Category: Lead

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied raiding the home of the presidential flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It also said it did not retrieve any N400billion either from the candidate or his residence.

It described a trending report in the social media as fake news.

The commission’s Head of Media and Publicity, Wilson Uwujaren made the clarifications in a statement.

The statement reads: “The attention of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has been drawn to a report circulating in the social media, claiming that operatives of the Commission raided the home of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress(APC) , in the forthcoming presidential elections and recovered a humongous sum of N400billion.

“The Commission wishes to state that no such operation was carried out by the EFCC. The public is enjoined to disregard the report as fake news.”

Five gunmen and a police officer died on Sunday morning in a gun duel in a police station Nkwelle Ezunaka, Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The latest is coming less than 24 hours after two attacks were recorded at Ukpo and Ogidi where three policemen were reportedly killed and soldiers injured.

A resident of the area, who put the time of attack around 3:30am, , ,said the hoodlums came in their numbers and were dressed in “dark” clothing.

“The hoodlums arrival to the station followed a gun fire exchange between them and police officers at the station. We heard gun fire. It was intense. We also saw vehicles at the police station burning.

“The gun fire exchange resulted in the death of one police officer and two of the attackers were killed. One of the attackers is believed to have sustained an injury,” he said.

Confirming the incident, Police spokesperson, Tochukwu Ikenga said five armed men and one police operative attached to the station were killed during the operation.

He added that an office in the facility was partially affected while one patrol vehicle in front of the station was set ablaze by the gunmen.

He said: “The combined security team, made up of the Police and the military, today 19/2/2023 by 5:58 am, neutralized a gang of five armed men, recovers two Ak47 rifles, one Toyota Sienna vehicle with Reg No Abuja ABC 848 EQ, charms and other incriminating items, in a response to a distress call on an attack at 3 3 Police Divisional Headquarters, Nkwelle-Ezunaka, Oyi LGA.

“The notorious gang of five, armed with guns, IEDs, and petrol bombs, started shooting indiscriminately to gain entrance to the station and were engaged and resisted by gallant officers attached to the station.

“During the gun duel, unfortunately, one police operative attached to the station was fatally wounded and an office in the facility was partially affected by the petrol bomb the armed men threw inside the station. Also, one patrol vehicle parked in front of the station was set ablaze by the gunmen.

“The situation is under control and the incident is still being assessed. Meanwhile, Joint operations are still ongoing and further development shall be communicated.”

Gunmen at the weekend killed one person at the campaign venue nof the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ebonyi.

The wife of a journalist in the State narrowly escaped death during the attack as the gunmen shot at them.

The incident occurred at Ezzagu Ward 1 in Isielu local government area which the Ebonyi Central senatorial candidate of the party,Ken Eze visited for campaign.

An indigene of the area, Mr Benjamin Nworie, whose wife escaped death during the attack narrated how the gunmen stormed the campaign ground and opened fire on party faithfuls.

He said the campaign ended successful but while the supporters were waiting to depart to their various destinations, the gunmen invaded the venue and started shooting sporadically.

“It was around 5:30pm on Saturday, February, that I received a distressed call from my wife, Eunice, that she was in trouble. Her emotions were high and palpitating profusely.

“She narrated to me that she was calling me from a bush where she scampered for safety, which I sent a rescue team from my nearby village. She was unhurt,” he said. 

Nworie, who is the Vice Chairman of Nigerian Union of Journalist(NUJ) Ebonyi chapter, narrated the wife was conveyed to the venue by the National president of Ogboji General Assembly, John Anyalagu; his wife and younger brother, Emeka Nwusulor.

“Unfortunately, why they were standing by the roadside for John to drive out his car for them to return back to Abakaliki, the hoodlums invaded and killed Emeka who was standing-by,” he said. 

The hoodlums, Nworie narrated, also burnt a Hiace Bus and one ash-coloured Vehicle before zooming off.

• Say president’s action ‘unconstitutional overreach and usurpation of judicial power’
• Despite CBN denial, banks resume collection of  old N500, N1000 notes
• Akeredolu to Buhari: Halt drift, reverse unpopular naira swap
• Police warn against ‘divisive’ comments over cash crunch

Ten states of the federation, including Lagos, Katsina, Ogun and Sokoto, have launched a fresh legal battle against the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in their quest for a review of the implementation of the naira redesign policy.

Other plaintiffs in the fresh suit filed at the Supreme Court on Friday are Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara, Ondo, Ekiti and Cross River.

News of the suit broke yesterday as many deposit money banks (DMBs) resumed the collection of the old N500 and N1,000 to the relief of apprehensive  Nigerians.

This was 24 hours after the CBN denied it ever authorised the banks to resume collection of the old notes below N500,000.

But anxiety subsists in parts of the country over the manner in which the federal government and the apex bank have been handling the naira swap.

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, in an open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday, asked him to “halt this needless drift into the abyss of chaos, more so, when the ruling of the highest court still subsists.”

His counterpart in Lagos State, Mr.Babajide Sanwo-Olu, in a fresh appeal to Lagosians, called for calm and avoidance of violence.

Although Lagos, Ogun and Rivers states, which boiled for several hours on Friday on account of the hardship caused by the naira swap were relatively calm yesterday, residents of Ore in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State blocked the Ore-Benin Expressway for the second day running, disrupting free flow of traffic.

The plaintiffs in the newly filed suit at the Supreme Court are on behalf of the Attorneys-General of 19 states praying the apex court to reverse the February 16 directive of President Muhammadu Buhari which sealed the fate of the old N500 and N1000 as legal tender in the country.

The Supreme Court had earlier granted the interim injunction sought by Kaduna, Zamfara and Kogi states in a separate suit to stop the full implementation of the naira redesign policy.

The three states in a motion ex-parte had prayed the court to stop the CBN from ending the timeframe within which the old N200, N500 and N1000 notes would cease to be legal tender.

However, President Buhari in a broadcast last Thursday said only the old N200 notes should circulate concurrently with the new notes.

He said the old N500 and N1000 had ceased to be legal tender.

He said the old N500 and N1000 had ceased to be legal tender.

It is the President’s directive that the 10 states now want the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional.

Specifically, the plaintiff  are seeking an order of the court to  set aside “the directive contained in the special and presidential media broadcast delivered on Thursday, the 16th of February, 2023 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for being an unconstitutional overreach and usurpation of the judicial power of this court on a matter constituting the subject matter of the pending suit herein, and in respect whereof there subsists an order of interim injunction binding on all parties inclusive of the President who is a party through the named nominal defendant in person of the first defendant, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the Chief legal officer of the Federation.”

In the application sighted yesterday, the plaintiffs referenced the substantive suit currently before the court and which commenced on February 8, 2023.

