Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 4th March, 2023
Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 4th March 2023.
In the fullness of time, a proper postmortem of the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria will be done and documented for posterity. But for now, the badge of infamy is already stamped on those who bungled the process and abbreviated the right of the people to freely elect their leader. Nonetheless, the Nigerian voter will be well advised not to vent their disillusionment and despondency on the March 11 elections in states of the federation through boycott. That way they will be playing into the hands of enemies of democracy who want to assert their emergence as winners long before the election is conducted. Hitherto, not a few had wondered what buoys such optimism. Alas, events of the past few days have exposed what they were banking on. Active participation of the people in the election process can ultimately stop these political desperadoes.
A lot of Nigerians endured the rigours of registering to vote only to be let down by an INEC that overpromised but underdelivered without any scruples. It is disappointing that while results for the National Assembly elections were uploaded in real-time to the iRev portal, results from the polling units for the presidential election were not. It took hours before this could be done, creating a suspicion that the delay was to create room for the doctoring of results from the polling units. It should be of concern to INEC that out of 87 million registered voters, only about 25 million or 29 percent cast their votes on Saturday, pointing to allegations of vote manipulation. Not even at the outset of the current dispensation was the voter turnout this low. While a little over 50 million Nigerians were registered to vote in the 1999 presidential election, about 30 million votes were eventually counted.
The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government’s cashless and Naira re-design policy has been nullified by the Supreme Court.
Naija News reports that the apex court on Friday declared the naira redesign policy was an affront to the 1999 Constitution of the country.
Justice Emmanuel Akomaye Agim, who read the lead judgment of the Court, said President Muhammadu Buhari breached the Constitution of the Federation in the ways and manners he issued directives for the re-designing of the Naira by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The apex court in its judgement also noted that the President acted Ultra vires by his obvious failure to consult with the National Council of States, Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the National Economic Council (NEC) before directing the CBN to unlawfully introduce new Naira notes.
Justice Agim held that the President breached the fundamental rights of the Nigerians in various ways by the unconstitutional use of powers.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, to immediately resign.
Naija News reports that the call is following Friday’s judgment of the Supreme Court on the controversial cashless policy of the federal government which has brought untold pains to Nigerians.
Recall that the Supreme Court on Friday invalidated the naira redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A seven-member apex court panel held that the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes remain legal tender until December 31, 2023.
In a statement to journalists, the National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the party, Salihu Moh. Lukman said it is also unfortunate that President Muhammadu Buhari could be misled into such acts of illegality and abuse of executive powers as pronounced by the Supreme Court.
He stated that all Nigerians are grateful to the Supreme Court Justices led by Justice Akomaye for this landmark judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court has dismissed the preliminary objection the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government filed to challenge its jurisdiction to hear the suit that 16 states filed to challenge the ban on use of old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes as legal tenders in the country.
In its lead judgement that was delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, the Supreme Court held that FG’s contention that it lacked the original jurisdiction to halt the full implementation of the Naira swap policy that was introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, was invalid.
Justice Agim said the case the states brought for determination bordered on alleged failure by President Muhammadu Buhari, in the exercise of his Executive powers, to comply with provisions of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The apex court held that the plaintiffs were not wrong by not joining the CBN as a necessary party to the suit.
According to the Apex court, the suit qualified as a dispute between FG and the federating states, to which the Supreme Court has exclusive and original jurisdiction to determine.
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has said state governors tried to settle controversies surrounding the naira redesign policy with President Muhammadu Buhari, adding that the supreme court’s ruling on old naira notes is a victory for Nigerians.
Recall that the Supreme Court on Friday invalidated the naira redesign policy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
A seven-member apex court panel held that the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes remain legal tender until December 31, 2023.
Speaking to journalists after the ruling on Friday, Governor El-Rufai said the policy was designed to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from winning the elections, but the ruling party overcame it.
According to the governor, a full court of seven justices gave a unanimous judgment “7-0 that all our prayers to the court have been accepted. This is a victory for Nigerians.”
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai on Friday alleged that the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele came up with the controversial Naira redesign policy in connivance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to help the party win the 2023 presidential elections.
El-Rufai added that Emefiele also deceived President Muhammadu Buhari to give approval for the policy by giving him wrong information.
The Kaduna Governor stated this while reacting to Friday’s Supreme Court’s decision, which nullified the federal government’s naira redesign policy.
The Kaduna State governor said Emefiele deceived the president and gave him wrong information which made Buhari believe it was possible to withdraw trillions of naira in circulation and reprint everything in three months.
He also said the people behind the naira redesign policy were those who wanted the APC presidential ticket but failed in their ambition.
The former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose has said that report claiming he left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) shortly after it’s loss at the 2023 polls is untrue.
Naija News understands that initial reports claimed that Fayose had resigned from PDP and partisan politics.
However, in a statement made available to this media platform, the former Ekiti Governor explained that he only stepped aside from PDP and has not quit the party.
Fayose opined that he wants to speak the truth at all times without affiliation to any political party.
According to him, “I am still a bonafide member of the PDP. I only said I stepped aside because I need to speak the truth to power without the fear of my view being tainted by party colouration. Resigning from a political party has a procedure and the same will be followed if I strongly find the need to leave the party.”
“It is important that we have somebody that can say the truth without wearing any party toga.”
The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has mocked the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over the Supreme Court judgement extending the validity of old N500, and N1,000 notes till December 31, 2023.
Naija News earlier reported that the apex court also nullified the Federal Government’s naira redesign policy, declaring it as an affront to the 1999 Constitution.
Justice Emmanuel Agim, who read the lead judgement on Friday, held that the preliminary objections by the defendants (the Attorney General of the Federation, Bayelsa, and Edo states) are dismissed as the court has the jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
Citing Section 23(2)1 of the constitution, the court held that the dispute between the Federal Government and states must involve law or facts.
A ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the United States of America, Jim Risch on Friday warned his country against rushing to recognize the result of the presidential election held on the 25th of February, 2023.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday declared the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu as the winner.
A development that has been questioned by some presidential candidates and Nigerians.
Senator Risch, in a statement released today, charged the US to rather support the Nigerian people and their democratic aspirations than embrace the Nigerian government.
The statement reads, “The ongoing electoral process in Nigeria is widely viewed as deeply flawed by election observers and many Nigerians. It is disappointing to see the administration rush to embrace the result while the full picture of what occurred during this electoral process is yet to be seen.
“I’ve expressed similar concerns related to other areas of our relationship with the Nigerian government. I worry this rush to judgement will undermine our ability to be an effective partner to all Nigerians, especially given their longstanding desire for democracy.”
