Politics Archives - Page 68 of 160

July 19, 2022

Osun Election: Aregbesola’s Men Worked For Me – Adeleke

Ademola Adeleke, governor-elect of Osun state, says some associates of Rauf Aregbesola, minister of interior, worked for him during the governorship election.

The governor-elect spoke in an interview aired by Channels Televison on Monday.

**Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan**

On Sunday, Adeleke, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared winner of the Osun governorship election.

Adeleke secured 403,371 votes to defeat his closest contender, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 375,027 votes.

Prior to the election, Aregbesola and Oyetola fell out over the tussle for control of the Osun APC leadership.

The minister was also absent during the party’s campaign in the state, and did not vote in the election.

Speaking on the claim that Aregbesola supported the PDP, Adeleke said he did not work with the minister on his governorship bid.

“I did not work with Aregbesola. I didn’t even talk to him, but all I know is his associates, for example, Kolapo Alimi, one of the lawyers that represented Oyetola at the tribunal,” he said.

“Then, anytime I saw him (Alimi) in court, because I’m a civilised person, I will go to them and greet them and say ‘how are you doing?’ It was later he apologised and said ‘he was thinking ‘why is senator Adeleke greeting me? We are trying to mess him up and he is still greeting me’.

“But he later told me that while I was greeting him, I didn’t know that I was giving them poison. They knew that I won the election and they rigged me out and I was still greeting them. I believe that Aregbesola and Oyetola fell out.

“He (Alimi) came to me and said he has watched me and that he wants to join our party and we accepted. But Aregbesola directly? No. But we know a lot of top APC that joined.

“Assuming that I had been talking to Aregbesola one way or the other, then I would say that maybe he gave them go-ahead to support me.

“These people have grown; they have their own minds to decide if they want to join me or not. They believed that I was the one to beat and they came to me. I won’t know whether Aregbesola gave them go-ahead or not, because I have not been talking to Aregbesola.”

Asked what was his reaction when Oyetola and Aregbesola fell out, the governor-elect said he thanked God for the development, while admitting that the conflict paved way for his victory.

“I said God is good. These (Aregbesola and Oyetola) are the people that colluded that time. They were together. Kolapo Alimi told me the truth that they robbed me. Even the president said it when he came over here that they won the election through remote control,” he said.

July 19, 2022July 19, 2022

Folarin Faults Olaniyan’s Impeachment, Says Posterity Would Judge Oyo Assembly Members

The Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state, Senator Teslim Kolawole Folarin has described the impeachment of the Deputy Governor of the state, Rauf Olaniyan as illegal and lack of respect for the rule of law.

He also appealed to members of APC in the state to remain calm, adding that the deputy governor, who has since defected to the major opposition party would appeal the impeachment in the Court of Appeal.

He said APC would not relent in providing alternative to unruly and undemocratic acts of the Peoples Democratic Party (APC) led administration in the state.

Folarin, who advised the Oyo State Assembly’s legislators to remember that posterity would judge whatever they do today, said the process, which they follow in removing the deputy governor contradicts the tenets of the Constitution.
The third term senator in a statement he personally signed in Ibadan on Monday, said the committee set up by the Chief Judge of the state to investigate the deputy governor also showed it lacks integrity.

He queried why the committee would give the deputy governor just 15 minutes to appear before it, adding that the chief judge breached his oath of office by ignoring the service of notice of appeal and application for injunction pending appeal when he proceeded to constitute the investigation committee.
According to Folarin, despite the intervention of the legal adviser to the deputy governor that he needed time to prepare himself for the allegations leveled against him, the Chief Judge set up committee to carry out his bidding.
He said the illegal impeachment does not stop the court of appeal and by extension the Supreme to do their job in days to come.

He also expressed reservation over the way the State’s Chief Judge set up a 7-man committee, there are more questions to be asked over the hurry behind the process.
Folarin harped his conviction on reasons the impeachment of Olaniyan would not just fail but that the consequences would, in the nearest future, hunt those orchestrating it on the fact that similar moves in some states failed.

He described the lawmakers action as a pure disregard to the laws of the country because a service of notice of appeal and application for injunction is pending when the Chief Judge proceeded to constitute the investigation committee.
Folarin assured Olaniyan that APC would stand by him in this period of his ordeal.

July 18, 2022

PDP Thugs Attacking Us, Destroying Our Properties – Osun Commissioner

The residence of Nathaniel Agunbiade, the Osun Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning was attacked early on Monday.

It was learnt that the said hoodlums suspected to be political thugs launched the attack on the Erinmo Ijesa town and vandalised his properties and many cars.

It was also reported that several aides of the Commissioner were injured while attempting to resist the attackers.

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who preferred anonymity revealed that the attack on the commissioner might not be unconnected with the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s Osun gubernatorial election.

He also stated the hoodlums who were hitherto operating underground had suddenly surfaced and had taken to major towns in the state to destroy properties and attack members of the APC.

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022

Viral Video: One million boys refer to my fans – Portable

‘Wahala’ singer Portable has clarified the one million boys he said he founded were simply his fans.

