Top Nigerian Newspaper Headlines For Today, Friday, 10th October, 2025

Good morning Nigeria. Welcome to the Naija News roundup of top newspaper headlines in Nigeria for today, Friday, 10th October, 2025

The National Council of State has approved the nomination of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) from the North-Central as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu presented Amupitan as the nominee to fill the vacant position, following Professor Mahmood Yakubu’s exit.

Recall that Yakubu served from 2015 till October 2025.

Naija News reports that this was disclosed in a statement on Thursday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, President Tinubu told the council that Amupitan is the first person from Kogi, North-Central state, nominated to occupy the position and is apolitical.

Council members unanimously supported the nomination, with Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo describing Amupitan as a man of integrity.

In compliance with the constitution, President Tinubu will now send Amupitan’s name to the Senate for screening.

The Presidency has faulted the latest World Bank report, claiming that about 139 million Nigerians are currently living in poverty, describing the figure as “unrealistic, exaggerated, and detached from Nigeria’s actual economic conditions.”

President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, made this known on Thursday via his official 𝕏 handle, insisting that the figures must be properly contextualised within global poverty measurement frameworks before being accepted as fact.

The Presidency clarified that the World Bank’s estimate was based on the global poverty line of $2.15 per person per day, a benchmark adopted in 2017 under the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) methodology, and should not be interpreted as an actual headcount of Nigerians living below the poverty line.

According to him, such benchmarks, when applied to Nigeria, do not consider the country’s unique economic structure, cost differentials, or the subsistence-based livelihoods that sustain millions of households across rural and semi-urban communities.

The Presidency argued that PPP-based poverty assessments rely heavily on historical consumption data, Nigeria’s last major household survey being from 2018/2019, and therefore fail to reflect present economic dynamics or capture informal sector activities that form the backbone of Nigeria’s real economy.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has backed calls for the immediate release of pro-Biafra activist and leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Naija News reports that Kanu had been in the custody of the Department of State Security (DSS) since his extraordinary rendition from Kenya in 2021 under the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Recently, the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, challenged the former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, Anambra State Governor, Charles Soludo, Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, Atiku and other South East leaders to join the march to Aso Rock, demanding the release of Kanu.

In a post shared on his Instagram page, Sowore urged South East leaders and politicians to stop empty noise and demand the release of Kanu.

Reacting in a post on his social media pages on Thursday, Atiku called on the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to release the IPOB leader immediately.

According to the former Vice President, defying court orders that granted him bail is an abuse of power and an assault on justice.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified one of its aspirants, Kayode Ojo, from participating in the party’s governorship primary in Ekiti State, scheduled for October 27, 2025.

The party’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Duro Meseko, confirmed the development while briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday.

Meseko said that the screening committee cleared the state Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji and Omolayo Oluremi to battle for the APC ticket.

Naija News understands that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the Ekiti State governorship election for July 20, 2026.

The decision, taken at Thursday’s meeting of the APC National Working Committee (NWC, followed the report of the screening panel set up to vet aspirants for the race.

Ojo’s disqualification comes just weeks after another aspirant, Olajumoke Olawuni, was dropped from the contest.

The Council of State on Thursday approved the exercise of the presidential prerogative of mercy for 175 persons across various categories, following a presentation by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN).

Naija News reports that the meeting, held at the State House in Abuja, considered President Bola Tinubu’s recommendations based on the report of the Advisory Committee on the Prerogative of Mercy.

According to details obtained by Punch, the list includes historic figures such as Herbert Macaulay, widely regarded as the father of Nigerian nationalism, and former Federal Capital Territory minister, Maj.-Gen. Mamman Vatsa (retd.), executed in 1986 during the Babangida regime.

Members of the Ogoni Nine and Ogoni Four were also listed among the beneficiaries.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities has criticised the Federal Government’s late attempt to halt its proposed warning strike, describing the intervention as “a little too late.”

ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, made the comment on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, accusing the government of failing to treat the union’s demands with urgency.

“The problem we have with this government and this Ministry of Education is that they are slow in responding to our demands,” Piwuna said.

He recalled that the union had given the government a three-week deadline after a previous meeting in Sokoto, but said no follow-up communication came from the authorities within that period.

According to Piwuna, it was only two working days before the proposed strike that the government reached out to appeal for suspension of the planned action.

The ASUU President maintained that the union’s members would proceed with their planned warning strike once the current ultimatum expires on Sunday unless the government presents tangible solutions.

Veteran Nollywood actress, Ireti Doyle, has cited the negativity and toxicity in online spaces as the reason for her recent break from social media.

Naija News reports that the award-winning thespian, who had been away from Instagram for over a month, made a quiet return on Thursday, October 9, 2025.

The film star shared a heartfelt post explaining her need to retreat from the online space, urging fans to protect themselves.

In her words, “I used to wonder what I’d do with myself once I became an ‘empty nester.’ Now I know. Had to disappear again… The streets of SM (nay, the world in general) are becoming too toxic for my quiet soul. How have you been? I hope you’re protecting yourself.
Peace. #EmptyNest #AnotherSoloTrip #Abundance #Ease #Flow.”

Nigerian singer, Adekunle Gold, has disclosed that his family is the most important aspect of his life.

Speaking during an appearance on a recent episode of the NotJustOk podcast, he explained that he wants to give his daughter a better life than he was given.

The ‘Orente’ hitmaker emphasised that he can afford to be a failed musician, but not a failed father and husband.

He stressed that his wife, Simi, and daughter, Adejare, are the centre of his life.

He shared that his song ‘My Love Is The Same’ was inspired by his determination to be a better father to his daughter.

Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Augustine Eguavoen, has strongly denied reports linking him with the position of Super Eagles head coach, describing the claims as “baseless” and “hurtful.”

The reports, which circulated in some sections of the media on Wednesday, suggested that Eguavoen and Ladan Bosso were being considered to replace current coach Eric Chelle if the team fails to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

In a statement released by the NFF Communications Department, Eguavoen expressed disappointment over the rumours, insisting that he has a cordial working relationship with Chelle and has no plans to take over the role.

The former Super Eagles coach also cautioned against attempts to create division within the national team’s management, recalling similar incidents during the tenures of Gernot Rohr and José Peseiro.

South Africa’s head coach, Hugo Broos, has downplayed the impact of FIFA’s three-point deduction on Bafana Bafana’s World Cup qualifying hopes, insisting his players remain mentally strong and focused on finishing the job.

Naija News reports that FIFA confirmed that South Africa lost three points for fielding an ineligible player in one of their previous qualifying wins. The decision means Broos’ men now face a tougher path to qualification, with crucial games against Zimbabwe on Friday and Rwanda next week.

Speaking ahead of the Zimbabwe clash, the 73-year-old coach admitted the news was disappointing but urged fans to stay positive.

Looking ahead, Broos stressed that South Africa must stay focused on their own results.