Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Thursday, 31st August, 2023

Good morning Nigeria, welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Thursday, 31st August 2023.

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima has likened the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje to a scorpion.

According to Galadima, President Bola Tinubu has taken a scorpion and put it in his pocket but does not realize it yet.

He made the submission while speaking on Channels Television Politics Today about the ongoing rivalry between Ganduje and Kwankwaso including the recent suspension of Kwankwaso by a faction of the NNPP.

According to Galadima, President Tinubu needs to be careful with those around him including Ganduje because some decisions are already been taken without his knowledge which may negatively affect his administration.

Speaking on the rift between the APC Chairman and the NNPP presidential candidate, Galadima accused Ganduje of betraying Kwankwaso who is his benefactor, adding that if he could do such, Ganduje would still betray President Tinubu.

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has said he remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) despite serving in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.

Naija News reports that Wike made this known on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

When asked if he was still a member of the opposition Party, the former governor of Rivers State said the party is just a vehicle and he is not in President Bola Tinubu’s administration for party purposes.

According to Wike, he is serving in the APC-led government to help President Tinubu achieve his renewed hope agenda.

Wike also said he does not regret his decision to join the administration of the ruling APC, stressing that no member of the PDP can discipline him over anti-party activities.

The FCT minister said he should instead discipline the PDP for going against the rotation agreement in the PDP’s constitution.

He maintained that he obtained the permission of the PDP before accepting the APC ministerial appointment.

Wike added that he specifically wrote the PDP leadership at the South-South zonal and Rivers State levels, which in turn asked him to accept the ministerial appointment.

The Lagos State Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC), the highest decision-making body of the State All Progressives Congress (APC), has met with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Speaker Mudashiru Obasa.

Naija News gathered that the meeting, which was held at Lagos House, Marina, had in attendance former Deputy Gov Mrs Adejoke Adefulire, Cardinal James Odunmbaku, Dr Yomi Finnih, Ganiyu Olarenwaju Solomon, APC Lagos Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi and other party stalwarts.

According to reports, the meeting may not be unconnected with the rejection of 17 nominees that Governor Sanwo-Olu submitted to the Assembly.

Giving an update about the meeting on Wednesday evening on Twitter, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Sanwo-Olu, Gboyega Akosile, said: “Governor @jidesanwoolu, Mr. Speaker @mudashiru_obasa, and GAC members today after a meeting at Lagos House, Marina.

“This is Lagos, a place where the finest democratic culture reigns supreme for a Great Lagos Rising.”

The designer of Nigerian Flag, Pa Taiwo Akinkunmi has died at the age of 84.

Naija News reports that his son Akinkunmi Akinwumi Samuel announced his demise via his Facebook.

He wrote “Life is indeed transient; i can say boldly you live a life with a landmark. Continue to rest on, my father! Pa Michael Taiwo Akinkunmi (O.F.R) Great Man has gone”

Pa Akinwumi who hails from Owu in Abeokuta, Ogun state was born on 10 May, 1936.

Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reacted to the latest coup in Africa, where a military junta ousted Gabon’s democratically elected President Ali Bongo.

Naija News reports that some top military officers appeared on Gabonese national television on Wednesday morning, announcing they were “putting an end to the current regime” and cancelling an election that, according to official results, President Ali Bongo Ondimba won.

Joining his counterparts from other countries in reaction to the development, President Tinubu, expressed his deep concern over the political situation and the socio-political stability in the African country.

Speaking on behalf of the Nigerian leader, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, told journalists on Wednesday afternoon in Abuja, that Tinubu believes that the rule of law and a faithful recourse to constitutional resolution of electoral disputes must not be allowed to perish in Africa.

Lagos State Government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, announced on Wednesday that the Blue Line Rail will commence commercial operations next week, Monday, September 4, 2023.

Naija News recalls that Governor Sanwo-Olu inaugurated the Blue Line Rail in December 2022, eight months ago.

It was confirmed during the launching of the project that the Blue Line Rail will operate between Marina to Mile 2.

Speaking, however, on Tuesday at the Blue Rail Line Terminal in Marina, the Managing Director, Lagos State Metropolitan Area Transport Authority, Abimbola Akinajo, said Governor Sanwo-Olu, is expected to be the first passenger at exactly 9 am at the Marina station on Monday.

She added that from Tuesday, September 5, partial passenger operations would start from 6:30 am to 10 am, for the morning peak, and for the afternoon peak, from 4pm to 9:30 pm.

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima has disclosed that the party’s presidential candidate for the 2023 elections, Rabiu Kwankwaso informed the leaders of the party and got their permission before meeting President Bola Tinubu.

This is as he denied any form of anti-party allegations against Kwankwaso as alleged by a faction of the party.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interview with Arise Television on the suspension slammed on Kwankwaso by the NNPP’s board of trustees (BoT) led by Boniface Aniebonam over alleged anti-party activities, Galadima submitted that those who imposed the suspension have no legal right to do so.

According to him, the decision is not that of the NNPP but of a single individual who is not a member of the national caucus of the party.

The elder statesman said Kwankwaso got permission from the party before meeting President Tinubu in France and also gave them a feedback after the meeting.

Military officers on Wednesday deposed the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo, days after winning the presidential election.

The decision to seize power was announced on Gabonese national television in Gabon

Here is a translation from French of the statement, which was read out by one of the officers on the Gabon 24 television channel.

The statement reads, “Our beautiful country, Gabon, has always been a haven of peace.

“Today, the country is going through a serious institutional, political, economic and social crisis.

“We are therefore forced to admit that the organisation of the general elections of 26 August 2023 did not meet the conditions for a transparent, credible and inclusive ballot so much hoped for by the people of Gabon.

“Added to this is irresponsible and unpredictable governance, resulting in a continuing deterioration in social cohesion, with the risk of leading the country into chaos.

“Today, 30 August 2023, we — the defence and security forces, gathered as the Committee for the Transition and Restoration of Institutions (CTRI) on behalf of the people of Gabon and as guarantors of the institutions’ protection — have decided to defend peace by putting an end to the current regime.

“To this end, the general elections of 26 August 2023 and the truncated results are cancelled.

“The borders are closed until further notice.”

The news about Kano State former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, being suspended from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) is not true, said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the NNPP announced that it had suspended the party’s National leader and 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Kwankwaso, for six months for alleged anti-party activities.

Naija News reports that Kwankwaso’s suspension was announced yesterday at the end of a parallel National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Lagos State.

Secretary of the BoT, Babayo Muhammed Abdullahi, while addressing journalists at the end of the meeting, said the BoT also suspended the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

However, in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 30, 2023, the party’s NWC refuted the purported suspension of Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The party’s national auditor, Ladipo Johnson, who spoke at a news conference today at the NNPP national headquarters in Abuja, declared that the suspension was null and void.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday held a substantive and extended phone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in which issues concerning a deepening collaboration across sectors were discussed.

Naija News reports that this was disclosed in a statement by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.

The Heads of State mutually agreed that the promotion and protection of constitutional democratic governance on the African continent must be a top priority between their two countries and globally.

The two leaders discussed deepening investments in Nigeria in the sub-sector of Agro-processing and the need for greater support of older democracies in undergirding younger democracies in Africa in the fight against terrorism and poverty.

The Nigerian leader encouraged the Canadian leader to facilitate enhanced military cooperation while acknowledging the key contributions that Nigerians continue to make toward Canada’s economic development and public sector leadership.

That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naija News. See you again tomorrow.