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Post Date : February 21, 2023

We persuaded Tinubu to join presidential race -Osoba, Olusi, others

  Former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, Yoruba leaders and other political leaders in South West have narrated how they influenced the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, to contest for president of Nigeria. Meanwhile, Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, said nobody is above the king in Yorubaland as the kings in Yorubaland have endorsed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria in the February 25, poll.   Osoba, monarch and other political leaders in the region spoke at the Yoruba and South West leaders of Thought Summit at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos on Monday. According to Osoba, Tinubu joining presidential race was not his own making but making of prominent and progressive politicians from southwest who pressurised him (Tinubu) in 2007 to join race for president. The former Ogun governor said the idea of Tinubu should aspired for president of Nigeria was muted at a dinner organised for him after he ended his tenure as governor of Lagos State. According to him, many prominent and progressive politicians were at the dinner, held at popular hotel along Awolowo Road , Ikoyi to honour for him for his outstanding performance. Osoba said, “It was at the gathering in 2007, we all pressurised him to aspire for president and he agreed, since then, he had work tirelessly to justify the confidence we have in him.” He later moved the motion for the endorsement of Tinubu and seconded by the Former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Samson Oladokun. The submit which was attended by many prominent politicians, Yoruba leaders, elders, market and religious leaders from southwest, was also used to endorsed Tinubu as sole candidate for president. Former Ogun State Governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, chairman of the submit, Arh. Bishop Ayo Oladigbolu, Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, Speaker of House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, Ayangburen of Ikorodu, Oba Kabiru Sotobi, and others charged Yoruba to unite for Tinubu. They all pleaded that Nigerians whoever felt Tinubu offended him to forgive and forget, but mobilized for support Tinubu candidature in best interest of Nigeria. The host governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu also charged Nigerians to support Tinubu and vote for him massively . He said “Tinubu is the right man for job of President due to his track record, achievement and plan for Nigeria.” Sanwo-Olu stated; “The gathering is to remind the sons and daughters of Yorùbá land that the election of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a collective responsibility in the South-West given the disposition of the region to ensure the continued unity and existence of the country. “The leaders of thought summit is coming barely five days to the presidential election to forge a common front and reaffirm confidence in the capability of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to turn around the fortunes of the country. “The wealth of experience in public and private sectors stands Asiwaju Bola Ahmed out as the only viable alternative Nigeria needs as the next President.”

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

Nigerians’ll vote without money at pulling units, Saturday — INEC

  The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has stated that the 2023 elections would hold without bags of money at the polling units, adding that the same would be witnessed during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly polls. INEC also stated that it has concluded plans to conduct credible elections in Rivers State, urging all candidates and politicians to play by the rules of the game. The Head, of Voters Education, INEC Rivers State, Mark Osulo, spoke yesterday at a National Roundtable on the Roadmap to a Credible and Violence Free 2023 General Elections organised in Port Harcourt by Equity International Initiative, EII. Osulo assured that Saturday’s election would be free and fair, adding that the new monetary policy of the Federal Government has saved the process of vote buying. He said: “I assure you that the election is going to be free and fair. There will be no vote buying. It is going in tandem with our plans with stakeholders. “There will be no money to buy votes. We are going to experience an election without vote buying. There will be no money to buy votes.” However, the Country Director of EII, Dr Chris Iyala, stated that the 2023 election is crucial to the survival of the nation, noting that the people are holding the INEC to its promise of a free, fair and credible election. He said the roundtable is to identify what makes up a free and credible election and ensure that the nation experiences the same in elections to come. Iyala said: “This election is crucial. We are focusing on the credibility of the election. In 2019, we set election situation monitoring and we monitored election at 8000 units. “We are holding INEC by their word on the statement that they will conduct a free and fair election. For the first time, we have witnessed how elections should be conducted especially with the Osun election.”