They said: “The plaintiffs/applicants, by a motion ex-parte, prayed this honourable court for an interim injunction to the effect that the old naira notes (200 naira, 500 naira, and 1000 naira notes) remain legal tender in Nigeria, pending the determination of the motion on notice.

“Pursuant to the ex-parte application, an interim injunction was granted on 8th February 2023 and same remains binding on all parties, including the President of the Federation, who is a party, through the Chief Legal Officer of the Federation (the AGF).

“The interim order of this honourable court made on 8th February 2023 was reaffirmed by this Court on 15 February 2023 and by virtue of which the Federal Government has also submitted to the jurisdiction of this honourable court (Supreme Court), having appeared to the suit; thus making subject matter subjudice.

“Contrary to the order of the honourable court (Supreme Court), the substantive first defendant (the AGF) through the President of the Federation, and its agent, the Central Bank of Nigeria, have repeatedly released statements that the old naira notes are no longer legal tender, hence resulting in misleading the general public on what the status quo to be complied with, pendent lite, should be.

“On the last date of the court’s proceeding, the plaintiffs’ lead counsel informed this honourable court that the plaintiffs have filed an affidavit of the first defendant’s noncompliance with the order of the honourable court delivered on the 8th of February 2023 and this shows the first defendant’s executive lawlessness, affront to the independent of the Judiciary and touching on the supremacy of the Constitution.

“Sequel to grounds four and six above, and contrary to the position of the first defendant’s counsel in court, the first defendant decided to openly flout the orders of the honourable court on Thursday, the 16th of February, 2023, when the President delivered his special presidential media broadcast during which the President openly and publicly varied the order of the court by directing that all the old naira notes, excluding the old 200 naira, were no longer legal tender and same would not be accepted except by the Central Bank of Nigeria, at its branches, or designated points.

“The first defendant (the President of the Federation) categorically stated, varying the subsisting order of the apex court, that he has given a revised approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released back into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 when the old N200 notes ceases to be legal tender while all existing old N1000 and N500 notes remain redeemable at CBN and designated points.

“In the face of the subsistence of the Supreme Court’s order, and now the Presidential directive that came subsequent to the court order, which order was referenced by the President in his broadcast, the public is placed in an embarrassing dilemma as to which directives/order should be complied with, between the order of the Supreme Court’s and the counter directive of the fish defendant which was issued later in time.

“The powers of this honourable court by virtue of section 232 (1), Section 6 (6)(b) and Section 287 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), include the protection of its dignity and ensure due compliance with its orders by all persons and authorities.

“The grant of this application is imperative to restore faith and confidence in the court as being to dominis litis over the instant suit and to stave off further confusion as to obligations of obeisance to the extant orders of the court by all and throughout the country.”

The Federal Government had filed a preliminary objection challenging the application by Kaduna, Zamfara and Kogi states on the premise that the suit ought not to have been brought before the Supreme Court as the reliefs sought were against an agency of the federal government, the CBN on its powers to withdraw old banknotes and introduce new ones under the CBN Act, 2007.

When the case came up before the court last Wednesday it was further adjourned to Wednesday, February 22.

Several states including Ondo, Lagos, Ogun, Niger had filed suits of their own to be joined as co-plaintiffs while Edo and Bayelsa did likewise but to be joined as co-defendants.

Banks press ahead with collection of old N500, N1000 notes despite CBN denial

Collection of the old N500 and N1000 notes by the commercial banks is scheduled to run till April 10, 2023.

Despite CBN’s Friday denial of asking the banks to collect the old notes, a video showing a director of the apex bank giving the directive at the CBN Lagos office later went viral.

The apex bank’s Director of Corporate Communications Department, Osita Nwanisobi, had said the regulator was only reissuing and re-circulating the old N200 banknotes until April 10, 2023, in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive.

However, commercial banks, including First Bank, GT Bank, Access Bank, Lotus Bank, Fidelity Bank, UBA, Lotus Bank, Sterling Bank, among others, advised their customers to bring the N1,000 and N500 old notes to their branches starting from yesterday.

And reports from across the country confirmed that the banks indeed opened for business and collected the old notes from customers.

Michael Akinkotu, a Lagos-based entrepreneur, said he was able to make a cash deposit of N500,000 at the GTBank branch on Airport Road, Lagos. He said the security men at the gate allowed only those depositing old naira notes, and with CBN reference code for registered cash.

“As early as 7 am on Saturday, I was at GTBank, Airport Road, Lagos. I printed a reference code generated from the CBN website after I completed form on the portal. That gave access to the GTBank banking hall where I deposited the cash,” he said.

Managing Director, Countryside Communication Limited, Johnson Okonlawon, said he was able to deposit old naira notes at Access Bank, Iyana Ipaja branch in Lagos.

“Access Bank, First Bank, Lotus Bank at Iyana Ipaja opened, and are collecting old naira notes from customers. I received instant alert after the cash deposit,” he said.

He added: “The challenge many people are having is how to generate code from the CBN portal. Many requests are now returning with validation errors.  But once you generate the code, the bank allows you to pay in. Even, deposit is instant at Lotus Bank, Agbotikuyo Branch, Agege, Lagos.”

In PortHarcourt, a depositor said Access Bank received old naira cash deposits from customers.

“Although there was a large number of customers at one of the bank’s branches in Port Harcourt, the bank received old naira notes. They said the exercise continues next week,” the customer said.

Another customer said Zenith Bank is also collecting old naira notes from customers.

“Zenith Bank has started to collect the old N500 and N1,000 from their customers as at today Saturday. The bank promised to open their branches tomorrow, Sunday, as well. We were told that the exercise continues till 10th April this year and that more banks will do same from next week,” the customer said.

In emailed notes to customers, the banks said they would  open for business yesterday to receive old naira notes of N500 and N1,000 denominations.

One of the Tier-1 banks advised the branch operations and staff on modalities for accepting old naira notes.

“Please be informed that customers returning their old N500 and N1,000 notes can now deposit the money at any of our branches.

“The customer can deposit an maximum of N500,000 of the old N500 and N1,000 denominations up to April 10, 2023. Multiple or split deposits are not allowed,” the bank said.

“Only account holder/signatory or authorised representative of a corporate account is allowed to make the deposit and not third party.

“On no account should third party deposit old naira notes into another customer’s account. Note that old naira notes and new naira notes should not be merged in one deposit slip,” the bank added.

Akeredolu  to Buhari: Halt  this  drift t into the abyss of chaos

Governor Akeredolu in his letter to Buhari said the country should be spared going down the slope immediately.

“There is no shame in rescinding a decision adjudged not only unpopular and counter-productive, but which also bears the insidious seeds of potential conflagration in the land, one of the ostensible reasons for this ill-conceived policy,” he said.

