Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Sunday, 7th February 2021.
1. Appeal Court Rules On Ibezim’s Disqualification As APC Candidate
The Appeal Court in Abuja has affirmed the disqualification of Chuwuma Frank Ibezim as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Imo North Senatorial District by-election.
Naija News reports that a three-man panel in a unanimous judgment on Saturday, upheld the December 4, 2020 judgment by Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in the suit filed by Asomugha Tony Eleneke.
Recall that the Federal High Court had disqualified Ibezim for making a false claim about his age and educational credentials in the documents submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
2. Ooni Of Ife, Ogun Monarch Trade Words Over Herdsmen Attacks
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi and Eselu of Iseluland, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, traded words over herdsmen’s reported attacks in some villages in Ogun State.
Oba Akinyemi had granted BBC Pidgin an interview on the incident, wherein he expressed his support for Yoruba activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, who recently visited the monarch’s domain and urged other Yoruba Obas in the Southwest not to compromise the security of their subjects.
His comments, however, appeared to have been condemned the Ooni, who reacted by sending a WhatsApp message to Oba Akinyemi on Friday morning, accusing the Oba of directing his remarks in the said interview at him because of his visit to President Muhammadu Buhari, warning the Ogun monarch to be careful.
3. Atiku Reacts To Cryptocurrency Ban, Tells Buhari Not To Close Down Nigeria’s Economy
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has told the federal government led by President Muhammadu Buhari to avoid policies that will push investors away from Nigeria.
Atiku submitted that in the face of global economic challenges which is also affecting Nigeria, the government should be opening up the economy and not closing it.
The PDP chieftain’s submission comes after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Friday, shut down the trading of cryptocurrencies in Nigeria, and ordered banks to close accounts operated by crypto traders.
4. What Buhari Must Do To Address Fulani’s Demands – Sheikh Gumi Reveals As He Visits More Bandits
A renowned Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to use the billions used in fighting insurgency to meet the demands of armed Fulani bandits in the forest.
“Such billions would be more than enough if judiciously used to address all the demands of the armed Fulani, including providing them with basic amenities, training them and providing them with the needed capital,” he added.
Naija News reports that the Kaduna-based cleric stated this when speaking during the continuation of his five-day visit to bandits’ and Fulani settlements in Zamfara State.
5. Stop Defaming Buhari’s Former Service Chiefs – Presidency Tackles PDP
The Presidency has lambasted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for rejecting the recent nomination of former Service Chiefs as non-career ambassadors by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a statement on Saturday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, asked the main opposition party to stop defaming the ex-service chiefs.
The presidency dismissed PDP’s position that the former service chiefs were nominated as ambassadors so as to shield them from trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
6. Buhari Dragged To ECOWAS Court Over Herdsmen Crisis
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari before the ECOWAS Court of Justice over the rampant killings by Fulani herdsmen.
Naija News reports that ECOWAS has fixed 22 April 2021 to deliver judgment in the case seeking to hold Buhari administration responsible for the killings, raping of Nigerians by the herdsmen.
ECOWAS arrived at the decision after listening to arguments from SERAP’s lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and the lawyer of the federal government, Adedayo Ogundele.
7. #EndSARS: Lagos Panel Approves Reopening Of Lekki Tollgate
The Lagos judicial panel of inquiry investigating the alleged extrajudicial activities of the now-disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) has approved the reopening of the Lekki tollgate.
This comes weeks after the controversies surrounding the clash between #EndSARS protesters and security operatives at the Lekki tollgate on October 20, 2020.
The nine-man judicial panel on Saturday returned the control of the tollgate to the Lekki Concession Company, the operators, on Saturday, according to TheCable
8. See Major Error On Tinubu’s APC Revalidation Slip [Photos]
The National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Saturday revalidated his APC membership in Ikeja, Lagos.
Naija News however spotted a big mistake in the membership slip displayed by Bola Tinubu.
In photos displayed on Twitter by the Personal Assistant on New Media to President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, the date on the slip bears February 9, 2021 instead of February 6, 2021, which is today’s date.
9. PDP To Zone 2023 Presidency To North, Gives Reasons
A chieftain of the opposition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri, says the party will zone the 2023 Presidential slot to the North.
Waziri, a BoT member of the party, made this known in a recent interview. He said the reason for the decision is to stand a chance in reclaiming the position it lost in 2015 in 2023.
The PDP chieftain added that the presidency should return to the North because the successor to President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 should have been a northern candidate.
10. Don’t Compare ‘Living’ Obasanjo To ‘Dead’ Buhari – Fani-Kayode
Former Minister Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has berated the presidency for comparing former President Olusegun Obasanjo with President Muhammadu Buhari.
Fani-Kayode was reacting to a comparison drawn between Obasanjo and Buhari by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina in his article, titled: “The Priest and the President.”
In the article, Adesina had said “Buhari elevated the CAN Chairman OBJ described as a total idiot.”
He narrated how Obasanjo humiliated a former chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Yakubu Pam.