Oduduwa News

Mr Adebayo Ojo, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice in Oyo state, has advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) to challenge its exclusion in the May 22 local government election.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Friday, Ojo said that an any attempt to conduct the election would be illegal and a travesty of justice.

He said that it was inappropriate and violation of court process for the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) to put up notices of election after the case was filed at the Supreme Court.

“After arguments and adjournment at the Supreme Court for judgment, OSIEC came up with the notice for election, an action that is very wrong and unconstitutional.

“When a matter is before the court of law, neither of the parties involved must do anything to ambush whatever decision that court would make.

“As a result, all notices put out by OSIEC are ineffective, illegal and unconstitutional,” he stated.

The legal expert further urged APC to write OSIEC chairman, the present justice commissioner as well as the state Chief Judge, stating their intention to file the suit even though courts have down tool.

“People should learn to abide by the law and should not be law breakers,” Ojo said.

Another Ibadan based legal practitioner, Mr Jubril Mohammed, said that except the court stated otherwise, nobody could prevent OSIEC from going ahead with the forthcoming local council election.

“APC can approach the court if they feel that there is an infraction in the process that excluded them, especially given that there was an impending judgment that they feel might set aside all the processes put in place by the OSIEC.

“Except they approach the Federal High Court, the state High Courts are presently on strike, I am afraid, the election might go ahead,” Mohammed said.

NAN reports that sacked APC Chairmen and Councillors in the state councils under the umbrella of Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Oyo State, had challenged their removal by Gov. Seyi Makinde, shortly after assumption of duty in May 2019.

The case went from the High Court to the Appeal Court and finally the Supreme Court that ruled in favor of the elected council officers describing their sack as illegal.

Consequently, the court directed that all arrears of salaries, allowances and other entitlements should be paid to the officers for the duration of their term in office.

Meanwhile,the Chairman OYSIEC, Mr Abiola Olagunju (SAN) had on Wednesday during a radio programme in Ibadan stated that the APC through its lawyers had written to the commission signifying its intention to participate in the election.

Olagunju, however said that the commission’s management would meet on Friday to deliberate on the letter and give its response.

Alhaji Abdul-Rasheed Adebisi Olopoeyan who is one of the aggrieved leaders of Peoples Democratic Party leader in Oyo state has said the rancor between him and governor Seyi Makinde is personal and only both him and His excellency can sit to resolve it when it is time.

Olopoeyan spoke at his residence in Ibadan on Saturday when the National Vice Chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja visited him.

The Oyo PDP leader urged Arapaja to reconcile with a former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, and a former South-West PDP chairman, Dr Eddy Olafeso and other aggrieved party chieftains, to make the party stronger.

He said, “Your coming here to my home is personal. We have a very good political relationship, and to date, nobody, Seyi Makinde (Oyo State Governor) included, can disrupt our relationship. My not supporting you for the South-West PDP chairmanship was that you came into the field late and you also failed to seek my support.

“Chief Olafeso sought my support with everything and I gave him my support wholeheartedly without regrets. On the rift between Seyi Makinde and me, only the governor and I could sit together and resolve it.

“I was the one who convinced Makinde to return to the PDP. I was the facilitator of how PDP leaders accepted his governorship ambition. Therefore, only the governor and I can sit together and resolve the issue Makinde intentionally created.

“ Most annoying is the local government election that should have been the fulcrum on which the settlement with the aggrieved leaders is placed. How I wish you, Arapaja, could prevail on Mr Governor to postpone the local government election for the governor to meet first with many of the aggrieved leaders.”

Amb. Arapaja in his part promised to take action on the issues raised by Bisi Olopoeyan. He said, “We all shouldn’t allow them to use us against ourselves. We shouldn’t for any reason give room for the lapses that happened in 2011 to repeat themselves because, in the end, we would be at the receiving end.

“It’s pertinent for all hands to be on deck. This party belongs to us all. We can’t afford to lose this state again, and apart from that, we all need to work together to achieve greatness for the region. We need to get back to having more states in the zone.”

It will be recalled Olopoeyan teamed up with ex Ekiti state Governor Ayodele Fayose, supported Dr. Eddy Olafeso against Arapaja at a recent congress held in Osogbo.

