Nigeria's Military Plans To Establish An Interim Government - Soyinka

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yjxMG4fRAaBHkg1W_emVHrEmlpP3oEhhi448E2GToqY8wkT6ZIE0OHvm8kDBkeUHf7_s3E633R52wFbR3e-G-MHqXOVpX_ASZ3zatSSaj0lAZ6RhbjLYiNGF8IrPUU02deTDF8vDgMMU/s1600/Wole+Soyinka.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4yjxMG4fRAaBHkg1W_emVHrEmlpP3oEhhi448E2GToqY8wkT6ZIE0OHvm8kDBkeUHf7_s3E633R52wFbR3e-G-MHqXOVpX_ASZ3zatSSaj0lAZ6RhbjLYiNGF8IrPUU02deTDF8vDgMMU/s1600/Wole+Soyinka.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>The Nigerian Nobel laureate for literature, Wole Soyinka, has expressed concerns in an interview with DW that the military could take power following presidential elections in Nigeria on March 28.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The 80-year-old writer, who has taken an active role in African politics for more than 50 years, says he fears there are "clear indications of a military intervention."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Soyinka told DW: "Ex military officers and security officers are trying to push aside the political contestants and use the unrest as an excuse to establish an interim government. The nature of the interim government wants to pretend it's not really a military intervention. A few political leaders, well-known civilians, want to give the veneer of civilian structure, but basically it’s a kind of political intervention."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The presidential election in Nigeria, Africa's strongest economy, was originally scheduled to take place in February before it was postponed by six weeks. The vote pits Christian incumbent Goodluck Jonathan against Muslim Muhammadu Buhari.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Soyinka says his country "is aspiring very hard to become a failed state." Speaking about the more than 200 schoolgirls who were kidnapped by terror group Boko Haram in northeastern Nigeria a year ago, he expressed little hope that "the majority of them" will ever be found. Despite military gains made by troops from neighboring Cameroon, Niger and Chad, Soyinka believes there’s no chance of a rapid victory over the jihadist group. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "It will take a generation at least to exterminate this phenomenon altogether. The military would not have had to cope with Boko Haram on this level if the proper action had been taken at the right time. This is the biggest problem I have with the Jonathan government."</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Soyinka also laments the increasingly aggressive direction the election campaign in Nigeria is taking. Recently, the president’s wife Patience Jonathan called on her husband’s followers to stone people who demanded a different leader. Political observers saw this as a call for violence against the main opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which is campaigning on a platform of change.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Soyinka told DW that while he doesn't support the opposition's move to file criminal charges against the First Lady in the International Criminal Court, her comments should not go unchecked.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> "What she said was totally unacceptable. I no longer regard her as the First Lady of Nigeria," he said.</div>

Nigeria's Military Plans To Establish An Interim Government - Soyinka

The Nigerian Nobel laureate for literature, Wole Soyinka, has expressed concerns in an interview with DW that the military could take p...

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Polls: Jega Ignored My Request For A Meeting – Oritsejafor

