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Political Parties, CSOs, NGOs Applaud INEC Over Hitch Free Mock Accreditation Of BVAS

By
Akinwale Kasali
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INEC Logo

By Akinwale Kasali

Political Parties, Civil Societies Organizations, Non Governmental organizations and Political Observers have showered encomiums on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for a hitch free mock accreditation exercise of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, BVAS, that took place in Lagos State over the weekend.

The Mock Accreditation Exercise in 12 Polling Units across Six Local Government areas in Lagos State saw a huge turnout of NGOs, CSOs, Political Parties and electorates who came out to witness the exercise.

The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Olusegun Agbaje, who led the monitoring exercise was impressed with the hitch free exercise that was a success and the huge turnout.

Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, he said that the functionality of BVAS in accrediting intending voters was another test that INEC was ready for the forthcoming elections.

Agbaje said: “We have been to six stations, two each in Surulere, Somolu and Ikeja LGAs.

“So far, the machines are working effectively and there is no challenge or problem, and people have confirmed this.

“The essence of this is to show our people that BVAS will work. If politicians will allow us to do our work, we will work effectively.

“We don’t want politicians to compromise our staff in bypassing BVAS. So far, we have not seen any problem. If the finger fails, the face works well for accreditation of all that turned out.

“What we need to know is that these machines can effectively accredit our voters and that has been tested in all the six stations we have visited, and I am more than satisfied that INEC is ready to go.

According to the REC, within one or two minutes, voters who turned our got accredited through BVAS.

Agbaje stressed that it would be difficult for the BVAS to be faulty because they were all new, as the Commission had backups to arrest unforeseen circumstances.

He urged political gladiators not to connive with any INEC staff to bypass the workings of BVAS and vote illegally.

Agbaje added that BVAS’ work was basically to accredit voters before they would be eligible to vote on election day.

“BVAS is to improve people’s confidence in what INEC is doing because this is just like a game changer. If compromised and there is over-voting in any polling unit, the whole vote in such unit will be cancelled.

“So, all of them must work together with INEC to be honest and to be sincere. If we are honest and sincere with ourselves, the system will give us good results.”

Explaining BVAS bypass, Agbaje said that some politicians could connive with INEC staff to smuggle printed ballot into the box without passing through accreditation.

He said that results of those places would be cancelled if noticed through over-voting.

Agbaje said that INEC would also put its house in order and not send to the field any staff that could embarrass the commission.

“Anyone caught conniving with politicians to bypass BVAS will face the consequences,” he said.

Stephen Aya, an observer from the Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria in Ikeja, commended INEC’s efforts at making elections more credible, however, urging politicians to cooperate with the electoral body.

During the monitoring exercise, the INEC Team visited Polling Unit 035, Ward 2 located at Enitan Primary School, Aguda, and Polling Unit 019, Ward 7 located at Rabiatu Thompson Crescent Primary School, Shitta/Ogunlana in Surulere LGA.

The team also monitored the exercise at Polling Unit 040, Ward 5 located at Omo Alade Alafia Street, Mafowoku and Polling Unit 015, Ward 8 located at Ogatimirin Street, Igbobi-Fadeyi in Somolu LGA.

Agbaje’s team was also at Polling Unit 010, Ward 1 located at the front of 5, Abeokuta Street, Anifowose/Ikeja and Polling Unit 017, Ward 10 located at the Junction of Irewole/Joseph Street, Wasimi/Opebi/Allen in Ikeja LGA.

The mock accreditation exercise also took place in Ikorodu, Eti-Osa and Agege LGAs.

Budget: SERAP Drags Lawan, Gbajabiamila to Court

By
Uche Mbah
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By Uche Mbah

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the Senate President, Dr Ahmad Lawan and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila to Court over their humongous budgetary provisions for themselves. It accused the National Assembly of unlawfully budgeting N228.1bn for themselves, “including the N30.17bn severance payments and inauguration costs for members.”

The National Assembly proposed an increase of its 2023 budget from N169bn proposed by President Muhammadu Buhari to N228.1bn, an increase of about N59.1bn.

In a suit number filed Friday and numbered FHC/ABJ/CS/152/2023 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, SERAP is seeking the Court to direct and compel Dr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila to as a matter of urgency review with a view to reducing the “budget of N228.1bn the leadership and members of the National Assembly allocated for their own benefit.”Part of their prayer is for the Court to give“an order restraining and stopping Ms Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning from releasing to the National Assembly the budget of N228.1bn, until an impact assessment of the spending on access to public goods and services and the country’s debt crisis, is carried out.”

