Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Saturday, 27th September, 2025

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Saturday, 27th September, 2025.

President Bola Tinubu on Friday compared the hardship facing Nigerians to the pain of an economic surgery, assuring citizens that the worst is over and prosperity lies ahead.

Naija News reports that Tinubu gave the assurance at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, during the coronation of Oba Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

Addressing dignitaries and residents, the President said the nation’s economy, though still fragile, is recovering from crisis.

“To many of you here present, today I’m honoured and I’m very proud to give you the cheering news that the economy has turned the corner. There’s a bright light at the end of the tunnel,” Tinubu said.

He described the suffering of Nigerians as a necessary sacrifice.

“Your suffering is a pain, a pain of a painful surgery. But it is now returned to the moment of growth and prosperity that’s awaiting us ahead. Thank you for your perseverance. Thank you for your endurance and thank you for your understanding,” he added.

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has said the party has no objection to the reported plan by former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, to return to the ruling party.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, Ganduje, also a former governor of Kano State, stressed that Kwankwaso must meet certain conditions before rejoining.

“We’ve heard about Kwankwaso’s return plans. In democracy, the vote of a thief and that of a cleric carries equal weight. So we won’t shut our doors to anyone.

“Anyone who wants to join is welcome, but they must follow due process. We have rules and a constitution. If they return, we’ll welcome them, but we will name it for what it is: they’ve vomited and now they’re licking it back,” Ganduje said.

Reports earlier had suggested that Kwankwaso had already initiated discussions with APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, regarding his possible defection.

Ganduje, however, insisted that the APC operates strictly by its rules and guidelines, adding that compliance would be non-negotiable.

The former APC chairman also spoke on Thursday’s stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, saying it was convened to examine the reasons for the party’s loss in the 2023 elections and to appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his developmental projects and appointments in Kano State.

Ibadan witnessed a historic moment on Friday as Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, was crowned the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The colourful ceremony, held at the iconic Mapo Hall, drew a massive crowd, including traditional rulers, political leaders and cultural enthusiasts from across Nigeria.

Ibadan witnessed a historic moment on Friday, September 26, as Senator Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, a former governor of Oyo State, was crowned the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The colourful ceremony, held at the iconic Mapo Hall, drew a massive crowd, including traditional rulers, political leaders and cultural enthusiasts from across Nigeria.

Ladoja’s journey to the throne followed days of sacred rites and traditional prayers.

Earlier in the week, the Afobaje of Ibadanland, Chief Waheed Popoola of the Labosinde Compound, placed the Akoko leaves on his head, a symbolic step in the process of becoming king. The ritual, witnessed at Oja’ba, sparked jubilation as residents hailed the new monarch.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) has accused Dangote Refinery of unjustly terminating the appointment of 800 Nigerians in its workforce.

The labour union, in a statement on Friday by its General Secretary, Lumumba Okugbawa, accused the refinery of engaging in anti-labour practices.

It also alleged that the management of the refinery has chosen to replace the sacked Nigerians with over 2,000 Indian workers.

Naija News reports that the allegation comes in direct reaction to what Dangote Refinery described as a restructuring of its workforce to weed out saboteurs.

The refinery, in a statement released through its 𝕏 account on Friday, said the workers affected were found to be involved in repeated acts of sabotage that have raised safety concerns and affected operational efficiency.

The company also stated that over 3,000 Nigerians are still working actively in the company, despite the recent restructuring.

However, PENGASSAN said it is saddened by the development. It is alleged that many of the Indians who are used to replace the Nigerian workers don’t have complete immigration documents.

It maintained that the dismissed workers were denied a right to fair treatment by Dangote Refinery, adding that the termination not only undermined the livelihoods of the citizens but also raised serious concerns about the integrity of labour practices and compliance with the Labour Act of Nigeria.

Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has denied reports that he has concluded plans to return to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Kwankwaso also denied claims that he had sent a letter to the APC National Chairman intimating him of a decision to return to the party.

Naija News reports that he also debunked claims that the incumbent Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, was also set to join the APC with him.

According to Kwankwaso, who made the clarification in a statement released on Friday via his official account, members of the public should disregard fake news and only consider information from established official channels.

The Interim National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Tony Akeni, has urged the former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to shelve his presidential ambition in favour of the former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi.

Naija News reports that Akeni, during an interview with ARISE Television on Friday, warns that divided opposition votes would guarantee an easy second term for President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Akeni stated that only Peter Obi could unite Nigerians and defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election.

Explaining why Atiku should step aside, Akeni stressed that Peter Obi represents the only realistic chance of defeating the APC.

Former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Udom Emmanuel, has distanced himself from speculation linking Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to a 2027 presidential bid, stating that the PDP governor has never discussed such an ambition with him.

Speaking with journalists at an event in Abuja, Emmanuel said attempts to link Makinde to the 2027 presidency may be politically motivated.

He noted that anyone with political ambition usually undertakes consultations but insisted, “My friend Seyi has not reached me or anyone I know of, on that matter.”

The former governor stressed that Makinde has remained committed to the survival of the Peoples Democratic Party.

On his relative silence since handing over power in 2023, Emmanuel explained that it was deliberate.

Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the United Nations to support Nigeria’s aspiration for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.

Shettima made the call during a meeting with the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, António Guterres, at the UN headquarters in New York, United States.

“We are aspiring to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” the Vice President said, stressing that the UN must “support Nigeria to achieve more.”

According to a statement from the Nigerian delegation, discussions also touched on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), climate change, democracy, and regional security partnerships.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, noted that the UN has a strong presence in Nigeria, with several agencies domiciled in the country.

He disclosed that Guterres commended Shettima’s push for Nigeria’s inclusion on the Security Council.

Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, said the delegation had a cordial exchange with Guterres, who praised Nigeria’s recent launch of its first multilingual and multimodal large language model.

“He was extremely happy when we mentioned that Nigeria… released our first multilingual and multimodal large language model—the first of its kind on the African continent, backed by any government,” Tijani said.

He added that Guterres encouraged Nigeria to support other African nations to leverage artificial intelligence for development.

On his part, Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr Yusuf Tanko Sununu, stressed that the meeting highlighted Nigeria’s humanitarian efforts under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“We highlighted that we have one of the largest national social registers containing almost 18.9 million households, and we have reached over 8.1 million Nigerians through conditional cash transfers,” Sununu explained.

He added that inclusivity for persons with disabilities was also a major point of emphasis.

Nigerian afrobeats singer Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, has shared the story behind how his popular stage name was formed.

Naija News reports that the Grammy-winning artist spoke about it during a conversation with tennis legend Roger Federer, where he explained that the name came from his childhood interest in comic books and superheroes.

According to him, he often spent time drawing superheroes and even created his own characters.

Out of that creative process, he developed the name Burna Boy, which later became his identity in music.

He also linked his choice to his deep fascination with superheroes, saying he once imagined himself as one whose power would be connected to fire.

President Donald Trump has suggested he could relocate matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup if he feels any of the host cities in the United States are unsafe.

The 2026 World Cup, which will feature 48 teams for the first time, is being co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.

America will stage the bulk of the competition, with 78 of the 104 fixtures, including the final, spread across 11 cities.

These are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Seattle.

“It will be safe for the World Cup,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “If I think it isn’t safe, we’ll move it to a different city.”

Questions over security have been directed at Democratic-run cities such as San Francisco and Seattle, both due to host six games each, as well as Los Angeles, which will stage eight matches and later the 2028 Olympic Games.