Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 27th October 2022
1. CBN To Release New Re-Designed Naira Notes By December 15
The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, has disclosed the apex bank’s plan to release re-designed Naira notes by December 15, 2022. According to him, the old naira notes would cease to be legal tender from January 31, 2023. Naija News gathered that the CBN governor announced the development at a media briefing in Abuja on Wednesday. Emefiele expressed worry about the fact that 85 percent of the currency in circulation is being hoarded by Nigerians. He however appealed to Nigerians to proceed to their banks to deposit their Naira notes, adding that the deposit fee would be waived for the transactions. He also said the redesigning of Naira notes would help to curb counterfeit notes, as well as hamper ramson payment to terrorists and kidnappers.2. Ortom Requests Public Apology From Atiku, Tells Him Fulanis Alone Can’t Make Him President
The Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has requested a public apology from the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democracy Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar over the comment of profiling Fulani herdsmen. Naija News reports that Ortom, who requested an apology from Atiku said the comment about him profiling Fulani herdsmen by the PDP presidential candidate was a disgrace to him and the people of his state. He also denied the allegation saying he didn’t profile any Fulani herdsmen, instead the Fulanis had stolen cows from his farm. Ortom, while addressing youths who protested in his honour said Atiku had apologized to him personally over the Fulani comment when he (Ortom) reached out to him, but he (Atiku) had refused to apologize publicly. Recall that Atiku had accused Ortom recently of profiling Fulanis at the interactive forum organized by the Arewa Consultative Forum in Kaduna. The governor however told the former vice president that he shouldn’t think that only the Fulanis can make him president in the 2023 general election.3. Labour Party Releases Revised Campaign Council List, Retains Okupe As DG
The Labour Party (LP) on Wednesday released its revised Presidential Campaign Council(PCC) list, as Dr Doyin Okupe was retained as the Director-General (DG) of the campaign council. The 1,453-member campaign council has retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Zarewa also retained as its Chairman. Naija News reports that the National Chairman of the party, Barr Julius Abure, who announced the release of the revised list, said the earlier list released on October 12 had to be reviewed to accommodate those who were “displaced” from the list. Abure, however, appealed to supporters of the party who are not on the latest list to “continue to do their work.”4. Ex-PDP Spokesman, Metuh Dumps Party
A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) former national publicity secretary, Olisa Metuh, has announced his membership withdrawal from the nation’s main opposition party. Naija News reports that Metuh made his decision known in a letter he addressed to the PDP national chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu. Metuh revealed in the letter dated October 25 that his resignation means a total withdrawal from partisan politics. The former PDP chieftain also noted that he has submitted his resignation letter to the ward chairman of the party in his home State of Anambra. Metuh explained further that he resigned from party politics because he believes he will contribute more to democracy and good governance in Nigeria by being non-partisan. Naija News understands that Metuh was the longest-serving elected member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP. The Anambra State-born politician had won the election to serve in several national positions at six consecutive national conventions of the Party.5. INEC To Sanction 23 Officials Over Irregularities, Says 93.5m Nigerians Eligible For 2023 Polls
The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) on Wednesday confirmed that only 93.5 million Nigerians are so far eligible to participate in the forthcoming 2023 general elections. The electoral body said the reported figure of eligible voters was arrived at after adding 9,518,188 new voters to the existing register of 84,004,084 voters. Naija News reports that the update was given today by INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu in Abuja during the third quarterly meeting with political parties. The commission’s boss noted that 12.29 million Nigerians completed their registrations as new voters in the just concluded Continuous Voter Registration CVR. Yakubu noted that the commission has just had an extensive data clean-up using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) and that over 2.78 million were identified and removed as ineligible registrants. From the exercise, the INEC boss said 23 of the commission’s registration officers were caught in attempts to engage in multiple registrations of Nigerians.6. PDP Crisis: Mimiko Ditches Atiku, Supports Wike, Others
