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A vehicle carrying election materials broke down along Gariki road, Enugu state this morning February 25.
Photos shared online shows a vulcaniser working to fix one if the tyres of the vehicle.
The National Youth Service Corps has warned corps members against accepting financial and material inducements during Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
The NYSC Director General, Brigadier General YD Ahmed, gave the warning on Friday while addressing the corps members during sensitisation in Abuja, which was also held concurrently in all states of the federation.
The DG, who urged the corp members to be part of history as good ambassadors of their institutions, families and the NYSC, assured them of adequate security and an improved welfare package.
Ahmed also implored the corps members to abide by the electoral laws, adding that they were not immune from being prosecuted for electoral offenses.
“Never accept to board any vehicle that is not provided by INEC. You must be neutral and be just in whatever assignment is given to you.
You must be in your NYSC uniform with identification cards. Remember that you are not immunned against any wrongdoing.
“Ensure that you don’t move alone in order not to endanger yourself, maintain personal security, and use the NYSC Distress Call number in case of any emergency”, the DG said.
Ahmed also advised the corps members to avoid any political arguments or granting press interviews.
The DG noted that corps members’ involvement in previous elections and other national assignments had attracted tremendous commendation for the scheme.
The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 4,000 operatives to provide security during Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections in Kaduna.
This is contained in a statement on Friday by DSC Habeeb Badamasi, spokesman for the NSCDC, Kaduna command.
NSCDC commandant Idris Adah explained that the massive deployment of personnel in the state was to ensure the safety of life and property, said the statement, adding that Mr Adah appealed to residents to come out en mass to exercise their franchise without fear.
Mr Adah mentioned that the command had constituted a monitoring team that would go round the 23 council areas of the state to ensure the security of voters and election officials.
The NSCDC commandant said the team would also track and arrest anyone involved in election malpractice.
“We have deployed the Anti-Vandals Squad to all critical national assets and infrastructure in the state to protect the assets against vandalism by criminal elements before, during and after the elections,” added Mr Adah.
The commandant also revealed that undercover operatives would work in the background to support the team and other security agencies with credible intelligence to tackle any security issue.
Mr Adah advised residents to provide useful information about criminal elements and those involved in election malpractice for appropriate action.
An Enugu-based NGO, African Network For Peace And Good Governance (ANPG), has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the early arrival of voting materials and INEC officials at the polling centres on election days.
The group also calls on the commission to develop and adopt workable measures that will ensure the functionality of the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the polls.
This is contained in a statement signed by the group’s executive director, Bede Aneke, on Friday.
Mr Aneke noted that repeated reports of the late arrival of INEC officials and materials, malfunctioning of smart card readers, and late accreditation had affected the previous elections, thereby disenfranchising some voters.
He urged the election umpires to ensure that all eligible voters were not prevented from casting their ballots due to the challenges.
The director noted that since Nigeria returned to democracy in 1999, the country had conducted six general elections, pointing out that there had been reports of the late arrival of INEC officials and voting materials in each of the polls.
He said in the 2015 general elections, the polling process commenced at 8:00 a.m., which entailed authentication of PVCs, fingerprints and verification in the voter register.
“But (the) majority of the polling units commenced the process behind schedule and some even at 10:30 a.m., two hours late,” said Mr Aneke.
He cited an example with the Anambra governorship election. YIAGA Africa, an election observer, noted that 28 per cent of the polling units commenced accreditation as scheduled, and voting began at 10:30 a.m.
According to the group, the late arrival of election officials, materials, accreditation, and voting had denied thousands of voters the right to exercise their civic responsibility.
While commending INEC for the introduction of BVAS, the director tasked the commission to ensure the conduct of free, fair and credible polls.
The Federal Capital Territory command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 3,000 operatives to ensure security during Saturday’s polls.
On Friday in Abuja, a statement by the NSCDC FCT spokeswoman Comfort Okomanyi said the operatives were drawn from all operational and tactical units.
The NSCDC FCT commandant, Peter Maigari, said the combatant officers would work closely with other security agencies to protect critical national assets during the elections.
He added that they would also man strategic places, including polling units, collation centres, Independent National Electoral Commission offices, staff and materials.
Mr Maigari advised the officers to be diligent, professional and apolitical in their operations, urging FCT residents to avoid election violence or any action with the potential of disrupting the electoral process.
He also advised parents to caution their wards against being used as tools for thuggery, as anyone caught causing mayhem would face the law.
