Other odd locations where the Nigerian election body removed polling units include mosques and churches across the country.

INEC says it removed the polling units due to “distance, difficult terrain, congestion, communal conflict, new settlements and general insecurity.”

Inec is introducing reforms into the commission ahead of the 2023 general election and future elections – creation of new polling units is one of the reforms.

National Chairman of Inec, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu revealed this during the announcement of new 56,872 polling units.

According to Yakubu in the meeting he held with Resident Electoral Commissioners in Abuja ahead of the restart of Nationwide Continuous voter registration exercise, “we convert 56,872 Voting Points and Voting Point Settlements and added to the existing 119,974 Polling Units.

“Consequently, the Commission is glad to report that 25 years since the creation of the current Polling Units in 1996, Nigeria now has 176,846 full-fledged Polling Units.

“Similarly, after consultation with stakeholders, the Commission has successfully removed 749 Polling Units from inappropriate locations to appropriate public facilities or open spaces.

“Of this figure we removed 232 from private properties, 145 royal palaces, 6 Mosques, 21 Churches and 9 Shrines. We relocated the remaining 336 Polling Units for various reasons including distance, difficult terrain, congestion, communal conflict, new settlements and general insecurity.”

Inec fixes dates for Ekiti, Osun governorship elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission also announced dates to conduct governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States.

Inec Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu says the early announcement of the date is to enable every body start preparation early.

“In keeping with our policy of announcing the dates of elections in advance to enable early and effective preparations by all concerned, the Commission has approved the Ekiti State Governorship election to hold on Saturday, June 18, 2022, while the Osun State Governorship election will hold one month later on Saturday, July 16, 2022,” Mahmood said.

The Inec boss also said the commission has began implementing activities lined up for the Anambra State Governorship election which will take place later in November this year.

The post Why INEC removed polling units from shrines, palaces, mosques, other odd places appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

Herdsmen killed 50 people in Ebonyi. Boko Haram killed 7 soldiers. Bandits killed 60 people in the NW and NC. Unknown gunmen and the military killed at least 15 people killed. These happened in Nigeria this weekend. So, which peace is Buhari going to give to Mali? #TableShaker

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) June 1, 2021

In the first five months of 2021, Nigeria has recorded 1,016 attacks, 1,437 deaths of civilians, while 2,276 persons have been kidnapped.

In addition to all these, secessionists and criminal gangs in the southeast are constantly attacking police stations and burning down INEC offices in the region.

This has led some Nigerians to doubt if the general elections scheduled for 2023 will happen.

In an online pole by Vanguard, 23% of respondents say they don’t think the general elections should take place altogether.

Should 2023 elections hold amid the incessant attacks on INEC offices in the South?

— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) May 31, 2021

But what happens if the country can’t hold elections in 2023? The constitution said;

What this means is President Muhammadu Buhari can stay in office indefinitely until security improves! All he has to do is renew his mandate every six months from the Ahmed Lawan led National Assembly.

The post What happens if Nigeria can’t hold elections in 2023 due to insecurity? appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

She added that the United Kingdom, UK, would deny visas to Nigerians who incite violence and want to disrupt 2023 elections.

Laing stated these in Port Harcourt on her maiden visit to Rivers State, cautioned Governor Nyesom Wike and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, to cement their legacies on a positive note by ensuring peaceful 2023 elections in Rivers State.

According to Vanguard, the envoy said, “I do have some sympathy for Nigeria because if we as UK have one of these problems your country is having today, we will be struggling.

Here, you deal with everything, from insurgency to kidnapping, to piracy off the Gulf of Guinea and you don’t have such a large army and police force for a country of this size.

“The only way you turn this thing around is that government has to build the trust of its people, to have the people working with the government to deal with criminality. That’s how successful anti-criminal operations work.

“People willingly report those committing crime, working with police to identify criminals, same with the military on the insurgency situation. It’s only when the community is on the side of the police and security services that they can turn around the situation.”

On the expectations for Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Laing said, “2023 is not alright. What happens in the elections is very crucial, not just for Nigeria, but Africa to the world. You (Nigeria) are a large democracy.

“It doesn’t have to be a perfect election. There would be problems, but we want it to be better than the last one. We want it to be secure, peaceful, the process should be run well, and you need to get people to register.”

