10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Thursday morning, January 9, 2020

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will interest you this Thursday morning.

1. Why Boko Haram insurgency won’t end now – Ndume

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, Ali Ndume, on Wednesday blamed the insurgency on lack of resources and inadequate military personnel. He said that except the Federal Government addresses those issues the country would continue to have the challenge of terrorism in the North-East. Read more

2. Buhari is a failed leader, can’t nominate a good successor —PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buhari as a failed leader and said he could not nominate a good successor. The party also said that Buhari did not have confidence in his administration and his All Progressives Congress (APC) party. It claimed that the presidency’s continuous reference to a presidential successor less than a year into President Buhari’s second tenure was a direct acceptance of failure and lack of capacity of the Buhari administration to manage the affairs of a nation as complex as Nigeria. Read more

3. S’Court’s validation of the election of Ikpeazu, our other governors good for democracy —PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Wednesday hailed the decision of the Supreme Court to uphold the elections of Governors Okezie Ikpeazu, Ifeanyi Okowa, and Darius Ishaku of Abia, Delta and Taraba states respectively. The party in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, noted that the ruling was an inevitable validation of the wishes and aspiration of the people as expressed in the March 2019 governorship elections in the respective states. Read more

4. Supreme Court’s verdict a reaffirmation of people’s mandate – Gov Bello

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, on Wednesday described his victory at the Supreme Court as the will of God and reaffirmation of the people’s mandate. The governor said the victory would enable his government to now “focus on meeting its mandate to Nigerlites.” The apex court had on Wednesday dismissed the appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mohammed Nasko, challenging Bello’s victory in 2019 governorship election in Niger State. Read more

5. APC not different from PDP in ideology —Shittu

A former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, said on Wednesday there was no much difference between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in terms of ideological approach to governance. He also said the APC may find it difficult to get votes in 2023 general elections if the party failed to put its house in order. The former minister stated these in Osogbo, Osun State, while featuring on The Frontliners, a programme organised by Association of Veteran Journalists in the state. Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Wednesday morning, January 8, 2020

6. Jalingo’s detention, a distraction to your govt, Seadogs tell Ayade

The continuing detention of a journalist, Agba Jalingo has been described as a distraction for the administration of Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State by the state chapter of the National Association of Seadogs. Jalingo, the publisher of an online publication, Crossriverwatch, was arrested in August in Lagos and charged to court in Calabar, the Cross River State capital on charges bordering on treason for criticising Ayade. His trial has been without much progress. The association, in a statement by its chapter President, Sir Maurice Ibok, appealed to Ayade to consider intervening in the matter for the release of the detained journalist. Read more

7. Jonah Jang’s trial to resume afresh Jan 21

A former Governor of Plateau State, Jonah Jang will be returning to the courts on 21 of January, 2020 in a fresh start to his fraud and money laundering charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). This followed the reassignment of his case to Justice Christy Dabup by the Chief Judge of the state after the former judge handling the case, Justice Daniel Longji, retired last week. Justice Longji had been handling the case since March 2018. Read more

8. IMO CRISIS: Ihedioha’s suspension of council chiefs a disdain for rule of law, democracy – Group

A group in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo State has backed the decision of the suspended local government chairmen in the state to invade the councils following the refusal to the state government to reinstate them in compliance with a Supreme Court ruling on the matter. The apex court held that the state government had no powers to sack elected local government chairmen. The faction, supposedly loyal to the state former governor, Senator Rochas Okorocha, in a statement on Wednesday berated the state governor, Emeka Ihedioha, for suspending the council chairmen in the first place. Read more

9. Man in police custody for kidnapping two children in Ondo

One Nsem Godwin has been arrested by the Ondo State Police Command for allegedly abducting two children, aged four months and 9 years in Okitipupa, Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was arrested after he was caught with the two abducted kids on Monday. According to the spokesman of the state police command, Femi Joseph, while confirming the development on Wednesday, the suspect was arrested by the Saver Highway police patrol team while he was attempting to escape with the victims. Read more

10. Kano govt rescues children, shuts down ‘illegal’ orphanage facility

The Kano State Government has announced that it has rescued 19 children from an illegal orphanage home named Du Merci. Du Merci Orphanage Home is in Nomansland, Kano state. In a statement issued on Wednesday by a special adviser to the Kano state Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, on Child Welfare and Women Mobilization, Fatima Dala said that the children had been transferred to a state-owned orphanage home after the shutdown. Mrs Dala, who commended security agencies for their role in rescuing the children, noted that the founder of the orphanage home, Solomon Richard, had been apprehended and would face justice. Read more

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