The Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has indicated that he will support whoever emerges as the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential election.
He made this known when he met APC delegates in Rivers State.
He said despite the number of aspirants vying for the All Progressives Congress presidential ticket, they must be willing to rally around and support whoever emerges candidate in the forthcoming primary elections.
This was as he said there was no need for hostility among aspirants as the ultimate goal remained the country’s unity.
According to a statement signed on Friday by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, Osinbajo spoke in Rivers in continuation of his nationwide consultations with stakeholders and delegates of the APC.
The statement was titled ‘APC has greatest potential to do the best for Nigeria, says Osinbajo in rivers.’
In his call for unity, the Vice President noted that all the aspirants that had made public, their intention to run for president under the APC, were progressives.
He said, “We are all progressives, we represent the same point of view that this country can be better; that we can improve the fortunes of our young people; that our country can be a great place. Every one of us has that desire, and every one of us can achieve that, given the chance.
“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve pointed out that there is no need for conflict of any kind, especially among presidential aspirants. All of us, who are presidential aspirants, have either worked together or eaten together in one place or the other. We are aspirants today, but only one person would emerge, and we must be prepared to work with that person.”
According to him, the best aspirant should be chosen to lead the party as its presidential candidate in 2023.
The Vice President also noted that the governing APC had the greatest potential to do the best for Nigeria and ensure its further development and progress.
“We are also, of course, completely at one on the idea that the party needs to be united. So, everything that needs to be done is being done and will be done to ensure the unity of the aspirants.
“Our party is, as you know, not just the ruling party, but the party that has the greatest potential to do the best for this country,” he noted .
With regards to his consultations with the delegates, Prof. Osinbajo disclosed that “What we spent our time doing today was talking more about national issues, about issues of development; and we all affirm that we have to do a lot of work; we are willing and able to do the work.”
Before his interaction with the APC delegates and stakeholders in Rivers, the Vice President had paid a courtesy to the Rivers State Traditional Council led by the King Jaja of Opobo, Dr. Dandeson Jaja, Jeki V, Natural Ruler, Amanyanabo of the Opobo Kingdom, who is also the Chairman of the Council.
Informing the monarchs of his aspiration to run for president, he said, “Our country is at a critical phase in its existence and every country faces its challenges. Our country is facing some of the biggest challenges it has ever faced.
“This current administration has faced more security challenges than any other administration. But I am confident that, not only will we be able to tackle the challenges today, we will be able to tackle the challenges of the future.”
In his remarks, King Jaja of Opobo thanked the Vice President for his “good wishes” and for sending a representative to his 80th birthday celebration saying “That was very kind of you. Let us campaign in peace and let us not add to the challenges that we are going through already.”
Sokoto State governor and presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aminu Tambuwal, has blamed former President, Goodluck Jonathan, for not allowing the amendment of the country’s constitution for restructuring before he left office.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan
According to him, Jonathan should have allowed the proper reform of the electoral system.
Tambuwal said this on Thursday in Akure, the Ondo state capital, while canvassing votes from the delegates of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, ahead of its presidential primary.
Tambuwal, who was a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, noted that the various challenges currently crippling the country would have been averted if Nigeria had been restructured.
He said, “I understand the debate about restructuring, the fiscal federalism, and the devolution of power. I know all of these issues and understand them very well.
“As Speaker of the House of Representatives, we attempted but unfortunately former President Goodluck Jonathan did not sign that constitutional amendment that could have possibly address some of these challenges being raised in terms of restructuring, devolution of power among others.”
He added that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, had no road map for the progress of the country since its inception.
Despite the management’s direction that students return next week, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso chapter, has stated that professors at the state-owned university will not engage in any academic activity.
Dr. Biodun Olaniran, the ASUU chairman for the LAUTECH chapter, responded on behalf of the union in a statement released earlier today.
He said that university lecturers were participating in ASUU’s statewide strike and that they would not forsake the cause unless the union’s national body terminated the strike.
Parents and students should be aware, according to the union, that academic activities would not resume even if students returned as directed by university.
The ASUU chairman said, “Our union is in receipt of the memo from the university registrar calling for the resumption of academic activities for the first semester of the 2021/2022 Academic Session on Thursday, May 26, 2022.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan
“The Academic Staff Union of Universities, LAUTECH branch, wishes to dissociate itself from the said memo. The branch wishes to make it abundantly clear that ASUU-LAUTECH is part of the ongoing nationwide struggle of the union to reposition our public universities. LAUTECH has not, and cannot, back out of this patriotic struggle.
