Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 23rd July, 2022

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today Saturday, 23rd July 2022.

ASUU Strike: As NLC Rouses From Drowse In Protest

After a long period of shying from its avowed objectives of promoting and protecting the interests of its members and affiliates, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) let out a flicker of “Aluta!” when it issued a notice of a nationwide protest over the lingering strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other unions in Nigeria’s public university sector. While NLC stayed aloof and played possum, it was right to ask of the utility of a congress whose favourite refrain is “solidarity forever” yet couldn’t fraternize with distressed comrades forced to down tools for five months running. With the due date of the two-day protest inching closer, the Federal Government has since entered panic mode, apparently using all manners of tricks to dissuade the umbrella body of workers in the country from defending public universities. We cannot but question why the labour congress waited till this time to protest against the government’s careless treatment of ASUU and other unions in the tertiary education sector. Ordinarily, organized labour should be citizens’ voice against marginalization, poor economic policies that are perceived to bring hardship upon the people, oppression, or welfare of workers and others. Unfortunately, NLC had been playing possum on these noble roles.

2023: I Didn’t Reject Wike As My Running Mate – Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has denied claims that he rejected Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State as his running mate.

Naija News reports that the former vice president made the disclosure during an interview on Arise TV on Friday.

Recall that Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State in an interview last month said 14 out of 17 members of the PDP panel preferred Wike as the vice-presidential candidate of the party.

Ortom claimed Atiku had ignored the recommendations of the panel he set up to pick his running mate by picking Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State as his running mate.

Peter Obi Tables Fresh Request Before Court Over PDP’s Suit To Disqualify Him

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has asked a Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss the suit by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking his disqualification for nominating Doyin Okupe as his placeholder.

Recall that the PDP had dragged Peter Obi to court over his decision to replace Okupe with Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate for the 2023 election.

The PDP had asked to bar the LP presidential candidate from replacing Okupe and also prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, from replacing Kabiru Masari as his running mate.

Responding to the originating motion, counsel to Obi and Okupe, Alex Ejesieme (SAN), prayed the court to dismiss the suit of the PDP on four grounds.

Update: Police Storm Peoples Gazette Newspaper’s HQ, Arrest Five Staff

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force on Friday raided the head office of Peoples Gazette newspaper in Abuja, arresting one of its editors.

Peoples Gazette in a publication claimed that John Adenekan, an assistant managing editor, was taken away at about 12:35 p.m. by five armed police officers who broke into the paper’s office opposite NNPC Quarters in Utako.

The officers who declined to state the reason for their alleged assault, demanded to see Managing Editor Samuel Ogundipe and reporter Adefemola Akintade.

Both journalists were not available during the operation, prompting the officers to arrest Adenekan in their stead, perpetuating an unconstitutional tradition of arresting associates in the event that people of interest are unavailable.

‘Abuja’ Rejected Tinubu’s Move Against Osun Election – PDP

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu has been accused by the Peoples Democratic Party of trying to compromise the 16th July 2022 governorship election in Osun State.

Recall that the governorship candidate of the PDP, Ademola Adeleke defeated the incumbent governor and candidate of the APC, Gboyega Oyetola.

PDP claimed that the former Governor of Lagos State ran to Abuja seeking help over the result of the governorship election, but was rejected by stakeholders.

The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Debo Ologunagba, stated this during a press conference in Abuja on Friday.

2023: Peter Obi, Labour Party Not A Threat To PDP – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has said the Labour Party (LP) will not be a threat to his party in 2023.

In an interview on Arise TV on Friday, Atiku said he does not see the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, winning the 2023 presidential election.

Atiku added that he is not expecting the LP to pull off a surprise in 2023 because it has no structure and nationwide appeal. He added that the party does not have Governors, members of the National Assembly and State Assemblies.

The former vice president asserted that the party will not divide the votes meant for the PDP in some regions as suggested by some political analysts.

Nigerians Will Remember Buhari As A Man Who Made A Difference – Presidency

The presidency has declared that after his tenure ends in 2023, many Nigerians will look back and always remember President Muhammadu Buhari as a man who made a lot of difference on many fronts.

The special adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina made the remark in an article via his Facebook page on Thursday.

According to Adesina, though his party contested the Osun governorship election held on July 16, President Buhari refused to deploy federal might or influence the outcome of the polls in favour of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Gboyega Oyetola.

The presidential media aide argued that this is contrary to what usually obtained when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) controlled the central government.

IPPIS: ICPC To Investigate 3,657 Civil Servants As FG Verifies 61,446 Workers

The Independent and Corrupt Practices and Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) is set to investigate 3,657 civil servants over failure to get verified on the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi-Esan, made this known on Thursday, during a chat with State House correspondents at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

She said 61,446 civil servants from various government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies have been verified on the system.

During a slide presentation, Yemi-Esan stated that at least 1,618 applicants floated illegal or fake letters as 874 officers have so far been suspended from the IPPIS platform. She stated that the IPPIS saves the government about N180m monthly and about N2bn annually.

Alleged N109bn Fraud: Court Orders Remand Of Ex-Accountant General, Idris

A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered that a former Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, be remanded in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice A.O. Adeyemi Ajayi gave the order on Friday, Naija News reports.

The judge directed the suspended AGF to be remanded in the custody of EFCC alongside Godfrey Olusegun Akindele, Mohammed Kudu Usman and Gezawa Commodity Market and Exchange Limited.

The anti-graft agency had arraigned Idris and his co-defendants before the court on Friday following charges of stealing and criminal breach of trust to the tune of N109.4 billion.

Aso Rock Cabals Influencing Buhari’s Decisions – Ex-Minister

Elder Statesman and First Republic Aviation Minister, Mbazulike Amechi, on Thursday, claimed that the decisions of President Muhammadu Buhari-led government are influenced by cabals in Aso Rock.

Amechi noted that letters forwarded to President Buhari on the state of things in the country were not delivered to the president.

The former minister stated this while speaking in his residence in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He further stated that when he met with President Buhari alongside Igbo elders calling for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the president directed them to put their request into writing.

That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.