General election: Early voting begins in South Africa

South Africa’s general election witnessed early turnout on Monday as those who must work on polling day or who have special needs were given a chance to cast their ballots.

According to the Independent Electoral Commission, IEC, around 1.6 million, out of the 27.6 million-strong electorate, were allowed to go early.

Election agents will visit 624,000 people with mobility issues at home, while essential workers will attend polling stations two days earlier than the general populace.

The rest of the country will on Wednesday be called to vote in South Africa’s sixth general election, 30 years after the coming of democracy in 1994.

The vote could prove a historic turning point if, as opinion polls predict, the ruling African National Congress, ANC, loses its absolute parliamentary majority for the first time.

Zimbabwean president fixes August 23 for presidential, parliamentary elections

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa has fixed August 23 for the country’s next elections, setting a campaign season among political parties and aspiring candidates in motion.

Local media reported on Wednesday that Mr Mnangagwa set June 21 as the date on which nomination courts would sit countrywide to accept applications by political parties and their candidates to participate in the polls.

The president was billed to announce the date on Monday but postponed doing so, with his spokesperson, George Charamba, saying he will do so in due course.

More than 5.8 million people have registered to vote in the presidential, legislative and local authority elections, according to the report.

The ruling ZANU PF party has already held primary elections to choose candidates for the polls, while the two major opposition parties, MDC-T and Citizens’ Coalition for Change, are yet to present theirs to the electorate.

Supreme Court affirms Ademola Adeleke as Osun governor

The Supreme Court has affirmed Senator Ademola Adeleke as the validly elected governor of Osun, putting to rest months-long legal battle between him and ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola.

In the lead judgment prepared and delivered by Justice Emmanuel Agim, a member of the five-man panel that presided over the case, the court held that the appellants, Mr Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC), did not produce a concrete evidence to support their claims of over voting and improper accreditation of voters.

Mr Agim held that the evidence submitted by the appellant which did not include the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines of the 744 poling units in dispute, could not be relied upon as the primary source of records for the accredited voters in the polling units.

Failing to provide the authentic voter accreditation records from the BVAS implied that the appellants relied on a secondary, insufficient and inadmissible means to prove their allegations.

The court also ruled that the expert analysis presented by the APC and Mr Oyetola was not independent as the expert in question was a member of the APC and an associate of Mr Oyetola who had a vested interest in his analysis, affirming that the appellant failed to prove grounds of their petition.

“The appellant case clearly collapsed at the conclusion of evidence,” Mr Agim said.

Mr Oyetola had sought relief at the apex court following the Appeal Court’s upturning of his victory at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which affirmed Mr Adeleke as the validly elected governor.

Ex-finance minister Peña wins Paraguay’s presidential election

Santiago Peña, the governing conservative Colorado party candidate, has won the presidential election in Paraguay.

The 44-year-old had 42.8 per cent of votes, with nearly all ballots counted, the national electoral authority said on Sunday.

According to the electoral authority, Mr Peña, a former finance minister, had a 15-point lead over centre-left rival Efraín Alegre, 60, from the Concertacion coalition.

Over the past 76 years, Partido Colorado has lost just one election in the South American country – it was not in power from 2008 to 2013.

Five years ago, Alegre lost to Mario Abdo Benítez, the outgoing incumbent.

Abdo Benítez was not allowed to stand again for constitutional reasons – the president is only allowed one term.

Paraguay has almost seven million inhabitants and, along with Bolivia, is the only country in South America without access to the sea.

It’s main exports are soy, electricity and beef.

In addition to the president, the Senate, the Chamber of Deputies and governors were newly elected on Sunday.

According to the electoral authority, the Colorado party also appeared to have defended its majority in parliament.

Court declines Aisha Binani’s request to be recognised as Adamawa governor-elect

A division of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Tuesday has declined Aisha ‘Binani’ Dahiru’s request to be recognised as Adamawa governors-elect.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, in his ruling on Tuesday, ordered applicant counsel Mohammed Sheriff to address if the court has a jurisdiction to handle the matter before adjourning the case till April 26.