-“An order restraining and stopping Dr Lawan and Mr Gbajabiamila from demanding or collecting the National Assembly budget of N228.1bn, until an impact assessment of the spending on access to public goods and services and the country’s debt crisis, is carried out.”

According to SERAP, “It is a grave violation of the public trust and constitutional oath of office for the members of the National Assembly to increase their own budget at a time when some 133 million Nigerians are living in poverty.

“The National Assembly budget of N228.1bn is higher than the statutory transfer to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), which is N103.3bn. “The increase is unreasonable, as it would substantially increase the cost of governance, and exacerbate the country’s debt crisis. It is unlawful, and unfair to the Nigerian people.

“Cutting the National Assembly budget would reduce the growing budget deficit, address the unsustainable debt burden, and serve the public interest.

“By increasing its own budget, the National Assembly has unjustifiably and disproportionately reduced the budget for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

“This is a travesty, especially given that Nigeria currently has over 20 million out-of-school children, and half of all poor people in the country are children.

“The budget should reflect national development priorities, and not serve as a tool to satisfy the lifestyle of lawmakers or provide them with severance payments or parting gifts.

N2. 9bn Fraud: Court Discharges Rochas Okorocha

By
Uche Mbah
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Rochas Okorocha

By Uche Mbah

An Abuja Federal High Court Monday, discharged and acquitted Senator Rochas Okorocha of N2.9 billion fraud charge.

Okorocha, a former Governor of Imo state, was dragged to court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The presiding Judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo,  dismissed EFCC’s suit for contravening Section 105 (3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015. This gives the Attorney General of the Federation the authority to recall a case.

“All that the law required of the respondent (EFCC) was for the respondent when directed by the HAGF, pursuant to any enactment, is to comply and not act as if it is not under the law or is exempted thereby”, he ruled.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the office of the HAGF is founded on the provisions of the constitution and is thereby preserved.

“The controversies and drama surrounding this trial proceeding is needless and it is time to stop it,” he said, noting that Malami’s order to EFCC to stay action on the case was binding. He also noted that the ruling of a Court of alternate jurisdiction in Port Harcourt restraining the EFCC from taking action has not yet been vacated.

“In other words, the intervention of the HAGF in any criminal proceedings ends the authority of the prosecuting agency in the matter unless otherwise directed by the HAGF.

“In the end, I find that non-compliance by the respondent with the directive of the HAGF as stated in Exhibit Okorocha 7 is fatal to this proceeding and has rendered it a nullity.

“The respondent is not empowered by any law to continue with this proceeding after the HAGF issued the directive in Exhibit Okorocha 7.

“With Exhibit Okorocha 7, it is only the HAGF that can decide whether or not to charge the defendants upon the case file being remitted to his office as directed,” he said.

“The fact that a person refuses to comply with the law does not change the law, neither does the law change to accommodate the act of non-compliance by any person.

“What happens when a person elects not to comply with the law is that the law turns its back on the person.

“When that happens, every action or decision taken by such person in the process of non-compliance becomes illegal and the court will set aside such act of non-compliance ex debito justitiae.

“This is so because there is no machination that can be used to salvage an illegal act,” he said.

The judge, therefore, struck out the charge.

“I, therefore, make an order striking out the charge which found this proceeding. The consequence is that the defendants are discharged,” Ekwo declared.

Na’jaatu Muhammad Tackles Keyamo, Calls The Minister A Liar

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Festus Keyamo and Najaatu Mohammed

By Akinwale Kasali

Naja’atu Mohammed, a former Director in the All Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, has tackled the Spokesperson of the PCC, Festus Keyamo for saying she chased Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu to London to beg for an appointment.

In an interview on Arise Television Monday morning, Muhammad, a Member of the Police Service Commission, said the contrary was the case. She said she was begged by Tinubu and the Party to take the appointment as a Director in the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima Presidential Campaign Team.

Tinubu, she said, was on her neck, calling her on phone on several times, pleading for her to accept the appointment.

In response to tagging her incompetent, she said: “If they (the APC) knew I was incompetent, why were they begging me? Folake cannot lie and say he did not beg me to take that appointment. Asiwaju called me. I still have the text. He called me severally. I didn’t even know his number, I refused to pick.”

Keyamo, who is also the Minister of State for Labour and Employment had claimed that Mohammed chased Tinubu to London for an appointment in the PCC.

Keyamo, in an interview with The Punch Newspaper, had said, “What she (Mohammed) went to London to do was to grovel and lobby. We don’t see people who are worth their salt pursuing Asiwaju all over the globe.

“Why did she not meet him in Nigeria? Why chase him to London?”, Keyamo had said.

