Top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 21st September 2022
1. Breakdown Of All Presidential, Senatorial, Reps Candidates And Their Qualifications Released By INEC For 2023 Election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday released the final list of national candidates eligible to contest the 2023 general election in Nigeria.
The list comprises the presidential candidates, senatorial candidates as well as the house of representatives candidates (National Assembly) for the polls.
The full list obtained by Naija News reveals that 18 political parties will be fielding candidates for the presidential election.
For legislative elections, 1,101 candidates are vying for 109 Senatorial seats and 3,122 candidates for the House of Representatives seats, making a total of 4,223 candidates contesting for 469 legislative positions.
A further breakdown shows 3,875 of the candidates are males while 381 candidates are females.
INEC in a statement to that effect explained that it released the list in accordance with the provision of the Electoral Act 2022.
2. 2023: Jonathan Lists Three Biggest Threats To Nigeria’s Democracy
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former President Goodluck Jonathan has listed the three biggest threats to democracy in Nigeria.
According to the former president, the issue of propaganda, fake news and hate speech are now the biggest threat to the country’s democracy.
He added that anyone advocating for hate speech, fake news and propaganda is also a threat to democracy, stating that these vices must be discouraged.
Jonathan stated this on Tuesday at the second edition of the ‘Peace Conference’ organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation with the theme: ‘Nation Building: The Role of Elections in a Multi-ethnic Context’.
The former President advised Nigerian youths to embrace good conduct that will lead to good elections.
3. Gbajabiamila Meets ASUU, Others Over Lingering Strike
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Tuesday met with the national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other critical stakeholders over the ongoing strike.
Recall that Gbajabiamila had summoned a stakeholders’ meeting to resolve the ASUU strike that has lingered for seven months.
Some of those invited are the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed; Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Chris Ngige; Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu; the national leadership of ASUU and other critical stakeholders.
Truetells Nigeria learned that the meeting started at about 3:45 pm with the leadership of the House and ASUU in attendance.
The Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, and a representative of the Ministry of Labour and Employment were also available for the meeting.
4. Lawan’s Fate Undecided As INEC Publishes Final List Of Senatorial Candidates
The name of the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, was conspicuously missing after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the final list of candidates for the 2023 Senatorial and House of Representatives elections on Tuesday.
The electoral body maintained that it failed to publish the name of any All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the section for Yobe North Senatorial aspirants due to the controversy that trailed the senatorial ticket after the APC submitted Lawan’s name to INEC instead of Bashir Machina who won the primary election monitored by the commission.
Meanwhile, the names of former minister of Niger Delta affairs, Godswill Akpabio and Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi who had similar issues were published.
The electoral umpire, however, indicated that it published Akpabio and Umahi’s names in compliance with the different court orders directing it to recognize them as the respective APC senatorial candidates for Akwa Ibom North West and Ebonyi South.
5. Orji Kalu Speaks On Move To Impeach President Buhari
The Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu on Tuesday spoke on the impeachment threat against President Muhammadu Buhari.
Recall that lawmakers in the opposition party had threatened to impeach President Buhari if the security situation in the country does not improve.
The legislators gave the President a six weeks ultimatum to transform the security structure of the country.
Kalu while speaking in the call for impeachment said it would fail because the All Progressives Congress (APC) has the number of lawmakers to keep the president in office.
The lawmaker in a chat with newsmen at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Tuesday said the President has done well in some areas and failed in some areas.
6. Senate To Screen Acting CJN, Justice Ariwoola On Wednesday
The 9th Senate led by Senate President, Ahmad Lawan will screen the acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola on Wednesday.
Lawan disclosed this while addressing Senators during plenary following their resumption from their annual summer recess.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari on the 25th of June, 2022 swore in Ariwoola as acting CJN following the resignation of former CJN, Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad.
According to the Senate President, lawmakers on Wednesday will also work on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework/Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) 2023 – 2025, Budget 2023, and work to support the defence and security forces of the country.
7. Umahi vs Agom-Eze: INEC Recognizes Ebonyi Governor As Senatorial Candidate
Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has been recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Ebonyi South Senatorial seat.
Barring any new development, particular a court ruling, the INEC recognition settles the contest between Governor Umahi and Princess Ann Agom-Eze who have both been locked in a political battle to determine who emerges the authentic APC candidate.
However, according to the INE list released on Tuesday, the Ebonyi State Governor has been recognized as the Ebonyi South Senatorial District APC candidate for the 2023 election based on a court order.
8. 2023 Presidency: Wait For Another Time – Orji Kalu Tells Igbo People
The Chief Whip of the 9th Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu on Tuesday advised politicians in the South East to wait for another time to contest the presidency.
In the build-up to the 2023 general election, there had been calls for the presidency to be zoned to the South East.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), picked their candidate from the North, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) selected their presidential candidate from the South-West.
Kalu while addressing newsmen at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja on Tuesday, said the presidency is not a regional issue and could only be won with the support of other geo-political zones.
He further stated that for an Igbo man to emerge as President they have to work with other Nigerians.
9. Court Nullifies APC Governorship Primary In Taraba
The Governorship primary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State has been nullified by a Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo.
The electoral process of the APC had produced Emmanuel Bwacha as its flagbearer in the 2023 governorship election.
An aggrieved aspirant in the party, David Kente had approached the court filing a suit against APC for recognising Bwacha as the candidate of the party in Taraba State.
The presiding judge, Justice Simon Amobeda in his ruling on Tuesday directed the party to conduct a fresh primary election within 14 days.
Bwacha was also ordered by the court to stop parading himself as the governorship candidate of the APC.
10. Lagos Tops List Of Highly Indebted States With N797bn
Data released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) has shown Lagos State as the most indebted state in Nigeria.
The Lagos State government tops the list of states in debt with a figure of N797. 304 billion out of the N5. 281 trillion owed by the sub-nationals, as at June 30, 2022.
Delta, Ogun and Rivers State followed Lagos with N378. 878 billion, N241. 782 billion and N225. 505 billion respectively on the list.
Other highly indebted states included: Imo, N210. 394 billion; Akwa Ibom, N203. 951 billion; Cross River, N 176. 086 billion; Oyo, N159. 906 billion; Ogun, N150. 529 billion; Bayelsa N 150. 430 billion; Plateau N144. 608 billion; Benue N143 . 547 billion Bauchi, N129. 207 billion; Kano N125. 186 billion; and Gombe N 123. 608 billion.
Jigawa had the least debt of N 45. 135 billion, followed by Ebonyi and Kebbi with N59. 171 billion and N60. 417 billion, respectively.
