Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Civil society organizations and a security expert have criticized Senate President Godswill Akpabio for linking the killings of 16 military personnel in Delta State to foreign mercenaries. The troops were killed while on a peace mission to the warring communities of Okuoma and Okoloba. Akpabio spoke during plenary when the Senate resolved to constitute a committee to unravel the circumstances behind the military personnel's killings. He urged a thorough investigation to determine whether the perpetrators were mercenaries outside Nigeria.Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) and Transparency International-Nigeria (TI-Nigeria), criticized Akpabio's comments, stating that a criminal is a criminal regardless of their origin. The Executive Director of the CLEEN Foundation, Gad Peter, said political leaders should be careful about their comments "after incidents or crimes have taken place."
Chairman of the Senate Committee on Defence, Ahmad Lawan, described the soldiers' killings as an assault on security and stability of the Niger Delta region. He urged security agencies to investigate the killings, bring the perpetrators to justice, and restore peace and order in the area.

President Muhammadu Buhari's body language as to his preferred candidate for the presidential ticket of the All Progressive Congress (APC) has unsettled aspirants such as Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo, national leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi. The lack of clarity on the president's direction is fuelling agitation among the aspirants and their supporters as the deadline for the conduct of the political parties' primaries approaches.

Crisis has hit the Kebbi State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the emergence of a factional leadership under a former Chairman of the party, Bala Sani Kangiwa. A top shot of the party and member of the new faction, Abdulllahi Mohammed Lamba, said the division became necessary following impunity in the conduct of the last state congress. His faction enjoys the support of senators Adamu Aliero and Yahaya Abdullahi of Kebbi Central and North senatorial districts, and is in control of all the 21 local government offices of the party. A federal lawmaker from the state has described the emergence of the faction as part of moves by Aliero's camp to seek attention after losing its structure during the just concluded party congress. Patrick Obahiagbon, a former member of the House of Representatives and Chieftain of the APC, has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari and the top echelon of the party to propound a pathway ahead of the 2023 general elections.

He also advised party members not to allow their personal and selfish interests to override the interest of the party. However, efforts to speak to the State Chairman of APC, Abubakar Kana Zuru, proved abortive as he did not pick calls to his number or reply to a text message sent to him. However, a source at the APC national secretariat said the Buni-led national caretaker committee would move in fast to address the issue.

The Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reconciled the Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya and a former governor of the state, Senator Danjuma Goje. The meeting was attended by former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, senators and former governors of Borno State, Senator Kashim Shettima and Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, among others. The reconciliation has further stamped the authority of the party in the state, and the party will continue to explore ways of resolving differences among stakeholders amicably ahead of the 2023 general elections.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the auspices of the Centre for Leadership Legacy International have urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritise competence and character over party patronage when appointing ministers. In a statement issued yesterday in Abuja, the Executive Director of the Centre, Dr. Yakubu Yiri Idris, reminded the president that the buck stops with him and that if he fails to meet Nigerians’ expectations due to the appointment of people of questionable character, he will have to answer to posterity.

He also stated that the president should not appoint people who have failed in previous leadership roles to his administration, but rather people with proven pedigree and track records.

Supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have stated that Nigeria’s democracy should be protected and defended by all for the sake of the country’s peace and stability. In a statement issued yesterday, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) Vanguard acknowledged the contributions of late Chief MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the June 12, 1993 presidential election, saying he should be remembered for championing the course of Nigeria’s democratic struggle.

While reflecting on the gains of June 12, Femi Ibitoye, Publicity Secretary of BAT Vanguard, emphasized that the nation must honor its past while securing the future, and praised former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, for his role in the fight against insecurity in the country.