Good morning, Nigeria. Welcome to the Naijaonpoint roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Sunday, 2nd March 2025.
The Senator representing Kogi Central at the Senate, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, has warned the wife of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, Unoma, to stay out of the allegations of sexual harassment and intimidation against her husband.
Naijaonpoint reported that the lawmaker had earlier accused Akpabio of making sexual advances at her, stressing that her motion was denied because she refused to yield to the Senate president.
The Kogi-born senator made the allegation on Friday while fielding questions on the Arise Television Morning Show programme.
Reacting to the allegation while addressing newsmen in Abuja on Friday, Unoma stated that Natasha was maligning her husband and “creating content for personal gains”.
She described the allegation as demeaning, adding that Akpabio and Natasha’s husband are very good friends.
The wife of the Senate President described her husband as a disciplined and jovial person who is often misinterpreted.
However, in a letter dated March 1, 2025, addressed to Akpabio’s wife through her lawyer, Victor Giwa, Natasha advised the Senate President’s wife to refrain from getting involved in the matter.
Media Aide to former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has challenged the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, to address the sexual allegations made against him by his colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
He insisted that the remarks by Akpabio’s wife, Unoma, faulting the sexual harassment allegations against her husband are a distraction.
Ibe wondered why Akpabio was taking the backseat while his wife came forward to confront Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Natasha had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment and intimidation, which became public after a sitting rearrangement row on the floor of the Senate.
Responding, Unoma accused the lawmaker of lying while wondering if she got permission from her husband before making such allegations against the Senate President.
An Abia State High Court sitting in Obehie, Ukwa West Local Government Area, has issued an order preventing the enforcement of the alleged suspension of former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara.
Justice LTC Eruba, who presided over the case, granted an order restraining Elder Abraham Amah, who claims to be the Abia State PDP Chairman, from executing the purported suspension.
Senator Wabara, in a suit marked HUK/8/2025, had taken Amah to court, seeking legal intervention to prevent any attempt to enforce his suspension from the party.
In response to Wabara’s petition, the court ruled: “The defendant is restrained from enforcing the suspension of the Claimant/Applicant from the People’s Democratic Party, or in any way, affecting his position as the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the PDP till the motion on notice is determined.”
The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bashir Ajibola, has affirmed that the presidential seat will not be up for grabs in 2027, calling on Nigerians to rally behind President Bola Tinubu’s administration in the next general elections.
Ajibola made this statement in Ilorin on Friday during a multi-billion naira agriculture and human capital development empowerment programme organised by Senator Saliu Mustapha, who represents Kwara Central in the Senate.
Addressing the beneficiaries and APC supporters, Ajibola highlighted the progress of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly in food security reforms, which he said were beginning to yield positive results.
“The programmes of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his Renewed Hope Agenda are yielding fruits and turning the country into a self-dependent nation. The food security reforms are yielding good results. I enjoin you all to support President Tinubu and Sen. Mustapha in the elections with your votes. I repeat, there is no vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027,” Ajibola declared.
The former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central Senatorial District, Shehu Sani, has revealed that Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, was responsible for his return to the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the reconciliation talks.
Naijaonpoint reports that on February 16, 2025, Sani and some members of the PDP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) joined the ruling APC in Kaduna.
Recall that in October 2018, Sani resigned from the APC over controversies surrounding the party’s primaries.
Sani later decamped to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and secured the party’s senatorial ticket but lost the 2019 election to Sani, the incumbent Governor of Kaduna State.
Speaking on a programme on Channels Television, Hard Copy, on Friday, the ex-senator said Uba Sani mended bridges to facilitate his return to the APC.
The National President of the Afenifere Youth Council, Eniola Olajuni, has been released after 12 days in the kidnappers’ den.
Naijaonpoint recalls that Olajuni was abducted on Monday, February 17, 2025, on his way to Abuja for a meeting.
The kidnappers had demanded ₦100 million and two tricycles as ransom for his release.
However, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, on Wednesday, ordered the deployment of the Intelligence Response Team to secure the safe release of the Afenifere Youth Leader after a video went viral where Olajuni, who was at gun point, pleaded for Nigerians to come to his aid and raise funds for his release.
Confirming Olajuni’s release to Punch, the National Secretary of the Youths Council, Biodun Aderohunmu, said, “He has been released.”
Former Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has stated that rules of the Senate as well as parliamentary conventions and practices must be adhered to in resolving the crisis between Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Akpoti-Uduaghan had accused Akpabio of sexual harassment. This comes after discovering that her seat had been changed in the Senate without her consent.
Reacting to the incident, the Senate unanimously voted to refer Natasha to the Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions for disciplinary review.
Speaking on that incident in a statement made available to Naijaonpoint on Saturday, Saraki called for transparency in the resolution process.
He warned those involved “to be sure that nothing is done to rubbish the institution.”
Nigerian singer, Peter Okoye, has denied alleged involvement in the ongoing legal troubles of his elder brother, Jude Okoye.
This comes after Peter’s twin brother, Rude Boy, accused him of being responsible for the fraud allegation against Jude.
The singer made this known after securing Jude’s release from custody by staking his Ikoyi property while standing surety.
Naijaonpoint recall that Jude, former manager of Peter and Paul Okoye of the defunct music group P-Square, was on Wednesday, February 26, 2025 remanded in the Ikoyi Correctional Facility following his arraignment by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of money laundering amounting to N1.38 billion, $1 million, and £34,537.59.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and the court adjourned for Friday, February 28, 2025, for his bail hearing.
At the bail hearing on Friday, Rude Boy announced his willingness to stake one of his properties in Ikoyi, Lagos, as he stood surety for Jude to be released to him on bail.
The world football governing body, FIFA, has approved new regulations for goalkeepers, stipulating that they will be penalized with a corner kick awarded to the opposing team if they hold onto the ball for more than eight seconds.
This significant rule change was unanimously ratified by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) during their annual general meeting held in Northern Ireland. The new law is set to take effect during FIFA’s Club World Cup, scheduled to take place in the United States from June 15 to July 13, 2025.
Previously, the governing law dictated that goalkeepers could only retain possession of the ball for a maximum of six seconds, after which they would face a penalty in the form of an indirect free kick awarded to the opposition.
However, the Football Association of Wales (FAW) CEO, Noel Mooney, expressed concerns that the enforcement of the six-second rule had weakened over the years. With this new eight-second stipulation, there is hope that it will notably reduce instances of time-wasting during matches.
This new law has already undergone trials in over 400 games across three distinct competitions, including Premier League 2, allowing officials to evaluate its effectiveness. Referees will also implement a preliminary warning system, utilizing a five-second countdown timer before imposing the penalty, ensuring that goalkeepers know their time constraints.
Jose Mourinho’s four-match suspension has been reduced to just two matches by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), following a successful appeal lodged by his club, Fenerbahce.
Jose Mourinho, 62, known for his contentious approach, has also seen his financial penalty cut from a hefty 1.6 million Turkish lira (approximately £35,000) to a much lighter fine of 558,000 Turkish lira (around £12,200).
The club announced on Thursday that it would formally contest the sanctions imposed after Mourinho’s remarks during a post-match press conference following a tense 0-0 draw against fierce rivals Galatasaray.
The TFF’s decision to impose these penalties was based on accusations that Mourinho had made “derogatory and offensive statements” about the Turkish officiating.
He was specifically criticized for suggesting that the Turkish football landscape was fraught with “chaos and disorder,” delivering what authorities described as insulting remarks aimed at both the Turkish football community and its referees.