TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, SATURDAY 

TOP 10 NEWS MAKING THE ROUNDS IN NIGERIA TODAY, SATURDAY 

2023 Election: Nigerians Shouldn’t Be Victimized Over Their Preferred Candidate!

There is a reason why the freedom of thought and conscience is domiciled in the constitution of every civilized nation of the world. It is from this inalienable right of citizens that the freedom to vote and be voted for is derived. The fundamental right is meant to be so sacred in Nigeria that the very act of balloting is shrouded in secrecy so that the voter is protected from persecution based on how he voted. Regrettably, this civilized manner of electing those in political leadership has come under threat by persons with antediluvian and Machiavellian proclivities all because they see themselves as host. A few days to the general election, disturbing rhetoric and acts that strike at the very heart of democracy are beginning to emerge.

Over the last weekend, a voice recording trended online where a supposed traditional ruler gathered residents of Gbara in Eti-Osa LGA of Lagos State to say the following: “For you to continue doing business here, we must see who you are voting for. We must see it. When you are voting, snap the party you voted for. It is secret ballot. When you vote, snap to show the party you voted for. If we did not see APC there, you are in trouble o. This is not a threat. We are telling you the fact. Wherever you are doing your business and you are able to feed your family and send your children to school, whatever they do in that place, you have to do it. If you want to continue doing your business here and do it peacefully, do what we have asked you to do. Before, we used to beg but we are not begging this time around.”

This cannot be happening in a democracy or be said in a city as cosmopolitan as Lagos. But then there is an antecedent. It would be recalled that in the buildup to the 2015 governorship election, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, demanded that Igbo residents in the state must cast their votes for then APC governorship candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, or “perish inside the lagoon”. The Oba made this threat when Eze Ndigbos (Igbo traditional rulers) of all the local governments in Lagos paid him a courtesy visit at his palace. Following widespread condemnations that followed this threat, the palace issued a statement in an attempt to walk back what was said. Apparently, reason prevailed as they realized that such was unheard of and unbecoming of the traditional institution. If it was that bad then, the current contentious audio is worse.

Naira Scarcity: The Order Is Not From Us – CBN Gives Fresh Update On N1000 And N500 Notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has said that report claiming that it directed commercial banks to collect old N500 and N1,000 notes is false.

The Director, Corporate Communication of the CBN, Osita Nwanisobi stated this while responding to media reports that the apex bank had ordered the commercial banks to collect the old N500 and N1,000 which as per the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari are no longer legal tender.

He stated that the CBN would only re-issue and recirculate the old 200 naira notes which would phase out on April 10.

He warned members of the public to disregard the information while also imploring media practitioners to verify information from sources before publishing news articles.

He said: “The attention of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been drawn to some fake and unauthorised messages, quoting the CBN as having authorised the Deposit Money Banks to collect the old N500 and N1,000 banknotes.

“For the avoidance of doubt, and in line with Mr. President’s broadcast of February 16, the CBN has been directed to ONLY re-issue and recirculate the old N200 banknotes and this is expected to circulate as legal tender for 60 days up to April 10.

“Members of the public should, therefore, disregard any message and/or information not formally released by the Central Bank of Nigeria on this subject.”

Peter Obi vs Tinubu: Presidential Candidate Wike, Ortom, Mimiko, Fayose, Other Top PDP Leaders Are Backing Revealed

With barely eight days to the general election, the five aggrieved governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), known as G-5, and members of the Integrity Group have started pitching their tents with their preferred presidential candidate.

The G5 governors – Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) have been calling for the removal of Senator Iyorchia Ayu, as the national chairman of the party, as part of demands to back PDP’s Atiku Abubakar.

The G-5 and the PDP Integrity Group had said Ayu should resign his appointment since former Vice President Atiku emerged as the PDP presidential candidate, arguing that two key posts cannot come from the North.

While Wike, who had promised to name his preferred presidential candidate, has yet to make any such public announcement, it is becoming more apparent how and where the G-5 and other party leaders, who would instead back a southern president, stand as the election inches closer.

According to ThisDay, Wike appears to be leaning towards the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu as his candidate, even though he has not publicly announced this.

Wike is not alone in the support drive for Tinubu, a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has also elected to back the former Lagos State governor.

Femi Adesina Reveals Obasanjo’s Stand On New Naira Policy, What He Told Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the naira redesign policy recently introduced by his administration.

This was made known in a statement by the special adviser to President Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina.

According to him, Obasanjo gave the thumbs up on the policy during the council of state meeting held in the state house, Abuja, on February 10.

He quoted Obasanjo to have described the policy as a good one which would bring sanity to elections in Nigeria, as well as reduce kidnapping and corruption.

The former President was also said to have predicted that there will be resistance to the change which is normal but called for a good implementation of the policy.

“Change was necessary from time to time, and resistance to change is normal,” Obasanjo was quoted to have said.

