Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Wednesday, 15th March, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Wednesday, 15th March 2023

1. ‘Think Again’ – NSA Monguno Sends Strong Warning Ahead Of Saturday’s Governorship Election

The National Security Adviser, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd) has cautioned those planning any form of violence or disturbance during Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections to have a rethink.

This is as he assured that no individual or group would be allowed to undermine the forthcoming elections because it is in the national interest.

Naija News reports the NSA made the submission on Tuesday in Abuja at a meeting of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security held at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Monguno said no stone will be left unturned in ensuring a credible and peaceful poll, noting that Saturday’s election would be more complicated as it would involve more polling units and collation centres.

The NSA assured that his office is prepared and ready to give INEC all the needed support to ensure a crisis-free election on Saturday.

2. FG Takes Action On Level Crossings Days After Lagos Train Accident

Following the train accident in Lagos, the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) said it will construct overhead bridges at 11 level crossings in the state.

The Managing Director of the Corporation, Fidet Okhiria, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday.

Recall that a moving train collided with a Lagos State Government staff bus around PWD bust stop in the Oshodi area of the state, which claimed six lives and left many injured.

Okhiria said the agency would construct 11 flyovers within Lagos and has commenced the separation of road from rail in the Oyingbo and Ebute-Metta areas of Lagos.

He revealed that the corporation had constructed an underground pass and an overhead pass at the Agege level crossing in order to forestall any future incidents.

The NRC boss added that the agency will employ personnel to stop vehicles from passing level crossings during train movement.

He said the agency will also incorporate the use of technology to alert road users whenever trains approach level crossings.

3. Naira Transactions: Avoid PoS Terminals – CBN Issues Directive

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has restricted agents from using Point of Sale (PoS) terminals meant for merchants to carry out cash-in and cash-out transactions.

Naija News reports that the CBN gave the directive in a circular announcing the Exposure Draft of the Regulatory Framework for Agent Banking in Nigeria.

The apex bank stated that the agent banking initiative has resulted in the proliferation of financial services agents across Nigeria.

The bank said this has resulted in a significant and growing portion of financial transactions being conducted through the agents.

4. Presidential Election: How FG Blocked Over 12.9 Million Cyberattacks – Isa Pantami

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami has disclosed how the Federal Government managed to block about 12.9 million cyberattacks during the just-concluded Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Naija News gathered that the minister said the attacks were launched from both within the country and outside of the country.

According to him only on the day of the presidential and national assembly election, 6.9 million attacks were recorded and blocked.

Pantami in a statement issued by his media aide, Uwa Suleiman, explained that days before the presidential election, threat intelligence revealed an astronomical increase in cyber threats to Nigeria’s cyberspace.

The minister while appreciating President Muhammadu Buhari for supporting government agencies in their duties noted that all the attacks were successfully blocked due to the sophisticated infrastructure on grounds at different agencies of government.

5. Violence: INEC Sends Warning To Political Parties, Supporters

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties and their supporters not to engage in any act of violence capable of disrupting the 2023 governorship and state assembly elections.

The warning was given on Tuesday in Abuja by the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu during an inter-agency consultative committee on election security.

He called on the political parties to see themselves as stakeholders in the forthcoming elections and approach it as a contest, not war.

The INEC chairman added that security agents have been briefed with the details for the governorship and state assembly elections, including locations of polling units and collation centres and expressed confidence that they will do their jobs professionally just like in times past.

Yakubu added that the commission is ready to handle all cases relating to electoral offences and appreciated the Inspector-General of Police for his recent directive that such cases still with the police be given expedited attention.

6. Peter Obi’s Victory In Lagos Caught Us Unaware, We Can’t Allow It To Happen Again – APC Chieftain

The assistant director of media and publicity for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign, Bidoun Ajiboye has described the victory of the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Peter Obi in Lagos during the presidential election as “an insurgence upon our political fortress.”