The federal government’s directive, according to the governor, is a threat to the general elections scheduled to commence this weekend and a serious danger to democratic governance.

He added:”There is incontrovertible evidence bordering on miscalculation, error of judgement and/or disinformation on the part of the policy makers, especially the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Mr Godwin Emefiele, on the failed implementation of the policy,  the effect of which compels the whole country to groan, immeasurably, at present. “

Although the governor conceded that Buhari and Emefiele are empowered under the law to exercise some powers on the monetary policy, he said it could not be the original intention of the policy to create hardship and agony for Nigerians.

Describing the well-being of the people as the supreme law, Akeredolu said: “Any measure purportedly designed to ameliorate their conditions must not reduce the entire populace to a beggarly existence.

Continuing, he said: “There is pervasive discontent in the land. A policy, presented as currency swap, must not be construed by both the reasonable members and people of average intelligence in the society to convey the deplorable impression of contrived subterfuge manifest in the official confiscation of legitimate deposits of the people in banks, as a counter measure against electoral malfeasance, terrorism and banditry.

“Desirable as the policy appears to be, its implementation excites curiosity as regards the real motive of its drivers, especially at this time when the conduct of general elections is almost here.

“The mere knowledge that the N1000 and N500 notes represented 82% of the currency in circulation and that the N200 note, whose validity has been extended, by fiat, for another 60 days, represented 7%, expose the mendacious slant in the advice given to Mr President. This counsel clearly misrepresented, deliberately, the facts as they existed before the commencement of the implementation of the policy.

“The implementation of this policy has been woeful despite claims to the contrary. The suffering of the masses, occasioned by the non-availability of new notes to replace the old ones, equally decreed out of existence by presidential fiat in contravention of the CBN Act, 2007, could have been averted if the strategy of a gradual and systematic withdrawal of the old currency notes had been adopted.

“I make bold to assert that the unfolding events across the country show that the policy has failed significantly. It is, therefore, expected that the President will halt this needless drift into the abyss of chaos, more so, when the ruling of highest court still subsists.

“I call on the President to allow both the old and new notes co-exist until such a time when normalcy returns to the country. It will be a fitting parting gift for the people of this country, especially the downtrodden, who feel the negative impact of the poorly implemented policy.

“While the reasons adduced for the policy appear legitimate, there can be no justification for the confiscation of the lawful earnings of Nigerians.

“The negative impact which the mediocre and, I dare say, mischievous implementation of the policy by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria is having on the poor people and small business owners defeats all the good programmes of the Federal Government designed to elevate as many people as possible out of the morass of poverty. “

Sanwo-Olu empathises with Lagosians, appeals for calm

Sanwo-Olu, in an address to Lagosians, his second in as many days, appealed to them to remain calm and avoid any form of violence capable of igniting turmoil.

He empathised with Lagosians over the hardship being experienced with the currency swap but said destructive demonstrations would never be the answer.

Sanwo-Olu told the residents to remain law-abiding and urged them to resist unscrupulous opportunists seeking to take advantage of the widespread frustration to hijack the situation and create crisis.

The Governor, while applauding the security agencies for stemming the violence in some parts of the state yesterday, gave a clear instruction to them to take full control and ensure zero tolerance to all acts of arson, violence and vandalism across the state, stressing that there would be no justification for anyone to attack public and private property.

He said: “As your Governor, my heartfelt call to you is to remain calm at this time and avoid all forms of violence, arson and rioting. In the face of the difficulties and frustrations, violence and destruction should not and will never be the answer.

“We must resist the moves by opportunists who seek to take advantage of the anger and frustration to hijack the situation and foment trouble.

“There are unscrupulous persons who want to sow seeds of violence and discord by their utterances and actions, all with a view to robbing you of the chance to cast your votes in the February 25 presidential and national assembly elections. Do not allow them to use you to achieve their evil intentions.

“There is no justification for attacking public or private property. The law enforcement agents have received clear instructions to take full control and ensure zero tolerance for any and all acts of arson, violence and destruction. I enjoin all law-abiding Lagosians to carry out their lawful activities without fear.”

The Governor said the 50 per cent reduction of transport fares across the state-owned transportation system – BRT, LAGRIDE, FMLM and ferries – would continue, as part of the palliative approach adopted by the State Government to reduce hardship on Lagosians.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed that the State Government had opened consultation with private transport operators and their unions not to exploit the situation to hike their fares and create more hardship.

Protesters block Ore-Benin expressway again

For the second day running, protesters in Ore, Ondo State yesterday blocked the Ore-Benin Expressway.

The protesters, kicking against the scarcity of redesigned naira notes, locked down the expressway and put born-fires to disrupt free flow of traffic.

Commercial activities were grounded and travellers stranded.

The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) Unit Commander, Mr Sikiru Alonge, told the News Agency of Nigerian (NAN) that the traffic congestion on the expressway made it difficult to control the traffic for motorists and road users plying the area.

The State Police Command later deployed its personnel to the area to prevent the situation from degenerating.

Police caution against divisive, crisis-prone utterances

The Force Headquarters yesterday cautioned groups and individuals against divisive comments and utterances capable of heating up the polity and triggering crisis in the nation.

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said in Abuja that the warning was “highly imperative as the Police perceive the reactions and utterances of certain groups and individuals as an attempt to heat up the polity and spontaneously instigate the populace against the government and its policies for their peculiar interests and gains.

“The NPF, therefore, charges the citizenry of Nigeria to remain calm and embrace peace as the Federal Government has assured that it is taking the bull by the horn, assiduously to address the scarcity of naira and fuel and restore normalcy in all sectors.

“Similarly, the Nigerian populace is hereby urged to desist from any act of violence, hooliganism, and vandalism that may jeopardize the ongoing electoral process, which is significant and critical in the transitional advancement of democracy in Nigeria.”

• Wike: Rivers won’t vote for any party against power rotation
• Northern Elders won’t adopt Atiku as sole candidate, says NEF member Baba
• INEC: Only those accredited by BVAS would vote on Saturday
• Appeal court dismisses Nwajiuba’s case against Tinubu

A massive crowd descended on the El-Kanemi Stadium, Maiduguri yesterday to solidarise with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in what observers described as a pointer to the huge endorsement coming from the state in Saturday’s elections.

Residents also described the turnout as a measure of the home support for Tinubu’s running mate Senator Kashim Shettima, the immediate past governor of the state.

The Maiduguri event is the last before APC’s final rally in Lagos on Tuesday.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, held his own final rally ahead of the election yesterday in Yola, capital of his home state, Adamawa, while Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, went on Twitter asking Nigerians, one more time, to trust him with their votes to enable him “deliver a new Nigeria that is Possible!”

His supporters rallied for him is some of the states.

