Naija News: Top Stories Across Nigerian Newspapers, Thursday 19 January 2023

Naija News: Top Stories Across Nigerian Newspapers, Thursday 19 January 2023, can be accessed below.

1. The Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, yesterday, approved the proposal for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to invest N1.9 trillion in the reconstruction of 44 federal roads under the tax credit policy. Of this amount, N215.3 billion would be spent on South South and South East roads.

2. Presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Rabiu Kwankwaso, has dismissed the prospects of stepping down or joining forces with Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr. Peter Obi to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Kwankwaso spoke yesterday, at Chatham House, London, UK.

3. Two persons have been confirmed dead in a shootout between the police and suspected cultists, at Ndiegoro Community, in Aba South Local Government Area of Abia State. It was gathered that the suspected cultists had blocked a police patrol team from the Ndiegoro Division in the area, which led to a shootout between the two groups.

4. The naira on Wednesday exchanged at 461.25 to the dollar at the Investors and Exporters window. The figure represented an appreciation by 0.05 per cent compared with the 461.50 it exchanged on Tuesday.

5. The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani has promised to review some policies of the incumbent administration that the people consider unfavourable. Speaking at the governorship debate organised by BBC Hausa in Kaduna, on Wednesday, Sani said being human, Governor Nasir El-Rufai is bound to make certain mistakes.

6. The Edo State Government has confirmed the arrest of two village chiefs in connection with the January 7 train attack which resulted in the kidnap of 20 passengers at the Igueben train station. The State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, disclosed that seven other suspects have also been arrested.

7. Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed of the Federal High Court in Abuja yesterday, dismissed a suit seeking disqualification of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bola Ahmed Tinubu over their Muslim-Muslim candidacy for the 2023 presidential election. The suit instituted by an Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr Osigwe Ahmed Momoh was thrown out by the Judge on grounds of lack of locus standi by the plaintiff.ENT

8. Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi has said the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, will not be retiring midway into the general elections as earlier expected. He made the clarification while fielding questions from State House reporters after the first Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting of the year.

9. Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has told the party members they must show results of their polling units to gain appointments and contracts if elected as the next president. He said this on Wednesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, during a town hall meeting with the stakeholders.

10. Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has said the 2023 election is a fight to finish. Wike, who is the arrow head of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors opposed to Atiku Abubakar, the party’s Presidential candidate, said this during a rally of the PDP in Rivers.