TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY TUESDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY TUESDAY 

1. ‘Leaders Don’t Have The Luxury Of Toying With Prejudice’ – Osinbajo Opens Up On 2023 Election

The Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has warned leaders including those in public offices against all forms of prejudice.

According to Osinbajo, leaders don’t have the luxury of toying with prejudice.

He made the submission as part of his first comments about the 2023 general elections as quoted by his senior special assistant on media and publicity, Laolu Akande.

Akande in a Twitter post on Monday said the Vice President made the submission while speaking at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), in Kuru, Plateau State.

The aide quoted Osinbajo to have said weaponization of ethnic, religious and sectional prejudices were witnessed in the 2023 election which ought not to be so.

2. Adamawa REC Did The Same Thing INEC Chairman Did During 2023 Presidential Election – Atiku’s Camp

The Special Assistant to Atiku Abubakar on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu has accused the Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hudu Yunusa-Ari of playing the same script the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu played during the 2023 presidential election.

Shaibu in a statement on Monday said the activities of INEC can simply be described as that of ‘Ali Baba and the 40 thieves’.

According to him, Yakubu connived with some others to announce Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria when it was clear the election was filled with many irregularities.

He added that Yunusa-Ari simply followed in the footsteps of the INEC chairman, Yakubu with what transpired on Sunday in the Adamawa State governorship election on Sunday.

Yunusa-Ari had on Sunday announced Senator Aishatu Binani, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election even while the results were still being collated.

It took the intervention of the INEC headquarters to suspend the collation of results and denounce the results announced by the REC.

Reacting to the development, Shaibu said the national leadership of INEC could not pretend to be unaware of the many allegations hanging on the neck of the Adamawa REC.

Atiku’s aide also added that the suspension of the Adamawa REC without his arrest and prosecution was merely a slap in the wrist.

3. INEC Suspends Adamawa REC, Yunusa-Ari

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State for Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari has been suspended.

The electoral body suspended Yunusa-Ari following the illegal declaration of the Governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Aisha Binani as Governor-elect.

Yunusa-Ari made the declaration on Sunday when the collation of results from the supplementary election held on Saturday had not ended.

The Commissioner, however, in a statement released on its official Twitter account on Sunday nullified the declaration of Binani as the governor-elect in Adamawa State.

The collation of results in the state was also suspended till further notice.

INEC in a letter dated April 17, 2022, and signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony asked the REC to stay away from the office of the commission in Yola, Adamawa state.

The electoral body directed the Administrative Secretary in the state to take charge of its affairs.

4. Kogi APC Gov Primary: ‘There Was No Election, Results Formulated’ – Smart Adeyemi

The Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Smart Adeyemi has condemned the governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State.

Adeyemi while speaking on Arise TV on Monday described the outcome of the primary as a rape of democracy.

According to Adeyemi, election was not held, but results were manipulated to favour the anointed governorship aspirant in the party.

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Recall that a former Auditor-General for Local Governments in Kogi State, Ahmed Usman Ododo emerged as the flagbearer of the APC in the state.

5. NAFDAC Approves Malaria Vaccine For Use In Nigeria

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved R21 malaria vaccine for provisional use.

Speaking during a briefing in Abuja on Monday, the Director-General of the NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, noted that the R21 Malaria vaccine dossier complies substantially with the best international standards, which made the Joint Review Committee conclude that the data on the R21 Malaria vaccines were robust and met criteria for efficacy, safety, and quality.

The NAFDAC boss stated that while the review committee recognised that the vaccine is 75 percent effective in protecting against malaria, it also adjudged that the vaccine’s known and potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks, thereby supporting the manufacturer’s recommended use.

According to her, the provisional approval of the R21 malaria vaccine makes Nigeria the second country in the world to approve its use after Ghana.

While stating that the country expects to get at least 100,000 doses of the vaccine in donations soon before the market authorization will start making other arrangements with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), NAFDAC disclosed that the vaccine is indicated for prevention of clinical malaria in children from 5 months to 36 months of age.

