Oduduwa News

Just hours ahead of the coronation of the 49th Owa Obokun and Paramount Ruler of Ijesaland, Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup Ajimoko III, former Vice Presidents Atiku Abubakar and Namadi Sambo paid a courtesy visit to former Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, at his country home in Ilesa.

The high-profile visit, which took place on Friday morning, is seen as part of the build-up to the much-anticipated traditional ceremony scheduled to hold later today in the historic city of Ilesa.

Aregbesola, who governed Osun State for two terms and remains a key political figure in the region, received the former vice presidents in a warm and cordial atmosphere. While the details of their closed-door meeting remain private, the gesture is viewed as one of respect and unity ahead of the significant royal event.

Oba Clement Adesuyi Haastrup, who ascends the throne as the 49th Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, is set to be officially crowned amid fanfare and traditional rites, drawing dignitaries from across Nigeria.

The coronation is expected to mark a new era of leadership in Ijesaland, reinforcing the cultural heritage and historical prominence of the ancient Yoruba kingdom.

A rifle belonging to one of the officers of Nigerian Police Force, Sango Divisional Command has been carted away by yet-to-be identified hoodlums.

An eyewitness who spoke to the Correspondent of Oduduwa News under the condition of anonymity narrated the incident.

It was gathered that the fight suddenly broke out around 8-9pm tonight between the three hoodlums and men of the Nigerian Police Force stationed at Sango Apete road and that one of the officer’s guns fell into the hands of unidentified hoodlums who later absconded with the rifle.

It was learnt that the three men were moving with a power bike when they were stopped at Sango Junction by the Policemen who took them as Yahoo Yahoo suspect and in the process fight ensued between them.

The fight lasted for several minutes between the hoodlums and the Police Officers which made people to be scampering for safety after one of the guys who hijacked a rifle from them shot sporadically into the air.

As at the time of filing this report, Police is yet to release official statement on the incident.

– Oduduwa News

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told the Supreme Court of Nigeria that his declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State on March 18, 2025, was prompted by a total breakdown in governance, warning that the crisis posed an imminent threat to public order and safety.

In a counter-affidavit filed on May 20, President Tinubu, along with the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), the appointed Sole Administrator, Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, and suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, argued that the emergency rule was constitutionally justified.

“There is a clear and present danger of an imminent breakdown of public order and public safety in Rivers State,” the affidavit stated, highlighting what it described as an “intractable conflict” between the executive and legislative arms of the state government.

The submission was made in response to a legal suit filed by Yirabari Israel Nulong, Nengim Ikpoemugh Royal, and Gracious Eyoh-Sifumbukho, who are urging the court to nullify the emergency proclamation.

Filed on behalf of the Presidency by Taiye Hussain Oloyede, Senior Special Assistant to the President (State House) and a representative of the Federal Ministry of Justice, the affidavit described a state on the brink of chaos.

“As at 18 March 2025, when the 1st Defendant issued the Proclamation, the executive and legislative organs of the Rivers State Government were still mired in conflict and there was no indication that the impasse was about to be resolved,” the court document stated.

“Indeed, so intractable was the conflict that it paralysed the organs of government in the state and jeopardised public safety and order.”

Oloyede added that the President acted under constitutional powers and with the endorsement of both chambers of the National Assembly. Following the declaration, Admiral Ibas was appointed as Sole Administrator to oversee governance in the oil-rich state.

While the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and several civic groups have publicly opposed the move citing constitutional overreach and democratic backsliding the Presidency maintains that the emergency was declared in full accordance with the 1999 Constitution and relevant legal precedents.

The matter is now before the Supreme Court, with legal analysts noting that the outcome of the case could have far-reaching implications for federal-state relations and the limits of presidential authority during political crises.

The father of the WAEC candidate shot in Ibadan on Wednesday, Mr Odunayo Alade, has revealed the reasons for not stopping when the police tried to block his way.

In a press interview today, he made it known that his son, Kehinde Alade, had an exam by 8:30am and if he had stopped, the police officers would have delayed his son.

He stated that he wasn’t aware that they were trying to stop him till they hit his vehicle.

“You know how Nigerian government works, once you fall into their traps. Moreover, the elder brother of the deceased was having 8:30 paper yesterday and if I should stop, they would have delayed the bóy, that’s why I had to maneuver my way”

He made it known that he wasn’t aware his són had been shot till his twin brother raised the alert.

