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2023 Elections

2023: No Postponement, We Are Ready For Election – INEC Declares

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is ready to conduct the 2023 presidential election on the 25th of Saturday, 2023.
The assurance was given by INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.
The INEC chairman gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at the signing of the national peace accord by presidential candidates
According to Prof. Yakubu, the electoral umpire is ready to conduct a free and fair election and Nigerians should be rest assured that their votes will count.
The INEC boss further gave assurances that the commission is neutral and has no preferred candidate in the forthcoming general elections.
In his words, “I want to, first of all, appreciate the untiring efforts of the National Peace Committee for convening this important event.
 
“This is the third peace accord to be signed by political parties and candidates on the eve of a general election in Nigeria since 2015, and the ninth overall, if we include the accord signed before the commencement of electioneering campaign in September last year and ahead of five off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo in 2020, Anambra in 2021, Ekiti and Osun states in 2022.
 
“The signing of the peace accord today comes at a critical moment in the electoral calendar. Campaign for presidential and national assembly elections ends at midnight tomorrow, Thursday, 23rd February, 2023. Election will hold on Saturday this week. INEC is ready.
 
“This morning, we commenced the movement of sensitive materials to the various local government areas nationwide. By Friday, we will activate the registration area centres, so that at first light on Saturday, polling units will open on time.
 
“The commission is committed to free, fair, and credible elections in compliance with the electoral framework and the spirit of the peace accord.
 
“All political parties and candidates are hereby reassured of the commission’s neutrality. INEC is not a political party. We have no candidate in the election. Our allegiance is to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and our loyalty is to Nigerians. Therefore, Nigerians should feel confident that their votes will count.”
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2023 Elections

2023: Nigerians Not Ready For Igbo President – Orji Kalu

Senate Chief Whip and former governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu has said that Nigerians are not ready for an Igbo President.

Kalu stated this while speaking Channels Television’s programme, “The 2023 Verdict” on Wednesday.

According to Kalu, the February 25 presidential election is not the best outing for the Igbo people, because the people of the South-East need the support of five other regions for one of their own to be President.

He said, “It is not the best outing for us (Igbo people) because for you to become the President of Nigeria, you need other regions.”

One of the contestants of Igbo extractions among the 18 presidential candidates for the Saturday election is Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

Kalu, a senatorial candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC for Abia North Senatorial District had dismissed the chances of Obi.

He said, “I’m well-experienced; I ran for President in 2007 and I’m not sure Nigerians are yet ready for a President of Igbo extraction. I’m not sure because I have tried to nose around that. We have five other regions to come up with and I am not sure.”

According to Kalu, the people of the South-East are the best professionals but not the best politicians.

He said, “We do politics with emotions and I want Igbos to stop doing politics with emotions; I want Igbos to do practical politics.”

Kalu expressed confidence that APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will win in Abia State and the South-East zone.

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2023 Elections

PDP To Sanction G-5 Governors After Polls

The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party of the Peoples Democratic Party has decided to deal with the Governor Nyesom Wike-led Integrity Group after the elections for their alleged anti-party activities, according to the Punch.

Wike of Rivers State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue), and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) pulled out of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council last year, insisting that except the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, quits his position, they wouldn’t have anything to do with the campaigns.

Following Ayu’s refusal to go and the PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar’s apparent non-interest in the sacking of the former Senate President, the governors have since pitched their tents with their preferred presidential candidates.

While Makinde and Wike were said to be allegedly working for the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Tinubu, Ortom has openly endorsed the candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, even as Ikpeazu and Ugwuanyi are reportedly torn between Atiku and Obi.

Findings, however, revealed that Ayu would wield the big stick after the polls to demonstrate the supremacy of the party in line with the PDP constitution.

A member of the PDP National Executive Committee and former governor of a North-West state disclosed that the action of the aggrieved governors infuriated party stakeholders across the board, warning that failure to call them to order would raise a lot of questions from loyal members of the party.

The NEC member said, “We watched every day how these leaders ridiculed the party. Nobody said they had no reasons to be aggrieved, but we generally agreed that there were other ways to speak on the issues than the way they did.

“When the elders (Board of Trustees) intervened, we all thought the crisis was over, but it only got worse. We expect some sanctions, although the leadership of the party will set in motion what to do with them.