He said he couldn’t have referred to the criminal gang that terrorised parts of Lagos in 2020, saying he makes a living from music and not crimes.

He was reacting to an earlier video where he claimed to have founded the One million and Ajah boys gangs.

July 18, 2022

Oyo Assembly Approves Bayo Lawal As Immediate Replacement Of Impeached Makinde’s Deputy

The chairman Oyo State Housing Corporation, Bayo Lawal has just been confirmed by the Assembly as the substantive Deputy Governor.

The State House of Assembly has removed the deputy Speaker, Rauf Olaniyan.

The decision was sequel to the report of the seven man panel set of by the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Munta Abimbola.

In the report, the committee said the deputy Governor was found guilt of all allegations levelled against him and was thereby removed.

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022

Breaking: Oyo Assembly Impeaches Makinde’s Deputy, Olaniyan

The Oyo State House of Assembly has impeached the state’s deputy governor, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan.

This is coming barely hours after the House received the report of the investigative panel constituted by the state’s Chief Judge, Justice Munta Abimbola.

24 members of the House had voted for the impeachment move, following which the Chief Judge of the state inaugurated an Investigative panel to probe the deputy governor.

The assembly had served the deputy governor with a notice of impeachment over alleged gross misconduct, abuse of office, financial recklessness, among others.

The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, said the investigative panel found the deputy governor guilty of the charges against him.

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022

Osun Poll: Between a conscious dancer and a sociopath betrayal

Judging by the various televised debates of the contenders for gubernatorial seat in the just concluded Osun state elections, it is safe to conclude that the most vocal (I won’t say the best, because being vocal may not necessarily be yardstick for performance) is former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf of Labour Party. His presentations at various debates were exceedingly fantastic.

While I would’ve wished, based on the depth on knowledge he demonstrated and his political track records, he is considered for the gubernatorial seat, it is unfortunate that voting decisions are guided by what I will call ‘extraneous’ considerations, which makes the election strictly two-horse race between the APC and PDP.

I adjudge the PDP candidate as a personality that is ‘not loaded’, judging by his various presentations at the debates and even interviews that I had watched him speak. I have no iota of believe in his personality and capability to deliver and I had discussed it among friends, who held contrary views that he might actually not be talker but may be a competent harvester and manager of people for delivery, a position that makes me give him a benefit of doubt that he might surprise everyone who sees him as a mere ‘dancer’ with performance. Sarcastically, if as fat as he is, he could carry his body effortlessly in his conscious dance step, he should expectedly be able to carry the huge burden of leadership in Osun with ease, too.

However, majority of Adeleke’s traducers criticize him for his habitual public dances. Yes, it may align with the social standards of some people but it cannot be said to be antisocial, neither can it be termed immoral. His PDP people who supported him in 2018 still believes in him, renominated him and supported him to actually ‘dance’ to victory.

Now, to incumbent Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, who served as Chief of Staff to former Governor and current Minister for interior, Rauf Aregbesola who later supported him to emerge Osun state Governor in a keenly contested election against same Adeleke. I personally consider him the architect of his own political misfortune, this time.

To my conviction, Gov. Oyetola’s defeat is not simply the choice of Osun people, but the consequence of a house divided against itself. While I am not so acquainted with the facts of the crisis that rocked Osun APC, I am aware that as a sitting Governor; a position the APC has equated its holders to demigods, H. E Oyetola had all it takes to arrest the fire that has now razed his own chances of re-election.

From barring a former Governor from holding a mere birthday party in the State capital, to barring him and his supporters from registering as Party members, to frustrating payments to contractors who worked for previous government of the State (not Aregbe personally) and other funny and petty aggressive tendencies, the Governor made some of us who are external observers (although with friends in Osun) see him as a mere sociopath betrayal. Perhaps, judging from our experience with a Governor we also toiled day and night to ensure his victory, but polarized his own party and tore his own people apart in a bid to assert dominance in a Machiavellian manner. How has the party structures Gov. Oyeleke unilaterally installed saved him in the election?

While it is truism that politics is about interest and these Governors have every right to protect theirs’ too, for the sake of morality, it should be done with all sense of purpose, collectiveness, empathy and most importantly, conscientiousness. Anything contrary is betrayal, which in all its form is evil and evil is darkness that is susceptible to the overtake of the light. Osun just demonstrated that!

Therefore, whichever way we chose to look at it, my moral compass convinced me that it is better to chose a ‘conscious dancer’ over ‘sociopathic betrayal’, because while dancing cannot be said to be antisocial or immoral, betrayal is a worse immorality! That must have guided the decision made by Osun today, which is a reference point for so many APC states, especially Kwara and I hope and pray the people of Osun gets the best out of the choice they have made and lessons they’ve taught us.

Ibrahim Sheriff writes from Oke Andi, Ilorin, Kwara State.

