Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress Asiwaju Bola Tinubu met with Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike outside the country in preparation for the 2023 general elections.
Tinubu met with Wike in company of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom and his Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in France.
Sources close to Wike who revealed said the meeting held in another country other than France.
“Yes, we left Nigeria to meet with Tinubu on Monday. We initially thought it would hold in France because that was where Tinubu went the last time he left the country. We however got signal close to our time of departure that we should proceed somewhere else.
“Governors Ortom and Makinde who have been supporters of Wike from the beginning were also on the trip,” the source told WesternPost.
The source revealed that the meeting was connected getting Wike’s support for Tinubu in next year’s election.
“Yes, the discussion was centered on the 2023 election. The Tinubu camp know how important votes from Rivers State and are looking for how to get Wike to work for them,” he also added.
While it may be hard for Wike to leave the PDP because of some of his followers who are already contesting for elections in the party, the Tinubu camp is expecting him to use his influence in the state to work for them and deliver Rivers State for the APC.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan
Since Wike lost the Peoples Democratic Party presidential primaries to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, he has been implacable and cantankerous in his speeches.
He has also many times threatened many members of the PDP in the state who are loyal to Atiku, closing down some businesses owned by them.
Efforts to also reconcile with him have become hard, as the meetings between his camp and Atiku’s team ended in deadlock.
The major issues yet to be agreed on is Wike’s calls for the resignation of PDP National Chairman Iyorchia Ayu, which Atiku’s camp are kicking against.
According to the former vice president’s camp, Wike cannot always have the party in his pockets and be dictating how things are run. It will be recalled that Wike who singlehandedly installed Uche Secondus as the party’s national chairman plotted his removal after both men fell out.
The Oyo State Government has been accused of unduly interference in the selection of process of new Alaafin of Oyo.
This was contained in a statement signed and made available by Prince Afolabi Adesina as read in part:
“My attention has been drawn to a statement by the Oyo State Government to the effect that it will not interfere in the process of selecting a new Alaafin of Oyo.
“The state government reportedly said this through the Special Adviser to the Governor on Culture, Honourable Akeem Ademola Ige, during the celebration of the Sango Festival in Oyo.
“The report came to us as a rude shocks as the process of choosing the Alaafin has already been infiltrated and segregated to the exclusion of other original sons of Alaafin Abiodun Atiba, the progenitor of Modern Oyo, by some agents of the Oyo State Government.
“The process of selecting a new Alaafin, which started with transparency by the Head of Oyo Royal Princes (Baba Iyaji) and Oyo Mesi in general has been since alterated by the agent of the government.
“The chairman of Atiba Local Government Area, in a letter dated 9 August, 2022, claimed that he has been directed by the state government, through the Oyo State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftancy Matters, to commence the process of picking a crown prince from the Agunloye Royal House.
“This is being done in exclusion of the other nine ruling houses that have been enlisted since 8 December, 1976 by the then Oyo State Military Government and Gazetted, viz the 1995 White Paper, on 16 July, 2001 by the state government during the administration of the late Governor Lamidi Onaolapo Adesina.
“The chairman of Atiba Local Government Area in the letter, dated 9 August, 2022, through the Director of Administration and General Services, Alhaji Ayoola A.A, relied on the Oyo state Chieftancy Law of 1961 which had been declared defective since 8 December, 1976 because it is not consistent with the Customary Law governing the appointment of the Alaafin of Oyo or any oba in Yorubaland.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan
“In the letter, the local government chairman, directed Baba Iyaji to liaise with Agunloye family to choose a Crown Prince and present him to the Oyo Mesi, through High Chief Yusuf Ayoola, the Basorun of Oyo.
“With due respect to our Acting Governor, Chief Bayo Lawal and our darling Governor Seyi Makinde (in absentia), the directive is contrary to the claim by your aide that the Oyo State government will not interfere in the process of selecting a new Alaafin.
“What more can demonstrate the fact that the state government has, indeed, interfered in the selection process? How else can you prove that you are not interfering in the process?
“Sir, what you have done, through the letter by the chairman of Atiba Local Government Area, shows that you have, indeed, totally hijacked the process. You can only prove us by publicly disowning the letter.
“As an unbiased umpire, we expect that the state government will call for the publication of all the 119 princes that applied for the vacant Royal Alaafin Stool and the criteria for the selection process to be made public.
