Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 6th October, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 6th October 2023.

1. I Will Invest In Education – Tinubu Says On World Teachers’ Day

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has celebrated Nigerian teachers across board, saying his administration will invest in education.

The Nigerian leader made the promise on Thursday (today) during the 2023 World Teachers’ Day commemoration held at Eagle Square, Abuja.

Tinubu expressed remorse over the various difficulties faced by Nigerian educators, such as overcrowded classrooms, limited resources, and inadequate opportunities for professional growth. These challenges, he asserted, are the consequence of prolonged negligence towards the esteemed teaching profession.

Represented at the event by Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu emphasized the imperative of investing in education, empowering teachers, and equipping every child with the necessary tools to achieve their aspirations.

Shettima delivered the President’s keynote address, titled “Teacher Appreciation: Nurturing Minds, Changing Lives,” and stressed the commitment to implementing educational reforms that foster the emergence and sustainability of a system that recognizes education as the catalyst for innovative ideas and groundbreaking discoveries.

He reiterated that his administration will ensure teachers get their due rewards here on earth.

2. Atiku Gives Condition To End Tussle With Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has given the condition in which he would drop his case against President Bola Tinubu.

Speaking on Thursday at a World Press Conference in Abuja, Atiku said he would only “drop” his case against Tinubu after the Supreme Court judgment.

The former Vice President reiterated that he would only back down from the case against President Tinibu after the ruling of the apex court.

He said: “I have already filed my appeal against him at the Supreme Court. It is only when the court rules that he is right that I will drop this fight; in other words, I will drop this fight when the court rules because there is no court higher than the Supreme Court.”

Asked if he was under pressure from Tinubu to drop the case, Atiku said after the election, he learned that a delegation of governors were sent by the president to reach out to him.

The PDP presidential candidate said he didn’t even allow the delegation into his house and refused to give them an audience.

3. Chicago State University Gives Fresh Update On Certificate Tinubu Submitted To INEC

The Chicago State University (CSU) has affirmed the validity of the diploma certificate presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by President Bola Tinubu.

The institution in an affidavit confirmed the diploma certificate and the certified true copy of the diploma as valid.

According to the affidavit, there are certain differences between the diploma certificate and the certified true copy because all diplomas are signed by the current president/board chair.

There are also differences in the font and seal of the diploma versus the certified copy because the University updated its font and seal after the diploma was issued, the institution clarified.

On the difference in dates, the CSU argued that they were due to human error. The institution explained that the graduation date on the certified true copy is typed in manually by a person and can be inaccurate.

The document also added that institutions of higher learning in the United States often consider the diploma to be a ceremonial document.

Conclusively, the CSU in the affidavit deposed by its Registrar, Caleb Westberg noted that its records verify that Bola Ahmed Tinubu graduated and was awarded a degree by the institution.

4. Senate Summon Security Chiefs Over Surge In Abduction Of University Students

Following the recent spate of abduction of university students across the nation, the Senate has on Thursday summoned all the security chiefs, Naija News reports.

During, Thursday’s plenary, the Senate resolved to summon all the security chiefs after Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua (Katsina Central) moved a motion titled “Kidnapping of University students in Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina State on Wednesday, October 4th 2023 and the rising cases of kidnapping for ransom in the Northwest Geopolitical zone.”

On Wednesday, there had been reports of the abduction of five female students of the Federal University in Dutsinma (FUDMA), in the early morning hours.

Wednesday’s abduction was coming about two weeks after suspected bandits kidnapped 24 students of the Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, from their hostel.

Three days after the incident, sixteen of them were successfully freed during the rescue conducted by security agencies.

Recall that on August 21, 2023, eight corps members were also kidnapped by suspected terrorists on their way to camp in Zamfara State.

Reacting to all these incidents, Senator Yar’Adua told his colleagues that the surge in the kidnap incidents had thrown the university and academic communities into a panic mood.

Expressing serious concerns about the continuous abduction of students, the Senate resolved to schedule a date to summon all the security chiefs.

The red chamber said the security chiefs would discuss a way out with the legislators and chat a path to resolve the issues.

It also urged the various security agencies in Nigeria to be more proactive and ensure these kidnapped Students are all released without delay while calling on the military and other security agencies to conduct a special operation to dislodge the bandits in the Northwest zone.

5. What Nigerians Should Do Regarding Tinubu’s Certificate Forgery Saga – Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has declared that the country’s reputation is at stake concerning the controversy surrounding the university certificate of President Bola Tinubu.

Naija News recalls that Atiku had requested the documents to back his allegation of forgery of the Chicago State University (CSU) certificate against Tinubu.

Speaking at the World Press Conference in Abuja on Thursday, Atiku said the fight to uncover the truth is not about him but about Nigerians and the country.

