakar Suleiman (Finance); Dr Suleiman Abubakar (Administration); Salisu Dambatta (Publicity) and Dare Oketade, Legal Head, who were accused of mismanaging N7.7bn, to proceed on ‘compulsory annual leave.’
He later set up a investigative panel headed by an ex-Governor of Jigawa State, Ali Saad Birnin Kudu to study the handing-over notes of the defunct Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee.
The committee’s recommendations that compelled Adamu to place the departmental directors and head of legal services on an indefinite suspension.
Speaking to journalists at the party headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Adamu denied allegation that e replaced the directors with his cronies.
The United States-based Special Counsel to the Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, Bruce Fein, has petitioned the US Senate and House of Representatives Committee Chairmen, seeking sanctions against President Muhammadu Buhari; and the Attorney General of Nigeria, Abubakar Malami.
Naija News gathered that Fein is seeking sanction for the duo for the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu despite an Appeal Court judgement ordering the release of the IPOB leader.
The letter was captioned: “RE: Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act: Recommending President Joe Biden to impose sanctions against Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian Attorney General Abubakar Malami for gross violations of internationally recognized human rights against Biafran leader Nnamdi Kanu, including kidnapping, torture, and prolonged arbitrary detention to retaliate for exercising internationally recognized rights to freedom of expression and association.”
The IPOB leader’s lawyer asked the legislature to prevail on US President Joe Biden to impose severe sanctions on Buhari and Malami for flouting both the United Nations Human Rights Council Working Group on Arbitrary Detention Opinion, and the Nigerian appeal court judgement ordering immediate release of Kanu.
While liken Buhari and Malami to Russian President Vladimir Putin; Chinese President Xi Jinping; and Saudi Arabian Prime Minister, Mohammed bin Salman, the lawyer urged Congress not to allow them get away with their rascality and lawlessness.
King Charles III of the United Kingdom has expressed his sympathy to the president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari over the devastating flood that has killed over five hundred and left thousands of others displaced in many parts of the country in recent weeks.
Naija News reports that King Charles III made this known in a letter that was published on the Royal Family’s website on Friday.
According to the NASA Earth Observatory, “The rainy season in Nigeria was especially harsh in 2022, with heavy rains producing deadly, destructive floods in numerous states.”
The data also showed that homes and farmland along the Benue and Niger rivers on October 11, 2022, were submerged, and hundreds of thousands of people were displaced.
In his letter, Kings Charles III assured President Muhammadu Buhari of his support while condoling with those affected.
