TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY,  SATURDAY 

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TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY,  SATURDAY 

That Insecurity May Not Postpone 2023 Elections

As Nigeria marches towards the February 25 and March 11 general election, the mixed messages coming from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are the last distraction the electorate needs at the moment. Nigerians were perplexed when the Board Chairman of INEC’s training arm, the Electoral Institute (TEI), Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, warned that the growing insecurity and attacks on the commission’s facilities, if not curbed, could cause the cancellation or postponement of the elections. Such a panicky statement goes a long way in feeding the fantasy of merchants of violence, making them believe they indeed have the capacity to thwart Nigeria’s democracy.

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“If the insecurity is not monitored and dealt with decisively, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder the declaration of elections results and precipitate a constitutional crisis”. These strong words were delivered by Zulu while representing the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu at the validation of election security training resources in Abuja on Monday. It instantly provoked nationwide outrage and apprehension since they were uttered on the authority of the Commission’s boss. Again, Zuru didn’t speak extemporaneously but read from a prepared speech that would ordinarily have been endorsed by his principal.

A forceful pushback of the sentiment expressed by the INEC official barely 44 days before the conduct of the 2023 polls came from members of the House of Reps, Afenifere, civil society, and other critical stakeholders. Against the backdrop of the vigilance by these Nigerians who will not allow the alarming statement to slide, the Federal Government and Yakubu himself came out with assurances that the elections will hold as scheduled. According to the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, “The position of the Federal Government remains that the 2023 elections will be held as planned.

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PDP Crisis: Tension As Days To 2023 Presidential Election, Wike Refuses To Campaign For Atiku

The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has so far made good on his threat not to campaign for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar except certain conditions are met.

The Rivers Governor alongside other aggrieved Governors who are now popularly known as G5 Governors had made their stands known shortly after Atiku emerged as the PDP presidential candidate for the 2023 elections.

The G5 Governors are; Nyesom Wike (Rivers State), Seyi Makinde (Oyo State), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia State), Samuel Ortom (Benue State), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu State).

They insisted on the resignation of the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu from office and his replacement with a southerner as the only condition to support Atiku’s 2023 bid.

However, despite several meetings and entreaties on how to resolve the disagreement, Ayu has refused to step down and the Governors have also not changed their position.

On Friday, while speaking at the flag off of the construction of the Abua-Emoh-Iyak-Ighom-Elok and Emoh-Egbolom Access Road that held at Okpeden Town Junction in Abua/Odual Local Government Area, Wike again instructed the people of Rivers State to only vote for the PDP governorship and legislative candidates.

The Amount Of Money Dariye And Nyame Stole Does Not Matter, Buhari Has The Right To Pardon Them – Malami

The Attorney-General of the federation, Abubakar Malami has said that President Muhammadu Buhari reserves the right to pardon former Plateau governor, Joshua Dariye and former governor of Taraba state, Dariye and Nyame were released from the correctional facility in Kuje council area, federal capital territory (FCT), on August 8, 2022.

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The duo who were jailed for fraud got pardoned on the grounds of age and ill health. They were among the 159 inmates pardoned by President Buhari recently.

Speaking at the 18th edition of the administration’s scorecard series on Thursday, Malami argued that it was within the constitutional powers of the president to grant state pardon to convicts

He said Buhari only considered the eligibility of those pardoned and not the amount of money embezzled.

Peter Obi: Atiku And Tinubu Will Not Take Nigeria Forward, Only Their Friends Will Get Rich – Utomi

A Professor of Political economy, Pat Utomi has declared that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi is the leader Nigeria needs to move forward.

According to him, the country needs a leader with a transformational mindset and Obi fits into that expectation.

Utomi added that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar can not take Nigeria forward.

He made the submission on Friday during an interview appearance on Channels Television Sunrise Daily programme.

The Professor said Nigeria as a country is bleeding and Obi is the leader that is needed to make the bleeding stop.

DSS: ‘Why Mamman Daura, El-Rufai Are Defending CBN Gov Emefiele From Arrest’

Reports emerging on Friday, January 13, 2023, alleged why Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew, Mamman Daura, and others were deploying every means to stop the Department of State Services (DSS) from arresting Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Godwin Emefiele.

There have been a series of controversies since the DSS obtained an order to arrest Emefielfe on sight.

Two DSS officials familiar with Emefiele’s matter had confirmed that the domestic intelligence office of the secret police had deployed several officers to monitor the CBN Headquarters, Emefiele’s family residence in Lagos and the Abuja home of businessman Christopher Emefiele.

However, multiple groups, including civil society organisations, have condemned what they described as a plot to frame Emefiele for terrorism and remove him from office.

Meanwhile, in a publication earlier, the DSS swiftly warned against being used to undermine its investigations. The secret police, although, did not specifically mention Emefiele’s name.