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKLNx5cqCrx0GHbhqHfNIJRJz3VYlWU4BtgEbVTdOqw3pn5-gXreXi5KNUxELwo1CkHzNkjxLec97fqHjMePZS6PBoUa665pEHOfBJAkYENZeA6bD5yqIDCcbQMhBvISlHmPBPLHBTkn1/s1600/Oritsjafor_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSKLNx5cqCrx0GHbhqHfNIJRJz3VYlWU4BtgEbVTdOqw3pn5-gXreXi5KNUxELwo1CkHzNkjxLec97fqHjMePZS6PBoUa665pEHOfBJAkYENZeA6bD5yqIDCcbQMhBvISlHmPBPLHBTkn1/s1600/Oritsjafor_02.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Wednesday expressed bitterness over how the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega refused to hold a meeting with him.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Oritsejafor, who said the botched meeting, would have held earlier this year, hinted at the probability of Jega ignoring his request based on what some of the close associates of the electoral umpire must have told him.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Some people have told me that I am too small to meet with him (Jega),” Oritsejafor said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He made this disclosure at a one-day interactive session of key stakeholders in the Nigerian project comprising religious, political organizations and security agencies organized by <b>Think Nigeria Christian-Muslim Movement</b> with the theme: ‘towards a peaceful and purposeful political transition in 2015.’</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Oritsejafor said: “The General Secretary of CAN has the INEC Chairman’s number. He sent him a text saying the CAN President wants to meet with you. The INEC chairman text back saying those days were not good so Jega gave us two days to choose from and we chose one and he (Jega) accepted. I do not live in Abuja, I live in Warri, and so I have to make my plans to come here. All my plans were made and just as I was ready to come to Abuja my General Secretary contacted me again that the INEC chairman (Jega) said he cannot meet with us that he is too busy.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Till today I don’t have access to the INEC Chairman. I could not meet this man. We wanted to discuss things bordering us with him. We want to give him some solutions, suggestions but that was it. No new date for us to meet with him. So this is a problem that is why I am saying this now publicly. This happened a little less than two months ago.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “INEC is a necessary organization that every nation must have. I am concerned about two things. One is on the issue of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVC). I have had it said several times that there are many Nigerians who are refusing to collect their PVC. I beg to disagree on this because I sample this and the church I pastor in Warri with about 35,000 people and I asked to show me their PVCs and I was shocked, I tell you probably close to half of my congregation do not have their PVC.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I sent my pastors over 100 of them out to meet them and find out why this is so.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I think one of the things INEC can do is to publish the PVCs that they have quickly, so that Nigerians can easily locate them or pass information on it to each other, so that one can go there to collect it. I am not saying this will solve all the problems but it will go a long way to solve the problem. We charge INEC to please make sure that everyone of those Card Readers work. They should work, they must work.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Oritsejafor said for the election to be successful Christian and Muslim leaders must sign a peace pact ensuring that Christians and Muslims are safe before, during and after the general elections.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He said: “If we are going to have a successful election there must be confidence building. And one of the things that will build confidence is that Christians and Muslims must resolve that we will protect each other.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Let Christians who live in predominantly Muslim areas not be afraid to remain there. Many are running away. They shouldn’t. After all they are Nigerians. And our Muslim brothers must make a commitment to say Christians will not be killed in predominantly Muslims areas while Christians should also say Muslims who live in their area will not be killed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We must make that commitment to each other. And we must make it publicly. Let the nation know that nobody is going to be victimized based on his or her religion. Everyone must and should be free to go out and vote freely believing that who they are voting for will help them. That is what democracy is all about. Many of us here today are preachers; some are politicians and others. But the most important ones are the preachers because if you are politicians you will either go to the church or the mosque.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “The preachers here must also make a commitment to go to the churches and to the Mosques to begin to preach that Christians are save everywhere and Muslims are save everywhere and we must begin to teach our people to believe in Nigeria. We must begin to emphasize to our people that we are all Nigerians.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He advised leaders of both religions that: “We must begin to tell our leaders, our followers to begin to think Nigeria. Nobody is superior to the other.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The CAN leader also urged all to encourage the military for their fight against Boko Haram.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The President General of the Supreme Council of Islamic Preachers in Nigeria (SCIPIN), Sheikh Muhammed Nourayn Bn-Ahmad said the two major problems: “currently threatening the corporate existence of the Nigerian nation are that of religious extremism/intolerance, as well as subterranean forces working to break-up Nigeria into those previous pieces and ethnicities that were amalgamated in the past 100 years.”</div>

Polls: Jega Ignored My Request For A Meeting – Oritsejafor

President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor Wednesday expressed bitterness over how the Chairman of...

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Buhari Right On Level Of Corruption, Says Emir Of Kano

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtqSysx4jcGBBg09vA19cB4Hd7GkT3jzC7dCRodWHxvLbUq62ZTG5ZhjnXuxxxhT7S_YsdzJYQk1rNdsKyc1djoGUHq2sJXz3D50VXt_YRHAKEy66KB9Z-UYV9cO43-y0im-U5pbY49cn/s1600/sanusi-lamido-360x239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQtqSysx4jcGBBg09vA19cB4Hd7GkT3jzC7dCRodWHxvLbUq62ZTG5ZhjnXuxxxhT7S_YsdzJYQk1rNdsKyc1djoGUHq2sJXz3D50VXt_YRHAKEy66KB9Z-UYV9cO43-y0im-U5pbY49cn/s1600/sanusi-lamido-360x239.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said the All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), is right on the level of corruption in the country.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Speaking Christine Amanpour on CNN on Wednesday, Sanusi, the former Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, believed the level of corruption in the country was massive and needed to be addressed sufficiently.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Yes, General Buhari is right on the level of corruption in the country and we need to address this sufficiently. We have not helped the situation by living in denial (that the situation does not exist). I don’t want to dwell on this because of the time that we are and we are close to an election,” he added.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> One of the pillars of Buhari’s campaign is to fight corruption, which he argued had not allowed the nation to grow appreciably.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The Kano emir insisted that about $20bn was missing from the account of the NNPC, which was not remitted to the federation account.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “This has not been addressed adequately and from the account of the corporation, about $20bn was not remitted to the federation account. We need to address this,” Sanusi said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The monarch explained that other leaders must rise up to speak against the activities of the terror group, Boko Haram, saying he was not afraid to die as a result of his opposition to the sect.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “I have achieved everything that I could achieve; so, what is there to be afraid of?” he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Sanusi decried the level of unemployment, especially in the North, insecurity and the endemic corruption in the country.</div>