July 18, 2022

Osun Poll: No Court Can Save You, Lawyer Tells Oyetola

A human rights lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, has called on the Governor of Osun State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gboyega Oyetola, to concede defeat and congratulate the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and governor-elect, Senator Ademola Adeleke.

Olajengbesi stated that it will be a disgrace for Oyetola to challenge Adeleke’s victory in court as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

In a statement on Sunday, Olajengbesi described any litigation by the APC candidate as a waste of time, adding that even the Supreme Court cannot save Oyetola from his defeat at the poll.

He, therefore, asked Oyetola to be honourable and congratulate Adeleke, just as the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), did on Sunday.

However, rather than following the footstep of the President, Oyetola said APC leadership in Osun will respond to the result of Saturday’s governorship poll after studying it.

According to Olajengbesi, “It is only wise for Governor Gboyega Oyetola to bury his head in shame, concede defeat and congratulate the people’s choice and the winner of the July 16, 2022, governorship election in Osun State, Senator Ademola Jackson Adeleke.

“The governor will be disgracing himself big time should he head to court or to the tribunal to challenge the people’s mandate. Oyetola should also know that no moneybag from Bourdillon can save him from this catastrophic defeat he suffered on Saturday. After all, Senator Adeleke only reclaimed the mandate that was stolen from him in 2018 through a sham rerun election.

“However, times have changed and the people of Osun have become wiser. The beauty of democracy is about choice – Governor Oyetola was apparently kicked out of office by the people because of bad governance and poor performance; the people wanted more.”

The lawyer, who is the Principal Officer of Law Corridor, an Abuja-based law firm, also commended INEC and the security agencies for their role in ensuring a free and fair electoral process and congratulated the governor-elect.

He stated, “The role of INEC and security agencies in this free and fair election can also not be overemphasised. They can only do more as we step into the bigger election season in 2023.

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022

2023: PDP group calls for suspension of Fayose, wants dissolution of Ekiti state ‘factional’ exco

In what appears to be passage of vote of no confidence on its leader, a political group within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State has called for the immediate suspension of former governor Ayo Fayose from the party.

The group, Ekiti Political Intervention Coalition, EPIC, in a statement issued on Sunday by its Co-Convener, Alexander Obisesan, also called on the party to dissolve the ‘factional’ PDP executives in the state and install a caretaker committee to reorganise the party.

While congratulating Senator Ademola Adeleke for emerging victorious in the Osun governorship poll, EPIC attributed PDP’s poor showing in Ekiti State to the alleged “Fayose’s mismanagement of the party for personal gains and secret alliance with the APC.”

The group further said, “Former governor Fayose has lost the trust and confidence of PDP members in Ekiti State; he has the respect of the people and has become surplus to requirement in Ekiti politics.”

The Coalition also called on PDP governors across the country to distance themselves from Fayose, alleging that he is secretly working for the APC to win the 2023 presidential election.

It claimed that “PDP members in Ekiti State and across the country are disenchanted with former governor Ayodele Fayose and blaming him for the party’s worst performance in Ekiti State since 1999.

“It is no longer hidden to party members and Nigerians that Fayose deliberately worked against PDP’s fielding of popular candidates in 2018 and 2022 in order to please some interest in the APC.

“While the victory of Senator Ademola Adeleke in Osun State is a reprieve for the PDP in the South-West, the party should, however, take a deliberate step to reorganise the party in Ekiti State.

“Since it has become evident that Fayose will never work for the PDP presidential candidate as his alliance with Asiwaju Tinubu is not hidden, it is time for the PDP governors to distance themselves from him,” the statement added.

July 18, 2022July 18, 2022

Buhari Congratulates Adeleke, Says Victory Reflects Will Of The People

President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday, said the election of Senator Ademola Adeleke in the Osun State governorship poll is a reflection of the will of the people.

Lagos Reporters reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday morning, declared Adeleke as winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

The Governor-elect had polled a total of 403,371 votes to beat his closest rival and incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, who secured 375,027 votes.

In a statement issued on Sunday, by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, the President admonished that the people’s choice must be respected.

He noted the success of the exercise as a testimony to the maturity and commitment of all stakeholders.

According to the statement, with the election over, the President expressed conviction that the people of Osun have expressed their will through the ballot, and the will of the people must always matter and be respected in a democracy.

President Buhari noted that the successful conduct of the election is a further testimony to the maturity and commitment of all stakeholders – the electoral body, security agencies, political parties, the media, civil society and the electorate- to further strengthen the integrity of the electoral process in the country.

The President reassured the nation that the commitment of this administration towards having credible elections remains unshaken.

“With the election over, the President expresses the conviction that the people of Osun have expressed their will through the ballot, and the will of the people must always matter and be respected in a democracy,” President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said in a statement on Sunday in Abuja.

“President Buhari notes that the successful conduct of the election is further testimony to the maturity and commitment of all stakeholders – the electoral body, security agencies, political parties, the media, civil society, and the electorate – to further strengthen the integrity of the electoral process in the country.

“The President reassures the nation that the commitment of this administration towards having credible elections remains unshaken”, the statement read.