The former vice president argued that the constitution prescribes the requirements for those who seek to contest political offices.

He pointed out that the issue surrounding Tinubu’s CSU certificate controversy affects Nigerians everywhere, and they must rededicate themselves to upholding the constitution.

6. Atiku Vs Tinubu: It Will Be Difficult For Supreme Court To Admit Fresh Evidence – Ubani

A Lagos-based lawyer, Monday Ubani, says it will be difficult for the Supreme Court to admit fresh evidence in the appeal of the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPT).

He was reacting to the case initiated in the United States by the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, in which he requested the release of President Bola Tinubu’s certificate from the Chicago State University (CSU).

In the petition filed at the apex court, Atiku claimed that the Diploma Certificate submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the President may not be authentic.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Ubani said it would be very rare for the Supreme Court to admit fresh evidence, especially if the evidence was available while initiating the process.

Ubani added that the apex court will never admit fresh evidence because their job is to review the decision of the court below and not to now evaluate any evidence.

The senior lawyer said it would take a lot from Atiku’s legal team to convince the Supreme Court to admit fresh evidence in the appeal of the election tribunal judgment, adding that the move will be challenged by Tinubu’s team.

According to Ubani, the Supreme Court may be left to use its discretionary power to decide whether or not to admit fresh evidence in the case.

7. I Have Never Betrayed Tinubu, He Is Indebted To Me – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has said he has never betrayed President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku stated this on Thursday at a World Press Conference in Abuja while responding to a claim that he betrayed Tinubu by requesting the President’s academic records from the Chicago State University (CSU).

The PDP presidential candidate said he refused to pick Tinubu as his running mate when he emerged as the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007 in Lagos.

Atiku said the reason President Tinubu felt betrayed was that he refused to choose him as his running mate, stating that they parted ways politically after the fallout.

8. Supreme Court Fixes Date For Final Judgement In FG’s Case Against Nnamdi Kanu

The Supreme Court has fixed December 15, 2023, as the date to deliver judgment in the case by the federal government of Nigeria against the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu.

Naija News reports the Supreme Court announced the date on Thursday after the lawyers of both parties made their final submissions.

It would be recalled that a Court of Appeal had dismissed the treasonable felony charge against Kanu and ordered his release based on arguments that the IPOB leader was unlawfully brought back to Nigeria after he jumped bail.

However, the government appealed the ruling of the appellate court and approached the apex court to set aside the ruling but Kanu is praying the court to uphold the ruling on his release and set aside the stay of execution on judgment.

After the federal government, represented by Tijani Gazali (SAN) and Kanu, represented by Mike Ozekhome (SAN) made final submissions on Thursday, a five-member panel of the Supreme Court court headed by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, picked December 15 to give a verdict.

9. APM Asks Supreme Court To Remove Tinubu From Office

The Supreme Court has been charged by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and its presidential candidate, Chichi Ojei to nullify and void all the votes scored by President Bola Tinubu in the February 25th, 2023 election.
APM filed this appeal through their counsel, Chukwuma Machukwu-Ume (SAN).

The party is challenging the judgment of the Presidential Election Petitions Court which dismissed their petition for lack of locus standi, being a pre-election matter and abuse of court process over a similar judgment at the Supreme Court.

APM in the appeal dated October 2, 2023, contended that the lower court either misunderstood or misinterpreted their case and the provisions of Section 142(1) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 read in conjunction with the Electoral Act, 2022 on the issue of qualification or disqualification of Tinubu and his deputy, Kashim Shettima.

Machukwu-Ume submitted that the complaint is not based on Section 285 (9) or 285(14) of the Nigerian Constitution, 1999 as misunderstood by the lower court, adding that Section 142 is not only tied to sections 131 and 137 of the constitution but also Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022 on the procedure for the nomination of Tinubu and Shettima.

While faulting the striking out of the name of Kabiru Masari, the former placeholder for the running mate position of the APC, whom he described as a relevant party to the suit, APM submitted that Masari’s replacement as the vice-presidential candidate of the APC, was invalid by the provisions of the law.

10. Atiku Calls For Obi, Kwankwaso, Nigerians Support Over Tinubu’s ‘Forged’ Certificate

The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has called on the flagbearer of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso to join his quest for “justice” in controversy around President Bola Tinubu’s certificate.

Naija News had earlier reported that Atiku requested the release of President Tinubu’s certificate from the Chicago State University.

The former Vice President sorted the credentials over the suspicion that the certificate Tinubu submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may not be authentic.

Following the release of the certificate, Atiku called on Obi, Kwankwaso, and other Nigerians to join his quest for “justice” over the matter.

Atiku made the call during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

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