The visit of Arapaja came 48 hours after Olafeso visited Olopoeyan at his residence to celebrate Eid el-Fitr with him.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to save the country from disintegration by heeding calls for restructuring.

According to the group, this is the only solution that could halt any form of disintegration of the country.

The acting National Leader of the group, Ayo Adebanjo, made the call on Friday, after a meeting held at his country home in Ogbo Ijebu, Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

He also advised President Buhari to bury the idea of general elections come 2023 without the necessary restructuring of the country to the path of federalism

“I urged President Muhammadu Buhari to bury the idea of holding an election before returning to federalism by restructuring the country now.

“There must be a country before elections are held; it would be patriotic of him to heed this advice. If Buhari is sincere about keeping the country together, he must restructure the country now; this is the only answer to halt the disintegration of the country. To save Nigeria, restructure the country now,” Adebanjo said.

He added that the consistent advocacy for the restructuring of the country to federalism is based on the founding philosophy of Afenifere.

Adebanjo appreciated other groups such as PANDEF, The Northern Elders Forum, Arewa Consultative Forum, and Middle Belt Forum for joining in the restructuring crusade for a greater and better Nigeria

He also hailed the Southern Governors Forum for joining the calls for restructuring.

A Self-acclaimed O’odua Activist, Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Igboho on Saturday vowed that the upcoming 2023 general elections would not hold in the Southwest region of the country.

According to Igboho, the Yorubas have woken up from their slumber and have decided not to act as slaves to the northerners.

He stated that many prominent yoruba individuals have realised that Nigeria has become a failed state and have decided to join the call for secession.

Igboho stated this during a Yoruba Nation Mega rally which held in Osogbo on Saturday.

The Oduduwa News had earlier reported that a secessionist group organised a rally, which they said was to sensitise the Yorubas on the need to join their agitations for the establishment of the Yoruba nation.

Although the rally suffered an early blow through the heavy presence of security operatives in Osogbo, however, the determined agitators reconverge at a different location to kick off their rally as scheduled.

Igboho who has championed the call for the secession of the Southwest from Nigeria in recent times also stormed the rally. His presence pulled out massive crowd.

Speaking further at the rally, Igboho called out to the Federal Government; Oyo State Government and Oyo State Police Command to immediately release all members of the Odua Peoples Congress (OPC) who were arrested over the arrest of a Fulani warlord, Isikilu Wakili in Ibarapa.

He also issued a 7-day ultimatum to Oyo State Government to release the arrested OPC members, adding that if the state government refused to do so there would be a massive protest in the state.

Recall Oduduwa News had reported how the Oyo State Police Command arrested some OPC members over their alleged link to the arrest of Isikilu Wakili.

A joint team of OPC, Ibarapa security operatives, local vigilante, and other groups, had arrested Wakili alleged to be a Fulani bandit, in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

But Igboho during the rally in Osogbo, condemned the continued detention of the OPC members.

In his words, “I urge the Oyo, Federal Governments and police to release OPC members who arrested Fulani herdsmen terrorising Yoruba people in Ibarapa land immediately. Before all Yorubas will come out en masse to protest against it.

“They apprehended some Fulanis who were disrupting the peace of Ibarapa and handed them over to the police. But the Oyo State Police and Nigerian Government now arrested them which should not be so.”

Speaking also at the rally, a lecturer of Cultural Studies at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Akin Adejuwon, who is also a convener of the rally, stated that the protest is eye-opening for Yoruba youths to take over and fight for the Yoruba nation.

In his words, “We are here to enlighten and sensitise the youths. The youth are the owners of the Yoruba land. The Fulani enslavers and murderers, must not take our land from us.

“A thousand generation of the Fulani herdsmen cannot overpower the Yoruba youths. We are not one of those who live in the bush. Some animals living in the forest cannot claim our lands.

“We are here to awake the youths’ consciousness to what is right. We are here to educate the youth against voting in 2023.

There was a heavy presence of police, men of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, the venue of the Yoruba Nation Mega Rally on Saturday.

Also sighted at the venue were men of Amotekun Corps, who were positioned at a strategic spot, apparently to prevent participants from accessing the venue.
While our correspondent left the venue around 9am, none of the organisers of the rally had arrived in the area.

But the participants later regrouped under November 27 Bridge along Osogbo/Gbongan Road, Osogbo.