TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY FRIDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY FRIDAY 

1. Buhari Reveals Reason Atiku, Peter Obi, Others Lost 2023 Presidential Election

President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, said the opposition candidates lost the 2023 presidential election because they were overconfident which created problems for them.

Buhari stated this at the State House when he received the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF) led by its Chairman, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State.

In a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, the President said the All Progressives Congress (APC) worked hard to retain power and also blended confidence with caution.

Buhari said the opposition candidates were already telling their foreign backers that they would defeat the APC, but now finding it hard to convince their sponsors why they are unable to win the presidential election.

2. FG Makes U-Turn On Removal Of Petrol Subsidy, Gives Reason

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has revoked the plan to remove subsidy from Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol by June 2023.

The federal government had severally announced the plan to end subsidy on fuel this year so as to increase its revenue.

However, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, disclosed on Thursday that the National Executive Council (NEC), which comprises State Governors deliberated on the issue extensively and came to the conclusion that it will not be wise to remove subsidy as soon as the new administration is trying to settle down to governance.

Ahmed made this known shortly after today’s NEC meeting chaired by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

She also noted that the existing committee that has been discussing the fuel subsidy issue needed to be expanded to enable more input from concerned Nigerians.

3. APC Crisis Deepens As Vice Chairman, Lukman Drags Adamu, Omisore To Court Over NEC Meeting, Writes Buhari

The National Vice Chairman (Northwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman on Thursday dragged the National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu and National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore before a court over their refusal to convene a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

Lukman in a letter addressed to President Muhammadu Buhari explained why he dragged the duo to court.

According to Lukman, he had no option as they failed to heed his call to be guided by the party’s constitution.

The letter was addressed to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) through its chairman, Governor Atiku Bagudu, and Members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

Lukman who charged President Buhari to view the April 5 letter he (Lukman) wrote to Adamu, said he made nine demands seeking immediate compliance with the provisions of the party’s constitution bordering on accountability.

4. Buhari Was Not Aware Of Many Promises Made To Nigerians In 2015 – Femi Adesina

The special adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina on Thursday said his principal has no knowledge of many political promises made to Nigerians in 2015.

The presidential media aide submitted that many campaign promises were flying around in 2015 and many of them didn’t officially originate from Buhari who was then a candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on Thursday during an appearance on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily, Adesina stated that there were a lot of rash promises from some support groups that were being passed off as party manifestos but were not official documents or utterances.

He added that when he resumed as a media aide and asked the President about some of them, Buhari told him he knew nothing about them.

5. “Undue, Unlawful And Invalid” – Atiku Tells Tribunal Why Tinubu Can’t Be President Of Nigeria

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has advanced reasons why Asiwaju Bola Tinubu should not have been declared as the President-elect of Nigeria.

Tinubu who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared as the winner of the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

However, Tinubu’s victory is been challenged in court by Atiku.

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According to a response to Tinubu’s preliminary objection filed before the presidential election petition court in Abuja, Atiku claims among other things that the dual citizenship possed by Tinubu disqualifies him from contesting the presidential election.

Recall that Tinubu’s reported citizenship of Guinea which surfaced after the election has been a trending topic on both social and conventional media.

A Guinean ambassador to African Union (AU) for Agenda 2063, Ousmane Yara later clarified that the former president of Guinea, Alpha Conde recognized Tinubu as a special envoy.

Notwithstanding, Atiku in the response filed by his lawyer, Chris Uche maintained that Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the 2023 presidential election was “undue, unlawful and invalid” because he did not meet the constitutional requirements.

The PDP flag bearer further argued that Tinubu didn’t disclose facts of his constitutional qualifications in his Form EC9 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

6. Details Of Tinubu’s Meeting With APC Governors Emerge

The details of the meeting between the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have emerged.

Tinubu had received the governors under the auspices of the Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), at the Defence House in Abuja.

Addressing the governors, Tinubu urged them as stakeholders of the party to join hands with the party leadership and the National Assembly on the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.

The president-elect also appealed to the governors to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party.

He, however, promised to carry everyone along in the incoming administration, saying that “whether you return or not, this is our government.

7. FG Files Nine Fresh Grounds To Oppose Nnamdi Kanu’s Release

President Muhammadu Buhari-led government has filed nine fresh grounds of appeal before the Supreme Court to oppose the release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu from detention.

The Supreme Court on Thursday granted the request of the Federal Government to include the fresh grounds in its amended notice of appeal dated October 28, 2022.

The ruling followed an application that was moved by a government lawyer, Tijani Gadzali, SAN, who equally sought an adjournment to respond to Kanu’s request to be transferred from the detention facility of the DSS to the Kuje Correctional Center.

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Gazzali, SAN, told the court that he would need time to file a counter-affidavit to oppose Kanu’s request.

A five-member panel of the apex court led by Justice Inyang Okoro adjourned the case till May 11 for a definite hearing.

8. 10th NASS: Tinubu’s Preferred Zone For Senate President Revealed As More Details Of Meeting With APC Leadership Emerge

The President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu is reported to have told the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he prefers that the Senate President seat for the 10th National Assembly be zoned to the south rather than micro zoning it to the south south.

This was said to be part of the discussions on Wednesday between Tinubu, APC leaders, and some National Assembly members over the zoning of the leadership of the incoming 10th National Assembly.

It was gathered that some members of the APC leadership and three South West senators urged that the Senate Presidency be zoned to the South-South but Tinubu outrightly rejected the request.

According to sources quoted by The Sun, the President-elect argued that it was wrong to propose zoning the post of Senate President to South-South only as he said leaving it open to the entire South will give all the qualified aspirants from South East and South-South to go into a fair contest just like APC delegates picked the presidential candidate of the party prior to the election without micro zoning.

Tinubu was said to have told participants at the meeting that in the interest of fairness, equity, religious and regional balancing the southern region, and not just the south south should be allowed to contest for the Senate President seat.

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9. APC National Chairman, Adamu Speaks On Tinubu’s Health

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, on Thursday, said the President-elect, Bola Tinubu is hale and hearty.

According to Adamu, Tinubu took time off because of the rigours of the campaigns of the 2023 presidential election.

Adamu said Tinubu is ready to work, upon his return to Nigeria from Paris, France.

The APC National Chairman also pleaded with Nigerians not to withdraw their support for President Muhammadu Buhari when he leaves office on May 29 after the inauguration of Tinubu.

He stated this when members of a pro-democracy group under the auspices of the Natives paid him a thank-you solidarity visit at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Thursday.

10. Security Has Improved Under Buhari’s Government – Presidency

The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina on Thursday claimed that security in Nigeria has improved under Buhari’s administration.

According to Adesina, Nigeria’s Armed Forces moved from seventh to fourth place rating in Africa.

Speaking on Channels TV on Thursday, Adesina said insecurity would have run over Nigeria if not for the intervention of President Buhari.

He said, “In 2014, Nigeria’s armed forces were rated seventh in Africa regarding combat readiness and equipment. Today, we are fourth because the President had spent a lot in equipping the military, training and moral boosting. Our efforts were windless as, in 2015, the country had four or five serviceable aircraft. Do you know how many scores we have today, including Super Tucano and other sophisticated aircraft?

“In terms of arming the military, this administration has done well because if it did not, by now, Nigeria would have been overrun by so many insecurity challenges, banditry, insurgency and terrorism.