Top Stories From Nigerian Newspapers Today, Saturday, April 5, 2025
Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 5th April, 2025.......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The Federal High Court in Abuja has set April 10, 2025, to hear a suit seeking the removal of Vice Admiral Ibokette Ibas (Rtd) as the Sole Administrator of Rivers State.
The case, filed by legal practitioner Johnmary Jideobi, challenges the constitutionality of Ibas’s appointment, arguing that it undermines the constitutional framework for governance in Nigeria.
The legal action, which lists President Bola Tinubu as the first defendant, calls for the court to declare Ibas’s appointment and the suspension of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State as unconstitutional, null, and void.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, involves several defendants, including the Attorney General of the Federation, as well as the attorneys general of all 36 states.
In the suit, the plaintiff contends that the President does not have the constitutional authority to suspend or remove an elected governor or deputy governor, citing sections of the 1999 Constitution that safeguard the tenure of elected officials.
Jideobi, in his affidavit, argues that the Constitution does not support the creation of the position of Sole Administrator in Rivers State and the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibas to this role.
He points out that there is no provision in the 1999 Constitution for a Sole Administrator and that such an appointment violates the principles of federalism and the separation of powers.
The plaintiff also sought a declaration from the court affirming that only specific constitutional circumstances, such as those outlined in Sections 180, 188, 189, and 306, allow for the removal or interruption of the tenure of an elected governor.
Jideobi further requested the court to issue an order barring President Tinubu from appointing Sole Administrators in any state, asserting that such appointments are unconstitutional and destabilizing.
The plaintiff emphasized that the President’s actions could set a dangerous precedent, leading to the arbitrary removal of duly elected governors and deputy governors across Nigeria.
The plaintiff also highlighted the public interest in the case, stressing the need for judicial intervention to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
The sacked Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has handed over the company’s reins to his successor, Bayo Ojulari.
Naija News reports that the NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye, disclosed in a statement that the handover took place briefly at the NNPC Towers on Friday in Abuja.
Ojulari commended Kyari for his contributions to the growth of NNPC Ltd and his sterling service to the nation.
According to him, his management’s objective was to consolidate his predecessor’s successes and take the company to the next level.
Ojulari said that although the targets set for his management were quite enormous, he would be relying on the cooperation of the management and staff of the company, as well as the counsel of his predecessor to achieve set targets.
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has refuted allegations suggesting a rift between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.
The party dismissed as unfounded speculations that Tinubu might replace Shettima as his running mate in the 2027 elections.
This comes amid growing political activity from Tinubu’s loyalists and key party stakeholders, who have begun mobilizing support for his potential re-election, even though the President has yet to formally declare his intention for a second term.
In an interview with Daily Trust, APC National Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, criticized the rumours, calling them “baseless” and “pure speculation.”
He emphasized that such discussions should not be taken seriously, labeling them as “beer-parlour talks.”
He further clarified, “Even if, for any reason, the president were to consider replacing the vice president, he cannot do so singlehandedly. Such a decision would require extensive consultation with critical stakeholders.”
Governor Charles Soludo has received clearance to contest in the April 5 governorship primaries of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Anambra State.
Soludo, who is seeking a second term in office, had earlier obtained both the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms of the party and underwent the screening process conducted by the National Working Committee (NWC) of APGA, led by its National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa.
Naija News reports Soludo is the sole aspirant of APGA, as no other member has expressed interest in the race.
“In a demonstration of its commitment to deepening democratic principles, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) has conducted a seamless screening process for Governor Chukwuma Soludo, paving the way for his candidacy in the upcoming primary election,” APGA’s National Publicity Secretary, Mazi Ejiofor Opara, said in a statement.
The statement confirmed that Governor Soludo has picked up his Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at the APGA National Secretariat in Abuja.
The political adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has tendered his resignation.
Sources within the presidency confirmed to Daily Trust that Baba-Ahmed, a former spokesman for the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), submitted his resignation about two weeks ago.
However, as of the time of reporting, it remains unclear whether the presidency has formally accepted his resignation.
Baba-Ahmed was appointed Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima in September 2023.
Throughout his tenure, he represented the presidency at various public events, including the national conference themed: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity,” held in January 2025 in Abuja.
Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s role within the presidency had attracted occasional criticism. A notable point of contention arose in April 2024, when Bello Mohammed Matawalle, the Minister of State for Defence, criticized northern appointees, including Baba-Ahmed, for failing to defend the administration amidst accusations of misrepresentation.
