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93.5m Nigerians to determine Tinubu, Atiku, Obi’s fate, says INEC
With the 2023 general elections about four months away, the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), yesterday, declared that 93.5 million Nigerians will participate in the exercise.
The commission disclosed that although 12.29 million Nigerians successfully completed the just concluded Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), about 2.78 million were removed as ineligible registrants.
The commission said the decision followed a rigorous clean up of the data, using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who revealed this during the third quarterly meeting with political parties, said 9,518,188 new voters have been added to the existing register of 84,004,084 voters.
According to him, the preliminary register of voters in Nigeria now stands at 93,522,272. Yakubu said among the invalidated registrations were double/multiple cases, underage persons and outright fake registrations.
“Consequently, the number of valid registrations (post-ABIS) is 9,518,188.
“In terms of demographic distribution, 7.2 million new voters or 76.5 per cent are young people between 18 and 34 years, while there is a slightly higher number of females (4.8 million or 50.82 per cent) than male (4.6 million or 49.18 per cent) voters.
“In terms of occupation, 3.8 million, translating to 40.8 per cent, are students. Hard copies giving the full details of the distribution of the new voters are included in your folders for this meeting,” Yakubu told the stakeholders.
The development means 93.5 million Nigerians will determine the fate of candidates in the 2023 presidential election, including Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi and 15 others.
According to the data released by INEC, the North West geopolitical zone has the highest total of 22.27 million registered voters.
As at the 2019 elections, the North West zone, comprising of seven states (Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi and Jigawa) had 20.15 million voters. With an addition of 2,120, 670 (now 22.27 million), new registrants, the region maintains its lead.
The South West, which comprises Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo, has risen from 16.29 million in 2019 to 17.93 million, according to the latest data released by INEC. The number of new registrants from is South West is 1,640,374.
The North Central, which is made up of Nasarawa, Kogi, Benue, Niger, Kwara, Plateau and the Federal Capital Territory trails behind with 15.33 million voters; having added 1.96 million newly registered voters to a 2019 figure of 13.36 million.
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In the fourth position is South South, which comprises of Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Edo and Delta states. The number of registered voters rose from 12.84 million to 14.4 million, while the North East, made up of Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi and Gombe, added 1.25 million new voters to reach 12.5 million.
The South East, which comprises of five states (Ebonyi, Enugu, Abia, Anambra and Imo), recorded the lowest number. As of 2019, the region had 10 million registered voters. This has now risen to 10.9 million, with an addition of 930,987,738 new voters.
A state-by-state breakdown reveals that Lagos has the highest number, increasing its figure from 6.5 million to seven million. Kano State also maintained its second position; increasing its figure from 5.4 million to 5.9 million. Kaduna State now has 4.3 million registered voters, while Katsina added 412,977 to have 3.6 million.
Speaking further, Yakubu said the commission penned down 23 of its registration officers for severe sanctions, after they had attempted to engage in multiple registration.
Stressing that there is no going back on the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation, the INEC chairman insisted the transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time on election day will be deployed.
According to him, INEC has buried use of the Incident Form, which he said enabled ineligible persons to vote using other people’s Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
President Bola Tinubu, on Tuesday arrived in Katsina to receive the remains of the former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in London on Sunday at the age of 82.
Just hours before the burial of former President Muhammadu Buhari, heartfelt tributes have continued to pour in from beneficiaries of his many charitable deeds, with many describing him as a man who never turned his back on the needy.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, Aminu Daura, a respected community elder, recalled how Buhari consistently provided foodstuffs during Ramadan for families, friends, widows, and orphans in his hometown.
“He never made noise about it, but many homes had food on their tables during fasting period because of him,” Daura said.
Abdullahi Sani, a physically-challenged man who received a tricycle from the Buhari Foundation in 2021, was overcome with emotion while speaking to NAN.
“I can move around and feed my family today because of Baba Buhari. I pray to Allah to reward him for giving hope to people like me,” he said, in tears.
Hajiya Fatima Yahaya, another resident, remembered Buhari’s acts of kindness during festive seasons.
“Even after he left office, his aides ensured that the usual support still reached us every year. He always remember his people,” she said, referring to his distribution of Sallah rams and food items to indigent families during Eid celebrations.
Other residents of Daura also shared memories of how the late former president quietly paid school fees and medical bills for struggling families, actions rarely publicized.
“Some of us benefited from his silent interventions. He was a true father and a great figure in the society,” said Ali Saidu.
On Monday night, Imams across various mosques in Daura held special Qur’anic recitations, praying for the forgiveness of Buhari’s sins and his eternal peace.
The Chief Imam of Daura Central Mosque, Sheikh Musa Kofar Barau, described Buhari as a humble leader whose legacy of service and compassion would remain alive in the hearts of the people.
Buhari is scheduled to be buried later on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, in line with Islamic rites. The community is bracing to welcome thousands of mourners from across Nigeria and beyond.
His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco has extended heartfelt condolences to President Bola Tinubu, the family of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, and the entire Nigerian people following Buhari’s death.
In a message of sympathy, the Moroccan monarch described the passing of the former Nigerian leader as a “sad occurrence,” expressing deep sorrow over the loss.
King Mohammed VI hailed Buhari as “an illustrious leader who worked untiringly to serve his country’s best interests and lead his people toward further progress and prosperity.”
He added: “Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the bereaved. I share your grief and want you to know how much I appreciated the working sessions I had with the deceased.”
Reflecting on their bilateral engagements, the king noted that his collaboration with Buhari led to the launch of promising development projects, “ushering a new era grounded in friendship and close cooperation between our two sister nations.”
Tinubu arrives Katsina to receive Buhari’s body for burial
“He Never Turned His Back on the Needy” — Tributes Pour In Ahead of Buhari’s Burial
King Mohammed VI Mourns Buhari, Praises Legacy of Nigeria’s Former Leader
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