INEC Disowns Purported Final List Of Candidates

 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distanced itself from a purported final list of candidates for the 2023 general elections, purpotedly released on Sunday.

The commission in a statement by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye in Abuja on Monday, said INEC did not release any list on Sunday.


“The attention of the commission has been drawn to reports widely circulated by a section of the media today, Monday Jan. 9, that the final list of candidates was released on our website on Sunday Jan. 8.

“The commission wishes to state categorically that no new publication of the final list of candidates was released as reported. The public should therefore discountenance the story.’’

Okoye said that for the record, the final list of candidates for the 2023 general elections was published at least, 150 days before the day of election in compliance with the provision of Sec. 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.


“Accordingly, the final list for presidential and national assembly elections was published on Sept. 20, 2022 while that of governorship and state assembly elections was published two weeks later on Oct. 4, 2022.

“These are clearly indicated as item eight on the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections released by the commission on Feb. 26, 2022.’’

Okoye said there could not be a final list of candidates with just 46 days to the general elections, except for names published as substitutions for candidates nominated earlier in compliance with Court Order.

“Moreover, some of the candidates that allegedly made the new “final” list are still in court and the matter is therefore, subjudice.

“Political parties, litigants and the public should be guided accordingly,’’ Okoye said. (NAN)

Yoruba Nation Protesters Converged At 3 In The Morning, Members Killed

 No fewer than two persons have been feared killed after a group of Yoruba nation agitators clashed with men of the Lagos State Police Command around the Gani Fawehinmi Park in the Ojota area of the state.

Recall that the police shot a salesgirl, Jumoke Oyeleke, to death while dispersing the Yoruba nation protesters at the same park on July 3, 2021.

A coroner’s inquest into the circumstances surrounding the events that claimed the life of the 25-year-old indicted the police, but no suspect was released for prosecution.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the agitators were protesting again on Monday when the policemen fired tear-gas canisters to disperse them.

The demonstrators were said to have retaliated as the situation degenerated.

A tricycle operator, who refused to disclose his name for fear of being arrested by armed policemen parading the premises, said the protesters were demonstrating peacefully when a policewoman gave the order to disperse them.

He said, “I saw the woman receiving a call; she did not wear any uniform but she was part of the police team that was mobilised to the area. Immediately after she finished receiving the call, she gave an order for the protesters to be dispersed and they started shooting the protesters.

“The bullets could not penetrate the protesters’ bodies, so the policemen fired tear-gas canisters. What the protesters did was use kerosene to rub their eyes so the tear gas would not affect them. There was confusion when they started shooting and firing tear gas; many of us ran away.

 “The protesters injured two of the policemen; I don’t know whether they died or not but I saw them carrying them away from the scene. A vehicle was also burnt.”

Another eyewitness, who runs a business in front of Ojota Park and spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the protesters arrived at the park around 3am.

He explained that as buses dropped off the protesters, he saw them clustering and thought that they were stranded passengers.

“No one was scared that they could be armed robbers because if they had that intention, we were just few that were around at that time.

“But it was in the morning that we knew their true intention was to protest as we saw them clustering around the Ojota Park and displaying banners and the flag of the Oodua Nation. This was around 8am and they never acted in a manner that showed that they wanted to fight.

“They were just protesting peacefully and it was when the police came that everything scattered as they started shooting tear gas canisters to disperse them.


“I saw somebody lying motionless on the ground but could not wait to confirm if he was dead or alive as I had to run because the tear gas was too much and it was affecting me,” the businessman said.

While speaking to the businessman, a policeman, who was unaware that our correspondent was sourcing information from him, said one of his colleagues was hacked with cutlasses.

The policeman said, “If they were protesting peacefully, then why did they resort to damaging people’s property? They chased and caught up with one of my colleagues who fired tear gas canisters and used cutlasses to hack him.

“He has been rushed to a hospital; if he dies, nothing will happen. There would be no compensation to his family. All we will just hear is that he died on active duty.

“Why did the protesters burn an innocent man’s vehicle? They also vandalised the windshield of some of our vehicles. I would have also been a victim of the attack but had to release two bullets to scare them when they were coming in my direction.”

At the scene, our correspondent observed uneasiness due to the presence of heavily armed policemen.

No fewer than 28 police vehicles, including officials of the Lagos Rapid Response Squad; Lagos State Environment and Special Offences Enforcement Unit; the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and policemen from a nearby station, were sighted at the scene.

Also, a Black Maria was sighted and people, some of whom eyewitnesses claimed were innocent, were seen in the vehicle.

Shattered glass also littered the road as signs of a bonfire were observed at the spot where the vehicle was burnt.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, who confirmed the incident in a post on Twitter, said one person died.