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

Naira redesign mops up N1.8trn from currency outside banks

  The implementation of the Naira redesign and withdrawal of old banknotes by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has sucked in about N1.81 trillion from the Currency Outside Banks, CoB, while crashing Currency-in-Circulation to N1.4 trillion in January 2023. Though this development is in line with the policy plan of the apex bank, financial experts have, however, indicated that the development may lead to a further rise in inflation and contraction of the nation’s economy in the first quarter of the year, Q1’23. Meanwhile, the CBN said that the old N500 and N1,000 expired as legal tenders on February 10, urging Nigerians to redeem their stock of old notes at its offices. Speaking to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, a CBN source said: “In line with Sections 20(3) of the CBN act , the CBN is meant to ensure that those who have old notes but didn’t have the opportunity to deposit them into their banks before February 10, 2023, are able to redeem their stock of the old notes at the CBN for value. Anyone who wishes to do so, has only one / singular opportunity to do so at the CBN after the notes have lost their legal tender status on February 10, 2023. No person is allowed to redeem his/ her notes more than once. “This is what the CBN is trying to do. To redeem your old notes, you are meant to complete a form on CBN website where you get a CBN code to redeem your old notes. To reduce the crowd at the CBN, it mandated the banks to collect sums below N500,000. As far as CBN is concerned, the old N500 and N1,000 have since expired after February 10 and cannot be accepted as means of exchange for goods and services.” Meanwhile, the cash crunch across the country is expected to ease this week, as banks yesterday commenced issuance of N200 notes across the counter and through the ATMs. Vanguard survey showed that a lot of banks’ branches opened to the public yesterday collecting old N500, N1,000 as well as paying out N200 notes to customers who came for cash withdrawals. Vanguard investigations showed that the banks however imposed limits on the amount of N200 notes issued to their customers. Speaking to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, the branch manager of a first generation bank explained that the bank imposed a maximum limit of N5,000 for withdrawals across the counter and N10,000 for ATM withdrawal. Nigerians deposit N1.81trn Following the announcement of its decision to redesign and replace the N200, N500 and N1000 notes with new ones, the CBN initially gave Nigerians up to January 31st to deposit the old notes into their bank accounts. The deadline was later extended to February 10th. CBN Money and Credit data for January showed that Nigerians in response to the initial deadline deposited N1.81 trillion into the banking system in January. Consequently, Currency Outside Banks, CoB fell month-on-month (MoM) by 70 per cent to N788.9 billion in January 2023 from N2.6 trillion in December 2022. Also reflecting the impact of the initial deadline, currency-in-circulation (CIC) fell MoM by 54 per cent to N1.38 trillion in January 2023 from N3 trillion in December 2022 amidst the naira scarcity experienced in the country. PoS agents lament the situation But the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria, AMMBAN, lamented the impact of the sharp decline in CoB on its members, commonly referred to as PoS agents. AMMBAN President, Olojo Victor, said 90 per cent of PoS agents have closed shop as a result of the cash scarcity, worsened by low supply of the new naira notes. He said: “It is very disturbing. The PoS business is adversely affected. As I speak to you, 90 per cent of PoS agents in Nigeria today have either closed shops or don’t have cash to do business. “As a matter of fact, even our people have become targets of the protests. So we are going through a lot of issues. “We hope that there will be some form of remedy or solution to the current situation on the ground. But the reality is that our business is affected and many agents are right now jobless with no means at all of making ends meet. “The reality is the new notes are not available. The banks are not giving them out. There is an intense scarcity of cash. Nigerians are going through a very difficult time at the moment. “We hope that this problem will be resolved and settled at the earliest possible time. That is where we stand at the moment.”

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

Naira Redesign: APC Governors Provoking Anarchy, Says Atiku

  The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has accused governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of preparing the ground for anarchy through their utterances over the naira redesign policy. In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications Mr Phrank Shaibu, the PDP candidate sympathised with Nigerians over the hardship they face over the naira scarcity.   Shaibu, however, said the inciting comments by some APC governors wherein they threatened to shut banks rejecting the old notes had emboldened rioters to burn down commercial banks. He said Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, who had threatened to revoke the certificate of occupancy of banks rejecting the old notes, was acting like a dictator, and this had evoked rebellious actions.     Shaibu also knocked Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, accusing them of trying to provoke civil disobedience in their states. He said, “The APC and their governors do not love the masses. Their only grouse is their inability to buy votes because of this policy. Nigerians must not be deceived by these unscrupulous politicians.” In a reaction, the APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, asked Atiku Abubakar to forget the presidency, saying he will not gain any political advantage from the current naira swap crisis. Tinubu in a statement by the director, Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, said Atiku’s position on the naira swap policy shows he is “anti-people.” He said, “In line with his well-documented inconsistencies and unreliability, Atiku has advanced several contradictory positions, in the fruitless hope of gaining political advantage from the crisis. “Amid the widespread misery and the currency scarcity that the naira swap policy created for Nigerians, Atiku’s position proved once again an egregious miscalculation and clearly anti-people. “But with just five days away from the presidential election, Atiku wants to cash in on the mood of the country with his latest faux empathy.”

