TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY,  FRIDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY,  FRIDAY 

1. Nigeria Signs MoU With South Korea’s Daewoo For The Rehabilitation Of Kaduna Refinery

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC) and Daewoo Group of South Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the rehabilitation of the Kaduna refinery.

President Muhammadu Buhari, who witnessed the signing of the MoU in Seoul, South Korea between the two groups said he was happy about the signing because the same group was in charge of the rehabilitation works at the Warri refinery.

The President said this in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, titled ‘Kaduna refinery rehabilitation gets boost as President Buhari witnesses signing of MoU between NNPC Ltd and Daewoo Group in Seoul.’

Adesina said “The President was particularly excited as the signing came against the back of ongoing rehabilitation works at Warri refinery by the same Daewoo Group which will at the first instance, deliver fuels production before the first half of 2023.

2. Court Nullifies 14 NNPP Assembly Candidates In Rivers

A Federal High Court in Port Harcourt has today nullified the candidacy of 14 House of Assembly candidates of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Rivers State.

The Rivers NNPP assembly candidates were sacked over “non-compliance” with the New Electoral Act 2022 in its primary election.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state had dragged the NNPP candidates before the Federal High Court seeking their disqualification.

The PDP, according to the presiding judge, Justice Turaki Muhammed, proved to the court that the NNPP did not follow the guidelines stipulated in the new Electoral Act during their party primaries.

In his judgment, Justice Muhammed directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stop recognizing the affected 14 persons as candidates in the election.

The latest judgment comes a few days after a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt also nullified all the primaries conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State.

3. Details Of Umahi, Ayade, Wike’s Meeting Emerge

The Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi and his counterpart in Cross River State, Ben Ayade, on Wednesday night held a closed-door meeting with the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

The Governor of Abia State, Okezie Ikpeazu was also in the meeting.

The meeting was held at Governor Wike’s Rumueprikon country home, Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, Port Harcourt.

Governor Wike and his counterparts, after the meeting, failed to reveal the details of their meeting ahead of the 2023 general elections.

However, a close ally of Governor Wike in a chat with Vanguard on Thursday said, “They (visitors and host) apparently had no need to disclose their motives.

“Be at as it may, the meeting was all about negotiating mutual interest for the 2023 elections, particularly for the presidential elections.

“They want to see how they can campaign and vote for a common presidential candidate. Nothing more, nothing less.”

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4. Ondo PDP Takes Fresh Action After Mimiko Dumps Atiku For Wike

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State says it will proceed with the inauguration of its Presidential Campaign Council despite the setback caused by the withdrawal of former Governor Olusegun Mimiko from the council.

The inauguration scheduled for Thursday (today), would however be a low-key and private event, the Ondo PDP chapter confirmed.

A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party in Ondo, Mr Kennedy Peretei, said the inauguration will be quietly done without media coverage.

“The Atiku/Okowa Campaign Train will arrive in Ondo State on 2nd November 2022. There will be a pre-event press conference to intimate our media partners on all arrangements. Therefore, we intend to make the inauguration an in-house affair without media coverage,” the statement read.

5. Why FG Is Keeping Nnamdi Kanu Despite Court Order — Malami

The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami has revealed why the Federal Government has failed to release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

This is despite the Federal High Court sitting in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, directing the Federal Government to return Kanu to Kenya and pay him N500 million.

Malami on Thursday disclosed that Kanu is still been held in the facility of the Department of State Services (DSS) due to some factors.

The minister in an interview with Vanguard said the rendition of the IPOB leader could not be used as the only basis to release him.

He further stated that it can not be used to free Kanu of other offences levelled against him by the Federal Government.

Malami noted that the Federal Government is holding onto Kanu on account of four major issues, which were preceded by the rendition matter for which the court cleared him.

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6. Fresh Troubles For Jandor As Thousands Of Lagos4Lagos Movement Members Return To APC

About 5,000 members of the Lagos4Lagos Movement on Thursday, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and returned to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The development is a huge blow to the chances of the PDP governorship flagbearer in Lagos State, Olajide Adediran (Jandor) in his quest to unseat Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the 2023 elections.

