News

Again, INEC Speaks On PVC Collection Deadline

Published

3 years ago

February 9, 2023

Editor

With just about 15 days to the presidential election scheduled to be held on Saturday, February 25, the Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed the possibility of extending the period for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.

Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘The 2023 Verdict’, the INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, said while INEC did not intend to disenfranchise any Nigerian, it was impossible for the period of PVC collection to be extended.

Okoye, who noted that the presidential election is just about 15 days away, said the commission needed to move its staff from the responsibility of PVC distribution to focus on preparations for the election.

“Unfortunately, this commission can no longer extend the period of collection of the PVCs,” Okoye said, “this is because we have just 15 days to go” for the presidential election.

He added, “…our staff who are in the local government (areas) and who are the issuance of these PVCs have to move back to what we call regular programming. They have to begin to receive the non-sensitive materials and match these non-sensitive materials in accordance with registration areas and wards and getting them ready for the D-day.”

Okoye further said the staff of the commission needed time to ready for the collection of sensitive materials “required for the conduct of this particular election.

“They have to also make arrangements for the places where we are going to house the ad-hoc staff overnight before they are deployed at the first light to the various polling units. They have to also inspect the various polling units to make sure that the polling units are fit for purpose and ready for the 2023 general election.

“So, we have so much to do and we need to get our staff ready for this exercise,” adding that the staff were also responsible for the “configuration of the BVAS” machines in readiness for the election.

Admitting that there are possibilities that some Nigerians might have not been able to collect their PVCs “due to no fault of theirs”, the INEC commissioner, who said it was “unfortunate and is not the intention of the commission to disenfranchise any Nigerian”, noted that the commission’s staff’s responsibilities were more than issuance of the PVCs, adding that a “tabulation or summary” of the already collected PVCs in polling units, electoral wards, local government areas and states must be obtained by the commission to enable it make the figures available to Nigerians.

The PUNCH reports that INEC had extended the deadline for the collection of the PVCs two times after the first deadline. The commission first set January 22, 2023, as the deadline for the PVCs collection before it extended it by one week to January 29. After much pressure and fearing that many Nigerians might not be able to collect their PVCs within the first extended deadline, INEC again extended the deadline for the collection of the PVCs to February 5, 2023.

In order to make the collection seamless, the commission had moved the collection of the PVCs from local government offices to the ward level and back to the local governments.

News

Edo NLC Crisis: Caretaker Committee Drags Rival Exco, Govt To Court

Published

21 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The division in the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), took a new dimension on Wednesday as Prof. Monday Monday Lewis Igbafen-led caretaker committee approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, Benin Judicial Division, seeking to affirm its authority and restrain a rival executive from parading itself as the council’s leadership.

Joined in the suit are the Edo State Government, the Commissioner for Labour and Productivity, and the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

In a suit marked: NICN/BEN/12/2026, and filed before the court in Benin, the claimant, Igbafen, acting for himself and on behalf of the NLC Caretaker Committee in Edo State, is challenging the continued occupation of the union’s secretariat and control of its assets by members of the Bernard Egwakhide-led factional State Executive Council.

The claimants are asking the court to declare that the caretaker committee (Igbafen-led faction), constituted on August 11, 2025, by the NLC national leadership, remains the only lawful authority to administer the affairs of the Edo State Council pending fresh elections.

They further seek a declaration that the continued occupation of the NLC secretariat located at No. 1 Teboga Road, Benin City, as well as the retention of union assets, financial records, and official instruments by the defendants, is illegal and void.

The suit also prays for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from parading themselves as officials of the NLC Edo Council or interfering with the functions of the caretaker committee.

In addition, the claimants are seeking a mandatory order compelling the defendants to immediately hand over the secretariat, vehicles, financial documents, cheque books, and all other properties belonging to the union.

The caretaker committee further urged the court to restrain the state government and its officials from interfering in the internal affairs of the union, alleging undue support for the dissolved executive.

The claimants further demand N50 million as general and exemplary damages against the defendants for alleged unlawful usurpation of office and acts prejudicial to the administration of the council.

According to court documents made available to our correspondent, the crisis followed the dissolution of the Edo State Council by the NLC National Executive Council on February 27, 2025, over allegations of misconduct, anti-union activities, and constitutional violations.

However, the matter has yet to be assigned a hearing date.

News

Transfer: Premier League Clubs Scramble For Dele-Bashiru

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Lazio midfielder, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is a subject of interest from three Premier League clubs, according to Sky Sports.

Lazio reportedly rejected offers from Nottingham Forest and Bournemouth for the Nigeria international in January.

La Biancolesti are bracing for more interest in Dele-Bashiru ahead of the summer transfer window, according to Sky Sports.

The 24-year-old has two years left on his contract with the Serie A club.

The attacking midfielder joined the Rome-based club from Turkish Super Lig outfit Hatayspor in 2024.

He has been a regular feature for Lazio this season.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

6 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.