Category: Politics

The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has maintained that some saboteurs in Buhari’s administration are working with PDP to jeopardize his ambition.

This was contained in a statement made available today to ODUDUWA NEWS by Director of Tinubu’s Campaign Media Committee, Bayo Onanuga as read in part:

“Nigerians should no longer be in doubt about those working in cahoots with fifth columnists in the system to inflict avoidable pains on our hapless people for political end.

“No sooner Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu empathised with the Nigerian people facing the dual crises of fuel and new Naira notes scarcity, than the opposition PDP and the Atiku camp issued a knee-jerk response, derailing from the issues, distorting Asiwaju’s statement and trying, in vain, to create a wedge between our presidential candidate and President Muhammadu Buhari.

“When the guilty are afraid of being uncovered, they try to push back with red-herring

“For the records, Asiwaju Tinubu during APC campaign rally at Abeokuta on Wednesday, in his statement, did not mention, blame or accuse President Muhammadu Buhari for the current challenges in the country.

“Asiwaju Tinubu was only adverting government’s attention to the sabotage being carried out by some Fifth Columnists in the system, possibly working in cahoots with the PDP.

“The CBN officials, including Governor Godwin Emefiele have said many times that enough new Naira notes have been supplied to the banks, yet our people complain that they have not been able to get the new notes.

“In recent days, many ATMs are either not working or when working they are dispensing the old notes, just a few days to the January 31 deadline.

“Similarly, Asiwaju Tinubu is aware of the salutary efforts by President Buhari to end the fuel queues, by chairing a 14-man panel. Yet the queues and agony continue.

“For a presidential candidate, who cares about the suffering of our people, he has a duty to warn government that its efforts to make life better for Nigerians are being sabotaged on several fronts.

“Our presidential candidate only re-echoed what is well known and acknowledged, even by President Buhari himself at different fora: That there are Fifth Columnists in and outside of government who often throw spanners in the works against good intentions and programmes of the government.

“How does an advisory genuinely made by Asiwaju Tinubu to protect and create goodwill for the government of his party become an attack? It can only be so in the jaundiced view of the PDP.

“It is in this light we found amusing the directionless Atiku Campaign’s bagful of mischief in their hurriedly put together press statement meant to gain shameful mileage from the suffering of Nigerians.

“PDP and Atiku should remember not to get high on their own smoke. No political blackmail and an attempt to create a conflict between Tinubu and his long-term ally, President Muhammadu Buhari can succeed.

“We have bad news for Atiku and his handlers: their latest mischief is therefore doomed to fail.

“The Atiku rudderless campaign, always seeking cheap shots and easy ways has again woefully attempted to make a mountain out of a molehill from the comments made by Asiwaju Tinubu in Abeokuta.

“As a patriotic and compassionate leader, Asiwaju Tinubu will not stomach seeing ordinary Nigerians being made to face excessive difficulties over mundane issues due to activities of petrol and currency hoarders.

“As a proud leader of the APC, Asiwaju Tinubu would not also look indifferent as his party and the government get dirtied with black brush at a critical time like this, whether he is a candidate or not.

“Atiku camp’s hasty move to mine political capital out of the clearly difficult situation betrays his campaign’s possible connivance, due to its desperation.

As Asiwaju said in Abeokuta, these orchestrated hardships will not stop his impending victory come 25 February. Nigerians shall surely vote for a party that is working to solve all the problems and mess created by the PDP for which their presidential candidate was an integral part in the, largely, 16 unproductive years they spent in government.

“Atiku and his team can continue their indulgence in fake news and twisted narratives, they cannot change the minds of majority of Nigerians who have long rejected the PDP and Atiku, after their 16 wasted years in power”.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state has blasted the governorship candidate of Accord, Bayo Adelabu over a statement credited to him in a story that circulated in a section of online media yesterday where he described Governor Seyi Makinde’s planned 10 percent allocation increments for traditional rulers as a trick.

