Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Monday, 30th October, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Monday, 30th October 2023.

1. Details Of Tinubu’s Meeting With German Chancellor Scholz Emerge

President Bola Tinubu has said his administration is determined to change the weak narrative of the country’s economy and bring about a transformative government.

Naija News reports that Tinubu made this known during a meeting with the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Sunday.

The President described Nigeria as a crawling country in the committee of thriving economies, especially regarding development indices relating to green energy and the environment.

Commenting on the Supreme Court judgement, which affirmed his election as President, Tinubu said the needless distraction from his political opponents is over, and it is time to focus on governance and move the economy.

2. Marafa Reveals Condition For Tinubu To Work With Atiku, Peter Obi

Former Senator representing Zamfara Central, Kabir Marafa has said there is nothing left for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party (LP) counterpart, Peter Obi to prove after the verdict of the Supreme Court on the 2023 election.

He however said the probability of President Bola Tinubu working with them depends on the attitude of the opposition leaders.

According to him, Tinubu may decide to form a government of national unity and work with everyone if the opposition members extend a hand of friendship.

Marafa made the submission while speaking with State House correspondents after a visit to President Tinubu.

The lawmaker however urged Atiku, Obi and others to join hands with Tinubu to move Nigeria forward and build the country.

Marafa added that having exhausted all constitutional options available in challenging the outcome of the 2023 presidential elections, it is expected that the opposition members would join hands with Tinubu in building the country.

3. House Of Reps’ Members Take Delivery Of N58 Billion Exotic Vehicles

Members of the House of Representatives have started taking delivery of their Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), while the first batch of the exotic cars will be delivered to Senators this week.

Recall that the National Assembly leadership had declared the purchase of exotic vehicles worth N160 million each for a lawmaker and bulletproof vehicles for principal officers.

The SUVs for each of the 109 Senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives are estimated at N57.6 billion, Naija News report.

Meanwhile, this has generated public outrage, especially coming amid a huge debt burden and at a time when an unprecedented number of Nigerians live in poverty.

Speaking with The Punch, the spokesman for the House of Representatives, Akin Rotimi, said members of the House had started taking delivery of the vehicles.

He revealed that priority was given to women in the parliament, people with any form of disability and the elderly.

Rotimi stated only members who have fully disposed of their court cases will be given the vehicles, adding that the last batch of SUVs for lawmakers will arrive before December.

4. ‘Baseless Accusations’ – Gbajabiamila Speaks Amidst Report Of Abuse Of Office

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has dismissed media reports of alleged abuse of office and sale of appointments.

Recall that a report in the Daily Post had stated that the President’s loyalists are pushing for the sack of Gbajabiamila over the alleged sale of appointments.

The report claimed that since Tinubu assumed office, most names approved by the President for appointments were allegedly replaced by the Chief of Staff.

The platform reported that one such case was the replacement of the name of Ekiti Resident Electoral Commission (REC) with the name of a former commissioner under the former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi.

In a statement on Sunday, Gbajabiamila stated that no amount of propaganda will cause President Tinubu’s administration to fail or lose focus from the renewed hope agenda.

Gbajabiamila, who did not make any reference to the report of his alleged abuse of office, stated that the current government will not pay attention to baseless accusations.

He noted that the Supreme Court verdict has given Tinubu’s agenda a stable platform to deliver good governance to Nigerians, saying that no distractions will be allowed.

5. Nigerians Should Be Ashamed To Have A President With Certificate Scandal – Adebanjo

The leader of Afenifere, Ayo Adebanjo, has said it is really embarrassing for the country to have a President with a certificate scandal.

Speaking in an interview published by The Punch on Sunday, Adebanjo stated that Nigerians, home and abroad, should be ashamed to have a leader who is embroiled in a certificate scandal.

The leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural organisation said no honest person can defend Tinubu on the controversy surrounding his Chicago State University (CSU) certificate without technicalities.