“After I left them, I just heard a gún shot, I didn’t stop. Then the boy in question was shouting Daddy, I even shouted at him that we had left the police already till his twin brother told me that he had been shot. I parked, brought him out and the place was soaked with blood.

“I didn’t know they were still coming after me and immediately I saw them, I hijacked one of them.”

Further speaking on the aspiration of his son, he said he wanted to become a lawyer.

“He was telling me last week that he would like to be a lawyer when he grows up.”

The escape occurred in the early hours of Tuesday following a heavy overnight rainfall, which caused the collapse of a section of the facility’s perimeter wall.

Seven inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Ilesa, Osun State, after a section of the facility’s old perimeter wall collapsed during heavy rainfall around 2:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has however launched a manhunt to recapture the fugitives. Controller General Sylvester Nwakuche has ordered a full investigation and is working with security agencies and community leaders.

This incident adds to a worrying trend, similar prison breaks happened in Maiduguri and Suleja following extreme weather, raising concerns over the fragile state of Nigeria’s correctional infrastructure.

The Nigerian Correctional Service has released the identities of inmates who escaped from Osun prison. Photos below.

Oyo State has just gotten new federal tertiary institution as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR today signed into law the bill for the establishment of Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho.

President Tinubu gave an assent today at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

The age-long dream of the people of Oke-Ogun on the creation of federal university has today come to a reality.

Details later.

JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, has rejected calls for his resignation over challenges during the 2025 UTME, saying critics lack the credibility to question his leadership. “Truck pushers cannot direct pilots,” he said at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.

The South-East Caucus of the House of Representatives had demanded his resignation, but Oloyede stood firm, announcing a mop-up exam for about 5.6% of candidates who missed the UTME. “We are creating a new mop-up. Even those who missed the earlier exam due to absence will be given another opportunity. It’s not extraordinary. In any academic setting, makeup exams are normal.”

He dismissed allegations of ethnic bias: “People say, ‘Where is he from?’ That never mattered to me. I’ve worked with people based on their competence, not their ethnicity. The idea that this is a conspiracy is baseless.”

Oloyede stressed that UTME is a placement test, not a measure of intelligence. “UTME ranks candidates for available spaces in tertiary institutions. It is not the final measure of a student’s intelligence or future.”

He spoke emotionally about the s+icid£ of 19-year-old Opesusi Timilehin over a low score. “That tr+gedy broke all of us. Unfortunately, there were also false reports—some parents called me pretending their children had d+ed, only to ask for money later.”

He admitted he considered stepping down: “When this happened, my first reaction was to resign. But people advised me that the students will never forgive you—it would appear as though you abandoned them in their moment of need.”

While he didn’t comment on when the rescheduled results would be released, JAMB has assured they will be out soon. Oloyede ended with a call for unity: “Let us not descend to the level of opportunists exploiting challenges for personal or political gain. We will fix what went wrong and continue to build an examination system Nigeria can be proud of.”

Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has said that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will continue to identify with the Nigerian masses and their aspirations despite the gale of defection that has hit the party.

The governor stated this on Wednesday, at the official inauguration of the newly elected PDP South West zonal executive members held at the party’s zonal secretariat, Soji Adagunodo House, Old Ife Road, Ibadan.

Makinde, who added that the 2027 election would be determined by hungry Nigerians and not politicians, stressed that the party would not be overly bothered about members defecting to other parties.

He charged members of the party not to be discouraged by the recent cases of defection from the party to opposition parties, noting that PDP remains the only party in Nigeria with very strong institutions.

Reiterating his support for the zonal executive, Makinde said, “My brother, the Executive Governor of Osun State, has already mentioned that the two of us will support our zonal Exco so that you can deliver. I am just reaffirming that. We will support this Exco to deliver on its mandate.”

While appreciating members of the party for their steadfastness, Makinde said, “This is a demonstration of your commitment to this party, it is not about positions. And I can give you the assurance that there are still some positions coming. We are going to have the National Convention and would be asked to do one or two things. Rest assured that we will not forget you, and God will not also forget you.

“People have been asking us as leaders of this party that a lot of people are decamping, even governors, and some others are threatening to decamp and all of that. And they said, look, where is this party going?
“Well, I have good news; I said to the people that we will not be bothered until hunger has decamped to the ruling party, APC.