The Publicity Secretary of the ruling PDP in Oyo state, Akeem Olatunji, in a press statement on Thursday morning January 26 described the statement credited to the Accord guber candidate as laughable and unbecoming of the politician who is daily becoming notorious for his grandstanding lifestyle.

The ruling PDP noted that it was rather unfortunate for someone aspiring to one day hold the number office in the state not to understand that government is entirely about the people’s welfare and wellbeing and not a profit making hotel business.

Governor Seyi Makinde had announced plans to increase allocation of traditional rulers in various Local Government areas in the state from the initial 5 to 10 percent as part of his administration’s commitment to their wellbeing while on campaign tour to Egbeda local government last week.

Adelabu in a reaction on Wednesday to the Governor’s gesture had criticized the plan describing it as a trick, advising traditional rulers and the people not to fall for it.

But in its reaction, the ruling PDP described Adelabu otherwise known as ‘Penkelemes’ as a noisy and un-serious politician who is at best a serial loser now on the losers’ list to lose again, saying the 2019 APC governorship candidate who lost in the 2019 election and has repeated his failure during the last APC primaries leaving him and his co-travelers with zero hope than to settle for their new found home in Accord.

The party added that it was clearly obvious without mincing words that the Adelabu that is seen by the physical eyes is different from the real one inside stressing that if given a chance, he has shown that he would become a tyrant and fearful dictator without empathy for the masses or respect for traditional rulers and institutions.

“It is even so good that Adelabu has unveiled himself as the tyrant and dictator Oyo will be very lucky to never experience at the helms of affairs having exposed his ridiculously disdainful disposition towards our respected traditional rulers and institutions or how would anyone with genuine heart to serve criticize such laudable gesture by Governor Seyi Makinde?” The party queried.

While maintaining that Governor Makinde’s unwavering commitment to the welfare and wellbeing of the people from inception of the present administration has become enviable by other governors, criticism from a noisy detractor as Adelabu will not deter the governor from extending the same affection to traditional institutions as already proposed.

The ruling PDP in the state also urged Adelabu not to waste anybody’s time thinking he was still in the 2023 governorship race as it has become an open secret that he (Adelabu) has agreed in principle to return to his vomit to surrender his aspiration for his master who kicked him out of the APC like a political orphan last year.

While maintaining that Adelabu did not even secure the 2019 APC governorship ticket on merit, Olatunji said, the former CBN deputy governor through his Lagos political lord paid through his nose and allegedly bribed his way through to pick the 2019 APC ticket against all existing structure within the opposition party.

Olatunji added that shortly before the APC primary election Adelabu ended up a failure again losing woefully to his opponent, urging the people to ignore him as it has become his self styled approach to deliberately stay blind to Governor Makinde’s ingenuity to the people of Oyo state.

The ruling party’s Spokesman reminded Adelabu that it was Makinde’s political sagacity, skills, acumen, and leadership that were deployed to solve the quagmire the last APC administration to which he previously belonged, almost plunged the state into when it altered the Ibadan Kingship ascendancy known to arguably be the best in the world.

While cautioning Adelabu to avoid picking the wrong person for his media attention gambling, the ruling PDP guided the Accord guber candidate to get more training on how to tread within the state’s political landscape saying “Adelabu has continued to de-market himself and whatever there is about his little political fortune by every word that goes out of his mouth against a man the masses have themselves nicknamed ‘God’s sent man’s.

“The problem with Adelabu is that he hasn’t actually learned or shown to have learned anything just yet since his sojourn in polity which is too bad for his political development as an individual. Despite the chances he has had in the past which are enough indicators for any grassroots politician to know that he’s a rookie, he has remained in his self inflicted delusion thinking he could be anything close to his procured 2019 guber ticket in subsequent primaries.

“He doesn’t know when to speak and when to be silent. Playing an opposition desperately seeking political relevance is not by constituting yourself into a sort of sadist or pessimist who is perpetually blind to anything and everything positive about the government in power or what Governor Makinde is doing to make Oyo really great again. His attitude is very laughable and did not in any way portray a slightest atom of someone born into a political family.

