Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 15th November 2022

November 15, 2022 Stan

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 15th November 2022

The proposed budgets of the Federal Capital Territory and the Niger Delta Development Commission have been presented by President Muhammadu Buhari to the House of Representatives for consideration and approval.

The letter of the President to lawmakers in the House was read by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila on Monday.

Gbajabiamila also read out to members, Buhari’s cover letter on an executive bill seeking to amend the Code of Conduct Bureau and Tribunal Act.

The NDDC’s 2021 and 2022, alongside the FCT’s 2022 budgets were forwarded to the National Assembly two months to the end of the year.

They were transmitted at a time when the House Committee on Public Accounts has commended investigation of no fewer than 63 institutions of the Federal Government for implementing illegal budgets.

Buhari, in a letter dated October 28, 2022, and titled, ‘Submission of the 2021 and 2022 Budget Estimates of the Niger Delta Development Commission, wrote in part, “Pursuant to Section 18(1) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (Establishment, Etc) Act, I forward herewith the 2021 and 2022 budget estimates of the NDDC for the kind consideration and passage by the House of Representatives.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has unveiled the identities of nineteen (19) most wanted terrorist leaders it is tracking at the moment.

The list, released on Monday by the Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor said the identified terrorists have been causing havoc in the North East, North West, and North Central zone of the country.

The statement further revealed that the sum of N5million has been placed as a bounty for any information on how the terrorist commanders can be captured.

The phone number 09135904467 was also given out for Nigerians with credible information to contact the military.

According to Gen Akpor, the move is part of efforts to sustain the tempo in clearing the terrorists from their hideouts and restore peace back to the country.

Former Minister of Niger Delta, Godswill Akpabio has been sacked by the Court of Appeal as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District.

A three-member panel of justices led by Justice Danlami Senchi while delivering judgement on Monday held that Akpabio failed to file a proof of arguments within the time provided by the rules.

The panel further ruled that the former Governor of Akwa Ibom who contested in the presidential primary of the ruling party could not participate in the valid primary of the party held on May 28 and monitored by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which produced Udom Ekpoudom as a candidate.

The Appeal Court on Monday also set aside the judgement of the Federal High Court Abuja.

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has sanctioned Arise TV for airing fake reports about the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Bola Tinubu.
The television station was fined N2 million for breaching the broadcasting code.

Naija News reports that this development follows the petition written to the NBC by the APC.

It was gathered that the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has demanded a sanction on Arise News and Channels TV over the alleged fake news about the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

The APC has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for the two television stations to be sanctioned for violation of the commission’s codes of operation.

Naija News learnt that the Director of Media and Publicity of the council, Bayo Onanuga in a statement today revealed that a petition has been signed and addressed to the Director-General of NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah by the Special Adviser, Media, Communications and Public Affairs of the PCC, Dele Alake.

The statement noted that the party had accused the two television stations of an indictment of Tinubu as reported and discussed on Arise News and Channels TV, even after the issue was cleared in correspondence between then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun and the US government.

The Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo has stated reasons why the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Peter Obi will not win the 2023 general election.

Naija News reports the governor disclosed this on Monday in an article he titled ‘History beckons and I will not be silent (Part 1)’.

Soludo in the piece said Obi knows that he can not win the presidential race, noting that he knows the game he is playing.

The governor noted that even though he knows Obi won’t win, he still wished him well and even prays for him.

Justice Binta Nyako of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday, adjourned indefinitely the trial of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Nnamdi Kanu.

Naija News reports that the indefinite adjournment follows Kanu’s absence in Court today, which is reported to be in protest against the federal government’s refusal to release him as ordered by the Court of Appeal on October 13.

Justice Nyako was reported to have put off the trial sine die ( indefinitely) at the instance of Kanu, pending the resolution of the federal government’s appeal against the October 13 Court of Appeal judgment that discharged the IPOB leader from the terrorism charges levelled against him by the government.

The federal government’s team of prosecutors led by the Director of Public Prosecution, M.B. Abubakar, told the trial that “My lord, I understand that the defendant declined to come to court today.

“As of last week, the defendant was intimated of this sitting and he did not object. However, when I called the office this morning, I was informed that the defendant woke up and declined to come to court.

“All entreaties and pleas were made but he refused to come to court”, the government lawyer told the court.

The deputy director of media and publicity for the Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Management Committee, Uloka Chibuike has said that reports claiming that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) denied the Igbo the party’s presidential ticket for the 2023 election is false.

Speaking in Awka, Chibuike argued that the governors of the party from the South East were hobnobbing with the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike instead of working arduously towards securing the presidential ticket.

He claimed that Igbo leaders in the party had followed Wike to Awka to mock Peter Obi who was then a presidential aspirant in the PDP that he could not win the primaries.

He opined that this indicated that the zone was not ready for the PDP ticket.

Chibuike insisted that there was no Igbo presidential aspirant who could have won the primaries and successfully challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He alleged that Wike masterminded the weakness of the South East to challenge for the ticket.

A Federal High Court sitting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State has sacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in the state, Akan Udofia.

This follows a ruling on Monday in the suit instituted against his emergence by one of the aspirants for the ticket, and former presidential aide, Senator Ita Enang.

Enang had argued in court through his lawyers that Udofia was not eligible to contest the APC governorship primaries of May 26, 2022, as he had only recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the party and was not a member when the primary election took place.

Udofia however was of the opinion that the APC leadership had given him a waiver to contest.

Delivering judgement on Monday in the suit marked FHC/UY/144/2022, Justice Agatha Okeke cancelled the May 26 APC governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State and ordered the conduct of a fresh primary within two weeks.

The Judge also held that the purported waiver granted Udofia was invalid and went further to bar him from participating in the fresh primary to be conducted by the APC.

Justice Okeke also ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognize Udofia as the APC guber candidate for Akwa Ibom State.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has arrived in Jos, Plateau State capital, for the kick-off of his campaign rally scheduled to hold on Tuesday.

Tinubu and his entourage were received by the State Governor, Simon Lalong, who doubles as the Director General of the party’s campaign council.

Party chieftains, including the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, have arrived in Jos ahead of the much-anticipated campaign kick-off, Naija News understands.

Lalong had said earlier, after inspecting the Rwang Pam Township Stadium Jos, that all is set for a hitch-free and colourful presidential campaign event.

According to him, the city of Jos and Plateau State is agog as APC faithful, and the citizens prepare to receive Chairman of the PCC President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Governors, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, APC National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu among other leaders and members of the party across the nation.

Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki has broken his silence over the crisis rocking the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Naija News reports that Saraki expressed optimism over the outcome of the crisis between the party’s presidential candidates and the five aggrieved governors led by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike.

According to him, the crisis would soon be resolved and Nigerians would be shocked at the outcome.

Saraki’s reaction is coming three days after former military President, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) reportedly waded into the PDP crisis.

Naija News had reported that sources claimed that IBB’s reconciliation move may have been endorsed by a former senior military intelligence officer and some interest groups from the North supporting the Atiku Presidency.

Saraki told pressmen, at the fidau of the 10th year remembrance of his late father Dr Olusola Saraki, that the conflict would soon be resolved.