Nothing But Fact
Ibadan-based Islamic scholar, Afeez Akinola has declared to contest the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Oyo state.
Olasupo noted that God directed him to contest for the post of President, saying that Nigerians are currently in abject poverty, hence the need for a God’s fearing leader to emerge.
Three Commissioners serving presently in Oyo State, Hon Wasiu Olatunbosun (Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism), Hon Adebisi (Commissioner For Agric) and Barrister Seun Asamu (Commissioner for Energy). as well as former Speaker of Oyo State House of Assembly, Sen. Monsurat Summon have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party as the 2023 election approaches.
The list also includes special advisers to the Governor, elected vice-chairmen at local government councils, elected councillors and supervisory councillors.
Their defection was made known at a press conference organized by ADC at an event centre located at Bodija, Ibadan.
Hon Wasiu, who spoke on behalf of the decampees, noted that the party members made the decision to integrate the PDP fold to further enhance the reelection of Governor Seyi Makinde in 2023.
Legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), has said an interim government should replace the current administration at the expiration of the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in 2023.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Babalola told a news conference in Ado-Ekiti on Monday that the interim government should be in force for six months to chart a new course for Nigeria.
He stressed that the 2023 elections should be suspended until Nigeria has “a new-look peoples’ Constitution which should provide for part-time legislators and non-executive President.”
He added that members of the interim government should be drawn from among living former Presidents and vice-presidents; some selected ministers and governors and delegates of prominent professional associations like the Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Bar Association and the Nigeria Labour Congress among others.
Babalola said, “The 1999 Constitution has made politics become not only very attractive, but lucrative business in Nigeria today.
“What this means is that any election that holds under the present scenario will end up producing transactional and recycled leaders with no ability to turn things around.”
The university proprietor advised that the new Constitution, which should be coordinated by the interim government, should spell out rules and regulations on improved qualifications of those contesting elections.
The Lagos State Government has shut down all Chrisland Schools in Lagos State indefinitely.
This followed a controversy generated over an “immoral act” engaged in by students of the school during a trip to Dubai.
The shutdown notice was contained in a press statement on Monday.
The statement read, “The attention of the Lagos State Government has been drawn to the alleged sexual violence case involving students of Chrisland Schools which occurred in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
“It is pertinent to note that all allegations are being investigated by the relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, including the Ministry of Education, Office of Education Quality Assurance, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Ministry of Justice and the Lagos State
Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency, whilst the criminal allegations have been escalated to the Commissioner of Police.
“In view of the allegations, we are committed to ensuring that adequate medical and pscyho-social support is provided.
“This is to reassure members of the public of the State Government’s commitment to safety and child protection, especially in ensuring that all child-centred institutions within the state, formulate and implement policies and systems that are compliant with the Executive Order (NO.EO/AA08 of 2016), Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Program.
“We also use this medium to remind the general public that any person who engages in any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a child, commits an offence and is liable to a custodial sentence of 14 years. This includes “producing, distributing, receiving, or possessing an image of child pornography”.
“In the meantime, all Chrisland Schools within Lagos State are hereby closed, pending further investigations.”
Earlier yesterday, Prof. Rahman Raphael Afonja organized a Ramadan lecture at the Soun Ogunlola Hall, Ogbomosho, Oyo State.
According to ODUDUWA NEWS correspondent in Ogbomosho, the Ramadan lecture which began at exactly 11am had several people in attendance, the Chief Imam of Ogbomosho, Imam Taliat Yunus Ayilara II who led the lecture programme admonished the people of Ogbomosho to ensure that they pray fervently for peace to reign in the town in order to ensure that the installation of new Soun of Ogbomosho does not cause chaos and disharmony.
He therefore implored the Executive Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde to ensure fairness and justice in the selection process.
In his words, the former Commissioner for Works and Transport, Prof. Rahman Raphael Afonja thanked Almighty Allah for the great things He has done in his life. He however stated that he deemed fit to convert to Islam because he was convinced that was the right thing to do.
He also thanked the people of Ogbomosho for trooping out to grace the event.