6. Embattled LP Chairman, Abure Resumes At Party’s Secretariat Amid Tight Security

The embattled national chairman of the Labour Party, Julius Abure on Monday resumed at the National Secretariat of the party amid tight security.

Abure is expected to meet with the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero and his team, who arrived at the secretariat as well.

Abure on Monday arrived at the national secretariat of the party at about 12:41 pm.

According to Daily Trust, there is tight security at the secretariat.

On Monday, immediately after Abure entered, the security operatives attached to him and those manning the place quickly locked the main gate of the party’s building.

7. Binani Vs Fintiri : Why INEC Can’t Nullify Announced Results – Senator Abbo

Senator representing the Adamawa North Senatorial District, Ishaku Abbo, has stated that the Electoral Act as amended in 2022 inhibits the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) from declaring the collation of results in Adamawa state null and void.

Senator Abbo while speaking on Channels Television, on Monday, maintained the electoral body’s proclamation was insignificant as backed by the electoral act.

Recall, the electoral umpire on Sunday through its National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye said the declaring of Aisha Binani, winner of the Adamawa State gubernatorial election was null, void, and of no effect.”

The Senator also insisted that it was futile to challenge an already announced result while accusing the opposition party in the state of electoral infractions.

8. Adamawa: INEC Giving Victory To Highest Bidders, Acting The Script Of Nigeria’s Enemies – CNPP

The Conference Of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of intentionally acting to frustrate Nigeria’s deepening democracy.

The allegation was made in a statement on Monday by the CNPP Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu.

Speaking against the background of the controversy surrounding the Adamawa State governorship election, the CNPP said that “in saner clime, all the INEC and non-INEC officials fingered in the viral allegation of bribery and falsification of election results in Adamawa State should be in jail.”

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The statement also accused INEC of working against the only legacy President Muhammadu Buhari may have intended to leave after signing into law the amended Electoral Act 2022, which cleared the coast for the deployment of technology in Nigeria’s elections.

Ezugwu said INEC is acting the script of some selfish political elites who are enemies of the country.

He added in the statement that what transpired in Adamawa over the weekend is a continuation of the sham presidential election conducted by INEC earlier in February and the governorship edition in many states of the federation.

The CNPP alleged that INEC is not conducting free and fair elections but only allocating results to the highest bidder.

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9. Passengers Stranded As Aviation Workers Begin 2-day Strike

Aviation unions on Monday embarked on a two-day warning strike to protest the unpalatable working conditions and entitlements of their workers.

The unions involved are the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), the Air Transport Services Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (ATSSSAN), and the Association of Nigeria Aviation Professionals (ANAP).

Others are the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers (NAAPE), and the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation Civil Service Technical and Recreation Services Employees.

In a memo signed on Friday, the five unions said an indefinite strike would commence if the government failed to address the approval and implementation of the Condition of Service (CoS), the new salary structure for the workers, and the planned demolition of the offices of the aviation agencies.

However, on Monday, vehicular movements were totally grounded as the aviation unions blocked all entrances leading to the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos.

Also, many passengers who arrived at the airport to catch their flights to various destinations were seen trekking following the blockade and the head office of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) was locked.

10. PDP Suspends Atiku’s Ally, Sekibo, Others Over Anti-party Activities

The executives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ward 2 of Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of Rivers have suspended the Senator representing the South East Senatorial District, George Thompson Sekibo, of the state for alleged anti-party activities.

The Chairman of PDP Ward 2 Ogu-Bolo LGA, Alatoru Sydney, and Secretary of the council, Joshua Tamuno, made the suspension known in a statement on Sunday.

The statement said Sekibo, an ally of PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, alongside Navy Capt. Victor Erasmus, Hon Gilbert Enos, Sunny Asetubobe, and Eugene Enos, have been suspended from the party.

It added that the decision to suspend the PDP chieftains was reached in an executive meeting where a review of the recent presidential and national assembly elections as well as the governorship and State House of Assembly Elections were carried out.