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BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 9 February 2023

Source: BBC

Why NUC order closure of Universities sake of election

Headquarters of the National Universities Commission Headquarters of the National Universities Commission

National Universities Commission don order closure of universities across di kontri to allow students participate for di 2023 general elections wey go start for February.

Inside letter to vice-chancellors of all universities and directors of inter-university centres, NUC say di directive na direct message from di Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

“As Vice-Chancellors of all Universities and Director/Chief Executive of Inter-University Centres dey aware say di 2023 General Elections don dey scheduled to hold for Saturday February 25, 2023, for di Presidential and National Assembly, and Saturday March 11, 2023 for Gubernatorial and State Assembly, respectively.

“Sake of dis and concerns wey dey expressed on di security of staff, students and property of our respective institutions, di Honourable Minister of Education, Mal. Adama Adamu afta e follow great consultations wit di relevant security agencies, direct say make all Universities and Inter-University Centres dey shut down and academic activities dey suspended between 22 February to 14th March, 2023.

Nationwide preparation for di coming general elections dey increase as INEC don tok several times say no postponement as di date tanda gidigba.

Also Nigerians don begin fear for any possible gbege wey fit burst during di election sake of di scarcity of naira wey di currency re-design don cause.

Last month, di Nigeria Police Force bin organise training for 612 officers across di six geo-political zones wey go combat cultism, kidnapping and electoral violence across di kontri ahead of di 2023 general elections.

Police tok-tok pesin Muyiwa Adejobi for one statement wey im release on 31 January say di training take place for six different venues for each of di six geo-political zones.

Reason for school closure during election

For January, di House of Representatives for plenary bin call on authorities for di education sector to suspend academic activities during di coming general elections.

Dem say dis go allow students of voting age to participate for di elections.

Di lawmakers bin land di decision afta dem consider one motion wey one Hon. Kabir Ibrahim sponsor for di plenary on Thursday 26 January.

Oga Ibrahim bin present to di house say na students constitute 40 percent of di newly registered votes for di states outside di location of dia university.

E bin add say na dia constitutional rights to vote during elections and dem ghatz dey allowed to vote.

Di motion den dey adopted by di House afta e see support of di majority.

Meanwhile most of di students wey bin register to participate for di 2023 general elections bin do so for dia resenditial area during di eight-month long ASUU strike.

Attacks for Nigeria sake of elections

Electoral violence na serious issue wey everibodi dey fear wen election dey approach.

Many Nigerian politicians dey employ thugs to cause kasala.

Dis na why security agencies for di kontri dey train dia officers ahead of di election and also strategise on how to ensure say violence no disrupt di election.

But even wit beta preparation and trainings upon trainings by security agencies, jaguda pipo dey always find dia wey to cause katakata before, during and afta election.

For October 2022, thugs attack di Lagos State govnorship candidate of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abdul-Azeez Adediran, for Ikoga Junction area of Badagry as e dey return from visiting members of im party.

Di PDP candidate blame di All Progressives Congress (APC) for di attack and claim say di thugs bin dey shout APC as dem dey shoot guns and use dangerous weapons.

APC deny dis claim wey di PDP candidate make.

Also for Lagos, hoodlums bin attack di convoy of di presidential candidate of di APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu for Lagos Island.

Di incident happun for Ebute-Ero-Adeniji-Iga-Iduganran axis for Lagos Island afta Tinubu meet wit di Oba of Lagos and dey on im way back to Bourdillon, Ikoyi where im dey live.

For Osun State, hoodlum attack one Labour Party (LP) chieftain Rabiu Ismaila and odas sake of say dem paste posters of House of Representatives candidate for Atakumosa East Local Governmen Area, Kunle Gideon.

Ismaila say di incident happun on 30 November 2022, and add say na six thugs attack am.

Hoodlums set di office of di Independent National Electoral Commission for di Igboeze North Local Government Area of Enugu State on fire for 3 July 2022.

Reports of attacks don also come from Zamfara, Rivers, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Kastina and oda parts di kontri.

According to one statement by INEC National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, di hoodlums overpower security guards of di commission office and force dia way into di premises to burn di building down.