In November 2021, a former President of the Nigerian Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki welcomed a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) known as the Lagos4Lagos movement to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Olajide Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, led members of the Lagos4Lagos movement from the 20 local governments of the state to the PDP.

Some of them have however dumped the PDP and returned to the APC.

The defectors were received by the Lagos Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat who said it’s a great delight to see people who have been misled retrace their steps.

He assured them that they have taken the right decision and handed the APC flag to the defectors.

The Lagos Deputy Governor also urged the returnees to support the 2023 presidential ambition of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

Explaining the reason for their decision to dump the PDP for APC, the leader of the defectors, Idowu Daramola said Jandor has not shown he knows what he’s doing hence the decision.

While expressing disappointment, Daramola said the decision by Jandor to choose Nollywood actress, Funke Akindele as his running mate was done without consulting them.

In his view, Jandor has not been accountable regarding party finances in Lagos.

7. How DSS, US Troops Arrested Suspected Terrorists In Abuja

Officers of the Department of State Services (DSS) and some American soldiers have reportedly arrested two suspected terrorists in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The suspected terrorists were arrested in Trademore Estate, Phase 3, located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday, days after the United States and the United Kingdom raised alarm over the possibility of terror attacks in the nation’s capital.

In a chat with reporters on Wednesday, the Chairman of the estate, Adewale Adenaike, said the DSS and the US soldiers stormed the residential area to carried out the sting operation.

Adenaike said the security operatives failed to inform the community leadership about the sting operation and closed down the estate gates to stop vehicular movements.

The community chairman said he later found out that the DSS officers and the US soldiers came to arrest two residents of the estate who is alleged to be involved in terrorist activities.

Adenaike said the officers arrested the suspects who are said to be siblings in a boys’ quarters section of a duplex occupied by a family in the estate.

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8. 2023: Election Can’t Be Stopped Or Postponed Because Of Insecurity – Okoye

The National Commissioner and Chairman, of the Information and Voter Education Committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Festus Okoye, has come out to say that the election can’t be stopped or postponed because of the state of insecurity in the country.

Okoye, who was sharing his views about the 2023 general election in a Punch newspaper report said despite the state of insecurity in the country being a threat to next year’s election, there is no alternative to the conduct of elections at the periods and times stated in the constitution.

According to him, “Our elections are constitutionally and legally circumscribed. Section 134 (2) of the Constitution makes it mandatory that an election to the office of the President be held on a date not earlier than 180 days and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of that office.”

Okoye explained that constitutionally and legally, no one, not even a court of law has the right or the vice to extend the time assigned by the constitution, adding that the time cannot be extended, expanded, elongated, or otherwise enlarged.

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9. Terror Attack: Police Assure Of Safety, Release Emergency Lines

The Nigeria Police Force released four emergency phone lines to the public on Thursday following recent consistent calls for security beef-up in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

There has been consistent alarm from various stakeholders, including the United States and the United Kingdom, about terrorists planning to launch a major attack in Nigeria, particularly in the nation’s capital city.

Speaking concerning the disturbing reports, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, today reiterated the force’s commitment in collaboration with other security agencies to ensure the safety of all residents within the country.

While charging all Strategic Police Managers in charge of Commands and tactical formations within the country to beef up security in their respective jurisdictions, especially in the FCT, Baba directed that all emergency numbers across the country should be activated to full capacity for a 24/7 prompt response with combatant officers and men on standby to respond in case of emergencies and distress calls.

Acting to the IGP’s directive, the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Muyiwa Adejobi in a statement on Thursday night said residents within the FCT are urged to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or abnormal occurrence and persons to the Police through the following emergency lines: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653, and 08028940883.

10. 2023: EFCC To Partner INEC Against Vote Buying

Ahead of the 2023 general election, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday declared its intention to again partner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on incidences of vote buying.

The anti-graft agency said it is ever ready to work with INEC in curbing vote buying in the next year’s polls and beyond.

The EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa told pressmen in Abuja that the commission would partner with INEC to arrest and prosecute persons involved in vote buying.

Bawa noted that “We will continue to do what we have to do, we are trying to ensure that illegitimate funds are not finding their way into our electoral processes.”

The EFCC boss, who spoke after presenting the commission’s 2023 budget before the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption advanced that cases of those arrested for vote buying in previous elections were still ongoing.