Hudu Yunusa Ari, the rogue Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Adamawa State, sidestepped the INEC returning officer, Mele Kyari, to declare Aishatu Binani of the APC as the winner of the rerun election on Saturday.

INEC dissociated itself from Mr Yunusa Ari’s illegal pronouncement, nullifying it. However, Mrs Binani approached the court seeking that the fraudulent declaration be upheld.

Mrs Binani, in the suit she jointly filed with her party, the All Progressives Congress, on April 17 and marked FHC/ABJ/CS/510/2023, said the court should immediately review INEC’s nullification of the exercise, arguing that the electoral office lacked the powers to reverse a declaration.

INEC said it has written the inspector general of police, Usman Baba, to investigate and prosecute Mr Yunusa-Ari for illegally declaring APC gubernatorial flag bearer Aishatu Dahiru, winner in Saturday’s supplementary elections.

Dino Melaye’s victory is ‘fraudulent’- says aggrieved PDP guber aspirant

Abayomi Awoniyi, one of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kogi governorship aspirants, says the party’s Sunday primary election is not credible and the victory of Dino Melaye fraudulent.

He said this in a statement on Monday in Lokoja, adding that the election was not free, fair or credible as it was marred by fraud.

Mr Melaye emerged as the PDP candidate for the November 11 governorship election.

Ahmed Makarfi, the chairman of the PDP primary election committee said Mr Melaye scored 313 votes to defeat his closest rival, Ilona Idoko-Kingsley who scored 124 votes at the primary. But Mr Awoniyi, a former Kogi deputy governor, said the election was not credible.

“This has led to the PDP in Kogi State, fluffing a great opportunity of winning back the state from the ruling party,” he said.

Mr Awoniyi said the delegates’ list was manipulated, with authentic delegates’ names from Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu and Ijumu council areas replaced.

“Without an iota of doubt, I make bold to say Melaye’s victory is a pyrrhic one. This victory portends great danger to the unity of our party and the prospect of winning the Nov. 11 governorship election. The reason for this assertion is simple. The primary that threw up Melaye was flawed,” claimed the former deputy governor.

He added;

“About 158 delegates who emerged from the state ad hoc congress of March 29, were replaced by the Senator Abdul Ningi congress committee working in concert with Melaye’s enablers within the party hierarchy at the highest level. To gift any aspirant, a total of 158 votes in a contest for 739 votes involving eight aspirants is not a fair contest. It is fraudulent, duplicitous, sinful, and unwholesome because it confers undue advantage on the favoured aspirant.”

Mr Awoniyi insisted that “Senator Dino Melaye won a fraudulent primary.”

Stressing, “What we have today in Kogi, is discontent within the PDP rank and file, and some measure of elation within the other political party.”

The disgruntled aspirant further stated, “This pyrrhic victory may look like a fait accompli, but the dust is unlikely to settle even beyond the November 11 governorship election.”

PDP wins Rivers supplementary election in two federal constituencies

Candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were on Sunday declared winners of Saturday’s election rerun in the Khana/Gokhana and Port Harcourt City council area.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), through its Returning Officer for Khana/Gokhana Constituency, Kingsely Owete, declared the result at Bori, Rivers.

Mr Owete said Dunameme Dekor, the PDP candidate in Khana/Gokana federal constituency, who won the constituency’s election rerun, satisfied the requirements of the law.

He said Mr Dekor won with 18,641 votes ahead of his closest rival, Friday Nkeeh, of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 10,165 votes.

Mr Dekor thanked the people of the Khana/Ghokana constituency for electing him, adding that he would attract development to his constituency.

INEC also declared Blessing Amadi as the PDP winner of the election in the Port Harcourt City local council area federal constituency 2 (PHALGHA 2).

Ms Amadi thanked the people of PHALGHA 2 for their support and pledged her commitment to the constituency’s development.

She also commended INEC for ensuring that the BVAS machines functioned properly.

Collins Owhonda, the All Progressives Congress candidate in Rivers, withdrew from the race 24 hours before the election and announced his defection to the PDP.

APC wins Kankia supplementary election in Katsina State

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Salisu Rimaye of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Saturday’s supplementary election for Kankia constituency of Katsina State.