Former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko has distanced himself from the presidential campaign council list of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State. Mimiko described the list which named him as the leader of the campaign as fake. The PDP chieftain, in a statement released through his Special Assistant on Media and Digital Communications, John Paul Akinduro, said he will not ditch the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. He further stated that he would not abandon the agitation for regional equity within the party. Akinduro disclosed that the inclusion of Mimiko’s name in the list is an attempt to damage the image of the former Governor.7. Pay Nnamdi Kanu N500m, Return Him To Kenya Immediately – Court Orders Buhari Govt
A Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, on Wednesday ordered the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government to pay the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, the sum of N500 million as damages following his illegal abduction and human rights abuse from Kenya. Naija News reports that the Court also ordered the Federal government to return him to Kenya from where he was extradited to Nigeria on June 19, 2021. The Court presided by Justice E . N Anyadike, insisted that the extradition of Kanu from Kenya without recourse to the legal process was a flagrant abuse of his fundamental human rights, ordering the Federal Government to stop the prosecution of the IPOB leader. Justice Anyadike ruled that the government could not disprove the claims of the applicant that he was arrested, blindfolded, tortured, and chained to the ground for eight days in Kenya before his extradition to Nigeria. Nnamdi Kanu’s special Counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, had approached the court challenging his extradition from Kenya on June 19, 2022. Ejimakor told the court that the suit is sui generis (of a special class) and was primarily aimed at redressing the infamous unlawful expulsion or extraordinary rendition of Kanu, which is a clear violation of his fundamental rights under Article 12(4) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, as well as Chapter IV of the Nigerian Constitution.8. Tinubu Speaks On Rift With Osinbajo As VP’s Support Groups Make Fresh Move
Wednesday in Kano State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, insisted that he had nothing against Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Naija News understands that Tinubu said this when three support groups loyal to Osinbajo across 19 northern states declared their support for his candidacy. The support groups said they had months ago, during the presidential primaries of the APC, campaigned for Osinbajo who alongside others lost the ticket to the former Governor of Lagos State. In a video on the internet, a coordinator of one of the groups’ identified as the Drone Marshall Support Group, Alwan Hassan, begged the APC presidential candidate that he and other persons would want to see more physical relations between him and Osinbajo ahead of the 2023 polls. The groups claimed to have structures across the 19 northern states and would henceforth be fully supportive of his candidacy. Responding to their declaration, Tinubu described the move as important, saying he had nothing against Osinbajo.9. Suspended AGF Ahmed Idris Re-Arraigned
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned the suspended Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris and three others before the Federal Capital Territory High Court sitting in Abuja in a fresh case bordering on fraud to the tune of N109 billion. Naija News had reported that the anti-graft agency arrested Idris on the 16th of May in connection with a series of frauds that was to the tune of N174 billion and released him on bail after the defendants had pleaded not guilty at the time before Justice Adeyemi Ajayi who was said to be a vacation judge. On Wednesday, lawyers and parties appeared before Justice Alelo. EFCC’s lawyer, O.A. Atolagbe, told the court that the case was initially before his learned brother who was a vacation judge, but has now been reassigned to him for re-arraignment. The registrar read the counts before Idris and others, in which they pleaded not guilty again. Idris’ lawyer, Chris Uche SAN urged the judge to uphold the earlier bail granted to his client by his brother judge. Other lawyers, including the prosecution, did not raise objection to the bail plea. Subsequently, Justice Alelo upheld their earlier bail terms and conditions, but ordered EFCC to submit the AGF’s international passport to the court.10. 2023: Kwankwaso Denies Merger With Another Presidential Candidate
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has refuted claims that he will be collapsing his campaign structure for another flagbearer. Speaking on behalf of his principal, the spokesman of the NNPP Presidential Campaign Council, Ladipo Johnson, said it is too late for Kwankwaso to collapse his campaign structure for anybody. He said those peddling the rumour that the former Governor of Kano State will collapse his structure for another flagbearer are mischievous, adding that Kwankwaso is not ready to step down for anybody. Johnson made the comment on a programme on Channels Television, Sunrise Daily on Wednesday, monitored by Naija News.Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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