Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 7th June, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 7th June 2023

1. Akpabio: Some People Laying Stumbling Block For Tinubu – Wike

Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike has declared his total support for Godswill Akpabio to emerge as the Senate President for the 10th National Assembly.

According to Wike, those against Akpabio’s choice are only trying to lay a stumbling block in the path of the administration of President Bola Tinubu so there can be room for rancour between the executive and legislative arms of government.

The former Governor who was quoted by his media aide, Kelvin Ebiri in a statement in Port Harcourt on Tuesday stated that those working against the emergence of Akpabio are those who earlier fought against Tinubu’s presidential ambition.

Buttressing his support for Akpabio further, Wike was said to have submitted that it is right for the south-south to produce the next Senate President because the region has only produced one Senate president, far back in 1979, Joseph Wayas while the Southeast has produced over seven.

He added that the Tinubu administration should be allowed to kick off on a cordial note with the legislative arm by supporting the preferred candidate of the President and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

2. Insecurity: Some Ex-Govs Dined With Terrorists – Sani

The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani accused former governors in the North-West region on Tuesday of undermining the area’s security by dining with bandits and terrorists.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, he argued that certain governors took an “extremely wrong” approach to their states’ internal affairs, leading to current security issues.

According to Sani, Kaduna State Government and other North-West states initially teamed up to address the region’s insecurity issues, collaborating closely with all security agencies.

However, the alliance eventually broke down when some governors opted to negotiate with bandits and terrorists.

3. ‘Organised Crime’ – Peter Obi Speaks On Tinubu’s Govt Removal Of Fuel Subsidy

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said that his support for the removal of subsidy paid on petroleum products is true but with a condition that should be empirical to the people.

Naija News reports that Peter Obi made this known while addressing journalists when he attended his ongoing election petition case at the Court of Appeal headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday.

The LP presidential candidate said that his support for subsidy removal dates back to the Goodluck Jonathan era when he was a member of the Presidential Economic Management Team.

The former Anambra State governor differentiated his idea of subsidy removal from what is happening in the country.

4. Tinubu: I Have Paid Over N6 Million, Yet INEC Has Ignored My Requests – Atiku Tells Court

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of sabotaging the smooth presentation of the case he filed to challenge the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

The Waziri lamented that despite paying N6 million for the certification of exhibits he intends to tender in evidence before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) sitting in Abuja, the electoral body has refused to make the evidence available to him.

Speaking via his counsel, Eyitayo Jegede on Tuesday, Atiku persuaded Justice Haruna Tsammani-led’s five-member panel to defer further hearing on the petition he filed to nullify President Bola Tinubu’s election, till Wednesday.

Jegede, SAN, had at the resumed proceedings on the petition, sought to tender in evidence before the court, the results of the election from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas, LGAs, in Kogi State.

Atiku’s lawyer told the court that though his client applied for electoral materials from all the LGAs in the state, however, he was only furnished with results from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu, Igalamela-Odolu and Kogi.

He drew the attention of the court to the fact that all the requested documents were earlier listed in the schedule of documents that Atiku and the PDP said they would rely upon to prove their joint petition against the declaration of President Tinubu of the APC as the winner of the presidential election that held on February 25.

Even though the petitioners sought to tender the exhibits available to them from Kogi state, pending the release of other documents by INEC, however, the Justice Tsammani-led panel stressed that the records of the court would not be tardy if such sensitive exhibits were admitted in evidence in piecemeal.

5. House Of Representatives Declares Nigeria Air Launch As Fraud

The House of Representatives has flagged the supposed launch of Nigeria Air, which took place during the tenure of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, labelling it as deceptive.

The House Committee on Aviation, led by Nnolim Nnaji, deemed the airline’s launch a sham after key participants in the Federal Government’s deal with Ethiopian Airlines denied any knowledge of the event.

Despite the Ministry of Aviation’s assertion that Nigeria Air was merely unveiled and not launched, the committee rejected this argument, viewing it as a diversion tactic.

Members of the committee expressed surprise upon learning from the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) that the aircraft painted in Nigerian colours was on a chartered flight to Nigeria.

Other stakeholders confirmed that any chartered flight could be painted in various colours and carry any inscriptions.

6. FG Files Money Laundering, Bribery, Other Charges Against Adebutu

The Federal Government has charged the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, for allegedly buying votes during the 18 March elections in the state.

In a suit brought by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice before an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, nine other persons associated with the PDP were also charged.

In a separate suit it filed at the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, the government also charged two others for allegedly aiding Adebutu to commit the alleged offence.

The two suits were filed on Thursday, 2 June, by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, M. B. Abubakar; Aderonke Imana, an assistant Chief State Counsel, and Sani Bagudu, a Senior Counsel at the Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation, on behalf of the AGF and Minister of Justice.

Others charged alongside Adebutu before the State High Court in Abeokuta are Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, and Sanni Adejoke. Other defendants are Dare Ogunleye, Dare Adeoye, Dayo Fashina, Wasiu Enilolobo, and Malik Akawo.

According to the notice filed by the prosecution, Adebutu and four of the other defendants are currently at large.

7. Nigerians’ Frustration With APC, Others Made Labour Party Popular – APC Vice Chairman

The vice-chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in North-West Nigeria, Salihu Lukman, has offered an explanation for the Labour Party’s growing popularity.

According to Lukman, it’s due to Nigerians dissatisfaction with the current political parties, including his own, the APC.

Lukman outlined his viewpoint in a statement released to journalists on Tuesday.

He expressed the belief that Nigerians have grown tired of the seeming stagnation and lack of innovation within the ruling APC, leading them to look towards a party with a dynamic, functioning structure.

Lukman pointed to the Labour Party’s success in the 2023 elections as a testament to Nigerian citizens’ frustrations with the current political climate.

8. Court Dismisses Suit Filed Against Tinubu’s Inauguration Over 25% Votes In FCT

A federal high court in Abuja has rejected a lawsuit filed by five locals of the federal capital territory, aiming to prevent the inauguration of Bola Tinubu as president.

Presiding Judge, Inyang Ekwo announced the decision on Tuesday, instructing the lawyer representing the five plaintiffs to pay N10 million each to the attorney-general of the federation and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN).

Naija News recalls that plaintiffs in the suit filed on April 28, 2023 aver that Tinubu failed to secure at least 25 per cent of votes cast in the FCT.

They charged the court to set aside the certificate of return issued to Tinubu and restrain the CJN and any other judicial officer from swearing in any candidate in the presidential election as president or vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria pending the determination of the suit.

9. Senate Gives Swift Approval To Tinubu’s Request To Appoint 20 Special Advisers

The Senate has swiftly approved President Bola Tinubu‘s request to appoint 20 special advisers.

Senate President Ahmad Lawan read out the President’s request during a session at the upper legislative chamber on Tuesday.

While the letter did not specify who the 20 special advisers would be, the Senate was quick to approve Tinubu’s request.

As per a recent bill signed by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, a president is expected to form his cabinet within sixty days of inauguration.

Given that Tinubu’s inauguration occurred on May 29, 2023, his time to complete this task is rapidly approaching.

Up to this point, President Tinubu has officially named only two individuals to his cabinet.

10. INEC Releases Final List Of Candidates For Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa Guber Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday published the final list of candidates approved for the Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye, disclosed in a statement obtained by Naija News that the list was approved at the commission’s regular meeting held on Tuesday, 6th June 2023, in Abuja.

Also in the statement, the commission reminded all political parties and candidates that would be participating in the election that, in line with the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the three elections, a campaign in public officially commences on Wednesday, 14th June 2023.

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