Author: Amina Ibrahim

THE Federal High Court, Abuja on Thursday, ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to allow the use of Temporary Voter Cards, (TVC) in the March 18 governorship and state houses of assembly elections. Justice Obiora Egwuatu made the order while delivering judgment in a suit filed by two aggrieved Nigerians seeking the use of TVCs in the general elections in the absence of Permanent Voter Cards, (PVCs). Justice Egwuatu said that the order was made on the grounds that the plaintiffs were duly registered and captured in INEC’s database. “An order is made compelling the defendant (INEC) to allow…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed the governorship and state house of assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 11. In a statement on Wednesday night, INEC National Commissioner for Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said the elections will hold on Saturday, March 18. News Point Nigeria had earlier reported that,INEC has concluded arrangement to postpone the governorship and state house of assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 11. The polls have now been rescheduled by one week to March 18, 2023, credible sources in the commission told this newspaper. See below INEC press statement:

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded arrangement to postpone the governorship and state house of assembly elections scheduled for Saturday, March 11, News Point Nigeria gathered. The polls have now been rescheduled by one week to March 18, 2023, credible sources in the commission told this newspaper. It was learnt that the postponement was due to the inability of the commission to commence the re-configuration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used for the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections, to enable their use for the state elections. Authoritative sources said that the commission management…

THE Court of Appeal in Abuja has approved the application by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the February 25 presidential election. A three-member panel of justices led by Justice Joseph Ikyegh ruled on Wednesday that the reconfiguration was to enable the commission conduct the March 11 governorship and state assembly elections. The panel was delivering ruling in an application by the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, seeking access to inspect and certify sensitive materials used for the conduct of the election. The panel, however, refused the application…

THE United Kingdom Government has appointed Richard Montgomery as the new British High Commissioner to Nigeria. The UK government announced his appointment in a statement on Tuesday. Montgomery succeeds Catriona Laing who has been the UK’s representative in Nigeria since November 2018. According to the statement, Laing will be transferred to another diplomatic service appointment. The High Commissioner is the UK government’s representative in a commonwealth nation. They are in charge of the direction and work of the consulate, including political relations, trade and investment, press and cultural relations, and visa and consular services. Montgomery’s past experiences includes Counsellor (development)…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday issued Certificates of Return to winners of the February 25, 2023 House of Representatives election in Nigeria. The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, presented the certificates to the members-elect at the National Collation Centre in Abuja. Yakubu had on Saturday said winners were declared for 423 legislative seats, indicating that supplementary elections would be conducted in 46 other constituencies. He said in the House of Representatives, 325 out of 360 seats have been won by eight political parties. In terms of party representation, the INEC boss said African Democratic Party, won two; APC, 162;…

THE Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has slated Wednesday to consider the merit of the application the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, filed to be allowed to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, it used for the just concluded presidential election. A three-member panel of the appellate court adjourned to rule on the application, on a day the Labour Party, LP, and its candidate, Mr Peter Obi, filed a fresh application to be allowed to conduct a physical inspection of all the BVAS that was used for the presidential poll. Obi and LP, through their team of lawyers…

THE Presidential Election Petition Court (PEPC) has listed some motions for hearing this afternoon. One of such motion is the one filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking to vary the orders granted to the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi to inspect materials used for last presidential election. Also listed for hearing today include the motions filed on March 6 by the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) for an order to inspect materials used for the last presidential election. Further listed…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday issued Certificates of Return to winners of the February 25, 2023 Senatorial elections in Nigeria The Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu made the presentation at the National Collation Centre (the International Conference Centre) in Abuja. Yakubu had on Saturday said winners were declared for 423 legislative seats, indicating that supplementary elections would be conducted in 46 other constituencies. The elected legislators include 98 out of 109 Senate, and 325 out of 360 House of Representatives seats. Seven parties won in the Senate, while eight parties won House of Representatives seats. House of…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission has released the full list of members-elect of the 10th House of Representatives. The National Assembly elections were held last Saturday, February 25, 2023, alongside the presidential election. A new set of members, however, with returning familiar faces, will sit in the legislative arm of government making up the Red and Green chambers Among the new faces in the House of Reps are 34 members of the Labour Party, who defeated rivals from the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition Peoples Democratic Party to clinch a seat for themselves and their party in the National…

