NEWS IN BRIEF..

These are Today's Top Of The Hour stories across Nigeria.

Attention of football lovers globally are being drawn into today's AFCON 2015 Qualifier match between Nigeria and South Africa. According to  Lolade Adewuyi, the chief editor of GOAL.COM Nigeria, the Akwa Ibom International Stadium venue has since early in the morning been witnessing high turnout of spectators and fans in their mood to watch the action slated for 6PM local time. Bafana Bafana has determined to win this match as a punishment to exit the Super Eagles from the January 2015 tournament.

2. Following a request letter sent to the Senate on Tuesday by President Goodluck Jonathan for the extension of emergency rule in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe, the Senate adjourned abruptly due to a sharp disagreement among members over the matter. The Senate that went into a closed door session over the matter reconvened and later adjourned sitting to Wednesday ( today) due to obvious disagreement.

3. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, on Tuesday gave up his 2015 presidential ambition, saying he decided to step down because of the regard he has for the leadership and elders of the party who had advised him to do so for the overall interest of the party.

4. The Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin has disclosed on Tuesday that Governor Fayose had directed that his office be sealed off. A statement by the Speaker’s Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi said the governor had employed all strategies to unseat the Speaker. He said he had used threats and coercion, including freezing the accounts of the Assembly, cutting off the electricity supply from the Speaker’s Lodge and stopping statutory votes for the Speaker’s upkeep and protocol just to ensure the Speaker is frustrated out of his position.

5. As the legal battle over Farouk Lawan bribery scandal continues with no end to the case, the presiding judge in the case, Justice Banjoko voluntarily withdrew from the case on Tuesday and ordered that the case file be returned to the FCT Chief Judge, Justice Ibrahim Bukar. The withdrawal was based on an earlier petition submitted against the judge by Farauk’s lawyer, asking that she quits the case.

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6. The indefinite strike embarked upon by health workers under the umbrella of Joint Health Sector Union, JOHESU is beginning to deal blow on the federal government as several patients in Lagos including the ones in critical conditions were on Tuesday forced to vacate the hospital following paralysis of medical and clinical services.

7. Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan of Delta State, yesterday, termed as unfortunate the kidnap of South-South Regional Editor of Vanguard Newspapers, Mr. Emma Amaize and 13 others by ex-militants in Oproza, Gbaramatu Kingdom, Warri South-West Local Government Area of the state. Uduaghan, was speaking during the 2014 press week of the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ.

8. Elder statesmen of minority extraction led by ex-Information Minister, Chief Edwin Clark, have asked President Goodluck Jonathan install full scale state of emergency in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states by sacking the governors. They have called on Mr. President to replace them with military administrators.

9. The Super Eagles have been advised by the NFF President, Amaju Melvin Pinnick that they must not go into Tuesday final African nation’s cup qualifying match against South Africa with over-confidence. He said there was a need to be focused in order to secure a place for the team in the next nation’s cup.

10. Former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has opened up over his resignation as PDP Chairman, affirming that he was forced to resign to allow the seven defected governors to return to the party. Tukur however expressed surprise that even after his resignation, the Governors were yet to return to the party.