Category: South West

The All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the Southwest have congratulated Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola on his victory at the primary conducted last weekend.

Rising from a meeting held at the Ondo State Lodge and chaired by Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the governors said the victory was well deserved, noting that it was victory for internal democracy and for the people of Osun State.

Speaking on behalf of the governors,  Akeredolu said the meeting was convened to discuss matters of interest to the party and to rejoice with Oyetola, who won the primary election last weekend.

 

All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has urged Osun State Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to be magnanimous in victory.

Oyetola, who emerged victorious in last Saturday’s primary election of the party, was advised to regard it as victory for APC faithful.

Asiwaju Tinubu said in a statement: “Last Saturday, APC members in Osun State rose in their large numbers to exercise their democratic rights. They voted massively to give Governor Oyetola a clear mandate to contest a second term. Their decision was expressed in very unambiguous and unmistaken terms. For this overwhelming victory in the APC primary election, I wholeheartedly congratulate and rejoice with Governor Oyetola.

“This resounding victory across the 332 wards is an affirmation of the widely-acknowledged sterling performance of the governor in his first term. It is also an expression of the confidence our teeming party members in Osun have in his ability and capacity to propel the state to an even greater height in the second term.

“This victory is truly earned. You deserve it Your Excellency. Let me also congratulate the governor and all security officers used for the poll for creating an environment which enabled the direct primary election to be conducted in a peaceful atmosphere, devoid of violence.

“We thank the leadership of Osun APC for ensuring the success of the primary election and for mobilising their members to participate in the electoral process. The party members also deserve praise for they not only comported themselves in an orderly manner, they also ensured that their choice is expressed freely, fairly and unreservedly.

“Governor Oyetola submitted himself to the people and people-power has prevailed. His commitment to democracy, non-violent elections, nation-building, loyalty to party and party supremacy are remarkable.

“Alhaji Moshood Adeoti and Hon. Lasun Yusuff, who also contested at the primary, should be hailed for exercising their democratic franchise peacefully. I must particularly give kudos to the Chairman of Osun State APC Primary Election Committee, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq, and his team for an excellent job.

“Now that he has been returned as the party’s candidate to contest a second term, I enjoin Governor Oyetola to extend a hand of fellowship to those who vied for the ticket with him. He must endeavour to bring them within the party’s fold so that together we can go into the July 16 governorship election as a united family.”

 

 

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has constituted a five-man panel to reconcile aspirants and their supporters, who are still aggrieved by the outcome of the January 27 governorship primary.

The committee chaired by Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi, was raised to ensure unity and cohesion in the party ahead of the June 18 governorship election.

The committee also has two former deputy governors, Chief Abiodun Aluko and Prof. Modupe Adelabu, as members. Other members are Prof. Bolaji Aluko and Bunmi Adelugba, who will serve as the secretary.

This was one of the resolutions reached at a stakeholders’ meeting of the Ekiti APC held on Saturday at the Osuntokun Pavilion of the Government House, Ado-Ekiti, to discuss the last governorship primary and the coming national convention, among other issues.

The raising of the committee is believed to be a step to ensure that the APC approaches the governorship election as a united house and ensure victory for its standard-bearer, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji.

While aspirants like Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, Femi Bamisile and Bamidele Faparusi, have agreed to work for the party, one of them, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, has gone to court to challenge the result of the last primary.

Other aspirants the committee is expected to appease and enlist their support for Oyebanji include Kayode Ojo, an engineer, Otunba Demola Popoola, Mr. Oluwasola Afolabi and their supporters ahead of the main election.

The two-hour meeting was attended by Governor Kayode Fayemi, Otunba Egbeyemi, state APC Chairman Paul Omotoso, House of Assembly Speaker Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, Deputy Speaker Mr. Hakeem Jamiu, National and State Assembly members, governorship standard-bearer Oyebanji, exco members, government functionaries and party leaders from across the local governments.

A 10-point communiqué issued at the end of the meeting said Oyebanji’s thank-you tour was put on hold because of the need to reach out to other aspirants, who vied for the party’s governorship ticket with him.

The communiqué, which said the thank-you tour begins today (Monday) “now that most of the other contestants have been reconciled, expressed satisfaction that the last party primary of January 27 was peaceful.

“It was resolved at the meeting that the unity of APC in Ekiti State is sacrosanct. Party members were encouraged to work together as a team and shun any act that can cause disunity.”

The stakeholders resolved that members should see nothing wrong in people expressing grievances, but pointed out that such grievances must not be allowed to tear or destroy the party.

Speaking about the constitution of the Egbeyemi-led Peace Panel “to woo and reconcile aggrieved aspirants and their followers within the party,” the meeting resolved that “this will be replicated at the local government and ward levels.”