But Mohammed  said she “knows her onions and having seen that the APC does not worth it, I parted ways with the Party and moved on.”

New Naira Notes: El-Rufai, Two Other Northern Governors, Drag Buhari To Supreme Court

By
Ayodele Oni
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By Ayodele Oni

As Nigerians continue to starve due to scarcity of new Naira notes, three Northern States have instituted a suit against the Federal Government seeking an order to stop the full implementation of the Naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

The States, Kaduna, Kogi and Zamfara, in a motion ex-parte are praying the Supreme court to grant an interim injunction stopping the CBN from ending the timeframe within which the old N200, N500, and N1000 notes will cease to be legal tender.

The plaintiffs said since the announcement of the policy, there has been an acute shortage in the supply of the new naira notes in their states, adding that citizens who have dutifully deposited their old currency notes have increasingly found it difficult and sometimes next to impossible to access the new notes for their daily activities.

Asides from the unavailability of the new notes, the plaintiffs also submitted that the notice period given by the federal government was inadequate.

They submitted that the 10-day extension is insufficient to address the challenges plaguing the policy.

The plaintiffs have also filed a motion on notice to abridge the time within which the respondent may file and serve a counter-affidavit for an accelerated hearing.

The states are seeking a declaration that the demonetisation policy of the CBN is not in compliance with the extant provisions of the constitution, and the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007.

They are also seeking a declaration that the three months notice given by the federal government through the CBN is in gross violation of the provisions of Section 20(3) of the CBN Act which specifies that reasonable notice must be given.

They also want the court to declare that by the express provisions of Section 20(3) of the CBN Act, the federal government, through the CBN has no power to issue a timeline for the acceptance and redeeming of banknotes issued by the bank, except as limited by section 22(1).

Consequently, the plaintiffs want the court to direct the immediate suspension of the demonetisation policy until the relevant provisions of the law are complied with.

In A Split Judgement, Supreme Court Sacks Machina, Affirms Lawan As Yobe North Senatorial Candidate For APC

By
Akinwale Kasali
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By Akinwale Kasali

After months of legal warfare, the Supreme Court has affirmed that the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, is the authentic Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Yobe North Senatorial District.

In a majority judgment delivered on Monday, the apex court allowed the appeal filed by the APC against Bashir Machina’s candidature.

In the lead judgement, Justice Centus Nweze faulted the approach of Bashir Machina in commencing the suit at the Federal High Court Damaturu Division by way of originating summons and without oral evidence to prove allegations of fraud.

The apex Court also set aside the decision of the Appeal Court, Gombe Division, which affirmed the decision of the trial Court that declared Machina the Senatorial Candidate for Yobe North.

But in a dissenting decision by Justices Emmanuel Agim and Adamu Jauro, the apex Court said Ahmad Lawan never participated in the APC Primary held on 28th May, as he withdrew voluntarily to participate in the Presidential Primary held on the 8 June 2022.the

The minority decision held that in the conduct of another primary on June 9, 2022 where Lawan emerged was in breach of Section 84 (5) of the Electoral Act as the APC never cancelled that held on 28 May before organizing another.

The APC had challenged the nomination of Bashir Machina as the party’s candidate for Yobe North Senatorial District.

The party insisted that Ahmad Lawan, Nigeria’s Senate President, was the authentic Senatorial candidate for Yobe North for the forthcoming general election.

At the last hearing of the appeal, the counsel for the party, Sepiribo Peters argued that the primary election held on 28 May last year which produced Machina was in breach of the Electoral Act 2022.

Peters contended that one Danjuma Manga who conducted the said primary election was not nominated by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.

He told the Court that the APC cancelled the Primary poll on account of the irregularities observed during the exercise.

However, Machina’s lawyer, Sarafa Yusuf prayed the Supreme Court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit on the ground that the Senate President did not challenge the suits at both the trial and lower courts.

He also pointed that Manga who conducted the primary election where Machina emerged, was a member of the NWC-appointed Committee to carryout the exercise.

The apex court had last Wednesday fixed today (Monday), February 6, for final judgment in the long-drawn legal battle.

Machina had held firmly to his victory at the APC Primaries and refused all appeals to let go.

Naira Scarcity: Nigerians Are Suffering, Starving Says Gbajabiamila

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives has lamented the sufferings Nigerians are facing due to the scarcity of naira across the country.

The situation is no longer funny for many households who find it difficult to purchase essential commodities for the feeding of their families due to invailability of the bank notes, despite the promise by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN to make more cash available as the s arcity bites.

