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NSA raises alarm over plots to create civil unrest during polls — NSA

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By Ismail Auwal

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, has said that there are plots to use the naira scarcity to cause civil unrest during the general election.

The NSA spoke through Sanusi Galadima, who is a deputy director in the office, on Tuesday during a meeting of the inter-agency consultative committee on election security (ICCES).

He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its determination to ensure free and credible elections.

The NSA said his office has observed with “serious concern, the escalation of violence during electioneering campaigns across the country, despite the peace accord endorsed by all the presidential flag bearers”. 

“This ugly trend is created largely by the attitude of political actors, their sponsored thugs and other unpatriotic elements. This has further hampered the efforts of security and intelligence agencies to effectively neutralise the prevailing security situation across the country, terrorism, banditry,” he said.

“It is instructive to state that the government is very much aware of plots by domestic subversive elements and their external collaborators to use the current socio economic climate in the country due to well intended government policies to organize civil unrest during the election.

“In this vein and in line with Mr. President’s commitment to ensure a peaceful transition of political power to a democratically elected government through free, fair and credible election, security agents have been charged to ensure lawful deployment to deal decisively with any individual or group involved, no matter how highly placed.”

Kano Central NNPP senatorial candidate missing on INEC’s final list

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By Ismail Auwal

The senatorial candidate for Kano Central District of the New Nigerian People Party (NNPP), Rufa’i Hanga,  was left off of the final lists of senatorial candidates released by the Independent National Election Commission’s (INEC).

The electoral commission published the name of a former governor of the state, Ibrahim Shekarau, as the NNPP candidate for the central district in place of  Hanga whose name was submitted to the INEC by the party.

The NNPP initially submitted Shekarau’s name a sitting senator for Kano central district, was elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), name to the INEC as its senatorial candidate for Kano Central district.

Shekarau left APC and joined the NNPP he remained there for a short time, and then left to join the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because of his major disagreements with  the NNPP’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

The INEC had maintained that because Shekarau had not formally notified it as required by the electoral legislation that he had left the NNPP and was no longer its candidate for the district, it was not possible to substitute another name for his.

Kwankwaso promises to review CBN naira swap policy if elected president

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By Ismail Auwal

The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa-Kwankwaso, has promised to reverse the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) naira redesign policy, if elected in next Saturday’s presidential poll.

Speaking to tens of thousands of NNPP supporters in Funtua, Katsina State, the former governor of Kano State promised to let Nigerians possessing the old 200, 500, and 1,000 naira banknotes to deposit them in the banks.

He explained that the policies of the apex bank would further impoverish, starve, and cause unspeakable agony for Nigerians in a country where 133 million people live in poverty and the country’s economic situation is ripe for crisis.

While noting that the policy was targeted at tormenting “poor Nigerians”, the erstwhile defence minister said his prospective government would end the naira redesign policy and allow Nigerians to deposit the old naira notes in their respective banks.

He said, “We were told that 133 million Nigerians are poor but they introduced a naira redesign policy at this critical period of election. This policy has brought calamity, suffering, hunger and poverty on many poor Nigerians.

“But if you elect me as president of this country and other NNPP candidates, we agreed to end the policy and allow you to take all your old naira notes to banks for deposit and other transactions.

“We at the NNPP plan to provide Nigerians with good governance, restore peace, address insecurity and improve the economy. Nigerians, especially those in Katsina State and other Northern states, have suffered enough. We are on a rescue mission.”

He added that NNPP has the political wherewithal to end insecurity across Nigeria, rebuild the country’s economy and create job opportunities for the teeming unemployed youths in the country.

If elected in next Saturday’s presidential poll Kwankwaso said, he would recruit more security personnel to fight the upsurge of insecurity and revamp the nation’s educational sector for meaningful development to thrive.

Naira redesign: First Lady caught spreading fake news on social media

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By Ismail Auwal

The First Lady, Mrs. Aisha Buhari, was caught spreading false information on social media to thousands of her followers.

The wife of the President posted the message on her verified socail media accounts claiming that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had instructed banks to reissue the old N200, N500, and N1000 banknotes in a doctored screenshot.

“Due to the current and unpleasant situation happening in Nigeria, In line with Mr. president. After having a closed meeting with him on the 20th of February, 2023, Central Bank Of Nigeria (CBN) has been directed to ONLY reissue and recirculate the old N200, N500 and N1000 banknotes and this is expected to circulate as legal tender for 70 days up to May 1, 2023. Members of the public should therefore continue to spend the old notes.”

The doctored screenshot also encourage media practitioners “spread out this helpful information to the public.”

However, the CBN flagged the screenshot as fake shortly after she posted it.

Election: Service chiefs assure Nigerians of safety

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By Ismail Auwal

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has reassured Nigerians that the armed forces and other security agencies are ready to provide a safe and secure environment for the 2023 general elections.
Irabor  who spoke shortly after the meeting with service chiefs and heads of their security agencies on Monday in Abuja said the purpose of the meeting was to review the election security and develop action plans to ensure that the elections were held under a peaceful atmosphere.
At the meeting held behind closed-door are the Inspector-General of Police, Director-Generals of the Department of State Services and National Intelligence Agency as well as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.