The APC chieftain disclosed that Obi’s performance in the February 25 election actually caught his party unaware.

It would be recalled the Labour Party candidate defeated the APC candidate and former Governor, Bola Tinubu in Lagos State, polling 582,354 votes against the latter’s 572,606.

The result which happened in an APC stronghold is considered one of the greatest upsets of the presidential polls.

However, speaking about the development on Tuesday during an interview with Arise TV, Ajiboye said the APC has woken up and won’t allow a repeat of such an episode.

According to him, people can not understand what it will mean for LP to win Lagos State in the March 18 governorship polls.

7. Your Blackmail, Propaganda Won’t Save Makinde – Teslim Folarin Fires Arapaja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Oyo State, Senator Teslim Folarin, has knocked former deputy governor and current deputy national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja, for attacking him during a radio programme.

Naija News gathered that Arapaja, who featured on Dende Oro anchored by Abolade Salami on Fresh FM 105.9HZ, had berated Senator Folarin and other political heavyweights in the state.

But reacting on Tuesday through his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, YSO Olaniyi, said the former deputy governor was a frustrated politician, adding that his blackmail and propaganda won’t get Governor Seyi Makinde reelected at the upcoming elections.

According to the former Senate leader, Arapaja is under a lot of pressure following the defection of top PDP chieftains from the party.

8. Tinubu Is Healthy, Worse Things Were Said About Buhari In 2015 – Coordinator

The Coordinator of the Tinubu Shettima Independent Campaign Council in Ondo State, Tayo Oluwatuyi has insisted that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu is fit and healthy.

According to him, he’s not aware of any ailment affecting the former Lagos State Governor and insisted that Tinubu is in a perfect condition to lead Nigeria.

He argued that worse things were said about Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 but the President is still hale and hearty, going about his duties up till the present moment.

Oluwatuyi made the submission while defending the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate at the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria.

In his view, Tinubu won because Nigerians were convinced about his abilities and pedigree based on the information given to them by the door-to-door campaign embarked upon by the campaign groups.

Oluwatuyi said the campaign employed the use of criers with megaphones at junctions, local eateries, drinking joints, vendors, and newspapers to convince and inform them of the intentions of the Tinubu and Kashim Shettima Presidency.

The strategy paid off and resulted in victory for the former Lagos State Governor, the coordinator maintained.

9. One Million Bounty Placed On Lawmaker Declared Wanted By Police

The lawmaker representing the Bauchi federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Yakubu Shehu Abdullahi has been declared wanted by the Nigerian Police Force (NPF).

The Bauchi lawmaker was declared wanted by the security agency over criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance of public peace, amongst others in the state.

The police in a special bulletin released on Monday by the State Criminal Investigation Department (S.C.I.D) of the NPF, placed one million Naira reward for any information that may lead to his arrest.

Police asked anyone with useful information that would aid the arrest of the lawmaker to contact the security agency or report at any nearest police station.

10. ‘Buhari Is A Failure Compared To Past Presidents’ – Rufai Hanga

The Senator-Elect for Kano Central, Rufai Hanga on Tuesday described President Muhammadu Buhari as the worst president Nigeria has ever had.
According to Hanga, the President is a total failure, adding that Buhari does not have capacity.

Hanga stated this during an interview on Trust TV’s Daily Politics.

He said, “Buhari was posing himself as a Messiah and unfortunately, but that was untrue. The Trustworthy (Mai Gaskiya) is the best nickname he would like to have, but he is not. Look at what he did, he surrounds himself with people that have fat files with EFCC and those that he used to abuse before.

“Before I believed in Buhari but now I have seen the right thing. I now know better. He is a Total Failure. He will sleep confidently in Daura because he doesn’t know what is happening. He has no capacity. Buhari has no capacity.

“If somebody would perform the way he did if somebody would take the country to where it is now and continue to advocate that he is the best President Nigeria has ever had… That is what he has been saying himself that he performed more than all the former leaders.

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