Barely 24 hours before the general election, armed men attacked the Imo State Commissioner for Trade and Investment, Simon Ebegbulem and the member representing Okigwe South federal constituency, Chike Okafor.
Also attacked was the Managing Director of the Imo State Waste Management Agency, Kelechi Emeakaroha.
The incident occurred at a remote village called Alike near Okata community in the Ihitte-Uboma Local Government Area of the state.
It was learnt that the incident occurred after a rally of the APC at Umuawuchi village, the hometown of the House of Assembly candidate of the APC, Chike Olemgbe.It was gathered that the armed men ambushed the APC leaders while on their way back to Owerri at about 6:30 pm.
They opened fire on the commissioner’s vehicle and other vehicles in the convoy of the House of Reps candidate, Dicken Okafor.
Ebegbulem and his driver escape by the whiskers but his vehicle and others were riddled with bullets.
The PDP in Benue South senatorial district has endorsed presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar for Saturday’s presidential election.
This is contained in a statement by Paul Mumeh, media aide of former senate president David Mark on Thursday in Abuja.
The statement said the decision was taken after a meeting in Otukpo, the traditional headquarters of the Idoma people.
It said the decision by the party was based on the premise that their interest would be better served under an Abubakar presidency.
It explained that the party members distanced themselves from those campaigning for candidates of other political parties.
According to the statement, they said they could not be members of the PDP and be seen to be working for candidates of other political parties.
“They urged all party members not to be distracted by the antics of a few but should go all out to vote for candidates of the PDP in the February 25 and March 11 elections.
In the statement, Mr Mark urged PDP members to be faithful to the party because jumping from one party to the other would make no sense, adding that political parties are vehicles for achieving one’s political ambition and must be held sacrosanct by obeying the rules and regulations.
According to Mr Mark, politicians who jump from one party to another are people without conviction or do not know what they want.
The senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, urged the party members to remain steadfast.
The senatorial district comprised the nine local government areas of the Idoma land.
Some thugs attacked the supporters and vehicles of the New Nigeria Peoples Party along Na’ibawa-Zaria road in Kano State on Thursday.
According to Daily Trust, the supporters were attacked on their way to receive the party’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
Statement from President Joe Biden on Nigeria’s Upcoming Election.
I commend yesterday’s peace accord in Nigeria, signed by the political parties and candidates running in Nigeria’s presidential election on February 25.
By signing this pledge, the parties and candidates have committed to accept the results of the election, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, and to support a peaceful transition of power.
Elections are a fundamental part of a functioning democracy, and all Nigerians deserve this chance to choose their future — freely and fairly.
While the United States does not support any single candidate or party, we strongly support a peaceful and transparent process that reflects the will of the people of Nigeria.
On election day, I encourage all Nigerians — no matter their religion, region, or ethnicity —to exercise this fundamental freedom and make their voices heard — including young voters, many of whom may be heading to the ballot box for the first time.
The United States stands with the Nigerian people as they chart a path toward a more democratic, prosperous, and secure future. I appreciate President Buhari’s firm commitment that the will of the people will be respected.
And in the coming days, I encourage voters to remain peaceful and patient as their ballots are tallied, and urge the political parties and candidates to live up to their pledge.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised Nigerians without Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), to stay away from the polling units on election day.
INEC national commissioner, Festus Okoye, stated this while receiving IT facilities from Community Life Project (CLP) and Ford foundation in support of the INEC Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC) on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr Okoye, who is Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, said no other means of identification would be used on election day, other than the PVC.
“As Nigerians go to the polling units on election day we want to point out that it is a mandatory provision of the Electoral Act that every citizen who wants to vote in the coming election must have a PVC.
“It is a mandatory requirement of section 47 subsection 1 of the Electoral Act.
“So individuals that do not have PVC are not required to approach any of our polling units.
“No individual is permitted to go to the polling units and provide any other means of identification other than the PVC.
He re-emphasied that INEC was committed to the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voters’ accreditation and uploading of election results to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Mr Okoye also reminded the media, election observer groups and citizens that it is only INEC that has the legal right to announce election results.
“No media organisation, no individual, no citizen, no domestic or international election observer is permitted under the condition or under the law to announce election results.
“As some of you are aware, the Chairman of INEC is the electoral Commissioner for the whole of the federation and the returning officer for the presidential election.
“So only the chairman of the commission is permitted by the constitution and the Electoral Act to announce the presidential results.
