Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Kola Abiola, unequivocally said yesterday that he would win the 2023 presidential election.
Kola Abiola disclosed this while speaking with journalists at the funeral service of the late PRP governorship candidate in Ogun State, Prof. David Bamgbose, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.
He said: “I am going to win, Insha Allah. I have no doubt. You see we are always used to having things done in a particular way. We don’t do things in a particular way here. We are out to disrupt the process.
“If we run it the way it is run, we will never win, but if we run it my way, there is no doubt. And that’s what happened in 1992 to 1993. I ran that election from top to bottom. I did the planning, I did the execution, I did everything. All those jingles, if you remember, I did it.
“I ran that election without the typical way of running an election and we won. It is still the best and freest election today in Nigeria. We are going to do a repeat, but this time, it’s for myself.”
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has declared that the PDP National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu won’t resign as being demanded by the Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike and other PDP Governors in his camp.
Atiku, in a reaction to the withdrawal of Wike and his loyalists from the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, urged the aggrieved party chieftains to have a rethink and retrace their steps
In a statement on Wednesday, Atiku said: “On the calls for the resignation or removal from office of our national chairman, however, I must reiterate what I have said severally in public and in private; the decision for Dr. Iyorchia Ayu to resign from office is personal to Dr. Ayu and, neither I nor anyone else can make that decision for him.
“As to the calls for the removal of Dr. Ayu from office, however, I will state that, as a committed democrat and firm believer in the rule of law and democratic tenets, and our party being one set up, organised and regulated by law and our constitution, it is my absolute belief that every thing that we do in our party must be done in accordance with, and conformity to, the law and our constitution.
“If Dr. Ayu is to be removed from office, it must be done in accordance with the laws that set out the basis for such removal. In any event, you will all recall that the very body that is empowered by law to initiate this removal from office, has already passed a vote of confidence in him”.
The National Industrial Court has ordered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), to call off the ongoing Strike.
Justice Polycarp Hamman, in a ruling on Wednesday, said he was invoking Section 18 of Trade Dispute Act, which allows the court to order an end to strike when national interest is at stake.
Justice Hamman held that it was necessary to end the strike because the students have a right to education.
Gov Wike’s strategy team has pulled out of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, while insisting that Iyorcha Ayu must resign to pave way for an acting National Chairman of Southern extraction to lead the PDP to victory in the 2023 general election.
List of PDP Chieftains who have pulled out of Atiku’s campaign council
1:Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike 2:Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde 3:Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom 4:Abia State Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu 5:Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi 6:Ex Plateau State Governor, Jonah Jang 7:Ex Gombe State Governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo 8;Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose 9:Former Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko 10:Former Cross River State Governor, Donald Duke 11:Bode George of Lagos 12:Jerry Gana 13:Dan Orbih from Edo and a host of others. 14:Rt. Hon. Prince Chibudhom Nwuche
The political firmament of Osun State is becoming interesting by the day as opportunists of the Peoples Democratic Party’s(PDP) extraction of different shades are jostling for attention to identify with Senator Ademola Adeleke in his futile efforts to sustain his pyrrhic victory as the declared winner in the July 16, 2022 governorship election in the state.
Of particular notice is that some of those scheming to have a taste of the dreamt controversial mandate who could not walk have been pleading to be carried shoulder high in order to be noticed by the political power brokers in the Ede Country Home of the Adeleke Dynasty.
The plight of the political schemers in the uncertain futuristic administration of the Adeleke administration could be likened to an engagement by a group of people with puerile minds who are counting their eggs before they are hatched.
It is strange that some people who are apparently thinking through their anuses have lost their thinking and comprehension capacity to acknowledge the fact that an election is a process which consists of many segments which begins at voters’ registration to the actual voting and subsequently litigation segment which begins at the election petition tribunal to the Court of Appeal and ends finally at the Supreme Court which is the highest court of record in Nigeria.
Whoever is displeased with the verdict of the Supreme Court only has the latitude to carry his appeal to God Almighty or shut his mouth permanently till eternity as there is no room for forgiveness of sins inside the grave in line with the globally accepted doctrine of Christianity . The Osun PDP elements should tarry and endeavour to cease from behaving as being blessed with clairvoyance that will enable them have the content of the mastery of the pregnancy of a proverbial snail.