“The day hunger decamps, they should come and tell us and, then, we will know what to do. Because there is hunger in the land and majority of the people that are hungry would determine what 2027 would look like.

“So, don’t be bothered. If any governors like, let them decamp. We will stay with the people of Nigeria.

“I read an analysis where they said the PDP has been building strong men but not strong institutions. I beg to differ. PDP lost power at the federal level in 2015 but PDP did not die. After then, I read an article sometime around 2017 which was about PDP and its many crises in Oyo State. Despite the crises, we won election in Oyo State under PDP.

“We are here today to inaugurate the South West Executive for the PDP. How much of an institution do you still want? They may sponsor so many people against the party but don’t be discouraged, PDP is the only party in Nigeria with very strong institutions. Have you heard about APC holding South West congress? After this speech of mine, mark it, they will quickly go and do South West Congress.

“This is a party that only held NEC meeting once since the advent of this current administration. PDP’s NEC meeting, I believe the next one we are having is the 300th NEC meeting. So, PDP is the only party in Nigeria with very strong institutions.

“As leaders, we are committed to even further strengthen the institutions within the PDP. So, hold on to your party and I will repeat again that 2027 would not be APC versus PDP but APC versus the people that are hungry in Nigeria.”

Also in his remarks, the Osun State governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who described the emergence of the new leaders of the party as a good omen in the South West, urged the newly inaugurated executive members to strengthen the party structures at all levels through inclusive practices and build the party from the grassroots so as to maintain and gain more electoral territory. He charged them to embark on aggressive peace building across the South West states and bring aggrieved members of the party together in unity.

The Olugbon of Orile-Igbon, Oba Francis Olusola Alao, has expressed his dissatisfaction to the Obaship amendment bill as recently passed by the Oyo State House of Assembly.

A statement by his media consultant, Bisi Oladele, explained that if the bill is allowed to sail through, Ibadan’s dominance on other zones would have been cemented.

“The Palace of the Olugbon of Orile-Igbon views the Council of Obas and Chiefs (further amendment) Bill 2025 brought to the Oyo State House of Assembly as a faulty political document whose consideration should be halted to give room for consultations.

“The bill is faulty and defective because there was no adequate consultation by the House of Assembly, neither was there public hearing or enquiry before it was presented and considered,” he said.

The bill earlier sought to make the Alaafin of Oyo the permanent chairman and the Olubadan of Ibadan and Soun of Ogbomoso co-chairmen. The three monarchs will be concurrent chairmen but later changed to two-year rotational basis between Alaafin, Olubadan, Soun.

The controversial bill was later passed yesterday at the Plenary after amendment has been made.

Continued Olugbon: “The amendment also listed the 10 Ibadan high chiefs who are members of the Olubadan-In-Council, as members of the Council. This is an aberration in culture and tradition.

“For such an important bill that seeks to revive and do justice to the council of obas and chiefs, the key stakeholders are the traditional rulers who should have been adequately consulted before it was packaged. Besides, there should be a public hearing on the proposal.

“The actions on the bill so far clearly ignored the relevance of traditional rulers in Oyo State. It is openly based on political patronage.

“In the proposed amendment, the law further cements Ibadans’ dominance on indigenes from other parts of the state. Should the bill be passed, indigenes of Oyo, Ogbomoso, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa zones will again become second-class indigenes in their own state, just as Ibadan indigenes have been dominating other parts of the state politically. The city has produced the governors since 1999 with the exception of the late Adebayo Alao-Akala.

“While there is need for the Council to be revived and strengthened, it should not be skewed in favour of a particular zone to further dominate other zones. It should reflect fairness, justice, equity, and possess the capacity to promote peace among traditional rulers in the state.

“The Olugbon urges the lawmakers and other stakeholders to suspend work on the bill and consult widely to avoid passing a bill that will breed crisis among monarchs in Oyo State,” said the statement.

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has signaled a bold political movement that has sprung up ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking at a recent event, El-Rufai revealed ongoing efforts to form a powerful political alliance aimed at challenging the current administration.

“We had a very important meeting with the coalition that we are putting together to ensure that Pres. Tinubu goes back to Lagos,” El-Rufai stated.

The comment has stirred speculation about El-Rufai’s next political steps and the details of the coalition movement.