10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Friday morning, February 14, 2020

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will make your Friday morning.

1. BAYELSA: APC rejects Supreme Court verdict, warns INEC

The Bayelsa State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has rejected the ruling by the Supreme Court which sacked its candidate David Lyon as the duly elected governor of the state. During a media briefing by APC stalwarts and other stakeholders in the state, the party which faulted the development said that it completely rejects the Supreme Court judgement which it described as procured, stating further that the ruling was not the wish of Bayelsans. Read more

2. BAYELSA: INEC meets on Supreme Court’s directive Friday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would meet on Friday to take a decision on the Supreme Court’s ruling which nullified the election of Bayelsa governor-elect, David Lyon. The apex court had in its ruling ordered the Commission to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Lyon and his deputy and present it to the candidate with the second-highest votes in the November 16, 2019 governorship election in the state. The court, however, gave a caveat that the candidate must have met the constitutional spread of votes in at least two-thirds of the local government areas in the state. Read more

3. Why PDP candidate can’t be sworn in as Bayelsa governor – Oshiomhole

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on Thursday evening declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Douye Diri, cannot be sworn in as Bayelsa Governor because he did not meet the constitutional requirements for such a position.

Oshiomhole, who addressed a press conference in Abuja, declared that nobody would be sworn in as new governor in Bayelsa State on Friday. According to him, the Supreme Court judgement did not order that the PDP governorship candidate be sworn in as governor of Bayelsa. Read more

4. PDP hails Supreme Court’s judgement on Bayelsa election as victory for democracy

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described Thursday’s nullification of the election of David Lyon as Bayelsa State governor-elect as a victory for democracy. The Supreme Court had earlier on Thursday directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of return earlier issued to Lyon and deputy governor-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremieoyo over controversy in the latter’s academic qualification. The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, while reacting to the development, said the ruling is a confirmation of the truism that indeed, judiciary remains the last hope of the common man. Read more

5. 1999, 2003 election results, data missing – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Thursday the results and data of the 1999 and 2003 general elections were missing. The INEC National Commissioner on Election and Party Monitoring, Prof. Anthonia Okosi-Simbina, disclosed this at a one-day workshop on the proposed compendium of the results for the 2007, 2011 and 2015 general elections, organised by the Nigerian Institute Of Social And Economic Research (NISER) in Ibadan, Oyo State. However, Okosi-Simbina said researchers did not find it difficult to trace the 2019 general election results which were already online. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Thursday morning, February 13, 2020

6. PDP TO OSHIOMHOLE: Your plot to trigger violence in Bayelsa has failed

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday described statements credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, on the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Bayelsa State governorship election as empty and inconsequential ranting. The APC chief had in his reaction to the apex court’s ruling, said the PDP governorship candidate, Duoye Diri, would not be inaugurated as Bayelsa governor because he did not meet the 2/3 constitutional requirement for the state. However, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party told Oshiomhole “to steer clear of Bayelsa State as his apparent plots to trigger violence in the state has failed.” Read more

7. Amotekun bill passes through two readings in Ekiti

The bill for the creation of Ekiti State Security Network Agency and Amotekun Corps passed through first and second readings at the State House of Assembly on Thursday. The bill was immediately committed to the House Committee on Security for proper scrutiny. The state executive council had on Wednesday adopted the draft bill of the proposed law as a state document after exhaustive deliberation at its weekly meeting before transmission to the House for legislative consideration. Read more

8. Disgruntled politicians hired thugs to boo Buhari in Maiduguri – Presidency

The Presidency on Thursday accused the disgruntled opposition politicians of paying miscreants to boo the President Muhammadu Buhari during his visit to Maiduguri, Borno State. The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated this during an interview with the Hausa Service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in Abuja. Some residents of the Borno State capital had on Wednesday, the President during his condolence visit to the state over last Sunday’s terror attack that killed over 30 travelers in Auno Town. Read more

9. We have defeated insurgency, but now face the challenge of terrorism —Buratai

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai has declared that troops of the Nigerian Army have been able to defeat insurgency in the northeastern part of Nigeria but now face the challenge of terrorism.

Buratai who made the submission on Thursday morning when he was featured on Arise Television also revealed that Boko Haram terrorists can be found everywhere in Nigeria including Lagos State. Speaking further, the COAS said that since members of Boko Haram terrorists group have been subdued in the North-east, they have moved to other parts of the country to promote fear. Read more

10. AUNO: Minister in sympathy visit to scene of Boko Haram massacre

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development, Sadiya Umar, on Thursday visited Auno in Borno State to sympathize with the people of the area over Sunday’s killing of over 30 travelers by Boko Haram insurgents. The minister said: “We are here on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari, who directed that the ministry should come and condole with the government and people of Auno, following the unfortunate attack by the Boko Haram.” Read more

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