Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naijaonpoint roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 12th October, 2025.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is reportedly contemplating replacing his Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, following his alleged deteriorating health condition.
Edun has been a key figure in the administration’s economic management team since August 2023.
According to The Whistler, sources in the presidency disclose that Edun, who has been battling undisclosed health challenges for several weeks, is expected to be flown abroad for advanced medical treatment.
Government insiders revealed that his temporary exit has prompted consultations on a possible replacement to ensure continuity in economic policy implementation.
Edun, a seasoned economist, banker, and former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, has been widely credited with steering Nigeria’s fragile economy through some of its most challenging moments since Tinubu assumed office.
Edun’s appointment as Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister for the Economy on August 21, 2023, was one of the earliest signals of President Tinubu’s intent to assemble a reform-driven cabinet.
A long-time ally and financial adviser to the president, Edun was tasked with restoring fiscal discipline, stabilising the exchange rate, and attracting investment into critical sectors of the economy.
Under his stewardship, the Ministry of Finance initiated several bold reforms aimed at repositioning the economy for sustainable growth.
Chief among these was the coordination of the federal government’s fiscal and monetary policy alignment with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), which helped stabilise the naira after months of volatility.
Edun also oversaw the introduction of new fiscal transparency measures, including the automation of public revenue collection systems and the expansion of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) framework to block leakages.
The ValueJet aircraft conveying Nigeria’s Super Eagles to Uyo for the final World Cup qualifying group game against Benin Republic has made an emergency landing due to a cracked windscreen.
According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the arrival of the Super Eagles and team officials in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, was delayed due to a technical issue involving their chartered aircraft.
A top official of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), who is among the team’s contingent, told Sahara Reporters that the incident was “a close call that could have been worse.”
According to the source, the aircraft had departed South Africa en route to Uyo, Akwa Ibom, where the national team is expected to play a crucial World Cup qualifying match, before the pilot detected the fault midair and diverted for an emergency landing.
The race for qualification from Group C of the FIFA World Cup African qualifiers is set to go down to the wire after another dramatic round of matches on Friday left Benin Republic, South Africa, and Nigeria all still in contention.
With just one matchday remaining, Benin Republic currently lead the table with 17 points, followed closely by South Africa on 15 points and Nigeria on 14 points.
The decisive final fixtures on Tuesday will determine who clinches the group’s sole automatic ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
In Durban, South Africa’s Bafana Bafana were frustrated by Zimbabwe, settling for a goalless draw that dashed their hopes of early qualification. Hugo Broos’ men must now defeat Rwanda in their final game to have any chance of topping the group.
A fresh political battle has emerged over who will replace the ex-Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, following his resignation.
Naijaonpoint understands that the front-runners for the slot include two former governors, Sullivan Chime and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, alongside defence strategist, Davidson Nnamani.
While Chime and Nnamani are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ugwuanyi, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is believed to be leaning on his ties with the pro-Tinubu G-5 bloc to strengthen his case.
According to Vanguard, political observers say the appointment will not only be about party affiliation but also about longstanding zoning balances within the state.
The Enugu bloc, which produced the incumbent Governor Peter Mbah, has also dominated ministerial appointments, with both Geoffrey Onyeama and Uche Nnaji hailing from the area.
By contrast, the Nsukka bloc, representing more than 52 per cent of the voting population, has not produced a minister since 1999, sparking growing agitation for equity and fairness.
Although relatively young compared to his rivals, Davidson Nnamani is regarded by many insiders as the most favoured contender.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State has described those still in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as undertakers waiting to bury a dying party.
The Publicity Secretary of the APC in Lagos, Seye Oladejo, stated in a statement on Saturday while reacting to a fresh wave of defection from the PDP.
Oladejo mocked the opposition for downplaying the ‘mass exodus’ from its party and trivialising its internal collapse.
“The PDP’s claim that defections cannot weaken it is laughable and exposes the party’s chronic state of denial, delusion, and self-deception,” Oladejo said.
“What we are witnessing is not ordinary political migration but the inevitable outcome of years of deceit, lack of ideology, and betrayal among its own leaders. When a house is built on quicksand, it only takes a tremor to bring it down.”
The APC spokesman described the ongoing defections as proof that even loyal PDP members had lost faith in a party that had “refused to reform or present a credible alternative to Nigerians”.
“Those still clinging to the PDP are merely undertakers, staying behind to perform the final rites and dispose of what remains of a once-dominant but now lifeless political entity,” he added.
Oladejo said the APC was not surprised by the defections, noting that the opposition party had relied for years on propaganda and empty promises.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has vowed that the National Assembly will not succumb to what he described as the “disruptive instincts” of any of its members, stressing that discipline and respect for parliamentary rules remain essential to safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy.
Akpabio made the declaration in a statement released on Saturday by his media aide, Eseme Eyiboh, titled “The Trials and Triumphs of a Resilient Nigeria’s 10th Senate.”
The Senate President insisted that enforcing the chamber’s standing orders was not about silencing dissent but about preserving order and institutional integrity.
“The Senate cannot and will not be held hostage by the disruptive instincts of any of its members. Democracy thrives only when its institutions are respected and its rules upheld,” Akpabio said.