One thing that is clear is that God will not in any way allow the plundering of the State of the Virtuous by the political vampires in the appearance of pungently famished reactionary elements who have been gallivanting all over the state desperately looking for a way to sulking it to a skeletal mode or gangraping it to the point of death.
It is a shame to the entire pack of the Osun State PDP that there’s none of them who could be found capable, eligible and worthy enough to either be the caretaker chairman of the party or its spokesman as the chairman and the party’s spokesman are non-indigenes of Osun State.
My check indicates that the medical doctor- caretaker chairman of the state PDP hails from Ondo State while the spokesman is a native of Ilora in Oyo State.
This is the reason why the caretaker chairman and the spokesman who are people of less stake in Osun State do not care a jolt if the state is burned into ashes through their unguarded and inflammatory outbursts on every issue ranging from the mundane to the sublime.
Having stated all this, one thing that is crystal clear is that the community of legal practitioners owe the focused, gentle, easy-going, affable and hardworking Governor Oyetola a monumental commendation for being steadily becoming iconoclastic in enriching the knowledge of law in this country as there is every propensity for his petition to become a locus classicus in the administration of justice in this country.
Through his petition, Oyetola has been able to expose the fact that despite the hypes that accompanied the introduction of BVAS into the July 16, 2022 governorship election, the machine is not imbued with an anti-rigging quality as cases of over-voting through the electronic election device has been alleged.
It will be on record that Oyetola, through his petition, has put the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on their toes with his dymistification of the perfection of the BVAS.
The uninformed who have been rejoicing among the PDP members over the feeling that the national electoral umpire is on their side should be told point blank that the INEC which is also a respondent in this election petition matter is facing the most dreaded battle of its life over the integrity and reliability of the controversial BVAS machine at a time that the general elections are approaching in this country.
It is my fervent recommendation that all the principal stakeholders in the administration of justice should not, without further delay, wait till Governor Oyetola is commended and honoured for this his rare feat that would be globally beneficial in the area of dispensation of justice in the nation’s election related matters.
A large number of members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in Ekiti State have called on the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar not to reckon with the former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Ayodele Fayose ahead of his Campaign for the 2023 election.
According to the PDP members, any attempt to allow Fayose lead the campaign committee in the state would be vehemently resisted.
At a meeting held in Ado Ekiti, the PDP members alleged that Fayose was never in support of the Atiku dream, alleging that his coming back to take up the campaign work was not out of genuine mind but for selfish reason.
The meeting had in attendance, a former Deputy Governor, Professor Olusola Kolapo, former lawmaker, Dr Samuel Omotosho, former Chairman Gbonyin Local Government, Sade Akinrinmola, former PDP State Chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase and many more too numerous to mention.
Addressing the gathering, the PDP state factional chairman, Hon. Deji Ogunsakin explained that the party could no longer tolerate the one man show style of Fayose which had continued to ruin the chances of the party.
Ogunsakin urged every member of the party to go back to their wards and units to mobilize for Atiku and Okowa ahead of the 2023 election.
Also in a remark, a former Deputy Governor of the state, Professor Olusola Kolapo said Atiku is the hope of Nigeria hence all hands must be on deck to ensure his victory during the election.
Professor Kolapo however affirmed that all members of the party must be given sense of belonging that would encourage them to give their best.
According to him, it is dangerous to place the leadership of the campaign team for Atiku on Fayose, saying the end result may be disheartening.
He said members of the party does not have confidence any more in his leadership style.
Kolapo said: “We need liberation and free hand to carry out this task ahead, we can’t continue in a system that has continued to fail us and destabilize our party.
Also, the former chairman, Ekiti State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Dr. Samuel Omotosho said Fayose had failed the party several times by virtue of his greed and selfishness hence he can no longer be trusted with an herculean task of securing victory for Atiku.
His words:” Fayose has never supported Atiku from onset, coming back to PDP now and trying to champion the crusade of Atiku is not because he is committed or passionate but because he only want to get his money.