“As far as Oyo state is concerned with Governor Makinde’s planned 10 percent increments for traditional rulers allocation, it is only in Adelabu’s eyes that the widely applauded and commendable move by the Governor was wrong and tricky wondering why the Accord guber candidate in the coming election was fond of speaking before processing his words.

“We advise him to seek more political counsel and guidance on how to be a better politician and maybe when he still finds himself in a privileged position he’d be able to understand this game better but for now, he should simply return to his vomit and join his master in the APC as it’s no longer news he has woken up into reality to understand he has no chance and certainly not in this 2023 race”.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has attributed the ongoing scarcity of fuel to the handiwork of saboteurs who are hell-bent at sabotaging his ambition.

Tinubu made this disclosure today at the ongoing campaign of the party holding at Abeokuta, state capital of Ogun State.

He said that some people are hoarding the fuel in order to sabotage the elections.

“Some people are hoarding fuel to frustrate us, whether there is fuel or not we will go out and collect our PVC to vote.

“When we have our PVC, we shall vote for APC, “e lo fokanbale”, let’s put our minds at rest, the saboteurs cannot jeopardize our ambition”, said Tinubu.

Details later.

The Osun Governorship Election Petition Tribunal has announced Friday, January 27, 2023, for delivery of judgment in the appeal filed by former Osun governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.

The announcement, contained in a court paper dated, January 24, 2023, and signed by the tribunal secretariat, was obtained by DAILY POST on Tuesday in Osogbo.

Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had challenged the victory of Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.

INEC had declared Adeleke the winner of the election, having polled 403, 271 votes against 375,027 polled by Oyetola.

Oyetola and the Osun APC, ODUDUWA NEWS recalls had on August 5, 2022, petitioned the tribunal against the outcome of the election conducted by INEC.

Oyetola and the APC were challenging the election results from 749 polling units across 10 local government areas of the state for various alleged electoral malpractice, especially over-voting.

The local governments challenged were from the Osun West senatorial district of the state.

Barely few days the Peoples Democratic Party PDP has suspended son of the former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and other notable members of the party over allegations of anti-party, the caretaker committee has been constituted.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has, on behalf of the National Executive Committee (NEC), pursuant to Sections 29(2)(b) and 31(2)(e) of the Constitution of the party (as amended in 2017), approved the composition of the Ekiti State PDP Caretaker Committee to run the affairs of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Party for a period not exceeding 90 days (3 months).

According to the information obtained by ODUDUWA NEWS, the members of the Ekiti State PDP Caretaker Committee are:

1. Arch. Sadiq Obanoyen -Chairman
2. Hon. Ojoade Fajana – Member
3. Chief Mrs Adijat Eniola Balogun – member
4. Hon. Oladimeji Joshua Ayodele – member
5. Chief Boboye Adekunle – member
6. Hajia Lawal Idayat Tosin – member
7. Comrade Waliu Olawole Oladipupo – member
8. Erelu Toyin Olumilua Mark – member
9. Dr. Alade Beatrice Modupe – Member
10. Aare Temitope Amerijoye – Member
11. Barr. Dosu Babatunde – Member/Secretary

This appointment is with immediate effect.

The NWC urges all leaders, critical stakeholders and teeming members of our Party in Ekiti State to continue to work together and remain focused on the task ahead.

Veteran actor and movie director, Prince Jide Kosoko, on Friday, joined a host of other notable leaders and players in the Nigerian movie industry to rally for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the reelection of Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

The rally, which took the thespians around Ikorodu, in the Lagos East Senatorial District, under the auspices of the Creative Directorate of the Independent Campaign Council for Tinubu-Shettima and Sanwo-Olu-Hamzat, was a prelude to the ICC Creative Directorate’s Campaign Crusade slated for the Ita-Elewa Field, Ikorodu on Sunday, 22nd of January, 2023.

