Top Nigerian Newspapers Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 21st December, 2021

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Ezenwoko's Blog roundup of top newspapers headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 21st December 2021

President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly failed to sign the 2021 Electoral Act Amendment Bill into law, Ezenwoko's Blog has learned.

According to a report on Vanguard, President stated reasons he declined assent to the bill in a letter forwarded to Senate President Ahmad Lawan, which will be read during Tuesday plenary.

The newspaper quoted a source as saying that one of the reasons given by the President is that assenting to the bill would cause trouble among the political parties in the country.

According to the source, another reason given by the President is that the direct primaries mode of picking candidates by political parties in the amended Electoral Act was dangerous to the political atmosphere.

The source added that the President supported parties conducting their primaries either directly or Indirectly, adding that their various constitutions support such provisions.

The federal high court sitting in Abuja, the nation's capital city has ruled that Senator Andy Uba is not a valid candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2021 Anambra governorship election held on November 6.

The court in a ruling on Monday by the presiding judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo said the APC didn't conduct a valid primary election.

Ekwo further instructed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete all records about Uba's participation in the Anambra governorship polls from its records.

He also ruled that the APC should pay the plantiff, George Moghalu the sum of N22,500,000 which he paid for the expression of interest and nomination forms since the party failed to conduct a valid primary.

The Judge held that Moghalu was able to prove his case that Uba emerged from an illegal APC primary, hence APC does not have a candidate in the 2021 Anambra governorship election.

Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), has listed the major causes of the security challenges facing the country.

Nigeria's Ambassador to the Republic of Benin stated that a weak judiciary, inept educational system, bad leadership, corruption and others are the major drivers of insecurity in the country.

Buratai made this known on Monday at the groundbreaking and fundraiser for Tukur Buratai Research Centre (TBRC) at Gora in Nasarawa State.

Buratai explained that Nigeria has potential for greatness, but it lacks the capabilities to transfer those potentials into socio-economic benefits for the people.

The Supreme Court has reversed the ruling which convicted a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Joseph Nwobike, of perversion of justice.

Ezenwoko's Blog reports that the senior lawyer was convicted in 2018 by Justice Raliatu Adebiyi of the Lagos State High Court over an attempt to pervert the course of justice, offer a bribe and give false information.

Nwobike was jailed for 30 days on 12 of 18 count charges levelled against him by Nigeria's anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The court ruled that the lawyer was jailed for being in constant communication with some court officials to influence the assignment of his cases to preferred judges.

Following his conviction, Nwobike was suspended and stripped of his SAN title by the Legal Practitioners Privileges Committees (LPPC).

Barring any last minute change, the Nigerian Senate will pass the 2022 budget into law on Tuesday.

Recall that on October 7, President Muhammadu Buhari presented the 2022 budget to a joint session of the National Assembly.

The Nigerian leader presented the federal government's total expenditure of N16.45 trillion, but the Senate Committee on Finance reduced it to N16.39 trillion.

Speaking with reporters on Monday, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Barau Jibrin, said the budget will be presented and considered during Tuesday plenary.

He disclosed that the budget has not been laid and considered due to delay from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Jibrin said his committee is waiting for INEC to provide details of what it needs for the forthcoming 2023 general election.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Anambra governorship election, Senator Andy Uba, says his candidacy is legal and constitutional.

He added that the APC primaries which saw him emerge as the party's governorship candidate in the November 6 election remain valid.

Uba made this known in a statement issued on Monday by the spokesman of the Senator Andy Uba Governorship Organisation (SAUGCO), Ikechukwu Emeka Onyia.

According to Onyia, Uba and the APC will appeal the judgment, adding that the court decision was not in the best interest of the Anambra people.

Onyia argued that the plans by APGA against Andy Uba and APC will fail, saying the judgement will stop the APC candidate from proving his petition at the tribunal.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna State do not care about victims of banditry.

Ezenwoko's Blog reports that the forum made the claim while reacting to the killing of 38 people by bandit terrorists in Giwa Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

On Sunday, Kaduna Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, had said that bandits killed the victims during an attack on Kauran Fawa, Marke and Riheya villages in the Idasu area of the state.

In a statement on Monday issued by its spokesman, Emmanuel Yawe, the ACF said the President and Northern Governors have failed to show more empathy to residents of banditry-hit communities.

The group advised the federal and state governments to show the people that they care and sympathise with them by visiting communities attacked by bandits.

It, therefore, joined governor El-rufai and President Buhari in consoling those who lost loved ones during the latest attack.

The Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday stated that it took good care of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), popularly known as Shiites, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky while he was in their custody.

The secret police made the submission on Monday while reacting to allegations by El-Zakzaky that the money meant to take care of him and his wife while they were in custody was diverted.

Ezenwoko's Blog recalls the Shiite leader during an interview with Punch during the weekend said DSS diverted up to ₦4m meant for their monthly allowance including feeding.

He said they had to source funds for their own upkeep while in custody.

He also accused Nigerian security operatives of behaving like dreaded terrorists, claiming that security operatives hide their identities and dehumanize civilians while carrying out the government's order.

The Shiite leader claimed that security operatives are sent by the government to unleash terror on innocent Nigerians, adding that the officers have become an instrument of terrorism.

However, the DSS Public Relations Officer, Dr Peter Afunanya in a reaction on Monday to the allegation said there's no truth in what El-Zakzaky said.

Afunanya added that the DSS is guided by the rule of law and doesn't maltreat anyone in its custody.

Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State says the National Assembly is too weak to override President Muhammadu Buhari if he fails to assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Wike made this known on Monday during the flag-off of Chokocho-Igbodo Road in Etche Local Government Area of the state.

He argued that National Assembly members are not interested in protecting the interest of Nigerians and ensuring that elections are free and fair with the electronic transmission of election results.

The governor disclosed that President Buhari will decline assent to the bill in order to legal backing to electronic transmission of election results.

He alleged that the plan by the President to deny assent to the bill was part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheme to rig the 2023 general elections.

Wike stated that the APC members are afraid that if results are transmitted electronically, they will not survive the 2023 general elections.

Bandit kingpin, Bello Turji has reportedly written a letter to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle and the Emir of Shinkafi.

According to Turji, he would like to meet with traditional and religious leaders in the country, adding that Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, should be part of the meeting.

The bandit leader described Gumi as the one who understands bandits.

The letter which was shared by the bandit reads in part, “We are grateful to God who has given us this opportunity to bring this message to the Emir of Shinkafi, through the Governor of Zamfara state, Alh Mohammed Bello Matawalle (Braden Maradun) and to the President Mohammed Buhari.

“This is a letter (originally written in Hausa as seen below) from Mohammed Bello Turji Kachalla, the one we all know about.

“Having said that, I want the Emir of Shinkafi, the governor of Zamfara and the president, to look up to Allah and his Prophet.

Those are the top Nigerian newspapers headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Ezenwoko's Blog. See you again tomorrow.

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