Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Campaign poster of Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, vying for 2023 presidential election emerged during the week. The poster has Oshiomhole with Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai side by side as his running mate. The campaign poster was cited in Ikeja, Lagos State with the message: “Mandate 2023.”
2. The governorship primary election ended abruptly in the early hours of Wednesday when gunmen invaded the venue of the election, Lokoja Confluence Stadium. Voting had ended and sorting of votes were going on when the gunmen came to the venue at about 1:45a.m. and started shooting from different directions. Votes in eight out of the 10 ballot boxes have already been counted and sorted out before the disruption by the gunmen. Aspirants, delegates and others scampered for safety while the number of casualty has yet to be ascertained. The winner of the primary will slug it out with incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello, who won the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket last week.
3. President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday expressed deep concern, over the attacks on Nigerian citizens and property in South Africa since August 29, 2019. Buhari also dispatched special envoy to his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa. The President instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, to summon the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria and get a brief on the situation; express Nigeria’s displeasure over the treatment of her citizens; and assurance of the safety of their lives and property.
4. South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, on Tuesday, condemned the recent attack on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country. Ramaphosa, in a tweet on his official Twitter page, said there is no justification for the attack on foreign nationals. He was reacting to the looting and burning of businesses and property belonging to foreigners in South Africa which began on Sunday. The South African leader said condemned the violence that has been spreading around a number of the provinces in the strongest terms. He assured of convening the ministers in the security cluster to make sure that they keep a close eye on the acts of wanton violence and find ways of stopping them.
5. The Nigerian embassy in South Africa on Tuesday condemned the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians living in the country. The embassy appealed to Nigerians in South Africa to remain calm and avoid any precipitated action. It also called on all Nigerian victims to report their situation to the Consulate, adding that ”a victim list is being compiled for engagement with the South African government. The High Commission of Nigeria in Pretoria said it views with concern the ongoing loss of lives, arson, and looting of properties in some parts of Gauteng Province of South Africa.
6. Irate Nigerian youths on Tuesday invaded an outlets of Shoprite, MTN, DSTV and other South African owned businesses in Lagos State. The youths, who were reacting to the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians residing in South Africa were chanting violent songs during the attack. Men of the Nigeria Police Force, however, prevented the youths from breaking into the offices. The protest, however led to the death of one of the protesters while a police van was set ablaze.
7. Ahead of the Public Service Negotiating Council meeting on the new minimum wage, slated for September 4, the President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, on Tuesday said the union will support whatever position the General Council adopts. Labour has been at odds with the Federal Government over the implementation of a new minimum wage that was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18. Wabba said the consequential adjustment agreement between the NLC and government was at the sectorial level, explaining that once they were able to take a definite decision, the NLC would support the decision.
8. Five Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirants in Kogi State on Tuesday stepped down, ahead of the party’s forthcoming primary election. The five aspirants from Kogi East stepped down for the immediate past Governor of the State, Capt. Idris Wada (rtd). The decision of the aspirants to step down was disclosed by the Vice-Chairman, Kogi East Elders Council (KEEC) and former Minister of State for Health, Arch. Gabriel Aduku, while addressing journalists in Lokoja, the state capital, on Tuesday. Aduku said the decision to prevail on the other aspirants to collapse their structure into Wada was in the overall interest of the party and the state. He listed those who stepped down to include: Mrs. Grace Iye Adejoh, AVM Saliu Atawodi (retd.), Dr Victor Adoji, Mohammed Tetes and Emmanuel Omebije.
9. Niger Delta militant group, the Reformed Niger Delta Avengers, RNDA, on Tuesday threatened to blow up oil installations and facilities in the region and bring the country to its knees. RNDA vowed to carry out its threats should the Federal Government go ahead with the purported plan to take away supervision of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, from Ministry of Niger Delta to the Office of Secretary to Government of the Federation, OSGF. RNDA said they will bring the nation to its knees and return Nigeria to the era of another recession if the Secretary to Federal Government and the so-called selfish self-centered, greedy power-drunken politicians refuse to stop their evil arrangement.
10. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said its findings revealed that some politicians were sponsored for election by internet fraudsters, vowing to expose both the politicians and their sponsors soon. This was disclosed by the Zonal Head of EFCC, Port Harcourt Zone, Abdulrasheed Bawa on Tuesday in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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