INEC Returning Officer, Dr Kamaluddeen Kabo of the Federal University, Dutsinma declared the result in Kankia.

Mr Kabo said that Mr Rimaye scored 18, 157 votes to beat Abdullahi Ibrahim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 16, 763 votes.

He said the total number of registered voters was 78, 224, while 37, 030 were accredited and the total valid vote was 35, 037. 511 votes were rejected, while the total votes cast were 35, 548.

“I Dr Kamaladdeen Kabo, the Returning officer, Kankia, State Constituency election, held on April 15, 2023.

“Hereby satisfy that Salisu Rimaye of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” he said.

The polling units where the supplementary election was conducted included Galadima A, Galadima B, Tsa and Rimaye wards, each had one polling unit, while Tafashiya ward had two.

Ex-Lagos deputy governor, Sinatu Ojikutu, vows to renounce citizenship before Tinubu’s inauguration

A former deputy governor of Lagos State, Alhaja Sinatu Ojikutu, says she is currently in the process of renouncing her Nigerian citizenship following the emergence of Bola Tinubu as the President-elect.

Ojikutu who was deputy governor to Michael Otedola between 1992 to 1993 disclosed this during a process conference in her Lagos residence.

According to her, she has been humiliated and ostracised because of her lingering battle with the former Lagos state governor as well as her views on the 2023 general election.

“Before the results of the presidential elections were declared, I came out to say that if Bola Tinubu won the election, I would renounce my citizenship in Nigeria and I have my reasons. When he won, people called me and said he would not do anything bad. But I am endangered by the current situation. I have been ostracised and humiliated in places where I should be honoured because of his not being at peace with me.I will not hold a Nigerian passport with Bola Tinubu as President. I am praying to God to give me the nation I can go to. I am not going to America or the United Kingdom. I want a simple place where I (can) stay and live for the rest of my life. I don’t know where I am going but I have already given it to the lawyers to please see where I can get the citizenship. I am working on it seriously before May 29.”

She said she is of the view that it was the turn of the South East to take over the presidency in 2023.

‘’I am one of those who believed that it is the turn of the South-East to get the presidency. If we say we want to remain one of Nigeria, then we have to consider equity. You can’t say there is one Nigeria while suppressing a particular zone from getting to the number one shot.

“Many people know that with the records of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in eight years and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the years before; somebody who is not compromised, who is not part of the corruption, will find it difficult to vote for both parties. That is being sincere.”

Ojikutu said all efforts to resolve the differences she had with Tinubu since she was made a Commissioner representing Lagos State at the Federal Character Commission had been unsuccessful. While lamenting over the state of the nation, she said she is no longer proud to be a former public office holder.

“The National Assembly system is too expensive for Nigeria. The natural resources of this nation are enough for every man if it is well managed. I am ashamed to call myself a public officer because I cannot see all my sacrifices. And some people will boast of their political status as excellency. Excellency over a nation like this?

People who have served this nation faithfully are unhappy at the turn up of events. There are so many people on the streets who are hungry and everything that was supposed to be put in place has not been put in place.”she said.

She stated that those who are not satisfied with the outcome of the elections have a right to challenge it in court.

She expressed disappointment at the various attempts by some individuals to label those challenging the electioneering process as people committing a treasonable offence.

Judge on wheelchair accepted bribes to compromise election petition in new Falz video

Popular rapper, Folarin ‘Falz’ Falana, has released the video of his new single titled ‘Mr Yakubu’ in which he featured Olanrewaju Ogunmefun popularly known as Vector.

The song mirrored a Peoples Gazette exclusive which exposed plans of a secret meeting between President-elect Bola Tinubu and Chief Justice Kayode Ariwoola in London.

Messrs Ariwoola and Tinubu had planned their trips a week apart and had the Supreme Court’s head disguise as a physically challenged man to facilitate the meeting without arousing suspicion from the public.

As characters deliberate over the conduct of the elections in the video, the judge adjudicating election matters was wheeled in into the scene on a wheelchair accurately depicting the pictures of Mr Ariwoola’s London sighting which has now flooded the internet.

