IREV: INEC Uploads 90% Of Presidential Election Results

 The Independent National Electoral Commission has so far uploaded 159,509 results from 176, 846 polling units, seven days after the presidential poll.

The figure represents 90 per cent of results from all the polling units.

As of the time of filing this report, the electronic transmission of results was still ongoing.

Nigerians expected that the election results would be uploaded on election day as promised by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

However, INEC came under fire for its failure to upload results to its viewing portal which led to the walkout of some parties’ agents at the National Collation Centre on Monday.

Checks by our correspondent on Saturday revealed that the results of all the polling units were yet to be uploaded on INEC website.

According to the Commission, the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, won with 8.8 million votes, while main opposition candidates in the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, had 6.9 million and 6.1 million votes respectively.

UAE Leader, Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Congratulates, Bola Ahmed Tinubu

 ABU DHABI, 4th March, 2023 (WAM) -- President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has sent a message of congratulations to Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his election as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, also dispatched a similar message to President Tinubu.

New Naira Notes: We Have No Information On The Supreme Court Ruling - CBN

 For the second time since the Supreme Court ruled that the old N200, N500 and N1,000 notes will remain legal tender until December 31, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has refused to speak on the judgement.

On Saturday, an official of the CBN told The Nation that the communications department has not been informed of any new developments on the Supreme Court judgement.

Asked when the CBN will start releasing cash to banks, the official replied they “don’t have that information”.

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the old bank notes will remain as legal tenders while also declaring that the N20,000 withdrawal limit set by the apex bank was illegal.

Without any official pronouncement from the CBN, Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) cannot act outside the last instruction by the apex bank that N20,000 will be the withdrawal limit for individual account holders.

The latest withdrawal threshold, The Nation learnt, has put doubts in the minds of many Nigerians who prefer to save their money outside the banking system.

Asked if the Supreme Court judgement describing the N20,000 withdrawal limit as illegal will negatively impact the CBN’s cashless policy, another official of the CBN said: “The cashless policy has been in operation since 2012 and many Nigerians are already keying into the idea”.

Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch Mandates Corps Members To Submit Their PVCs

 Nigerian Investigative journalist, Fisayo Soyombo has said that Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch mandated corps members to submit their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs), IGBERETV reports.

He wrote on his Twitter handle;

The Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch, an agency of the Lagos State government, is mandating all corps members to submit their PVCs tomorrow.

This is totally wrong in a democracy. 

Citizen rights to voting decisions is enshrined in the constitution and must not be tainted.

Cynthia Okeke: One Person Signs As PO And Six Party Agents In Abia Polling Unit

 From the results posted on the IREV portal, one Miss Cynthia Okeke acted as the Presiding Officer and party agents for other political parties including APC in Abia State. Peter Obi won the polling unit according to the results recorded by Cynthia.

Gbajabiamila Denies Ownership Of Maitama Building Where BVAs Machines Were Found

 Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has dismissed a report on the ownership of a property located on 15 Ganges Street, Maitama, Abuja, where some persons were arrested with electoral materials, including Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) during the Presidential election which took place on Saturday, 25th February 2023.

The Speaker, who clarified in a statement titled: ‘For the record: I do not own Property on 15 Ganges Street, Maitama Abuja’, disclosed that the occupants of the property are known to the authorities of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“A few days ago, while the collation process for the presidential election, which was held on Saturday 25 February, 2023, was ongoing, social media posts made by some unscrupulous people suggested that some persons were arrested with electoral materials, including the Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and that the property where the purported persons were arrested belongs to me.

“I wish to put it on record that I DO NOT own any property on 15 Ganges Street, Maitama, Abuja.

Besides, the Nigeria Police Force has debunked the news via a press release by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi.

The police press release stated: “Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), acting on a tip from residents of an area in Maitama who reported suspicious activities, visited the location, interviewed the occupants, and conducted a search on the house. In the course of the search, some electoral materials and BVAS machines were discovered in their possession. However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, when contacted, confirmed that the occupants of the house are staff of Emperor Technology, outsourcing engineering services to the INEC, and they were immediately released to go about their lawful business.”

Okowa: Aso Rock Chapel Will Be Closed For 4 Years

 Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has lamented that it is not the will of God that the chapel in Aso Rock will be closed for four years as a result of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Okowa spoke yesteray at a meeting with members of Isoko Church Leaders Council held at God’s Fountain of Life Mission, Oleh, Isoko South local government area of the state, pleading that is time for people to truly pray and to encourage the church of Christ to continue to pray.

“I believe that this is the time for us to dwell in the light of God so that His will be done in our state and in Nigeria. This is the time for us to rise up in faith and not time to mourn. The church must be prayerful, cautious and have to think from inside.

“It is my prayer that the chapel in Government House, Asaba, will remain to the glory of God,” the governor said, adding that the church should continue to pray for the state and nation.

On the outcome of last Saturday’s elections, Okowa said the exercise was compromised, adding that the outcome of the election was not the will of God.

“We saw the manipulation of the election coming and the church of Christ prayed against the situation which we have just found ourselves” Okowa said.

While appealing to religious leaders and Deltans to rally round the PDP gubernatorial candidate in the state, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori in the March 11 gubernatorial election, he urged them to vote for all the PDP candidates for the Delta State House of Assembly in various constituencies across the state.

While thanking members of the forum for the opportunity given to him to talk to them, Okowa said Sheriff Oborevwori was a God fearing man, adding that he had the needed experience to inspire more development in the state.

According to him, the speaker of the state House of Assembly and PDP candidate in the state would consolidate the tempo of infrastructure and human capital development recorded in the state by his administration if elected as governor.

Also speaking at the ceremony, the speaker of Delta State House of Assembly and PDP candidate in the state, Sheriff Oborevwori solicited the support of the church and religious leaders in the state towards his victory in the March 11 election.