Tag: 2023 Election

“Elections not a do-or-die affair” – AU devt. agency tells Nigerians

Aminu Imam

The African Union Development Agency/New Partnership for African Development, (AUDA-NEPAD), has urged Nigerians to eschew bitterness and ensure that the forthcoming elections are free from violence. The organisation gave the advice at a Road Walk organised to sensitise Nigerians on the need for a violence-free election, on Thursday in Abuja. Director, Planning, Research and Innovation, AUDA-NEPAD, Abdulkaheem Akande, said the sensitisation was geared towards ensuring a peaceful election, devoid of crisis and violence. Akande, who is also the focal person of the nationwide violence-free election campaign, said that most of…

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Election countdown: CDD deploys 4,993 observers, fact-checkers

Aminu Imam

The Centre for Democracy and Development, (CDD), has announced the deployment of 4,993 trained data clerks, fact-checkers and social media monitors for the 2023 general polls. It also listed determinants that would shape the exercise such as identity, insecurity, institutions, information disorder and inter and intra-party squabbles. The Chair of CDD Electoral Analysis Centre (EAC) Professor Adele Jinadu and CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, spoke at a pre-election press briefing on Thursday, in Abuja. Prof. Jinadu also stated that the contest would be a keen battle among four candidates – Ahmed…

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NigeriaDecides2023: YIAGA highlights 6 factors that may affect presidential election

Aminu Imam

A prominent civic group, YIAGA Africa, has identified six factors that could impact the conduct of Saturday’s elections. The prominent civic group, in an issued statement on Thursday, signed by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, said the factors include PVC collection challenges, relocation of voters to new polling units and economic hardship. It further said that the latest report was based on its observations across Nigeria in the last week before the election. A summary of the highlights of the findings from that observation includes INEC Preparedness for the election;…

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EU Observation Mission condemns violence hours to elections

Aminu Imam

The European Union Observation Mission (EU-EOM) to the 2023 General Elections has condemned the recent act of violence in the country. In an issued statement in Abuja yesterday, the EU EOM singled out the recent politically-linked assassination in some parts of the country leading up to election day. The EU EOM Chief Observer, Barry Andrews, urged all electoral stakeholders to engage in a manner that reflects the spirit of the Peace Accord signed on Feb. 22. Andrews urged the candidates, political parties, their supporters and all Nigerians to act responsibly…

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2023: “Strong force will be used against those planning to destroy Saturday’s poll” – Military

Aminu Imam

The Military High Command has said security agents will not hesitate to use “strong force” against any element who plan to destroy the presidential election, billed to hold tomorrow. Acting Director, Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, stated this Thursday at Defence headquarters, Abuja during the ongoing joint press briefing of critical security. Those in attendance include the spokesman of the Department of State Services, Peter Afunanya; the Public Relations Officers of Nigeria Police Force, Olumuyiwa Adejobi; NAF spokesman, Air Commodore Wap Maigida, among others.

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INEC says 87m PVCs collected for 2023 election

Aminu Imam

The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), says that a total of 87,209,007 permanent voter cards (PVCs) have been collected across the country. INEC chairman , Prof. Mahmood Yakubu,announced this yesterday, during a media briefing at the national collation centre in Abuja. A breakdown of the figure showed that Lagos leads in the number of collected PVCs with 6,214,970. This is closely followed by Kano with 5,594,193, and Kaduna with 4,164, 473. He noted that the current voter register has over 94 million voters but stated that the Commission will continue…

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2023: “America stands with you as you chart path toward more prosperous future, – Biden tells Nigerians

Aminu Imam

President of the United States, Joe Biden, has assured that the people of his country stands with Nigerians as they chart a path toward a more democratic, prosperous, and secure future. Biden, who said this in a statement on Thursday, ahead of Saturday’s presidential and national assembly elections in Nigeria, noted that elections are a fundamental part of a functioning democracy, and all Nigerians deserve this chance to choose their future. The US President particularly commended the peace accord signed by presidential candidates in Abuja on Wednesday, noting that by the…

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2023 Election countdown: SOKAPU endorses Atiku

Aminu Imam

The Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU), the umbrella body of the people of Southern Kaduna, have endorsed the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar. SOKAPU said the people took the decision in collaboration with the Southern Kaduna Leadership Council (SKLC) after an exhaustive examination of the political situation on the ground. Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the SOKAPU President, Awemi Dio Maisamari, along with the chairman of Southern Kaduna Leadership Council, Ishaya Dary Akau, amongst other officials of the union, said that, having weighed the…

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2023: “You can’t attain Biafra in midst of violence”, Igbo elders counsel youths

Aminu Imam

…Says elections must hold in Igbo land Concerned Igbo elders, jointly led by erstwhile Anambra State governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife, and a former Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Chief Simon Okeke, have advised youths in the Southeast zone agitating for Biafra nation to sheathe their sword. They stated this on Tuesday, in Abuja at a briefing where they insisted that the agitators can’t win the war against perceived injustice through violence. The Igbo elders said the threats of violence in the Southeast states aimed at derailing the February 25 election…

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2023 Election: EFCC accuse politicians of planning to buy votes in kind

Aminu Imam

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), has accused some desperate politicians of trying to buy votes in the coming elections in kind and not with cash. Abdulrasheed Bawa, the chairman of the EFCC, said Wednesday that the Commission had gathered intelligence about the plans of these politicians, who would stop at nothing to cajole vulnerable voters into selling their votes. Bawa made this disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s “The 2023 Verdict” programme amidst the ongoing naira note scarcity troubling Nigerians. “We have intel that a lot of…

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