INEC and NCC releases Hotlines to report Election matters

 NCC dedicates toll-free number 622 as Presidential election incident hotline

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has dedicated its Consumer Toll-Free Number 622, to serve as 2023 Presidential election incident hotline to enable voters and members of the public across Nigeria to report any issues that may affect them, or others, during the elections on Saturday, February 25, 2023.


A statement personally signed by Executive Vice Chairman/CEO (NCC) Professor Umar Garba Danbatta on Tuesday, disclosed that the step was taken to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in its patriotic commitment, towards the conduct of hitch-free elections in Nigeria.

According to the statement, the Toll-Free Number 622 is the second-level complaints centre through which consumers of telecommunications services are allowed to make calls directly to the Commission, to resolve issues concerning their telecommunications services which the service providers are unable to do.

“However, in consideration of the critical nature of this election and to alleviate emergent issues that may arise at the voting centres, or any parts of Nigeria thereof, the Commission has considered it expedient to dedicate the Toll-Free Number 622 to accommodate all types of complaints on election day.

“This is with a view to resolving such issues by contacting and conveying such to relevant agencies, authorities, or organisations for timely resolution.

“The 622 Election Incident Monitoring Centre will be manned by top Management officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission. The hotline will be open to the public from 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“Members of the public are, therefore, invited to take advantage of the Election Incident Monitoring Centre Hotline, 622,” the statement read.

Insecurity: Over 100 Corps Members Withdraw From Saturday’s Election Duty In Imo - NYSC

 More than 100 corps members trained as Electoral Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers in three Local Government Areas of Imo have withdrawn their participation in Saturday’s general election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, in Imo, Prof. Sylvia Agu disclosed this on Thursday in Owerri while speaking on the preparedness of the commission for Saturday’s election.

According to her, the corps members cited insecurity as their reason for withdrawal.

The REC said: “This morning, I received information that all the corps members we trained to work in Okigwe, Orlu and Orsu local government areas have been withdrawn.

“They say they cannot go to volatile areas that these areas are terrorist areas.

“I have called the NYSC to appeal to them but I was told that the scheme has even withdrawn all corps members serving in the three local government areas so as not to risk their lives,” Agu added.

The REC explained that the corps members withdrew their participation following the commission’s decision to revert to polling units as against the use of stadia in the volatile areas.

She said the commission had earlier faced security challenges in Okigwe, Orlu, Njaba, Orsu, Iheme/Mbano, Oru West and Oru East local government areas during the collection of the Permanent Voters’ Cards Card.

“Because of the problems, we had quite a low turn-out of Permanent Voter Cards collection in Okigwe axis and so, stakeholders in the area resolved to collapse five registration areas to Okigwe stadium.

“It worked well and was so impressive. They held another meeting and suggested that they come there to vote, but I asked them to put it in writing. I reported same to our headquarters.

“When Orlu heard what Okigwe did, they came to me but I told them to get back to their people and were equally asked to write officially which they did.

“They say they are collapsing six registration areas to the stadium in the area,” she noted.

Agu said stakeholders in Orsu also pleaded to collapse their registration areas and further suggested Internally Displaced Persons Camp following the insecurity problem in the area.

The REC said she received similar complaints of inadequate manpower from the police, who suggested that polling units should be streamlined to a particular area to ensure better security management.

The REC said the commission had forged ahead with the plan until representatives of the various political parties at a meeting held on Wednesday to finalise arrangement, kicked against it.

“They said it was unconstitutional.

“They even accused me of being in the payroll of the state governor to sabotage the election and that the said letters were fictitious,” she added.

Agu, who noted that the commission had reverted to the polling units, said it was considering the use of students for the election.

She said freshers’ training would be organised for the students who volunteer to work in the affected areas as Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers, particularly for Okigwe and Orsu.

Efforts to get the reaction of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, proved abortive as the Public Relations Officer, Ugochukwu Orunta declined comments on the matter.