He said, “In the early hours of today (Monday), miscreants masquerading as Yoruba Nation agitators came out in their hundreds, disrupting social and commercial activities in the Ojota area of the state.

“A team of police officers, comprising Alausa division and the Raid Respond Squad promptly stepped in to disperse the unlawful gathering and prevent a breakdown of law and order.

“The miscreants attacked the police, shooting, and destroying two vehicles in the process. One person has been confirmed dead, while two police officers shot by the miscreants are currently receiving treatment.

“Four suspects have been arrested and investigations have commenced. Meanwhile, normalcy has been restored in the area.”

Reacting to the incident, one of the leaders of the Yoruba self-determination group, Prof. Banji Akintoye, said two people lost their lives.

Akintoye, while speaking in an interview monitored by our correspondent on YouTube, said the protesters gathered to carry out a peaceful rally in support of their agitation for the Yoruba nation.

He said, “Their purposes are clear; self-determination for the Yoruba nation. Their methods have always been clear. A peaceful rally, no weapons, no violence of any kind, no regarding the police as enemies, no regarding any officials of the Nigerian state as enemies, those were the conditions upon which the young men gathered this morning to carry out a rally.

“Even before they settled down as they were arriving at the centre where they wanted to carry out the rally, the Nigeria police approached them and started shooting them. Already, we learnt that two young men have been killed as a result of the police fire.”

The Moment Atiku Abubakar Arrived In London

 The presidential candidate of the APC Atiku Abubakar arrives in London as his supporters welcome him at the airport.

PDP Presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar Arriving In London

Anxiety As Emefiele Misses Buhari’s Deadline To Return To Office

 Godwin Emefiele, CBN governor, has reportedly failed to resume official duties after exhausting his approved vacation period, Peoples Gazette can confirm.

This is as the apex bank governor has concluded plans to seek asylum in the United Kingdom over developing threats to his position and personal safety from the State Security Service.

However, The Gazette doesn’t know when he’s filing his asylum application but he is ready.

Mr Emefiele had in December received presidential approval to proceed on vacation until January 9.

Sources, however, told The Gazette that the apex bank chief, who was billed to resume work today, had not shown up as of noon on Monday and that he is not on his way back to the country.

The tension surrounding his much expected return borders around the uncertainty that has enveloped the economy, especially the capital markets.

According to the source, the bank’s chief is still shuttling between the UK and United States. The situation is still not very comfortable for him, per a source familiar with the matter.

Mr Emefiele, who has been forced to remain abroad due to plots to implicate him as a financier of terrorism, has been weighing his options there.

People familiar with his schedule said the CBN governor departed Nigeria between December 9 and 10, then made an appearance with President Muhammadu Buhari during a well-publicised trip to Washington that ended on December 17.

Sources say that Mr Emefiele would be willing to return to Nigeria if the president could offer protection from state goons at the SSS.

Allegations have flared that the covert police secured the backing of Mr Buhari and other high-ranking government officials to launch an attack against the CBN governor.

However, Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High in a December 13, 2022, ruling declined to authorise an arrest warrant sought by the SSS to take Mr Emefiele into custody.

Mr Tsoho said the secret police had failed to establish its claims against Mr Emefiele, while also obscuring his identity in order to deceive the court into granting an erroneous motion.

The Gazette learnt that the president has not taken a definitive position yet on the stalemate.

Mr Emefiele’s decision to redesign the naira and limit cash withdrawals, presumably intended to curb vote-buying at the 2023 elections, may have earned him strong political adversaries and landed him in a war with other loyalists of the regime.

Victor Ndukwoba, a business analyst with Afro Invest, said the country cannot afford any unneeded controversies at a time when the economy is not doing well in an interview with The Gazette about the effects of Mr Emefiele’s absence on the country’s economy.

Mr Ndukwoba stated that while the bank has a structure that will allow operations to continue while the head of the apex bank is away for an extended period of time, his prolonged absence wasn’t good for the country’s economy.

“It doesn’t go well for an economy that is already still sort of grappling with all sorts of issues like revenue challenges on the fiscal side; you know government revenue is challenged, we have issues around debt and debt sustainability, and the central bank has obviously been a key part of funding government activities. 

“The central bank governor will continue to play a key role in the economy, the monetary policy, managing FX and others. So, a prolonged absence from office will obviously have a negative impact,” he said.

“But again, I’ll like to believe that the Central Bank has the appropriate structures to allow extended time away for principal officers within its organs. There is the board of governors, the MPC itself, even though the central bank governor will chair that committee. But I believe in his absence there will be governance framework to allow the institution and its activities continue,” he added.

On his part, legal practitioner Festus Oguns argued that it was impossible for the apex bank boss to effectively and efficiently carry out his official duties while outside the country.

