Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian newspapers:
1. A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Monday struck out the eight-count criminal charge brought by the Federal Government against Adeniyi Adeyemi, the alleged fake Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council. Justice Mohammed Umar terminated the trial following the Federal Government’s request to that effect and on the basis that the accused person would be transferred to the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory for fresh arraignment.
2. Vice President Kashim Shettima has issued a rallying call to the North to support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election, declaring that the region has nothing to fear from a second term for the President. Shettima also urged northern leaders and citizens to unite behind the President’s re-election bid, describing the administration’s second-term agenda as a “secure, bulletproof guarantee for the region.”
3. The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said Islamic leaders will draw political leaders’ attention to the hardship facing Nigerians and press for measures to improve the welfare of ordinary citizens. He said religious leaders were aware of the concerns raised by Nigerians and would continue to urge those in authority to address the challenges confronting the country.
4. Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami has issued a three-day ultimatum to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over what he described as the unlawful omission of his name from the final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election in Gombe State. His lead counsel, Ahmed Raji, SAN, said Pantami was duly nominated by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, after winning the fresh primary held on September 29, 2026.
5. Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai (retd.), disclosed on Monday that the $1 billion approved by the Federal Government for defence procurement during his tenure as Army Chief was released to the Ministry of Defence and not directly to the services. Buratai said the funds, which were approved by the National Economic Council (NEC), did not pass through his hands or the accounts of the Nigerian Army, Navy or Air Force.
6. Key stakeholders from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, have formed a united political front dedicated to securing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, unveiled the alliance during a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Monday, highlighting cross-party unity.
7. The US dollar traded at approximately N1,332.49 at the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market, while the parallel market quoted the currency at about N1,370 for buying and N1,380 for selling, according to the latest available figures as of Monday, October 12, 2026.
8. The Minister of Works, David Umahi, has defended the Federal Government’s decision to divert the Ondo section of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, saying the original route crossed terrain with pits more than 100 metres deep, which would have significantly increased construction costs. Umahi spoke in Abuja while providing an update on President Bola Tinubu’s four legacy road projects, insisting that the diversion was based on engineering considerations and the need to ensure value for public funds.
9. The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday declared himself the field commander of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the FCT, pledging to coordinate the President’s campaign in the territory and Rivers State ahead of the 2027 general elections. Wike made the declaration at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, where he unveiled a cross-party mobilisation strategy involving members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
10. Troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with personnel of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, local hunters and forest guards, have killed three suspected kidnappers and rescued an abducted victim in Edo State. The operation was conducted on Sunday at Sasaro Forest in the Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of the state.
Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Tuesday morning