The Maiduguri carnival-like rally of the APC spilled across many major roads and streets of the city with people hailing the APC delegation which also included the party’s national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Governors Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger) and two other former governors of the state, Maina Ma’aji Lawal and Ali Modu-Sheriff. 

Addressing the rally, Tinubu pledged to re-energise oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin and recharge the drying lake with a view to generating  jobs and boosting  agricultural production in the area.

Attention, according to him, would also be focused on security.

“Nigeria will see peace and stability. The Borno people and their neighbours will witness prosperity and happiness,” he said.

He empathised with the generality of Nigerians over the current situation in the country and assured them that succor was on the way.

He paid tribute to Shettima who he said performed well as governor of the state, and to the incumbent Governor BabaGana  Zulum, who, in his words, “is a representation of achievement.”

Shettima and his predecessors Ali Modu-Sheriff and Ma’aji Lawal said the APC was sure of victory in the state.

Zulum told the people to turn out on Saturday even more than they did yesterday to vote for the party’s candidates.

The APC leaders had earlier paid a courtesy visit on the Shehu of Borno, Alhaji  Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba, during which Governor Zulum  thanked Tinubu for picking a son of the state as  running mate.

“You have done all for us and now it is for us to deliver APC in Borno State,” he said.

Zulum said Tinubu was more than a political ally for the state as he had shown concerns for the difficult times the state went through during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency more than anyone else.

He said: “During our trying times, he has always been with us. He has visited us between seven and eight times in the last eleven years. There is nobody else that has done anything like that for us.”

Also at the rally were Minister of State for Agriculture, Mustapha Baba Shehuri, members of the National Assembly, former chiefs of army staff, Lt. Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau (rtd) and Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai (rtd), among other members of the party.

Tinubu wraps up campaign in Lagos Tuesday

Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria, is set to host Tinubu for a rally that chieftains of the party and other observers have described as mother of all rallies, on Tuesday.

The event, according to the Presidential Campaign Council of the APC, is the grand finale rally of the party’s campaign for Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, ahead of Saturday’s election.

The rally will be a homecoming for Tinubu, who was governor of Lagos State upon the return of the country to democracy in 1999. He held office till 2007 when he completed his second term.

The APC presidential hopeful has been busy selling his candidacy across the country since he kicked off the campaign in Jos, the capital of Plateau State last November.

Preparations are in top gear for the Lagos rally as members and chieftains of APC, including directors of the campaign committees were busy ensuring that the Teslim Balogun venue of the event is put in the right shape for the epoch making rally.

The Nation also learnt that Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Alhaji Mutiu Are, the South West Director of the PCC, among others, are billed to inspect the venue soon.

Speaking on the rally, Asipa Kaoli Olusanya, who coordinates the Directorate of Contact and Mobilisation of the PCC in Lagos State, said: “It is indeed homecoming for Asiwaju Tinubu. He is the real City Boy and the City of Lagos is eager to receive him.

“Lagos is mobilised for the rally and I can assure you that Lagos will not only show love to him on Tuesday by turning out massively for the rally, Lagosians will also pay Asiwaju back for all he has done for the state and its people by trooping out to massively vote for him on February 25.”

North won’t betray Tinubu — APC N’west Youth Leader

The APC Northwest Youth Leader, AbdulHamid  Moh’d Oscar said yesterday that northerners will not betray Tinubu in the  presidential elections as being feared in some quarters.

He said no amount of campaigns of calumny and gang-up by the opposition against Tinubu would succeed because the APC candidate has paid his dues.

According to Oscar, the APC presidential candidate stood by the North when he was needed most and now is the time for pay back.

 “We are the Northern youth, and we will not betray Asiwaju for his past generosity. We also know that he has the north’s interest at heart,” he said.

“Tinubu has sown a seed, so the Northerners don’t even need money to vote him. We want what he is bringing to the table for the north after the elections. We believe based on his past track records, he will win.

“We northerners are students of history and we know what the opposition are capable of doing. For God’s sake, PDP failed Nigeria and now they are trying every possible means to crawl back to power, and if they do, it will be disastrous for the common Nigerians.” 

APM collapses structure for APC, endorses Tinubu/Shettima ticket in Osun

The Osun State chapter of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) said it has collapsed its structure and endorsed Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima.

The APM Chairman, Mr. Adebayo Adewale, said members of the party were fully aware of the quality, capacity and competence of the APC presidential flag-bearer to lead Nigeria to an enviable height.

He lauded the State Coordinator, Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Council, Adegboyega Oyetola, for his resilience, political sagacity and avowed commitment towards the growth and development of Osun.

Adewale, who described Tinubu’s manifesto as a genuine and realistic blueprint of a ‘renewed hope’ for Nigeria and Nigerians, said the contents therein had given a clear direction to redefine the country for the betterment of all and sundry.

Oyetola promised to relay the message of the Osun APM to Tinubu just as he implored them not to limit the exercise to endorsement alone but rather take the gospel of Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign to the nooks and crannies of the state.

Appeal Court dismisses ex- Education Minister’s suit against Tinubu’s candidacy

The Court of Appeal in Abuja has dismissed a suit filed by a group linked to a former Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, seeking the nullification of the nomination of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

A three-man panel of the court, in a judgment on February 17, held that the appeal by the Incorporated Trustees of Rights for All International (RAI) was incompetent.

The group had jointly filed the suit with Nwajiuba before the Federal High Court in Abuja, which the court, in a judgment on December 15, 2022 dismissed and outlawed the group.

But on appeal, the group excluded Nwajiuba from the case, a decision the Court of Appeal found to be unlawful.

The Court of Appeal, in its February 17 judgment, upheld the objection by the APC and other respondents, that the suit by the appellant, filed at the trial court – the Federal High Court, Abuja –  was not a pre-election matter because the plaintiffs could not be said to be a person covered by Section 285(14) a, b. c of the 1999 Constitution being an NGO.

The appellate court held that the removal of Nwajiuba who was a party in the case at the lower court meant the judgment of the lower court was not appealed.

The court noted that the appeal was an attempt by the appellant – the Incorporated Trustees of Rights for All International – to revive itself having earlier been dissolved by the judgment of the trial court.

At the trial court, RAI and Nwajiuba had, in their suit marked:FHC/ABJ/CS/942/2022, sought among others, to void the primaries that produced Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar as candidates of the APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the next presidential election.

They claimed that both parties’ primaries were marked by corrupt practices and prayed the court to replace Tinubu with the ex-Minister, who said he participated in APC’s primary and scored one vote.

Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court had, in the December 15, 2022 judgment, case on the merit, after upholding the defendants’ objections, held that there were no credible and reliable evidence provided by the plaintiffs in their support affidavit, to support their case.

He then dismissed the substantive case for being incompetent.

