Good morning, Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 12th July, 2025.
1. Tinubu’s Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project A Scam – Says Ex-SGF, Babachir Lawal
Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has described the much-publicised Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway as a “scam”, accusing President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to deliver any meaningful infrastructure project since taking office.
Naija News reports that Lawal made the claim during an interview on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, which aired on Channels Television on Friday.
The former SGF, who served under the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, said he is yet to see any project by the current government that is impactful or visible to everyday Nigerians.
“If you ask me, ‘What projects has this government implemented so far that are visible to Nigerians and have impacted their lives?’ I cannot see any,” Lawal said.
“At least in northern Nigeria, where I am a frequent traveller, I don’t see any road that they are constructing or rehabilitating. In the South-West, I don’t think there is any.”
Lawal also took a swipe at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, stating that it has been repeatedly politicised by successive administrations without tangible results.
“They are still talking about the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, which it appears every government talks about and votes money for, and it never goes anywhere,” he said.
He argued that Nigerians have become disillusioned with recurring promises, particularly those that never materialise into completed projects. Lawal didn’t mince words when addressing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, which President Tinubu flagged off in May.
2. Refinery: ‘Sale Is Not Out Of The Question’ – NNPC CEO, Bayo Ojulari Claims
The Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bayo Ojulari, has admitted that revamping Nigeria’s state-owned refineries has become more complicated than initially anticipated.
Naija News reports that Ojulari made this known in an interview with Bloomberg on Thursday, during the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, where he disclosed that the NNPC is reassessing its refinery strategies and hopes to finalise the review before the end of the year.
Ojulari explained that despite significant investments and the adoption of modern technologies, challenges persist, largely due to the age and neglect of the facilities.
According to him, the review currently underway might lead to a shift in approach, though no firm decisions have been made yet.
When asked about the possibility of selling the refineries, Ojulari did not dismiss the idea.
3. What Are Their Antecedents? – Gov Makinde Knocks Opposition Coalition Politicians
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has criticised the 2027 coalition politicians’ planning to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the next election, questioning their antecedents.
Naija News reports that Makinde, during the South-West Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus meeting held at the party’s South-West zonal secretariat in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Friday, declared that the opposition coalition under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is not a threat.
Makinde reaffirmed the South-West Caucus’s loyalty to the PDP, stressing that the opposition coalition figures do not necessarily have something to offer despite the change of party.
He said, “We reaffirm our unwavering loyalty to the PDP and commitment to the unity, stability, progress and success of the party at all levels in the zone and across the country.
“We want the whole world to know that PDP in the South-West is united; we are together. The coalition is not a threat to the PDP. Who are these people in this coalition? They have been in some parties before, whether the PDP or the APC. What are their antecedents?”
“And does it mean that every time they move from one party to the other, they have repented or they have changed or they have something new to offer the people? Those are salient questions.”
Speaking on the urgent need for the Federal Government to release withheld local government allocations for Osun State, Makinde noted that the withholding of funds is not only unconstitutional but also detrimental to the well-being of the people of the state.
4. Coalition Politicians Trying To Create Conflict Between Buhari Boys And Tinubu Boys – Bwala
President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, has claimed that politicians in the opposition coalition are trying to create a rift between President Bola Tinubu and his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking via his 𝕏 account on Friday, Bwala stated that some of Buhari’s supporters misquoted former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Boss Mustapha.
Naija News reports that Mustapha had alleged that President Tinubu did not make Buhari president contrary to reports.
He claimed that Buhari became president in 2015 because of his 12 million votes.
Reacting, Bwala likened the coalition to a hydra-headed Octopus and said it was only trying to re-invent history.
He claimed that the opposition also tried to make him have issues with Buhari’s former spokesperson, Garba Shehu, but they failed.
5. Senator Natasha Writes Senate, Demands Compliance On Her Resumption Date
Suspended senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has written to the Senate, demanding immediate compliance with a Federal High Court judgment that voided her six-month suspension, describing it as “excessive, overreaching, and unconstitutional.”
Akpoti-Uduaghan’s legal team, M.J Numa & Partners LLP, in a letter dated July 11, urged the National Assembly to respect the judgment delivered by Justice Binta Nyako, which ruled that the Senate’s action lacked constitutional backing and violated her constituents’ right to representation.
Naija News reports that the letter, titled “RE: SUIT NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/384/2025 – Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan v. The Clerk of the National Assembly & Ors.: Forwarding of court order and demand for compliance”, was signed by Michael Jonathan Numa, SAN.
Citing Section 63 of the Constitution, Akpoti-Uduaghan’s lawyers argued that her suspension had deprived her constituents of representation and undermined democratic principles.
