By Enyichukwu Enemanna
As Nigeria prepares for its Pesidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, February 25, Immigration authorities have ordered a 24-hour border closure
The Comptroller General Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) ordered that the country’s borders be shut throughout Saturday as the polls hold in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.
The NIS boss Isah Jere Idris, gave the directive to command comptrollers across the country in a circular distributed on Thursday.
With the title, ‘Border Closure for the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections’, the circular urges Comptroller in-charge of various commands to ensure strict compliance of the border closure.
It reads in part, “The Federal Government has directed the total closure of all Land Borders effective from 00:00 hours on Saturday 25th February, 2023 to 00:00 hours Sunday, 26th February, 2023.
“Accordingly, all Command Comptrollers especially those in the Border States are to ensure strict enforcement of this directive.”
Nigerians will file out on Saturday for Presidential and National Assembly elections in which a new president is expected to emerge as the incumbent president Muhammadu Buhari rounds off tenure May.
Four front line candidates, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) have indicated interest to succeed Muhammadu Buhari.
