Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naturenex roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 24th September, 2024
1. Tinubu Establishes Disaster Relief Fund Following Maiduguri Flooding
In a decisive move to address the increasing frequency of natural disasters, President Bola Tinubu has announced the establishment of a Disaster Relief Fund.
This directive was issued following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting held on Monday.
During a media briefing, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, emphasized the urgent need for specialized funding to tackle the challenges posed by climate change-induced disasters, citing recent events in Maiduguri, Borno State, as a stark example.
The city recently experienced catastrophic flooding that devastated nearly half of its area, resulting in loss of lives and significant damage to essential infrastructure.
Edun stressed that the Federal Government is committed to mobilizing resources from key stakeholders to support the newly created Disaster Relief Fund, ensuring adequate response to future emergencies.
2. PDP Rejects Edo Election Results, Heads To Court
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally rejected the results of the recent Edo State Governorship election, as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
During a media briefing in Abuja on Monday, the Acting National Chairman of the PDP, Amb. Umar Damagum, expressed his party’s dissatisfaction with the outcome, asserting that the people of Edo State rightfully voted for the PDP’s candidate, Dr. Asue Ighodalo, and expect him to be announced as the governor-elect.
Damagum urged INEC to utilize the provisions available within the Electoral Act to rectify what he termed a flawed process.
He charged the electoral body to take corrective action, stating, “INEC must retrace its steps and ensure that the will of the people is honored.”
The PDP leader further alleged that there had been prior warnings regarding plans by the All Progressives Congress (APC), in collaboration with a “compromised INEC” and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the zone, to manipulate the electoral process.
3. 2025 Budget, Others To Take Centre Stage As Reps Resume Tuesday
The House of Representatives is set to reconvene on Tuesday, September 24, after its annual recess, with a legislative agenda that includes critical discussions on the 2025 Appropriation Bill proposed by President Bola Tinubu, constitutional review, and electoral reforms.
Following a break that commenced on July 23, 2024, lawmakers will return to address pressing national challenges, including insecurity, economic stability, and the ongoing petrol crisis.
In a statement released on Monday, the spokesman for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, indicated that Speaker Tajudeen Abbas will deliver an agenda-setting speech to outline the priorities for the upcoming session.
Rotimi, who represents Ikole/Oye Federal Constituency, Ekiti State, also noted that proposed laws captured in the legislative agenda would be deliberated upon, given their significance to Nigerians’ quest for good governance.
4. Nigerian Army Speaks On Chief Of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja, Resigning From Office
The Nigerian Army has debunked a report which claimed the Chief Of Army Staff (COAS), Taoreed Lagbaja, has resigned from his position.
The Army, in a reaction on Monday, described the report, which went viral on social media, as fake news.
It is understood that the report claimed that Lagbaja had submitted his resignation letter to President Bola Tinubu.
However, reacting to the online report, the Director of Army Public Relations, Major General Onyema Nwachukwu, said the report on Lagbaja’s resignation should be disregarded.
“It is fake news; please disregard it,” Nwachukwu was quoted to have said to Punch about the report.
5. APC Will Use Edo Election Template To Recover Ondo, Anambra – Ganduje
The All Progressives Congress (APC) national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, has declared that the ruling party will employ the strategy it used in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State to win Ondo State in the forthcoming November 16th election.
Naturenex reports that Ganduje also mentioned that the APC intends to apply this strategy in Anambra, which is presently governed by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and other states in the South East, for future elections.
The former Governor of Kano State made these remarks on Monday in Abuja during a celebration of Senator Monday Okpebholo’s win with members of the Edo State election situation room.
Ganduje emphasized that a major party like the APC should have full control over the Southeast geopolitical region and called on party leaders at every level to dedicate themselves to achieving the party’s goals.
6. Dangote Refinery, Marketers To Meet Over Petrol Lifting, Pricing
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has announced that its members are scheduled to meet with Dangote Refinery this week to discuss the direct procurement of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol or fuel and potential price reductions.
The spokesperson for IPMAN, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, made this information public in a recent statement, expressing optimism among members regarding the imminent initiation of direct petrol lifting from Dangote.
He noted that the effective distribution of petrol continues to pose challenges within the nation’s oil and gas industry despite the initiation of Dangote’s petrol distribution.
“There is a meeting scheduled for this week between Dangote and IPMAN. We are happy that Dangote has set on a new course in terms of looking to other stakeholders to distribute its products.
”It is now distributing to major marketers and we are hopeful that with time it will start distributing to independent marketers,” he said.
7. Edo Poll: This Is A Blatant Example Of State Capture – Peter Obi
The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has condemned the outcome of the Edo State governorship election.
He described it as a glaring case of “state capture” and a continued attack on Nigeria’s democratic values.
Speaking via a statement shared on his X account on Monday, the former Anambra governor expressed concern over the conduct of the election, insisting that it does not reflect the democratic ideals the country strives for.
Obi condemned the role of various actors in undermining the electoral process, singling out public institutions and individuals for their complicity.
He warned that the negative consequences of their actions would not only affect the country but also have personal repercussions.
8. Court Strikes Suit Seeking Ganduje’s Removal As APC Chairman
A Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has struck out a suit seeking the removal of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The suit was instituted by APC North Central Forum led by Saleh Zazzaga. The presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, ruled that it cannot grant the pleas of the group.
According to Justice Ekwo, the “APC North Central Forum is not a juristic person and not registered in law and therefore has no legal power and capacity to file the suit.”
Also, Ekwo faulted the suit on the ground that the group failed to exhaust internal mechanisms for peaceful resolution of the issue before approaching the court.
According to Channels TV, “Justice Ekwo further held that the appointment of officers for APC by its National Executive Committee is an internal affair of the party which no court can dabble into.
The group contended that the appointment of Ganduje breached Article 13 of the APC Constitution because it was not done through a democratic process enshrined in the party’s law.
9. VP Shettima Arrives New York For 79th UN General Assembly
Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has arrived in New York to represent the country at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
This was confirmed in a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha, on Monday.
Shettima landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport in the early hours of Monday.
He was greeted by a delegation that included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. Also present were Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, Nigerian diplomats, UN officials, and other dignitaries.
In line with President Bola Tinubu’s directives, Shettima is leading Nigeria’s delegation at this year’s assembly. The vice president will deliver the nation’s statement and engage in high-level discussions with other global leaders.
10. Edo Poll: You Are Crying Foul After Willingly Participating In A Bidding War With The APC – Akpata Mocks PDP
The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Edo State governorship election, Olumide Akpata, has claimed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are crying foul after they were outmaneuvered by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The LP governorship candidate stated this while reacting to the outcome of the Edo poll.
Akpata, who came a distant third in the election with 22,763 votes, said he feels no sympathy for the PDP.
He claimed that the party willingly participated in the bidding war with the All Progressives Congress (APC) when it was fully aware of the rules from the outset.
According to him, “PDP, who now cry foul after being outmanoeuvred in this macabre game of thrones. They willingly participated in the bidding war with the APC, fully aware of the rules from the outset.
“Their lamentations ring hollow in the face of their own complicity in this democratic travesty.
He opined that voting buying practice was no less damaging than outright ballot stuffing, which had effectively disenfranchised the electorate.
He, however, accused some members of the Labour Party and agents of willingly selling their future for peanuts to the “very political parties whose actions and policies have impoverished them”.