“All candidates are asked to come back to our fold if they want to win election, because their loyalty to a one man show will not earn them victory, he concluded.
Osun state Governor-elect, Senator Nurudeen Ademola Jackson Adeleke has condemned sponsored posts on his alleged admission of over-voting, accusing Mr Gboyega Oyetola and the All Progressive Congress of criminal misrepresentation of facts before the Tribunal.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Senator Adeleke explained that his defence at the Tribunal disproved Mr Gboyega Oyetola’s claim of over-voting in 750 polling as it was created by the incomplete data of BVAS based on the unsynchronised BVAS report that was used by the petitioners.
The statement further affirmed that the false over-voting does not represent what is on the BVAS machine itself and the Forms EC8A, explaining that full statement of the Governor-elect filed on oath at the Tribunal was explicit and detailed.
For the benefit of members of the public, there are two aspects to the defence with respect to APC’s claim of over-voting.
The first aspect is that the over-voting in 750 polling units as claimed by Oyetola/APC in their petition is false over-voting created by the incomplete data of BVAS based on the unsynchronised BVAS report. This does not represent what is on the BVAS machine itself and the Forms EC8A. The correct result is as captured in the synchronised BVAS report which tallies with the data on the BVAS MACHINE itself.
The defence also affirmed further that even if the false over-voting in the unsynchronised BVAS report is unlikely admitted, the PDP will still be leading if votes from the affected six polling units are removed, adding however that “such admission is however impossible because the Tribunal will never rely on the unsynchronised BVAS report because it is at variance with what is contained on the BVAS machine itself.
The statement while clarifying that the digital foot print of the BVAS machine is verifiable, submitted that both Governor -elect
As political parties and politicians warm up for the commencement of campaigns ahead of the 2023 general election, the All Progressives Congress in Oyo state has told prospective voters to be wary of “fake and deceitful record of achievements which Governor Seyi Makinde and his team have packaged with a view to using it as campaign documents and thus mislead the public including the hapless electorate”.
It is recalled that Engr. Makinde emerged the successor to late Senator Abiola Ajimobi on May 29, 2019 following his electoral victory against Mr. Adebayo Adelabu, the then gubernatorial candidate of the APC, and he (Makinde) is now seeking a second term in office with the APC’s Sen. Teslim Folarin and Adelabu of Accord Party as his main challengers.
In a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC said that “Gov. Makinde’s quest for another term in office is an affront targeted at the good people of the Pacesetter state who have gained little or nothing from his administration in the last 40 months.
“The governor had left no one in doubt of what his priority would be when he abandoned preparation of governance blueprint for inauguration day rehearsal as well as euphoria of occupying the governor seat. He would later nail it with his uninspiring inaugural address which got many people disappointed as he failed to convince the world that he was prepared to raise the bar from the legacies of the Sage- Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Chief Bola Ige, Lam Adesina, Abiola Ajimobi and others.
“Forty months after, the full reality has dawned on the people that the PDP administration of Gov. Seyi Makinde has nothing to offer except window dressing, grandstanding and misappropriation of scarce resources. We now have an administration which has brought governance to a ridiculous level as against the traditional sterling performances which almost all the chief occupants of Agodi Government House have recorded in their respective times.
“Today, we have a government which prefers empowerment of miscreants to creation of enabling environment for investors to engage our teeming unemployed youths. We have a government which does not only celebrate cosmetic projects done at inflated cost but also mobilizes hirelings and praise-singers for orchestration. As a matter of fact, Gov. Makinde’s administration would occupy a good space in the history of bad governance and clueless government in the whole world.
“States such as Ebonyi, Borno, Osun, Gombe and Kaduna earn far less in terms of federal allocations and internally generated revenue but the value which their respective governors have added in the last three years is a pointer to the fact that Oyo state has been on a downward slope since June 2019. For the avoidance of doubt, we challenge Gov. Makinde to name any of the key sectors of the economy where he has performed exceptionally since he came into office.
“Interestingly, the song on the lips of conscious and discerning indigenes and residents of Oyo state is that Gov. Makinde should endeavour to stop further desecration of the Pacesetter status of the state. Even if he cannot pick any good thing from Gov. Wike who is obviously his Godfather, he should desist from acting like an aide to his Rivers state colleague henceforth. We would also like to put it on record that Gov. Makinde’s quest to be relevant at the level of national politics is ill-advised and a clear indication that he does not have any serious thing to do with governance again in the state.
