Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 4th November 2022

According to the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, the schedule of activities of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, is a working draft that is subject to changes.

Keyamo made this known in a chat with The Punch on Thursday after he released a revised timetable hours after the original schedule was released.

Truetells Nigeria reports that hours after the original timetable was released this morning, the spokesman of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) released an amended schedule of activities and timetable.

Speaking on the reason the timetable was amended again, Keyamo stated that the schedule of events and dates was a working draft, which is still subject to further adjustment.

The PCC spokesman stated Tinubu is expected to officially kick off his campaign rally in Jos, Plateau State capital on November 15 as earlier reported by Naija News.

2. Osinbajo, Aregbesola Missing As Sanwo-Olu Chairs Lagos APC Campaign Council

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola are conspicuously missing in the list of the Campaign Council for the 2023 Presidential and Governorship elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State.

Truetells Nigeria reports that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was appointed the Chairman of the campaign council while Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon was named as the Director-General.

The State Chairman of the ruling party, Pastor Cornelius Ojelabi, made this known during the inauguration of the council at the party’s secretariat in Lagos on Thursday.

Ojelabi also disclosed that he was named as the Deputy Chairman of the council, while the Deputy Governor of the state, Obafemi Hamzat, was appointed as the Vice-Chairman.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, among others were the other notable members of the council.

Speaking at the event, Ojelabi said this is the first time the state is presenting a presidential candidate not as opposition but as a ruling party.

3. Afenifere: Fasoranti Clears The Air, Says Adebanjo Still Acting Leader

Following Chief Ayo Adebanjo’s reaction to speculations of his removal as the acting leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, the group’s leader Pa Reuben Fasoranti has cleared the air that Adebanjo is still the acting leader.

According to Fasoranti, reports circulating in the media are misinterpretations of the issue between himself and the acting leader of the group, Adebanjo.

Truetells Nigeria reports that Fasoranti in a statement issued today, Thursday through his Personal Assistant, Adedapo Abiola, said he never stopped Adebanjo from being the acting leader of the group.

His reaction follows speculations of some members of the group that the declaration of Fasoranti to move the leadership meeting of Afenifere back to his Akure residence (which he also denied) indicates the removal of Adebanjo.

The conflict between the two leaders of the group was because Fasoranti last Sunday endorsed the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, while Adebanjo had earlier declared support for the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, on behalf of the association.

Fasoranti said some section of the media’s report was untrue on the matter

4. Nnamdi Kanu Appeals Judgement In Supreme Court

The Indigenous People of Biafra ( IPOB) has today confirmed that its leader Nnamdi Kanu has appealed the judgement of the Court of Appeal staying the execution of its earlier judgment discharging him.

According to the IPOB‘s lead lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, Kanu’s decision to approach the Supreme Court resulted from a detailed review of the ruling by the team lead Chief Mike Ozekhome (SAN).

Truetells Nigeria reports that Ejiofor in a statement explained that,“We have appealed to the Supreme Court to set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal staying the execution of the court’s judgment discharging and placing further bar to any further detention and prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu on any charge/indictment before any court in Nigeria.

“Recall that on October 28, 2022, a three-man panel of Learned Justices of the Court of Appeal (Abuja Judicial Division) granted an application for the stay of execution of the judgment of the Court of Appeal, pending the determination of the Appeal filed before the Supreme Court by the Federal Government.

5. If I Win The Election, I Will Sell All The National Oil Refineries To Investors – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has said that if he becomes president, he will sell all Nigerian oil refineries to businessmen.

Atiku stated this during a special interview with the Voice of America during a visit to Washington.

“My position on this is not something new; I already said years ago I will sell them,” Atiku said in an interview with the head of VOA’s Hausa Department, Aliyu Mustapha Sokoto.

Regarding the problem of oil theft in southern Nigeria, Atiku, who held the position of vice president between 1999-2007, he would use his power as a president to deal with the problem.

“This is a different problem, we need to figure out how we can use government influence to stop it because there is a real cooperation from the NNPC workers and the security agencies that have been given the right to look after the roads or Oil pipelines are being laid.”

Nigeria has four oil refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Fatakwal, which are not working properly because they need repairs.

6. Fuel Subsidy An Organised Crime – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has described petrol subsidy as an organized crime, saying he would not allow any form of criminality as president of Nigeria.

