Daily News Roundup

The Federal Government has assembled a legal team to challenge the suit filed by domestic airlines seeking to stop the establishment of a proposed national carrier- Nigeria Air. The legal team of the government and a 10-man group representing the domestic airlines, would meet in court on Thursday in Lagos over issues pertaining to the proposed national airline.

. The leader of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, has said the North cannot dictate to the rest of the country who becomes the president. Adebanjo, who spoke on Monday during a public lecture held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs on Victoria Island, Lagos, insisted that the 2023 presidency is the right of the Southeast.

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. About three persons on Monday sustained varying degrees of injuries in a clash involving a local gang, Kalare Boys, and supporters of Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was in Gombe, for his presidential campaign. Three vehicles, a bus, a car and one Keke NAPEP, were damaged as they were ambushed along Pantami Stadium Road.

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. A former Senior Special Assistance to the Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, Mr Richard Omosehin, has been abducted by six gunmen at his Igbekebo residence, in Ese Odo Council Area of the State. The State police command, which confirmed the abduction yesterday, said it had begun a search for the victims, while investigation into the matter had commenced.

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. Gunmen on Monday kidnapped four persons along Oke Ako-Irele Road in the Ajoni Local Council Development Area of Ekiti State. Sources said the victims included the principal of a secondary school in the area, two teachers and a nurse with a primary health care centre, who were returning home at the close of work.


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. The United States Government has threatened sanctions, including visa restrictions, on politicians planning to interfere with the democratic processes or instigate violence in the 2023 general elections. It also backed the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and Electronic transmission of results.

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. The people of the South East have been told not to blame anyone if the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi fails to win the poll simply because they fail to accord him the deserved support. Spokesman of the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who stated this yesterday, dismissed any suggestion that the north has adopted a candidate for the presidential poll slated for February, 2023.

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.On Monday Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, said Nigeria was in dire need of a unifier that would drive the affairs of governance without any form of segregation. He spoke at the inauguration of the Mgbuitanwo internal road in Emohua Local Government Area, which was performed by Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), 

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. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to skip the backlog of academic sessions halted by their seven months strike if the federal government persists on the no work no pay rule. ASUU members, mainly of University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) Chapter, Rivers State stated this after a special congress and protest rally on Monday.

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The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Mrs. Sadiya Umar Farouq, has disowned the N206 billion inserted into the ministry’s 2023 budget by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Farouq, who appeared before the Senate Committee on Special Duties for 2023 budget defence, claimed that the ministry requested funding for some projects of the North East Development Commission, NEDC, and the National Social Safety Net Project in the 2022 budget which was not released, but was surprised that the money is now multiplied by 10 in the 2023 budget.

The revelation was sequel to a question by one of the committee members, Senator Elisha Abbo (APC Adamawa North), about the N206 billion proposed for projects in the budget.

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The absence of Nigerian singer and songwriter Kizz Daniel, at the opening ceremony of the FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup on Sunday has been explained.

There was confusion over the singer’s performance at the FIFA Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Fans who thought the singer was supposed to perform at the opening ceremony on Sunday alongside fellow Nigerian artist CKay became worried when he did not show up on stage.

However, the ‘Buga’ star, who confirmed he would perform at the event, stated that he was billed to perform on the 23rd of November and not the 20th, as speculated.

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