Category: South West

Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State yesterday protested against the alleged interference of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde in the party’s affairs.

They stormed the party secretariat at Biket junction, on Ikirun road, Osogbo, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Osun Is Not An Appendage of Oyo,” “Seyi Makinde, Please Keep off,” “PDP Govs, We Love and Respect You,” “Ademola Adeleke is Our Man,” among others.

The protesters accused the Southwest zonal Chairman, Soji Adagunodo, of using his office to disrupt the party’s activities.

A chieftain of PDP and former Osun West Senatorial candidate, Dr. Lere Oyewumi, said Oyo State governor and Adamawa governor should not be allowed to determine issues in Osun PDP.

He said that the cancellation of the party’s congress earlier slated for Wednesday was suspicious and Governor Makinde was the main suspect.

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has, however, dismissed insinuation that PDP governors, particularly Makinde, planned to usurp the functions of the National Working Committee (NWC), in a bid to impose the party’s candidate in Osun State.

He said Makinde, the only PDP governor in the Southwest, deserved to be consulted over the coming governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states.

“The party should call the governor (Makinde) and say see what we are doing so that he will be carried along,” he said.

Wike said it would be politically wrong for people outside the Southwest to determine what happened in Osun, without the contributions and inputs of the Oyo State governor.

Ondo South Senatorial Woman Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chairman of Ile-Oluji/ Okeigbo Local Government, Mrs. Yetunde Dada, is dead.

She was among the six persons who died in an accident that occurred last week on the Lokoja-Abuja highway.

Ondo PDP spokesman Kennedy Peretei, who announced her death in a statement, said news of the death struck the party’s ranks like a thunder bolt.

“The anguish and pain occasioned by this death is indescribable. The torrents of tears since the news broke have been uncontrollable across the length and breadth of Ondo State.

“Dada was the treasurer of the Ondo State chapter of Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON). She was a great grassroots mobiliser. A strong voice for women participation in politics has taken a final bow,” he said.

The crisis over the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State took another turn yesterday, as an Ile-Ife High Court affirmed Mr. Soji Adagunodo as the chairman.

The court held that an Ikirun High Court declared Adagunodo as the chairman, based on a preservative order issued that was not appealed.

The national leadership of the PDP had approached the court with an application, asking that the court should set aside its decision.

Justice A. Aderibigbe, giving his ruling yesterday, declined the application and refused to set aside the ruling.

President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday rescinded his nomination of Dr. Mojisola Yaya-Kolade from Ekiti State as a commissioner at the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).

The President in a letter dated February 9, 2022 and read on the floor by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, submitted Mr. Olugbenga Adeyanju, AIG (Rtd), as replacement for Yaya-Kolade.

Adeyanju, who is also from Ekiti State, is expected to be confirmed as the commissioner representing the Southwest  at the commission.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Osun State Council, has demanded an apology from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), over the attack on its member, Toba Adedeji, The Nation’s reporter.

It threatened to boycott NSCDC’s activities if this is not done.

NUJ, through the Chairman, Wasiu Ajadosu and Secretary, Bukola Elufadejin, in a statement condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric and uncivilised.

The statement said: “It is unfortunate that our member was subjected to such attack by men in uniform, who are expected to be above board in their professional conduct.

“We are demanding a public apology from the Osun State Command of the NSCDC. The union will be left with no option but to stop the coverage of activities of the command if it fails to apologise.

“Adedeji, who was covering a protest by students under the aegis of National Association of Osun State Students (NAOSS) and National Association of Nigeria Students/Joint Campus Committee, (Osun Axis) at the NSCDC office was battered by the officers of the command for carrying out his professional duties.”

The Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) in North America has urged the new state Chairman of the party, Mr. Isaac Omodewu, and members of his team to begin reconciliation with aggrieved members in earnest.

Omodewu, a former commissioner in the state, was last week issued a certificate of return at the party’s national headquarters in Abuja.

He was sworn in with chairmen of other states by the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC).

Omodewu, regarded as leading a minority group by many party leaders, has since inaugurated the state executive as well as the 33 local government chairmen of the party, a development that further irked the leaders and members opposed to his candidature.

In a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Olalekan Sanni and Niyi Adekola, the North America chapter enjoined Omodewu to start the process of uniting the aggrieved stakeholders and members ahead of the 2023 general election.

“We urge the new chairman of our dear party to commence the exercise of getting members united, mending fences among stakeholders and loyalists for the victory of the party in the 2023 general election,” the chapter said.

Noting that the 2019 general election in the state was an eye opener, the diaspora group appealed to stakeholders and members to remain faithful and committed in the face of current challenges.