Data Of INEC PVC Collected: Breakdown By Region

 Few hours ago, INEC released the data of voters registration and PVC collected. Here is the breakdown by region:

>>> Total PVC Collected: 87,209,007 <<<

- North-West: 21,445,000 (24.59%) 
Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara.

- South-West: 15,536,213 (17.81%) 
Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti, Lagos and Ogun.

- South-South: 13,284,920 (15.23%) 
Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo, and Rivers.

- North-Central: 13,127,170 (15.05%) 
Benue, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, and Plateau.

- North-East: 11,937,769 (13.69%) 
Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe.

- South-East: 10,419,484 (11.95%) 
Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo.

- FCT: 1,476,451 (1.69%)

INEC: 87m PVCs collected — Lagos leads with 6.2m

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 87,209,007 permanent voter cards (PVC) have been collected across the country.

Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairperson, announced the development on Thursday during a media briefing at the national collation centre in Abuja.

The commission had initially fixed December 12 to January 22 for the PVC collection exercise in all LGAs.

The commission then extended the deadline till January 29 and again till February 5.

Speaking at the briefing, Yakubu said while the commission is pleased that the rate of collection is higher than in previous years, there are still many PVCs uncollected.

According to data distributed to journalists, out of 93,469,008 registered voters in Nigeria, 93.3 percent have collected their PVCs.

However, 6,259,229 cards — representing 6.7 percent of PVCs — remain uncollected.

The data also shows that Lagos leads in the number of collected PVCs with 6,214,970, followed by Kano with 5,594,193, and Kaduna with 4,164, 473.

Meanwhile, the states with the highest number of uncollected PVCs include Lagos – 845,225, Oyo – 515,254, and Ogun – 410,281.

Cristiano Ronaldo Drips In Traditional Thobe Attire Of Saudi Arabia

 

2023 Election: SDP Adopts Peter Obi As Presidential Candidate

 The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has adopted the Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi.

The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued and co-signed by the Party’s National Chairman, Chief Supo Shonibare and National Secretary,
Hon. Saleh Dass at the end of the National Working Committee (NWC) meeting held in Abuja, on Wednesday, the 22nd of February, 2023.

According to the communiqué, the NWC “deliberated on the report of the Senator Ebenezer Ikeyina Committee, investigating the allegation that some of our Leaders from Oyo State, issued a statement declaring support for a candidate other than the Labour Party’s Mr. Peter Obi.

“The NWC has accepted and adopted the disciplinary action recommended by the Ikeyina Committee and suspended the Leaders involved. Should they object to this decision, they have the right to appeal to the NWC, through the National Secretary of the Party.

“With the Presidential elections only a couple of days away, the NWC again considered its position on which candidate best demonstrates an ability to engender a stable polity, as well as provide prudent economic management of our nation’s resources.

“Judicious consideration was given to the contending candidates, especially with regard to which best bears testament to the goal of rotation of the office of the President and the need to continue to encourage inclusivity in the polity.

“Giving consideration to both internal and external factors, and our earlier decision to support an opposition party candidate in the Presidential elections, the SDP reaffirms its support for Mr. Peter Obi and Dr. Yusuf Baba-Ahmed Datti in their bid for the Presidency and Vice Presidency respectively.

“[b]The party therefore enjoins its members and all Nigerians desirous of a stable, inclusive and forward-leaning polity to come out en masse to vote for the Labour Party in the Presidential elections scheduled for Saturday, February 25th, 2023," [/b]the communiqué read.

Enugu: Gunmen Attack PDP House Of Reps Candidate, Kill Driver

 Gunmen have attacked the campaign convoy of the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for Enugu North/South Federal Constituency, Oforchukwu Egbo, on Wednesday, 22nd February 2023, IGBERETV reports.

The incident happened at Eke-Otu in Amechi Awkunanaw, Enugu South Local Government Area of the state. Driver of one of the buses in the convoy was killed during the attack. It was gathered that his body was burnt with the vehicle.

In the evening of the same day, Labour Party senatorial candidate for Enugu East senatorial district, Mr Oyibo Chukwu, was attacked and killed by gunmen along with five of his supporters in Amechi.

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