Justice Ekwo condemned the involvement of RAI, which claimed to be a non-government organisation, in politically motivated cases.

The judge held that by its involvement in politically motivated cases and by extension, partisan politics, RAI went outside the objectives for which it was registered under Part F of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)) and taken steps inimical to public policy.

Atiku in final rally, vows: ‘We’re committed to our promises

Atiku told thousands of his supporters at the Mahmud Ribadu Square in Jimeta, Yola for the PDP Presidential Grand Rally that he would deliver on his promises if elected into office on Saturday.

“We will work by our promises to make sure that we have a secured, peaceful country and a buoyant economy,” he said.

His government, he added, would unfailingly implement devolution of powers to the states and local councils and to empower them to provide good governance, among other campaign promises.

Atiku asked his fellow Adamawa citizens to vote him and not disappoint his party which made him its Presidential candidate in 2019 and has once again asked him to fly its ticket for the February 25 election.

“Go to the polling centres next Saturday and produce the most massive votes that Adamawa has ever had. God bless you, my fellow people of Adamawa State,” Atiku said.

Also speaking, the PDP National Chairman, Senator Iyorcha Ayu, said Atiku would reunite the country by repairing what he called the prevailing gulf along ethnic and religious lines.

The rally was attended by six governors of the PDP — Governors Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).

Northern Elders won’t adopt Atiku as sole candidate, says Seidu Baba, NEF member

A member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Alhaji Seidu Baba, said the forum does not believe that Alhaji  Atiku Abubakar has what it takes to lead Nigeria as president and therefore has no reason to endorse him as the group’s  sole candidate for Saturday’s election.

Alhaji Seidu told newsmen at the 10th anniversary of the Forum in Abuja that the former Vice President could not be the candidate of the North as he has failed to show concern for the region over the years.

He said: “In 1999, during a book launch at Arewa House in Kaduna, written by Prof. M.A. Yakubu, the current Chairman of INEC, Atiku as the Vice President of Nigeria was supposed to be the most senior political office holder from the North in the Federal Government at that time, but he at the occasion condemned all Northerners, Leaders and Elders.

“In his speech, he told his bewildered audience that the Northern Leaders and Elders were the people who failed the North and the nation. He said they were the ones that had caused the problems. That was the beginning of his problems in the North.

“Secondly, over the last two decades, all the problems that have been happening in the North East (where he claims to have come from) especially Adamawa, Borno, Yobe and the rest, nobody has seen Atiku’s intervention visibly in solving the problems. Even General TY Danjuma has done better than him in this respect.

“All the crises that happened in Onitsha or other places in the South East or South West affecting Northerners, he has never gone there to show empathy or give succour to the people who lost their lives and property.

“His only desperate objective is to become the President of Nigeria, that’s all. That is why in his obsession and carelessness as a Vice President he came out to challenge the candidature of his own principal, a military officer and a General who brought him into government from the wilderness.”

Obi: We are down to Crunch Time – 7 Days to the Main Day

Obi, in a message to his supporters yesterday on Twitter, said: “Our strength is in our diversity. We need to reset and reboot Nigeria in all ramifications –leadership and governance, security of life and properties, economic and political freedom.

“We must celebrate our Shared Values and Responsibilities. In this march to freedom, I have not come out for myself! I have come out for the millions of youths that are losing hope in our beloved country! Datti and I wish to deliver a new Nigeria that is Possible!

“I have come out for the millions of women who are afraid of tomorrow and what it holds for them and their children! I have come out for the poor who are asking whether it’s a sin to be a Nigerian! For them, I have come! For them, Datti has come!

“Our message has been consistent. Nigeria is not bereft of the required human capital necessary for good leadership. Nigeria is also not bereft of good governance ideas and plans.

“However, our country is bedeviled by the impunity of those few who have perfected the dubious act of State Capture. These national interest issues need to be addressed urgently. The process will start in earnest on 25th February.”

Rivers won’t vote for any party against power rotation, says Wike

Previewing Saturday’s presidential election yesterday, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike said the state’s electorate would not vote for any political party that has shown contempt for power shift from the North to the South.

He said the people of the state would cast their ballots to preserve the unity of the country, which he said could only be guaranteed by power shift.

The governor spoke at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic’s Field, venue of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area campaign organised by the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The governor poured encomiums on the governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for insisting that power must shift to the South.

He said the APC governors had by such gesture demonstrated their belief in the country’s unity and the need for every section to be given equal stake.

The governor, who called for vigilance, said persons, desperate to become President while undermining citizenship of other Nigerians should know that peace remained more crucial than having insatiable appetite for power. 

Wike said Rivers people were already aware that they should not cast their votes for any Presidential Candidate that has no interest in the state’s welfare.

The governor said: “We are going to vote for the unity of Nigeria. We are going to vote for equity, fairness and justice. And that is why I salute the APC governors who came out to say for this country to be united, for this country to move on as one, that there is the need for power to shift.”

“For those, who are greedy about power, you can get power, you may not have peace. Is it not better to have peace, so when you become president you can govern the people well? Do you want a place that is in crisis?”

“We are going to vote for people who have the interest of our state. Time has passed when you will tell me that Rivers State only produces so and so number of votes. I have no problem about that. In return, what have we gotten?

“So, you must tell Rivers people now, if we vote for you, this is what you’ll have. Politics is you do for me, I’ll do for you. You fall for me, I’ll fall for you. If you push me, I’ll push you. If you love me, I’ll love you.”

Wike warned that Rivers people would never be happy with any of the various national and state assembly candidates of the PDP in the state, who would turn betrayers after winning their elections.

“So, if you have in mind to do that, be very careful because we carry a lot of grace. It is not by our power, it is how it has pleased the almighty God,” he said.

INEC Chairman: Only those accredited by BVAS will be allowed to vote

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said yesterday that Nigerians whose voter cards cannot be authenticated with their fingerprint or facial appearance during the coming elections would not be allowed to vote.

The INEC boss spoke while inspecting ongoing training for Corp members who will officiate in the elections.

He however warned the corps members against giving the Bimodal Voter Identification System (BVAS) assigned to them to any unauthorized person.

He explained that the BVAS machine was configured to take the picture of the person handling it before the commencement of the exercise, adding that the picture will be automatically uploaded to the INEC portal for the commission to know who is handling which BVAS machine.

Yakubu said: “The first thing to say is to thank you for agreeing to serve as Presiding Officers on Election Day at the various polling units. We cannot be tired of saying that we can’t successfully conduct an election without the NYSC. You are the most educated, most reliable, most readily available and most patriotic election duty we have in Nigeria.

“Nigeria is fortunate to have young citizens like you undergoing the National Youth Service. There is no way INEC can conduct election without the NYSC. You are simply indispensable in the conduct of elections in Nigeria and INEC can’t conduct election based on our workforce alone.

