Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 26th November 2022.
Matters Arising From Oil Discovery In Kolmani
History was made on Tuesday when President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated the commercial production of crude oil and gas from the Kolmani oil well which straddles Gombe and Bauchi State, effectively breaking the jinx that northern Nigeria doesn’t have hydrocarbon deposits in commercial quantity. Speaking at the event, the President said, “We are pleased with the current discovery of over one billion barrels of oil reserves and 500 billion cubic feet of gas within the Kolmani area… This is indeed significant considering that efforts to find commercial oil and gas outside the established Niger Delta Basin were attempted for many years without the desired outcomes”.
The commercial production of crude in this new oil field will definitely help the country satisfy local fuel consumption needs as well as meet the OPEC quota. Also, the resultant geographic balancing of resources will go a long way in easing tensions in the country, even though geology isn’t something that can be merely wished into reality. Earlier on February 2, 2019, the President led top government functionaries to flag off the Spud In, stating that the development signals “a new Nigeria with balanced resources distribution, diverse economic activities and sustained energy and security”. He emphasized that “oil and Gas remain critical to the Nigerian economy of today and the future. It remains key to the successful implementation of our budget at all levels of Government”.
CJN Commends Wike For His Achievements, Says He Is Glad Makinde Is A Member Of The G5
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Olukayode Ariwoola, has commended the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike for his achievements as a governor. 
According to him, Wike after his tenure as governor would be remembered for leaving a legacy in Rivers State worthy of emulation.
Naija News reports that the CJN said this on Thursday in Port Harcourt during a banquet held in his honour.
Ariwoola’s commendation follows the several inaugurations of projects by the governor, who said he will keep inaugurating more projects until his last day in office.
The CJN, who is Wike’s Guest of Honour for some of the projects he wants to commission today in the state expressed gladness that the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde is a member of the G5 governors.
The G5 group consist of the five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors led by Wike and now also known as the integrity governors.
Other members are the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom who is the Chairman, the Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu, Seyi Makinde and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State.
Popular Gospel Singer, Sammie Okposo Is Dead
Popular Nigerian Gospel singer, Sammie Okposo is dead.
Naija News reports that the 51-year-old music producer slumped and died on Friday morning, November 25, 2022.
This publication gathered that Sammie has been in the hospital for some days where he was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
He was said to have been recuperating but unfortunately, his health deteriorated on Friday morning leading to his death.
His project manager, Hillary Vincent, also confirmed the news to PUNCH but failed to disclose the cause of the death.
Responding to inquiries, he said, “Yes it’s true. It happened this morning.”
This is coming a few months after the singer was enmeshed in a messy cheating scandal which lead to a break from his ministerial work.
Court Sacks 69 APC Council Chairmen In Osun
The Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, has sacked sixty-nine council chairmen in Osun State over alleged irregularities in the election that brought them to seat.
The judgement was passed on Friday (today) by Justice Nathaniel Ayoola who affirmed that the polls conducted by the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) on October 15th 2022 contravened Sections 29 and 32 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
In this regard, Ayoola relieved chairmen of 30 Local Government Areas, 32 Local Council Development Areas, 7 Area Offices, and 393 counsellors in Osun State elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The judge maintained that “OSIEC law is inconsistent with sections 29 & 32 2022 Electoral Act that provides 180 days notice.
“Notice of election is fundamental. Section 150(3) of the Electoral Act says any election conducted in violation of the provision of the law shall be invalid. I hold the view that the plaintiff has made a good case. The case is held in favour of the plaintiff and against the respondents.”
Nigerians Will Never Forget Buhari’s Administration – Femi Adesina
President Muhammadu Buhari‘s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said on Thursday that Nigerians would forever be grateful for the incumbent administration.
The presidential aide said this in his latest publication, highlighting the projects done by his principal in the last seven years in government since he took over from the previous administration in 2015.
In his renewed argument titled ”IN BUHARI’S TIME, OIL IS FINALLY FOUND IN THE NORTH,” Adesina said Buhari has so much love for the country and has had his name written in gold by continuing to work in the interest of Nigeria without paying attention to traducers.
Adesina commended President Buhari for the recent flag-off of the Kolmani Oil in Bauchi and Gombe State. The first oil exploration firm in the Northern part of the country.
2023: INEC Releases New Guidelines For Campaigns, Party Funding
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released new guidelines for political campaigns and election expenses of political parties, candidates, and aspirants.