“This should be done in line with our tradition and also allow the Oyo Mesi to evaluate each and every applicant, based on the culture of Oyoland. I am aware that Baba Iyaji has submitted all the applicants’ letters to the Oyo Mesi, through the Basorun of Oyo.
“We are hereby appealing to the Oyo State government to allow for a free and fair selection process to give us a new Alaafin that will be acceptable to all and who will stand for all and sundry”.
The Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Lekan Balogun, has condemned the disruption of chieftaincy installation by hoodlums believed to have been hired by some prospective Mogajis and Baales.
The installation held on Monday was said to have been disrupted by the hoodlums and this was said to have forced the monarch to suspend the activities.
It was learnt that there were contentions concerning the choice of some of the chiefs and the Olubadan condemned the resort to the use of miscreants to address the issue.
Oba Balogun, in a statement signed by his Personal Assistant (Media), Oladele Ogunsola, expressed disappointment at the unruly behaviour of the supporters of the prospective chiefs.
He said the disruption led to the abrupt end of the programme shortly after the installation of only three out of 10 chiefs slated for the day.
“The monarch who reiterated his commitment to equity, fairness and justice in the exercise of his traditional role maintained that whoever, after thorough investigation of the incident, anyone found culpable among his staff on whatever might have led to the ugly disruption would be properly sanctioned.
“He empathized with the other chiefs, who had no contentious issue, but, whose installation could not be performed due to the disruption caused by the miscreants, assuring them that what happened was a mere delay and not denial, adding, “their installation would be performed unfailingly at the next exercise”.
Oba Balogun equally charged every family presenting candidates for the positions of Baales and Mogajis to do their homework properly to avoid a repeat of Monday’s incident just as he warned against unruly behaviour.
The monarch says people’s account of his (Portable’s) person differed from what he saw when he met the singer.
The Onitigbo of Tigbo-Ilu Land, in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Olabode Thomas-Fagbayi, has justified why he conferred a chieftaincy title on the controversial singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, on Monday.
The traditional ruler told newsmen on Tuesday that he honoured the famous Nigerian hip-pop singer with a chieftaincy title over his respectful act.
The monarch added that people’s account of his (Portable’s) person differed from what he saw when he met the singer.
Portable, as fondly called, has taken to his social media handle pictures and videos of his coronation as the Amuludun of Tigbo, Awori land.
The Zazu crooner announced on Monday.
He said he will now be known and addressed as “Chief Amuludun of Tigbo, Aworiland.”
The singer declared that God made it possible for him ever to become a chief.
The ceremony coincided with the annual Tigbo Day, which saw Abass Akande Obesere perform and eulogise Portable at the occasion
Since the conferment of the chieftaincy title, some persons have questioned why the monarch found Portable worthy of the honour.
The monarch told this newspaper that he never knew the famous artist until recently.
“I visited a school in my domain where I have gotten a report of misbehaviour among the pupils and students of the school. So, I went to the school to talk briefly with them. It was there that I was told that somebody called Portable was passing through my domain and was throwing money at people, and in the process, many got injured.
“Because of that, I summoned him to my palace, and he came twice, but I wasn’t at the palace when he came. So, one day, I was walking on the road, and I saw him driving; I called for him, and he immediately came with his boys, and they all prostrated on the road.”
The monarch also said the singer has his roots in Tigbo town and is well behaved.
“His mum is from Tigbo, and he too lives here; he presented himself as a responsible person, and we take him as that. Some people might have reservations about him, but even at that, he is our son.”
The monarch added that the singer had also shown readiness to be part of the celebration of ‘Tigbo day’.
Mr Thomas-Fagbayi, however, debunked social media claims that he was paid to honour the famous artist and insisted that he is a monarch whom “God has blessed.”
SOME Civil Society Organisations namely the Nigerian Project Initiative, NPI and the Initiative to Save Democracy, ISD, have expressed outrage over the demand for the payment of six months’ salaries by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, before calling off its strike.
NPI and ISD, however, vowed to mobilize against ASUU describing the union’s strike as hollow, self-centred and vexatious.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan
NPI AND ISD, in a joint statement by their chairmen, Mohammed Salihu and Akinloye James, the CSOs said: “The demand by ASUU to be paid for the months its members were on strike is hollow, self-centred and vexatious.