The former president added that the policy would bring a “little bit of sanity into our elections and have a salutary effect on kidnapping and ransom taking, and corruption will be substantially reduced”.

CBN Gives Banks New Directive On Old 500, 1000 Naira Notes

The Central Bank of Nigeria has reportedly ordered banks across the country to start collecting the old N500 and N1,000 notes from members of the public who want to deposit them with immediate effect.

The CBN, however, maintained that the old currencies were still no more legal tender, adding that the maximum amount the banks can collect from individuals is N500,000.

READ ALSO: Daily Dollar to Naira Exchange Rate Tracker 17th February 2023

Those with higher amounts would still have to visit the CBN to deposit their old notes.

A source from the apex bank quoted by Punch said the CBN ordered the banks to collect the monies instead of going to the CBN office following difficulties encountered in getting access to the bank.

A CBN official said, “Go to your bank but fill the form before you go. Go with your reference code you generate. With your code, banks will collect it from you. But if it is more than 500,000, you will go to the CBN and deposit it.”

CBN Governor, Emefiele Reveals Agenda Of Naira Policy

The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele has revealed the agenda of the apex bank with the naira policy.

Emefiele on Thursday said the policy was put in place to solve the issue of corruption, illicit financial flow, economy, and insecurity.

Reiterating his stance on the swapping of the old N1,000, N500, and N200 notes whose deadline ended on the 10th of February, 2023, Emefiele said it will be well, despite the challenges in the country.

Emefiele stated this on Thursday during a chat with Channels Television.

He said, “We are all servants serving Nigeria. As I’m concerned, the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation (Malami) has spoken on this matter (cash crunch) and the president (Muhammadu Buhari) sealed the whole of the issues this morning (Thursday) in his broadcast.

“I can only appeal to Nigerians. Let’s allow this policy to work. This policy is one that goes to solve the problem of corruption and illicit financial flow. The policy goes to solve some of the problems in the economy. This policy also goes to reduce insecurity in the country.”

Presidency Reacts To Alleged Plot Of An Interim Gov, Insist Elections Would Hold

The Presidency has reacted to reports of an allegation that a cabal around President Muhammadu Buhari was plotting the failure of the 2023 general elections.

The alleged plot was dismissed in a statement on Friday issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, Naija News learnt.

The presidency said President Buhari will not be associated with anything contrary to sustaining democracy, even as it insists that the 2023 general election would hold as scheduled.

The reaction follows an allegation made by the Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufa, who claimed in an interview with an online news platform that a cabal around President Buhari was plotting the failure of the general elections.

Nasir El-Rufa alleged that those he described as non-state actors were hoping to make the system fail, and they are those who failed to pick the ruling All Progressives Congress’ presidential ticket for Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Godwin Emefiele and Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

The presidency has however called such claims of an interim government a joke that should be stopped.

Ex-Aide Sues Aisha Buhari For N100m Over Illegal Detention

A former Special Assistant to the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, Zainab Kassim has filed a suit for the enforcement of her fundamental human rights against her.

Kassim is demanding N100m as damages from the first lady and other respondents.

The other respondents in the case are the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services.

Kassim had claimed that some DSS officers acting on the orders of Aisha Buhari, allegedly abducted her and took her to the Presidential Villa where she was assaulted, dehumanised, and abused by the First Lady with the support of officers of the DSS and police for deleting her posts on social media.

In the suit with the number: FHC/ABJ/05/2021 obtained by our correspondent on Friday, she is asking the court to declare her arrest and detention as unlawful.

APC Releases Timetable For Imo, Kogi, Bayelsa Governorship Primaries

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has released its timetable for the governorship primaries in Imo, Kogi, and Bayelsa States.

In a notice released on Friday, the APC’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, said the sale of delegate forms for a Special Congress in Kogi state would be sold between January 30 and February 1, 2023.

Argungu said February 2, 2023, has been fixed for the last day for the submission of completed delegate forms, and February 7, 2023, was set aside as the day to elect ward delegates.

According to Argungun, February 8, 2023, would be the day to hear appeals from Congress, while the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms would be sold to governorship aspirants between February 15 and 22, 2023.

He also revealed that aspirants were to submit their completed forms and accompanying documents to the party’s national secretariat in Abuja on Wednesday 22, 2023.

2023: APM Adopts Atiku As Presidential Candidate

The Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) has adopted the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, as its flagbearer for the February 25 election.

In a statement issued on Friday, the National Chairman of APM, Yusuf Dantalle, said the party has also chosen Ifeanyi Okowa as his Vice Presidential candidate.

Dantalle said the decision to adopt Atiku was reached during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday morning.

According to the APM chairman, the resolution to adopt the former Vice President was in the national interest after evaluating his democratic credentials.

He added that the Atiku-Okowa ticket is the best and the only presidential ticket to rescue the nation that has been drifting to anarchy under the All Progressives Congress (APC).