“As you are aware, the LAUTECH branch of ASUU is involved in the ongoing, twelve weeks roll-over strike action by our union called to draw the attention of the Federal Government to implement the Memorandum of Action signed with ASUU in 2020. The MoA encapsulates all that needed to be done to make our public universities (Federal or State) internationally competitive.
“The decision to embark on this action was duly communicated to the university administration and it has not been vacated. As clearly stated by our union, the ongoing strike action embarked upon by ASUU is not targeted at any vice-chancellor, university administration, students, or any group within or outside the system.
“Once again, it must be emphasised that the strike action has not been reviewed in any way. It must also be stated that the administration pays attention to the subsisting demands of the branch to ensure a conducive industrial atmosphere in LAUTECH even after the suspension of the nationwide strike.
“We, therefore, urge the parents, guardians, students, and general public to note that our members are not in a position to conduct any academic activities while this ongoing action lasts.”
Shina Peller, the member representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Iwajowa Federal District, appears determined to seek his Senatorial Ambition in a new party if the All Progressives Congress primaries do not go as planned.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan
Peller announced his candidacy for the Oyo North Senatorial District earlier this month. At the party’s primaries next week, he will contest against Fatai Buhari, the incumbent Senator seeking a third term in power.
However, the congressman informed his close allies in a video verified by this online newspaper that he is not frightened to decamp to a new party to pursue his senatorial aspirations.
In the video, the Iseyin-born politician says in Yoruba, “A ma lo new party, kode si nkan to ma sele.” (which figuratively means we will use another party to contest for Senatorial seat.
Peller also explained to his associates in the video that the dynamics of the electoral campaign in the country have changed because, unlike before, candidates now have about eight months to mobilise after the primaries. This newspaper gathered from multiple sources that Peller’s ambition is hinged on the Oke-ogun l’okan agenda that the region, which houses ten of the thirteen local governments in the district, should produce the next senator.
The Youth Wing of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Ibadan Prime Youth Forum (IPYF) has sent their felicitation message to a distinguished and successful two-time President – General of Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes, Chief Mustapha Adebayo Oyero.
According to the National Coordinator of the Forum, Dr. Oluwatunmise Adeagbo who described Chief Bayo Oyero as a gift not only to Ibadanland but to humanity as a whole, citing the various levels which he has served Nigeria beyond Ibadan land.
“On behalf of all Ibadan youths (sons and daughters) we celebrate our father, a distinguished scholar of note, and community developer, whose impact in the development of Ibadan remains infallible. We recognize and appreciate his efforts. He has written his name on the good side of history and made indelible contribution to the growth of Nigeria in different capacities where he served. Ibadan Youths are proud of him, as he is one of those eminent personalities we look up to and emulate”
Dr. Oluwatunmise Adeagbo further prayed for longevity of life for Chief Mustapha Adebayo Oyero, and wished him many more years on earth.
“We pray to God Almighty to grant him more years in sound health”
Professor Olusola Adeyeye of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and a former two term senator representing Osun Central, assesses Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambition:
“I’m making bold to say anyone still looking at Tinubu as the candidate to beat isn’t reading the tea leaves properly. Tinubu is already unravelling publicly and even a lot of those who ordinarily would have loved to support him are right now having a rethink the more of him they see. He has proved to be gaffe-prone and certainly unhealthy.
“The Southern electorate is very sophisticated and none more so than the section of the electorate in the South-West. There is a reason he’s been christened “Baba Alagbado” and it is not for political sagacity!
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan.
“Time catches up with everybody and it’s caught up with Tinubu. It takes those who truly love him, not sycophants, to tell him that it’s time to go stretch out on some lush lawns and play with his grandchildren. The Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is not for his type.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says Nigeria requires a leader driven by passion and madness to rule the country and put it on the right footing.
Obasanjo, who stated this when he played host to a presidential aspirant under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, at his Abeokuta, Ogun State residence, said he is mad about Nigeria and has no apology for that.
He lamented that the current situation in Nigeria is not only agonising for him, but for other Nigerians who also desire a better country.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan
The former President insisted that, Nigeria can overcome its security challenges within two years with the right leader who is willing to make tough decisions.
Obasanjo, therefore urged Nigerians to brace up and be ready to made sacrifices to put the country back on the right path.
His words: “Some people say the human memories are short, maybe they are right because if human memories are not short, some of the mistakes that we are making, we will not be making them.
“Yes, we have a record which some people may find a little bit not what they want to hear, but whatever people want to hear, I believe like you (Hayatu-Deen) have rightly said, that this period is not like any other period in the history of Nigeria and you used two words, decomposing and dissolving. I can’t find any better words to describe the situation we have found ourselves.
