The Governor – Elect of Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke has vowed to defend and retain his electoral victory before the election petition tribunal, declaring that his emergence as Governor-elect is entrenched in total compliance with the law and will of the people.
In a statement issued on his behalf by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the Governor-Elect declared that the July 16th election was one of the most transparent election in recent Nigerian history, assuring that people’s mandate freely given against overwhelming odds will be defended and validated.
According to the statement, Senator Adeleke said PDP legal is taking appropriate action on the filing, calling on his supporters at home and abroad to remain calm as “This divine victory cannot be stolen through the backdoor..
” I urge the good people of Osun state who voted massively to reject bad governance to remain calm. We are doing the needful to defend their mandate. We will do all within our powers to ensure judicial validation of our victory as this is an election globally certified as a great advancement in electoral transparency and integrity.
” We also want to reaffirm our faith in the judiciary as a bastion of hope and justice. We have unshakeable trust in God that this election petition shall end in another landmark victory for us and the resilient people of Osun state”, the statement concluded.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has said that the state “is not anybody’s father’s inheritance”.
Apparently responding to a statement credited to his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, that the 2019 governorship election was rigged in favour of the incumbent governor.
Governor Abiodun said that he would rather focus on his social contract with the Ogun people and not “join issues with anyone who wants to play God.”
Amosun had on Friday said the election that produced Governor Abiodun was fraudulent, vowing that he would ensure the removal of the governor come 2023.
Speaking with reporters shortly after the grand finale of the 50th anniversary of the Abeokuta Club, on Saturday, Abiodun called on the people of the state to ignore his predecessor, insisting that he would not join issues with him.
“I will not be distracted by any person or persons who have a problem with self-delusion. I will not be distracted by any person who does not appreciate that Ogun State is not anybody’s father’s inheritance, we are all stakeholders in this commonwealth called Ogun State.
“I am not going to join issues with anyone that wants to play God; I will leave them to God, God can deal with whoever is challenging His authority and wants to play God. All I can say is that what we stand for in Ogun State is an administration that is committed to providing purposeful leadership and purposeful infrastructural development across the length and breadth of the state,” the governor said.
Abiodun who also noted that his administration would continue to be against a campaign of discord that would disrupt the peace and continued development of the state added that his administration remained committed to the development of all sectors of the state economy.
He, however, expressed his disappointment that a former governor and a sitting governor in 2019 would cry that he was rigged out during the election.
Former Ogun State Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun has vowed to work against the re-election of Governor Dapo Abiodun. Recall that Amosun had backed the candidature of Adekunle Akinlade who contested on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) against Abiodun who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Abiodun had defeated Akinlade with 241,670 votes against 222,153 votes.
Speaking on Friday in Abeokuta after receiving an award, Amosun said Governor Dapo Abiodun was rigged into office.
The lawmaker representing Ogun Central Senatorial district claimed that those who helped rig Abiodun into office have apologized to him.
He said: “During the last election, thank God, Chief Osoba is here, I have said it, we won convincingly. They rigged, rigged, and ended up with 19,000.
“Some of them came to apologise to me. I can be mentioning names. We won that election. But I have moved on. We did our work, we will continue to do what we have to do. God will be with all of us.”
Speaking to newsmen, the former governor insisted that Abiodun must be removed, stressing that he was not in support of the present administration in the state.
“Well, I am happy. When you are in a place and they are telling you that you have done the work of four or five governors altogether. I feel elated. I am happy that they appreciated our little efforts.
“Just wait, very soon, you will hear where we are going next. Clearly, you know my stand, and my stand is my stand. I am not supporting this administration that is there now. He must be removed,” Amosun said.
Singer Davido has asked the Osun State governor, Gboyega Oyetola, when he will congratulate his uncle and Osun State governor-elect, Ademola Adeleke, on his victory at the polls.
Adeleke was returned the winner of the Osun State governorship election held on July 16, 2022.
In a tweet on Saturday, Davido called out the governor and said that when his uncle lost to Oyetola in 2018, he didn’t hesitate to congratulate him.
He tweeted, ‘’Your excellency sir #GboyegaOyetola when will you congratulate the Incoming governor of your state #AAdeleke 01. In 2018 my uncle congratulated you even though it was stolen…do the right thing baba…one love.”
Unknown hoodlums have burnt down the residence of the parents of the Minority Leader of the Osun State House of Assembly, Akogun Kofoworola Babajide in Ede.
The crisis has engulfed the City of Ede as some residents are living in fear following the attack.