Mr Ogunmefun, popularly known as Vector, said that Mr Ariwoola would go down in history as the judge in whose hands the law died, highlighting the judge’s untoward relationship with politicians.

“Who killed the law, who will people ask,” Vector asked rhetorically as the camera pointed towards the judge.Highlighting the possible financial inducements of judicial officers, Falz said the judge had been bribed to maintain Mr Tinubu’s widely disputed electoral victory.

“Thank you my lord, I respect you my lord… since he has paid, you have hurriedly written it [the judgement] and you said he has been elected, they should bring the crown,” he said.

The song also drove home the perceived role of Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the elections.

Mr Yakubu and his commission continue to face fierce public disapproval over the announced results of the election. Several candidates have accused the electoral chairman of conniving with the ruling party and the president-elect to subvert the will of the public by all means, including internal sabotage.

‘Mr Yakubu’ also criticised the poor conduct of the election in which there was a massive failure of the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the suspicious downtime of the electoral commission’s server, thwarting the stipulated rule of uploading results from various polling units to increase transparency.

‘Mr Yakubu’ posits that the election did not reflect the N305 billion – Nigeria’s highest election budget in modern times – that was spent on the exercise.

“Mr Yakubu don’t behave like a fraudster… the 300 billion you collected from the government, what did you do with it?” the song rhetorically asked in its lyrics.

“You wrote fake figures, the portal shut down, and you’re lying to us that somebody hacked it… Mr Yakubu don’t be a fraudster,” it added. Vector criticised the ruling party’s claim that the election was free and fair.

According to him, the impropriety was obvious beyond what anyone could deny. The song also highlighted several factors that were at play during the election season including violence and improper religious, tribal and ethnic divisions which were employed by politicians to secure their bases.

Supplementary elections to hold April 15

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed April 15 for the conduct of all outstanding governorship, National and State Assembly supplementary elections.

This was made known by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi on Monday.

Oyekanmi said, “Arising from its meeting held today, the Independent National Electoral Commission has decided that all outstanding governorship, National and State Assembly supplementary elections will take place on Saturday 15th April 2023.

INEC violated margin of lead principle to declare Tinubu president-elect, Atiku tells court

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has urged the election petition tribunal to upturn the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Mr Atiku is invoking the margin of lead principle to assert that INEC’s hasty announcement of President-elect Bola Tinubu as the winner of the February 25 presidential poll is unconstitutional and without due process.

Per the principle, when the margin of lead between the winner and the runner-up is less than the total number of voters affected by cancellations in their different polling units, the election is declared inconclusive and a re-run is organized.

“The Petitioners further contend that the votes ascribed to the 2nd Respondent by the 1st Respondent in the final declaration made is 8,794,726 while the votes credited to the Petitioners is 6,984,520 resulting in a margin of lead of 1,810,206 votes.

“The Petitioners state that the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected in the polling units where elections were cancelled and did not hold across the Country is over and above 1,810,206 which is the margin of lead between the 1st Petitioner and the 2nd Respondent, and in consequence, the return of the 2nd Respondent was hasty, premature and wrongful.”

The Petitioners hereby plead Form EC8B series, that is, the Ward Collated Results, and the records of the Permanent Voters Cards PVCS collected in the respective polling units where elections were not held or were cancelled,” court documents detailing Mr Atiku’s argument read.

Prominent lawyers have described the days ahead for the tribunal as interesting based on the petitions being filed by several discontented political parties.

It is unclear whether the public can expect an upturn of Mr Tinubu’s widely criticised win, however, the margin of lead argument poses a threat to his camp.

The principle was repeatedly invoked in the just-concluded gubernatorial election when elections for Kebbi and Adamawa states were declared inconclusive.

With publicly available facts, Mr Tinubu’s hope of running is four-year term will hang on the election tribunal’s interpretation of several sections of the constitution and electoral statutes.

Kano state government declares Dawn To Dusk curfew as residents await election results

The Kano state government has imposed a dawn to dusk curfew as the state residents await the state guber election results for the state.

In a statement issued by the state commissioner for information and internal affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, the state government said the decision was to prevent hoodlums from causing chaos in the already tense situation.

The commissioner called on people in the state to remain indoors as security agents would not spare anyone or group bent on causing trouble.