Buhari Right On Level Of Corruption, Says Emir Of Kano

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has said the All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari(retd.)...

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6,000 Christian Clergymen Declare Support For Buhari

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFnSkc-YVN8NZsBxNCCLtaIZbNNRkKzWKCZw4OpgcXvEXIXVYDOD9yJcSIL3sVeMg8AnJZuGWcKGM1nVUutUmuZWBsDK2zegOdtfkUnkOn23R2luU7IRqjA2-N5GqUIS34gxJ-NRIHh7A/s1600/GMB+Catholic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFnSkc-YVN8NZsBxNCCLtaIZbNNRkKzWKCZw4OpgcXvEXIXVYDOD9yJcSIL3sVeMg8AnJZuGWcKGM1nVUutUmuZWBsDK2zegOdtfkUnkOn23R2luU7IRqjA2-N5GqUIS34gxJ-NRIHh7A/s1600/GMB+Catholic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Despite allegations that some pastors in the country collected ₦7 billion to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential ambition, at least 6,000 pastors in the Southwest are mobilising for the emergence of Major General Muhammadu Buhari as president and have declared seven days praying and fasting for God to grant him victory at next week’s poll.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The pastors under the aegis of Christians for Governance, Pastors For Change, held a news conference in Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, where they openly endorsed the candidacy of Buhari and Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who is a pastor in the Redeemed Christian Church of God.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The clerics are drawn from various churches, such as the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Catholic, Orthodox, among others.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> They declared that they were not part of Jonathan’s largesse and that nobody gave them money to support Buhari, but acting by divine intervention from God who told them that Buhari would be the next president of Nigeria.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The movement is being supported by Rev. Moses Iloh, Archbishop Magnus Atilade, Ayo Opadokun and many other bigwigs in Christendom.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Addressing the news conference, Bishop Kayode Williams, National Coordinator, Christians for Good Governance, said they have about 6,000 ministers who were part of the group calling for change in leadership as the present government had failed the nation.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We want to observe seven days of special prayer on the seven mountains in the Southwest political zones comprising six states to pray for the victory of Buhari and Osinbajo in the 28 March presidential election.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We are using this opportunity to call on all pastors who believe that the time has surely come for change in Nigeria to exhort, mobilise, instruct and direct all our members from our churches, numbering 186,000 churches in the Southwest zone to adhere to this divine instruction from God,” he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> According to him, “we shall intensify our intercessory prayers to God so that there will be peace in the nation and that the election will be free, transparent and peaceful. We are asking our archbishops, evangelists, elders, deacons and deaconesses to join hands and make sure that the prayer programme is very successful.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Williams said if Christians pray, they believed God would grant Buhari and Osinbajo victory at the polls so that men of integrity and discipline could come to power to change things and fight corruption.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He lamented that in the last several years, Nigerians had hoped for improvement in national infrastructure and basic necessities of life with high expectations for stable and uninterrupted power supply, employment for the youths, significant reduction in maternal mortality rate, among others, but that nothing had been done ever since.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “No one can do the same thing and expect different result. Nigerians must therefore get a change in baton. It appears that many people at the top do not feel what an ordinary Nigerian feels: No job, no money, no light, health problem, sorrow and frustration everyday due to massive corruption at the top.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “All these must change. Nigerians deserve good life in the midst of all the resources that God has endowed us with,” he stated.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On allegation that the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, collected ₦7 billion through its leaders, Williams said he was not aware of any money collected, but noted that every rumour has an element of truth.</div>

6,000 Christian Clergymen Declare Support For Buhari

Despite allegations that some pastors in the country collected ₦7 billion to support President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential ambitio...