The Lawmaker, while speaking in a telephone interview with ODUDUWA NEWS on Saturday said the “political thugs” have earlier attacked some members of the People’s Democratic Party at a ward he attended in Ede on Friday.
He said his father has not been sighted since their (parents) house was burnt down.
“Some armed thugs attacked us during a ward meeting of PDP in Ede yesterday (Friday). After that, I left for Osogbo. Later, I was told that they were attacking my parents’ house. They burnt the house and since then, I have not seen my father.
“We don’t know if he’s burnt alive inside the house or they have kidnapped him.”
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yemisi Opalola said the incident happened on Friday night.
In the meantime, the Osun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has called Governor Adegboyega Oyetola and security agencies to immediately arrest the situations in Ede and other parts of the state before it escalates.
The Caretaker Chairman of the PDP, Dr Adekunle Akindele in a statement on Saturday condemned the attack on Babajide.
He said, “The PDP wishes to call on Mr Gboyega Oyetola led APC government, not to allow frustration of the defeat suffered at the recently concluded Governorship Election to eat deep into fabrics of governance in the state, or at least, resign immediately if the defeated governor has so much lost his bearing as chief security officer of the state.
“The PDP enjoins the good people of Osun State to remain calm and be vigilant as the party will work with relevant security agencies to bring perpetrators of the heinous crime to justice.
‘Security agencies are also enjoined to as a matter of duty and professional proactivity, set machineries in motion to arrest the rising wave of violence in the state, in which citizens are being assassinated in broad daylight with brazen audacity. This is with a view to preventing violent reprisals from victims’ relatives and attendant escalations.”
The Youth Wing of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution his Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola over his anti-party conducts, aimed at grounding the party in the State.
The Osun APC said the Minister has become a liability and a political virus to the party as seen in his inward and outward dispositions in recent times.
Addressing a Press Conference at the APC State Secretariat, Osogbo, the APC State Youths Leader, Mr. Goke Akinwemimo, noted that the former Governor was on a vendetta move to destroy the party in Osun on account of ego tripping and self aggrandizement.
He said the unscrupulous conduct and attitude of the Minister is becoming worrisome, retrogressive and least expected from a serving Minister and former Governor who has risen to prominence with the support of the party structure.
The Osun APC Youth Wing alluded to the clandestine approach of Aregbesola to mobilising both financial and human resources, including security agents under the supervision of his Ministry to harass and oppress the teeming members in a bid to aid the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the State as manifested in the outcome of the recently-conducted gubernatorial election.
The concerned APC Youth Wing further expressed displeasure at the inhuman dispositions of the former Governor not only to kill the structures of the party but also to relegate its members as seen in his anti-party conduct and the support given to the opposition parties, particularly the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party to emerge.
According to the Youth Wing, it was in the public knowledge that some political marauders and unscrupulous elements sponsored by the Aregbesola, under the auspices of The Osun Progressives (TOP), embarked on what can be best discribed as public charade and disgrace in Osogbo, Osun State capital, on Tuesday, to blackmail the state leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“As the youth wing of the party, we are compelled to call on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the Minister on his callous and vendetta move to destroy our party in Osun on account of ego tripping and personal self aggrandizement.
“The conduct is becoming worrisome, retrogressive and worst expected from a serving Minister and Former Governor who has risen to prominence with the support of the party structure.
“Apart from the fact that the former Minister openly sponsored splinter groups to reduce the winning chance of our party to win the just- concluded Governorship Election in the state, he openly declared support for opposition party and moved further to mobilise, including security agents under the supervision of his Ministry to harass and oppress our teeming members to aid the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.
“The PDP candidate openly stated the he received support from the allies of the former governor. Also, the leading figures of his splinter group have since decamped to the PDP. This is aside the fact of using his widely uncirculated newsletter, Osun Defender, to attack our party and Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
“Least to say, Rauf Aregbesola has become a liability and a political virus to Osun APC with his conduct and appears to be on mission to ground our party in the state in aid of the PDP. At this moment, we can not remain silent as youths who have strong confidence in the prospects of APC and capacity to win future elections.
“To understand the dexterity of his political impotency in Osun, the just-concluded election is the first election that APC recorded 375, 027 despite the fact that the minister and his allies openly worked against our party, the highest we recorded during his regime when he was Governor and portrayer as ALL MIGHTY, Governor was less than 300,000 votes. It was under his leadership that we lost Osun West Election to Senator Ademola Adeleke during the 2017 Senatorial by election ridiculously, because we lost 9 out of 10 local governments in Osun West.
