Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 6th July 2023
1. Peter Obi Not Labour Party Member – Tinubu Tenders Evidence At Tribunal
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima have tendered a copy of the Labour Party (LP) membership register for Anambra State as evidence of their claim that Peter Obi is not a registered member of the party.
Naija News reports that Obi and the Labour Party are challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress at the February 25th presidential election.
Responding to Obi’s petition at the tribunal, Tinubu and Shettima had argued that not being a member of the party as at the time of the last presidential election, Obi was not qualified to have contested the last election on the platform of the LP.
Their lawyer, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) tendered the document along with LP’s letter, dated April 25, 2022 forwarding the membership register to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The documents were tendered along with other documents at the commencement of the defence of Tinubu and Shettma in the petition by Obi and the LP before the Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC).
2. FG Reveals Why Workers Have Not Received June Salary
The Federal Government on Wednesday attributed the delay in June salary payments for some government employees to technical challenges.
The Director of Press at the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwa relayed this information on Wednesday.
Mokwa specified that the issues originated from the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), a salary payment platform.
The OAGF is working tirelessly to resolve the problem.
3. Details Of Tinubu’s Meeting With UTM FLNG Ltd Officials Emerge
The details of the meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and officials of UTM FLNG Ltd. have emerged.
Naija News earlier reported that the President met with the Group Managing Director of UTM FLNG Ltd, Julius Rone, and his team at the State House in Abuja.
Speaking with State House Correspondents in Abuja after the meeting, Rone said President Tinubu has assured genuine local and foreign investors of his administration’s commitment to providing a conducive environment.
He stated that the President had backed the implementation of a $5bn floating Liquefied Natural Gas project expected to supply 40 per cent of the nation’s gas needs by Q4 2026.
Rone revealed that the multi-floating LNGs are being implemented with a $5bn loan from AFRIEXIM Bank, adding that the loan removes financing obstacles ahead of the 2026 kickoff.
The UTM FLNG boss said that the President also directed them to prioritise the project which is expected to generate no fewer than 7,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country.
He said that the investors from Technip Energies of France and JGC Corporation of Japan, were also directed to report any challenge to the president in the course of implemention.
4. House Of Rep Probes JAMB’s Result Forgery Accusation Against Mmesoma
The House of Representatives has stepped in to address the case involving a 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate, Mmesoma Ejikeme, who the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) accused of result forgery.
The lawmakers voiced concerns over JAMB’s handling of the case, particularly its decision to revoke the student’s result and implement a three-year ban.
The House members suggested the possibility that an adult might have manipulated the girl, thus prompting an ad-hoc committee formation to investigate the matter.
They asked JAMB to pause any action until the investigation concludes.
Mmesoma defended herself in a video that has since gone viral, expressing confusion about the forgery accusation and explaining that she printed the result directly from JAMB’s portal.
JAMB has insisted that Mmesoma’s actual score was 249, not the 362 she claimed.
Recall that Mmesoma while speaking on Channels TV on Wednesday argued that she shouldn’t be blamed for the controversy.
5. Tinubu Closes Case Against Peter Obi, LP Before Tribunal
President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have closed their case in the suit by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi challenging the outcome of the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria.
Naija News reports Tinubu and co closed their case on Wednesday after presenting the Senate Majority leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele as the sole witness.
Lawyer to Tinubu and Shettma, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) announced the closure of his client’s case.
As earlier reported by Naija News, Olanipekun presented 18 documents in defence of his client’s position.
Lawyer to the APC, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) said, upon assessing the state of the case, his client is satisfied that it has sufficiently made its case and need not call any witness.
He subsequently announced the closure of his client’s case.
6. ‘FG Making Nnamdi Kanu Popular, He Can Contest Election In Any Southeast State’
A security expert, Col. Hassa Stan-Labo (rtd) has submitted that the federal government of Nigeria is making the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu more popular by continually keeping him in detention despite court orders.
Stan-Labo said a major way to douse the tension in the southeast is to release the Biafra agitator in compliance with court orders.
While stating that some of the actions and pronouncements of Kanu might have been offensive to the Nigerian state, the retired military officer noted that keeping him behind bars is making him a hero in the southeast and giving him more relevance among his followers.