“Any other person can be appointed by the commission to announce any other level of election,’’he said.
A 104-year-old woman, Lolo Iyom Josephine Ezeanyaeche, has endorsed Peter Obi and Datti Baba-Ahmed for president, saying they will make Nigeria an investment hub.
Ms Ezeanyaeche, also the chairman emeritus of ‘The Voice for Senior Citizens of Nigeria’, known as Mama Africa, said this when she visited the Labour Party office in Abuja.
According to her, the endorsement of Mr Obi as the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was because he is qualified as the number one out of the four major contestants.
“The searchlight for his selection was nationally oriented and accepted for his visionary leadership, integrity, transparency, competence, capacity, character, selflessness, enlightenment, education, nationalism and globally acclaimed.
Calling him for this honourable task in our assessment will comfort Nigerians for a new beginning,” said Ms Ezeanyaeche.
The centenarian added, “Obi will fix the economy and create jobs. If the economy is fixed, it will be easier tackling insecurity, fighting corruption and improving the social well-being of the people.
Peter Obi will passionately undertake major constitutional changes that will bring about devotion of power, fiscal federation and entrenching of good governance and the rule of law.”
Ms Ezeanyaeche pointed out that Mr Obi has a great opportunity to change the course of the country’s future for good and will unite Nigerians.
Labour Party chairman Julius Abure said many groups and political parties had endorsed Mr Obi, urging “all our supporters that on the 25th of this month, which is Saturday, they should all come out to cast their votes for the labour party.”
He stressed that the Labour Party had confidence in INEC, led by Mahmoud Yakubu, to do the right thing and “appeal to INEC that the standard they have laid, the integrity they have built over the years, they must crystalise it by their activities in this election.”
Mr Abure added;
“They must be patriotic and put the interest of the country first and beyond every other interest. They must avoid the temptation of allowing this election to be compromised.
I must also commend all the international observers that have interfaced with me personally, with our party and with our candidate and have assured us that they will observe the election and do the right thing.”
With just two days to the presidential and federal parliamentary elections, a police detachment numbering about 30 has arrived at the INEC headquarters office in Lagos to beef up security around the facilities.
The operatives, fully armed, arrived INEC office on Wednesday at 5:00 p.m. with their weapons and luggage, with INEC busy loading Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in trucks to various local government areas in Lagos.
The police officers, upon arrival, began chanting various songs to announce their arrival for election duty.
INEC in Lagos on Wednesday took delivery of sensitive materials for Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary poll from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The commission had also begun the distribution of the materials to the 20 local government areas of Lagos.
The presidential and federal parliamentary elections will be held on Saturday.
Barely 48 hours to the Presidential and National Assembly elections, the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party have lost scores of members to APC in the Federal Capital Territory.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the defectors were received into the fold of APC on Wednesday in Abuja.
The National Coordinator, National Mass Movement for Better Orientation, Dr Hawa Iyatu-Bagu, a frontline Tinubu support group, said the development was an indication of APC’s victory in the February 25 elections.
Iyatu-Bagu said that the organisation had been in touch with the defectors for a very long time, saying, ”today those that accepted the truth have decided to follow the winning team.
She said, “We have been going around canvassing for votes and most of them here are only the leaders because if all of them will be here, this place cannot contain them.
“So, we now ask their leaders and some of them to come here and make it public about their decision to dump PDP and LP and declare their readiness to vote for Tinubu and Shettima.
“With this development and what we have seen so far in the course of our campaigns across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, Nigerians, especially the women are ready to vote for the duo.”
The coordinator also stated that the youths were ready to ensure the landslide victory of Tinubu, assuring the defectors of equal treatment.
According to her, the APC presidential candidate will reciprocate any gesture to be done to him with quality leadership.
Also speaking, the Deputy National Coordinator of NAMMBO, Ibrahim Umar, lauded the Tinubu support group for attracting the defectors into the fold of APC.
Umar, said that the chances of Tinubu winning the presidential election were very bright, adding that Nigerians were eager to vote for Tinubu and Shettima.
Earlier, Mr Titus Musa, former PDP Youth Leader in Gwarinpa Ward, Abuja Municipal Area Council, who led defectors said they decided to defect to APC to vote Tinubu.
He said;
This is due to his record of excellent service in Lagos and his contributions to national development.
We are convinced with the APC manifesto titled, the Message of Hope. APC is the way to go and Tinubu has something to offer Nigeria.