The House had in response to the hardship facing Nigerians, summoned the CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele who for days failed to honour the invitation until the Speaker threatened to issue a warrant of a rest for him.

But one week after the meeting with the House adhoc Committtee led by Ado Doguwa who is also the Leader of the Chamber, Gbajabiamila said the hardship continue as Nigerians ae “suffering, we have paid your salary, and you cannot withdraw it; people cannot eat, what kind of thing is that?”

According to a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Lanre Lasisi, the Speaker stated that he will reconvene the House members who are currently on a break if the problem persists.

He expalined that the scarcity of the new naira notes have shown no sign of abating, adding that it is within the powers of the House to summon anybody in government, as nobody is above the law.

The Speaker said the lower house will not hesitate to summon Gbajabiamila again, noting that it’s currently watching what the apex bank is doing.

The statement reeds in part: “The House of Representatives intervened on several occasions. We summoned the CBN governor the first time and again, but he refused to answer, because we had many hard questions for him.

“It was until I issued the threat of warrant of arrest before he came, and I would’ve signed that warrant; it would’ve been the first time in the history of National Assembly that a CBN governor would be arrested. I would’ve done it.

“Many have argued on the independence of CBN, the autonomy of CBN. That does not make CBN above the law. The constitution gives the House the power to issue an arrest warrant against anyone, we can summon anybody, and that was exactly what the House was going to do until the CBN governor came.

“So, we are watching, and we are monitoring very closely. If need be, we will reconvene the House, even though we’ve all been away for our elections. I will call the House back, if need be.

“On the currency swap, let me explain something to you. We are all very intelligent people. Many are suffering, we have paid your salary, and you cannot withdraw it; people cannot eat, what kind of thing is that?

Sterling Bank Sanctioned By CBN For Hoarding New Naira Notes, Sabotage

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Sterling Bank Plc has been accused of sabotaging the efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, to make the new naira notes available in the country.

Oluwole Owoeye, an Assistant Director with the apex bank disclosed this in Ado Ekiti on Sunday after CBN officials, on a monitoring duty in the state, discovered loads of new naira notes which the commercial bank failed to load into the Automated Teller Machines, ATM.

The CBN official said the bank had received over N6 million new notes from the CBN for over two weeks but simply refused to load the cash into the ATM machines belonging to the new generation bank.

Recall that the CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele disclosed last week that it was working with security and anti graft agencies in the country to ensure that commercial banks in the country sabotaging the even distribution of the new naira notes are sanctioned accordingly.

Also, President Muhammadu Buhari during his meeting with 36 state governors in the country, accused top officials of some commercial banks in the country of hoarding and sabotaging government’s efforts to ensure that the new notes are made available across the country before the deadline of February 10 set by the CBN to demonetize the old naira notes of N200. N500, and N1000 banknotes.

The CBN has also arrested some commercial bank managers, for hoarding the new notes in the cause of its monitoring exercise in the last few days.

The arrested officials, the apex bank said will be punished accordingly. The chief executives of the culpable banks, sources in the Godwin Emefiele-led government bank, said will also be queried soon.

Speaking after the N6 million new notes were discovered in the Bank’s Ado branch, Owoeye said the bank is one of the commercial banks in the county causing cash scarcity, and frustrating customers and others who need cash to transact their businesses.

In the now viral video the CBN top official said, “I am currently at Sterling Bank, on Bank Road as part of the new naira notes monitoring compliance with the guidelines by CBN. They have N6 million, which they collected from the bank for almost two weeks, they have not disbursed any. They said they are yet to configure their ATMs, I do not know why that and I have brought attention to the penalty clause of N1 million per day, because they have five ATMs here, they have no reason for keeping this money.

“The zonal service manager, Tunde Onipede promised that by 10:00am latest tomorrow (Monday), because I told him by latest 10:00 am I’ll be here and I want to see the machine dispensing this money.”

Last week in Ibadan the Oyo State capital, some commercial banks wee attacked by angry customers who accused their officials of hoarding the new notes. It took security agency’s serious efforts to bring the violent situation undr control, but some ATM machines had already been vandalised by the any mob.

In Lagos also, some angry customers stripped themselves naked in the banking halls after bank officials informed them they were yet to receive new cash allocation from the CBN, which made it impossible for the banks to dispense cash to customers.

Meanwhile, competent sources in the CBN informed the magazine on Monday that the apex bank will step up the monitoring exercise this week with a view to ensure that commercial banks working against government efforts are exposed to Nigerians.