Though he did not mention any lawmaker by name, his comments come amid renewed tension following the return of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan (Kogi Central), who is still contesting her six-month suspension from the chamber.
Akpabio argued that discipline in parliamentary conduct is a hallmark of advanced democracies, drawing parallels with legislatures in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, has vowed that the party’s convention, slated for November 15 and 16, will hold irrespective of external forces.
Speaking during the inauguration of the PDP National Convention Publicity and Communication Sub Committee on Saturday in Abuja, the governor reaffirmed the party’s readiness to go ahead with the convention as planned.
He asserted that the PDP remains united, resilient, and determined to emerge stronger ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Bauchi State Governor urged party leaders to step up efforts to redefine the narrative, stressing that both party members and Nigerians in general have been enduring widespread hardship.
The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, Sam Amadi, has expressed concern over the appointment of Professor Joash Amupitan as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking via a post on 𝕏 on Saturday, he lamented that Nigerians are unaware of the dangers they now face following Amupitan’s appointment.
He berated the citizenry for praising Amupitan’s litigation skills instead of setting an agenda for him and cautioning him to avoid the alleged missteps of his predecessor, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
According to him, Nigerians are trivialising serious national issues instead of holding leaders accountable.
Amadi said: “Nigerian people. Instead of setting an agenda for him and warning him to steer away from the ways of Mahmud, they are praising his litigation skills. What is the relationship? Nigerians are not fully conscious of the danger they face. They are trivializing everything.”
Meanwhile, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Babatunde Ogala, has dismissed claims that Professor Joash Amupitan, the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), was part of the legal team that defended President Bola Tinubu at the 2023 election tribunal.
President Tinubu had, earlier this week, nominated Amupitan to succeed Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose 10-year tenure as INEC boss ended on Tuesday. On Thursday, the Council of State unanimously endorsed his nomination, which now awaits Senate confirmation.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has directed Deposit Money Banks and other financial institutions to refund customers within 48 hours for failed Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transactions, in a sweeping reform aimed at restoring public confidence in the banking system.
The directive is contained in a draft guideline released on Saturday, titled “Exposure of the Draft Guidelines on the Operations of Automated Teller Machines in Nigeria”, and signed by the Director of the Payments System Policy Department, Musa I. Jimoh.
Naijaonpoint reports that the document was circulated to banks, payment service providers, card schemes, and independent ATM deployers, with a call for stakeholder feedback by October 31, 2025.
Under the draft guidelines, failed “on-us” transactions, when a customer uses their own bank’s ATM, must be reversed instantly. Where technical hitches prevent immediate reversal, refunds must be processed manually within 24 hours.
For “not-on-us” transactions, when a customer uses another bank’s ATM, the draft stipulates a maximum refund period of 48 hours.
Big Brother Naija Season 7 winner, Ijeoma Josephina Otabor, popularly known as Phyna, has reacted to those condemning her for visiting a nightclub shortly after her sister’s burial.
Naijaonpoint reports that Phyna, who recently lost her younger sister Ruth Otabor in an accident involving a Dangote truck in August and laid her to rest in September, recently came under fire on social media after a video surfaced of her clubbing alongside Nollywood actress Regina Daniels.
The viral clip triggered backlash from some netizens who accused the reality TV star of being insensitive and moving on too quickly so soon after her loss.
While Regina Daniels had earlier defended her, urging the public to stop judging others for how they grieve, Phyna had not commented on the matter until now.
Replying to the criticism via her 𝕏 account, Phyna stated that mourning is a profoundly personal experience.
According to her, grief has no manual and no timetable.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria face a decisive test on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, when they take on the Benin Republic at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, in a do-or-die encounter that will determine their fate in the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Naijaonpoint reports that Nigeria head into the final round of qualifiers in third place with 14 points, trailing Benin (17 points) and South Africa (15 points).
To stand any chance of making it to the global showpiece, the Eagles must win and hope for favourable results in other fixtures.
The Super Eagles revived their qualification hopes on Friday with a crucial 2-1 win over Lesotho.
Captain William Troost-Ekong broke the deadlock in the 55th minute from the penalty spot after a handball in the Lesotho box.
Striker Akor Adams doubled the advantage in the 80th minute with a calm finish, before Kalake pulled one back for the hosts three minutes later to set up a nervy ending.
Nigeria’s path to the World Cup is complicated, but still alive. First, the Super Eagles must defeat the Benin Republic in Uyo. Anything short of three points will end their campaign.
Second, Nigeria must rely on results elsewhere. A draw between South Africa and Rwanda in Nelspruit would significantly boost the Eagles’ chances, especially if Nigeria win by a two-goal margin or more.
Lesotho’s clash with Zimbabwe is inconsequential, as both teams are already out of contention.
While the Super Eagles battle in Uyo, their eyes will also be fixed on Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit, where South Africa hosts Rwanda in what could decide Nigeria’s fate.
Benin, buoyed by a 1-0 victory over Rwanda, currently top the group and need only a draw in Uyo to seal their place at the World Cup.
That’s the top Nigerian newspaper headlines for today. Read more Nigerian news on Naijaonpoint. See you again tomorrow.
© 2025 Naijaonpoint, a division of NOP Media Inc. Contact us via [email protected]