“We have about 15,000 staff, but we need over one million ad hoc staff for the two elections. So, we have to rely on you and other category of staff at all levels. So, you are going to play a very important role and you are to protect the process.

“At the polling unit level, Corp members are going to be in charge. You are the INEC Chairman at your various polling unit on Election Day. You are the kings at the polling unit level on Election Day.

“You are the only people to handle the BVAS on Election Day. To accredit a person to vote, you use either thump print or the facial where both failed, the person will not be allowed to vote. That is what the law says.

“The BVAS is configured to a polling unit and we know who is at those polling unit. Immediately you open the system, the front camera takes your picture and sends it to the back room. So, we are tracking you and we know who is holding which BVAS.

“So, don’t give the machine to anyone and go somewhere because the machine is dedicated to a polling unit and we know who is responsible for a polling unit. After the process is over and ballots has been sorted out and counted and recorded on the form EC8A, you use the BVAS to take a picture of the form and transmit to the INEC result portal so that Nigerians can watch what is going on in each polling unit”.

“Secondly, you are going to be deployed to the most important area of the election which is the polling unit. The polling unit is where Nigerians go to vote. You will handle the register, you will handle the BVAS and the result sheets. You will also be responsible for transmitting election result to the INEC headquarters on Election Day.

“What we are doing here which is nationwide is to train you. You all will be familiar with the BVAS machine so that it will not be strange to you on Election Day.

“There are two cameras on the BVAS machine. The front and back cameras. Pay attention to the training. I should also tell you that we are watching you. The moment you pick up this camera to configure it, it will take your picture. So, we know who is handling the BVAS.

“We are tracking you and whatever you do on this machine, we are watching you. The first thing the front camera does is to take your picture so that we know who is accrediting people and who has been assigned to a particular polling unit. So, don’t give this machine to any other person. If you have any difficulty, we have the technical support staff that will come to your assistance.

“But it is a very simple process. Nigerians will examine you on Election Day and INEC will also examine you. You are also going to swear to oath of neutrality and allegiance. From the INEC Chairman who is the Chief Returning Officer to the Presiding Officers, all of us will swear to an oath. I did mine yesterday as the Returning Officer for the Presidential election.

“INEC is not a political party and you are not agents of any political party. You are agents of the Independent National Electoral Commission and your loyalty is to the Nigerian people. Whoever they choose, so be it.”

The Director-General of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has said the Labour Party flagbearer, Peter Obi does not have Nigeria’s interest at heart. He spoke at the PDP campaign rally in Yola, Adamawa State and added that Obi’s party does not have 170,000 polling agents to work for the party during the election.

“Nigeria cannot afford to entrust its affairs in the hands of those who have not garnered enough experiences at the federal level. The argument has been made, issues have been joined and it is clear that only Atiku and Okowa are prepared to lead this country in a united manner. Atiku is competent; he has the capacity that we require today. We must not make the mistake of voting for APC again. I will not talk about Labour because their candidate when he was governor was not able to conduct one single local government election,” he added.

The Sokoto governor challenged the LP supporters to state the achievements of their presidential candidate when he served as governor of Anambra State. “I challenge the Labour people to bring that record where Peter Obi was able to conduct a local government election, so how can he now be attempting to be president of Nigeria when as governor he could not organize local government elections? He is not democratic enough. In any case, his candidature is tainted by ethnic chauvinism and we know what that will portend for Nigeria.

“In any case, his party has not been able to even field enough candidates for national assembly elections. And in any case, they have not been able to muster agents over the 170, 000 polling units,” Tambuwal said.

The spokesperson for North, MiddleBelt and South Support Groups for Peter Obi (NMBSSG4O), Alex Obiechina, has said some Southeast stalwarts of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are giving the party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, false hope of getting winning votes from the zone. He noted that those supporting Atiku are old time politicians that are after their personal interest in appointive positions or contracts and not people who believe that Nigeria needs urgent change.

“Any politician from the Southeast, who is telling you that they are giving Atiku any vote, they are just deceiving Atiku. This is not 2019,” he said. Obiechina said contrary to projections in some quarters that next Saturday’s presidential poll will go into a run-off, a winner will emerge on the first ballot. He dismissed claims that Obi would not make it to the second or third position after the elections, saying the Labour Party candidate will do well on the strength of his integrity and sound moral philosophy in governance and management of public resources.

The LP chieftain said the old politics is giving way to public spirited persons to come into elective office. He stated: “From my analysis and from the reports we are getting, the political trends and the major determinants of who will emerge as the winner of the coming election, does not favour Atiku in the southeast. “Majority of those who vote are youths and the women, there are almost 80 per cent of the population at any election. The other 20 per cent is left for the men, who hardly come to vote. The fact that youths are championing Peter Obi’s campaign, shows in their determination and belief that there is urgent need for change.

He commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his determination to leave a legacy of credible elections, saying that the President’s assurances have helped to engineer public confidence in the forthcoming polls. Obiechina, who is also a former governorship candidate of PDP in Enugu State, said as somebody who has suffered grave injustice during elections, he was elated that President Buhari has effectively mobilised machinery to stem the issue of vote buying.

He therefore urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to work hard to meet the great expectations of the people, pointing out that findings from the last Osun State governorship poll should avail the commission the opportunity to fine-tune its strategies and systems.

In another five days, Nigerians would be going to the polls to elect a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari and a new class of National Assembly members.

Last Sunday, our team of correspondents and analysts took an initial look at the state of the race and produced an electoral map that projected potential winners in the 36 states based on certain identified factors.

Since the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) flagged of the campaigns in late September 2022, it has been dominated by ethnicity, religious sentiments, personal attacks and fake news on social media.

Many observers have described this as one of the dirtiest campaigns ever with not too much focus of the critical issues facing the populace – like the economy and insecurity.

Before the parties took a break for end of year festivities, the fundamentals of the race seemed to be locked in, with many people appearing to have made up their minds who they will vote for early. Indeed, some estimates say that percentage of the electorate who are undecided could be as low as five percent.

In the last few weeks, however, an x-factor was thrown into the mix with the seeming intractable fuel scarcity and the bungled naira swap which has plunged millions of people across the country into unprecedented hardship.

One week after our initial projections we can report an easing of the fuel situation in key cities like Lagos and Abuja. However, there remains considerable tension and uncertainty over the currency situation. This has been compounded by President Buhari’s announcement that the old N500 and N1,000 notes were no longer legal tender in the country. In his early morning broadcast to the nation on Thursday, he permitted the old N200 to remain in use till April 10.

His intervention has been widely condemned as gross disrespect of the Supreme Court which had put on hold the February 10 deadline which the Central Bank had set for retiring the old notes.