Former Governor of Abia state and current Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu has said that Nigerians may not yet be ready for a President from the South-East region of the country.
While Kalu had in the past advocated for an Igbo presidency, appearing on a Channels Television on Wednesday, February 22, the former Governor said “this is not the best time for us” to become president.
He added that the people from the south-east “are not the best politicians”.
Kalu said;
“This is not the best outing for us. For you to be president of Nigeria, you need other regions. I’m not sure that Nigerians are yet ready for a president of Igbo extraction,
“We have five other regions to be able to come up with votes. We do politics with emotions. I want Igbos to stop doing politics with emotions. I want them to do practical politics that will be able to drive Nigerians if we want to be in the community of the nation. We need to read the temperature of other regions.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has deployed its officers to the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, to monitor the polls on Saturday, Feb. 25.
The anti-graft agency said the deployment is part of efforts to ensure the integrity of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
EFCC Chairman, Abdulrasheed Bawa, charged the operatives to be conscious of the interest of the nation and to exhibit a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of duties.
Bawa said being on a national assignment, he expects them to act accordingly in line with the commission’s values of professionalism, integrity and courage.
The chairman noted that they have a responsibility to “ensure that the election is devoid of financial malpractices, especially inducement of voters”.
The EFCC also released incidents reporting hotlines for the 36 states and Abuja, urging citizens to report vote buying, selling, or other evidence of financial malpractices.
Members of the public can also report anyone trying to buy or sell votes by making use of the EFCC financial crimes reporting App, Eagle Eye.
On Wednesday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River began the distribution of sensitive materials to the 18 local council areas for Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
The distribution commenced at INEC’s office, with the loading of Bimodal Voter Accreditation election result sheets and the ballot papers from the Central Bank of Nigeria.
All security agencies, including the paramilitary, police, army, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the State Security Service, supervised the distribution.
Political parties participating in the polls and civil society organisations were present during the distribution.
The resident electoral commissioner, Gabriel Yomere, said the decision to invite all stakeholders to witness the exercise was to forestall any impression by anybody of any wrongdoing by the commission.
Mr Yomere disclosed that the 3,281 BVAS for the state had been configured to be used at polling units.
“They have also been charged to last for 48 hours, so we don’t envisage any problem of power as regards the usage of the BVAS.
“As for the result sheets, they remained intact the way they were brought from where they came from,” he said.
At least 295 candidates in the state are jostling for the 36 elective political positions, including the governorship position, in the February 25 and March 11 general elections, according to INEC.
A breakdown of the figure showed that 11 candidates would contest the governorship seat, 28 candidates for the senatorial seats, 69 for the House of Representatives and 187 for the House of Assembly.
Only 12 out of the 17 registered political parties in the state would be fielding candidates during the elections. Meanwhile, the security agencies have reassured residents of their safety during and after the elections.
The police commissioner in charge of elections in the state, Kabiru Ibrahim, who spoke on behalf of others, said all flash points in Cross River would be closely monitored.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday scheduled judgement on the lawsuit filed by governors against the Buhari regime for March 3 over naira notes.
At least 17 states have joined a consolidated suit demanding the prohibition of President Muhammadu Buhari from suddenly implementing the redesign of the national currency.
The Supreme Court, after hearing from dozens of lawyers on both governors and federal government’s sides, said a judgement would be delivered on the matter next month.
The judgment date will be after the presidential election on February 25.
The court had previously issued an order saying the old notes should remain in circulation.
Arguments in today’s hearing focused on a contempt decision against Attorney-General Abubakar Malami, who had failed to implement the court’s decision for old notes to keep circulating until a substantive ruling on the matter.
The states, including Kaduna and Lagos, sued the Buhari regime earlier this month, arguing that implementing a change of banknotes at this time would hurt citizens.
Banks have not been able to make available new notes to Nigerians, which has caused economic hardships.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, which introduced the new notes on Mr Buhari’s directive, said it would try to make available the much-sought N500 and N1,000 notes.
The commandant general of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ahmed Abubakar Audi, has approved the deployment of 102,000 personnel to provide security during the forthcoming general election in the country.
This is contained in a statement by NSCDC’s spokesman Olusola Odumosu on Tuesday.
Mr Audi said the deployment aligned with the security agency’s readiness to provide a secure environment for Nigerians to exercise their franchise and assured Nigerians of a comprehensive deployment plan to enhance general security coverage nationwide for the people to vote without molestation or intimidation.
