Author: The Nation

Arewa community in Oyo State has endorsed the presidential standard-bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the governorship candidate, Sen. Teslim Folarin and others.

It alleged that it had been marginalised by the Governor Seyi Makinde administration, saying Tinubu and Folarin, if elected, would prioritise their interest and address their challenges.

Speaking in Ibadan at a programme  to endorse Tinubu and Folarin, the Chairman, Arewa community in Oyo State, Bashir Maiborno, said Tinubu remained the only pan-Nigerian leader that could unite the country.

He lamented that no one was representing the interest of Arewa community in the current administration in the state, noting that they believed Tinubu and Folarin, if elected, would treat his members as compatriots.

He said Arewa were ready to deliver 350,000 votes to the APC in the state, adding that they would vote APC because of their love for the party.

Maiborno said: “Nigeria is a united country. With Tinubu and Folarin, we are good to go. They have the capability and sagacity to do it. They are the right candidates because they have what it takes to be leaders.”

Folarin said a vote for APC was a vote for national unity, adding that the party believed in national unity and stability of the nation.

He promised the Arewa community that he would run an all-inclusive government if elected as the governor.

“You will not regret, we will recognise you as true Nigerians. You will have a strong voice in my administration.”

Folarin thanked the APC northern governors for insisting that power must shift to the south for the unity and stability of Nigeria.

The Ijesa community has berated Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke over the inability of the newly-established University of Ilesa (UNILESA) to admit students for the 2022/2023 academic session, following the suspension of its governing council.

The Nation recalled that the administration of former Governor Adegboyega Oyetola established the university, but when Adeleke was sworn in, he suspended the governing council and inaugurated a review committee.

The community, yesterday through the Asiwaju of Ijesa land, Chief Yinka Fasuyi, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Ijesa People in the Diaspora Foundation (IPID-F), Chief Akinyemi Fasakin, faulted the actions of Adeleke towards the new institution, stressing that he embarked on vindictive moves and was playing bitter politics to impede its take-off.

Fasuyi in a statement lambasted insinuations by some people that leaders of the community wanted to take advantage of the establishment of the institution, saying some of the council members resigned because of blackmail.

Fasakin lamented that despite the kind gesture from Oyetola to the Ijesa people, who birthed Ilesa University, he did not get the electoral reward from the community.

He said Owa Obokun of Ijesaland, Oba Gabriel Aromolaran, had mobilised support by leading the team from the community to deliver two billion naira as community support for the take-off of the institution.

Kwara State Government has distributed 12 tricycle ambulances to health facilities in three local governments.

They are to aid the movement of patients from their homes to the hospitals during emergencies.

The representatives of the benefiting communities in Ilorin West, Ilorin East and Ilorin South local governments praised Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for his love for the well-being of the people of rural communities.

They were unanimous in their opinion that the people of the rural communities had never had it so good, thanking the governor for his kindness and concern for their well-being.

The community representatives- Mallam Orire Ibrahim (Ilorin West), Alhaji AbdulRazaq Kebe (Ilorin South) and Pastor Ishola Tubosun (Ilorin East), expressed their people’s gratitude to Governor AbdulRazaq, assuring him of their bulk votes during the forthcoming general election.

Ibrahim, who received the ambulance on behalf of Ilorin-West Local Government, said the intervention “will ease problems of getting to hospitals by our people living in the rural areas.”

Kebe, who received the ambulance on behalf of Ilorin South, said the intervention of the governor in taking care of the rural communities “is incomparable”,  noting that the people of the area will vote for him and other All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates massively during the general election.

Pastor Tubosun of Ilorin East said: “Governor AbdulRazaq is a God-sent leader. He has come to wipe the tears of the hitherto neglected people of the rural communities. We are happy over this kind gesture of our people-focused governor and we shall reciprocate by voting to return him for a well-deserved second term.”

Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Dr. Jemilat Ibrahim, presented the ambulances to the representatives of the benefitting communities, on behalf of Governor AbdulRazaq, at a brief ceremony at the Government House, Ilorin.

She said the governor, because of his concern for the well-being of the people of the rural communities, especially expectant mothers, facilitated the 12 ambulances from the Federal Government through the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs.

The governor’s aide said in choosing the benefitting local governments, the state government considered communities that were far to each and those with bad roads where conventional ambulances could not get to.

She said the ambulances would also reduce maternal and child mortality rates, as more expectant mothers and children in rural communities “will now have access to quick and efficient health care services.”

Thanking the governor for the approval given for the distribution of the ambulances, Ibrahim said her office would also distribute 100 beds to hospitals.

She urged the communities to take ownership of the ambulances and ensure their maintenance so that they could serve them for a very long time.

The senior special assistant said about 3,000 ‘Kwarans’ have been shortlisted to benefit from a COVID-19 UNDP economic recovery fund.

All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu never threw money at the crowd during yesterday’s rally in Lagos, Lagos APC Publicity Secretary Seye Oladejo has said.

He warned those behind the fake news to desist from fabrication and falsehood.