On her choice of candidates, she said, “My ideal candidates would be two younger presidential candidates, both with female vice presidential candidates,” apparently referring to the two leading political parties.

To political rivals, Governor Nyesom Wike and Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, on the next Rivers State governorship election, she said: “It is essential that there’s a peaceful election in Rivers State. It’s going to be a crucial part of his (Wike) legacy, how the election goes in this state. We’ve been saying the same thing to Amaechi.

“Another thing we will be doing is to remind people that if people do incite violence or act violently, we will be prepared to deny them visas to the UK. We will make that statement clear and say it over again.”

Nyesom Wike, who used to be a commissioner in Amaechi’s government replaced his boss as governor after a tense election in 2015.

Both men are expected to support opposing candidates in the 2023 general elections as Ameachi belongs to the ruling APC while Wike is a chieftain of the opposition PDP.

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Speaking during an interview on Channels TV, the governor said: “Nigerians, the youth and women including very objective elites, are asking me to run for President in 2023.”

These comment has led to some harsh criticism for the governor.

I talk about Nigerian politics a lot and never ever EVER has Yahaya Bello's name come up for good. Presidency ko.

— Jola (@Jollz) May 15, 2021

Deji Adeyanju, an Abuja-based right activist also mocked Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State over his remark of running for the presidency.

Adeyanju, who is the co-convener of Concerned Nigerian Advocacy Group said Bello lacks the capacity to be president of a “pig farm,” let alone, ruling Nigeria.

Reacting, Adeyanju also pointed out that Bello cannot be Nigeria’s president because the governor has neglected the Kogi State civil servants.

The rights activist insisted that Kogi State remains the worst governed state in Nigeria.

Who is Yahaya Bello?

Bello became the winner of the 2015 Kogi gubernatorial election after he was chosen on the platform of the All Progressives Congress as the replacement for the late Abubakar Audu who originally won the election but died before the result was declared.

On the 16 November 2019, Bello was re-elected after he defeated the PDP opposition by over 200,000 votes.

Yahaya Bello is the only Nigerian governor to be born after the Nigerian Civil War, thus, making him the youngest governor in Nigeria.

At various points during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bello either falsely claimed the virus was ‘an artificial creation’ or simply denied the virus’ existence while his state government suppressed testing and fought with the NCDC to keep case numbers artificially low.

Bello also refused to wear a mask at public events, including after a Governors’ meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and at the funeral for Tolulope Arotile.

At memorial prayers for Kogi State Chief Judge Nasir Ajanah, who died of COVID-19 on 28 June 2020, Bello falsely claimed that Ajanah had not died of COVID-19 and said “whether medical experts and scientists, believe it or not, COVID-19 is out to shorten the lifestyle of the people, it is a disease propagated by force for Nigerians to accept.”

In October 2020, Bello said that he had rejected a ₦1.1 billion support fund for Kogi State from the World Bank because of his belief that COVID-19 is a “glorified malaria”.

He also said that “I rejected the World Bank fund because I do not believe in COVID-19. Even the five cases reported in Kogi State is an NCDC creation.” This claim was despite his own admission that Kogi State had already received ₦1 billion from the Federal Government for COVID-19 recovery.

Who are likely to contest Nigeria’s presidency in 2023?

President Muhammadu Buhari will end his second term in 2023 and several politicians are already making moves to replace him.

Last week, former president Olusegun Obasanjo hinted that he is likely to support Akin Adeshina – former minister of Agriculture and the current president of AFDB as his anointed candidate for 2023.

Up next, Bukola Saraki – the disgraced former Senate President whose entire political structure was voted out in Kwara state in 2019 is already making moves for his grand return to politics.

Bola Tinubu, the APC chieftain is seen as the most likely candidate to contest under the APC banner. Several of his supporters have already setup campaign offices and structures for him.

Atiku Abubakr, the former vice president has already attempted to be president 3 times and failed. He is also a major contender for 2023.

Peter Obi, he was Atiku’s running mate in their 2019 loosing campaign. There are calls for Nigeria to have an Igbo president and Obi is seen as the most suitable candidate.

The post Nigerians mock Yahaya Bello over his 2023 presidential bid appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

Southwest Agenda 23 is a think tank with the mandate of presenting a presidential candidate from the Yoruba people in Southwest Nigeria in 2023.