Adebanjo stated that he had defended Tinubu on the certificate scandal in the past because of the little information he had on the matter at that time.

6. Bode George Speaks On Leaving Nigeria After Supreme Court Affirmed Tinubu’s Victory

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has ruled out plans of going on a self-exile after the Supreme Court affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s victory.

Naija News recalls that the PDP chieftain, in the wake of the 2023 election, vowed to leave Nigeria if Tinubu wins the February 25 presidential election.

However, Tinubu won the keenly contested election, and all efforts by the opposition parties to get him sacked also failed as the Supreme Court on Thursday, October 26, affirmed his victory.

In an interview with Daily Trust, George clarified he has no intention of going on self-exile, stressing he was only speaking in parables.

7. Ozekhome Questions Supreme Court’s Ability To Perform, Requests Analysis Of Presidential Election Judgement

A senior lawyer and counsel to the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), has raised concerns about the lopsided composition of justices of the Supreme Court.

He specifically cited the recent presidential election appeal involving Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ozekhome stated that the constitution of Nigeria provides for 21 jurists to ensure balanced representation. He observed that currently, there are only ten justices, with the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) not fully sitting as an administrative officer.

According to The Guardian, Ozekhome questioned the ability of the Supreme Court to perform its duties effectively with such limited numbers and called for a deeper analysis of the court’s verdict on the case, as it carries significant policy implications.

He also criticized the disregard for the technological advancements in the 2022 Electoral Act, which he believes have been undermined by the court’s decision.

8. Stop Trying To Ignite Religious, Ethnic War – Fani-Kayode Slams Gumi

A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has cautioned controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, against inciting religious and ethnic war in the country.

Recall that Gumi sparked widespread outrage in a sermon he delivered at a mosque in Kaduna, where he stated that Southerners and Christians cannot be trusted with the nation’s security.

He also said President Bola Tinubu would not be allowed to remain in power for the next four years if he failed to meet certain demands, one of which was to remove the Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike.

Gumi also accused President Tinubu and Wike of planning to turn Abuja into Tel Aviv (Israeli capital), because he received the Israeli Ambassador in his office recently.

In an article published on Sunday, Fani-Kayode urged the Federal Government to call Gumi to order over his comments, which he termed provocative, inciting and deeply insulting.

The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) also hailed the Northern Elders for disowning Gumi over his attack on Wike and commended the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), among others, for condemning the cleric for his utterances.

9. Why National Assembly Should Amend Electoral Act 2022 – Adegboruwa

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has said the National Assembly should amend the Electoral Act 2022 for the country to have transparent elections.

He made this known days after the Supreme Court berated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to upload election results on its Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

The apex court ruled that the failure of the electoral body to upload the results on IREV may lead to a loss of public confidence in the electoral process. It, however, held that such failure will not lead to the nullification of election results.

Speaking with Vanguard, Adegboruwa said the national assembly should amend the Electoral Act which will guarantee the country transparent elections.

The senior lawyer added that the amendment will stipulate a penalty for INEC if it fails Nigerians upon its voluntary undertaking.

10. Don’t Stop Amnesty Programme – Ex-Niger Delta Agitators Send Message To President Tinubu

Ex-agitators under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) have told President Bola Tinubu not to heed the call of those seeking the termination of the programme.

The ex-agitators submitted that those seeking the scrapping of the presidential amnesty programme are not from the region.

The ex-agitators under the Second Phase Amnesty Ex-agitators Forum who spoke through their National Spokesman, ‘Gen’ Salvation Ibena Rufus, in a statement in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, yesterday, added that no true son of the Niger Delta or beneficiaries of the PAP would seek or call for the termination of the programme.

According to them, the interim administrator of the programme, Major Gen. Barry Ndiomu, (retd) has performed creditably well and should be confirmed by President Tinubu.

Rufus said the scheme has been having it so good since Ndiomu came on board.

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