Col Stan-Labo, therefore, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to release the detained IPOB leader from solitary confinement at the Abuja headquarters of the Department of State Services (DSS) where he has been since June 2021 following his extraordinary rendition from Kenya.
7. Peter Obi’s Camp Reacts As Tinubu Tells Tribunal He Is Not A Valid Member Of The Labour Party
The claim by President Bola Tinubu that Peter Obi is not a valid member of the Labour Party has been countered by the Obi-Datti media office who described it as empty evidence.
The media office in a statement on Wednesday said the matter is of no consequence as it has already been settled by the Appeal Court.
It would be recalled that President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on Wednesday tendered a copy of the Labour Party (LP) membership register for Anambra State as evidence of their claim that Peter Obi is not a registered member of the party.
Naija News reports that Obi and the Labour Party are challenging the victory of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress at the February 25th presidential election.
Responding to Obi’s petition at the tribunal, Tinubu and Shettima had argued that not being a member of the party at the time of the last presidential election, Obi was not qualified to have contested the last election on the platform of the LP.
However, according to a statement signed by Diran Onifade, the Obi-Datti media office has countered the claims by Tinubu.
8. Court Admits Kashim Shettima’s Resignation Letter As Senatorial Candidate
The Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has admitted the voluntary resignation letter of Vice President, Kashim Shettima as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Borno Central senatorial District.
Naija News reports that the PEPC on Wednesday admitted in evidence a Certified True Copy (CTC) of Shettima’s resignation letter.
It was learnt that the voluntary resignation letter which was dated July 6, 2022, was tendered among other documents by a lawyer to President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, Wole Olanipekun (SAN), at the opening of their defence in the petition filed by the Labour Party (LP) and its presidential candidate for the 2023 general election, Peter Obi.
Recall that both Obi and the Labour Party are challenging the competence of the joint ticket of President Bola Tinubu and Shettma, claiming that Shettima had a double nomination.
However, the letter, which was admitted as evidence today, is supposed to prove that the Vice President resigned his senatorial candidacy before his selection as the vice presidential candidate of the APC for the 2023 general election.
9. NEMA Names 14 States That May Experience Heavy Flood In 2023
According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), at least fourteen (14) Nigerian states may likely experience heavy flooding in the 2023 rainy season.
The federal government agency saddled with the responsibility of disaster management, noted in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday that no fewer than 31 communities across the mentioned states may witness heavy rainfall that may lead to flooding from between July 4 – 8.
The statement signed by Territorial Coordinator, NEMA, Lagos Territorial Office, Ibrahim Farinloye, admonished relevant stakeholders within the states concerned to take precautionary measures to forestall the loss of lives and property.
Farinloye commended the Flood Early Warning System (FEWS) Central Hub of the Federal Ministry of Environment Abuja for sharing the information.
He listed the states and communities that may be affected to include:
Plateau: Langtang, Shendam
Kano: Sumaila, Tudun wada
Sokoto: Shagari, Goronyo, Silame
Delta: Okwe
Kaduna: Kachia
Akwa Ibom: Upenekang
Adamawa: Mubi, Demsa, Song, Mayo-belwa, Jimeta, Yola
Katsina: Katsina, Jibia, Kaita, Bindawa
Kebbi: Wara, Yelwa, Gwandu
Zamfara: Shinkafi, Gummi
Borno State: Briyel
Jigawa: Gwaram
Kwara: Jebba
10. Tinubu Forfeited $460,000 For Narcotics Dealing, Money Laundering In US – Bamidele
The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele has admitted that the $460,000 that President Bola Tinubu forfeited to the United States came from a narcotics business and money laundering.
Bamidele made this known while appearing as the first witness for Tinubu in the suit challenging his victory before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) which was instituted by the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi.
During cross-examination by Obi’s lawyers, Bamidele admitted that Tinubu indeed forfeited over $460,000 in illicit drug proceeds. The case occurred in the United States in the 1990s when Tinubu was living in Chicago.
The President had declined to address the forfeiture for several years, despite its domination of headlines in the run-up to the presidential election on February 25.
Livy Uzoukwu, the lead counsel to Obi, asked whether or not Bamidele knew that the forfeiture was connected to narcotics dealing, to which he responded yes.
He also responded that he understood there was money laundering involved in Tinubu’s matter prior to the final forfeiture.
Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
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