“It is particularly provoking that other unions in the academic community pursuing almost the same goals have decided to go back to work but ASUU members rather than follow suit are demanding payment for work that they did not do.
“Which employer does that? If for example, the government were to heed them, would that not be a recipe for disaster as NASU and SSANU which have agreed to go back to work would now resort to strike to demand the same salaries that they forfeited during the strike?
“It is a rule in industrial relations that unions keep a strike fund and ASUU through its president has admitted that they have been paying their union members. So, it is thus apparent that ASUU by its demand is now seeking double pay for its members for work not done.”
“For the sake of our students, who have missed out on account of the strike, we expect ASUU to rush back to work at this time and look forward towards repairing the damage that has been done through the strike instead of this resort to financial blackmail.”
Vowing to mobilise other civil society groups for a showdown against ASUU, the two unions said: “ASUU has lost it this time and we dare say that if by this week ASUU sticks on to its selfish demands we would be compelled to lay siege to ASUU offices across the country given that all men of good conscience are against ASUU.
Soyinka wondered why the Federal Government was yet to ban a cattle group, Miyetti Allah, while it had already proscribed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB)
Nobel laureate, Prof Wole Soyinka, has questioned how the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian Government manages the several crises facing the country.
Soyinka wondered why the Federal Government was yet to ban a cattle group, Miyetti Allah, while it had already proscribed the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), a group looking for the breakaway of the South-East from Nigeria.
He made these remarks in an interview with the pre-recorded show Newsnight on Channels Television, noting that Nigeria must always put the nation’s history in perspective to comprehend security concerns.
He said, “My temperament doesn’t accept that anyone should chase me out of my God-given earth. So, it is a temperamental thing as well. The idea that you can unleash terror on me because you want my little patch of territory or you want my soul; that is, you want to subjugate me, you want to turn me into a slave. Well, I would sort that out first.
“And then I will make up my mind whether I want to leave. So each outrage, unfortunately, has the opposite effect. Whether the outrage is taking place in Benue, Kaduna, or is taking place in Owo. Or whether it is taking place right here on the (Ogun State) border – we have also been subjected to this lunacy, of the subjugation mentality which some minority people hold. And I find it very difficult to accept to be chased out of my own entitled portion of the earth.
“Many people just either do not know the history or do not understand the purpose of history. And then there’s a different group also who are very selective about history; they know how to distort or misuse history.
“Take, for instance, when the incursion of the Fulani herdsmen began, and the Miyetti Allah. Their spokesman said, I think it was in Borno. We once ruled this place, and we can take back our land anytime we want. I remember that statement; I have never forgotten it. In the midst of the trauma of these people, somebody comes gloating and then citing selective portions of history. I said this person should be arrested and locked up, who says he wants to repeat his history of conquest – he is admitting either knowledge, before or after, or support, anyway. Is not there anything like hate speech anymore? Why are you proscribing IPOB without proscribing Miyetti Allah?”
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has urged residents of the State to continuously ensure that Lagos remains politically stable for continuous peace, which the state currently enjoys as the most peaceful state in Nigeria.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the appeal on Sunday during his meeting with leaders of the Lagos State chapter of Ohanaeze Ndigbo led by its President, Chief Solomon Ogbonna, and Ohanaeze Political Forum led by its Chairman, Chief Chris Ekwilo, at the Lagos House, Marina.
He said the 2023 general elections for Lagos residents, especially the Igbo people should be about who has their best interest of the nation at heart, a person, who over the years has created opportunities without consideration for tribal interests and who has given a genuine platform for people to thrive, live and work well.
“There is no part of this State that one form of development is not happening. We will continue to push development in every nook and cranny of the state. This is the most peaceful state in the country. We spent so much on security to keep all of us saved on a daily basis. So, if people now come and want to divide us, we shouldn’t let that happen.
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar; presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP); and vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima in the 2023 general elections have arrived at the 62nd Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) conference on Monday. The snapshots of the event attached.
Defeated governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, says he is confident the Osun Election Petition Tribunal will upturn the victory of his challenger and declare him winner of the July 16 election won by Ademola Adeleke.
Mr Oyetola made the assertions at the annual Photography and Videography Day celebration on Sunday in Osogbo.
“For now, there is a little setback and challenge, but I want to assure you that we are standing tall and confident of victory.
“With what we have before the tribunal, there is no cause for alarm.