“While we are still studying the results of the election with a view to challenging same at the Tribunal, it is important to mention that the over 28,000 votes that were announced as difference for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win the election were harvested from Ede North and South alone.
“As at the time of addressing this conference, Aregbesola and his allies are still pursuing a litigation at the Court of Appeal, Akure Division, challenging the Ward Congress we held in Osun. He and his splinter group did not challenge the Local Government congress as well as the State Congress that produced the Prince Gboyega Famodun led state executive of the party.
“It also on record that they contested all the party positions during the last congress and participated in our party primaries where they lost woefully, therefore, the demand of Aregbesola and his allies for dissolution of the party structure is not only ridiculous but also exposes his ill-wish for our party.
“In the last two years, Aregbesola and his allies have confronted our party with lies and deceit far more than the PDP, which clearly explained that the Minister and his allies are on a mission to destroy Osun APC and limit our wining chances, including the coming presidential election in February next year.
“Aregbesola has declared war on our Presidential Candidate in Ijebu-Jesa in one of his public outings. At that outing, he publicly declared his mission to strategise the political fall of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. May Allah reject his evil wish. Also viral was the video on his birthday dancing with some of his acolytes that our party’s candidate would be defeated at the governorship election! What kind of reputable and self-dignifying leader does that?
“If the Minister is truly patriotic and sensitive to the plight of the people of Osun and our party, his and his allies’ concern should be how to join our party leaders who are currently reviewing the result of the last governorship election. When he contested in 2007, it took him Three and Half years of a rigorous electoral litigation to reclaim his mandate, and for those who believe in the party how to bounce back should be of priority.
“As stakeholders in the party, we are bold to say that Aregbesola’s stand against our party is not a substantial factor that led to our TEMPORARY SETBACK in the just- concluded election but rather Aregbesola has become a virus that must be removed for our stability and better positioning to win future elections. We are courageous and Osun APC is better positioned without Aregbesola who has become a deadly opposition masquerading as part of our party.
“We consider this intervention as important and inevitable to make our party stronger, viable and responsible to the yearnings of the good people of Osun beyond the grandstanding and hullabaloo of Rauf Aregbesola and his allies.
“We are saying these to alert the national leadership of our dear party that Aregbesola and his allies are no more with APC. Apart from the fact that their previous actions have shown that they are working for opposition, they are equally determined to ensure that we lose other future elections, including the presidential election. They are out to spell doom for our party. But we are prepared to resist them and they will not succeed”, he added.
Speaking on some of the factors that contributed to the ‘temporary setback’ of the party in the last governorship election, the concerned APC youths, said it is on record that the 30 months backlog of half salaries owed workers and pensioners by former Governor Aregbesola became the party’s albatross.
But rather than support the party, Aregbesola and his allies, the APC youths noted, sold out.
“For this alone, the Minister and his allies have lost every moral ground to even claim membership of our party. In fact, if it were to be in a saner clime, he ought to have resigned as our party member and relinquish his ministerial position because his heart and soul are no longer with our party. If the minister has any wish for our party, it is total collapse, but he will fail in his sinister mission”, the youths added.
Reacting to the protest of some members of the splinter group of the party called ‘The Osun Progressives’ (TOP), the concerned youths noted that the purported street demonstration was co-sponsored by Aregbesola and PDP’s leadership to prepare grounds for their unholy alliance ahead of the future election by taking over Osun APC completely and conveniently hand it over to PDP to ensure the defeat of the Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, as earlier boasted by Aregbesola and his allies. ” But by the Grace of God, the plot will fail,” the APC youths said.
The All Progressives Congress and the Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola have concluded plans to drag the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke to the elections petitions tribunal.
Chairman of the party in the state, Gboyega Famodun disclosed this at a press conference held at the Party secretariat in Osogbo, on Thursday.
Senator Ademola Adeleke was the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the July 16, Osun gubernatorial election where he defeated the APC candidate and incumbent governor, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Famodun said the counsels to the party and that of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola have concluded plans and will be approaching the court.
He added that the lawyers have told them that “we have a strong case and we believe we will win at the court.”
Governor Seyi Makinde today visited Iseyin on condolence visits in respect of Late Monarch HRM Oba Dr Abdul-Ganiyu Salaudeen Adekunle Ologunebi Ajinese I.
Makinde in his condolence message described late Monarch as a close friend, partner in progress, lover of Iseyin development and a monarch who always dedicated what he had for the development of the town.
The governor pledged to prioritize Iseyin town in infrastructural development, and most especially Oke-Ogun region and Oyo State as a whole.
