Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Tuesday, 9th May, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Tuesday, 9th May 2023

1. Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal Issues Warning To All Parties Ahead Of Hearing Proper

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has cautioned all parties involved in the presidential election portion ahead of the hearing proper.

The tribunal said it would not accept any unnecessary technicalities or sensational comments from lawyers to petitioners in the hearing.

Naija News reports that the tribunal on Monday held its inaugural session, a legal ritual that precedes the actual hearing of petitions seeking to nullify the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.

At the hearing, a five-member panel of Justices of the Court of Appeal that will hear and determine all the five petitions challenging the declaration of the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubi as the winner of the presidential election, were revealed.

It was gathered that the Presiding Justice, Haruna Tsammani urged lawyers representing all the petitioners to avoid sensational comments.

Justice Tsammani said the court would not tolerate time-wasting tactics and technicalities.

2. APC Adopts Tinubu’s Zoning Template, Picks Akpabio

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has adopted a zoning template for the position of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly.

The party in a document issued at the end of the NWC meeting in Abuja on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, indicated that the Senate President would come from the South South and specifically, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).

Others are “Deputy Senate President – North West-Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano).

Speaker, House of Representatives North West-Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna).

Deputy Speaker South East-Hon. Ben Kalu (Abia)”.

3. Adeleke vs Oyetola: Supreme Court Makes Fresh Pronouncement On Osun Governorship Election

The Supreme Court has picked a date to deliver judgment on the 2022 Osun governorship election in the appeal filed by former Governor, Gboyega Oyetola against the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke.

Naija News reports the apex court has fixed judgment for 2 pm on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.

A five-member panel of the Supreme Court announced the time and date for judgment after taking arguments from lawyers to parties on Monday.

Oyetola in his suit before the apex court is seeking the reversal of the March 25 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which affirmed Adeleke’s victory in the 16th July 2022 governorship election in Osun State.

The Appeal Court had, in its judgement, set aside an earlier judgment by the Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which ruled in favour of Oyetola and sacked Adeleke.

The expected Supreme Court judgment on Tuesday will lay the matter of the authentic Governor of Osun State to rest.

4. Tribunal Adjourns Peter Obi, LP’s Petition Against Tinubu To May 10

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja on Monday adjourned the pre-hearing in the petition of the Labour Party (LP) and Peter Obi challenging Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election to May 10, 2023.

The former governor of Anambra State who emerged third in the presidential election is challenging the victory of the flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu.

Obi and his party have raised concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process, urging the tribunal to investigate the matter and deliver a just verdict.

The petition, jointly filed by Obi and his party, has the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Tinubu, Shettima Kashim, and the APC as the respondents.

Obi and LP want the tribunal to determine “that the 2nd Respondent (Tinubu) having failed to score one-quarter of the votes cast at the Presidential Election in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja was not entitled to be declared and returned as the winner of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023”.

Obi and his party also prayed to the court to order the cancellation of the February 25 presidential election.

5. 10th NASS: Crisis Rocks APC As Wase, Doguwa Reject Tinubu’s Consensus Candidates

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has plunged into fresh crisis after some aspirants for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly rejected the party’s consensus candidates for positions of the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker.

Naija News reported earlier that APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, had announced that the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) endorsed Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna) for Speaker and Ben Kalu (Abia) for Deputy Speaker (South East) positions.

The APC also zoned the Senate President position to South-South (Senator Godswill Akpabio – Akwa Ibom) and the Deputy Senate President position to the North West (Senator Barau Jubrin – Kano).

It was gathered that President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has also endorsed the above candidates before the ruling party made the announcements.

But speaking at a press conference on Monday night, the incumbent Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, and current Majority Leader, Alhasan Ado Doguwa, rejected the consensus arrangement announced by the party.

Wase and Doguwa said they would not allow the 10th National Assembly to be “hijacked”.

The lawmakers vowed to proceed with their separate bids for speakership position.

6. Presidential Tribunal Dismisses Action Alliance’s Petition Against Tinubu

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal has struck out the petition filed by the Action Alliance (AA) against the victory of Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election.

