Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 13th January, 2024

Good morning Nigeria, Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 13th, January 2024.

Yusuf vs Gawuna: Supreme Court Delivers Final Ruling On Kano Governorship Election

The Supreme Court on Friday affirmed Abba Yusuf of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as the duly elected Governor of Kano State.

Justice John Okoro, who read the lead judgment, held that the lower court was wrong in its judgment to have deducted 165,616 votes from the vote secured by Governor Yusuf.

According to the Supreme Court, the respondent’s allegation that the 165,616 ballot papers were not from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was not proven. It added that by virtue of section 63(1) of the Electoral Act before a ballot paper can be declared invalid, it must be proven that it was not given to the presiding officer.

Supreme Court Affirms Caleb Muftwang As Plateau Governor

The Supreme Court has declared Caleb Muftwang as the duly elected Governor of Plateau State.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the March governorship election had appealed the ruling of the Court of Appeal which sacked him as governor.

Naija News had earlier reported that the appeal court had in a unanimous decision in November ruled that Muftwang was not sponsored by the PDP.

The court held that Nentawe Yilwada of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the 18 March 2023 governorship election and therefore upheld his appeal.

Tinubu Suspends N-Power, Three Other NSIPA Programmes

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has suspended all programs administered by the National Social Investment Programme Agency (NSIPA), including N-Power, NaijaNews learnt.

This unfriendly action results from an ongoing investigation into alleged misconduct in the management of the agency and its programs.

Programmes overseen by NSIPA include the famous N-Power Programme, Conditional Cash Transfer Programme, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, and Home Grown School Feeding Programme.

Reports emerging on Friday revealed that the initial suspension of the programmes will last for six weeks.

Supreme Court Affirms Dauda Lawal As Zamfara Governor

The Supreme Court has affirmed Dauda Lawal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the authentic Governor of Zamfara State.

Naija News understands that Lawal had approached the apex court after the court of appeal in November, declared the governorship election in the state inconclusive and ordered supplementary election in some local government areas in the state.

A former Governor of the state, Bello Matawalle, had challenged the victory of Lawal at the Court of Appeal.

The ruling of the Court of Appeal prompted Lawal to approach the Supreme Court.

Supreme Court Affirms Bassey Otu As Cross River Governor

Nigeria’s Supreme Court has affirmed the election of Bassey Otu As the Governor Of Cross River State.

In a ruling on Friday, the court dismissed the appeal filed by Professor Sandy Onor and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with which they sought to sack Governor Otu of the APC.

In the lead judgment, Justice Helen Ogunwumiju held that the appellants failed to prove their case.

Justice Ogunwumiju proceeded to affirm the concurrent judgments of the election tribunal and Court of Appeal, which affirmed Otu’s election.

Tinubu Makes New Appointments

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of eleven new Chief Executive Officers for agencies under the Ministry of Art, Culture, and Creative Economy.

Naija News reports that Presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, made this known in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.

The President mandated the appointees to discharge their duties in accordance with the highest standards of professionalism, diligence, and patriotism with a view to making the creative sector more vibrant and robust.

Rhodes-Vivour vs Sanwo-Olu: Supreme Court Delivers Final Judgement On Lagos State Governorship Election

The Supreme Court, on Friday affirmed the election of Babajide Sanwo-Olu as the duly elected Governor of Lagos State.

Justice Garba Lawal, who read the lead judgment of the apex court, dismissed the appeal filed by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party (LP)

He held that the deputy governor of Lagos, Obafemi Hamzat, was duly qualified to contest the March 18, 2023, governorship election.

The judgment in the appeal filed by the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate for Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, was the first to be delivered at the Supreme Court during its Friday sitting.

‘We Carry BP Drug In Our Pockets During Meetings With Wike’ – Former LG Chairman, Eke Claims

The immediate past Local Government Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, Rivers State, Solomon Abel Eke, slammed the Council Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Samuel Nwanosike, for calling Governor Sim Fubara “A mumu man” who was given power.

Naija News reported that Nwanosike, a close associate of Nyesom Wike, insisted that Fubara lacked the capacity to manage the power given to him.

The former Chairman claimed that Wike has been instrumental in getting Ijaw people federal appointments.

But Eke, while speaking at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ward 12 event at Rumuomoi in Port Harcourt, where the people of the Ekinigbo clan in Obio/Akpor LGA came out to drum support for Governor Fubara in the face of the political crisis rocking the state, berated Nwanosike.

Tinubu Approves Establishment Of National Philanthropic Office

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of the National Philanthropic Office (NPO).

Vice President Kashim Shettima made this known on Friday during the inauguration of the Local Implementation Committee of the NPO at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Shettima assured that the success and positive impact of the newly established office are guaranteed under the Tinubu administration.

He said President Tinubu has been a firm believer in giving back to society, and as such, his enduring spirit of bettering the lives of citizens is enough of a guarantee for the NPO to make a huge success and impact.

Tinubu Approves N683 Billion As Intervention Funds For Universities, Others

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the sum of N683 billion as the 2024 Intervention Funds for public tertiary education institutions in the country.

The Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, made this disclosure on Friday at the Fund’s strategic planning meeting with heads of beneficiary institutions in Abuja.

He said from the total, 90.75 per cent is earmarked for direct disbursement, 8.94 per cent for some designated special projects, and 2.27 per cent is budgeted for response to emerging issues.

Echono stated that each benefiting university shall get, for the Year 2024 intervention cycle, the total sum of ₦1,906,944,930.00, each polytechnic will receive ₦1,165,355,235.00, while each College of Education will get ₦1,398,426,282.00

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