“In addition, there would be the deployment of the Anti-vandalism Squad and Special Forces to all critical national assets and infrastructure.
Including flashpoints in states and the FCT, to protect them against vandalism, damage or arson by criminal elements before, during and after the elections,” the NSCDC boss stated.
He explained that the agency would engage officers from the Arms Squad, Counter Terrorism, Chemical, Biological Radiological and Explosives Unit, Female Squad, Rapid Response Squad, K9 and SWAT Units.
“Our specially trained undercover personnel have been dispatched from each Command to work effectively with other security agencies to maintain surveillance and provide intelligence reports and updates on the security situation in different states, especially on flashpoints,” the commandant general added.
Mr Audi said while state commandants would be responsible for field operations, a monitoring team comprising the DCG operations and other DCGs, zonal commanders and other senior officers had been constituted to monitor and supervise the exercise nationwide effectively.
He directed that, in addition to the unified code of conduct for security agencies, NSCDC Officers deployed for the assignment must comply with the corps’ operational code and the principles of the rule of law in discharging their duties.
Labour Party’s vice-presidential candidate Datti Baba-Ahmed says APC’s Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket featuring Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima will fail because of its faulty “configuration.”
Mr Baba-Ahmed argued that Nigeria is not a religious monolith like Saudi Arabia, Iran or the Vatican.
Mr Baba-Ahmed is a northern Muslim and running mate to Peter Obi (the Labour Party presidential flag bearer), a Christian from the South.
The vice-presidential standard-bearer stressed that Mr Tinubu lost out in his scheme to become President Muhammadu Buhari’s running mate in the 2015 presidential election because APC believed a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket would scuttle their potential victory at the polls.
“Why today Tinubu is not the vice-president of Nigeria is the same reason he cannot be president,” Mr Baba-Ahmed told Channels TV Tuesday night during an interview.
“What couldn’t happen in 2015 when the then-candidate Buhari asked for any nomination whatsoever from Tinubu – because that configuration has passed.
It can no longer work in Nigeria. (The) Muslim-Muslim ticket cannot work anymore.”
Mr Baba-Ahmed added;
“The creator of the heavens and earth does not make mistakes. This is the Federal Republic of Nigeria as duly filed at the United Nations and registered too. It’s not the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for example, or the Vatican or Iran or Libya or Mauritania. It’s a federal republic, and God didn’t make a mistake by putting all of us, 250 (tribes).”
Mr Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim running mate elicited scathing criticisms, with many accusing the APC of an agenda to Islamise Nigeria.
Lawan Babachir, an estranged Tinubu ally and APC chieftain, threatened that Christians would vote against the APC, describing the ruling party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket as “satanic.”
Last July, Peoples Gazette exclusively reported that the State Security Service, in a secret memo to Mr Buhari, warned that Mr Tinubu’s choice of a Muslim vice-presidential candidate (Kashim Shettima) would trigger a sectarian crisis that could destabilise Nigeria.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has urged Nigerians to be patriotic and peaceful and display true sportsmanship as they exercise their civic rights on February 25 and March 11.
Mr Jonathan said this in a message to Nigerians released by his special adviser Ikechukwu Eze in Abuja on Tuesday.
He said Nigerians must not allow elections to be a source of violence and anarchy.
“We must desist from the temptation of yielding to those desirous of making our communities and states theatres of conflicts for their selfish ends.
Let us realise that the primary purpose of democracy is to uphold the freedom and dignity of citizens and deploy the instruments of governance toward advancing and improving the well-being of our people,” the former Nigerian president explained.
Mr Jonathan urged Nigerians to “consolidate the gains we have recorded in our democracy in the last two decades by ensuring that the elections are peaceful, just, and fair,” appealing to politicians to eschew hatred and violence, “be circumspect in their actions and work towards consolidating the nation’s democracy.”
Mr Jonathan, who said that the future belongs to the youth, advised them not to allow themselves to be used as agents of destruction and violence, saying Nigeria is yours to build.
“This election provides you with the opportunity to be key partners in the nation-building process by electing leaders of your choice. Those you can hold to account, those you trust to defend your future and guarantee unity, peace, and prosperity in our great country,” the former president stressed.
According to him, the 2023 elections mean so much to all Nigerians, describing it as a moment of truth and courage.
“Democracy has put our fate in our hands. It has given us power, the power to make the right choices, determine our future, and shape our destiny,” he stated.