Naija News earlier reported that the party had withdrawn its petition marked: CA/PEPC/01/2023 against Tinubu’s victory at the pre-hearing session of the tribunal on Monday.

Announcing the withdrawal of the petition, the leader of the legal team of the party, Oba Maduabuchi (SAN), said the action followed the decision of his client not to continue with the case.

However, after declaring the intention of the Action Alliance to withdraw the petition, none of the representatives of the other parties expressed opposition to the move.

The AA’s presidential candidate, David Okonigbuan, had brought the petition against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC, Tinubu, and Hamza Al Mustapha, challenging his exclusion from the election.

In the petition, Okonigbuan stated that the party also fielded Al-Mustapha as the presidential candidate who was listed by INEC.

In his ruling, the presiding justice, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani, held that the dismissal was in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

7. Senate Presidency: Why I Obeyed Tinubu When He Asked Me To Step Down For Akpabio – Umahi

The Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi has said that the President-elect, Bola Tinubu instructed him to step down for Senator Godswill Akpabio in the race for the 10th National Assembly presidency.

Umahi said that he decided to obey the President-elect because he does not want to be a clog in the wheel of his progress.

Umahi made the disclosure on Monday at the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Onueke, Ebonyi State, while answering questions from newsmen on arrival to the state from Abuja.

He noted that it was an honour to be invited to dialogue with the President-elect concerning the senate.

The Governor stated that he discussed the issue of his senate presidency bid with Tinubu and had to accept his request in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the South East zone.

8. Presidential Tribunal To Take PDP, APM’s Petition On Tuesday

The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal in Abuja on Monday commencesd the pre-hearing stage for the petitions challenging the February 25 presidential election results.

The likes of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and APM are challenging the declaration of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu as the winner of the election.

Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Tinubu as the winner, with 8,794,726 votes.

Obi, Atiku, however, expressed their grievance following the declaration of the electoral body, prompting them to file a petition before the tribunal.Meanwhile, APM, in its petition, joined INEC, APC, Tinubu, Kashim Shettima and Kabir Masari, who stood as a vice-presidential placeholder during the primaries before he was substituted with Mr Shettima.

APM is challenging the outcome of the presidential election on the grounds of alleged substantial non-compliance with the electoral laws as well as the INEC guidelines.

The presiding Judge, Justice Haruna Tsammani on Monday declared that the petition of APM and PDP will be heard on Tuesday.

9. APC Has Final Say On Who Becomes Senate President – Akpabio, Kalu

Elected members of the 10th National Assembly from the All Progressives Congress (APC) assert that their party has the final say on which zone produces the Assembly’s presiding officers.

Naija News gathered that this view was shared by the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio and Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu, spokesman for the outgoing 9th Assembly on Monday

Akpabio, the party’s choice for Senate President, believes aggrieved colleagues will eventually agree with the party’s decision.

Hon. Kalu also supported the party’s role in determining leadership positions, stating that a consolidated House is better for the incoming administration.

He highlighted the importance of lobbying and canvassing for votes from colleagues beyond the party’s endorsement, expressing confidence that the APC will work with key opposition members to achieve its goals.

10. I Am Unable To Relate With ‘The Obidents’ – Wole Soyinka Breaks Silence On Peter Obi’s Visit

Nobel Laureate Prof Wole Soyinka has expressed disapproval of the description of Peter Obi’s visit to him on Sunday as reconciliation.

Recall, the presidential candidate of the Labour party, Peter Obi had visited the Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka on Sunday, taking to his official Twitter page to describe the meeting as enriching.

Obi also expressed appreciation for the opportunity to clear any misconceptions about their relationship.

Speaking about the meeting in a statement on Monday, Soyinka said that the word inserted into some reports was most inappropriate.

He stressed that he knew Peter Obi, but, however, could not reconcile Obi with the entity known as ‘the Obidents.’

Read the statement below; “Before it gains traction and embarks on a life of its own, I wish to state clearly that the word ‘Reconciliation’, inserted into some reports of Peter Obi’s visit to me yesterday, Sunday, May 7, is a most inappropriate, and diversionary invocation,” he wrote.

Those are the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.

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