The communiqué said further: “That the glory of the Ekiti State governorship primary was attributed to sportsmanship of the aspirants, especially those who have openly accepted the result and pledged to support the candidature of the standard-bearer.

“That the coming election is not about Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, but about the good of our people and Ekiti State in general. Therefore, party members must see the coming election as their personal project and all hands must be on deck.

“That the performance of the incumbent, Governor Fayemi, is the impetus for the party’s campaign while marketing the party’s candidate, Oyebanji, for the election, with a promise to continue the good work of Governor Fayemi.

“That the party stakeholders should see the ongoing voters’ registration exercise as an opportunity to boost the voters’ strength of their communities. As a party, the APC will also do the needful to encourage and motivate people to register.

“The forum noticed the alarming rate of uncollected voter’s cards and enjoin those who have yet to collect their PVC to go to the INEC office and collect them. Registration without collection of PVC is a fruitless exercise.

“Going forward, party faithful are enjoined to show more commitment to party activities, especially at the ward level. Regular weekly ward meetings must be observed to propagate the good work of Governor Fayemi and the prospect of Oyebanji at the forthcoming governorship election.”

The state APC Chairman, Omotosho, who delivered the opening address, thanked party faithful for their loyalty and dedication, especially on the successful governorship primaries of January 27. He encouraged stakeholders and party faithful in general to work in unison in the overall best interest of the party.

Other speakers at the forum, including Governor Fayemi, also talked about the primaries, the national convention, coming Ekiti State governorship election and the way forward to strengthen the APC in Ekiti to surmount known and unknown hurdles.

 

The National Executive Council (NEC) of the University of Ilorin Alumni Association, convened by past presidents of the association, at the weekend dissolved the executives of the group.

The factional executives were locked in a war over the control of the association leading to allegations and counter-allegations bordering on financial impropriety.

The dissolution of the warring executives was part of the resolution of the NEC meeting held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

This followed the adoption of the report of Prof. Adegboyega Fawole-led Fact Findings Committee raised as a result of the crisis rocking the association over factional executives.

 

The Southwest zonal youth leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged youths of Akure federal constituency to work in unity for the purpose of defeating the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Saturday’s by-election into the House of Representatives.

It urged them to use their Permanent Voter Cards to vote in candidate of the party.

The Deputy National Youth Leader, Bolaji Repete, who spoke in Akure at a one day sensitisation and capacity building programme for APC youths and stakeholders, urged the Ondo APC youths to unite and work for the advancement of the party in the region.

He urged APC youths to frown at any mechanism that would preclude young people from active participation in governance.

Repete noted that beyond mobilisation during electioneering process, the youth with requisite capacity and competence should be encouraged to take political power.

The APC Southwest Zonal Youth Leader, Paff Lawal, enjoined Ondo APC youths to unite and work for the advancement of the party.

He said that winning the Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency by-election and the two governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states required combined efforts “and sacrifices of youth in this region.”

The Ondo State Commissioner for Mines, Energy and Mineral Resources, Rasaq Obe, urged the APC youth to reject individuals with questionable source of wealth.

Constituents of Surulere I were recipients of free surgeries, treatment and medication sponsored by the lawmaker representing them in the House of Assembly, Desmond Elliot, and the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD) of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).

This is part of the activities to mark the lawmaker’s birthday celebrated every February 4.

About 100 beneficiaries were booked for surgeries for ailments such as fibroid, hernia, prostate, lump in the breast, among others.

The lawmaker said that the gesture was also to alleviate people’s sufferings.

He said his intervention in health care had been a consecutive one, but this was unique owing to the many ailments that would be addressed.

Elliot said each surgery per patient costs between N500,000 and N1 million, adding that a particular case costs about N1.2 million.

“Today and tomorrow will be for screenings for prostate, hepatitis A, B, and C, eye defects, diabetes, hypertension, blood pressure and others. We are giving out over 2,000 glasses,” he said.

The former Vice Chairman of ARD-LUTH, Dr. Adebayo Awoniyi, who led the team to the outreach, said the association decided to join the initiative because it was expedient to help the masses.

He noted that about 100 patients required various kinds of surgeries, with 46 done already and more to come.

Speakers of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila and Lagos House of Assembly Mudashiru Obasa presented plaques to the doctors for their selfless service to the people.

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State yesterday protested the harassment of former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola by loyalists of Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

The Nation recalls that Prince Oyinlola was booed at Laim Hotel, Osogbo when he visited the party’s Congress Committee.

