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Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 1st March, 2023

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Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 29th March, 2024
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Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 1st March 2023

1. ‘Your Claims Are Unverified, Inciting’ – Buhari Govt Knocks ‘Biased’ Obasanjo

The Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government has urged former President Olusegun Obasanjo not to truncate the 2023 General Elections with his inciting, self-serving and provocative letter on the elections.

Naija News earlier reported that in a statement personally signed on Monday, Obasanjo stated that it is no secret that INEC officials, at the operational level, have been allegedly compromised.

The former president said the Chairman of INEC may claim ignorance but he cannot fold his hands and do nothing when he knows that the election process has been corrupted.

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Obasanjo further called for a rerun election next Saturday in areas that were marred with violence.

But reacting on Tuesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said what the former President cunningly framed as an ‘appeal for caution and rectification’ is nothing but a calculated attempt to undermine the electoral process and a willful incitement to violence.

In a statement by his Special Assistant to the President (Media), Segun Adeyemi, the Minister expressed shock and disbelief that a former President could throw around unverified claims and amplify wild allegations picked up from the street against the electoral process.

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2. Election Results: Okowa, Datti-Ahmed Call For Cancellation

The vice-presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), Ifeanyi Okowa and Datti Baba-Ahmed have said there was no transparency in the just concluded presidential elections.

Naija News reports that the duo made this known at a joint press conference on Tuesday in Abuja.

This is coming amidst the joint press conference by three opposition parties, the PDP, LP, and the African Democratic Congress demanding that the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, should resign over alleged irregularities that marred the presidential and National Assembly elections of Saturday.

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Speaking at the press briefing, Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa said the election was a sham, and never free and fair.

According to him, Mahmood must give answers on reasons the election results were not transmitted via the BVAS.

He noted that INEC has compromised with the election results and should speak the truth to Nigerians adding that the elections should be cancelled.

3. INEC Speaks On Cancelling Presidential Result Over Electoral Act Violation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it may cancel thousands of results from Saturday’s presidential election over alleged breach of the Electoral Act 2022.

The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, pledged on Tuesday that the commission will review election results in accordance with Section 65 of the Electoral Act.

Yakubu stated this after opposition political parties rejected results so far collated from the election over the failure of the commission to transmit the results electronically to a central portal known as the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

“We will do whatever we can within the confines of the law to review issues arising from the conduct of the elections, particularly by invoking our powers under Section 65 of the Electoral Act, to review where review is absolutely necessary,” the INEC boss said during a short media briefing at the ICC, Abuja, where results of the presidential election are being announced.

Section 65, subsection 1 of the Act instructs that: “(1) The decision of the returning officer shall be final on any question arising from or relating to— (a) unmarked ballot paper; (b) rejected ballot paper; and (c) declaration of scores of candidates and the return of a candidate:

4. #NigeriaDecides: ‘Stick To Provisions Of Electoral Act 2022’ – Senate To INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been told on Tuesday to stick to the provisions of the amended Electoral Act 2022.

This is as widespread speculations and allegations have risen against the electoral umpire over the manipulation of election results as collation is still ongoing.

Naija News reports that the Nigerian Senate today at the resumption of its plenary after taking a break to allow for the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly election told INEC to operate in the light of the new act.

The Senate also appealed to Nigerians to remain calm and allow the INEC to complete the 2023 electoral process by declaring all remaining presidential election results.

The appeal by the Upper Chamber was said to follow a motion by Senator Ibrahim Oloriegbe on the floor during plenary.

The Upper Chamber also called on INEC to stick to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, the Constitution and other relevant laws in its conduct during the remaining part of the 2023 electoral process.

5. #NigeriaDecides2023: Like Jonathan In 2015, Call Tinubu Now – Adebayo Tells Atiku, Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo has urged the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, and his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Atiku Abubakar to immediately conceded defeat to Bola Tinubu.

The SDP candidate in a statement on Tuesday said just like Goodluck Jonathan conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 to save Nigeria from trouble, Atiku and Obi should call the All Progressives Congress (APC) flagbearer, Bola Tinubu, and concede defeat in the 2023 presidential race.

Adebayo said though he also has grievances with the electoral process and the results being churned out, true leaders need to step up and save Nigeria from the growing tension.

Adebayo, in a Twitter post on Tuesday, said Abubakar and Obi should show they are true leaders by conceding to Tinubu.

6. #NigeriaDecides2023: Labour Party, PDP, ADC Call For INEC Chairman’s Resignation

The Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC) have demanded that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu resign.

The demand was made at a joint press conference conducted by the major parties on Tuesday in Abuja.

Recall that on Monday, delegates from the main opposition parties left the national collation center in Abuja in protest of the exercise.

Two PDP chieftains, Dino Melaye, and Emeka Ihedioha accused INEC of violating the Electoral Act for moving through with the result collation and announcement without uploading the results to the iREV platform.

7. Election Results: INEC Speaks On Purported Rigging For APC, Resignation Calls Against Yakubu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described the call by the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Democratic Party (PDP) for its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, to resign as misplaced.

Naija News reports that the Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Rotimi Lawrence Oyekanmi, said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to the electoral umpire, the allegation by the collation agent of the PDP, Dino Melaye, that the INEC Chairman allocated scores to parties is unfounded and irresponsible.

Rotimi noted that such comments are capable of causing violence or unrest and it is unacceptable, stressing that such procedures do not include the call for Mahmood to resign.

The Commission added that the processes for the 2023 general election are in their final stage of completion and aggrieved parties should approach the court with evidence to pursue their case.

8. #NigeriaDecides: INEC Declares Sokoto NASS Elections Inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the National Assembly elections conducted in Sokoto state last weekend inconclusive.

Naija News understands that the state has three Senatorial and 11 House of Representatives seats to be contested.

The electoral commission, however, declared Saturday’s polls inconclusive, reportedly citing cases of violence, and overvoting, among other irregularities.

The State Governor and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, reportedly led Senator Ibrahim Danbaba Dambuwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Sokoto South Senatorial before the election was declared inconclusive.

According to the results, Tambuwal scored 87,850 votes, while Dambuwa secured 79,991 votes.

9. Tinubu Files Suit To Stop LP, PDP From Halting Results’ Collation

The presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the ruling party, Bola Tinubu, have filed a suit to restrain the Labour Party (LP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from halting the collation and announcement of the results of the February 25 presidential election.

In the suit filed before the Federal High Court in Kano and marked FHC/KN/CS/43/2023, the Action Alliance and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were joined as defendants while the Vice Presidential of the APC, Kashim Shettima, was also listed as plaintiff.

The plaintiffs in a motion on notice filed alongside the originating summons asked the court to make the order restraining the defendants from stopping the collation and announcement of the results because “damages will not adequately compensate for the injury that may be occasioned on the Plaintiffs if by the Defendants stop the collation of the result.”

10. 25% Of FCT: Law Professor Reveals What The Constitution Says

A professor of Law, Itse Sagay has clarified that a presidential candidate does not necessarily need to secure 25 percent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja to be declared the winner.

Sagay gave the explanation amidst the confusion caused by a reported clause in the constitution which some persons have interpreted to mean it is compulsory for a presidential candidate to secure 25 percent of the votes in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in order to be declared the winner.

The senior lawyer explained that as long as the candidate meets the threshold of 25 percent in 25 states, he can be declared the winner even if Abuja is not inclusive.

He said in response to an inquiry by The Nation on the subject matter: “The constitutional provision does not mean that a candidate that does not score 25 percent in Abuja cannot be declared the winner.

Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.