INEC to deploy 4,104 BVAS for Adamawa’s 2,196,566 voters

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will deploy 4,104 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for use in the same number of polling units for the conduct of the coming elections for which 2,196,566 residents have been registered as voters in Adamawa State.

The INEC Resident Electoral

Commissioner (REC) in the state, Barr Hudu Yunusa said during a press briefing in Yola on Monday that INEC is ready for the tasks ahead.

“The commission in the state is poised to conduct a successful election not only for the presidential election but also in all the 37 constituencies in the state,” Yunusa said.

Aside from the presidential and governorship polls,

Adamawa voters will also cast their votes for three Senate, eight House of Representatives, and 25 state House of Assembly polls.

Yunusa explained that INEC had taken delivery of 4,104 BVAS for the 4,104 polling units and is expecting 275 extra as backup.

INEC in Adamawa, he said, had received some non-sensitive materials which include ballot boxes, election bags, voting cubicles, apron vests, and staff identity cards for the elections, among other relevant items.

“Sensitive materials for the February 25 presidential election, including result sheets for presidential, senatorial and House of Representatives elections, have been delivered to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch in Yola,” he added.

APC diaspora campaign Director, Omole says one million members to vote Tinubu

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Director, Directorate of Diaspora Affairs of All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Ade Omole yesterday said about one million Nigerians living abroad have indicated interest to return to vote APC presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Speaking to journàlists at the APC National Secretariat, Omole, flanked by other members of his group, said the next Saturday election has been won and lost, adding that the APC candidate has an upper hand over other aspirants.

He also dismissed the possibility of a runoff in the election, saying that before 6pm on the election day, it will be done and dusted, with Tinubu emerging winner with a very wide margin.

“I strongly believe that by 6pm on Saturday, the 25th of February, we will be celebrating the election. Remember we can actually view the result in real time online, Yes! INEC may still take their time because they have to do the collation obviously officially, but I strongly believe that this election would be done and dusted by 6pm”, according to him.

While pointing out that his conviction was based on the feedback he observed from the people in Jos, Kano, Minna, Borno, among others, who trooped out in mass to welcome Tinubu during the campaign in their respective States.

“Why do I say that? Like I mentioned earlier on, you need to see the feedback from the people. We were at the flag off in Jost, I was in Kano, I was in Minna, I was in Borno, you need to see the response from Nigerians. They just can’t wait. I don’t see any runoff in this election and I believe that by 6pm, we will be done and dusted.

“Obviously, our principal is head and shoulder above any other person out there and Nigerians have actually responded well and I’m sure that they will come out en masse to vote for him.

“Not all the all 1.6 millions

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Nigerians in diaspora with PVCs would surely come in, but at least some of them are here and they are all voting for our principal, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“Probably on Monday, we would be back here and I am going to refer to this day that I said that we will be done by 6p.m”, he said.

Sen. Smart Adeyemi joins Kogi guber race, picks N50m nomination forms

By Christiana Ekpa

The senator representing Kogi West, Smart Adeyemi has joined the race to take over from Governor Yahaya Bello, as he stormed the All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat yesterday, accompanied by his supporters to pick the governorship nomination and expression of interest forms. While upbeat to defeat other aspirants, senator Adeyemi said he remains the best among all the contestants, adding that for fairness and equity, Kogi West should be allowed to produce the next governor of Kogi since the two other zones have occupied the position at different times.

According to him, of all the aspirants that had obtained expression of interest form of the APC for the governorship position, he is the most qualified in terms of exposure and wherewithal to turn things around for better Kogi State as far as good governance and genuine development are concerned.

He said “I joined the Kogi Guber race today with procurement of expression of interest form from our great party, APC.

“Some other aspirants have also collected the form but I am the aspirant to beat as far as required supports and goodwill across the state are concerned.

“I am the aspirant representing the Kogi people in the race while others are not and on the basis of this incontrovertible fact, I challenged other aspirants to public debate where they should tell Kogites and by extension Nigerians , what they have done for people of Kogi State in the past and what they want to do now.

“As for me, the proof of such is all of the various communities across the three senatorial districts in the State like road construction , sinking of boreholes , provision of Hospital beds and other health care delivery facilities across the three senatorial zones etc.

“My vision for Kogi State is total development - driven transformation being a State enormously endowed with solid minerals.

“People of Kogi State have no business with backwardness and poverty if the naturally endowed resources are well harnessed.

“Kogi State alone has 32 out of the 37 mineral resources in the country which are going to be galvanized for wealth creation and development in the state if elected as governor”.

He added that the various political stakeholders in the State , should for the purpose of equity , fairness and justice , cede the governorship position to Kogi West this time around since Kogi East and Central have produced governors.

I know nothing about Sagamu protests – PDP candidate Bola Oluwole

By Musa Baba Adamu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate in Remo, Ogun State, Bola Oluwole, has denied claims that he sponsored the violent protest that rocked Sagamu over cash scarcity on Monday.

It was reported that an aide of Governor Dapo Abiodun, Emmanuel Ojo, had accused the PDP candidate of sponsoring violent protests in Sagamu over the scarcity of new naira notes.

Reacting, Oluwole said the accusation was aimed at tarnishing his reputation ahead of Saturday’s elections.

He said “My attention has been drawn to a broadcast message circulating around that I masterminded the violent protest in Sagamu Remo. This action is the handiwork of opposition in the ruling party, APC, who were hellbent on destroying and smearing my image. They are afraid of my growing popularity as we approach the 2023 general elections on Saturday.”

The PDP member stated that he was not in any way connected to the protest, saying Nigerians are only angry over the nation’s economic hardship and their inability to access their money and the lingering fuel scarcity.

Oluwole stated further “As of yesterday evening, our presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, met with all National Assembly candidates to strategise for the election; so where will I have the chance to mobilise for the violent protest?”

He condemned the attacks on commercial banks in Sagamu and appealed to youths to shun violent activities and be patient.

Addressing the accusation levelled against him by members of APC, he said: “I want to urge the general public and the people of my constituency to disregard the message and go about their daily activities in peace.”