Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the news roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 10th November 2022
The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has made a public apology after his viral statement that he won’t support a Fulani man to become the President of Nigeria.
Speaking on Wednesday in Bauchi State, Ortom said his statement might have been taken out of context.
It would be recalled that Ortom on Sunday while playing host to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) G5 Governors in Benue State, said he would not be supporting the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
Ortom said he would not support Atiku who is not concerned about the continuous killings of the Benue people.
However, fielding questions from journalists in Bauchi on Wednesday during a visit to Governor Bala Mohammed, Ortom apologized to Nigerians for his comment.
He added that he understands that people could easily misinterpret his statement but he had no intention of causing any ethnic war or heating up the polity.
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has shed more light on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) crisis after meeting with his colleague, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state on Wednesday.
Naija News recalls that Wike and four of his allies better known as the G5 had visited Bala in Bauchi.
The visit is coming in the wake of reports that Bala is set to leave the party’s presidential campaign over claims that the party’s standard bearer, Atiku Abubakar’s loyalists are working against his own re-election.
Speaking after the meeting, Wike said that the door to reconciliation is not yet closed and if the right thing is done peace would be restored to the party.
Ahead of next year’s polls, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has guaranteed Nigerians that the Bimodal Accreditation System (BVAS), will not be hacked.
Naija News reports that the commission’s Deputy Director of ICT, Lawrence Bayode gave the assurance on Wednesday morning while on the Channels TV sunrise programme.
According to him, the electoral body has taken care of every surface attack vulnerability on the BVAS ahead of the general election.
Bayode pointed out that the data on the BVAS will be secured, noting that INEC has ensured the BVAS is not compromised.
He furthered that the commission is aware that people would try to beat the system, but they can’t build such a system without fortification.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has suffered a big blow in Bauchi State as the Senator representing Bauchi North, Adamu Bulkachuwa has dumped the party for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It is understood that the prominent lawmaker switched allegiance to the PDP because of dissatisfaction with happenings in the APC.
He joined the PDP on Wednesday, 9th November, and showed off his membership card.
The primary election that saw Chijioke Edeoga emerge as the governorship candidate of the Labour Party for Enugu State has been declared null.
Naija News reports that a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja gave the verdict on Wednesday.
It is understood that an aspirant for the party ticket, Evarest Nnaji, popularly referred to as Odengene had approached the court to challenge the May 2022 primary election that produced Chijioke as the party’s candidate.
Justice Evelyn Maha, who dismissed the primary election, ordered the party to conduct a fresh primary election within 14 days.
Edeoga and Nnaji were formerly members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but defected earlier in the year to battle for the LP ticket for the forthcoming governorship elections, Naija News understands.
The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi shed more light on what Nigerians should expect from his government if he emerges as President in 2023.
Naija News reports Obi spoke at the presidential campaign rally held by his party on Wednesday in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
The former Anambra State Governor promised to tackle the myriad of challenges facing the nation, adding that Nigerians can hold him responsible for all the promises he is making.
Addressing the crowd of supporters at the rally, Obi promised to visit every state in the country to fix their problems, stressing that Governors won’t have to be the ones always visiting him in Abuja.
Obi promised to ensure peace, unity, and stability in Nigeria. He vowed that his administration would move Nigeria from consumption to production.
He also promised to tackle the challenges of insecurity by ensuring that needed support is given to the security operatives to keep the country safe and rid it of criminal elements.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Iyorchia Ayu, has expressed confidence that the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar will win without the party’s five aggrieved governors.
According to him, the party will win the presidential seat next year because elections are not held tomorrow.
Naija News gathered that Ayu in a statement signed by his Media Aide, Simon Imobo-Tswam, disclosed that talks are still ongoing with all aggrieved members of the party, but that hasn’t shifted the party’s focus.
The PDP national chairman, who described the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as the PDP’s major focus pointed out that the party might have issues at the moment but its eyes are on the ball.
He also acknowledged that with reconciliation, the party would be stronger, noting that the PDP’s opponents are not in the party, but outside of it.
The crisis in the main opposition has persisted since the emergence of Atiku as the party’s presidential candidate.
The aggrieved governors also known as the PDP G5 led by the Rivers state governor Nyesom Wike have insisted that Ayu resigns his position and a national chairman of a southern extraction should replace him.
The G5 has however vowed not to support Atiku until Ayu steps down from his position as national chairman.
The Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has disclosed that he was supposed to be with the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also referred to as G5, but he was ex-communicated.
According to him, he can confide in them because he shares a lot in common with the PDP G-5 governors.
Naija News reported earlier that barely 24 hours after Mohammed visited the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, the party’s G5 governors arrived in Bauchi state to also see Mohammed.
Naija News reports that the aggrieved G5 governors led by the Rivers state governor, Nyesom Wike are currently in the state capital to lure Bala Mohammed to join their camp.
However, the governor who spoke before a closed-door meeting with the G5 governors said he was glad they had come to visit him because he has shared with them some of his fears and problems confronting him in the state.
Mohammed, who wasn’t clear about his joining the G5 governors advanced that he knows quite well he is secure around the aggrieved governors amidst all the crises and challenges in the PDP.
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, has appealed the court ruling which convicted him of contempt of court and remanded him to the Kuje Correctional Centre.
Naija News had reported that Justice Chizoba Oji of the Federal Capital Territory High Court convicted Bawa in relation to his agency’s failure to comply with an earlier order of the court.
In her ruling on Tuesday, Justice Oji held that the EFCC boss is in contempt of the order of the court made on November 21, 2018, directing the commission to return to an applicant, his Range Rover (super charge) and the sum of N40 million.
The judge further directed the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to ensure that the order of this court is executed forthwith.
Reacting to the judgment in a chat with reporters on Tuesday, Bawa said an appeal had been filed against the ruling and would allow the law to take its natural course.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win the 2023 presidential election.
Lawan stated this during a special dinner organised for patrons and advisors of the APC at the Campaign Headquarters in Abuja.
The Campaign Patrons and Advisers are made up of former governors, National Assembly members, ministers, accomplished politicians, and former senior appointees of the Federal Government.
Lawan explained that the reason for his confidence is because of the political achievement of the party’s flag bearer Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima
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