“We believe that by the grace of God, we will glorify God and celebrate our victory,” he said.
The governor thanked the people of the state for their support for his administration since its inception in 2018.
He also commended members of the association for standing by his administration, assuring them of the government’s continuous assistance for the growth of their businesses.
In his remarks, the association’s chairman, Isaac Adegoke, said members of the association were direct beneficiaries of the governor’s people-oriented programmes.
Mr. Adegoke said members of the association were solidly behind the governor and would continue to support him in prayers for him to emerge victorious at the tribunal.
Mr. Oyetola filed a petition at the election tribunal on August 5, challenging the outcomes of the July 16 governorship election won by Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party Candidate.
A Group in Oyo State has raised concern on the performance indicators of some of the appointees of Governor Seyi Makinde described by the group as docile government officials. The group in a statement made available and obtained today by ODUDUWA NEWS wants Makinde to show exit doors to some of the appointees who have performed at lowest ebb.
The statement is reproduced below:
Action is the foundational key to all success. The executive governor of Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde has done a lot of work in Oyo State that warrant mass votes from the public, his good work speak volume of him.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan
Like the words of Gyalwa Rinpoche to the Tibetan people, “In order to carry a positive action we must develop here a positive vision”. In Oyo State today, an appointee of Government should be able to appear physically, socially and morally in support of his superior. The case isn’t like that with some appointees of Governor Makinde.
Societal Values Organisation of Oyo State, a forum of scholars and business oriented persons took their time to understudy the contributions of the supposed appointees of Governor Makinde.
Our questions have been, how many of them have taken their time to promote their principal on social media handles, how many of them have been able to go back to their various wards and add values, how many of them have been able to do advocacy work to ameliorate problems in their communities, how many of them go out physically and canvass for the support of electorates. These and many more are various charges our organisation has observed among the appointees of the government. But what some of them complain about is lack of money. If truly they don’t get funded as expected, why do they still hang on to their positions where money doesn’t flow?
Our prime purpose in this life is to help others and if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them. Some of the appointees are not adding values to Governor Makinde’s administration. Isn’t advisable for them to turn in their resignation letters instead of acting like a mole or docile government officials.
We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.It is time Governor Makinde used the rod now, act on the docile appointees. It won’t also be bad if the Governor set up a committee to review the contributions of all his appointees, this will serves as indicators to what is at stake.
Our organisation witnessed an opposition party in the state where they imported their party members from our neighboring states like Osun, Ekiti, Ondo who will not be having their gubernatorial election next year and registered them during the last PVC drive in Oyo State. We notified the appropriate authority but they failed to act.
As at today, how many of the government appointees were able to do the PVC drive during the last exercise. We commended the notable ones who took their time and resources to organise PVC drive. We also take note of Government appointees who have party/governor inscription around their vehicles, and some even installed billboard for media propagation. If you move around the capital city and some major towns, you will also notice signal banners around Micra or public vehicle that show evidence of media propagation of this government and some of these were contributions of some appointees.
The ultimate authority must always rest with the individual’s own reason and critical analysis. Governor Makinde has laid a solid foundation in Oyo State, this should make it easy for the appointees to work on.
The roots of all goodness lie in the soil of appreciation for goodness. Because of lack of moral principle, human life becomes worthless. Moral principle, truthfulness, is a key factor. If we lose that, then there is no future. The contribution of the government appointees should be seen physically, socially and well recognised.
APC is using coping mechanism to put our people into captivity, otherwise why would any well person in the face of the economic ruins, security and many difficulties facing Nigeria will still allow themselves to be used to continue the confusion and evil which this APC government represent. Does Oyo State APC think residents are suffering from Stockholm syndrome?
Who are these people setting up fake accounts to try and influence votes for our morally wretched politicians? It is high time any major supporters and believers of Governor Makinde to appear physically and also use his or her social media handles to promote the good governance.
It is time to infuse life with action, nobody waits for it to happen, make it happen. Governor Makinde is the hope of workers, pensioners, market women and men, youth and all residents of the state.
According to William Shakespeare he opined that hell is empty for all the devils are here, you’re benefiting from a government and yet working against it. We strongly believe inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. Governor Makinde needs a sledge hammer where necessary, as the Chinese philosopher and politician, Confucius said ” When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.
Olusegun Adebesin Societal Values Organisation of Oyo State.