The protesters carried placards and leaves with inscriptions such as: “We will resist attempts by anybody to rubbish our leaders from the local government”, “They are elders of honour with impeccable characters and we will not take it lightly with whosoever that may want to throw their dignities into the dustbin”.

Members of the party in 15 wards in Okuku town, the headquarters of Odo-Otin Local Government, accused the factional chairman of the party, Sunday Bisi, and one of the party’s governorship aspirants, Sen. Adeleke, of being the brain behind the harassment. They condemned the act and described it as disgusting.

Addressing the protesters, a former member of the House of Assembly, Lekan Oyediran, said: “Our leader was attacked in Osogbo while visiting the committee sent by the national headquarters. By the time he was about to drive in, a faction of the PDP led by Sen. Adeleke sponsored an attack on him.

“But for the security agents, if not because of the quick intervention of security agents, only God knows what would have happened. Oyinlola is a person that has respect for elders. This is why they asked us to allow peace.

“Nobody has a monopoly of violence. The National Working Committee must be unbiased. Our elders must be respected. Sen. Iyorchia Ayu should not follow the footsteps of Uche Secondus.

“We also referenced our leaders like Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun, Sen. Olu Alabi, Erelu Olusola Obada and others. We will go out to refuse being embarrassed by whosoever.”

The Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Sunmi Odesanya, has commiserated with the relations and associates of the Governance Advisory Council (GAC) member, Prof. Tunde Samuel.

In a statement, Odesanya, a lawyer, described his death as a colossal loss to the party.

He said: “Having lived his amiable life as a true patriot committed to the development of the Lagos milieu, he was a thread that held the socio-political fabric of our democratic experience. His exit at about a period our education sector is in burning desire of his outstanding administrative acumen is one that I find devastating.

“I commiserate with the family, associates and the entire Lagos as an entity on the demise of this erudite scholar of unquantifiable value.

Lagos has lost a gem.”

House of Representatives Speaker, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday pledged the ninth assembly’s commitment to develop youth capacities as a way to prepare them for political participation and leadership. He spoke at the Teslim Balogin Stadium in Lagos on the occasion of his constituency projects outreach for his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency.

The event, attended by political, economic and socio-cultural leaders as well as thousands of constituents, featured the presentation of education grants to 351 young constituents in public tertiary institutions across the country. The grants varied from N16, 000 to N210, 000 each. 1,020 secondary school principals and teachers were also equipped with laptops while 45 automobiles ranging from fully equipped medical ambulances, security vehicles and gadgets, new school buses, and retailing cars were also handed out.

The security patrol vehicles/powerbikes/security gadgets were handed over to the Nigerian Police Area ‘C’ Command, Surulere, Bode Thomas, Iponri Police Stations and the Nigerian Army. Gbajabiamila described the outreach as, among others, “The benefits of the interaction between the legislature on the one hand and the constituency and constituents on the other.” He explained that legislators’ responsibilities include feeling the pulse of the constituents and addressing their needs.

Harping on youth empowerment, Gbaja said: “Nigeria is blessed with a lot of young potential, young men and women who have the capacity, knowledge, know-how, drive, sincerity of purpose, but unfortunately yet to have the endowment to thrive. I promise you today and I give you my solemn word that those of us in the ninth assembly will continue to do what we can, whenever, wherever, however we can to make sure that these young boys and girls, who we call the greater tomorrow, are indeed given a seat at the table and perhaps someday, sit at the head of the table.”

On Friday, the Speaker inaugurated five renovated nursery/primary schools, four rebuilt roads, three new ICT centres, and a new Agricultural Training Centre building in his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency. The roads made it a total of 43 roads he has rebuilt and inaugurated in the 49 days of this year, according to the Speaker’s office. Gbajabiamila also inaugurated Elizabeth Fowler Memorial Nur/Pry School; Al-wajud Nur/Pry School; Ansarudeen Nursery/Primary School; Subuola Nursery/ Primary School and Methodist Nursery/Primary School.

Friday’s road projects are part of the about 137 Gbajabiamila has facilitated since assuming office as Speaker in 2019. Guests at the event praised the speaker for his selflessness and determination in the peoples’ cause.  A former Minister of State for Defence, Sen Musiliu Obanikoro, praised Gbaja for being kind, dependable, and an omoluabi. Former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Mr. Femi Pedro described Gbajabiamila as “a man of history because he has done what nobody else has done in this part of the country.”

A one-time Lagos State Commissioner of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun expressed delight with the Speaker’s performance for Lagos and the country. Lagos APC chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi expressed pride in Gbajabiamila, noting that the Speaker had fulfilled his many promises, including restoring the budget cycle to January – December.