Speaking in an interview with Trust TV, the presidential candidate stated that fuel subsidy only benefits the rich.

His words: “The amount of fuel they say we consume cannot be consumed by this country, there is empirical evidence. We are about the same size as Pakistan, we are about 210, 220, Pakistan is about the same size, they have more growth.

“We probably have the same number of vehicles or they have even more but yet, their fuel consumption is a third of ours, so who is drinking the balance? That is where we will start. So we will make it more efficient.

“Subsidy benefits the rich and famous because they are the ones who have five, ten cars, people in my village, want education, they want health, so we will remove it and in removing it, you must say what you are providing and we will use some of those resources to make sure that we come up with local refineries, which are not rocket science, within a shortest possible time and show people what you are doing and you can do it, it can be done.”

7. Minister Of Education, Adamu Admits He Failed

Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, admitted he failed in his official duties as he could not deal with several challenges that drastically affected the educational system in the last few years.

Adamu, while speaking on Thursday at the 66th National Council on Education (NCE) in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja reflected on the challenges he faced as Education Minister, having occupied the office longer than any other person.

The Minister highlighted that, from out-of-school children, which has increased during his time in office, to challenges of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other challenges bedevilling the tertiary education system, he could not provide viable solutions.

Adamu, however, accused the state’s ministries of education of adding to the factors that aided his failure as a Minister.

8. Ogun PDP Dismisses Ladi Adebutu, Four Others

The crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken another dimension as the party on Thursday announced the dismissal of its former governorship aspirant, Ladi Adebutu, and four others.

Truetells Nigeria reports that the Ogun PDP noted that their dismissal from the party was because of the alleged involvement in the manipulation of the delegates’ list used in the conducting of the May 25, 2022 governorship primary election of the party and flagrant disobedience to a court order.

Adebutu’s expulsion comes after the Working Committee of the party, reviewed the report of a five-man disciplinary panel set up to look into the allegations of anti-party, indiscipline, division and acts capable of bringing the party into disrepute.

The former governorship aspirant, who has been on suspension since October 25, got expelled alongside four others Taiwo Akinlabi, Sunday Solarin, Kayode Adebayo, and Akinloye Bankole.

The chairman of the disciplinary committee, Akintunde Mufutau said in a statement: “After a thorough review of the allegation levelled against them, the panel found Adebutu and others guilty. Subsequently, they have been recommended for expulsion and same has been communicated to the necessary organs of the party for ratification.”

9. I Have Moved On, Reconciliation With Wike, Aggrieved PDP Governors Not Feasible – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has admitted that reconciliation between him and the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and other aggrieved governors elected on the platform of the opposition party is not feasible.

During an interview recently on the internal crisis rocking the PDP, Atiku said his camp has yet to come to terms with the aggrieved party chieftains and that they have since moved on.

We have left that issue aside. It is now history as we have moved on,” Atiku told the interviewer.

Truetells Nigeria reports that the former Vice President had failed to reconcile his relationship with five PDP governors ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The party chieftains had a fallout with Atiku after the presidential candidate became adamant about their demands, including having PDP’s national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, replaced with a Southerner ahead of the 2023 elections.

In his interview with VOA, Atiku maintained that he doesn’t support the removal of Ayu. The Wazirin Adamawa said it is unwise to take such a decision as the elections are approaching.

10. Peter Obi Reveals Plan For IPOB, Other Agitators

The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has said he would dialogue with the members of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and other agitators.

Responding to questions on insecurity in the country at of Daily Trust HQ, Peter Obi stated that dialoguing with agitators will restore peace in the country.

While answering questions after his visit to Media Trust, Obi said, “I have said it times without number, Nigeria does not have more agitation than Brazil, if you want I will show you countries that have had agitations in the past, whether it is Brazil, Mexico, whether it is this.

“In our South East, it is a simple thing, I will dialogue, I will discuss, it is a democracy, and in a democracy, you govern by consensus. If anybody says he is not happy, you call him and you sit him down and discuss with him.

“People agitate in my house, my wife, my children. If you say to me you have lived with your wife all through and you people have never quarrelled, then you are not married. You disagree and settle it – that is agitation.”

The presidential candidate vowed to govern by consensus and listen to all for smooth administration of the country.