At the event were Deputy Governor – Barr. Bayo Lawal, Amb Taofeek Arapaja, Senator Hosea, Halleluyah, Alh Omokunmi Mustapha, Hon Dayo Ogungbenro (PDP state chairman), Hon Dele Adeola OYHA and Lawmakers, Hon Osuolale Abilawon (Chairman Iseyin LG), Hon Ajibola FM- Iseyin South LCDA, Hon Rasaq Fadiran – SA to the Governor, LG chairmen in Oke-Ogun, party leaders across Iseyin and Oke- Ogun, Council of Chiefs in Iseyin LG and party faithfuls.
A stalwart of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Omooba Dotun Babayemi , has raised the alarm that some people are after his life because of his efforts at seeking redress at the court of law.
Babayemi who is currently seeking to get justice as regards the controversy surrounding who the authentic gubernatorial candidate of the party is in the state, wondered why politics could be taken to such despicable level.
In a save-my-soul message issued by his Media Office on Wednesday and made available to journalists, he admonished that politics should be played without coercion or harassments.
“Before and after the July 16 governorship election in Osun, I have received a number of voice notes;some laced with vituperation and different insults being hauled at me while some are outright threat to my life. I can’t fathom why some people have chosen this dangerous and uncivilized lane” he said.
Babayemi who warned those behind such unholy acts to desist, maintained that he would never be cowed in his resolve at seeking justice at any level of opportunity offered by legal entitlements.
“Those sending threatening voice notes and their sponsors have failed. No matter how, the course of justice can not be circumvented through such crude means. Besides, nobody can intimidate me” he maintained
While assuring that he was already doing the needful in intimating relevant security agencies with the development, Babayemi implored his supporters, stakeholders and party members across the state to continue to be law-abiding.
Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State that are loyal to former governor of the state and incumbent Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, yesterday, held a protest to demand for the restructuring of the party, following the loss of the party in the July 16, 2022 governorship election.
The APC members, who trooped out in their hundreds in Osogbo, also called for the removal of the state chairman of APC, Gboyega Famodun, accusing him of mismanaging the party and of being culpable in the electoral defeat that Governor Gboyega Oyetola suffered.
According to the protesting members, mostly of The Osun Progressives (TOP), a faction of the party loyal to Aregbesola, the APC under Famodun is a ‘vehicle with flat tyres,’ which cannot deliver victory in the 2023 general elections.
The aggrieved APC members, armed with banners and placards with several inscriptions, converged in Osogbo from across the 30 local councils of the state, urged the dissolution of the party leadership.
Spokesperson of the group, Abosede Oluwaseun, while addressing newsmen and members of the public at different locations, said the party needed to be restructured from unit, ward, local council and state levels for it to be united and formidable ahead of the coming general elections and urged the national leadership of the party to send an independent caretaker committee devoid of any APC from the South-West to oversee the party.
MEANWHILE, Famodun, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, yesterday, condemned the protest, saying that it was wicked, selfish, misplaced and act of mockery for Aregbesola’s loyalists to demonstrate publicly despite working against the emergence of Oyetola in the election.
Famodun insisted that it was inconsiderate for the supporters, who glaringly worked against the success of Oyetola at the polls, to now be canvassing restructuring of the party through a sponsored protest.
He said: “When I heard that the supporters of the immediate past governor of our state, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, were protesting, I thought my memory was playing me false as they cannot insulate themselves from whatever might be the current plight of the APC in Osun State.
“Assuming but not conceding that there are challenges within the party, protesters should be told that they lack moral right to either suggest or effect any likely solution as it is on record that they massively and collectively worked against Oyetola, the APC governorship candidate in the just-concluded election in line with the series of their threat.
“One would have thought that the appropriate place for them to canvass for the restructuring of any party is Senator Ademola Adeleke’s Ede country home whom they voted for with flaunted pride.
“If I may ask, at what point did it occur to you that the political party that you had abandoned for about three years and been working against needs restructuring?
“Did the Adeleke Dynasty not fund your series of campaigns of calumny against Oyetola and the leadership of the party at the Aregbesola Campaign Office where you converge every Thursday with the task of scrambling to outdo one another in lampooning Oyetola’s administration and the leadership of the party?
“It is, however, pertinent to state here that there is a free entry and free exit in any political party, which memberships are bonded by common interests and ideals.
“Since politics is a game of number and the more the merrier; continuous membership of our party is not foreclosed to any genuine member whose interest would not be counter-productive to the interest of our party as you cannot be an outsider and be canvassing for the restructuring of the party.”
