Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian newspapers:
1. The Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, Wednesday, upheld the election of President Muhammadu Buhari as the actual winner of the February 23 presidential election. It also said it has come to an inevitable conclusion that the petitioners have not proved any of the grounds of the petition as known by law and consequently discarded the petition in its entirety. The court dismissed Atiku and PDP’s petition in its entirety.
2. The Federal Government, on Wednesday said all borders will continue to remain closed until border countries agreed with the Nigeria’s terms. This was stated by the Controller General of the Nigerian Customs Service Col. Hamid Ali during a border monitoring tour at Maigatari, In Jigawa state. He said border security is the key to national security. He explained that the borders were closed to checkmate three issues, including importation of arms and ammunitions, smuggling and human trafficking. Hamid further stated that since the bordering countries cannot help Nigeria in curbing the problems, Nigeria must design a way to protect its citizens.
3. A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday cleared a former Cross River State governor Mr Donald Duke of his N537,334,360.77 debt to Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) after he paid N350 million as final settlement. The court discharged its August 21 interim order which had permitted AMCON and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) to seize Duke’s properties and funds in his accounts. Justice Nicholas Oweibo cleared Duke following settlement terms filed and moved by AMCON’s legal team from Benson Reeds Legal Practitioners, Abuja. AMCON counsel, Juliet Benson, told the judge that Duke had fulfilled the terms of the out-of-court settlement and both parties had agreed to the terms. 4. Unknown gunmen on Wednesday killed Rev. Alhamdu Mangadus, a resident pastor of Nasara Baptist Church, Asso Community in Jema’a Local Government area of Kaduna State. The pastor, according to a source, was killed while in his farm. The source said the gunmen alleged to be Fulani militias were said to have opened fire on the pastor while he was working in the farm at around 1pm.
5. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the judgment of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which upheld President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory. The party expressed shock over the judgement, adding that there were so many errors as the Tribunal failed to prove fair justice. It described the judgement as provocative, barefaced subversion of justice and direct assault on the integrity of our nation’s justice system. PDP further urged Nigerians to be encouraged as the party would seek justice at the Supreme Court.
6 President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday said the ruling of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal on the February 23, 2019 poll, is victory for Nigerians who trooped out to overwhelmingly elect him for a second term in office. He also urged his opponent and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar to join hands with him to move the country forward. He dedicated the victory to God, and to Nigerians, while also commending the judiciary for dispensing justice without fear or favour.
7. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, on Wednesday approved about N182 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of various roads across the country. The Minister of State for Works and Housing, Alhaji Abubakar Aliyu, said this while briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the maiden FEC meeting held at the Presidential Council Chamber, Abuja. He disclosed that the first segment of the approval was for the extension of the Lagos-Badagry express road to Nigeria’s border with Benin Republic at the cost of N15.2 billion.
8. The Middle Belt Forum, MBF, on Wednesday, rejected the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal’s dismissal of the petition by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, candidate against the election of President Muhammadu Buhari. National President of MBF, Dr Bitrus Porgu, said that the Supreme Court has the final say on the matter. He said the Forum believes the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. He said ordinarily they felt the President Buhari didn’t win; but the judgement now is in his favour.
9. The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday hailed the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal which dismissed in its entirety the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Alh. Atiku Abubakar. The party congratulated President Buhari, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo SAN, members and all well meaning Nigerians. The APC also congratulated the Judiciary for refusing to succumb to the opposition party’s subterfuge. The party said the judgment, no doubt, would go down in the annals of the nation as the longest and detailed, spanning almost 10 hours. It said the Judgement by the five-member validates the decision of most Nigerians to do away with the past as expressed in their overwhelming votes in the 2019 elections.
10. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige yesterday promised to end the disagreement on the consequential adjustment and salary relativity. Ngige, who made the promise to Labour Writers in Abuja said that the disagreement was responsible for the delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage. While the Federal Government proposed 9.5 per cent salary increase for employees on grade levels 07 to 14 and five per cent for those on grade levels 15 to 17, labour is demanding 30 per cent increase for officers on grade levels 07 to 14 and 25 per cent increase for grade levels 15 to 17. But, speaking on Wednesday, Ngige said the decision to end the disagreement was to avoid the burden the backlog of arrears, the new minimum wage, would pose to state governments.
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