“It is an agonising situation for you obviously and also for me. I want to emphasise the point that the Nigerian situation, bad as it is, will only be put right by Nigerians at the forefront of our situation. So, Nigerians have to brace themselves up to do what needs to be done to put Nigeria back on the right path.
“And you are right in saying that wherever you go now, one of the things you hear is that Nigeria is not on the table, but why shouldn’t Nigeria be on the table? What does it cost Nigeria to be on the table?
“I will say four things, of which I was reminded this morning. One is knowledge. If Nigeria is not at the table, maybe the knowledge that we should have of ourselves, of our situation, of our continent and indeed of the world is not that adequate, if that knowledge is adequate, we will do what is right, when it is right and how it is right.
“The second is vision, what is the vision that we have? And if you have no vision, you may have eyes, but you are blind. And I believe that is part of our situation.
“The third is passion. And when you said, that you are involved in this, with a passion and I was telling some people this morning that, passion means madness, that you are mad about Nigeria, I am and I have no apologies for that because I have no other country I can call my own and I have no other country I can go to and say yes, I have come to live here.
“Passion means being mad about Nigeria, having a touch of madness and I look at you (Hayatu-Deen) and say yes, you are mad about Nigeria too.”
Earlier in his remarks, Hayatu-Deen declared that, Nigeria is “decomposing and dissolving very fast.”
Hayatu-Deen, a former Managing Director of FSB International Bank, is currently meeting with the PDP delegates at the party secretariat in Abeokuta.
The University of Ibadan, Nigeria, was established in 1948 and continues to be Nigeria’s flagship institution of higher learning. Graduates of the university have demonstrated character and academic excellence.
By all measures, UI ranks among the world’s Ivy League universities. If you did not attend the University of Ibadan, you must have been taught or supervised by someone who was trained or supervised by someone from the first and best university.
Professor Ayodele Babajide Olukoya Desalu is one of the people who has made a substantial contribution to putting UI on the global educational map and making the UI College of Medicine the number one medical school in Sub-Saharan Africa. He is Nigeria’s oldest and longest-living medically qualified anatomist.
Prof. Desalu, a teacher of teachers, professor of professors, and mentor to many generations of anatomists worldwide encouraged many people to pursue careers in anatomy, including Prof. Temitayo Shokunbi, an accomplished anatomist in his own right and former Provost of the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Prof. Desalu was born in Lagos, Nigeria, on May 19, 1932. He attended Igbobi College in Lagos from 1947 to 1951 before going on to study medicine at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom from 1956 to 1961. He attended Yale University School of Medicine in the United States from 1963 to 1965 and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria from 1966 to 1973. His professional and academic qualifications include: M.B Ch.B. (Bristol) – 1961 (Medicine); M.Sc (Yale) – 1965 (Anatomy); and PhD (Ibadan) – 1973 (Anatomy).
He received scholarships and awards as a student, including the Nigerian Federal Government Scholarship (1958-1961) and the Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship in Medical and Natural Sciences, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA (1963-1965).
On 21 February 1963, the foremost anatomist joined the Department of Anatomy at the University of Ibadan as Lecturer ll, with Professor W.F. Harper as Head of Department.
Professor Desalu was among the first Nigerians who were drawn to Anatomy as a medical discipline. He returned to Anatomy after his stay at Yale in 1965, where he began his teaching and research career at the University of Ibadan’s Department of Anatomy. In 1966, he began his PhD programme (Part-time).
Professor Desalu was first appointed Acting Head of the Department on 11 July 1966 and occupied this position till 01 September 1966. In 1971, he became a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy and was appointed Professor on 03 December 1975. He was appointed substantive Head of Department with effect from 03 December 1975 and served at various times over the years for three years each, before he became Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences in 1984.
He also served the University of Ibadan in various administrative capacities. He was a member of the University Senate from 1968 to 1973. He was Sub-Dean, Preclinical from 1971 to 1972, Chairman, Housing Allocating Committee from 1972 to 1977, Dean, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences from 1984 to 1986, and Deputy Provost, College of Medicine from 1988 to 1990.
Professor Desalu has served as an external examiner for 14 Nigerian universities and three foreign universities at various points in his career, at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has supervised students at both levels, including PhDs, notably Professors Odutola, Ogunnaike, and Prasada Rao, among others.
He has taught generations of medical, dental, and physiotherapy students neuroanatomy, gross anatomy, and embryology. His research interests included (I) developmental enzymology of the rat kidney, (ii) autoradiographic studies related to the onset of function and (iii) nervous system development in rats under hyperthermia.
