Index to Nigerian Newspapers

Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, has joined the 2023 presidential election race, declaring his decision to vie for the number one seat. He met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, and said he would not be weighed down by Tinubu's entry into the race. He argued that the opposition party was not ready to cede the 2023 ticket to the Southeast, and that he stands a better chance if the APC throws the ticket open. He also proposed a political solution to the prevailing insecurity in the Southeast, which he said should not interfere with the judicial process. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu has declared his readiness to contest the APC Presidential ticket in 2023, if the party zones it to the South. He believes his own region, the Southeast, is ripe for the Presidency and has all it takes to match Tinubu's grit for grit and campaign for campaign.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has chosen February 26 for its national convention, but stakeholders have warned against forcing the party to hold an exercise that could further polarise members. Chairman of the CECPC and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, acknowledged the roles played by women during electioneering process, but warned against using the convention as a ruse to create a parallel national executive. The CECPC is planning to have a successful convention, but it is impossible due to by-elections and the wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, has called for better political deals for women. The APC Rebirth Group has flayed the governors over the circumstances leading to the resignation of the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Dr. Salihu Lukman.

The Balance and Equity Group (BEG) has urged South East politicians and technocrats to declare their intent to contest the 2023 presidential election. They have put structures in place to conduct a Presidential Interest Debate (PID) for all aspirants to select the best and acceptable candidate of Igbo extraction to be presented to Nigerians. They have commended Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi, former President of the Senate, Anyim Pius Anyim and former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu for declaring their interest, promising that any Igbo aspirant who emerges would make a good president for the country. Kalu has also been pressured to run for the presidency and visit President Muhammadu Buhari. Kalu is waiting to see if the APC cedes the presidency ticket to the South, while HURIWA has urged Nigerians to reject Umahi's presidential ambition, saying he is one of the worst civilian governors in Nigeria.

The Federal Government has suspended indefinitely its planned fuel subsidy removal and will amend the 2022 Appropriation Act to provide for subsidy payments from July 1. This was announced by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ms Zainab Ahmed, in a meeting with lawmakers at the National Assembly. The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited had revealed that Nigeria consumes 19.535 billion litres of petrol yearly, averaging 1.6 billion litres monthly. This brings yearly subsidy to about N4.6 trillion. The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threatened to embark on a nationwide protest against the planned removal of fuel subsidy in the 2022 budget signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. The Finance Minister, Timipre Sylva, and the Group Managing Director of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, met with the National Assembly leadership to amend the law to provide for an extension of subsidy provision beyond June 2022. Sylva said the government had initially planned to remove subsidies on petroleum products from July, but a reasonable provision was made in the 2022 national budget for subsidy payment till June.

Tofa died yesterday at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano State, 29 years after losing his presidential bid to Chief Moshood Abiola. The Presidency, Northern groups and politicians have mourned the business tycoon, with President Muhammadu Buhari sending a delegation to Kano with a condolence letter to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje. To honour Tofa, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has postponed its security summit scheduled for January 5 and 6, 2022. Mai Mala Buni, AREWA Consultative Forum (ACF) and Northern Speakers Forum (NSF) expressed sadness over the death of Tofa, a successful businessman from Kano and one of those who invested their time, energy and money to form ACF. ACF Spokesman Emmanuel Yawe said Tofa was peaceful and patriotic, while NSF Chairman Yusuf Zailani said he was a perfect gentleman. NEF's Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the North has lost an indefatigable defender of its dignity and values, Nigeria lost an illustrious son, and NEF lost a loyal founding member. APC chieftain, Prof. Vitalis Ajumbe, described Tofa as a man of peace, who believed in one Nigeria and good governance.

The United States Mission in Nigeria has taken steps to bolster democracy in Nigeria by defending free and fair elections. Spokesperson Rauf Oyewole said fighting corruption and defending credible elections are central to the U.S. government's action plan. Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, has described unserious presidential aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) running to President Muhammadu Buhari to inform him of their political ambition. APC has refuted reports of its decision to suspend the national convention of the party scheduled for February 27.