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

Elections: God is set to descend on Nigeria because enough is enough, says Umahi

L David Umahi, governor of Ebonyi, says he trusts in divine intervention regarding the victory of Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Speaking with reporters on Monday while inspecting the ongoing work at the site of the Ebonyi international airport in Onueke, Umahi said with the forthcoming polls, if it is God’s will, Tinubu will win the election. “I don’t know what God wants to do with him but he is set to answer the prayers of his people,” NAN quoted him as saying. “God is set to descend in His majesty on Nigeria because enough is enough.” The governor also dismissed speculations that internal crisis in the party will affect the APC’s chances in the general election. “In every big house, there are vessels of honour and dishonour and all of them work to the glory of God,” he said. “When there are no small squabbles, how do we tell the stories of our triumph? God has set His table before those who want to destroy us so that his glory will be magnified. “I watched the APC rally in Borno and have never seen such a crowd.” Umahi also said citizens should not be worried about the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC because God is for all religions. “We have a Christian-Christian ticket in Ebonyi and in other places you have Muslim-Christian, Christian-Muslim tickets, among others,” he said. “It is not the ticket that matters but the performance. The contention on the same-faith ticket was just a way to deceive the people.”

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

1.8bn Litres Of Fuel Available For Feb, March — NNPC

  The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited says it has put in place a “robust” plan for the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from mid-February to March. The company’s Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Deen Muhammad, in a statement on Monday, noted that the plan is part of its concerted efforts to sustain the supply of petroleum products nationwide. “Latest updates released on Monday show that NNPC Limited has a total of 1.805 billion litres of PMS stock, representing 805.35 million litres in all the land depots nationwide and 1,000.20 million litres on marine vessels, which is equivalent to 30.09 days sufficiency,” the statement reads in part. “An additional PMS supply of 884 Million Liters is also expected into the country by 28th February, 2023. “For March 2023, a total of 2.3 billion litres of PMS is expected into the country, while about 2.5billion litres, which is equivalent to 42 days sufficiency, will be the closing stock for the month under review.” NNPC assured motorists that it has adequate and sufficient volumes on all land depots as well as marine vessels. The company added that, as the provider of energy security for the country, it would continue to sustain availability of petroleum products across the country. Apologies And Resolutions Earlier this month, the Group CEO, NNPCL, Mele Kyari, apologised to Nigerians for the months of pains caused by the persistent nationwide fuel scarcity, assuring the public that the “glitch” would be resolved. Asked to specify when Nigerians will begin to see a turnaround, Kyari expressed a strong belief that the relief will be be felt “within the next one week.” “I’m not saying that you’re going to have zero queues within the next one week,” he added. “No, I can’t guarantee that because a number of things are out of our control.” The NNPC boss explained that market forces will determine how quickly the situation is resolved, but in his view, the country is going to see substantial and relative ease in the next one week compared to the situation at present.

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

Election: 100 clerics declare support for Tinubu in Rivers

  Over 100 clerics and prophets in Rivers State have declared support for the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate, Kashim Shettima. The religious leaders under the aegis of Rivers Pastors Unite for Tinubu said this after a meeting in Port Harcourt on Monday. They said the APC presidential candidate for the 2023 election was the only person with the capacity to solve the myriad of challenges plaguing the country. The Coordinator of RPUT, Pastor Sunday Edimeh, who read their resolution said none of the candidates had supported the Christian community as much as Tinubu. Edimeh, who is also the Founder, One Life Bible Church based in Port Harcourt, however, clarified that their position applied only to the presidential election and had nothing to do with the governorship and other elections in Rivers State. Other clerics, who attended the meeting were Pastor Julius Dan of the Apostolic Church Nigeria; Apostle Stephen Ngajaekwu, Christ King of Glory; Pastor John Monday, QWA Iboe Church among others. Quoting from the scriptures, Edimeh urged the Christians to stand for the truth and reciprocate Tinubu’s good deeds to the Christian community by mobilising votes for him across the country. He stated, “None of the leading Presidential candidates has supported the Christian community as much as Bola Tinubu. “He has sown only good seeds on the soil of the Christian community and such should never be dismissed. “We call on fellow clergymen and women to stand with the truth at this time. We are aware that a Presidential candidate is playing up the Christian agenda but the pertinent question is before now, how has he uplifted the Christian community? “The choice of a running mate does not in any way, pose a threat to the Christian community.” Continuing, Edimeh said, “Hence let us dissociate from the cold-hearted proclivities of political transition, which seek to orchestrate needless divisions based on religious grounds. “Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has not presented any conduct to suggest his non-tolerance for the religious sentiments of all Nigerians.” He further Tinubu had routinely demonstrated competence, grit and tenacity, which had earned him a reputation as a leader of leaders, whose influence and competence had been tested and trusted through the times. He said, “Bola Tinubu is indeed a kingmaker, who has nurtured numerous political proteges regardless of their religious and ethnic inclinations, as a matter of fact.”