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DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, was quoted in the statement saying the service would not be distracted by those seeking to use “propaganda” to undermine its lawful investigations.

In a fresh report on Friday (today), SaharaReporters quoted some sources reportedly in the know as saying that monarchs; Obas and Emirs have been lobbied and deployed to beg on behalf of Emefiele and convince the President and Director-General of the DSS of the need to let the CBN Governor be.

If Not For Buhari, Nigeria May Have Been Wiped Off By Now – Adesina

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the success achieved so far in the fight against insurgency and banditry in the country.

Adesina, in an article titled FROM N’EAST WITH GOOD TIDINGS released on his Facebook page on Friday, opined that Nigeria may have been wiped off the face of the earth by now if Buhari had not become the President in 2015.

The presidential spokesman described his principal as the savior who kept Nigeria together in the face of worsening insecurity, saying that the people of North East now have good stories to tell about how terrorists have been defeated.

Adesina asserted that President Buhari led the charge against Boko Haram terrorists and pushed them back, till they are now almost totally eliminated.

Atiku Returns To Nigeria After Meeting With UK Officials

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has returned to the country on Friday morning after being away for nearly two weeks.

Atiku was received at the Nnamdi Azikwe Airport in Abuja by some PDP leaders and supporters, who welcomed the former Vice President with singing and dancing.

It is understood that the PDP flagbearer returned to the country for the continuation of his presidential campaign rallies billed for Lokoja, the Kogi state capital on Saturday.

The former vice president was accompanied on the visit by Governors Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State, Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State; former Senate President, Bukola Saraki; former Governor of Kano State, Ibrahim Shekarau; embattled PDP chieftain, Raymond Dokpesi; and House Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu.

Others are the Director of Public Affairs of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Senator Dino Melaye; former presidential aspirant, Isa Hayatudeen; former Presidential aide, Reno Omokri, and Timi Frank, among others.

Former Minister And PDP BoT Member Dump Party

A former federal Minister of Health, Professor A.B.C. Nwosu has announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its Board of Trustees (BOT).

The former minister disclosed that his decision to leave the main opposition party takes effect from Thursday, January 12.

The former PDP BoT member made this known in a letter of resignation addressed to the National Chairman of PDP, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, dated January 12, 2023, of which the party acknowledged the receipt of his resignation letter.

Nwosu, who was a founding member of the party and played significant roles in the affairs of the party at the National and Zonal levels, cited non adherence to the principle of rotation by PDP as his reason.

Soaked Sliced Bread’: ‘Tinubu Hatred For Igbos Taken Too Far, APC Dislikes South-East Region’

A coalition of pan-Igbo sociopolitical pressure organisations, the South East Revival Group (SERG) has described the “soaked sliced bread” statement made by the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as taking deep-seated hatred for the Igbos too far.

Tinubu, while speaking at the APC campaign rally in Enugu, had urged the South East region to “work hard, sweat for this party until they deliver victory for him”, adding, “But nobody will give you any credit, you are working hard, you’re sweating now. We want you to sweat well now for this party until you deliver victory.

Until Bola Tinubu becomes the president of Nigeria, we will not give you but a soaked sliced bread.”

Reacting to the comments made by the APC presidential candidate, the SERG in a statement on Thursday signed by its President and National Coordinator, Chief Willy Ezugwu, said Tinubu’s statement is beyond a mere insult as some would be made to believe.

He said “the insinuation that Igbos will languish in longer marginalization unless Tinubu becomes President is an acknowledgment that he APC deliberately schemed the South East region since 2015.

“Tinubu’s comments represent refreshed version of President Muhammadu Buhari’s comment that he would not treat the South East equally with the Northern region that voted for him.”

The group claimed that these comments by the APC presidential candidate was an expression of the party’s disdain for the South East region.

US President, Biden Investigated Over Classified Documents

The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden is currently being investigated on how he handled some classified documents.

The US Attorney-General on Thursday named an independent prosecutor to investigate Biden after an unrest over secret papers found at his former office exploded with the discovery of a second batch.

The White House said the documents from Biden’s time as Vice President was uncovered in the garage of his home in Wilmington, Delaware, where he often spends weekends.

The Attorney-General, Merrick Garland disclosed that an appointee of Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, Robert Hur would be empowered to examine whether the cache violated any law.

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Garland who runs the Justice Department said, “Under the regulations, the extraordinary circumstances here require the appointment of a special counsel.”

The appointment came hours after the White House acknowledged the second batch of papers.

The White House, however, did not reveal the content of the documents, following the first set found at a Washington think tank where Biden had an office.

Republicans in Congress accusing the White House of a cover-up over the affair, have declared their intention to investigate the issue.

The disclosures have prompted comparisons to the special counsel investigation of Trump’s hoarding of hundreds of classified materials at his Florida beachfront home and his alleged obstruction of government efforts to get them back

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