Naija News reports that National Commissioner and INEC Spokesman, Festus Okoye, made this known in a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja.
Okoye said that the commission met and deliberated on several issues including the publication and release of the guidelines for the conduct of political rallies and funding of political parties, candidates, and aspirants.
He said Section 88 of the Electoral Act provides that the maximum election expenses to be incurred by a candidate at a presidential election shall not exceed ₦5,000,000,000.
Okoye added that the maximum amount of election expenses to be incurred by a candidate in respect of the governorship election shall not exceed ₦1,000,000,000, while Section 88 (8) provides that no individual or other entity shall donate to a candidate more than N50,000,000.
Court Halts Establishment Of Nigeria Air Indefinitely
The establishment of the proposed Nigeria Air, by the Federal Government has been stopped by the Federal High Court.
Naija News reports that Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa on Thursday asked the Federal Government and domestic airlines to maintain status quo in their suit relating to the establishment of the airline.
Justice Ambrose gave the order pending the determination of the suit filed by the Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria and five others in the aviation industry.
The four other plaintiffs in the suit include Azman Air Services Limited, Air Peace Limited, Max Air Limited, United Nigeria Airlines Company Limited, and Topbrass Aviation Limited, who were the first to sixth plaintiffs.
The first to fourth defendants include Nigeria Air Limited, Ethiopian Airlines, Senator Hadi Sirika (Minister of Aviation, Federal Ministry of Aviation), and the Attorney-General of the Federation.
After a series of legal work, the judge, on Thursday, ordered that the national carrier should be halted and subsequently adjourned the case till February 2023.
One of the Chief Executive Officers of the domestic carriers, Captain Edward Boyo, issued a fresh suit seeking the name of the Board of Registered Trustees of the Airline Operators of Nigeria to be removed from the suit on the grounds that members of the association did not agree to sue the Federal Government over the national carrier project.
Niger Delta: Asari Dokubo Makes Revelation About Oil Theft
The leader of the Niger Delta Peoples Volunteer Force (NDPVF), Asari Dokubo on Friday revealed some things about oil theft in the Niger Delta region.
According to Dokubo, individuals who fund the criminals behind oil theft in the region are not from the zone.
He further stated that people from the region who are found guilty of oil theft are not up to one percent of the population.
Dokubo disclosed this during an interview on Channels TV on Friday morning.
He noted that most of the oils that are stolen from the Niger Delta are taken to Togo and Ghana, adding that the government is aware of it.
Osun Tribunal Orders INEC Chairman To Produce Adeleke’s Result
The Osun Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Osogbo, has ordered the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to produce the results used by the Osun State governor-elect Ademola Adeleke for the 2018 governorship election in the state.
The Tribunal on Wednesday granted a subpoena/request ordering the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the INEC in the state, to produce the nomination form and academic certificates used by Adeleke in the 2018 governorship election.
Naija News understands that the Tribunal Chairman, Justice Tertsea Kume, gave the order in his ruling on Friday because the INEC REC for the state had failed to produce the document tagged, “INEC Form CF001,” which was demanded by the counsel for the All Progressive Congress (APC), the petitioners.
Justice Kume after hearing the arguments and counterarguments by both the petitioners and the respondent’s counsels as regards the INEC Form CF001 said the petitioner(APC) had shown enough grounds with regard to their application/subpoena request of the document.
2023: LP, SDP Knock Adamu Over Concern Raised On BVAS
The Labour Party has criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, over his stance on the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the 2023 general election.
Naija News reports that Adamu had expressed concern over the use of BVAS and other technology to transmit results electronically in next year’s general polls.
Adamu raised the concern when he received a Commonwealth delegation on the 2023 general election in his office at the party secretariat on Wednesday.
However, in a statement on Thursday, the APC Spokesman, Felix Morka, said the ruling party would never kick against the use of technology in the 2023 election.
Morka said the party’s national chairman was quoted out of context concerning his position on the use of BVAS and other technology during Wednesday’s meeting.
Reacting to the development in a chat with The Punch on Thursday, the LP Spokesman, Abayomi Arabambi, argued that Adamu’s stance was a subtle strategy aimed at putting pressure on the electoral umpire to discard the BVAS.
Arabambi asserted that the statement that claimed the Adamu recanted is enough to indicate that the APC is afraid of losing the 2023 election.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.
The post Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 26th November, 2022 appeared first on Naija News.