“At the NEC, it was nothing short of a disgrace to wake up to see governors dancing not in solidarity with their party, but with rival parties to cast aspersions on the same PDP that catapulted them to national prominence.

“It’s a good thing that Ayu is focused on the elections, but we would like to see what happens after that.”

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News

President Buhari Holds National Security Council Meeting

Ahead of the February 25th polls, President Muhammadu Buhari has convened a National security council meeting at the State House.

The meeting which has all security chiefs in attendance is expected to review the current security situation in Nigeria.

Before the meeting, the President presided over the launch of security equipment donated by the Coalition Against Covid-19 (CACOVID) at the Council Chambers.

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2023 Elections

Presidential Polls: I’m Not Desperate For Power – Atiku

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has said that he is not desperate to be Nigeria’s president.

Atiku said contrary to what some people think, he is contesting for the presidency to make Nigeria a better place.

He spoke in Abuja when the Council of National Students Presidents of Nigeria, endorsed him as their presidential candidate, ahead of Saturday’s election.

Represented by a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, Atiku said: “I’m not desperate for office. I’m running to change things. Under my watch, so many things will change. I’ve made a covenant with the Nigerian people.

“We need to appreciate President Muhammadu Buhari for insisting elections must be free and fair. We need to appreciate that move.”

On the issue of the redesigned Naira, Atiku warned that Nigerians would suffer more if they allow “fraudsters” to takeover power.

Atiku has been vying for the presidency since 1993 when he stepped down for the late MKO Abiola.

In 1999, former President Olusegun Obasanjo picked him as his Vice, and they ruled for eight years.

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2023 Elections

2023 Polls: Support Tinubu Openly, Don’t Go Through The Back Door – Labour Party Slams Wike

Gov Wike

Gov Nyesom Wike

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has been slammed by the Labour Party, LP, over speculations about his support for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the Presidential flagbearer of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the February 25th polls.

National Vice Chairman, South South, Labour Party, Favour Reuben, during a briefing with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said Wike’s actions and decisions were from a place of selfish interest.

Reuben stated that Governor Wike, who previously described the APC as cancer and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as malaria, should have rather looked for the cure to these deadly diseases, who he said is Peter Obi.

“We are hearing that our Governor (Wike, who few years back declared our state as a Christian State because he was running for election, has made a U-turn overnight and suddenly decided to form an alliance with Muslim – Muslim ticket because of his personal interest.

“The Wike we all know is not a coward that will surreptitiously ask his PDP followers to work for Tinubu of the APC without coming out openly, but if this is true, then we are in trouble and our PVCs should speak for us, being the only tool at our disposal to usher in a Government that will ameliorate our suffering, both at the State and Federal level.

“Secondly, our Governor (Wike) said APC is cancer, while PDP is malaria, so I will be expecting the Governor to look for the cure of these deadly diseases and the only cure is the Labour Party driven by Peter Gregory Obi, who has been tested and trusted in Governance.”

The South-South Vice Chairman of LP also said Governor Wike’s support for a man, whose region in the South has produced a president and is currently the Vice President of the country, questions his principle of equity, fairness and justice.

He challenged Wike to come out openly and tell the people his preferred presidential candidate.

“As a man, we know who Wike is. He should come out and tell Rivers people that the man we are supporting is Tinubu.

“He should not take it through the back door; we want him to come out openly.”

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2023 Elections

2023 Polls: Peter Obi Will Free Nigeria – Adebanjo

Nigerian elder statesmen, Pa Ayo Adebanjo has made an appeal to Nigerians.

He appealed to Nigerians to vote for the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, on Saturday.

The leader of apex Yoruba organisation, Afenifere canvassed votes for Obi at a meeting with Atunluse Initiatives.

The elder statesman hosted the leadership of the Yoruba socio-cultural and political group on Tuesday in Lagos, NAN reports.

Adebanjo said the people needed the former Anambra governor to rescue Nigeria from the shackles of poverty and bad governance.

“All citizens have the responsibility to fight for their freedom through this weekend’s presidential election,” he noted.

“We don’t have money to fight them, but we must do everything legitimately to free ourselves,” he said.

Adebanjo maintained there was a gentleman agreement that power at the centre would be shared between the North and the South.

