10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Wednesday morning, December 4, 2019

These 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers will interest you this Wednesday morning, December 4,  2019.

1. INEC will never undermine electoral process – Yakubu

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said on Tuesday the Commission would never connive with any political party or institution to undermine the electoral process. He said it is inconceivable that INEC would go the whole hog to put in place electoral safeguards only to turn around and act in the breach. Yakubu, who stated this during a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja however lamented that Attorneys General and Commissioners of Justice in states often enter a “nolle prosequi” to stop the prosecution of electoral offenders. Read more

2. ‘APC, a soulless mob, a marauder and murderous pillager,’ PDP knocks ruling party over comments on Kogi, Bayelsa polls

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has advised security agencies to probe leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), over purported revelations that certain APC leaders were behind the violence that marred the November 16 elections in Bayelsa and Kogi States.

PDP made this call in reaction to what it called shocking attempts by the APC to “dismiss nationwide calls for electoral reforms, with allusions by its spokesperson, Lanre Issa-Onilu, that “no amount of reform” can help PDP’s outcry and demand for violence-free election in Nigeria.” Read more

3. Buhari commissions what Nigerian Army claims is first ever locally manufactured war vehicle

President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday commissioned the first-ever made in Nigeria military war vehicle otherwise known as ‘Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected vehicles.’ The vehicle which would be used for military operations in the North-East, was commissioned in Kaduna at the opening of the 2019 Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference. The war vehicle code-named ‘Ezugwu’ was manufactured by the Defence Industrial Corporation of Nigeria, Kaduna. While in Kaduna, the President also commissioned the ultra-modern Army Reference Hospital. Read more

4. PDP has shown shocking incapacity to play opposition role —APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday berated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over its alleged failure to play the role of an opposition party. The APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, stated this in a statement.

He said the PDP, rather than engage the governing party intellectually, had instead engaged itself with “idle chatter, propagation of fake news, post-election delusions and other unpatriotic conduct.” The party, therefore, called on other registered political parties to step up and perform the opposition role, it said the PDP failed to play. Read more

5. Hate speech bill one of the craziest ideas ever ―Bishop Oyedepo

Founder and General Overseer of the Living Faith Church, Bishop David Oyedepo, has described the controversial hate speech bill as an attempt to silence Nigerians. The Hate Speech bill, sponsored by the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, is supposedly to address issues of discrimination, hostility and violence in Nigeria. Speaking at Shiloh 2019 tagged ‘Breaking Limit’, Oyedepo said “Hate speech is one of the most crazy idea ever.” Read more

Read also: 10 top stories from Nigerian newspapers Tuesday morning, December 3, 2019

6. ‘Frivolous, vexatious and contemptuous,’ Sowore says on DSS latest attempt to transfer him to correctional facility

The detained convener of the RevolutionNow protest, Omoyele Sowore, on Tuesday rejected a fresh application filed by the Department of State Service (DSS) at the Federal High Court, Abuja, to transfer him to a correctional facility. Sowore, who has been in detention since August 2, accused the DSS of deliberately frustrating the execution of the court order that granted bail to him and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare. The duo, in a preliminary objection they filed through their lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), described the application to hand them over to the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) as “frivolous, vexatious and a contemptuous abuse of the judicial process.” Read more

7. Nigeria governed by “cow lovers and pedophiles,” Fani-Kayode laments

Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode has lamented the state of affairs of the country while also expressing his resentment at those who currently govern Nigeria. The chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a series of tweets posted on his official time-line on Tuesday said that Nigeria was currently governed by “cow lovers and pedophiles.”

Fani-Kayode who further described those governing Nigeria as religious bigots and ethnic supremacists said the country had been led by inferiors as a result of the decision of a lot of people not to participate in politics. Read more

8. Nigeria is a peace, justice-loving country, where there is no impunity, Malami says

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has described Nigeria as a peace and justice loving country devoid of impunity. He stated this in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations, Dr. Umar Gwandu.

He was said to have made the claim on Monday, when he presented Nigeria’s statement during the opening of the five-day 18th session of the assembly of state parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, The Hague, in the Netherlands. Read more

9. Community members rescue abducted Bayelsa students

The three abducted female students of the Bayelsa State College of Health Technology, Otuogidi, Ogbia local government area of the state have been rescued from their kidnappers den. The students were rescued on Tuesday evening at the kidnappers den in the mangrove swamp by a search party put in place by the community folks who combed the forest and creek. One of the kidnappers was said to have escaped into the creek while two others were apprehended and burnt alive by an angry mob. Read more

10. IKOYI ELECTROCUTION: Injured inmates discharged from hospital

The injured inmates of Monday’s electrocution at the Ikoyi Medium Security Custodial Centre have been treated, discharged and returned to custody, a prison official said on Tuesday. The Spokesman of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Francis Enobore, who confirmed the development, said the cell where the disaster occurred was overcrowded at the time of the incident. Read more

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