Tinubu to hold prayers for Nigeria instead of 71st birthday colloquium; Super Eagles retaliate with a victory over Guinea-Bissau | 5 Things That Should Matter Today

  • Tinubu to hold prayers for Nigeria instead of 71st birthday colloquium
  • Super Eagles retaliate with a victory over Guinea-Bissau
  • Tinubu has no capacity to run Nigeria – Bode George
  • Ngige, NLC, and CBN hold meeting to prevent nationwide strike
  • Court prohibits Iyorchia Ayu from presenting himself as PDP chairman

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

Tinubu to hold prayers for Nigeria instead of 71st birthday colloquium

Bola Tinubu, the incoming president, has chosen special prayers and a thanksgiving ceremony in lieu of his usual birthday colloquium.

Tinubu’s 71st birthday is on Wednesday.

On his birthday, the ex-governor of Lagos traditionally holds a lecture.

A media adviser to Tinubu named Tunde Rahman released a statement on Monday announcing that prayers will be performed in Lagos and elsewhere in the country.

According to Rahman, the state’s five administrative regions will each have its own central mosque where the special prayers will be held.

“Also to receive prayers among others are President Muhammadu Buhari and first lady Aisha Buhari, president-elect, Tinubu, and his wife, senator Oluremi Tinubu, Vice-President-elect, senator Kashim Shettima, and Hajia Nana Shettima, governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, other state governors as well as members of national and state houses of assembly,” he said.

“This year, the president-elect said the date, which falls within the holy month of Ramadan, should be dedicated to prayers and seeking God’s guidance for him and the country as he prepares to take the reins of leadership.”

In 2022, Tinubu cancelled his colloquium following an attack on a Kaduna-bound train from Abuja.

“For me to be here celebrating, dancing, and enjoying myself, does not speak of me as a senior citizen of this country,” he had said at the time.

“I asked that the cleric should rather engage in prayers. This event should not be held.”

Super Eagles retaliate with a victory over Guinea-Bissau

On Monday, Nigeria secured a 1-0 win against Guinea-Bissau, seeking revenge for their home defeat to the same team.

Last Friday, the Djurtus surprised everyone with a 1-0 victory over the Super Eagles in Abuja.

However, Nigeria’s first-half penalty, taken by Moses Simon, was enough for Jose Peseiro’s squad to secure the win in the rematch.

The result takes Nigeria back to the top of Group A with nine points, two points ahead of Guinea-Bissau in second place.

The slim victory also marks the end of a four-match losing streak for Nigeria, who have won the AFCON three times. Sierra Leone sits in third place with five points, while Sao Tome & Principe are at the bottom of the group with only one point.

Tinubu has no capacity to run Nigeria – Bode George

On Monday, Bode George, a former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, stated that, following Bola Tinubu’s victory in the recently concluded presidential election, he may leave Nigeria for whatever nation he chooses.

The PDP leader, a vocal opponent of Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, in the February 25 vote, made his remarks on a show broadcast by Channels TV.

Bode George had previously threatened to flee the country if Bola Tinubu, the former governor of Lagos, succeeded President Muhammadu Buhari.

After INEC announced Tinubu as president-elect, the former PDP chairman reaffirmed his position in an interview with Channels, claiming that he had the “inalienable right” to live anywhere he chooses.

“I didn’t hide my feelings: I said if this fellow (Tinubu) becomes the President, I will lose my interest politically.

“I have the right as a Nigerian to live anywhere I want. And I am saying it publicly that I am ready to retire from partisan politics. This is my own personal conviction that they don’t have the capacity, the ability to run this nation.”

Ngige, NLC, and CBN hold meeting to prevent nationwide strike

On Monday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, summoned a meeting between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to avert the proposed nationwide strike threats by the NLC. The meeting, which was held behind closed doors, was to reach a compromise.

According to a statement by Olajide Oshundun, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, the 10-man delegation of the NLC was led by its President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, while CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele, was accompanied by two deputy governors, Kingsley Obiora (Economic Policy) and Ade Shonubi (Organised Private Sector).

Ngige opened the meeting by refuting the allegation by the NLC that his ministry did nothing about the matter. He clarified that he had forwarded the letter from the NLC to the CBN governor before travelling out of the country for the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Governing Board meeting. He directed the Permanent Secretary and Trade Union Services and Industrial Relations Department to follow up.

Emefiele, on his part, said that when he received the letter from the Ministry of Labour, he called the president of the NLC to brief him on the steps taken to alleviate the sufferings of the masses. He equally made an appointment and had a discussion with the NLC president, and they had a fruitful discussion.

Earlier, Ajaero said they only received a reply to their second letter to the ministry and subsequently received an invitation to the meeting. He acknowledged that the meeting had taken place in the spirit of good dialogue. However, he urged CBN to improve its services, regretting the information gap created in the implementation of the naira redesign.

He assured that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of NLC will meet on Tuesday, 28th of March, 2023, where members from states and local government areas are expected to report on the availability of money, after which a decision will be taken on the strike.

Court prohibits Iyorchia Ayu from presenting himself as PDP chairman

A Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi, the state capital, Monday restrained the embattled Senator Iyorchia Ayu from parading himself as the National Chairman of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

According to reports, the court order was premised on the ex-parte application brought against Ayu by Engr. Conrad Terhide Utaan as plaintiff.

Particulars of the ex-parte application brought before the presiding Justice W.I. Kpochi read, suit no. MHC/85/2023 with motion no. MHC/633m/2023.

However, M. T. Assoh Esq, the plaintiff’s counsel moved the motion before the court.

In his ruling,. Justice Kpochi stated, “Upon hearing Mr. M. T. Assoh of learned counsel ably move the application and upon a dispassionate consideration of the facts placed before me in the pool of the affidavit evidence, and again, upon the consideration of the issues distilled in the written address by M.T. Assoh of learned counsel, it is my candid view that this is a proper case to grant the interim injunction as craved.

“Consequently, this application is hereby granted in terms of the reliefs captured in the motion papers as herein before reproduced.

“It is so ordered.

“Adjourned to 17/4/2023 for hearing”.

It was also said the application was supported by a 15-paragraph affidavit annexed as exhibits.

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