• We can’t campaign for Tinubu again – Northern APC Christians
• Over 23,100 security officials deployed as Osun prepares for gov poll
• They are not serious – APC mocks PDP over Funke Akindele choice
• Ayade approves 100 percent review of judicial officers’ salaries
• Health Ministry officials mismanaged N5.7bn donor agency fund – Senate

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

We can’t campaign for Tinubu again – Northern APC Christians

Members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 19 northern states yesterday revolted against the party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket for the 2023 presidential election.

Some members also resigned from the party over the issue.

The party’s presidential standard-bearer, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Muslim, had on Sunday, announced former Borno State Governor, Senator Kashim Shettima, another Muslim, as his running mate, kicking up mixed reactions in the polity.

Northern Christians in the APC have come out to say that they can no longer campaign for the presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu because of his choice of a Muslim running mate.
They made their position clear in a statement issued to reporters on Tuesday after an emergency meeting in Abuja, where the issue of the religious coloration of the APC presidential ticket and its impact on the country was at the forefront.

According to the statement jointly signed by Prof. Doknan Sheni (Chairman) and General Ishaya Bauka (Secretary), the group explained that Tinubu’s selection of a Muslim running mate had exasperated the Christians in the North, and portrayed the APC as a party that is insensitive to their yearnings.

It warned that if the selection of Senator Kashim Shettima as the party’s vice presidential candidate is not reversed before July 15, there would be serious and grave consequences.

Over 23,100 security officials deployed as Osun prepares for gov poll

Ahead of Saturday’s Osun state governorship elections, police and other security agencies, including the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps, have declared war on vote-buyers and devised strategies to contain their actions.

To crack down on this vice, security forces have deployed detectives, including secret agents, to monitor the elections and arrest vote-buyers.

The deployment of police personnel will also be supplemented by the military, Civil Defense corps, and Amotekun corps.

The EFCC had recently arrested several suspects, including party agents, on charges of buying votes during the Ekiti governorship election on June 18.

Speaking at the Election Stakeholders’ meeting held in Osogbo on Tuesday, the Inspector-General of Police, Baba Alkali, said 21, 000 policemen would be deployed for the governorship election.

Alkali, who warned that the police would not allow any person or group of persons, no matter how highly placed in the society, to derail the electoral process, also noted that vote-buying or any form of inducement would not be allowed as they remained serious offenses.

They are not serious – APC mocks PDP over Funke Akindele choice

The Lagos state’s chapter for the All Progressives Congress Party (APC) has said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and governor candidate Dr. Olajide Adediran (also known as Jandor) are not serious.

The ruling party made the announcement in response to Adediran’s nomination of famous actress Funke Akindele, known as Jenifa, as his running mate for the 2023 Lagos state governorship elections.

Party spokesman Seye Oladejo said in his statement that the Akindele choice was ridiculing the governorship election by portraying her and Jandor as amateurs.

He said, “This amounts to trivializing the importance of the forthcoming gubernatorial elections by giving political neophytes who have absolutely nothing to bring to the table their electoral tickets.

“It also shows lack of depth in the party as regards quality members to put forward for elections if they could give a member who crossed-carpeted a few days before their primaries the governorship ticket and now went to the make-believe industry to fetch a deputy.

“The reason for voters’ apathy is, undoubtedly, due to lack of credible alternatives by the moribund opposition party.

“I was amused to read that the deputy governorship candidate said she was suspending her acting career for the elections whose result is highly predictable. I guess she’s suspending a lot more because she has been in the news of recent for all the wrong reasons.

“Lagosians will certainly not allow governance to be turned to a needless experiment or a sitcom. Governance is serious business not a circus.

“Congratulations in advance to the duo of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat.”

Ayade approves 100 percent review of judicial officers’ salaries

Cross River Governor, Professor Ben Ayade has approved an increase in the salaries and benefits of state judicial officers.

Governor Ayade announced a new payroll package at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office of Calabar during the inauguration of Judge Anjor Mbe, the new President of the Customary Court of Appeal for Cross River.

In the new salary regime, which will take effect from August 1, 2022, the salaries of the state’s high court judges will be increased by 100 percent.

Ayade said:” As a matter of state government’s policy, any judicial officer sworn-in will have his or her official car ready for delivery. “

Announcing approval for new recruitment into the state’s judicial service, the governor said: “We have witnessed massive vacancy in the Ministry of Justice occasioned by retirement.

“To this effect, we have approved for the Chief Judge with the support of the Head of Service and the Civil Service Commission, the employment of 500 workers in the Ministry of Justice for the first phase alone.”

Health Ministry officials mismanaged N5.7bn donor agency fund – Senate

The Senate recently uncovered how some health officials mismanaged more than $5.7 billion from donor agencies.

According to the Senate, unsatisfactory reports about the Ministry of Health and some actions of health officials have forced some donors to stop their assistance.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee, chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide, exposed the officials’ mismanagement of donor funds.

One of the donor agencies that have backed out is the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI), an international NGO that specializes in bringing together public and private sectors with the objective of creating equal access to new and under-used vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.

While reacting to the failure of the Ministry to give an account of the money spent, Urhoghide warned that the Committee was left with no other option than to issue warrants of arrest on the officials of the Ministry in order to force them to appear before the committee and give explanations.

He said: “The Ministry of Health has consistently refused to come and give account before this committee. We have sent invitations to them to appear with no response from the Ministry, this is very unfortunate.”