Today’s newspapers focus on legal and political developments ahead of the 2027 elections, Nigeria’s agricultural waste challenge and the growing security and environmental concerns surrounding illegal mining. The Nation reports that lawyers for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the United States government have asked a Washington, D.C. federal court to……
Today’s newspapers focus on legal and political developments ahead of the 2027 elections, Nigeria’s agricultural waste challenge and the growing security and environmental concerns surrounding illegal mining.
The Nation reports that lawyers for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the United States government have asked a Washington, D.C. federal court to reject Aaron Greenspan’s attempt to expand discovery in his Freedom of Information Act case. Guardian examines how Nigeria’s huge agricultural output could be turned into economic value by addressing post-harvest losses and investing in processing infrastructure.
Vanguard reports that 374 illegal mining sites have been identified across 17 states, while Punch examines the possibility of fresh legal disputes over party primaries following the Supreme Court’s restoration of key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
1. The Nation — Tinubu, FBI, DEA oppose Greenspan’s discovery bid in U.S.
Lawyers representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alongside the United States government, have urged a federal court in Washington, D.C., to reject Aaron Greenspan’s bid to expand discovery in his Freedom of Information Act case.
Tinubu’s legal team, appearing for him as an intervenor, argued that Greenspan was attempting to use the discovery process to investigate private individuals and organisations over alleged denial-of-service attacks on his PlainSite website.
The lawyers maintained that the proposed discovery fell outside the limited scope of a FOIA case and amounted to a speculative investigation into third parties.
Greenspan operates PlainSite, a for-profit website, and has alleged that it was targeted by denial-of-service attacks. However, Tinubu’s lawyers said Greenspan had not independently verified the alleged attacks, did not know who was responsible and had not accused Tinubu of involvement.
They also rejected an alleged link between the attacks and activities connected to the FOIA litigation, describing the connection as speculative.
In a response filed on September 23, Tinubu’s lawyers said Greenspan was seeking interrogatories, requests for admission and requests for production from the President, as well as a third-party subpoena against DCI Group AZ, LLC, a public relations and lobbying firm, and its unidentified parent company.
The proposed discovery also seeks information concerning other individuals and organisations allegedly providing public relations, lobbying or legal services.
Read More in The Nation.
2. Guardian — How Nigeria’s Agricultural Waste Boom Could Transform Its Farming Fortunes
The Guardian examines how Nigeria’s enormous agricultural output could become a major source of economic value if the country addresses persistent post-harvest losses and expands processing capacity.
The report highlights the paradox of agricultural abundance, noting that products such as mangoes are sometimes produced in quantities exceeding local consumption, resulting in significant waste because of inadequate storage, limited processing facilities and weak infrastructure.
Nigeria is among the world’s leading producers of agricultural commodities, including cassava, yams and fruits such as mangoes, oranges and pineapples.
The report notes that Nigeria produces about 850,000 metric tonnes of mangoes annually and has significant potential to develop the sector for domestic consumption and export.
However, estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organisation and local studies put post-harvest losses for perishable farm produce at between 20 and 40 per cent across the country.
The Guardian identifies inadequate cold-chain systems, weak aggregation networks and limited processing facilities as major contributors to the losses.
It argues that stronger political commitment and increased private-sector investment in processing and value addition could help convert agricultural waste into income, jobs and foreign exchange.
Read More in Guardian.
3. Vanguard — Mad rush into deadly pits for gold: 374 illegal mining sites in 17 states uncovered
Vanguard reports that illegal mining has become an increasing economic, environmental and security concern, with 374 illegal mining sites identified across 17 states.
The report highlights the links between illegal mining and other criminal activities in parts of the North-West and North-Central, including banditry and kidnapping, while also pointing to conflicts over land, destruction of farmlands and forests, water pollution and abandoned mining pits.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, which oversees the Mining Marshals, has described illegal mining as a major national security threat requiring intelligence-driven and coordinated enforcement.
The concern has also reached the National Assembly, where the House of Representatives Committee on Mineral Exploitation, Security and Anti-Money Laundering described illegal mining as a “sophisticated national threat.”
In response, the Federal Government has combined enforcement and prosecution with efforts to formalise artisanal mining.
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said last month that the Mining Marshals had identified 374 illegal mining sites, cleared 108, arrested 743 suspects and prosecuted 165 cases involving 430 accused persons, with five convictions secured.
The NSCDC has also reported further arrests and shutdowns of illegal mining locations as authorities intensify intelligence gathering and collaboration with other security and regulatory agencies.
Read More in Vanguard.
4. Punch — Fresh court battles brew over primaries
Punch reports that fresh legal disputes could emerge over political party primaries ahead of the 2027 elections following the Supreme Court’s restoration of key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
The development followed a unanimous judgment by a seven-member Supreme Court panel led by Justice Adamu Jauro, which restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act.
The provisions require political parties to submit their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission within the stipulated period and use those registers during primaries. Section 84(2) also provides for direct primaries or consensus in the nomination of candidates.
The judgment overturned a July 16 decision of the Court of Appeal, which had declared the disputed provisions unconstitutional.
Although the Supreme Court ruling did not automatically invalidate nominations that had already been concluded, questions remain over how the restored provisions will apply to individual candidates and previously conducted primaries.
The report identifies several nomination processes that could attract scrutiny, including those involving former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Adamu, former House of Representatives Minority Leader Kingsley Chinda and Senator Saliu Mustapha.
Former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, is also facing a separate legal dispute after a Federal High Court in Gombe nullified the PDP governorship primary that produced him and ordered a fresh exercise.
Meanwhile, the PDP has fixed September 29 for a fresh governorship primary in Gombe State following the court’s September 24 judgment.
Pantami had emerged from the earlier primary through voice affirmation after defecting from the All Progressives Congress to the PDP. His emergence was challenged by another PDP governorship aspirant, Usman Garry.
Read More in Punch.