Oladejo said in a statement: “Dazed by the phenomenal success of Lagos grand rally held today (February 21), frustrated political opponents have resorted to planting fictional story of Naira-throwing by our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

“In a currently trending post, the orchestrated report purports that Asiwaju Tinubu threw wads of bank-notes to a cheering crowd at Oshodi as his motorcade rode past from Lagos airport en route to Teslim Balogun Stadium, Surulere, Lagos. It is nothing but a lie from the pit of hell.”

He added: “It is part of an ongoing well-oiled campaign of calumny in a compromised section of the media to project Asiwaju Tinubu in bad lights at a time millions of Nigerians are unable to access their hard-earned cash deposited in banks. Asiwaju Tinubu has championed the cause of long-suffering Nigerians that they be allowed to spend old bank notes pending when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is able to make adequate bank notes available. So, where will Asiwaju have seen new notes to be throwing on Lagos highways?

“Ordinarily, we would have ignored this infantile lie given its provenance (one of the cheap bloggers hired by political opponents now traumatised by APC’s imminent victory on February 25). But we chose to make this brief statement for the sake of the gullible, who might be deceived by such cheap spin.

“A closer look at the accompanying short video (attached to the referenced fake report) will reveal that two APC leaders are the ones actually throwing branded APC fez caps and leaflets to a cheering crowd. Certainly not Naira notes.”

“We urge our supporters and all right-thinking Nigerians to remain calm and vote Asiwaju Tinubu and all APC candidates on Saturday, February 25.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State have exchanged words over the judgment of a Federal High Court, which sacked the APC candidate for Akoko Southeast/Akoko Southwest House of Representatives seat, Adegboyega Adefarati.

Spokesman for the Ondo PDP, Kennedy Peretei, said in a statement that the ruling APC was seeking legal remedies to ameliorate self-inflicted calamity.

He said the judgment had made victory close to its candidate, Mr. Gbenga Kolawole.

Peretei said: “While we wish APC good luck in chasing shadows. We appeal to the good people of Akoko Southeast/Akoko Southwest to vote PDP on Saturday as the APC has no candidate in the election and any vote for APC shall be nothing but a waste. They are only crying when the head is already off.

“We also wish to alert the public that APC is boasting of filing an appeal and obtaining a stay of execution against the judgment. While we concede that it is the right of APC to appeal, we wish to state it is a legal impossibility and a deliberate falsehood to claim that a stay of execution shall be obtained. This is because a declaratory judgment cannot be stayed aside that the procedure is strange to pre-election matter, which is sui generis.”

But the Ondo APC said there was no escape route for the PDP to be defeated in Akoko Southeast/Akoko Southwest Federal Constituency.

Spokesman for the party, Alex Kalejaye, in a statement, described the statement of the PDP as an unfortunate celebration.

“Ondo APC wishes to remind the struggling opposing PDP that APC logo will be on the ballot paper, and this is an indication that the ruling party is still actively in the race to the National Assembly in Akoko Southwest/Southeast Constituency.”

“May we further remind the political dreamers that the APC is a party to beat in Akoko land, on account of physical development by our government and intimidating political structures in the area.

“For those who deliberately refused to monitor events, the APC has since rejected the judgment, directed its lawyers to file stay of execution and challenge the judgment at the Appeal Court.

“We perceive that the only incontestable fact, however, is that the APC is several poles ahead of other political parties, in any part of the state, in all indications, and highly favoured to enjoy the mandate of the people.

“We, therefore, urge our party members to ignore all forms of distractions and concentrate on winning more supporters for the party in the federal constituency, preparing to relish the ultimate victory.”

Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has hailed yesterday’s ruling of the Court of Appeal, which reaffirmed his election as governor; describing it as victory for democracy and the people.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Ado-Ekiti had dismissed the appeal of the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Segun Oni, for lacking in substance.

Governor Oyebanji in a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media), Mr. Yinka Oyebode, said his victory is to the glory of God and joy of the people of Ekiti State, whose mandate was reconfirmed by the appellate court.

Oyebanji, who described the Appeal Court ruling as a “landmark judgment”, thanked the judiciary for living up to its reputation as the bastion of democracy and last hope of the common man.

He said the judgment was a further proof that God had a hand in the mandate given to him by the people of Ekiti State on June 18, 2022.

The governor said the judgment should energise members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the people of Ekiti State to march to the polling units with renewed confidence and determination to vote for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and all APC candidates during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Restating his respect for Oni, Governor Oyebanji urged his supporters to celebrate in moderation and avoid any form of name calling or hostility against members of the opposition party.

He said Oni had a right to exercise his constitutional right of seeking judicial intervention.

 “I hail the judiciary for this landmark judgment. The judiciary is living up to the expectation of the people. This is victory for democracy and the rule of law.”

“I dedicate this victory to God and the good people of Ekiti State, who have continued to show tremendous support for the administration.  It’s a validation of what they did during the election and I thank the judiciary for upholding our victory as a party.

“I just want to plead with our supporters. Let us celebrate moderately. There is no need to quarrel with anybody or resort to name calling. We are one in Ekiti State. The party that has gone to court did so in exercise of its fundamental right.

“The judgment should energise our members to march to the polling units determined to vote for Asiwaju Tinubu and all APC candidates on Saturday.

“I further restate my respect for Engr.  Oni and invite him back to the APC to join us in the task of making our people prosperous,” the governor added.