Irabor stated that the security agencies were also ready to ensure that the elections would be held in a peaceful atmosphere in every part of the country, adding that they would ensure that all Nigerians exercise their franchise.
“We have just finished the meeting. The service chiefs, the Inspector General, the Police, the DSS, represented by the Director of operations, the DG, the NIA, and the CDI.

“Looking at the security for the elections and as you know, the police are the lead agency for elections security, and we have compared notes and assessed the entire situation and we are good to go.

“The assessment is that we are set on all fronts.

“We had representation from the Independent National Electoral Commission who of course you have interacted with, who has also told Nigerians and the world that they are ready for this election.
“So, by and large, we are good to go and I like to use the opportunity to assure Nigerians that on the security front, we are good to go on all fronts,”.
He also that contingency actions had been taken to into consideration to address the areas with peculiar security challenges.

The Defence boss, however, warned those intending to cause trouble during the elections to have a rethink “because they will have a bloody nose”.

Police arrest 3 with N17 million fake naira notes in Kebbi

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Police in Kebbi State have arrested three persons in possession of fake N17m notes.

The State Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Magaji Kontagora, identified the suspects as Faruku Zubairu, Ibrahim Musa and Salisu Mohammed from Gungun Tawaye and Chupamini villages in Ngaski local government area of the state.

The Commissioner noted that the suspects were arrested with the help of members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at Warrah Motor Park.

CBN engages in confiscation of currency not naira swap- Gov. El-Rufai

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By Aminu Kutama

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Central Bank of Nigeria of withdrawing N2 trillion from circulation and replacing the old notes by minting only N400 billion.

He made the allegation on his Twitter handle on Sunday, adding that the apex bank only confiscated the currency as against what was obtainable in the currency swap policy.

“During the implementation of the cash swap, the CBN withdrew over N2 trillion from circulation but printed only N400 billion, so in effect, currency confiscation was then unilaterally and unlawfully implemented by the CBN. Trade and exchange have collapsed. Human suffering, impoverishment and economic contraction resulted,” he tweeted.

“The policy objective was derailed into a deliberate national fiasco to sabotage the elections in the name of preventing vote-buying. All efforts to get CBN to implement what was lawfully approved failed.

The governor claimed that what was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari was different from what the CBN did regarding the redesigning and swapping of the currency.

According to him, President Buhari approved the redesign of the N200, N500 and N1000 notes, whereas the CBN only did recolouring.
He added, “Currency redesign was approved by the President and announced. Currency recolouring resulted.

“Currency swap was envisaged by s.20(3) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act as approved by PMB. Swap means I take N100,000 to the bank in old notes & I receive N100,000 immediately in new notes. No more, no less.

The naira crisis worsened last Thursday following the President’s nationwide broadcast ignoring the Supreme Court by extending the validity of old N200 notes while insisting that old N500 and N1,000 remained illegal.

Urging Nigerians to deposit their old N500 and 1000 notes with the CBN, Buhari said the old N200 note would be legal tender for the next 60 days till April 10.

PSC withdraws Naja’atu from election duty over partisanship

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By Ameenu Kutama

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has withdrawn the appointment of Naja’atu Muhammad as one of the commissioners to oversee the activities of the police during the general election.

Ikechukwu Ani, PSC spokesperson, announced the development in a statement on Monday.

On Sunday, Muhammad was listed as one of the PSC commissioners that will oversee the activities of the police during the general election.

But the APC presidential campaign council rejected the appointment.

Details shortly…

2023 elections: IGP transfers Kano CP

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By Aminu Kutama

Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, has moved the Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mamman Dauda, to Plateau State on election duty.

Mamman Dauda, former deputy commandant of Police Staff College, Jos, has been accused by the opposition New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), in Kano, of connivance with Kano State Government and alleged bias.

NNPP has threatened to embark on mass protest across the 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State against the unlawful arrests and detention of over 100 of its key members.

The party said unless the CP is removed and penalised for his misconduct, the protest would continue.

The IGP, in a signal sent in the early hours of Monday, transferred Mr Dauda to Plateau and posted CP Mohammed Yakubu to Kano.

Also affected in the sudden cancellation of the previous postings, the IGP posted CP Ita  Uku-Udom to Kano Central Senatorial District; CP Sunday Babaji to Kano South Senatorial District and DCP Abaniwonda Olufemi to Kano North for the elections.

Emir Sanusi queries Ganduje’s motive for insulting Buhari over naira swap

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By Aminu Kutama

The 14th Emir of Kano, Malam Muhammadu Sanusi II has chided some state governors for not appreciating criticism from the public.

The former Central Bank governor who particularly criticized the Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for his scathing comments on President Muhammadu Buhari, expressed his surprise at how the governor now feels entitled to criticize the policies of the state government.

Sanusi, was speaking during his weekly Madarijus Salikeen session, which he hosts every weekend virtually.

“I remember when I was investigated by the Kano State House of Assembly for simply criticizing some FG policies, now, it’s unfortunate that some governors are doing exactly what they investigated people like us for.

“Mine was even better, as I didn’t insult the president, it was just simple criticism,” the monarch said.

On wether he will endorse any presidential candidate, Sanusi II ruled out any possibility for that, but he strongly advocated for the people to not vote for a candidate who is not in the right mental and health condition.

He also urged people to vote for the best candidate who can salvage the country from ruin, and to avoid leaders who have moral baggage.