Today's Headlines: Don’t plunge us into war with Niger—CNG tells FG; PDP Crisis: Wike’s ghost rears head again

Don’t plunge us into war with Niger, CNG tells FG

The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, has told the federal government not to plunge Nigeria into war, saying that all economic and diplomatic options must have been exhausted before the deployment of Nigerian soldiers to Niger.

Source: Vanguard

The CNG in a statement by its spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in Abuja on Saturday, told President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, to use political and diplomatic ways to stem the tide. Suleiman said, “We join other Nigerians particularly the Northern Senators Forum in rejecting the option of war and call instead for political and diplomatic means to restore democratic government in that country.

“We urge the federal government not to rush into war without exhausting every economic and diplomatic means to pressure the junta in Niger to return power to the democratically elected government. “We caution President Tinubu that in consideration of our national interest, military intervention in Niger must be the last option for Nigeria, given our present domestic fragility.

Wike’s ghost rears head again

Between former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), it is different strokes for different folks. While the former is basking in the euphoria of his nomination by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a minister, the latter is enmeshed once again in the quicksand of crisis.

Source: The Nation papers

Recall that five governors elected on the platform of the party in the last political dispensation, namely Wike, Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), popularly called the G5, had vowed not to support the candidacy of the party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and their stance was widely believed to have aided the success of the APC candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the election.

The grouse of the G5 governors was that the then national chairman of the party, Senator Iyorchia Ayu, ought to have been replaced with a party member from the southern part of the country since the party’s presidential candidate was also from the north. Their demand was, however, ignored by the party’s leadership, leading to the crisis that ultimately resulted in the party’s defeat at the February election.

JUST-IN: Ogun West Senator’s Aide Shot Dead In Lagos

A Legislative Aide of Ogun West Senator, Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, has been killed in Lagos on Saturday. The victim was murdered under controversial circumstances in the early hours of Saturday.

Source: Leadership

The deceased was said to have been stopped at a checking point in Lagos where he was said to have been questioned about documents from his vehicle. After constant communication with the wife, the legislative aide suddenly went incommunicado, suggesting something unpleasant had happened to him.

His corpse was later found with bullet wounds for hours. Media Adviser to Senator Adeola Olamilekan, Chief Kayode Odunaro, confirmed the incident in a statement. “Information available to the bereaved Senator in Abuja indicates that Mr. Sanni was stopped at a checking point around Berger Area of Lagos on his way to his home at Isheri by security agents.

States owe NECO N3.3bn, says Registrar

As the conduct of the 2023 Senior School Examinations gets underway, the Registrar of the National Examinations Council on Friday vowed it would not tolerate actions that undermine the integrity of its examinations across the country including examinations malpractice.

Source: Punch papers

NECO Registrar, Professor Dantani Wushishi gave the warning in Jos on Friday while briefing journalists after touring some Schools to monitor the ongoing SSCE examinations in Plateau state. The Registrar said, “We have visited other states before coming to Plateau state and interacted with the stakeholders as well.

“From what we have found from the places we have visited, the examination is ongoing as planned. There is no major issue as far as the conduct of the examination is concerned. From our end, we have done the delivery of materials and it has been very fantastic. I can tell you that the 2023 examination is the most successful.

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