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

2023 UTME: 15 detained as JAMB registers 1.6m candidates

  FIFTEEN persons have been arrested in connection with various forms of irregularities in the 2023 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, which revealed this yesterday, also said 1.6 million candidates registered to sit for its 2023 UTME. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, who disclosed this at the end of a joint monitoring exercise with the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr David Adejo, in Abuja, said the 15 persons were discovered to be defrauding the process, adding that the culprits had been apprehended and were detained.   He also disclosed that registration for direct entry candidates commenced yesterday, saying “so far, we have registered about 1.6 million candidates because we do not expect more than that, and that is because the direct entry starts today. “We have the challenge of the normal people who want to defraud the process as we have been monitoring what has been happening. We are ahead of them even when they think they are clever.” Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary said there was need to extend the registration to give others faced with the challenge of naira redesign opportunity to register. “This is especially because registration process is dependent on bank operations and we’ve not had the top level of bank operations in the last two to three weeks for understandable reasons,” Adejo said. According to him, before the extension of registration for one week, JAMB had registered about 98 per cent candidates.

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

BREAKING: One killed as gunmen set ablaze houses of Imo commissioner, others

  Gunmen in the early hours of Tuesday burnt the country home of the Imo State commissioner for youths and sports, Emeka Okoronkwo. The incident happened at Amagu Ihube community in the Okigwe Local Government Area of the state. According to sources, the gunmen also burnt the country home of a former Dean of the law faculty of the Imo State University, Owerri, Nnamdi Obiaraeri, who served as Commissioner for information, youth and sports and land and urban planning, respectively during the administrations of former governors of the state, Ikedi Ohakim and Rochas Okorocha. It was gathered that the country home of a retired Director of Department of Security Service, Emeka Ngwu, was also burnt. An old woman who was in Ngwu’s house was caught in the fire and she died, our correspondent gathered. Two houses belonging to two other prominent sons of the area who our correspondent had yet ascertained by our correspondent was also burnt. The state commissioner for youths and sports, Emeka Okoronkwo, confirmed the burning of his house when our correspondent contacted him. The spokesperson for the police in the state, Henry Okoye, confirmed the attack and told our correspondent that investigation had began with the view of arresting the fleeing suspects.

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Post Date : February 21, 2023

DAILIES TOP STORIES: Wike, Ikpeazu Will Support Tinubu In Presidential Election, Says Orji Kalu

  Tuesday 21 February 2023 Nigerians’ll vote without money at pulling units, Saturday — INEC Naira redesign mops up N1.8trn from currency outside banks My political ambition not worth blood of any Nigerian, Atiku tells Rivers’ stakeholders Party Agents: PDP leads with 176,588, APC 176,233, NNPP 176,200, LP 134,874 Gas explosion rocks Effurun, near Warri We persuaded Tinubu to join presidential race -Osoba, Olusi, others There won’t be an untouchable under Tinubu’s govt, APC group assures 2023 UTME: 15 detained as JAMB registers 1.6m candidates PSC withdraws Naja’atu Muhammad from election duties after APC opposition Four days to polls: Naira chaos grounds economy How I stopped Obasanjo’s third-term bid in National Assembly — Atiku Kidnappers after US citizens in Nigeria – Embassy Fani-Kayode hospitalised after DSS grilling, says lawyer Election: 100 clerics declare support for Tinubu in Rivers Police Arrest 30 Suspects In Ogun Over Fuel, Naira Scarcity Riots New 6.4-Magnitude Quake Hits Southern Turkey I’m Ready To Sacrifice My Senatorial Ambition For Peter Obi To Win – Ortom Commonwealth Observers Visit INEC, Hopeful Of Credible Elections ADC Adopts Peter Obi For President Victim Testifies As Ekweremadu’s Organ Harvesting Trial Continues Court Stops INEC From Using MC Oluomo For Electoral Items Distribution Falana Demands Details Of New Naira Notes Disbursed To Banks Alleged Forgery: Supreme Court Fixes March 24 For Ruling In APGA Chairman Njoku’s Suit We Have 1.8bn Litres Of Fuel For Feb, March, Says NNPC Gunmen Attack Police Facility In Anambra, Kill Four Officers Alleged N3b Fraud: Court Grants Bail To Gov. Bello’s Nephew, Three Others Atiku Has All It Takes To Deliver Nigeria, Calm Tensions – Chidoka Rivers Traditional Council Pledges Support For Wike’s Preferred Candidates Wike to Atiku: You can’t demarket Rivers as unsafe and expect our votes Eight students travelling home for election die in Ebonyi car crash ‘He is most prepared’ — south-west leaders declare support for Tinubu Naira Redesign: APC Governors Provoking Anarchy, Says Atiku Polls: FCTA Directs Schools To Proceed On Break Man Charged With Threat To Kill Dad DSS Steps Up Investigation Of Emefiele Visit a newspaper stand this morning, buy and read a copy for yourself…

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