Banks are to open on Saturday January 28th from 9am to close at 3:00pm, and on Sunday, January 29th, they open from 11:00am.
The Central bank made this move to ensure that the deadline of Tuesday, January 31 stands for the phasing out of the old Naira notes.
A number of Akwa Ibom residents have expressed displeasure over their inability to get permanent voter cards, PVCs even as collection has been reverted to Local government areas by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
INEC in Uyo had in a former collection point which was the Traditional Rulers Council on Barracks road, pasted a note on the entrance wall re-directing citizens to its main office in Ikot Akpan Abia.
Inspiration FM correspondent UHUOTU OMILABU visited INEC office to monitor the distribution of PVCs to residents and observed that there were about 5 designated collection points around the building with each named after different wards in Uyo to make accessibility easier and collection much faster.
Despite these efforts, citizens complained of INEC’s inability to make PVCs available for them as some of them were told that their cards were not found, has already been collected or not yet printed by the commission.
Despite the disappointment faced by some, others expressed fulfillment in being able to get their PVC’s as they said their cards will enable them vote their desired leaders.
Inspiration FM tried to speak with the INEC officials present over the cases of missing or yet to be printed PVCs, but none obliged.
The distribution of PVC is still ongoing at the local government level and will last until Sunday, January 29th, 2023 as INEC has maintained that there will be no more extension.
Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the 2023 polls and have huge expectations from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, especially with the new Electoral act being implemented.
Over the years, a key setback to the smooth run of elections in the country has been late arrival of officials and voting materials to the polling units.
The situation has led to voter apathy and disenfranchisement of electorates because despite the late arrival of materials to these units, voting still closes at the time stipulated by INEC, with no extension.
Speaking about the challenges of INEC in the distribution of materials to different polling units, INEC head of Voter Education and publicity in Akwa Ibom State, ODARO AISIEN had this to say;
AISIEN, in an interview with our correspondent UHUOTU OMILABU, disclosed INEC’s plans to ensure that this year’s election is different from the previous ones, with regards to early arrival of materials.
According to INEC’s time table, presidential and national assembly elections will hold on February 25, while governorship and state assembly polls will take place on March 11, 2023.
The Election Petitions Tribunal hearing the All Progressives Congress’ Adegboyega Oyetola’s petition against the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ademola Adeleke has annulled the result of the July 16 Osun governorship election.
Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision, declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act.
He pointed at over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared after deductions that Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266.
INEC has since been directed to withdraw Adeleke’s certificate of return and issue another one to Oyetola as winner of the Election.