Matawalle took aim at Baba-Ahmed’s criticisms of the NEF, particularly Baba-Ahmed’s response to Matawalle’s dismissal of the group as a “political paperweight.”
Baba-Ahmed had suggested that Matawalle should focus on highlighting his own achievements as a minister rather than attacking the NEF.
In response, Matawalle insisted that government appointees, including Baba-Ahmed, had a duty to support and defend the administration.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has issued an order preventing parties involved in the lawsuit filed by suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio and three others from granting press interviews concerning the case.
Justice Binta Nyako made the ruling on Friday after Akpabio’s lawyer, Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), complained that the plaintiff had been granting interviews on the matter, visiting multiple television stations despite the case being pending in court.
In her ruling, Justice Nyako stated that there would be no press interviews by any of the parties or their lawyers regarding the case. Additionally, she prohibited the parties and their lawyers from streaming court proceedings on social media.
The High Court of Bayelsa State, sitting in Yenagoa, has issued an interim order restraining associates of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, from holding a planned rally in the state.
The rally, which was scheduled to take place in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, on April 12, 2025, is part of an event organized by the NEW Associates group to show solidarity for Minister Wike.
Hon. Justice I.A. Uzakah granted the Motion Ex-Parte in Suit No. BYHC/YHC/CV/133/2025, which was filed by Bayelsa State Attorney General, Biriyai Dambo (SAN).
The court’s order, which temporarily halts the planned rally, names George Turnah, the lead convener of the rally, and Minister Nyesom Wike as the first and second defendants/respondents in the case.
The Nigeria Police Force, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Commissioner of Police for Bayelsa State were also named as defendants in the suit.
The Supreme Court has set aside the judgment of the Court of Appeal, in Abuja, that recognized Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP).
Naija News reports that the Supreme Court, in a unanimous judgment on Friday, by a five-member panel, held that the Court of Appeal lacked the jurisdiction to pronounce Abure the national chairman of the LP, having earlier found that the substance of the case was about the party’s leadership.
It held that the issue of leadership was an internal affair of the party over which courts lacked jurisdiction.
The Supreme Court allowed the appeal filed by Senator Nenadi Usman and one other and held that it was meritorious.
It proceeded to dismiss the cross-appeal filed by the Abure’s faction of the LP for being unmeritorious.
On 17th January 2025, the Appeal Court in Abuja, in a judgment delivered by Justice Hamma Barka, recognized Abure as LP’s National Chairman.
Justice Barka, through the judgment, upheld an earlier ruling of the court in November 2024 that recognized Abure as the party’s chairman.
The ruling voided a judgment of a Federal High Court in Abuja, delivered on October 8, 2024, on the grounds that the lower court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the suit.
The Real Madrid duo of Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger have suffered limited sanctions from UEFA following controversial postgame celebrations after their Champions League last-16 victory over Atletico Madrid.
In an announcement made on Friday, UEFA confirmed that Kylian Mbappe and Antonio Rudiger would serve a suspended one-game ban for breaching the organization’s “basic rules of decent conduct” during their exuberant celebrations.
The suspension will be in effect for a probationary period of one year, meaning any further violations during that time could result in immediate consequences.
This disciplinary action was prompted by the events that transpired on March 12, when Real Madrid triumphed in a tense penalty shootout against their city rivals at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium.
In the aftermath of the victory, video footage surfaced showing Mbappe engaged in provocative behavior on the pitch, including a gesture that involved grabbing his crotch, which drew significant criticism from observers and fans alike.
Nigerian comedian cum actor, Ijoba Lande, has called out his senior colleague, Funke Akindele, over payment of ₦90,000 after working on the latter’s movie set for one month.
Naija News reports that Lande, in a video making the rounds online, recounted his experience with Funke, saying the thespian was never approachable and he could not take a picture with her during their movie production.
Lande explained that Funke Akindele contacted him via DM after she liked one of his videos on social media.
The skitmaker said he was very excited seeing Funke’s message and did not bother to charge her because he felt it would be the big break his career needed.
Lande said he had learned his lesson from the experience and would bill anybody approaching him for work, even Michael Jackson.
He further advised upcoming creatives in the entertainment industry to charge their fee without feeling shame or seeing anybody as a god.