Nigerian Newspapers: 10 things you need to know Thursday morning

Good morning! Here is today’s summary from Nigerian Newspapers:

1. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential flagbearer for 2027 general elections. Tunde Ogbeha, the returning officer of the ADC presidential primary election, announced Atiku as the winner of the primary poll on Wednesday night at the party’s national collation centre, Transcorp Hilton in Abuja. 

2. Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto State on Wednesday disclosed plans by his administration to send a bill to the State House of Assembly to prescribe appropriate punishment for informants aiding bandits. The governor made the disclosure during Sallah homage to Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, Sultan of Sokoto, at his palace.

3. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of the President, has rejected the outcome of last week’s primaries of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in some parts of Lagos State. During a meeting with market leaders and stakeholders at her office in Alausa, Ikeja, she alleged that the process was manipulated in favour of a faction within the party.

4. Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, former Deputy Senate President, has resigned his membership of the All Progressives Congress. In a letter to the Chairman of Orogun Ward 2, Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Omo-Agege stated that after reviewing recent developments within the APC in Delta State and consulting with his associates and supporters, it is clear that his political objectives and those of his constituents were better served outside APC.

5. Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, allayed the fears of abducted teachers’ and students’ family members, assuring that his administration was making serious efforts to secure their release. Makinde gave this assurance while receiving the state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal, alongside other Muslim faithful at his private residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan, the state capital, during the Eid-el-Kabir celebration.

6. Some students reportedly collapsed during the Children’s Day at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin City, Edo State, after being affected by pepper spray. The event on Wednesday, organised to celebrate school children in the state, turned chaotic after some male students allegedly made inappropriate advances towards female students at the venue.

7. Three suspected kidnappers were killed during a gun duel with operatives of the Oyo State Police Command and local hunters in Otu, Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state, while a 50-year-old abducted man, Mosudi Gbolagade, was rescued from captivity. It was learnt that Gbolagade, who had earlier been kidnapped at Okaka in the same local government area, was held captive within the Otu community.

8. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Edo State Command, has re-arrested and arraigned before the Federal High Court in Benin a suspected drug trafficker, Ibrahim Yusuf Lawal, who allegedly jumped bail and was falsely declared dead by his wife in a bid to evade prosecution. The Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this on Wednesday.

9. The leadership of the National Democratic Congress on Wednesday adopted the report of its screening committee and approved direct primaries for State Assembly positions ahead of its forthcoming party primaries. The decision was reached after what the party described as “extensive deliberations” involving the National Working Committee, the Selection Committee, and other critical stakeholders.

10. The Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) says a total of 1.70 million pilgrims performed the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, an increase from the figures recorded in 2025. The official statistics, released for the 2026 Hajj season, cover both male and female pilgrims who participated in the annual pilgrimage across Makkah al-Mukarramah and other holy sites.