The president’s action rather than douse tension, has sparked more outrage – especially from governors of the ruling party who fear the currency crisis could negatively impact their chances at the polls. Several have defiantly announced that the old bills remain legal tender in their domains until the Supreme Court decides otherwise.

The air of intrigue has also thickened on the back of charges that the fuel and cash scarcities were deliberately contrived by Fifth Columnists within the corridors of power to create an environment to scuttle the elections and introduced extra-constitutional devices like an Interim Government.

Suffice it to say that every electoral cycle the air if thick with intrigue as schemers trying every trick in the book to either thwart the process, or prevent certain candidates from emerging winners.

Back in 1993, the process was thrown into confusion by a dodgy judicial intervention at the last minute which the military authorities latched on to truncate the process. There have been plenty of instances in the last few months where certain individuals and parties have clogged the courts with frivolous cases – many of which have been tossed out as lacking merit.

As Election Day draws ever closer, it remains to be seen whether those who have made up their minds about candidates to back, would made a U-turn on account of the aforementioned factors.

In our report last Sunday, our team of editors and correspondents made projections on the likely outcome of the presidential election based on their reporting across the states of the federation. Our findings showed that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, was likely to secure outright wins in the following states: Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kano, Yobe, Gombe, Borno and Rivers.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is expected to take Adamawa, Taraba, Bayelsa, Delta and Akwa Ibom States.

Labour Party was projected to with in the following Southeastern states: Abia, Ebonyi, Anambra and Enugu.

We reported a race too close to call in Sokoto, Bauchi, Plateau, Benue, FCT, Cross River, Edo and Imo.

One week after there have been several developments that result in last minute swings – but not too much. In Benue, Governor Samuel Ortom, has come out to endorse Labour’s Peter Obi – setting the stage for a three-cornered battle for votes and confirming our earlier projection of its battleground status.

The key state to watch is Rivers. Governor Nyesom Wike who has led the G-5 campaign against PDP candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has ruled out any last-minute reconciliation. During the week he warmly welcomed Tinubu who was in Port Harcourt for campaigns.

Although, he didn’t give much away, it is widely expected that he and his men would back the APC candidate who enjoys cross-party support in the state. His aspiration is also backed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Accord Party candidates in the state. But it didn’t go unnoticed that former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, was conspicuously absent when his party’s flagbearer came to town. His close allies, however, attended the event.

Rivers has long been a PDP state. It remains to be seen whether it would remain true to type next Saturday or swing the way Wike wants. Our reporting also indicates that Labour’s Obi enjoys strong support in the urban areas like Port Harcourt. All these factors make the contest very fluid and unpredictable.

It is for the above reasons that in the latest update of our electoral map, we have moved the state from the APC column to battleground status. The rest of our projections remain as they were last Sunday.

This report was compiled by Deputy Editor, Emmanuel Oladesu; Managing Editor (Northern Operations), Yusuf Alli; Regional Manager (South-South), Shola O’neil; Nwanosike Onu (Awka); Mike Odiegwu (Port Harcourt); Kolade Adeyemi (Jos); Fanen Ihyongo (Kano); David Adenuga (Bauchi); Uja Emmanuel (Makurdi); AbdulGafar Alabelewe (Kaduna); Sola Shittu (Gombe); Justina Asishana (Minna); Joel Duku (Maiduguri); Linus Oota (Lafia); Augustine Okezie (Katsina); Onimisi Alao (Yola), Sanni Onogu ( FCT) and Adekunle Jimoh (Ilorin).

Others are: Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan, Toba Adedeji (Osogbo), Rasaq Ibrahim (Ado-Ekiti), Bisi Oladele (Ibadan), Osagie Otabor (Akure), Aiwerie Okungbowa (Asaba), Gil Nsa (Calabar) Ogo Anioke (Abakaliki), Damian Duruihuoma (Enugu), Chris Njoku (Owerri) and Sunny Nwankwo (Aba).

RIVERS STATE

REGISTERED VOTERS: 3,537,862

2015 ELECTION RESULT

PDP: 1,487,075; APC: 69,238

2019 ELECTION RESULT

PDP: 473,971; APC: 150,710

The oil-rich Rivers State has 23 local government areas, 319 electoral wards and 4,442 polling units. With 3,532,990 voters, Rivers has the highest number of registered voters in the South-South.

On the 25th of February, the presidential candidates APC, Tinubu; PDP, Atiku and LP, Obi, will scramble to win the state.

Rivers has always been the stronghold of the PDP and since 1999 no presidential candidate of the party had lost any election in the state. In the last two presidential elections, the PDP won the state by wide margin. In 2015, out of the 1,565, 461 vote cast, APC got 69,238 representing 4.42 per cent votes while the PDP scored 1,487,075 representing 94.99 per cent votes.

In 2019, the APC tried to increase its momentum in the state and out of the 666,585 votes, the APC secured 150,710 (22.61%) while the PDP, whose candidate scored 473,971 votes (71.10%).

But such dominance has become a mirage ahead of this year’s presidential election following the worsening feud between the state PDP and its parent party at the national level. While the local party is strong and determined to win all state electoral offices, it had since declared that it would not work for Atiku.

State governor, Nyesom Wike, a political tactician and one-man riot squad, has insulated the Rivers PDP from the parent party and vowed to deliver another presidential candidate on February 25th instead of Atiku.

Wike, who leads the G-5, a group of five PDP governors seeking equity, justice and fairness, has all structures of the local party in his pocket and has been able to convince them to work for his preferred presidential candidate.

Obviously in Rivers, without Wike, Atiku seems to be going nowhere and the PDP may not stand a chance to win the February 25th presidential election in Rivers,

It has become an open secret that Wike has settled for the APC presidential candidate and communicated his decision to all PDP structures in Rivers. Recently, the Rivers chapter of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, confirmed that the governor directed all his aides and all party leaders loyal to him to work for Tinubu.

Wike’s continual highlight of the injustices in the National PDP had compelled many residents to see Atiku as the enemy of Rivers. Sometimes angry Rivers youths are seen removing Atiku-Okowa campaign posters in their domains.

Some PDP leaders, who revolted against Wike such as Sir Celestine Omehia, Austine Okpara, Lee Maeba, Abiye Sekibo, Prince Uche Secondus and Chinyere Igwe, are finding it difficult to campaign for Atiku in the state. Most of them have since relocated from Rivers out of fear of the unknown. Besides, there is general consciousness in Rivers that power must shift to the South.

Though the Rivers APC is polarised between pro-Rotimi Amaechi and anti-Amaechi camps, all of them seem to be on the same page for Tinubu because of the decentralised campaign system adopted by the presidential candidate.

