Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 28th January 2023.
Mr President, This Your Best Is Disappointing!
With an eye on his legacy and hope that history will be kind to him, President Muhammadu Buhari has in recent weeks taken up the role of his own personal valedictorian, using every opportunity to utter farewell utterances. Quite uncharacteristic of him, he has been quite tenacious about laying the outlines of how his administration will be remembered. Unfortunately for him, smooth talk at twilight can’t compensate for nonchalance or indolence during the day. The President who has been mostly lethargic and laidback in his leadership style has suddenly taken over the role of his administration’s talking heads who should be impressing on Nigerians how Buhari will be sorely missed post-May 29, 2023.
The problem, however, is that the President while trying to lay the guideposts for his way out of power has made it clear that he had been living in an alternate universe all this while. Wouldn’t this always be the end of the leader who prefers to sequester himself from those he’s meant to be presiding over? It is indeed because Aso Villa has been a gilded cage for Buhari that he could tell Nigerians with a straight poker face that he has credibly discharged himself as President and has disappointed no one. Yet, the President couldn’t elaborate on how he has fulfilled his campaign promises. Against the run of play, he graded himself ‘A’ in an examination he set for himself.
Tribunal Sacks Adeleke As Osun Governor
The Osun State Election Petition Tribunal chaired on Friday has sacked Osun Governor, Ademola Adeleke. 
The ruling was given by a three-men panel led by Justice Tertse Kume.
The majority judgement of two judges against one ordered that the Certificate of Return should be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to Adegboyega Oyetola.
The majority judgement which was read by the Chairman, Justice Tertse Kume said Oyetola scored the majority lawful votes of 314, 921 against Adeleke’s 290, 266.
Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision, declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not comply substantially with theconstitutionn and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The tribunal sacked Adeleke for overvoting in some polling units across the State.
Adeleke Rejects Tribunal Ruling, Heads To Appeal Court
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has rejected the ruling of the Osun State election petition tribunal that sacked him as governor of the Southwest State.
Naija News reports that the tribunal, in a two versus one ruling, had declared Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the authentic winner of the election.
Reacting to the ruling in a statement by his media aide, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke stated that he would appeal the ruling.
Adeleke described the judgement of the governorship tribunal as “a miscarriage of justice”, vowing to challenge the ruling at the Court of Appeal.
The governor faulted the resolution of the over-voting question in favour of Oyetola, calling it “an unfair interpretation against the will of majority of voters”
While urging his supporters to remain calm, Governor Adeleke vowed to appeal the judgement at the Court of Appeal, insisting he remains the rightful winner of the July 16 election.
LP Campaign Council Speaks On Peter Obi Withdrawing From Presidential Race
The Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) has denied media reports that its standard bearer, Peter Obi, is planning to withdraw from the presidential race.
Naija News reports that the LP PCC made this known in a statement on Friday in reaction to reports that Obi is planning to step down for his counterpart in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
According to the statement issued by its media unit, the LP campaign council stated that its presidential candidate does not have any plan to quit the February 25 election or step down for anyone, describing the report as ridiculous and fake.
It also accused some unnamed political parties of cloning Obi’s image on gift items to paint a picture of one who is trying to swing votes in his favour through inducements.
Nasarawa Governor, Abdullahi Sule Loses Son (Photo)
Hassan Sule, son of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, has reportedly died.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Lafia on Friday by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Addra, Hassan died after a brief illness on Thursday night at the age of 36.
The statement stated that the deceased who got married to his first wife, Hajiya Sule, in June last year was Governor Sule’s eldest son.
It added that the late Hassan will be laid to rest in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area today at 10am.
Leave Atiku Out Of Your Plot To Blackmail Buhari – PDP Fires Tinubu
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has urged his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to leave me out of his plot to blackmail President Muhammadu Buhari.
The former vice president asked Tinubu not to drag him into his alleged feud with Buhari, which resulted in his open condemnation of the President’s monetary policy on redesigned Naira notes and his handling of the fuel scarcity rocking the nation.
Recall that speaking on Wednesday during the APC presidential campaign in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Tinubu claimed that there were plans to sabotage the 2023 elections and his success in the forthcoming polls.
Tinubu cited the lingering fuel crisis and naira redesign by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) as part of the plot to scuttle the poll and his expected victory.
Reacting, the flagbearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the spokesman for the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Tinubu was using the problems as an excuse for his imminent defeat.
Firing back, Tinubu, through the Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, said he was only drawing Buhari’s attention to saboteurs possibly working in cahoots with the PDP.
Onanuga stated that no political blackmail and attempt by the PDP campaign to create a conflict between Tinubu and Buhari, his long-term ally, could succeed.