He further used the medium to publicly endorse Gov Seyi Makinde for second term while hinging his reason to endorse the Governor for second term on his monumental achievements recorded in all spheres of governance.
“If you go to Oke-Ogun, alot of infrastructures have been achieved overthere. Oyo, Ogbomosho, Ibarapa and entire Ibadan are not left out in developmental programmes. I commend Engr. Seyi Makinde’s developmental strides across the State”.
“There is no doubt that if we give him second term he would move the State to the Promised Land”, said Afonja.
He also used the medium to implore the people of Ogbomosho to ensure that they collect their PVCs and that they should ensure proper assessment of their chosen candidates before they cast their votes in the coming 2023 general elections.
Professor Afonja also used the occasion to bring succour to the less privileged by distributing 1400 Ramadan packages which included foodstuffs and other items to various categories of people including the aged, widows, youths and others.
In attendance were the Chief Imam of Ogbomosho, traditional rulers, council chairmen, councillors, journalists, among several others.
Hafsat Abiola-Costello said Governor Yahaya Bello will defeat Bola Tinu, Yemi Osinbajo, and other heavyweights vying for the ticket of the All Progressives Congress for the 2023 presidency.
The Director-General, Hope 23, Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation stated this at a World Press Conference in Abuja on Sunday.
Abiola-Costello insisted that Bello will win in a free and fair contest.
The D-G, however, said though it was clear that Bello had resisted the idea of godfathers for long, he would carry the older politicians along when he becomes the president of Nigeria.
“It is good that you said, heavyweights. But he will win in a free and fair contest.
“His chances are actually the best of the group because in a competition, it is about the voters and 60 percent of Nigerians are under 30. I am his Director-General because I believe in him.
“There has been a groundswell in our country by young people to play a bigger role in our political affairs.
“You do know about the not too young to run campaign that has been going on for a long time, which led to the President signing the Not Too Young to Run Bill into law.
“Nigerian young people are ready to take more responsibilities in the governing of our affairs and this is the young people’s candidate.
“But we really value and appreciate the heavyweights and those you call tested politicians, and they can be sure that if God willing, we have president Yahaya Bello come 2023, he will carry them along, he will be consulting them and seeking their counsel.
“He will be wanting to build on their networks and resources because the country belongs to all of us, it belongs to the tested politicians and most especially, the young people of Nigeria,” the campaign D-G said.
On zoning, she said that the APC as of today had thrown open the contest, not restricting it to any zone, noting that everyone was eligible to contest regardless of the zone.
“At this time, the APC has said that all aspirants are free to contest. They have given no restrictions by zone and we are guided by that and our aspirant has the freedom to put his ambition forward.
“I can assure you that his aspiration has been done with a lot of consultations from within the party to the highest level and there have been no reservations to his aspiration…The support across Nigeria is overwhelming,” she noted.
Abiola-Costello described Bello as a unifier that her late father represented, adding that when he emerged, he would also tackle issues of poverty, insecurity, and other challenges facing the country.
“I see in Bello that he is a unifier in Nigeria. We need a Nigerian leader that is a unifier that believes in all Nigerian people and will fight for all Nigerian people.
“MKO was such a man. This Gov. Bello is also such a person. In his own cabinet in Kogi, all six geopolitical zones are represented.
“This is also somebody that fights for young people. His government has 95 percent of young people in his cabinet.
“He doesn’t just use them for campaign, he put them in government with an opportunity to have dignity,” she said.
A 77-year-old farmer narrowly escaped death when Fulani herdsmen attacked him on his farm in the Akoko North-East Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Our correspondent gathered that the victim, Benjamin Babatunde, was working on his farm on Friday at Ikakumo when his assailants came to demand money from him. Babatunde was said to have told them that he had no money.
Angered by his response, they were said to have brought out a machete which they used to inflict a cut on his head.
The incident occurred barely two weeks after a middle-aged farmer was allegedly inflicted with machete cuts by some herdsmen in the same area when he prevented them from plucking cashew on his farm. A source in the area said the septuagenarian was left for dead by his attackers.