When the Federal Military Government decided to increase the intake of medical students to 500 per year in 1973, Professor Desalu, as Acting Head of Department, was responsible for extending both the Lecture Theatre and the Dissection Room to accommodate the increased student population while also installing air conditioners in both rooms for the students’ comfort.
From 1988 to 1989, Professor Desalu was involved in the development of the Department of Anatomy at Bayero University, Kano.
He has presented papers at international conferences and has several papers published in peer-reviewed journals.
In 1992, the great anatomist retired from his University position and went on to help establish various medical schools around the world.
Other services he has rendered include:
Visiting Professor of Anatomy, World Health Organisation (WHO) sponsored University of Makerere, Uganda- July 1976 – September 1976;
Visiting Professor of Anatomy (Sabbatical year), University of West Indies, Kingston Jamaica 1981-1982;
Professor of Anatomy, Kingston, Jamaica, 1991-1992;
Professor of Anatomy (Neuroscience), Ross University, School of Medicine, Portsmouth, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies 1992-2007;
Dean of Education, Ross University, School of Medicine, Portsmouth, Commonwealth of Dominica, West Indies, 1988- 2001;
Professor and Head, Department of Anatomy, Ben Carson (Snr) School of Medicine, Babcock, 2009 till date.
He was and continues to be a member of several professional organizations, including the Anatomical Society of Nigeria (ASN), of which he is a Fellow. He was the President of the Anatomical Society of West Africa (1984-1990), as well as a member of the American Association of Anatomists, the New York Academy of Science, and the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland, among others.
He still attends conferences, as evidenced by his active participation in the 13th Anatomical Society of Nigeria Scientific Conference in Ado Ekiti in September 2016. In August 2017, he hosted the 14th Scientific Conference of the Anatomical Society of Nigeria at Babcock University Ilishan Remo in Ogun State, Nigeria. Prof. Desalu delivered the keynote address at the 10th Anatomical Society of Nigeria Scientific Conference in September 2010 at Olabisi Onabanjo University in Ago-Iwoye, Nigeria.
He also delivered the Keynote Address at the 12th Anatomical Society of Nigeria Scientific Conference 2012, which was held at the University of Benin in Edo State.
The outstanding medical scientist demonstrated his undying love for the Department of Anatomy, University of Ibadan, when he applied to become an adjunct Professor in April 2009. Still very versatile and active in academics, Professor Desalu who is the Head of Department at Babcock University, llishan Remo, Ogun State, was at our Department of Anatomy on 26 September 2018 as the External Examiner for a PhD Oral Examination.
While at the University of Bristol, he competed in the 110-meter dash and the high jump. Professor Desalu, who is ambidextrous, is a music lover, a generous giver to the needy, neat, and strong. He still occasionally drives himself.
Professor Desalu was married to Mrs Florence Olateju Desalu who passed on in 2017. They are blessed with five wonderful children, two of whom are medical doctors.
The Anatomy Lecture Theatre, in the Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, has been named after him by an appreciating University of Ibadan under the leadership of Prof. Abel Idowu Olayinka, FAS, as the 12th Vice-Chancellor.
Age difference and academic status have never been a barrier to his relationship with all manner of people who come into contact with him. He is a socialite who is extremely affable.
His late wife was an Ibadanland native, and his close relationship with my late maternal uncle, Senior Chief Emiola Adesina, OON, Abese Olubadan of Ibadanland of Ibadanland, solidifies my close interpersonal relationship with the academic giant.
He is kind, exceptional, and sophisticated. His cheerful demeanour is contagious. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for being so approachable to everyone. Prof. Desalu must reveal to us the secret of his living with such enviable grace.
This UI’s living legend is adored and loved by all. We’re looking forward to his 100th birthday.
May the Good Lord keep him healthy and strong.
HAPPY 90TH ANNIVERSARY, SIR!!!
Olatunji Oladejo, MNIPR Director, Ibadan University Press (Publishing House). 19 May, 2022.
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun says while he does not have money to purchase private jets for monarchs or hard currencies to splash around for citizens, he is endowed with the capacity to transform Osun through good governance.
Oyetola, while speaking at the Palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, during the flag-off of his re-election campaign in Ile-Ife, said Osun was too sophisticated to be governed by kindergarten politicians seeking to experiment with Osun.
He added that because he is a man of peace and believer in the fact that politics is not do-or-die affair, he is not interested in fire-for-fire approach espoused by a certain governorship aspirant.
“I am happy that the Ooni knows that I have good intention to govern this State. I may not be able to buy private jets, but I have all it takes to fix Osun. I don’t have hard currencies to splash around and I don’t believe in fire-for-fire approach, but I am confident of victory in the next governorship election because of the modest achievements of our administration and the wide acceptance from our people in the last three-and-a-half years.