Akpoti-Uduaghan also formally notified the Senate of her plan to resume legislative duties on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, urging Senate leadership to make necessary arrangements in line with the court’s decision.
6. Let’s Put Personal Interest Aside, We Will Defeat Tinubu, APC In 2027 – Aregbesola
Former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has declared that the African Democratic Congress (ADC), backed by a coalition of opposition heavyweights, will unseat President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The Former Interior Minister, who is now the Interim Secretary of the ADC, however, urged stakeholders to put aside personal interests and unite to achieve their aim of unseating the incumbent administration.
Naija News reports that Aregbesola, once a close ally of Tinubu, made the call on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure, Ondo State.
“Let us work together. Let’s put personal interests aside and unite. If we do this, we won’t be defeated. Unity is very paramount in this situation,” Aregbesola said.
7. I Used Villa Rat Invasion Story To Cover Up For Buhari’s Sickness – Garba Shehu
The Former Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Garba Shehu, has confessed to fabricating the story of rats invading the Presidential Villa as a cover-up for his principal’s illness.
Naija News reports that Shehu made this known in his book “According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesperson’s Experience,” launched on Tuesday in Abuja.
Recall that before Buhari’s return to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after nearly three months of medical treatment in the United Kingdom, the Indigenous People of Biafra leader, Nnamdi Kanu, had alleged that Buhari had been replaced with a clone named Jibrin from Sudan.
Upon Buhari’s return, some Nigerians began to question whether it was truly him or the so-called clone, Jibrin of Sudan, as Kanu claimed.
The situation further fuelled suspicions and doubts about Buhari’s health and leadership capability after his aide, Bashir Ahmed, announced that the former president would be working from home instead of his office at the State House.
In Chapter 10 of the book, titled “Rats, Spin and All That,” Shehu revealed that he crafted the Villa rat invasion story to divert public attention away from concerns about President Buhari’s health and capacity to govern.
8. Supreme Court Ruling: It Is Time For You To Probe Obaseki – Oshiomhole Tells Gov. Okpebholo
Edo North lawmaker, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has called on Governor Monday Okpebholo to investigate the immediate past administration in Edo State led by Godwin Obaseki.
Oshiomhole made the demand while reacting to the Supreme Court ruling, which validated the election victory of Okpebholo.
According to the Senator, now that the coast is clear, Okpebholo must investigate the Obaseki administration, including the ownership structure of the Radisson Hotel Project as well s many other projects executed during his tenure.
Naija News reports that Oshiomhole made the call on Thursday at an event to celebrate the Supreme Court judgement affirming Okpebholo’s election victory.
Okpebholo now has time “to look at that hotel where Edo state money in tens of billions of dollars was taken”.
“And now we are told Edo is a minority shareholder. You now have time to look into that,” Oshiomhole said.
It is understood that the Edo government, under the leadership of Obaseki, initiated the Radisson Hotel Project and invested huge sums of money in it. However, there have been concerns about the handling of the funds for the project and the ownership structure of the hotel, with allegations of ceding 80 percent ownership to a private company despite the state’s initial investment.
Oshiomhole also challenged Obaseki to return to Edo and let them test their street credibility by walking the streets of Benin.
9. Coroner Demands Criminal Prosecution Of Nurse Who Treated Mohbad
The Coroner’s Court sitting in Ikorodu, Lagos, has recommended the criminal prosecution of auxiliary nurse, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, over the death of Nigerian singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad.
Naija News recalls that an Inquest was set up by the Lagos State Government to unravel the controversial circumstances surrounding the death of Mohbad.
The Magistrate C.A. Shotobi, while delivering the court’s findings on Friday, July 11, 2025, said the nurse acted with gross negligence by administering an injection to Mohbad without a doctor’s prescription.
The court, however, ruled out foul play or homicide in the case and held that the actions of the nurse were both unlawful and professionally negligent.
10. Crystal Palace Demoted From Europa League To Conference League
Crystal Palace have been demoted from the UEFA Europa League to the UEFA Europa Conference League for the upcoming season following a breach of UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
The ruling, confirmed on Friday by European football’s governing body, stems from American businessman John Textor’s stake in both Crystal Palace and French side Olympique Lyonnais, who also secured qualification for the Europa League.
Under UEFA regulations, two clubs with shared ownership, beyond a threshold of influence, are barred from competing in the same European tournament to prevent any potential conflict of interest or collusion.
Textor owns 77% of Lyon through Eagle Football and holds a 43% stake in Palace. UEFA rejected Crystal Palace’s defence that Textor has no decisive influence on their operations.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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