“The victim was on his farm when the Fulani herders approached him, demanding money and the farmer said he had no money on the farm. The next thing was that they brought out a machete and cut him and left him in the pool of his own blood and later left the scene, thinking he was dead,” the source said.
The Ikare Akoko Police Commander, Mr Muri Agbola, confirmed the incident, adding that an investigation into the matter had commenced.
The Osun State Police Command has arrested three suspected ritualists with a human heart in Osogbo/OAU Ife Campus Road, Osun State.
The suspects, Olayade Kehinde, 25, Olufemi Oriyomi, 21 and Raimi Sheriff, 21 were arrested last Thursday, April 7 by police detectives on ‘stop and search’ duty.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, in a statement on Friday, said the trio on a motorcycle, were flagged down by Police on ‘Stop and Search’, “but rather than stop, sped off, and were pursued.”
The trio, according to the statement, were arrested in Safejo area of Ile-Ife.
The human heart, which they claimed was one of their friends, and various criminal charms, were found on them, Opalola stated.
Opalola further stated that one of the suspects, Oriyomi fell sick and was taken to hospital for treatment, but unfortunately, died while on admission.
His corpse, according to her, has been deposited at the State hospital for autopsy.
“The remaining two suspects will be charged to court upon conclusion of investigation,” she said.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Olawale Olokode, however, advised parents to monitor their children, and warn them against bad company they might be moving with.
He also admonished the youths “to always engage in lawful business, and shun anything that will jeopardize their brighter future, which includes all forms of ‘get rich quick’ syndrome.”
Following a suspected plan by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde not to return Senator Kola Balogun, representing Oyo south senatorial ticket, an Ibadan group, Ibadan Peace Movement (IPM) has described the move as an affront on Olubadan, Oba Lekan Balogun.
Advising Makinde to rescind the decision of imposing someone over only Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) senator in Oyo State, IPM in a statement by its spokesman, Aiki Samson on Sunday, said that the ruling party risks losing the 2023 election if another person is picked.
According to the statement, “We are miffed about what we are hearing concerning Oyo South. Senator Kola Balogun is someone we are all proud of despite being in the opposition, he has performed excellently in terms of empowerment and his primary function of lawmaking, that you will think he is a lawmaker in the camp of the ruling party at the center.
“We recall that our victory in the 2019 elections started with Senator Balogun. His victory against late former governor Abiola Ajimobi was all we needed to get into Agodi government house. His victory signaled the end of the All Progressives Congress (APC), administration.
“We are not saying anybody shouldn’t join the party but Senator Balogun deserves a return ticket, If not for anything, the Olubadan should be honoured by allowing his younger brother to go again. We are very lucky to have a senator who is a younger brother of the monarch. And if Senator Balogun is allowed to go for another term, he will automatically unleash what he has learnt in this first term, for the betterment of Oyo south and Oyo state in general,” the statement added.
ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde and other PDP stakeholders have finally endorsed Mogaji Joseph Tegbe who recently defected to PDP from APC to fly Oyo South Senatorial ticket.
Recall, this newspaper earlier reported how Oyo Central was firstly hijacked from Bisi Ilaka before some prominent personalities prevailed on Gov Makinde to allow the former Chief of Staff, Chief Bisi Ilaka fly the ticket.
The official endorsement of Tegbe was made by the leadership of the party in the State and the 9 local government areas in the Senatorial District.
Announcing the development on Sunday evening, Fresh FM’s Mayor Isaac Brown, revealed that the endorsement was reached by all critical stakeholders of the party.
Sources within the PDP reliably confirmed the truth of this development to ODUDUWA NEWS.
“The meeting was chaired by the Governor and leader of the party in the state, Seyi Makinde.
“The leadership of Oyo PDP in the 9 local government of Oyo South senatorial district has in a meeting officially endorsed Tegbe for the party’s ticket,” he was quoted saying.
As at the time of filing this report, the serving Senator, Sen. Kola Balogun, who is the younger brother of the Olubadan of Ibadan, is yet to respond to the latest development.
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