Lagos guber election: Rhodes-Vivour loses his polling unit to Sanwo-Olu

The Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos state, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has lost his polling unit to the incumbent governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the All Progressives Congress.

Results collated by INEC staff, Rhodes-Vivour polled 18 votes while Sanwo-Olu won with 29 votes.

PDP’s Olajide Adeniran popularly known as Jandor, polled two votes.

In the House of Assembly election at the polling unit, the APC polled 34, LP 15, while PDP polled one vote.

INEC postpones Guber and House of Assembly polls in VGC till Sunday March 19

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has postponed the governorship and States Assembly elections at the Victoria Garden City ,VGC, Eti Osa Lagos state till Sunday, March 19.

The INEC Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen this afternoon.

We had an issue during the presidential/national assembly elections, where our polling official claimed they were held hostage by resident of VGC. So most of them were hesitant to work in the estate again. We wrote to the estate leadership about it. Fortunately our official came before 8am arranged the voting cubicle at the estate gate, but some people at the estate too didn’t feel safe to vote at the estate gate. I discussed with the estate leadership and I also called the EO to discuss the way forward on over 6,000 voters and further directive from the national head quarter that we should remobilize here tomorrow morning at 8:30 to conduct the election. They have already assured of security of our staffs.”

Police arrest 53-year-old woman with laminated INEC materials

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 53-year-old woman, who was allegedly found with laminated electoral materials.

The spokesperson of the command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday, March 17, 2023.

The PPRO said that the suspect was arrested on Thursday at about 4.00 p.m. at Candos Road, Baruwa in Iyana-Ipaja area of Lagos.

According to him, the suspect was arrested inside a business centre where she was making the photocopies.

“She was arrested with 550 different INEC materials. The laptop she used in printing the materials has been recovered and she couldn’t give a good account of how she came in possession of the materials. The case has been transferred to State CID Yaba for further investigation.” he said.

Governor Ayade, police plotting to rig March 18 elections- PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Cross River says it will resist any All Progressives Congress (APC) attempt in cahoots with the police to militarise the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections.

Effiok Cobham, the director-general of the PDP governorship campaign council, stated this at a news conference in Calabar late Thursday.

Mr Cobham said the party was aware of plans by the police to use special squads to militarise its stronghold, especially the northern senatorial district.

He said a signal to that effect had already been sent by the police commissioner Aliyu Garba in charge of elections in Cross River.

The director-general said the signal directed the commandant of the Rapid Response Squad to send all its operatives to the northern part of the state to engage in “domination patrols, stop-and-search and carryout aggressive arrests where necessary.”

“We frown upon such development and ask in very strong terms that Governor Ben Ayade and the APC desist from such action because the election is not war,” said the PDP.

Mr Cobham, a former deputy governor of Cross River, added that things have become so bad that the March 18 elections would be compromised if unchecked.

Emana Amawhe, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, implored the security agencies in Cross River to be neutral and independent in their duties.

“If the APC feels it is popular enough in Cross River to get votes, then it should understand that it is only normal for people to be allowed to exercise their franchise during the election,” said Ms Amawhe.

“We have cases in Calabar where traditional rulers are compelled to go round communities with town criers threatening individuals to vote for a particular candidate, or they will be dealt with if they failed to do so.”

She called on the international community and residents of Cross River to lend their voices to kick against what she termed “electoral robbery.”

Meanwhile, the police have assured the electorate and political parties that security agents will be neutral during the polls.

The police spokeswoman, SP Irene Ugbo, denied the allegation that the police commissioner met with the governor to compromise the governorship election.

Atiku, PDP withdraw suit against INEC asking for access to electoral documents

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have withdrawn an application they filed to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to allow their agents to participate in the process of sorting out ballot papers and electoral papers that were used for the presidential election that held on February 25.

PDP and Atiku are challenging the outcome of the election declared in favour of the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu.

Lawyers of the PDP and Atiku on Wednesday, March 15, told the Presidential Election Petition Court, PEPC, sitting at the Court of Appeal in Abuja, that they were no longer interested in the application.

