TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, MONDAY

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, MONDAY

 

1. Tinubu Arrives Buhari’s Hometown, Officially Confirms Shettima As Running Mate

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu has confirmed former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2023 election.

Tinubu had earlier submitted the name of Alhaji Kabiru Masari to INEC as a placeholder. There has been pressure since then on the former governor of Lagos State to consider picking a Christian as his running mate.

Speculations, however, ended on Sunday after Tinubu arrived in Daura, Katsina State to pay homage to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Tinubu while briefing the press upon his arrival, said Masari has agreed to step down and Shettima is now confirmed as his standard-running-mate.

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2. Kwankwaso Discloses Candidate He Can Support To Clinch 2023 Presidency Apart From Himself

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso has said ordinarily he can recommend Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to become the next President of Nigeria.

Though Kwankwaso expressed worries about what Tinubu plans to do differently from what President Muhammadu Buhari has done, he described the former Lagos State Governor as a good man.

He added that they have interacted very well in the past and he has no doubt about the abilities and strategies of Tinubu.

“Ordinarily, If I cannot get it, I can recommend him (Tinubu),” he said in an interview on Sunday with Arise TV.

He however urged Tinubu to take good care of his health because campaigning is a rigorous process, advising the APC candidate to take it easy.

3. 2023: Presidency Confirms Shettima As Tinubu’s Running Mate

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has confirmed former Governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima as the running mate of Bola Tinubu under the All Progressives Congress.

This is coming after Tinubu, the presidential candidate of APC confirmed Shettima as his running mate despite calls against Muslim/Muslim tickets.

The spokesman to President Buhari, Garba Shehu in the statement released on Sunday noted that Tinubu informed the president that Shettima was chosen based on his competence.

The statement reads, “Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Sunday in Daura, Katsina State, paid Sallah homage to President Muhammadu Buhari, honouring the President with information on his choice of running mate, Sen. Kashim Ibrahim Shettima.”

4. Atiku Set To Return To Nigeria, To Attend PDP Guber Rally In Osun

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, is set to return to Nigeria and attend the grand rally of the party in Osun State.

It is understood that the PDP candidate is cutting his European trip short ahead of the final rally before the governorship election slated for Saturday.

Atiku has been out of the country for about three weeks now amidst the crisis rocking the PDP over the emergence of Ifeanyi Okowa as his running mate even as a section of the PDP leaders have openly expressed their displeasure over the choice of Okowa and how Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike was treated in the saga.

Atiku had moved to the UK for his Master’s Degree Convocation at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK.

According to TheCable, the PDP presidential candidate is set to return to Nigeria from the UK ahead of the Osun governorship election.

It is understood that the PDP has been making efforts to resolve the crisis in its fold before the Osun poll.

5. Tinubu Gives Reason For Not Picking A Christian As Running Mate

The presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu raised eyebrows on Sunday after confirming former Governor of Borno State, Sen. Kashim Shettima, a non-Christian as his running mate.

The announcement was received with a barrage of reactions as Tinubu’s choice of running narrowed down to a Muslim-Muslim ticket despite several admonitions by concerned bodies to consider a Muslim-Christian ticket.

The former governor of Lagos State said all his life, decisions regarding the team around and supporting him had always been guided by the principles of competence, innovation, compassion, integrity, fairness, and adherence to excellence.

Tinubu said his decision to pick Shettima was arrived at after wide consultation.

The APC national leader said he appreciates the perspectives of leading members of the party, political allies and key national figures “who see Nigeria’s future as I do”.

Tinubu said both the Muslims and Christians have approached him to state their reason for wanting him to pick his running mate from their faith.

The Presidential candidate said he considers arguments from both sides to be correct, but that neither was right in the way that Nigeria needs at the moment.

Tinubu said the belief in prioritising leadership, competence, and the ability to work as a team over other considerations influenced his running mate choice.

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6. ASUU Strike Would Have Ended If It Was Under PDP Gov’t – Saraki

Former President of the Nigerian Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki has blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the lingering strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Public universities in Nigeria have been shut down for months over disagreements between the federal government and ASUU executives.

Addressing a press after Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Ilorin, Kwara State capital on Saturday, Saraki who lost the opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential primary election to former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, said the ASUU strike would not have lingered if it was the PDP in power.

He stressed that there was no way the strike will remain this long either in his capacity as the Senate President or as the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum.

Saraki in a post via his Twitter handle earlier, said that the lack of compassion by members of the ruling APC could not be disconnected from the continuation of the prolonged ASUU strike.

7. Peter Obi’s Camp Speaks As Tinubu Unveils Shettima

The Director of Peter Obi’s presidential campaign, Doyin Okupe has urged fellow Nigerians to back the youths in their bid to take back their country following the selection of former Governor of Borno State, Senator Kashim

Shettima as the running mate to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.

Tinubu in an interview with journalists on Sunday after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State confirmed Senator Shettima as his running mate.

Shettima, who is the Senator representing Borno Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, played a crucial role during Tinubu’s campaign to emerge as the APC presidential candidate.

The former governor will replace Ibrahim Masari, whose name was submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as an interim vice presidential candidate of the ruling party.

Shortly after the APC national leader confirmed his choice of running mate, Okupe via the microblogging platform, Twitter maintained that a nation that does noot listen to the voice of its youths will forfeit its future.

He also added that Nigeria have just one more tenure to crash.

8. APC Must Be Made To Pay For The Consequences Of Their Extreme Lack Of Thoughtfulness – Segun Showunmi

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Segun Showunmi, has faulted the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Bola Tinubu for picking a Muslim as his running mate.

Tinubu, on Sunday after a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State confirmed Senator Shettima as his running mate.

Reacting to this, Showunmi questioned if the APC intends to play only to the numbers of advantage without care for national unity and harmony.

Showunmi said the ruling party has made its choice and must be made to pay for the consequence of their extreme lack of thoughtfulness.

According to Showunmi, APC needs to lose the 2023 election to enable them to get the message that parties that balance their ticket do to Inspire national cohesion.

9. 2023: Zulum Reacts As Tinubu Picks Shettima As Running Mate

The Governor of Borno State, Babagana Zulum on Sunday reacted as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu picked Kashim Shettima as his running mate.

Zulum in his reaction to the development expressed excitement with Tinubu’s decision to pick Shettima.

He further stated that the selection of Shettima as the APC vice presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election is the best choice at this moment.

10. Fani-Kayode Replies Nigerian Military Over Comment On Kuje Prison Attack

Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has advised the Nigerian military to spend more time in fighting the terrorists that have turned the nation into a killing field.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain was reacting to a press statement released by the Defence Headquarters on Sunday refuting the allegations made against the Nigerian military.

Recall that Fani-Kayode had accused the Nigerian military of refusing to prevent the attack on the Kuje Medium Correctional Centre despite warnings by the Department of State Services (DSS).

He also accused the military of failing to prevent the attack on the Abuja-Kaduna bound train on March 28, where many passengers were abducted and nine persons killed by terrorists.

Reacting to the allegations, the military slammed the former minister for attempting to smear the military and create bad blood between service personnel and the military high command.

In response to the DHQ statement, Fani-Kayode stated that the manner the military was handling the insecurity challenge in the country necessitated his comments.

The former minister said he could not be intimidated by the military high command from saying the truth about the worsening security situation in the country.

He said the military cannot impose a culture of silence on Nigerians when it was evident that the leadership of the military has performed below standard and needed to be told the truth.