Guber Polls In Kogi, Bayelsa, Imo And Other Newspaper Headlines Today

Stories, interviews and news analysis on the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states, and President Bola Tinubu’s waiver on withheld salaries of doctors and university lecturers, permeate the cover pages of newspapers today, October 21.

Punch reports that the federal government is reviewing and expanding the National Social Register and would disqualify persons without National Identification Numbers (NIN) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) from the cash transfer process. The newspaper says INEC will deploy 46,084 ad hoc staff for the November 11 governorship polls in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states.

Tribune reports that no fewer than seven people, including policemen and vigilante members, were reportedly killed during a robbery incident in Otukpo area of Benue. The newspaper reports Emeka Anyaoku, a renowned diplomat, as saying that the best way to tackle insecurity in Nigeria is to have a new constitution.

The Nation says Dikko Radda, the governor of Katsina, has asked the federal government to allow Nigerians carry AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) to protect themselves from terrorists and other criminals. The newspaper reports that Opeyemi Bamidele, the senate majority leader, said his colleagues in the national assembly should come up with creative legislative frameworks to aid stability of the naira.

Guardian reports that Dauda Lawal, governor of Zamfara, has been dragged before the national industrial court for terminating the appointments of nine members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in certain agencies. The newspaper says local manufacturers have expressed fears over CBN’s unbanning of 43 items initially placed on the foreign exchange prohibition list.

Daily Trust reports that 1,158 people were kidnapped between June and October 9, 2023 — compared to 1,065 abducted from January to May. The newspaper says the federal government has vaccinated over 4,859,181 children against diphtheria in the second phase of response to the outbreak.