“What we have done across sectors is evident for people to see. We have proved to our people that Osun is in safe hands in view of the equitable distribution of resources that had culminated into the development that our people have been witnessing in the nooks and crannies of the state.
“As you all know, a State like Osun is too sophisticated for kindergarten politicians to govern. It is costly to allow such people experiment with Osun.
“In view of the way we have been managing the meagre resources at our disposal, coupled with the attendant challenges that we have successfully surmounted since assumption of office, it is instructive for discerning minds to know that governance is a serious task that cannot be left in the hands of mediocres,” he said.
The governor also lauded the people of Osun, particularly residents of Ile-Ife for their unflinching support, cooperation and prayers for his administration, which he said have been the foundation of the success recorded so far.
Governor Oyetola, who reeled out some of his achievements across various sectors, promised that his administration would not relent in delivering democratic dividends for all and sundry.
He attributed the decision to flag off his re-election campaign in Ife to the strong successes and victories the town had brought to his party in the past elections.
“There is no seed we plant in Ife that doesn’t sprout, this explained why we are flagging off our campaign from Ife. We appreciate the people of Ife, we do not joke with this town and we will never stop prioritising the welfare, wellbeing and overall development of Ife, and indeed the entire Osun.
“We will stop at nothing to ensure that dividends of democracy are equitably spread across the nooks and crannies of the State, just as we have spread our health and infrastructure interventions around, among many other interventions”, Oyetola added.
In his remark, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, lauded Governor Oyetola for justifying the mandate of Osun people, saying that he had done excellently well across sectors.
Oba Ogunwusi who described Oyetola as a complete gentleman, highly intelligent and calculated leader, said what has endeared him the most to the governor is his demonstrable capacity to govern Osun.
“We thank the governor for doing so much great works with less noise. Quietly but steadily, he has set the state in a progressive path.
“You are doing excellently well, and we pray God Almighty to continue to support your quest to see Osun develop. It is indeed true that your first term had brought so many goodies to citizens and we pray God to grant your desire to serve the State for second term”, Ooni said.
Also speaking, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Otunba Iyiola Omisore, who hails from Ife charged his kinsmen to show appreciation through their votes for the many good fortunes that Oyetola has brought to Ife in particular and Osun in general.
According to him: “Ife is regarded as our source and that is why we are flagging off our Party’s campaign from Ife. If we have been trusted that much and regarded as deserving of this honour, we must not disappoint. We must show appreciation, not just for this gesture but for other good fortunes Governor Oyetola has brought to Ife.
“We assure the Governor that we are solidly behind him. We have to show that we are really the source. We have to show that Ife has become the defacto secretariat of APC.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the APC in Osun, Prince Gboyega Famodun, appreciated the people of Ife for their cooperation and support for the Oyetola-led administration. He added that Oyetola remains the best candidate that will deliver good leadership and progress for Osun.
“This is the Party and the Governor that can assure our progress. Others who are parading themselves as governorship candidates have nothing to offer the state,” Famodun said.
In his welcome address, the Senate Spokesperson and Director-General of the Osun APC Campaign Council, Senator Ajibola Basiru described the decision to flag off the campaign in Ife as symbolic and strategic.
According to him, the good works of Governor Oyetola and the prayers he has received from Ife will earn him victory in the July 16 governorship election.
Shortly after the session in the palace, Governor Oyetola headed to Enuwa Square, the venue of the campaign where he addressed the mammoth crowd of party members and supporters as well as residents of Ife.
A serious road traffic collision involving a commercial biker, a minibus, and a tipper on the Lameco-Okinni route has degenerated into uncontrollable protests along the axis.
According to reports, the protests were between minibus (korope) drivers and commercial motorcycle riders known as Okada riders.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel, Akobo, Ibadan.
Tobiloba Ali, an eyewitness, said in a message to ODUDUWA NEWS, “It was a fatal one indeed, I had to come down from the minibus when the bikers wanted to assault us.” The korope and a tipper were among the three passengers on the bike who were involved in the accident. The incident claimed a life, according to a witness.”
Another eyewitness, Agboola Adeleke, stated that a motorist, Sariyahu Jamiu, and Rashidat Hassan, escaped being attacked by enraged commercial motorcyclists who were protesting the loss of one of their Okada riders.
He said the affected road ha been blocked by suspected hoodlums and all the escape routes were surrounded by touts before the residents and business owners called on the Osun State Police Command and other security agencies to take urgent action to curtail further escalation.