Spokesperson of the Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organization, Kola Ologbondiyan, while reacting to Tinubu’s reaction to an earlier comment by the Atiku campaign organisation, described as pathetic Tinubu’s attempt to turn around to blame the PDP for his woes less than 24 hours after he stood on the public stage at his presidential campaign rally to accuse the Buhari administration of sabotage.
NEF Alleges Plot By Some Individuals To Interfere With 2023 Election
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has alleged some unidentified individuals are reportedly planning to interfere with the 2023 general elections starting February 25th.
The Director of Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, noted this in a statement issued on Friday, Naija News reports.
NEF, however, revealed its stand against any act capable of scuttling the initial plans for credible elections and a peaceful transition of power to another administration.
It said it had reviewed the difficult conditions under which Northerners and other Nigerians currently live, as well as concerns over the security of the elections, which will be conducted in February and March this year.
The Northern elites said rumours making the rounds suggest the possibility that the elections may not hold, and some kind of unconstitutional contraption may be forced on Nigerians after May this year.
NEF said those who peddle the rumours point to the near-desperate circumstances under which Nigerians live.
2023: ‘Buhari Too Busy To Attend All Tinubu’s Campaigns’
The presidential campaign council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday spoke on the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari in some campaigns of the party.
A member of the Public Affairs Directorate of the PCC, Mariya Ibrahim Baba on Friday said President Bubari is too busy to attend all the campaigns of the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu.
Mariya during an interview on Arise TV said President Buhari had marked out places he would accompany Tinubu for campaigns.
She further stated that it would not be wise for President Buhari to abandon all his duties as president for campaigns.
Mariya, however, stated that the president will be in Katsina very soon to campaign for Tinubu.
She said, “Buhari is still the president of Nigeria and he has work to do. If you notice he has outlined the places he will accompany the presidential candidate to campaign and he has been to other places even when we flagged off our campaign in Jos he was there and he’s going to be in Katsina very soon.
“But he is the sitting president and you don’t expect him to leave the office for the whole campaign period to go out to campaign when he has work to do. It doesn’t make sense.
“He has to divide his time into these two very important areas. As the president, he has to attend to his duties too.
“He has accompanied our candidate and he will continue to accompany him until election day.”
‘Judicial Magic’ – Shehu Sani Reacts As Tribunal Sacks Adeleke As Osun State Governor
Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani has reacted to the tribunal order which sacked Ademola Adeleke as the Governor of Osun State.
The former lawmaker in his reaction to the Friday ruling described the tribunal judgment as a sad day for democracy.
Naija News recalls the Election Petition Tribunal in Osun State on Friday declared Adegboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the July 16 governorship election in the state.
The tribunal headed by Justice Tertse Kume by its ruling overturned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which had declared Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the poll.
The tribunal in a majority judgment of two judges against one ordered that the Certificate of Return should be withdrawn from Adeleke and issued to Oyetola.
The majority judgement which was read by the Chairman, Justice Tertse Kume said Oyetola scored the majority lawful votes of 314,931 against Adeleke’s 219,666
The tribunal sacked Adeleke for the case of overvoting in some polling units across the State.
Justice Kume declared that INEC did not comply substantially with the Constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
However, Sani in his reaction seemed to hold a different opinion as he posted that what happened in Osun State is equal to judicial magic, adding that the development is sad for democracy.
The Senator wrote: “Osun state; Judicial magic. A sad day for Democracy.”
2023: I’ve Done My Best For This Country – Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari has said he has done his best to serve the country and hopes he will be remembered positively for his achievements while in office.
Buhari, who is on a two-day visit to Katsina State, said this on Thursday during the inauguration of some projects embarked on by Governor Aminu Masari-led administration.
In a statement released by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President hope that history will be kind to him and his administration after his tenure.
The Nigerian leader also commended the Katsina state government for its developmental efforts.
He said: “I have done my best, and I hope history will be kind to me.”
“Governance or leadership, as I have emphasised on many occasions, is an enormous responsibility embodying trust and requiring sacrifice so that the community of people that entrusted a leader with that burden can, in both short and long terms, stand to benefit from the uprightness of the leadership.
“In November 2022, I received a letter from the Governor of Katsina State, inviting me to pay a State Visit to commission projects executed by his administration. I was confident in giving my consent to the request.
“Firstly, I noticed that the Governor’s letter had already earmarked many projects that are beyond commissioning for a State Visit spanning only two days, and secondly, I was impressed by the transparency implied by the manner that each of the projects was associated with its cost of execution.
“I am under the impression that the Governor is using this occasion to announce his silent achievements, many of which were unknown till today.”
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, 28th January, 2023 appeared first on Naija News.