Establishing that the move by the SSS to arrest Mr Emefiele was illegal, the lawyer said the CBN chief brought distraction to himself when he showed interest of contesting for the presidency.

“While the action of the SSS trying to arrest him is not supported by law, I believe that his personal travail occasioned by his unwarranted and his needless involvement in politics while in office; should not be at the expense of the generality of our people,” Mr Oguns said

Old Naira Notes: No Extension, January 31 Deadline Stands — CBN

 THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has reiterated that the deadline for exchange of the old Naira notes for new ones remains January 31, 2023.

In its official twitter handle @cenbank, on Friday, the apex bank wrote, “The current series of N200, N500 and N1,000 notes remain legal tender until the deadline of January 31, 2023.”

This means that there is no official position as at today by the CBN to shift its earlier deadline, and a pointer to a resolve to phase out the old naira notes of 200, 500, and 1,000 denominations over the next few days.

Last October, the CBN had announced that the old Naira notes would cease to circulate, and be legal tender from January 31, 2023 after detailing a number of reasons for the action.

The announcement had sparked various reactions from the public, which in part, informed the call by the National Assembly for CBN to extend the deadline of January 31, 2023.

Imo: Mbaise Youths Say No Going Back On Support For Sam Anyanwu, Reject Ihedioha

 Youths in Mbaise, Imo State, have reiterated their support for Samuel Anyanwu, National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as their preferred candidate, abandoning Emeka Ihedioha ahead of the 2023 Imo governorship election.

Reiterating their decision in a statement made available to Peoples Gazette on Monday, the youths accused Mr Ihedioha of “threatening and bribing people” to counter their endorsement of Senator Anyanwu for the Imo governorship.

In the statement signed by Ezekwe Chilaka (Ezinihitte Mbaise), Anaele Onuoha (Ahiazu Mbaise) and Tobechukwu Ogbonna (Aboh Mbaise), the youths said Mr Anyanwu was declared the sole candidate for the governorship seat by Mr Ihedioha’s kinsmen.

They accused the former governor and House of Representatives deputy speaker of resorting to media blackmail to denounce the endorsement of Mr Anyanwu, adding that they were “tired of his (Ihedioha) political dominance, greed and selfishness.”

The endorsement comes as the PDP’s governorship ticket continues to cause a divide among party members in the build up to the state’s governorship election.

On January 14, 2020, Mr Ihedioha and the PDP lost the governorship seat to now Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), when the Supreme Court declared Mr Uzodimma as the winner of the 2019 governorship election.

Chelsea Reach Verbal Agreement To Sign Joao Felix From Atletico Madrid

 Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to recruit Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid.

A deal has not been signed, but the Premier League side are expected to pay in the region of €11million (£9.68m) fee, which is below what their La Liga counterparts initially wanted.

There has been interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, but Felix is set to opt for Chelsea, having been attracted by their project.

If all goes to plan he will be followed into the west London club by more reinforcements this month. They are especially keen to revitalise their attack.

Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin seemed resigned to letting Felix go last month.

“The reasonable thing is to think he (Joao Felix) will leave,” he said to TVE. “Although I would love him to stay, that is not the player’s idea.”

The Athletic reported earlier this month that Atletico had been seeking a €21million (£18.6m; $22.5m) package, comprising a €15m loan fee plus €6m gross salary.

Felix has shown flashes of form this season for Atletico but both he and the team have struggled for consistency.

The Portuguese has five goals and three assists in 20 club appearances this season, having been used across the front line in a variety of different formations by head coach Diego Simeone.

Felix started in a front two for Atletico on Sunday as they lost 1-0 at home to league leaders Barcelona. He was substituted after 73 minutes.

Chelsea have already been active in the January transfer window, bringing in forward David Datro Fofana from Molde and defender Benoit Badiashile from Monaco.

Both were named as substitutes for Chelsea’s FA Cup third-round tie against Manchester City, with Fofana making his debut during the 4-0 defeat.

Chelsea are also on course to add another forward to their ranks at the start of next season, having agreed a deal to sign Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig.

What will Joao Felix bring to Chelsea?
A fit and firing Felix would bring an awful lot to Chelsea, as the Portugal international remains potentially one of the most talented players in the world, if he can move from the limbo he has got stuck in at Atletico Madrid.

Felix sees himself as a goalscoring number 10 — his boyhood hero was Kaka and he has a similar ability to create from deeper areas and also get closer to goal and finish.

He is excellent at carrying the ball forward, can spot a pass in tight areas, and also has a knack of getting on the end of crosses.

Why this has not happened nearly enough at Atletico is difficult to know for sure, but he definitely wants to get to the Premier League and show what he can do, given the right opportunity.