Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, 20th November 2018 as public holiday to mark the Eid-El Maulud celebration. This was announced by the Minister of Interior, Lt Gen (rtd) Abdulrahman Dambazau, on Tuesday in a statement signed by the permanent secretary, Dr. M.B Umar. He urged all Muslim faithful to align themselves with the prophet’s teachings which border on piety, charity, tolerance and peaceful co-existence, among others.
2. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to order for the immediate resignation of Rotimi Amaechi as the Minister of Transportation to demonstrate his ‘touted’ integrity. The party in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan accused Amaechi, as the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation of using government fund to campaign for Buhari.
3.The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has stated that there was no harmony in the Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi presidential ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. Oshiomhole addressed the State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday. The former Governor of Edo State said the choice of Obi as the running mate was not acceptable to his people in the South East.
4. President Muhammadu Buhari has said the split within the Ohanaeze Ndigbo socio-cultural group over the endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, did not surprise him. Speaking at a meeting with a select group of South-East leaders on Friday, Buhari said the moment the resolution was announced, he got calls from well-meaning leaders from the region asking him to disregard it as it was without any substance.
5. Officers and men attached to the Eagle-Net Special Squad under the Delta State Police Command have uncovered a gun factory in Oleh town, Isoko South Local Government Area of the state. Two persons, one Isaac Uroleh, 55, in company of another suspect, one Goodluck Ivivie, 53, were both arrested at the scene of crime during the operation by the squad. Items recovered included 29 single barrels, 15 expended cartridges and four live cartridges as well as sophisticated instruments used in the manufacturing of guns.
6. The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) of Friday met President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo A. Ayokunle, led the delegation. The body lamented that killings were still going on in the country and urged the president to take more proactive steps. CAN also said some persons in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were being shielded, just as it requested that relevant government and security agencies ensure a level playing field during the 2019 election.
7. The Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, has rejected the reported endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar by some Igbo leaders. The pro-Biafran group disagreed with the leaders, noting that there was no concrete, written and sealed agreement of what Atiku will do for Ndigbo. This was contained in a statement by the Media and Publicity Secretary of IPOB, Emma Powerful.
8. The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reduced the 14-year sentence against Senator Joshua Dariye, a former governor of Plateau State, to 10 years. The presiding judge of the court, Justice Stephen Adah, gave the ruling on Friday. He reduced the charges in the counts to 10 years, while the terms with two years are reduced to one year each. The sentences are to run concurrently.
9. President Muhammadu Buhari has again, given assurances of his determination to ensure free, fair and credible elections in 2019. Responding to a speech by a delegation of Imams and senior Islamic scholars from the 36 states of the federation at the State House on Friday, President Buhari said that a number of measures put in place have seen the gradual improvement of elections, as noticed in Edo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States from what he described as dismal and unacceptable levels witnessed in Rivers and Kogi States.
10. The United Progressives Party (UPP) has adopted President Muhammadu Buhari as its candidate for next year’s general election. UPP National Chairman, Chekwas Okorie, disclosed this to State House correspondents, after meeting with the President on Friday in Abuja. Okorie said the adoption of President Buhari would be further confirmed when the UPP leaders meet on Tuesday next week.
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