“The good people of Oyo state are tired of deceit, cronyism and noise making in exchange for creativity, responsibility and responsiveness. It is on this note that we are calling on voters in the state not to be swayed by the packaged media noise and fake record of achievements expected from the camp of Oyo PDP and Gov. Makinde in the coming days as we go into electioneering campaigns ahead of the next general election because once bitten, twice shy.” The statement added.
The Lagos chapter of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disagreed with Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State on his call for removal of Sen. Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s National Chairman. Makinde and some South West PDP leaders on Wednesday called for Ayu’s resignation at the zone’s stakeholders’ meeting with the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Mr Hakeem Amode, on Saturday, the Lagos State Chapter of PDP said that it distanced itself from the call for Ayu’s removal because of the potential crisis such removal could plunge the party into. Amode said that the chapter believed that PDP had survived as a political party due to adherence to the constitution of the party and its rules and regulations. “As much as we extolled His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, as our leader in the southwest, there was no prior meeting where such agreement was reached with the leadership of the party in Lagos State. “The leadership of the party in Lagos State will like to commend the national leadership of our great party, PDP, in its efforts to rescue the country.
“We appeal to the amiable leadership of our party in the southwest region to work together to return the Peoples Democratic Party to its glorious days in the administration of the southwest region of the country. “Our focus should be directed mainly to encouraging our teeming members to rally round our candidates vying for House of Assembly, House of Representatives, Senate and Governorship positions and ensure they win the elections,” Amode said.
According to him, achieving electoral victory for PDP in Ogun, Lagos, Ekiti, Ondo and Oyo states will register strongly the importance of southwest in the affairs of PDP and Nigeria. “Considering our position as the state in the heart of the coming elections, hosting the APC presidential candidate and being a preferred opposition party to win the election, Lagos State PDP cannot afford a disunited regional leadership. “We appeal to individuals who view the removal of the National Chairman as a way to resolve to the internal crisis rocking the party to have a rethink and respect for the constitution of the party.
“We should see the need to form a solidly viable alliance that can guarantee our party’s victory in the next general elections,” Amode said. Our correspondent reports that the PDP was hit by crisis after Alhaji Atiku Abubakar emerged the party’s Presidential Candidate for the 2023 General Elections.
Some PDP governors and leaders are insisting that, for fairness, northern Nigeria should not hold both the party’s presidential ticket and chairmanship position. Leading in the struggle for resignation of Ayu, who is from the North Central, is Gov. Nyesom Wike of Rivers and other leaders from southern Nigeria. The call for Ayu’s resignation was strongly made by some South West PDP leaders led by Makinde, on Wednesday, when Atiku met with leaders from the zone ahead of the commencement of 2023 General Elections campaign, on Sept. 28.
The People’s Governor, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran (JANDOR) and his running mate, Olufunke Akindele earlier today visited Mr. Lateef Kolapo and Mr. Osinachi Ndukwe, two of the victims of the recently auctioned 134 cars impounded for traffic offences by the Lagos State Government.
The state government on Thursday auctioned 134 impounded vehicles at the Taskforce compound in Alausa, Ikeja.
Lateef Kolapo claimed that his vehicle was driven by his mechanic while he was ill and hospitalized. Osinachi Ndukwe said he was sentenced to 3 months imprisonment for driving against the traffic and the vehicle was impounded. During his jail term, he lost his three-year-old daughter due to non-availability of funds to cater for her health. After serving the jail term, his bus was auctioned and his means of survival gone.
JANDOR commiserated with Osinachi for his loss but kicked against reckless driving and violation of traffic laws. He however condemned the State government for the harsh punishment of taking the offenders means of livelihood.
The People’s Governor assured the residents of the state that violation of traffic laws will also not be condoned when he emerge as the governor of the state in the 2023 guber election but any legislation that takes away means of livelihood of the offenders will be reviewed.
He later gifted the victims with cash support to ameliorate their condition.
