Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 16th March 2022

1. You Are Not Fit To Be President, Resign And Hand Over To Osinbajo – Ortom Blasts Buhari

   Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has labelled President Muhammadu Buhari as a failure who is incapable of leading Nigeria.

   Ortom further declared that since it is obvious Buhari has failed in his duties, he should hand over to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

   Speaking during a chat with newsmen in Makurdi, the Benue State capital on Monday, Governor Ortom said since independence, Nigeria has never witnessed such level of government failure as the country is presently experiencing under President Buhari.

   He said since taking over in 2015, the Buhari administration has only succeeded in promoting nepotism, disunity, insecurity, and economic turndown, adding that the challenges keep increasing every day with no iota of solution in sight.

   Ortom said Buhari has only succeeded in taking Nigeria from top to bottom.

2. National Power Grid Collapses Again

   Electricity distributors on Tuesday evening announced the collapse of the National power grid for the second time in 24-hours.
   Naija News reports that this was made known by Eko Electricity and other power distributors.

   “We would like to inform you of another system collapse on the National Grid which occurred at 5:10pm today,” Eko Electricity said in a statement.

   “We are monitoring the situation and will continue to provide updates. Once again we apologise for the inconvenience.”

3. PDP Will Crumble If It Loses 2023 Presidential Election – Atiku

   Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has stated that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cannot afford to lose the 2023 presidential election.

   Abubakar claimed that the opposition may crumble or go into political oblivion if it loses the forthcoming election to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

   Speaking at the PDP Board of Trustees meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, Atiku expressed worry that the PDP will be in opposition again for the next eight years if it loses the 2023 poll.

   Abubakar stated that the upcoming election is very crucial for the party, stressing that he, alongside the BoT members, would have been retired politically, should another party win the election.

4. ‘No Crisis In APC, Buni Remains Chairman CECPC’

   The national secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), John Akpanudoedehe has maintained that there is no crack in the ruling party.

   Reacting to controversies surrounding the chairmanship of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Akpanudoedehe said Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni remains the party’s Chairman.

   Naija News reports that the party chieftain stated this on Tuesday at a press conference in the party headquarters in Abuja.

   Akpanudoedehe said it became necessary to clear the air on the reports flying on and off the media following last week’s takeover of the chairmanship seat by Niger Governor Abubakar Sani Bello.

   He argued that the ruling party is crisis-free, strong and united in giving Nigeria the transformative leadership and good governance promised, Naija News reports.

   Akpanudoedehe said the CECPC was appointed and has always done her best to steer the affairs of the APC in line with the mandate invested in her at the inauguration by the National Executive Council (NEC) of the All Progressives Congress.

5. Nigeria’s Inflation Rate Hits 15.70% As Fuel Scarcity Looms

   The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday reported that Nigeria’s inflation rate has risen to 15.70 percent amid the biting fuel scarcity.

   Naija News reports that this was made known by the NBS in its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for February 2022 released today.

   The consumer price index, which measures the rate of increase in the price of goods and services, rose to 15.70 percent year-on-year in February 2022.

   It was gathered from the report that the headline inflation rate slowed down in February when compared to the same month in the previous year.

   The rate is 1.63 percent points lower compared to the rate recorded in February 2021 (17.33) percent.

6. Ebonyi Assembly Declares PDP Lawmakers’ Seat Vacant

   The seats of three lawmakers elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party has been declared vacant by the Ebonyi House of Assembly.

   The seats were declared vacant following a letter of resignation forwarded by the three lawmakers.

   The three lawmakers are Ali Okechukwu (Ishielu North); Franca Okpo Abakaliki North) and Victor Aleke (Ebonyi West).

   It was gathered that the three lawmakers and their PDP colleagues were not at the sitting, while fifteen lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress were on seat.

   The letter was read by the speaker, Francis Nwifuru on the floor of the House after which he declared the seats of the three lawmakers vacant.

7. Edo PDP Crisis: Obaseki, Shaibu Can’t Win Against Wike – Afegbua

   A former campaign spokesman for ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Kassim Afegbua has accused the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki of instigating his Deputy, Philip Shaibu against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

   Afegbua who is also from Edo State accused both Governor Obaseki and Shaibu of arrogantly leading the people of the state after they were helped to win the election.

   He however warned that they stand no chance against the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, following the recent exchange of heated words between the Rivers State Governor and his Edo counterpart.

   Speaking in an article titled ‘Wike and political asylum seekers in Edo (1)’, Afegbua said Wike played critical roles in the emergence of Obaseki and Shaibu as the Governor and Deputy Governor of Edo State respectively but the two politicians have failed to show gratitude, but rather want to bite the finger that fed them.

   He warned the Governor and Deputy Governor of Edo State to have a quick rethink, retrace their steps and amend their ways as they are fighting a lost cause.

8. Bandits Kill DPO, 6 Security Operatives In Niger

   Bandit terrorists have killed a Divisional Police Officer and some security operatives in Nasko, Magama Local Government Area of Niger State.

   The terrorists killed the security operatives in an attack that happened around 1 pm on Tuesday.

   It was gathered that the terrorists who attempted to invade Nasko were engaged by security operatives, comprising the police, military and local vigilantes.

   The incident was confirmed by the spokesman of the state police command, DSP Wasiu Abiodun.

   According to Abiodun, two other policemen, and four vigilante members were killed during the gun battle.

9. APC Takes Step To Vacate Court Order Stopping National Convention

   The All Progressives Congress (APC) has employed lawyers to help vacate a court order restraining the party from conducting its national convention.

   National Secretary of the APC Caretaker Committee, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, made this known in a chat with reporters at the party’s secretariat on Tuesday in Abuja.

   He, however, asked the judiciary to expedite the hearing of the matter in order for the APC to conduct a transparent and rancour-free national convention.

10. 2023: PDP Reveals How It Plans To Handle IPOB If Elected Into Power

    The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has on Tuesday revealed how it plans to resolve the Biafra agitation led by the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and insecurity generally across the country, if elected into power in 2023.

    Debo Ologunagba, PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, stated that the PDP will carry every part of the country along and make sure everyone has a sense of belonging.

    Ologunagba said this in a chat with Daily Post. When questioned on how PDP intends to resolve IPOB’s Biafra agitation if the party returns to power in 2023, he explained that PDP is a party that entertains people from different ethnicity and does not condone any form of bias. Therefore, he said that the party plans to give IPOB a sense of belonging.

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