TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY THURSDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY THURSDAY 

1. Why President Buhari Did Not Intervene In Adamawa Election Drama – FG

The Federal Government (FG) on Wednesday revealed why President Muhammadu Buhari did not intervene in the controversy around the governorship election in Adamawa State.

According to FG, the President did not intervene because the issue was what the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) could handle.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, disclosed this while addressing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, (FEC) meeting.

Mohammed further stated that the 2023 general elections in Nigeria were the most transparent and rancour-free elections.

The minister claimed that this is because of the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS).

He further stated that President Buhari did not use security to rig elections in favour of the ruling party.

Speaking on President Buhari not acting on the alleged misconduct of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, who announced the All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship candidate, Aisha Binani as the governor-elect while collations were ongoing, Mohammed said INEC Chairman could handle the issue.

2. Eid-el-Fitr: FG Declares Friday, Monday As Public Holidays

The federal government of Nigeria has announced Friday, April 21, and Monday, April 24 as public holidays to mark this year’s EIdil-Fitr Celebration.

The declaration was made in a statement on Wednesday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr Shuaib Belgore on behalf of the Minister, Rauf Aregbesola.

The Minister in the statement congratulated all Muslims for the successful completion of the holy month of Ramadan.

He called on them to imbibe and practice the virtues of kindness, love, tolerance, peace, self-denial, sacrifice and good neighborliness, as exemplified by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him).

3. Tinubu Speaks On Adamawa Controversial Election, Gives Police Directives

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu on Wednesday reacted to the controversy around the governorship election in Adamawa State.

Tinubu in his reaction to the supplementary election charged the police to investigate the controversy that trailed the governorship election.

Tinubu also advised aggrieved candidates to pursue legitimate means of addressing their grievances.

The President-elect issued this advice in a statement released on Wednesday and personally signed by him.

Tinubu also congratulated winners of the supplementary governorship elections held in Kebbi and Adamawa States on Saturday.

4. Lawmakers Angry As Malami, Emefiele, Others Shun House Of Reps Committee On Illegal Sale Of Crude Oil

Members of the House of Representatives ad-hoc committee investigating the alleged loss of 2.4 billion dollars from the illegal sale of 48 million barrels of crude were left angry on Wednesday after federal government officials failed to honour their invitation.

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The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele were all summoned to appear before the committee but failed to honour the invitation.

The committee chairman, Mark Gbillah who expressed disappointment with the development on Wednesday pointed out that the invited officials also failed to honour last week’s invitation of the committee or respond to any correspondence from the committee as well.

The committee vowed to take more stringent actions if the government officials failed to honour the next invitation extended to them.

The top government officials are expected to appear before the committee to explain the inflows from recoveries from whistleblowers.

5. Trouble For Adamu As APC Vice Chairman Gives Him Ultimatum On Financial Report, Meeting

The National Vice Chairman (Northwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman on Wednesday issued a one-week ultimatum to the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, to tender a financial account of the National Working Committee (NWC).

Lukman also charged Adamu to convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) or risk a lawsuit.

The APC Vice Chairman in an open letter addressed to Adamu and titled ‘Restoring Constitutional Order in APC, Not Negotiable’, recalled how he had earlier written formally to the party chairman, outlining several constitutional demands.

He noted that the demands had not been met nor acknowledged. Lukman said he had on April 5 formally written Adamu on the subject, ‘Restoring Constitutional Order in APC: Demands’.

6. Buhari Returns To Abuja After Eight-day Trip To Saudi Arabia

President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja after an eight-day official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where he also performed the Umrah (Lesser Hajj).

Buhari was received at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport in Abuja by some security agencies, government officials, and presidential aides.

It was learned that the Nigerian leader had departed Saudi Arabia via King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the early hours of Wednesday.

Saudi government officials, traditional and spiritual leaders from Nigeria, as well as some senior staff of the Nigerian Embassy in the Kingdom, were at the airport to bid farewell to the president.

The president had successfully performed Umrah rituals amid tight security upon his arrival at the Grand Mosque in Makkah from Madinah on Thursday morning.

Buhari, alongside members of his entourage as well as some traditional and religious leaders from the six geopolitical zones of the country, had been led by a delegation from the General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque in the performance of the rituals.

7. FG Orders Immigration Boss, Isah Jere To Proceed On Retirement

The federal government through the governing board of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has directed the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isah Jere, to proceed on retirement.

The directive was contained in a letter dated April 17, 2023 with code number CDCFIB/APPT.CG&DCG/61/VOL.IV/74, which was signed by the Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board Secretary, Obasi Edmond, on the orders of the Board chairman and Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola.

Jere in the letter was directed to hand over to the most senior Officer Deputy Comptroller General on or before Monday 24th April 2023 pending the appointment of a new Comptroller General by President Muhammadu Buhari.

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8. Buhari Reacts To Court Judgement On Ararume

President Muhammadu Buhari has reacted to the judgement of a Federal High Court, Abuja, restoring Ifeanyi Ararume as the non-executive Chairman of Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

In a judgement on Tuesday, Justice Inyang Edem Ekwo voided Ararume’s sack and declared that the action of the President was arbitrary, unlawful and illegal.

The presiding judge also awarded N5 billion against Buhari and the NNPCL and ordered that the money to be paid to Ararume as damages for the wrongful sack and disruption of his appointment.

Justice Ekwo also ordered that Ararume be immediately restored to office as a non-Executive Chairman of the NNPCL, and declared as null and void all decisions of the Board of Directors of the NNPCL carried out in the absence of Ararume.

The judge held that Buhari acted ultra vires, wrongful, illegal, null and void in the ways and manners Ararume was sacked after using his name to register NNPCL and that such a brazen act cannot stand in the face of the law.

However, reacting to the court’s verdict on Wednesday, the president said he has taken due notice of the judgment by the court.

President Buhari in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina noted that the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation /Minister for Justice is yet to receive a formal copy of the ruling.

Buhari, in the statement, remarked that he has affirmed that due judicial process will be followed, even though the NNPCL has already taken steps to go on appeal.

9. Why I Linked Peter Obi With Treason – Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed on Wednesday revealed why he accused the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi of treason.

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According to Mohammed, he accused Obi of treason because he did not rebuke his running mate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, for saying that if the President-elect, Bola Tinubu is sworn in on May 29, it would be the end of democracy in the country.

The minister said the failure of Obi to correct his running mate means that Baba-Ahmed said the mind of Obi.

Mohammed stated this while addressing state house correspondents on Wednesday after the FEC meeting.

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10. You’re An Attention Seeker – Dino Melaye Fires Wike

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Kogi governorship election, Dino Melaye, has described Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as an attention seeker.

Speaking during an interview on Arise News on Wednesday, Melaye said Wike has granted live media chat more than any other public officer in the world.

The former Kogi West Senator claimed that the Rivers governor likes attention because he wants to be talked about in the news at all times.

These comments come a week after Wike stated during a media chat that Melaye lacked what it takes to become Governor of Kogi State.

Reacting, Melaye said Wike is angry with him because he was unable to secure the party’s presidential ticket and refusal of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to pick him as his running mate.