Good Morning! Here are today’s top highlights from Nigerian Newspapers:
1. Nigerians, especially the Christian community, were on Monday thrown into mourning following the demise of Rev. Uma Ukpai, an international evangelist and president of Uma Ukpai Evangelistic Association. The popular man of God was confirmed dead in a statement released by his family. Both President Bola Tinubu, other leaders and the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, have been pouring tributes.
2. Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State will today, Tuesday, defect to the All Progressives Congress, APC, alongside his cabinet members, party leaders and other stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The event will be held at the Michael Okpara Square.
3. Nigerian Government has ordered Vice Chancellors to withhold salaries of striking lecturers. This came as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, commenced its two-week warning strike. The union, however, said it was unperturbed with the government’s no work, no pay” policy.
4. Convicted kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, was on Monday arraigned before a Lagos State High Court on fresh criminal charges. The case bothers with the alleged murder of two police officers. Evans appeared in court alongside his co-defendant, Joseph Emeka, where they were charged with a five-count information bordering on murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy to commit kidnapping.
5. Academic activities were crippled across the country as the strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, witnessed total compliance. Our correspondents, who monitored the action, reported that examinations scheduled earlier in most of the universities were put off.
6. A serving soldier, with the Nigerian Army, 22 Armoured Brigade, Lance Corporal Akenleye Femi, serving with the 221 Battalion, Wawa Cantonment, Niger State, has reportedly taken his own life after killing his wife. According to initial findings, both the soldier and his wife were discovered lifeless in their residence located at Block 15, Room 24, Corporals and Below Quarters, Wawa Cantonment.
7. The 2027 presidential and governorship elections may be conducted in November 2026, instead of the usual February or March of the election year. This is in line with the proposal by the National Assembly Committee on Electoral Reform. The proposal, contained in the draft amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, was unveiled on Monday during a one-day public hearing held by the Joint Committee on Electoral Matters, chaired by Senator Simon Lalong (APC, Plateau South).
8. A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Cross River State has told the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to keep off its affairs. It said Wike is no longer recognised as a member of the party and therefore cannot influence its affairs. A former Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly and factional Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Committee, Bassey Eko Ewa, stated this in Calabar while reacting to recent controversies over the conduct of the state congress that produced the Venatius Ikem-led executive.
9. The 2023 Labour Party's presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed fresh concern over demolition of citizens properties across the country. He accused the government of demolishing citizens' property without notice, saying such an act is unlawful and insensitive. Obi said the willful destruction of people’s homes, shops, and goods by government agencies remains deeply condemnable.
10. Reinstated Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State made his first key appointment on Monday by announcing Benibo Anabraba as the new Secretary to the Rivers State Government, SSG. Anabraba served as the Commissioner of Lands and Survey under Fubara before the state of emergency was imposed on the state in March this year.