The rally, which witnessed a long convoy of vehicles and trucks, with a live music band, attracted other Nollywood heavyweights, including Otunba Adedayo Salami (Oga Bello), Alhaji Yinka Quadri, movie director, Tunji Bamisigbin, Fathia Balogun, Remi Surutu, Ayo Bintu Mogaji, Ayo Adesanya and Monsuru Obadina (Fala)

Others who took part in the rally are Ayo Badmus, Ojoge, Baba Balo, Akeem Alimi (Ajala), Taiwan Ibikunle, Thompson, Adewale Elesho, Bimpe Akintunde, Adewale Hassan, Wole Ojojolu and Tope Kaka amongst several others.

Kosoko, who is the secretary of the Creative Directorate of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, during the rally, encouraged residents of Ikorodu and its environs to make haste to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), which he said is the only licence they have to determine who becomes the next President, Governor, Senator, House of Representatives member and member of the House of Assembly representing their localities.

According to him, the rally and campaign crusade in Ikorodu is the first leg of a three part rallies and Campaign Crusades, as the team will also storm the remaining two senatorial districts in the state, Central and West, to drum support for all the candidates of the APC in the February 25 and March 11 general elections.

Speaking to journalists shortly after addressing the crowd that gathered at Igbogbo, Ikorodu to welcome the team, Prince Kosoko said: “What we are doing today and will continue tomorrow (Saturday) is to achieve three purposes. One is to sensitise the residents of the areas visited on the need to collect their PVCs. Reports from INEC showed that there are still a high number of PVCs yet to be collected by those that registered, making it imperative for us as models and public opinion moulders to take the campaign for the collection of PVCs to the local people.

“Secondly, we are doing this to encourage and convince residents of Lagos East Senatorial District and the other two districts we shall be visiting on the merits of voting for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat for a second term, Senator Tokunboh Abiru, Rep Member, Babajimi Benson and off course the House of Assembly candidates of the APC in the district.

“Thirdly, we are using the street and market rallies to attract residents of Ikorodu to attend the Campaign Crusade slated for Sunday in Ikorodu. We christened the Sunday event Campaign Crusade because we shall be preaching the good news of Asiwaju Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu and all other candidate’s candidacy in the forthcoming elections.

“For us, it is goodness that these noble men have presented themselves to Lagosians and Nigerians for service. It then behoves on us to preach it so that we can get as many as possible to key in into it and massively vote for them on election days.”

Speaking in the same vein, Alhaji Yinka Quadri, who is the Director of the ICC Creative Arts Directorate, said his directorate is in high spirit and ready to go all out to ensure that all the candidates of the APC in the state, including the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Tinubu receive the maximum support and votes of Lagosians.

The All Progressives Congress APC in Oyo state has alleged that Governor Seyi Makinde has done enough damage to the key sectors of the economy, particularly education, that his administration should not be allowed to be in the saddle beyond May 29, 2023.

Oyo APC’s lamentation came against the backdrop of a video clip which went viral on the social media wherein a female teacher and her male colleague were chanting a PDP campaign song to pupils of a public primary school in the state. In the same video, the female teacher who adorned a fez cap customized for the reelection campaign of Gov. Makinde was caught telling the minors to master the vote-for-PDP song and relay it to their parents at home.

In a statement issued at the weekend and made available to ODUDUWA NEWS by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC called on all stakeholders to rise up and condemn what it described as “height of impunity, insensitivity and lawlessness being displayed by the present administration and its agents across the state.

“The whole world was taken aback few days ago when the video clip in which the shameful act was perpetrated leaked to the public space. Initially, we found it extremely hard to believe what was contained in the video clip because we did know that things had gone bad to that level and this explains why our reaction came only when we had done proper investigation and established the veracity of the matter.

“The video revealed how few compromised teachers and public servants were being used to do politics in sharp contrast to the dictate of the law, ethics of their profession and social responsibility ethos. We have been made to see the major reason for the pitiable condition of education in the state as those expected to teach morals and impart knowledge have been handed the duty of dirty politicking using the innocent minors as tools.

