Newspaper Headlines: Revolt in Lagos APC over imposition of candidates for LG poll

Reports on the upcoming Lagos local government poll, the wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the release of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) dominate the dailies.

The Punch reports that the Northern Governors’ Forum will hold a crucial meeting on Saturday in Kaduna in response to the spate of killings in the region. The newspaper says the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disclosed that a blind candidate hired a fellow visually impaired person to help him sit for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

This Day reports that all serving senators from Kebbi state have announced their intention to move from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The newspaper says that the Abia government has announced plans to convert the state government house built by the last administration into a five-star hotel.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the PDP is set to file legal suits against federal and state legislators who defected to the ruling APC. The newspaper says the magistrate’s court in Akure has ordered the remand of a 35-year-old motorcyclist for allegedly raping his woman friend’s daughter in Ondo.

Daily Trust reports that the federal government said discussions are ongoing on how 15,000 Nigerians stranded in Cameroon, Niger, Chad and other parts of the world would be returned to the country. The newspaper says that the results of 39,834 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates have been withheld.

The Guardian reports that President Bola Tinubu says Nigeria is open to strategic partnerships and has welcomed new investment initiatives from Qatar, especially in agriculture. The newspaper says that the Nigerian maritime industry is on the cusp of transformation, as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) has partnered Swedish global shipping agency, Stena Bulk, and Nigerian marine and aviation logistics firm, Caverton, to launch UNITY Shipping Worldwide (USW).

Independent reports that Bello Matawalle, minister of state de­fence, says Tinubu is taking all necessary steps to put an end to banditry in the north­-west. The newspaper says Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), said on Thursday that Tinubu will inaugurate the renovated Abuja International Conference Centre (AICC) as the first project to mark his second year in office.

The Nation reports that suspected herdsmen have reportedly killed nine farmers in two communities in Benue. The newspaper says Wale Edun, the minister of finance and coordinating minister of the economy, says a sub-committee is implementing crude and refined product sales in naira.