When the motion ex-parte, marked: CA/PEC/10M/2023, was called up for hearing on Wednesday, Atiku, through his team of lawyers led by Mr. Joe Kyari Gadzama, SAN, told the court that he filed a notice of discontinuance, according to reports by VANGUARD.

The move comes after a meeting Atiku’s legal team held with the leadership of the electoral body on Tuesday.

Atiku had in the withdrawn application, which he predicated on 11 grounds, maintained that it was necessary for agents of his party to be present during the sorting out of the electoral materials he would need to prepare a petition he intends to lodge against the outcome of the presidential election.

Atiku said there was need for his agents to observe/participate in the sorting of materials he requested in all the offices of INEC nationwide, in line with the ex-parte order the court made on March 3.

Following the withdrawal of the application, Justice Joseph Ikyegh-led three-member panel struck it out.

Five governorship candidates step down for Sanwo-Olu ahead March 18 election

On Monday, nine political parties under the Alliance of Registered Political Parties (ARPP) declared support for the reelection of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Deputy Governor Obafemi Hamzat in Lagos.

Governorship candidates of five of the political parties in the ARPP also stepped down for Mr Sanwo-Olu ahead of Saturday’s gubernatorial election.

The political parties are the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Others are the National Rescue Movement (NRM), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

The five governorship candidates that stepped down for Mr Sanwo-Olu are Adeyemi Abiola of APP, Adenipebi Mode-Adekunle of ZLP, and Funmi Kupoluyi of APM. Others are Ishola Bamidele of ADP and Ajayi Adebayo of the YPP.

Addressing a news conference on Monday in Ikeja, Mr Adebayo, leader of ARPP, said,

“We reached this decision sequel to our thorough analysis of all the good works and rapid development in Lagos state. We cannot sacrifice the various landmark achievements of the present administration scattered all over the state on the altar of bitter politicking.”

The event was attended by the governorship candidates and representatives of the nine political parties in the ARPP.

He said that Sanwo-Olu had delivered on his social contract with the people of Lagos through the THEMES mantra.The ARPP leader mentioned that the group concluded that it has in Mr Sanwo-Olu a governor committed to taking Lagos to greater heights in the years ahead.

“Lagos state at a time like this is better entrusted in the hands of experienced and patriotic leaders. A vote for Sanwo-Olu will indeed be an endorsement for continuity and greater development,” noted Mr Adebayo.

“This support is born out of love and desire for a greater Lagos state, which Sanwo-Olu has set the pace and deserves to drive it to fruition.”

The ARPP leader added,

“We seize this opportunity to inform and urge all our supporters to vote massively on Saturday, March 18 for Babajide Sanwo-Olu as governor and his deputy, Quadri Obafemi Hamzat.”

Akwa Ibom state government suspends levies and daily tickets on tricycle and minibus operators

The Akwa Ibom State Government has announced the suspension of all levies and daily tickets to tricycle and minibus operators in the state for five days.

In a statement released by the state Commissioner for Transport, Uno Etim Uno, the state government said the gesture was to cushion the ongoing cash crunch and other challenges suffered by transporters as a result of the cashless policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The statement reads in part;

“Due to the harsh realities occasioned by the cash crunch in the country, the Akwa Ibom State Government hereby graciously announces a five-day suspension of daily ticketing for operators of commercial tricycles and minibuses.

The suspension takes immediate effect from Monday, March 13 till Friday, March 17, 2023.

This development will help the operators breathe a sigh of relief as they struggle to earn a living amidst these biting hard times.

The government notified all operators of tricycles and minibuses as well as the monitoring unit of the development and possible compliance.

The general public, particularly operators of commercial tricycles and minibuses and the Compliance and Monitoring team are hereby notified of this development.”

The commissioner urged the benefitting transporters to use the five days tax holiday to take an active part in the governorship and state Assembly poll reschedule for March 18, 2023, in the state

“In continued support for the state government, transporters are urged to use the five days of grace to prepare to take an active part in the governorship and state assembly elections slated for Saturday, March 18, 2023.

It is hoped that in response to the kind gesture of the state government, transporters will remain law-abiding and shun all forms of violence throughout the period of the elections,” he said.

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