“The Makinde administration which changed the normal school curriculum to open political campaigns at a time serious academic exercise should be taking place in schools would later demand good performance of pupils at internal and external examinations to give a false impression of progress and giant strides. As a result of this, handlers of this pupils would be left with no option than to encourage examination malpractices as this recently manifested in the delisting of 50 schools by WAEC across Oyo state.

“There have been reports of academic exercises being disrupted by some overzealous appointees and local government council officials in many places visited by Gov. Makinde as teachers and pupils would be forced to file up on the major roads and wave PDP flags at the convoy of the governor with a view to creating an impression that he (Makinde) was popular. In many instances, pupils would be made to stay under the scorching sun for hours even as they were exposed to the danger in the hands of PMS thugs who drive recklessly in the long convoy.

“While we assure the public that necessary steps would be taken to make a scapegoat of the erring teachers by the appropriate authorities, it is very essential for the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to sensitize their members on the need to maintain professional standard at all times and also resist attempts by evil politicians to turn them into a tool of dirty politicking.” Sadare stated.

….The Rivers governor dared Ayu to suspend the G5 governors and see if he could withstand the repercussion.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has described the dissolution of the Ekiti State executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by the Iyorchia Ayu-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the party as an act of tyranny that will be challenged in court.

The governor, who dared the PDP national chairman, Ayu to suspend him or any of the G5 governors, warned that the resort to despotism by the NWC will not do the PDP any good in the forthcoming general elections.

The Rivers governor stated this on Saturday at the campaign flag-off rally by the State PDP Campaign Council in Bori, Khana Local Government Area.

Wike explained that the reason why the dissolution of the Ekiti State working committee will be challenged in court is because there are still members of the PDP who believe in the rule of law and that the party should respect its constitution.

“Let me also use this opportunity to say to Iyorchia Ayu and his team, your dissolving Ekiti State Exco will not help you in anyway. Your suspending people will not help you in anyway. The battle line has been fully drawn. As I speak to you, we will do everything legally possible to challenge any decision we know is illegal,” he said.

He stressed that the Ayu led NWC resort to tyranny will do more damage to the PDP as far as the 2023 general elections are concerned.

“So, don’t think you can threaten people by saying so, so persons have been suspended. Rubbish! Completely rubbish. We are above that level that you think you can threaten anybody, intimidate anybody with whatever illegal decision you have taken.”

The Rivers governor dared Ayu to suspend the G5 governors and see if he could withstand the repercussion.

“So, we are waiting for you to announce my own and any other of my friend. Like I have said, when a man says you will not sleep, he too, will he sleep? Will Ayu sleep? Will those his cohorts sleep? So don’t worry, we have the capacity to pay back. We have the capacity to tell you that enough is enough.”

Wike urged the electorate in Khana to vote for the PDP governorship candidate, Siminialayi Fubara, as well as all national and legislative candidates in the 2023 general election in order to consolidate on the achievements of his administration.

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON has approved Tuesday, 24th January, 2023 a Work-Free Day.

This is to enable all eligible voters in the State collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) designated centers in their respective Local Government Areas.

Governor Akeredolu urged Civil Servants, Private Workers, Artisans, and other well-meaning residents of the State who are eligible voters to seize the opportunity and collect their PVCs.

The Governor in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde called on the people to place premium on the collection of PVCs to enable them exercise their franchise in the forthcoming elections.

“The importance of the forthcoming elections can not be overemphasised . There is an urgent need for us to address the low rate of PVCs collection in the Southwest. Beyond partisan lines, it is imperative that our people understand that the PVC is their license to enthrone desired political leadership.

“We are constrained to take this decision to enable our people take this advantage and collect their PVCs. It’s important that we all exercise our civic responsibilities.

“All political appointees and other government functionaries are also directed to return to their local governments and wards to encourage our people to collect their PVCs.” the statement added.