Oduduwa News

Wife of Ondo State Governor, Mrs. Betty Anyanwu-Akeredolu, has joined the 2023 Senatorial race.

Addressing journalists in Owerri, Imo State capital, on Friday, the Ondo First Lady said she has interest in representing Imo East Senatorial District because she wants to make a difference.

Mrs. Akeredolu, who spoke to members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Owerri, said Owerri West senatorial zone has received the poorest representation in recent times.

She said successive administrations in Imo state have neglected the zone, stating she was out to fill the years eaten by the locusts.

Fondly called ‘Ada Owere’ (Owerri First Daughter), Akererdolu pledged to tackle the worrisome cases of infant and maternal mortality arising from minor or major complicated pregnancies, non-availability of functional health care centres and life-saving equipment.

She said that she would rely on her experience within and outside the country to bring to bear on the development of the zone.

She said that she’s been in constant touch with her people and if elected as a senator, she would strengthen that links.

She said that as a village girl who has taken a critical appraisal of their challenges, she would embark on human capital development, provision of basic necessities of life, stop the pollution of the Otamiri river and also ensure regular evacuation of refuse in all looks and crannies of the zone.

Additionally, she would take steps to assist rural farmers with modern agricultural implements, promote girl child education, stem child killer disease, youth unemployment and restiveness.

“There is lack of compassion and understanding of how life can be made meaningful for our people in this century hence the need for a wake up call, Leadership should be not be gender based but neutral,” she said.

On whether her marriage to a non-indigene of the state would impede her ambition, the Ondo First Lady argued that being a bonafide indigene of the state who has already endeared herself to the people and has touched many lives, she was emboldened to join the race to enhance their wellbeing.

Akeredolu’s wife joined the race after Mrs Ebelechukwu Obiano, wife of the immediate past governor of Anambra, purchased nomination form for the senate.

Noble Laureate, Wole Soyinka Has Said That He Never Told Nigerians To Vote For President Muhammadu Buhari In 2015. Speaking At A Media Briefing In Lagos On Thursday April 7, He Disclosed That He Only Told People Not To Vote For Jonathan Because He Had Lost Confidence And Trust In The People.

He Said; “Jonathan Had A Chance To Win That Election And I Told Him This. He Blew It. He Really Blew It On Many Levels. Before The Election, I Told Him Frankly. I Told Him Why I Was Not Going To Vote For Him Or Support Him Because He Lost The Confidence And Trust Of The People — A Couple Of Actions And Inactions, Including His Failure To Tackle Corruption. Despite That, It Is False To Say That I Supported The Election Of Buhari.

The Prof. However Used the medium to challenge APC National Secretary to institute legal action against him on the statement credited to him on his alleged involvement in the murder of former Attorney General of the Federation, Bola Ige SAN.

“If I Believed That Is What I Should Do, I Would Not Hesitate One Moment To Come Out And Say This Is The Candidate. I Challenge Anyone To Say Where Did I Say Vote For Buhari — When, What Occasion And In What Language? What I Said Very Distinctly Is ‘Do Not Vote For Jonathan’. I Don’t Regret That Because The Level Of Corruption At That Stage Was Such At Number One.

“It Is A Shame That One Has To Recall Negativities. At No Time Did I Ever Say ‘Vote For Buhari’. You Can’t Find It Anywhere. I Did Not Vote For Buhari. If You Do Not Believe Me, Go And Ask The Security Man In Abeokuta Who Used To Accompany Me If I Left My House That Day.”

IThe former Senator representing Kogi West, Senator Dino Melaye has attributed the recent declaration of ex-Ekiti Governor, Ayodele Fayose as a joke taken too far.

This was contained in a statement released and shared today on his Twitter account as read in part:

“Inebriated by several wraps of Amala in Abuja, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, in his characteristic exuberance directed indecent and indecorous attacks at two serious contenders for the Presidential ticket of the People’s Democratic Party, HE Atiku Abubakar and HE Bukola Saraki.

“Incidentally, the mauling of Amala gained more publicity over the collection of the Presidential nomination form, in a pretentious exhibition of dining with the masses. This frugal populism has since been deflated by allegations of charges for the ferreting of billions of naira from public coffers in Ekiti State. Is Amala and Abula so expensive?

“The issue before Nigerians now is not who can eat more , but who can produce food. That is why the attempt to tar the outstanding achievements of Atiku Abubakar as former Vice President and Bukola Saraki as former Senate President by Fayose would be discounted as the belching perfidy of a Presidential gambler.

“It is clear from the verbal missiles deployed by Fayose that he was simply de-marketing frontline aspirants in PDP as a
counterintuitive strategy to shore up the chances of his political godfather in APC.

“It is amazing that Fayose who could not manage and retain a PDP state now aspires to lead a behemoth structure like Nigeria. Today, Ekiti is stripped of all vestiges of PDP; no PDP Senator, no PDP House of Representatives Member, no House of Assembly member, no Local Government Chairman, and not even a Councillor. He left Ekiti State worse than he met it. How could he fail in the state and expect promotion to the National?

“The contest for the ticket of PDP and the Presidency of Nigeria is a serious engagement. Those who aspire to the position must elevate themselves above pedestrian conduct and address real issues, rather than dwelling on inconsequential inanities.

“The National Leadership of our great Party should call Fayose to order, by curtailing his unproductive verbiage against serious contenders. Having failed to upgrade from local political space to the National stage Fayose may indeed be assisted to undertake a week-long orientation session on the ethics and codes of peer relations on a Presidential canvass.

“Nigeria is in dire straits at the moment. It is beyond the call of jesters in the corridors of elevated governance”.

Oyo State Governor, Engineer ‘Seyi Makinde has officially declared to run for a second term as the Governor of the State in the forthcoming general elections.

The Governor made the announcement this evening in his bimonthly newsletter and on his verified social media platforms.

In the letter, Governor Makinde said: “I promised in my last newsletter that by the time you receive this one, I would have decided whether to run again for office.

Sometime last week, I picked up the Expression of Interest and Nomination forms for a second term as the elected Governor of the good people of Oyo State.

“In the last three years, Oyo State has seen unprecedented development in all sectors with no zone left behind.

We have worked hard in all the four pillars upon which our Roadmap to Accelerated Development in Oyo State 2019-2023 is built. We are engineering a modern Oyo State.

But as every engineer would tell you, our work is not done until all problems are addressed. We believe we have laid a solid foundation for solving the problem of moving the good people of Oyo State from poverty to prosperity. We would love an opportunity to build on that foundation. So now, the ball is, once again, in your court. If you, the good people of Oyo State desire it, then we will serve you for four more years”, he said.

The Governor had in his last newsletter, promised to reveal his decision on contesting for a second term in office in his next newsletter.