“The CBN has already warned the CEO of all the money banks in the county to ensure that they rein in their staff, as they will be held responsible for their actions. The situation has already got out of hands, the CBN is working hard to bring the scarcity under control, and we will not be shy to shut down bank branches frustrating our efforts, ” an official said today.

UBA CEO, Alawuba, Receives Doctorate Degree From Imo State University

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Oliver Alawuba

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, United Bank for Africa, UBA,  Plc, Oliver Alawuba, was on Saturday, conferred with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Banking and Finance by the Imo State University, IMSU Owerri, Nigeria, for his immense contributions to the growth of banking and finance in Nigeria and across Africa.

Alawuba was honoured during the school’s 8thConvocation Ceremony, an event witnessed by the Executive Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma. Also in attendance were the former Governor of the State, Dr. Rochas Okorocha, the University’s Pro-Chancellor, Chief Sir, Ernest Nwapa; Vice-Chancellor Professor U.U. Chukwumaeze, Vice-chancellors from various tertiary institutions in Nigeria, captains of industries and a host stakeholders.

Whilst congratulating Alawuba, the Vice Chancellor, Professor U.U. Chukwumaeze pointed out that the conferment is in recognition of Alawuba’s contribution to redefining Public Sector Banking in Nigeria and across Africa.

“The honour is in recognition of your numerous contributions to the financial sector in Nigeria and Africa and as one of the major drivers who contributed to taking modern banking to all state capitals and major cities in Nigeria where hitherto most banks primarily concentrated on the major commercial centres of the country,” Professor Chukwumaeze stated.

Speaking after receiving the recognition, Alawuba expressed his appreciation to the leadership of the University for the honour extended to him, just as he attributed his success to God and hard work. He took time out to encourage the students to stay focused and diligent whilst congratulating other fellow awardees.

Alawuba said. “I am grateful to the management of IMSU for the honour and recognition, and I want to thank the amiable governor, the VC and other top executives of this great institution for the honour that you have shown me today. I promise that I will continue to do my best to make this school and indeed the indigenes of this great state proud. I also seize this opportunity to advise the young ones to be focused and put their best in their studies, so that one day they will also be recognised globally.”

Other awardees of the honorary Doctorate Degree include the former Governor of Anambra State, Her Excellency, Dame (Dr) Virgy Ngozi Etiaba; Chief Chika Emenike, CEO of Tummy Tummy Noodles, Chitec Motors Limited, and Kotec Group of Companies; and Engr Simbi Wabote, Executive Secretary, Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB.

Alawuba who emerged the best graduating student in Food and Technology from the Abia State University, is the recipient of multiple awards from humanitarian organisations, and is also a member of several organisations and sports club. He is married to an Associate Professor Dr. Mrs Nkeirula Oly-Alawuba and they are blessed with seven children.

Alawuba is a seasoned banking professional with over 25 years of work experience. He has a broad range of strategic and well-grounded experience in Corporate and Institutional Banking, Consumer Banking, Public Sector, Retail and Commercial Banking, Project Management, Corporate Governance, and overall bank management.

Prior to his appointment as the Group Managing Director/CEO of UBA Group, overseeing the group’s banking operations across its 20 subsidiaries in Africa and globally in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, France, and the United Arab Emirates, Alawuba was at various times country CEO and Regional CEO of UBA’s Rest of Africa operations.

Oliver holds B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Food Science and Technology and an MBA in Banking and Finance. He is an alumnus of the AMP and SEP programmes of the prestigious INSEAD Business School, France and the London Business School respectively. He is also a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) and an Honorary Senior Member of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, CIBN.

We’re Ready For Election, Uzodimma Tells EU Election Observers

By
The Source
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Hope Uzodimma

Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has assured the members of the European Union Election Observation Mission to Nigeria that his State in particular and Nigeria in general are ready for the forthcoming election.

He gave the assurance at the weekend when he received in audience at the New Executive Chambers, Government House, Owerri a team of European Union Election observers led by Thomas Boserop who paid him a working visit.

Governor Uzodimma assured them that “the State Government and the Federal Government are ready for the election,”  and that “adequate preparations have been put in place.”

He told them that the Mock election they just came to observe and the main elections of February 25 and March 11 will surely be smooth.

He thanked them for finding time to visit and wished them the best of luck as they monitor the elections, reminding them that “government owes it a responsibility to ensure a very successful election by providing a conducive environment for her citizens to vote and be voted for.”

Earlier, the leader of the team Thomas Boserop informed the Governor that they are in Nigeria “to observe the elections lined up for February and March,” and that they “thought it wise and proper to pay the courtesy call on the Governor as a way of informing him that Imo State is part of the State they are listed to observe.”

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