The nonagenarian recalled that the South-West had their time under Olusegun Obasanjo and the North under Umaru Yar’Adua.

“Goodluck Jonathan did his own from South-South and it went back to North. Now coming back to the South, it should be given to the South-East in the name of equity,” he said.

Chairman of Atunluse, Akinsola Akinbobola and his delegation later had a closed door partly with Adebanjo and other Afenifere leaders.

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Uncategorized

BREAKING: Naira Crisis Suits Must Be Decided Today – Supreme Court

Daily Trust, the Supreme Court has made a declaration.

The court insisted that the dispute over naira redesign and swap policy must be decided today.

The seven-member panel led by Justice Inyang Okoro said new parties wishing to join the suit would no longer be allowed.

He said new parties would abide by the outcome of the existing suits or file a new one after the determination of the present suit, but that the matter must be determined today.

“You may file a fresh suit after this suit,” Justice Amina Augie said.

They were responding to an application by the Attorney General of Abia State seeking to join the suit as a separate suit similar to the one earlier brought by Rivers State Government through its counsel Emmanuel Ukala (SAN).

The panel, therefore, consolidated by the Rivers State Government alongside other suits.

After announcing 11 states consolidated as co-plaintiffs, alongside Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara states, the panel then began to hear the existing matter.

Bayelsa and Edo states remain co-defendant states on the side of the federal government.

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News

I Am Alive And Healthy – Yinka Ayefele Cries Out After Being Declared Dead On Tiktok

Yinka Ayefele, musician and Chairman of Fresh media group has denied rumours that he’s dead.
Ayefele debunked the rumour after it had circulated on Tiktok on Tuesday.
It was gathered that the widely watched video, which was said to have been made by one David had his pictures and that of his triplet with a dirge from gospel singer Tope Alabi as the soundtrack.
According to Ayefele he has been getting calls from friends and loved all over the world to ask if all is well.
The musician, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune on Tuesday night confirmed he was alive and healthy while he wondered why someone would create a video to spread rumours of his death.
According to him, he will not die but live to declare the glory of God.
He said “I will not die but live to declare the works of God. God knows the people behind this very dastardly act and will punish them. What will they gain from spreading rumours of my death?
 
“On Fresh FM, Ibadan this evening, I did my programme called Let’s Talk about It jointly with Enitan Olusegun Bamidele (EOB). My phone kept ringing while on the show and Whatsapp messages have jammed by my phone as well.
 
“A lot of my fans and admirers from all over the world kept calling to find out what really happened. On realising it was fake news, they started cursing those behind it.
 
“I wish to tell Nigerians that I am hale and hearty and not dead. I am not even under the weather. For someone to conjure up this kind of wickedness is disheartening. I have handed over those behind it to God who will mete out appropriate punishment to them.
“My fans, please disregard the rumour. If Jesus tarries, we will be here for a long time.”
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2023 Elections

It’s Time For Nigerians To Punish APC, Tinubu For Misrule – PDP Campaign

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council has called on Nigerians to punish the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by voting them out on Saturday.
The party accused the APC of misruling the country for the past eight years and caused untold hardship for Nigerians.
In a statement on Tuesday, the spokesman of the PDP Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, asked Nigerians to punish the APC and its presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for their maladministration in Saturday’s election.
Ologbondiyan claimed that the APC plundered the national treasury, imposed policies that ruined the value of the Naira, and imposed unjust taxes and tariffs on essential goods and services.
He urged Nigerians to repay the APC with a humiliating defeat by voting en masse for the PDP flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar, who is touted to rescue the county from the clutches of the ruling party.
The statement reads: “Our campaign stresses that Nigerians cannot afford to gloss over the horrible experiences which they have been made to endure in almost eight years of APC, the administration which Tinubu claimed to have unilaterally foisted upon our country.
 
“Nigerians should approach the ballot box with a determination to repay the APC and Tinubu for the devastation they caused our country.”
 
“Nigerians must go to the presidential election with the consciousness of how the arrogant, abusive, insensitive, corrupt and incompetent APC and its Presidential Candidate viciously pillaged our national patrimony, turned our revenues generating agencies into their cash cows, wrecked our once robust economy which was hitherto rated as one of the fastest growing in the world, ruined our productive sectors, took away jobs from our youths and turned our nation into the poverty capital of the world, where over 100 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.”

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