Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Monday, 27th March, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 27th March 2023

President Muhammadu Buhari has said the former Chief of General Staff, Oladipo Diya, was known for his brilliance, exceptional organizational skills, and discipline.

In a statement issued on Sunday by his media aide, Femi Adesina, the President said Diya displayed the above virtues in the important roles he held in office as a military officer.

Buhari paid tribute to General Diya’s bold and courageous career in the Nigeria military and dedicated service to the country as General Officer Commanding, 82 Division, Commandant, National War College (1991–1993), Chief of Defence Staff, and Military Governor of Ogun State from January 1984 to August 1985.

The President saluted the former Chief of General Staff for his love, belief, and loyalty to the country he cherished so much and fought gallantly on the frontlines to defend her unity.

Buhari, who expressed sadness over Diya’s demise, extended heartfelt condolences to the late retired general’s family, friends, and colleagues on behalf of the Federal Government, and the people of Nigeria.

He prayed that General Diya’s soul finds rest with his Creator, and may his contributions to the nation never be forgotten.

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has been suspended by the Executive Committee of the party in Igyorov Ward in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, with immediate effect.

The secretary of the committee, Banger Dooyum, said Ayu was suspended for anti-party activities after passing a vote of no confidence on him.

Dooyum stressed that Ayu’s anti-party activities alongside his allies contributed to the loss of the party in his ward and local government in the governorship election.

He said the committee also accused the national chairman of not paying his annual dues as enshrined by the party’s constitution.

Twelve out of the seventeen exco members signed the documents endorsing his suspension.

They alleged that the PDP chieftain did not vote during the governorship and state assembly elections held on the 18th of March, 2023, adding that one of his closest allies worked for the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) which resulted in the abysmal performance of the PDP in Igyorov Ward.

The ward chairman of Igyorov, Kashi Philip, also signed the letter alongside the exco.

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has described as false a Reuters reports that accused soldiers of allegedly killing children in the fight against terrorism in the North-East.

The army chief dispelled an investigative report by Reuters last December when the details of the report allegedly revealed how the

Nigerian military operated a secret programme, terminating at least 10,000 pregnancies of women who were freed from Boko Haram terrorists in the region.

Yahaya, while speaking during a Special Independent Investigative Panel on Human Rights Violations in the Implementation of Counter Insurgency Operations in the North East (SIIP-North East), said the Nigerian military is one of the best in the world whose operations are guided by rules in line with fundamental human rights.

The Nigerian army boss who denied claims that the military allegedly aborted over 10,000 babies by women and girls rescued from insurgents advanced that Reuters was only “acting a script” to undermine the military’s dominance over the Boko Haram insurgents.

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has praised British envoy, Ben Llewellyn-Jones for naming the Director New Media of the Bola Tinubu Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, among those making inciting comments.

In a statement on Sunday, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar, Phrank Shaibu, said the Department of State Services ought to invite Fani-Kayode as his rhetoric could set the country on fire.

Shaibu maintained that Fani-Kayode’s claim that he would make Nigeria ungovernable if Tinubu is not inaugurated as President on May 29, 2023, was infuriating and is deserving of the attention of the Department of State Services (DSS).

Atiku’s aide, however, noted that the UK Deputy High Commissioner, Ben Llewellyn-Jones, deserves special commendation for pointing out that Fani-Kayode had been making inciting comments and ought to have been cautioned by Tinubu, his boss.

The Federal Government has stated that the population and housing census will commence on May 3, 2023.

Naija News reports that the National Orientation Agency (NOA) Director-General, Garba Abari, made this known in an interview with journalists in Abuja.

Abari said the census would commence on May 3 and end on May 5, a year after the government announced that it would conduct the exercise after the general election.

The NOA boss said the exercise would capture every person, household, and structure for national planning and project execution purposes.

He said the change in the date was due to the postponement of the gubernatorial and state house of assembly elections, adding that the census and the 2023 elections as major national events with significant importance.

A 33-year-old fish seller, Lawan Majakura has disclosed a reason for rejecting the 100 million naira offered to him to step down for the speaker of the Yobe State House of Assembly, Ahmed Mirwa Lawan, after winning in the 18 March House of Assembly election.

Majakura, in an interview with Daily Trust, disclosed that Lawan’s representative approached him twice to shelve his ambition and end his campaign.

He said he was initially offered N18m before the bid was increased to N100m but he rejected both offers.

The 33-year-old house member-elect said his village people, who were mostly farmers and fish sellers, bought nomination forms for him and funded his campaign throughout the electioneering process.

The spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo has reacted to the suspension of the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu from the party.
Naija News had earlier reported that Ayu was suspended by the Executive Committee of the party in Igyorov Ward of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, with immediate effect.

Ayu’s suspension from the party was disclosed by the secretary of the committee, Banger Dooyum.

According to Dooyum, Ayu was suspended for anti-party activities after passing a vote of no confidence on him.

He further stated that ayu’s anti-party activities during the governorship election in the state led to the defeat of the party in his ward and local government area.

The National Chairman of the PDP was also accused of not paying his annual dues as enshrined by the party’s constitution.

The documents which endorsed the suspension of Ayu were signed by twelve out of the seventeen exco members.

Keyamo in his reaction to the development in a post on his Twitter account on Sunday claimed that drama has started in the PDP.

A former chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Sam Amadi, has said Nigeria is not yet a democratic nation.

Naija News gathered that the political analyst was reacting to the outcome of the 2023 presidential and national assembly elections.

He said the outcome of the 2023 general elections was not entirely a reflection of the people’s choice, while noting that the conduct of the elections has further destroyed the public trust and participation of Nigerians in subsequent elections.

Amadi, who is the director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, made these assertions when he spoke at the 2nd Ariyo Dare-Atoye Memorial Election Management and Governance Dialogue series held in Abuja.

The analyst also alleged that there were obvious indicators that the elections were overtly flawed, adding that the fundamental principles of democracy were omitted during the conduct of the elections.

Fulani herdsmen in Anambra State, under the aegis of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), have cried out over the treatment they are getting from residents of the state.

According to MACBAN, its members are being denied accommodations in the South-East state, causing hindrances to their traditional business.

Leader of MACBAN in South East, Alhaji Gidado Siddiki, disclosed this to journalists during the weekend after attending Governor Charles Soludo’s one-year Anniversary in office, Naija News understands.

To back the group’s claim while addressing dignitaries at the event held in Akwa, the state capital, Siddiki cited Anaku, Umueje, Omor, Igbakwu, Omasi, Umumbo, Umuerum and Ifite-Ogwari all in Ayamelum local government council of the areas of the state as places where MACBAN members have been denied accommodation.

He called on Governor Soludo’s government to intervene urgently for peace and oneness. Siddiki said his members have a cordial relationship with the indigenes in spite of “some cases of misunderstanding.”

The spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said a lot of the presidential candidates who lost in the February 25 election are going to waste more of their money in court.

Baba-Ahmed stated this while reacting to the petitions filed by some candidates at the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Abuja.

Naija News reports that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, had approached the tribunal to seek the nullification of the declaration of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 election

Also, the presidential candidates of the (Action Alliance), Solomon Okangbuan, and his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart, Princess Chichi Ojei, have sought the nullification of Tinubu’s victory.

In a chat with The PUNCH, Baba-Ahmed said a lot of the flagbearers are just going to waste more of their money at the tribunal and other levels of courts.

He stated that many of the candidates know they have lost fair and square but it has become a Nigerian tradition that almost every politician who loses an election must go to court.

Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.