Top Headlines From Nigerian Newspapers For Today, Friday, 15th March 2019

Here Are The Major Headlines From Nigerian Newspapers For Friday, 15th March 2019

1. Tribunal grants Buhari, APC’s request to inspect electoral materials

The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on Thursday granted access to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to inspect the materials used for the conduct of the presidential election.

In their separate ex parte applications for the order of inspection, Buhari and the ruling party had said they needed to be granted access to the materials to enable them to defend themselves in any petition which the runner-up in the poll, Atiku Abubakar, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had vowed to file.

2. Take over oil wells, Buhari orders NNPC

President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to take over the operatorship of the Oil Mining Lease 11 from Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC).

Naija News reports that the directive was contained in a letter addressed to the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Dr Maikanti Baru, dated March 1, 2019.

3. INEC chairman, Yakubu wants Senators to work on electoral reforms

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has called on the Senators-elect to commence and conclude work on the review of the electoral legal framework.

Yakubu stated this while presenting Certificate of Return to Senators-elect at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Thursday.

4. Court bars INEC from conducting supplementary election in Adamawa State

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been barred by the Adamawa State High Court, from conducting the supplementary governorship election scheduled for the state on March, 23.

Justice Abdulaziz Waziri, granted an interim injunction by one of the governorship candidates stopping INEC from conducting the supplementary polls in the 44 polling units where voting during the March 9 governorship election was cancelled.

5. INEC presents certificates of return to NASS-members elect

The Independent National Electoral Commission has on Thursday, presented certificates of return to senators and house of rep members elected during the 2019 National Assembly election.

According to the electoral body, only those whose name appears on the commission’s website were issued certificates.

6. Minimum wage: Senate committee reveals when it will submit report

The members of the Senate committee on the passage of the new national minimum wage bill held their first sitting on Wednesday with a promise to submit their report by Tuesday next week.

The Senate President, Bukola Saraki, had appointed the Deputy Majority Whip, Senator Francis Alimikhena, to replace Senator Olusola Adeyeye who voluntarily withdrew as chairman of the committee on health grounds.

7. Court order cannot stop us from conducting supplementary elections in Adamawa – INEC says

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday said court order would not stop it from conducting the rerun elections slated in the 44 polling units on 23rd March in Adamawa State.

This followed an order sought by Movement for the Restoration and Defense of Democracy (MRDD) and its candidate Eric Dollars, alleging that the party’s logo was omitted in the inconclusive guber polls held last Saturday.

8. Probe Army involvement in 2019 elections, PDP tells Buratai

The Bayelsa State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, to probe the role of his officers and men in the violence that occurred during the general elections.

Speaking on Wednesday, the State Chairman of PDP, Moses Cleopas, said that the activities of the army deployed in Brass, Nembe and Southern Ijaw, LGAs should be queried by the military.

9. Governor Umahi denies dumping PDP for APC

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi state, David Umahi has called out the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress for claiming that he (Umahi) will defect to the opposition party before May 29, 2019.

Umahi stated this in a press statement signed and released to journalists in Abakaliki by the governor’s chief press secretary, Emma Uzor.

10. Okorocha left out as INEC issues certificate of return to Senators-elect

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has on Thursday, issued the certificate of return to newly elected senators.

But Naija News learned that the commission left out Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State who won one of the senatorial seats in the state.

Read more Nigerian news here on naijanews.com