While the state party controlled by Amaechi leads the APC Presidential Campaign Council, the anti-Amaechi camp led by his former Chief of Staff, Tony Okocha, heads the Independent Campaign Council (ICC).

Though Senator Magnus Abe, a former leader of anti-Amaechi camp in Rivers APC defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and became the party’s governorship candidate, he had since adopted Tinubu as his presidential candidate. Abe in all his rallies has been mobilising support for Tinubu.

In fact, the APC presidential candidate will be the direct beneficiary of the crisis in the PDP. With Wike working for him and almost all the structures of the APC closing their ranks to campaign for him, Tinubu is heading for victory in Rivers.

For the Labour Party, it has remained a new entrant in the presidential race. In Rivers, no prominent and influential politician has identified publicly with the party. It still lacks enough structures in units, wards and local government areas required to cause serious upset for the two big parties in February presidential poll. It resonates more among the traders of Igbo extraction, who dominate the Rivers city centre.

A popular Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo, though not a politician, is one of the leaders of LP and she mobilises for Peter Obi in the state. The Chairperson of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers State chapter, Beatrice Itubo, doubles as the governorship candidate of LP in the state. She has vowed to sway Rivers votes to Obi. But such assurances are believed not to be enough without corresponding vigorous campaigns to reach voters in grassroots.

VERDICT: BATTLEGROUND

The Attorneys General of 10 States have asked the Supreme Court to reverse the February 16 directive by President Muhammadu Buhari retaining only the old N200 note as legal tender.

The States, in a motion filed on Friday, want the apex Court to issue an order setting aside “the directive contained in the special and presidential media broadcast delivered on Thursday, the 16th of February, 2023 by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for being an unconstitutional overreach and usurpation of the judicial power of this court on a matter constituting the subject matter of the pending suit herein, and in respect whereof there subsists an order of interim injunction binding on all parties inclusive of the President who is a party through the named nominal defendant in person of the first defendant, the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) as the Chief legal officer of the Federation.”

The application, a copy of which was sighted on Saturday, was filed in the name of the AGs of Kaduna, Kogi, Zamfara, Ondo, Ekiti, Katsina, Ogun, Cross River, Lagos and Sokoto States.

They stated that the “application stems from the directive made by the President of the federation in his special and Presidential broadcast delivered on Thursday, the 16th of February 2023.

“The substantive suit, which is currently before this court, commenced on the 8th February 2023. “

“The plaintiffs/applicants, by a motion ex-parte, prayed this honourable court for an interim injunction to the effect that the old naira notes (200 naira, 500 naira, and 1000 naira notes) remain legal tender in Nigeria, pending the determination of the notion on notice.

“Pursuant to the ex-parte application, an interim injunction was granted on 8th February 2023 and same remains binding on all parties, including the President of the Federation, who is a party, through the Chief Legal Officer of the Federation (the AGF).

“The interim order of this honourable court made on 8th February 2023 was reaffirmed by this Court on 15 February 2023 and by virtue of which the Federal Government has also submitted to the jurisdiction of this honourable court (Supreme Court), having appeared to the suit; thus making subject matter subjudice.

“Contrary to the order of the honourable count (Supreme Court), the substantive first defendant (the AGF) through the President of the Federation, and its agent, the Central Bank of Nigeria, have repeatedly released statements that the old naira notes are no longer legal tender, hence resulting in misleading the general public on what the status quo to be complied with, pendent lite, should be .

“On the last date of the court’s proceeding, the plaintiffs’ lead counsel informed this honourable court that the plaintiffs have filed an affidavit of the first defendant’s noncompliance with the order of the honourable court delivered on the 8th of February 2023 and this shows the first defendant’s executive lawlessness, affront to the independent of the Judiciary and touching on the supremacy of the Constitution.

“Sequel to grounds four and six above, and contrary to the position of the first defendant’s counsel in court, the first defendant decided to openly flout the orders of the honourable court on Thursday, the 16th of February, 2023, when the President delivered his special presidential
media broadcast during which the President openly and publicly varied the order of the court by directing that all the old naira notes, excluding the old 200 naira, were no longer legal tender and same would not be accepted except by the Central Bank of Nigeria, at its branches, or designated points.

“The first defendant (the President of the Federation) categorically stated, varying the subsisting order of the apex court that he has given a revised approval to the CBN that the old N200 bank notes be released beck into circulation and that it should also be allowed to circulate as legal tender with the new N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes for 60 days from February 10, 2023 to April 10 2023 when the old N200 notes ceases to be legal tender while all existing old N1000 and N500 notes remain redeemable at CBN and designated points.

“In the face of the subsistence of the Supreme Court’s order, and now the Presidential directive that came subsequent to the court order, which order was referenced by the President in his broadcast , the public is placed in an embarrassing dilemma as to which directives/order should be complied with, between the order of the Supreme Court’s and the counter directive of the fish defendant which was issued later in time.

“The powers of this honourable court by virtue of section 232 (1), Section 6 (6)(b) and Section 287 (1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), include the protection of its dignity and ensure due compliance with its orders by all persons and authorities.

“The grant of this application is imperative to restore faith and confidence in the court as being to dominis litis over the instant suit and to stave off further confusion as to obligations of obeisance to the extant orders of the court by all and throughout the country.”

Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that the State will not vote for any party that has shown contempt for power shift from North to South in the Saturday presidential election.

The Governor said voters in the State would cast their ballots to preserve the unity of the country, which could only be guaranteed through power shift.

Describing the country as heterogeneous, Wike assured Rivers electorate would speak with their votes to preserve peace and unity and ensure inclusivity in governance.

The Governor spoke on Saturday at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic’s Field, venue of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area campaign organised by the state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He hailed Governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for insisting that power must shift to the South.

He said the APC Governors had by such gesture demonstrated their belief in the country’s unity and the need for every section to be given equal stake.

The Governor, who called for vigilance, said persons desperate to become President while undermining citizenship of other Nigerians should know that peace remained more crucial than having insatiable apetite for power.

Read Also ; Wike, Enenche, others bag honorary doctoral degrees from BSU

According to him: “We are going to vote for the unity of Nigeria. We are going to vote for equity, fairness and justice. And that is why I salute the APC governorship who came out to say, for this country to be united, for this country to move on as one, that there is the need for power to shift.”

“For those, who are greedy about power, you can get power, you may not have peace. Is it not better to have peace, so when you become president you can govern the people well. Do you want a place that is in crisis?”

“We are going to vote for people who have the interest of our State. Time has passed when you will tell me that Rivers State only produces so and so number of votes. I have no problem about that. In return, what have we gotten.

“So, you must tell Rivers people now, if we vote for you, this is what you’ll have. Politics is you do for me, I’ ll do for you. You fall for me, I’ll fall for you. If you push me, I’ll push you. If you love me, I’ll love you.”