THE name majority leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa has been omitted from the list of election winners by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC). News Point Nigeria reports that, Doguwa was  proclaimed the winner of the Doguwa/Tudunwada constituency election on February 25 by the electoral body. The returning officer, Professor Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai had earlier announced that Doguwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 39,732 votes to defeat his closest rival, Yushau Salisu Abdullahi of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) who polled 34,798 votes. But in the newly released list of members-elect, Doguwa’s name…

THE U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, says it will be important for the future of the country that Nigerians do not let their differences divide them. According to her, legally established process for resolving challenges to the election should be allowed to take its course In an Op-ED titled: “The Elections of February 25”, Leonard said that the people of Nigeria demonstrated their dedication to democracy on Feb. 25. However, that there were many angry and frustrated Nigerians just as there were many celebrating victories they believed were hard-fought and well-earned. “In the coming days, it will be…

THE Federal Government has raised concern over the impact of funding and insecurity on the 2023 population census scheduled to hold between March 29 and April 2. The Minister of State for Budget and Planning, Clem Agba, made this known on Monday during a meeting with members of the private sector and development partners in Abuja. According to Channels Television, one of the objectives of the meeting was how to source for funds for the exercise, and the minister noted that over 60 per cent of funds needed for the census had been released. Adding that funding intervention from development…

FOLLOWING the Supreme Court judgment, which extends the validity of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) currency redesign policy to December, some deposit money banks have started paying out the old note, News Point Nigeria gathered. Checks by this newspaper showed that some commercial banks in the City of Kano and Abuja have commenced paying out the old N500 and N1000 notes. While some branches of Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB) issued out old notes, some others like Polaris bank in Abuja had not commenced as of the time this report was filed. A member of staff confided in our reporter…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is asking the Presidential Election Petition Court to vary the orders which was earlier granted the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP)’s Peter Obi to inspect materials used for last presidential election. In a motion on notice filed on March 4, the electoral body is praying the court to vary the order which restrained it from tampering with materials used for the election. The commission said it needed to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the next round of elections. The Court of Appeal Abuja…

THE Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) says it remains committed to its developmental mandate of stimulating access to finance for the real sector, disclosing that total repayments as of the end of February 2023 under the Anchor Borrowers’ Programme (ABP) stood at N0.503 trillion, representing 52.39 per cent, adding that the balance of N0.119 trillion was not due for repayment. The Acting Director, Corporate Communications Department, Dr. AbdulMumin Isa, disclosed this in Abuja over the weekend while exchanging views with journalists on the performance of the ABP, revealing that the Bank had released the sum of N1.079 trillion, as of…

THE Situation Room of the All Progressive Congress governorship candidate, Umar Bago, was raided by the Niger State Police Command in Minna on Sunday, News Point Nigeria gathered. According to the Director of digital and strategic communications of the Bago campaign organisation, Abdulberqy Ebbo, who spoke to our correspondent after a post on Facebook, said the police came into the building and ransacked the situation room saying they were acting on a tip off from some people. He said the Divisional Police Officer who led the search said he was reliably informed that officials of the Independent Electoral Commission were…

PRESIDENT Abdel Fattah El-Sisi of Egypt has assured President-Elect Bola Tinubu of continuous support in its relations with Nigeria, the News Agency of Nigeria reports. A statement from the Egyptian Presidency of Sunday disclosed that El-Sisi was speaking on the occasion of the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections. “His Excellency Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, extends his sincere congratulations to the people and the Government of Nigeria on the conclusion of the Presidential and Parliamentary elections, which represented a critical step towards the consolidation of democracy in sisterly Nigeria.’’ El-Sisi said…

EIGHT days after Nigeria held its presidential poll, the United States, has said that the exercise failed to meet the expectations of Nigerians. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the election after polling 8,794,726, almost two million votes more than his closest rival — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Abubakar, 76, who has now run for president six times, got 6,984,520 votes, while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission has so far uploaded 161,624 results from 176, 846 polling units, eight days after the presidential poll. The figure represents 92 per cent of results from all the polling units. As of the time of filing this report, the electronic transmission of results was still ongoing. Nigerians expected that the election results would be uploaded on election day as promised by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. However, INEC came under fire for its failure to upload results to its viewing portal which led to the walkout of some party agents on Monday at the National…