TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, FRIDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, FRIDAY 

1. President Buhari Sacks NIPC Boss

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the immediate termination of the appointment of Hajiya Saratu Umar as the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC).

This was made known in a statement issued on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity), Femi Adesina.

He said in a directive to the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, the President mandated the most senior Director in the Commission to immediately take over in the interim.

Buhari had on July 5, 2022, approved the appointment of Hajiya Saratu Umar into the position for a fresh term of five years.

She was first appointed to the position in July, 2014.

2. LP Crisis: Police Take Over Secretariat As NWC Appoints Acting Chairman

Police operatives have taken over the National Headquarters of the Labour Party (LP) located in the Utako district near the federal capital territory office.

This is coming hours after thugs attacked the National Secretariat of the party on Thursday.

The incident was confirmed by the National Chairman of the Party (LP), Julius Abure.

He claimed that the thugs destroyed doors and windows, prompting workers to flee for safety.

Meanwhile, the seven members of the National Working Committee of the Party has allegedly announced the National Vice-Chairman (South), Lamidi Bashir Apapa, as the acting chairman of the party.

Recall that a court order had restrained Abure and three others from parading themselves as national officers of the Labour Party.

Apapa speaking at the National Secretariat of the party before the was taken over by the police said the NWC members acted on the judgement of the Federal Capital Territory High Court which restrained Abure from parading himself as the National Chairman of the LP.

3. APC Expels Chime, Okechuwu, Others, Suspends Nnamani, Onyeama

The Enugu State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expelled some of its chieftains and suspended others over alleged anti-party activities and other infractions.

In a statement of Thursday, the State Secretary of the party, Robert Ngwu, said former Governor Sullivan Chime, the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu, and a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Eugene Odo, have been expelled from the party.

Ngwu added that other party stalwarts expelled from the party for allegedly supporting candidates of opposition parties in the 2023 elections are Flavour Eze, Joe Mmamel and Maduka Arum.

Similarly, Ngwu said the party has suspended former Senate President, Senator Ken Nnamani, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama over alleged disobedience to the state leadership of the party.

The party scribe said a report was presented to a disciplinary committee set up by the State Working Committee, and was ratified by an enlarged State Executive Committee meeting which upheld the disciplinary actions.

4. Nigerian Military Declares Position On Interim National Government

The Nigerian Military has rejected the calls for an Interim National Government in Nigeria, describing the move as unfortunate.

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The Military also described those championing the calls for an interim government as mischievous, adding that the calls were unconstitutional.

The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami made the position of the military known on Thursday in Abuja while fielding questions from newsmen after the bi-weekly press briefing update on the activities of Armed Forces of Nigeria operations between March 23 and April 6, 2023.

He said just as the presidency has made it clear that there is no provision for an interim government, the military also reiterates that it won’t support calls for an interim government because it is against the constitution.

5. Stop Crying Over Your Loss Of Investment On Peter Obi — Lai Mohammed Replies Afenifere

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has berated the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, over its response to his comment on the presidential candidate of the Labor Party (LP), Peter Obi.

Recall that the Ayo Adebanjo-led Afenifere had berated the minister for accusing Obi, and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, of inciting people to violence over the outcome of the February 25 presidential election.

But in an interview with newsmen on Thursday in Washington, United States of America, Mohammed said Afenifere is pained that its preferred candidate lost in the election.

The minister added that the attack on him by the organization was borne out of frustration and anger at the loss of their investment in Obi’s candidacy.

Mohammed stated that Afenifere had lost its reputation and relevance as the voice of the South-West because of its style of politics.

6. I’m Still Labour Party National Chairman – Abure

The suspended National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, has said he is still in charge of the party.

The Deputy National Chairman of the party (South), Lamidi Apapa, on Thursday, led some other members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) to take over the party leadership.

Speaking during an emergency meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), Apapa maintained that his action is in compliance with a recent court order which sacked Abure as the LP National Chairman

While declaring himself as the Acting National Chairman, Apapa added that Saleh Lawan is the Acting National Secretary of the party.

But in a statement on Thursday, Abure dismissed the take over of the party leadership as “illegitimate”, adding that the move is a ploy by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to destabilise the party.

Abure also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to call the ruling party to order and also rein them in from using unorthodox means to suffocate political structures in Nigeria.

7. What El-Rufai Said To Wike For Supporting Tinubu

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has applauded his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike for the role he played in the victory of the president-elect, Bola Tinubu.

El-Rufai appreciated Wike for supporting power rotation to Southern Nigeria despite being in a different political party.

The Kaduna State governor on Thursday at the commissioning of the Eneka-Igbo Etche Link Road in the Obio-Akpo Local Government Area of Rivers State said the people of the state voted “quality over political sentiments.

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He said “I want to, on behalf of our presidential candidate and our party, thank you and the good people of Rivers State for making the right choice of voting for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It is the first time since the Fourth Republic started in 1999 that the PDP was unable to get 25% in Rivers State. It shows that the people of Rivers State can differentiate and they know when to vote for quality and they voted for quality over political sentiments. We want to thank you for providing that leadership, Governor Wike.”

8. NASS Leadership: APC Vice-Chairman, Lukman Reveals What Aspirants Are Using To ‘Bribe’ APC NWC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman (Northwest), Salihu Lukman on Thursday claimed that some aspirants contesting for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly have resorted to bribing.

Lukman alleged that the aspirants are bribing members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

He further stated that the likes of rice, sugar and several other things are being used for bribery.

Lukman raised this alarm in a brief chat on Thursday in Abuja.

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Senators, who are eyeing top leadership slots in the Red chamber of the National Assembly, have intensified efforts lobbying, and cajoling, lawmakers, members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and other stakeholders.

9. Obasanjo Makes Demands From Incoming Government

A Former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday made demands from the incoming government in the country.

The elder statesman charged the administration to work to facilitate national moral rearmament and reconciliation.

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Obasanjo stated this in reaction to how voting of preferred candidates turned out during the just concluded general elections.

He noted that working to achieve moral rearmament would bring about healing and assuage Nigerian youths.

The former president further stated that the youths are angered by the shortcomings of the elections.

Obasanjo stated this while delivering his speech at a Conference in Abuja, organized by Nextier and the Ibadan School of Governance and Public Policy themed, “From Elections to Governance and Performance”.

He added that governance in Nigeria now required thinking outside the box, to rescue the nation, in terms of its plunging economy and huge national debt burden.

10. House Of Reps Speaker: I Took Bullets For My Party, Defended Tinubu, It Is Time For My Reward – Kalu

The spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu has highlighted why he deserves to be the next Speaker of the House in the 10th National Assembly.

Kalu gave the reasons on Wednesday while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja as he officially declared interest in becoming the speaker of the 10th assembly.

Clarifying speculations about his interest in the top political seat, the Abia State lawmaker said the speculations are true.

Speaking further, Kalu highlighted that he has made a lot of sacrifices for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the president-elect, Bola Tinubu therefore he deserves to be rewarded with the Speakership seat.

He added that no lawmaker from the southeast has been a speaker in four decades so it is time for the region to occupy that position.

The Reps spokesperson also cautioned governors against imposing their choice on the lawmakers, but rather allow the legislators to pick a competent person.