• 2023 Elections: I’d rather die than fail my supporters – Peter Obi
• Make another Tafawa Balewa out of me – Atiku tells supporters in Gombe
• Supreme Court orders retrial of Ogun PDP governorship legal battle
• Joint security operatives rescue 76 travellers in Kaduna
• Ex-Akeredolu’s aide abducted, kidnappers demand N100m

Across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, these are the five top Nigerian news stories you shouldn’t miss:

2023 Elections: I’d rather die than fail my supporters – Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, stated on Monday in Lagos State that he would rather die than disappoint his supporters.

Obi also stated that the correct leadership would solve the majority of Nigeria’s problems by transforming the country from a consumer to a producer.

The former governor of Anambra State spoke at the Editors Forum, which was organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

He asserted that the majority of the nation’s problems stemmed from its consumption rather than its production.

According to him, Nigeria can fix three-quarters of its problems if it is productive.

Among the difficulties he listed were unemployment, poverty, crime, and insecurity.

Obi said, “We cannot have that number of people living in poverty and not have criminality, banditry and so on.

“We must remove the sharing formula and replace it with the production formula.

“The hope of this country is the vast uncultivated land, not that oil we are seeing.

“My commitment is to put Nigeria into production.”

On his supporters, Obi promised not to disappoint them.

“I am determined not to fail them. I would rather die than fail them. I am going to serve them,” Obi said.

Make another Tafawa Balewa out of me – Atiku tells supporters in Gombe 

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to assist Gombe businesses if elected in 2023.

Abubakar spoke at the PDP presidential rally in Gombe on Monday.

The PDP presidential candidate informed his supporters that some of them were not alive when former prime minister Tafawa Balewa was alive, and that they have the chance to produce another Balewa by electing him president.

Balewa, a former teacher who subsequently became Nigeria’s prime minister, was described as a “reform advocate” and “defender of northern special interests.”

“Let me reiterate the promises we made if by the grace of God and you support the PDP. We promised to empower your businessmen to expand their businesses so that they can expand their businesses for our young men and women,” Abubakar said.

“We also promised you that the Dadin Kowa Dam, which was built by the PDP to provide electricity and irrigation, will be activated for electricity and irrigation, provided you support the government of the PDP.

“We will make sure that all the roads linking Gombe to Adamawa with Borno, Bauchi, and Yobe are all reconstructed to enhance trade and commerce.

“Many of you were not born at the time the late prime minister, sir Tafawa Balewa, was in office. You now have another opportunity to produce another Abubakar Tafawa Balewa in me.”

In his remarks, Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom and chairman of the presidential campaign council, said the PDP administration will tackle inflation and restore value to the naira.

“We just want to let the people know that PDP is coming back to make sure that our economy bounces back, our naira regains in strength, and make sure you have more milk in your tea,” he said.

“PDP is coming back to bring the economy back, to make sure there is light, to make sure no more darkness, to make you have access to many things you are not having now.”

Meanwhile, Abubakar’s latest comment comes weeks after he had said a president of northern extraction is “what the northerner needs… not a Yoruba candidate, or an Igbo candidate”.

Supreme Court orders retrial of Ogun PDP governorship legal battle

The Supreme Court in Abuja on Monday directed that the Federal High Court in Abuja retry the legal case arising from the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, primary election for the selection of the governorship candidate in Ogun State.

In his decision, Justice Ibrahim Saulawa held that the Federal High Court in Abuja erred in declining jurisdiction when the country’s constitution bestowed authority on it.

A five-judge panel of the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the case be returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment to another judge.

Justice Saulawa confirmed the ruling of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had previously ordered that the case be reheard by a different judge.

The Supreme Court ordered that the case be heard quickly and fully resolved within the time frame specified by law.

The complaint filed by Jimmy Adebisi Lawal was dismissed by Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on the grounds that it was an internal matter of the PDP.

Joint security operatives rescue 76 travellers in Kaduna

The Kaduna Police Command has said it rescued 76 kidnapped travellers along Funtua-Zaria Road at Gulbala area of Giwa Local Government Area of the State, through the joint efforts of the military.

DSP Mohammed Jalige, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, in a statement, said the victims were rescued on Friday, following the report received from the Police Divisional Headquarters, Giwa LGA.

According to him, the command received a report of scores of armed bandits blocking the road, and in the process, abducted scores of passengers, to their hidden location.

He explained that the command mobilised security operatives, including the military, and moved into the location, where they discovered an empty vehicle – a Ford open truck with Reg. No. APP 667 XG, said to have carried the kidnapped passengers.

It said the troops further dismantled all road blocks, engaged the armed bandits and successfully rescued all the 76 victims.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the victims who were passengers on the truck were travelling from Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto State en-route to different destinations when they were intercepted by the marauders,” he said.

According to him, the security operatives were still on operation within the general area in search of the main truck driver and two other passengers who are yet to be accounted for.

The Commissioner of Police, Yekini Ayoku, who expressed delight over the synergy between security operatives in the State, attributed the success to gallant efforts of the police and the army, just as he assured the public of continuous success against bandits and other criminals in the State.

Ex-Akeredolu’s aide abducted, kidnappers demand N100m

Richard Omosehin, a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, has been kidnapped in Ondo State.

His kidnap was confirmed on Monday by the Ondo State Police Command, which said the incident was being investigated, with search efforts for the victim already started.

Omosehin was abducted over the weekend at his home in Igbekebo, the headquarters of Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state.

According to a source, the gunmen, who were six in number, arrived in the neighbourhood on a speed boat before going to the victim’s private residence and took off with hm in their boat.

The victim was permitted to call his wife from the kidnapper’s den, according to Oba Simon Dabo, the monarch of Igbekebo town, who confirmed the incident on a radio programme.

The monarch also disclosed that the kidnappers demanded N100m in exchange for the victim’s release.

Funmilayo Odunlami, the police spokesperson in the state, said that efforts were being made to rescue the victim.

“We have started an investigation and are already working to rescue the victim.”