Newspapers across the country reported on a variety of topics ranging from Politics, Economy, 2027 Elections and the continuing face off between APC Governors and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike….
Newspapers across the country reported on a variety of topics ranging from Politics, Economy, 2027 Elections and the continuing face off between APC Governors and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.
Issues surrounding the fallout of the death of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps in Minna, Niger State still remain firmly on the front burner.
1, The Nation leads with an explanation by the Federal Government to issues being raised by opposition figures on the absence of President Bola Tinubu from the United Nations General Assembly saying it is not an unusual move.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), which begins today in New York, will not constitute a diplomatic setback for Nigeria, the Presidency and Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris said yesterday. NigeriaNews Subscription
The minister also cautioned opposition parties and their candidates to be mindful of the country’s international reputation in their “unbridled” reactions to developments.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said Nigeria was adequately represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, who was mandated by President Tinubu to lead the country’s delegation while the President remains on vacation in Europe until the weekend.
The Vice President, he added, would deliver Nigeria’s national statement at the UNGA on Thursday. NigeriaNews Subscription
He will also participate in high-level bilateral and multilateral engagements on behalf of the country.
President Tinubu personally represented Nigeria at the 2023 UNGA, while Shettima represented the country in 2024 and 2025.
2. The Punch leads with the continuing fallout of the crisis of confidence between the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and the leadership of the APC Governors known as the Progressive Governors Forum led by Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Monday dismissed concerns by some governors of the All Progressives Congress that the proposed Rainbow Coalition could undermine the ruling party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout, Wike said the coalition was primarily aimed at mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election and would not prevent politicians from contesting governorship and legislative elections on their respective party platforms.
The minister alleged that the opposition of some APC governors to the coalition was driven by their political interests, particularly attempts to influence the emergence of the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Wike specifically alleged that Imo State Governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma, was positioning himself to become Senate President after leaving office.
3. The Guardian in one of its front page lead stories on the power sector reports that the Federal Government says their is no plan to increase electricity tariff or remove subsidy on the Electricity sector.
The Government’s position was disclosed by Minister of power, Joseph Tegbe, at a Press conference on the sector in Abuja.
The Federal Government has ruled out an immediate increase in electricity tariffs, saying it has instead raised an estimated N1.23 trillion towards settling the backlog of debts in the power sector.
The Minister of Power Joseph Tegbe, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja during a media parley to mark his first 100 days in office.
The minister also disclosed that electricity generation and transmission had remained above 5,000MW over the past couple of weeks, compared with the 3,700MW to 4,700MW range before June.
Tegbe said the government was focused on stabilising the electricity market, improving supply and addressing the financial challenges across the power value chain, rather than increasing tariffs.
“We have no plan to increase electricity tariffs. There is no immediate plan by this government to increase tariffs. It is not on our table; it is not on our agenda,” the minister said.
4. Daily Trust reports on a milestone in the health sector arising as a result of a three way partnership between NIsa Premier Hospital Abuja, Robomed Global and Redeemers Health Village.
Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, has partnered with RoboMed Global and The Redeemer’s Health Village (RHV) to successfully perform what the hospital described as the first tele-robotic surgery in Nigeria and West Africa.
The landmark kidney cancer surgery was performed on a patient at Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja, while the surgeon, Professor Obi Ekwenna-Davis, remotely controlled the robotic surgical platform from Redeemer’s Health Village in Lagos.
The procedure, which lasted approximately three hours, was performed to remove a kidney affected by a cancerous tumour.
The hospital said the patient had been discharged following the successful procedure, although details about the patient’s identity and condition were withheld for privacy reasons.
Speaking during an event to mark the milestone, the Chief Executive Officer of Nisa Premier Hospital, Dr Ibrahim Wada, said the development demonstrated the potential of tele-robotic surgery to connect specialist surgical expertise with patients across Nigeria.
Wada said the procedure was carried out using the MicroPort robotic surgical platform installed at Nisa Premier Hospital, with the remote surgeon controlling the system from Lagos.
He said the development could reduce the need for Nigerians to travel abroad for specialised medical treatment, thereby reducing expenditure on international travel, accommodation and medical services.
5. Blueprint leads with a story on the Education sector and the announcement by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board that candidates in the UTME can now swap SIM Cards and change E-mail addresses.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has reviewed its policy on the swapping of candidates’ registered GSM numbers and changing of registered email addresses, approving a controlled process to assist candidates who have genuinely lost access to their sim cards or email accounts.
The Board had previously barred SIM swapping and email changes as a security measure in response to the vulnerabilities associated with such changes at the time.
However, following the introduction of enhanced security measures, particularly stronger identity and biometric verification processes, the Board has reviewed the policy.
According to a statement by JAMB spokesman, Fabian Benjamin, Ph.D., the new arrangement, which commences on Monday September 21, 2026, will enable candidates who have lost their registered SIM numbers, particularly those unable to use such numbers for registration for subsequent UTME exercises, as well as candidates whose registered email accounts can no longer be recovered, to update their details through a secure and controlled process.
The initiative is aimed at reducing the hardship and trauma associated with the loss of access to candidates’ registered credentials and making the processes leading to tertiary education admission more seamless.
The Board, however, stressed that the concession is subject to strict authentication procedures designed to prevent impersonation, fraud and unauthorised alteration of candidates’ records. The SIM swap and/or email change service shall be available only ONCE.
