Nigerians

The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and PDP national chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, have urged the military and other security agencies to disobey the presidential order asking them to deal ruthlessly with would-be ballot box snatchers.

A renowned historian and social political activist, Mr Edward Nikagbatse-Oki, has described President Muhammadu Buhari as the candidate of the masses, urging voters not to be deceived by the campaign gimmicks of some self seeking leaders.

The Nigerian government Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari’s threat to ballot papers snatchers should be “seen as a strong message against the long history of savagery associated with elections in the country.”

Nigeria's top opposition candidate urged the military not to be involved in the upcoming presidential election, saying the army "has no role to play in the conduct" of the poll.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council Directorate of Contact and Mobilisation has charged Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and Election Observers to ensure effective monitoring of the electoral process ahead of the rescheduled elections.

The Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) has been granted accreditation by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the 2019 Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections.

The Presidency on Tuesday said the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is jittery over the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to security agencies to deal ruthlessly with anybody that attempts to snatch ballot box during the rescheduled elections.

The number of Fulani killed during recent crisis that broke out in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State was more than 66, the Secretary-General of Gan Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria (GAFDAN), Dr. Ibrahim Abdullahi has said.

The APC Presidential Campaign Council has said that only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can say whether the rescheduled Presidential election will go ahead as scheduled, saying the APC were ready for the election.

Ahead of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the re-configuration of 5,823 Smart Card Readers (SCR) in Delta State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Barrister Kassim Gaidam, has refuted a news report that he rejected offer of bribe to the tune of $1m and a house in Dubai from the presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

A coalition of civil society groups in Rivers State has called on the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission not to consider staggering the rescheduled elections.

A civil rights organisation, Transition Monitoring Group, expressed fears over the conduct of political parties towards officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, with a demand that they should “desist from heating up the polity ahead of the elections rescheduled for February 23, 2019.”

Ambassador Olufemi Abikoye, Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, said during a meeting with the Comptroller-General of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS) Kwame Asuah Takyi, in Accra, that 723 Nigerians have been deported from January 2018 to date.

Adams Oshiomhole is a terrible electoral umpire and has no moral pedigree to call for the resignation of the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a minister has said.

No fewer than 35,000 Nigerians have fled to Cameroon to become refugees in recent weeks following the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, Médecins Sans Frontières has claimed.

Ordinarily, the postponement by a week of Nigeria’s 2019 general election should not have generated as much outrage as it has done, but the protest that the postponement has attracted is positive proof of the fact that the Nigerian electorate do not trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A clergyman, Rev.-Fr. Emmanuel Obimma, the Spiritual Director of Holy Ghost Adoration Ministry, Uke in Anambra, has predicted a brighter future for Nigeria, ahead of the general elections.