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Ogun PDP In Free-For-All Over Jonathan's Dollars

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5BMz-zHc1oBf6pFXWv9M8CpBAk3sNpnyyvJXwhJiugZmCmNaw-bQpVzntL_s5nvMsQN6zlSpS7drnB29FSndsHWOex7zydbfnerdHpogt2zh1QCyFmVgcjJr4JqP3ABu8LihQMBkTD4P/s1600/PDP+Ogun.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij5BMz-zHc1oBf6pFXWv9M8CpBAk3sNpnyyvJXwhJiugZmCmNaw-bQpVzntL_s5nvMsQN6zlSpS7drnB29FSndsHWOex7zydbfnerdHpogt2zh1QCyFmVgcjJr4JqP3ABu8LihQMBkTD4P/s1600/PDP+Ogun.png" width="586" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Funds earmarked for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign coordinators across Ogun State, on Wednesday, led to fracas after party officials failed to deliver the funds to the beneficiaries.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The money was to be shared at a meeting of 708 coordinators drawn from 236 wards of the state, which took place at a hotel located along Quarry Road of Abeokuta.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> But the meeting, which lasted for five hours, ended in controversy after it became clear the funds were not available.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Trouble began after two leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Fatai Adeyanju (National Auditor) and Pegba Otemolu (South West Secretary) told the participants that the money was yet to be deposited into a designated bank account.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The news angered the coordinators, particularly, amid claims that ₦1million hotel bill had been allegedly issued for food and drinks which were not served.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The aggrieved coordinators consequently held the two party leaders hostage and insisted that they will not allow them go until the funds were released.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> At this stage, some political thugs escorted Mr. Otemolu out of the hall, who then quickly entered his waiting Honda pilot jeep for a quick escape.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> However, in his bid to leave the area, Mr. Otemolu’s driver lost control and rammed into another vehicle and a passer-by.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The development sparked off multiple reactions as the angry group bundled Mr. Otemolu out of his car while his colleague, Mr. Adeyanju, took to his heels.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> The commotion also led to attacks on two journalists, Daud Olatunji of Vanguard, and Razaq Ayinla of Business Day, whose work tools were seized by the political hoodlums.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> It was not clear immediately how the fracas was resolved.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Premium Times</b></div>

Ogun PDP In Free-For-All Over Jonathan's Dollars

Funds earmarked for President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign coordinators across Ogun State, on Wednesday, led to fracas after party offi...

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We'll Collate Presidential Election Results At ICC Abuja - Jega

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Fg79IwefbAm9znEg4zN_2_3dCbC0KuHgjJyP-6sfdEs2kWR-2ihxsjglpcW5AG8vk-ONzvR2x47uCVpjaUVFkymsN7wxctnGBLa8qqa5sGiDneomUjsnqySX3wOR-Agv4dpIAvfbiUhK/s1600/Jega0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Fg79IwefbAm9znEg4zN_2_3dCbC0KuHgjJyP-6sfdEs2kWR-2ihxsjglpcW5AG8vk-ONzvR2x47uCVpjaUVFkymsN7wxctnGBLa8qqa5sGiDneomUjsnqySX3wOR-Agv4dpIAvfbiUhK/s1600/Jega0.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b><br /></b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says there are still a few security concerns hovering over the 2015 general election.</b></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> Jega, who refused to speak to the press after meeting the president and service chiefs on Tuesday, finally spoke at a situation room dialogue session at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja on Wednesday, where he revealed the outcome of the Aso Rock meeting.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “Yesterday, I had an opportunity to brief security agencies and we received assurances that they were doing everything to provide security,” he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “There are still a few concerns and challenges which will be addressed with security agencies. There has been progress with the security agencies in getting rid of insurgents and there are three local government areas (LGAs) left to rid insurgents.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We are working together with security agencies to get rid of thugs identified in states. We have emphasised the protection of ad-hoc officials with security agencies and they have assured us progress has been made.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> He went on to assure Nigerians that internally displaced persons (IDPs) would vote in the coming elections, adding that the commission has deployed necessary materials for the election.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We have plans on the ground for IDP voting. We have designated secure places for IDPs to vote,” he said.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We have procured and deployed sensitive and non-sensitive materials. We have completed outstanding distribution of PVCs to Ogun state and distribution has started in Jos.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> “We have secured the International Conference Centre as a better facility for collating results and meeting election observers.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> On card readers, Jega said: “The card reader does not stop working at 1pm (the scheduled time to end accreditation); it stops when every voter on the queue has been accredited.”</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>TheCable</b></div>

We'll Collate Presidential Election Results At ICC Abuja - Jega

Attahiru Jega, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says there are still a few security concerns hovering ...

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