He said, “Tinubu is a good product that doesn’t need any advertisement and he has contributed greatly to the growth and development of the nation. He is a consummate democrat and progressive.

“We have three geo-political zones in the South, and all of them have the right to contest for the presidency. South West is interested to contest for the presidency in 2023. The person who can help us win this ticket is Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“He has done a lot for Nigerians irrespective of religion and tribe. He has built bridges across the country.

“We gathered together to start campaigning for him. If we can hold our house together, we will have the presidency back in the southwest.”

However, Adeyeye’s comments are causing a stir online, with most Nigerians against the idea of Tinubu as president.

‘Lol, he will never smell it’ – one commentator wrote on Twitter.

A second penned: ‘I thought Jonathan was the most incompetent president, until we have Buhari now. Tinubu is dictator that is worst than the two. He doesn’t allow the will of the masses to prevail during primary and general elections. In sha Allah, people like Tinubu ll never rule Nigeria.’

A third was of the opinion that Tinubu once he became president, he won’t leave, he wrote: ‘Tinubu!, God forbid. Once president, he will own everywhere like Lagos and make us live like slaves. And i don’t think he will step down after his tenure. Rather he will try to elongate his tenure thru legislation.’

‘There’s no better successor for Buhari than Tinubu’ https://t.co/5SkReC67Q7

— Punch Newspapers (@MobilePunch) February 22, 2021

Nigeria has an unwritten agreement in which power is supposed to alternate between the Muslim majority north and the predominantly Christian south.

The current president, Muhammadu Buhari is a Muslim from the north, and by 2023 when he would have served his eight years, he is expected to hand over to a southerner.

This presents a bit of a complication for Tinubu as he is also a Muslim although from the more liberal south.

Many Nigerians have always expressed opposition to Tinubu’s ambition of becoming president. Some have questioned his source of wealth, accusing the political godfather of corruption and pocketing state resources. Others simply wonder what the difference is between Tinubu and Buhari whose troubled administration has seen the security situation in the country deteriorate and the economy almost completely mismanaged.

The post Nigerians slam former minister after saying Tinubu should succeed Buhari as president in 2023 appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

The loyalists of the APC chieftain explained that the campaign movement, which was named “The South West Agenda,” (SWAGA), was meant to support his candidature in 2023.

In June, Tinubu said he had not taken a decision to run for president in 2023 contrary to speculations.

The post 2023: Tinubu Loyalists Set Up Presidential Bid appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.

To the average Nigerian, his country has two basic problems that have hindered progress; bad leadership and corruption.

The fact of the matter is Tinubu has handpicked the majority of state governors in South-Western Nigeria since 2007. The APC, an alliance that brought Muhammadu Buhari to power as Nigeria’s president in 2015 further gave him the opportunity to pick senators, civil servants like ministers, judges, and heads of government agencies. Tinubu practically picked and installed Nigeria’s vice president!

Read more: Nnamdi Kanu; Saint or Megalomaniac?

To understand what a Tinubu presidency will look like we need to follow the story of one of his minions, Babatunde Raji Fashola.

Fashola used to be Tinubu’s Chief-of-Staff when the latter served as governor of Lagos state. When Tinubu left office in2007, he picked Fashola to be his replacement. Fashola’s rule, like that of many Nigerian governors, was plagued with lots of corruption allegations, so much so that in 2010 Lagos state parliament debated removing him from office on charges in relation to the Eko Mega City project.

As minister of power, Fashola has only been able to marginally improve Nigeria’s power generation capacity from 4000 megawatts in 2015 to about 4500 megawatts in 2020. In that same period, Egypt was able to build a power plant that generated 14.4GW of power despite having a fraction of Nigeria’s population and resources.

Tinubu is 68 years old, his reasons for wanting to be president is anything but altruism. Just like his buddy Muhammad Buhari, being President is not about working to serve the people, it’s just an opportunity to tick-off another item on their wishlists.

The biggest problem in today’s Nigeria is poor and visionless leadership, if that is true our reality is that no man in the last 20 years has had more impact on Nigeria’s leadership than Bola Tinubu.

The post Why Bola Tinubu Should Not Be Nigeria’s President in 2023 appeared first on AFRICA EXPLAINED.