Tinubu Towers Above Other Presidential Candidates- Akeredolu

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has called on the people to troop-out enmass on Saturday to vote for the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The Governor also enjoined the people to vote for all Senatorial and House of Representatives candidates of the APC in the election.

The Ondo State Governor explained that the choice of Tinubu can not be faulted judging from the political workings of the country.

He spoke during a meeting with stakeholders in Owo.

The Governor highlighted the benefits of electing Tinubu as the next President of the country, describing him as trusted and tested leader.

He said his insistence on Southern Presidency was for fairness and Equality, adding that since a Northerner has spent eight years in the saddle, it is the turn of the South.

According to the Governor, Tinubu is the most competent with track record among those contesting for the presidency in the South.

He explained that the country was built on a tripod, noting that the gentleman agreement on rotational presidency should be honoured.

2003 ELECTION:2.7 MILLION ELIGIBLE VOTERS TO PARTICIPATE IN BENUE ELECTION

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC says it is not prepared for electronic mode of voting even though the law now allows for it, but will only accredit voters electronically during the forthcoming general elections.

Benue Resident Electoral Commissioner Sam Egwu made this known at a stakeholders meeting in Makurdi, He further explained that the bimodal verification and accreditation machine is not a voting machine.

Sam Egwu confirmed that a total of 2.7 million voters in the state are expected to participate in the exercise.

It is just a few days to the general election, critical stakeholders comprising traditional and religious leaders, CSOs, party candidates, and their leaders as well as opinion leaders have converge here in Makurdi, at the instance of the independent national electoral commission.

The Resident electoral commissioner sets the tone for deliberations by revealing statistics of registered voters, and also disclosed the number of polling units without registered voters.

He also talked about what is expected from the political actors and voters during the exercise.

The Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom commended the the engagement between INEC and relevant stakeholders in the political space, and pledged his commitment to ensure a peaceful process.

Again Governor Ortom used the platform to speak on the scarcity of the redesigned naira notes insisting that it is the worst policy of the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration.

According to the electoral umpire 10 polling units in five local government areas of the state are without registered voters, but so far, the Commission says it is ready to conduct a credible, free, fair and transparent election.

IGP Assures of Police Readiness to Provide Full Security Coverage

As part of his quest to ensure that officers of the Nigeria Police Force are adequately prepared to effectively police the 2023 General Elections, particularly officers responsible for strategic operational deployments and active field duties across the states of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, CFR, has directed the convergence of all Heads of Operations in State and Zonal Commands at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Monday 20th February, 2023 at 9am, for a one-day training seminar on practical approaches to curbing electoral violence within the election process.

The seminar to be declared open by the IGP on Monday, will have in attendance Deputy Commissioners of Police in charge of Operations at all Zonal and State Commands of the Nigeria Police Force, participants from the operations department of the military, and other security agencies involved in election security management, members of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the Media, Youth representatives and the diplomatic community, with the theme “The Role of the Nigeria Police Force in Curbing Election Violence in Nigeria as it Affects the Upcoming 2023 General Elections”.

Professor Sunday Ochoche, fwc, of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) will serve as a keynote speaker alongside AIG Wilson Inalegwu (Rtd) and CP Lawrence Alobi (Rtd.) at the Seminar organized by the NPF in conjunction with Central Soft Support Services.

The Inspector-General of Police has assured that the Nigeria Police Force will collaborate with relevant stakeholders to ensure preparedness to deliver on its mandate of providing full security coverage before, during, and after the 2023 General Elections.