It sought peace and harmony, advising members to eschew bitterness, self-centredness and divisive tendencies so that the party can achieve the desired goals.

Cross River State indigenes living in Ondo State have sent a Save our Soul (SOS) to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over kidnappings and other attacks suffered in the hands of criminals, suspected to be herders.

The President of their association, Ehriku David, in a letter addressed to Governor Akeredolu, said Cross River State indigenes were living in all villages, carrying out farming activities.

He urged Akeredolu to avert impending calamity at Owajalaye village and its environs in Ose Local Government.

The letter said: “Our people at Owalaye in Ose Local Government are in an unusual time, as herders have taken over their farmlands and destroyed same with their cattle, thereby creating tension, panic and anxiety.

“They are now afraid to go to farm. On February 14, one of our members, Egbodor Wonah, was chased and shot on his farm. He is receiving treatment.

“On several occasions, our members have been kidnapped and released after paying ransom. We wrote this letter because the matter is beyond what we can tackle.”

Former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni has finally announced his defection to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), to contest the June 18 governorship election.

Oni’s announcement has put to rest the speculations surrounding his next line of political action after dumping the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), following the controversies that marred its governorship primaries.

The ex-governor contested the primaries alongside 16 aspirants, emerging second with 330 votes against the winner, Otunba Bisi Kolawole, who polled 671 votes.

Oni, featuring on a local programme aired on Voice 89.9 FM, said necessary paper work would soon be concluded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for him to be the SDP candidate.

He noted that his decision to contest on the party’s platform was as a result of the continued call by Ekiti people, who asked him to join any of the registered parties to deliver them from vestiges of poverty, insecurity and other manifestations of misrule.

“I have chosen to advance my ambition under the Social Democratic Party (SDP) because we are looking at the future not the present. The party has been around for years and won elections into offices in this country,” Oni said.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has said the state and its people would remember and honour the late former governor Adebayo Alao-Akala because of his contributions to the development of the state.

He spoke yesterday at the lying-in-state of the late ex-governor, held at the House of Chiefs, House of Assembly Complex, State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The governor, represented by his deputy, Mr. Rauf Olaniyan, said the government would support the late Alao-Akala’s family.

He described the late All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain as a large hearted person, who served Ogbomoso and the state meritoriously and committed his life to the service of God and humanity.

The governor said the good legacy of positively touching as many lives as possible was a legacy that would linger in the history of the state.

House of Assembly Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin described the late Alao-Akala as a thoroughbred politician, a team leader, a community man and a grassroots mobiliser extraordinaire.

He said his benevolence, love for the people, coupled with his all-inclusive and encompassing political ideology, gave him a large followership and made him one of the most accessible, approachable and celebrated political leaders in the state.

Representative of the Chief Judge, Justice Iyabo Yerima, former deputy governor of the state, Taofeek Arapaja,

retired commissioner of police, Bashiru Azeez Alabi, among others, paid tributes to the late Alao-Akala.

Others at the event included the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs. Olubamiwo Adeosun; the Chief of Staff to Oyo Governor, Mr. Segun Ogunwuyi;  Head of Service Mrs. Ololade Agboola;  Commissioner for Justice Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo; pastor-in-charge of Molete Baptist Church, Rev. Kehinde Alabi, among others.

Eldest son of the deceased, Olamijuwonlo Alao-Akala, said his father would be missed for his advice and love for the people.

Osun State people are warming up to revalidate the re-election of Governor Gboyega Oyetola at Saturday’s All Progressives Congress (APC) primary, Senate spokesman Ajibola Basiru has said.

He spoke yesterday during a Channels TV programme, ‘Politics Today’.

Basiru’s assurance came amid in-fighting between loyalists of the governor and those of his predecessor, who is also the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, over who will clinch the party’s ticket for the July governorship poll.

Speaking about the acceptability of the governor, Basiru said Oyetola was the most popular, therefore, Osun people had decided to back him for second term.

He said: “I want to say as a major stakeholder in Osun State, the people of Osun under the leadership of Baba Bisi Akande, who is the head of Egbe Igbinmo Agba, to which I belong, have had discussions and meetings and we have decided that Gboyega Oyetola will be re-elected as the governor of Osun by the grace of God.

“The federal constituencies in Osun have also held endorsement parley for Governor Oyetola to continue.

“I can tell you that all leaders of the party in Ila, Ifedayo andBoluwaduro have endorsed the governor for second term and these party members are working to make this happen.”

Basiru denied allegation in some quarters that Oyetola’s loyalists were heating up the state and causing mayhem.