INEC Publishes "Notice Of Poll" For 2023 General Elections

 In accordance with the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election, the Commission on Monday 30th January published the “Notice of Poll”, the 12th out of 14 activities on the schedule.

This leaves only 2 more activities: 
📍Last Day of Campaigns

Wike Denies Atiku Use Of Stadium For Rally, Says APC Tonye Cole Working For Him

 

Breaking News; Wike is a shameless human being. 

Rivers State Govt denied PDP PCC from using the Adokiye Ameisimaka Stadium for Atiku campaign rally slated 11 February, 2023.

Wike alleged that Rivers APC led by Ameachi are working for Atiku in the state.
Wilke is frustrated😂 

Obi Not In Talks With Atiku – Campaign Organisation

 The Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation has disclosed that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, is not in talks with the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over a possible alliance.

The PUNCH reports that Atiku hinted at his readiness to work with Obi and the New Nigerian People Party’s candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, after meeting with the duo to support his ambition in the forthcoming election.

Atiku made this known in a 15-minute interview with BBC Hausa service on Tuesday.

Speaking with the interviewer in the Hausa language, Atiku said both Obi and Kwankwaso were not a threat to his chances of winning at the February 25 poll.

“Although I see no threat in any of them, we are in talks, and the discussion might yield a positive result that will see one of them coming.”

But reacting to the claim on Wednesday in an exclusive chat with The PUNCH, the Obi-Datti campaign organisation spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, said those making the alliance claim are just trying to exploit Obi’s popularity.

“As of yesterday, before we left Numan, there was nothing of such nature. We are busy with campaigns. We are not aware of anything like an alliance.

“I think somebody is just trying to cash out on the Obi-Datti ticket. We are right now campaigning in Sokoto and we will be in Zamfara.”

Efforts to get the spokesperson for the New Nigeria Peoples Party were futile as he did not pick up his calls as of the time of filing this report.

Communities, Markets In Sokoto Abandon Naira, Trade In CFA Over Scarcity Of New

 Residents of some communities and markets in the Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State have begun to abandon the Nigerian currency for CFA franc because of the shortage of New Naira Notes, SaharaReporters has gathered.

Investigations showed that Illela, a border town with Niger Republic and of about 105 kilometres from Sokoto, capital city of Sokoto State, now has most of its traders and residents trading, selling and buying in CFA franc.

The Nigerian Central Bank, CBN had earlier set the deadline for the old N200, N500 and N1000 for January 31, 2023 but due to the scarcity of the new naira notes and its attendant effects on the economy, the apex bank extended the deadline for the exchange of old naira notes for newly designed ones till February 10.

A resident of Sabon-Gari, a town in Illela of Local Government Area, identified as Yusuf Sani revealed to SaharaReporters that he had changed all his Naira notes to CFA because of the difficulty in getting New Naira Notes in the region.

“I decided to have only CFA because people are not collecting Old Naira Notes again. The ATM does not even dispense. You can only get New Naira Note from POS, which is around N200 to N300 per N1,000.

“This is why it is safe to have CFA,” he explained.

According to Sani, it will be easier for him to spend the foreign currency because his town is close to some communities in the Niger Republic.

Abu, a trader at the ILLELA International Cattle Market, added that while it is not unusual to see some traders using CFA in the markets, most traders now exclusively use CFA due to the non-circulation of the New Naira Notes.

He said, “In this market, we have many people from neighbouring countries that come here to do business, particularly in cattle. So they bring foreign currency like CFA. But for the past few weeks, spending of Naira is now becoming difficult because no one is ready to collect the old Naira notes.”

Days ago, the Arewa Consultative Forum, the northern socio-cultural group, had urged the Nigerian government to prolong the deadline for the expiration and collection of old naira notes in the country.

In a statement issued by Bello Galadanci, Publicity Secretary, Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Kano State Chapter, the group had said the public was suffering greatly as a result of people's refusal to accept old naira notes in commercial transactions out of concern that they might not be able to deposit them in commercial banks.

The statement had read: “This has currently made life more difficult for ordinary citizens, because banks, up till now, still give out the old naira notes to customers with the deadline only a few days away.

“We appeal to the Federal Government to reconsider its decision by extending the deadline for the expiration of old naira notes to enable residents to swap their old naira with the new naira notes

El-Rufai: Naira Redesign Doesn't Make Any Political Or Economic Sense

 In an interview on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday, Nasir El-Rufai, the Kaduna State Governor and member of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council (APC-PCC), said that some persons are hiding behind the president’s “desire to do what he thinks is right.”

“The currency redesign, you have to understand the president. People are blaming the Governor of the Central Bank for the currency redesign, but No.

“You have to go back and look at Buhari’s first outing as president.

“He did it; the Buhari-Idiagbon regime changed our currency in secret in order to catch those who were stashing illicit funds.

“It is a very good intention. The president has his rights. But doing it at this time within the allotted time does not make any political or economic sense.”

Governor Ademola Adeleke Borehole Drilling To Mark 100 Days In Office Begins

 Just in: Governor Ademola Adeleke Bore hole drilling begins in Osun State as part of activities to mark 100 days in office. Bore hole drilling begins at Olufon Ward 04, Owotutu central mosque Ifon Osun.

Interviewed Chief Imam Owotutu Central mosque Ifon Osun, Alh Musa Muhamadu Jamiu.

Gunmen Attack INEC Office, Police Station, Residential Building In Anambra

 Gunmen early Wednesday morning attacked the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Ojoto, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

A source said the hoodlums burnt the commission’s headquarters using Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs.

The gunmen also attacked a police station in Nnobi, in the same local government area, and a residential building inside the station, where they killed a boy, and injured a girl.

The level of damage in the police station was, however, not yet ascertained at the time of this report.

The state police command’s spokesperson, DSP Toochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the incidents in a press statement.

He said the attack happened at about 1:45 am on Wednesday, confirming that the attackers came in huge numbers, and we were ferried to the scenes of the incidents in four Toyota Sienna vehicles.

He added that the command had heavily deployed security personnel around the state to forestall such attacks in other places.

The release read: “Anambra State Police Command today, 1/2/2023 has reinforced security deployment in the state, following an attack on the INEC office in Idemili South, Ojoto and Nnobi Police Station.

“The hoodlums came in their numbers by 1:45 am today 1/2/2023, with four unmarked Sienna vehicles armed with IEDs, petrol bombs and other explosives.

“They invaded the INEC office, the Police Station and the residential building in the station. Unfortunately, one boy aged 16 years a relative of a serving policeman in the station was murdered by the armed men, while the other, a female aged 15 years old sustained a gunshot injury. She has been taken to the hospital where she is receiving treatment.”