Category: South West

A pressure group in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, ‘Ekiti South APC Mandate’, has urged the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and former interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, to intervene in the zoning crisis in the party.

The group, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti by its Coordinator, Dr. Michael Orimoloye, also appealed to the APC leadership to prevail on Governor Kayode Fayemi to rescind his stand and support Ekiti South for unity and oneness to be entrenched in the state.

Orimoloye described the alleged support being given by Governor Fayemi to one of his allies and former Secretary to the State Government, Biodun Oyebanji, who hails from Ikogosi-Ekiti in Ekiti Central, as a betrayal of trust and disrespect for Ekiti South.

He appealed to Tinubu and Akande, “who are respectable APC leaders in the Southwest and Nigeria, to appeal to Governor Fayemi to embrace zoning,” which was the same political matrix that launched him into power in 2007.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday described the death of the Asigangan of Igangan, Oba Abdul-Azeez Adewuyi, as another sad loss to the state.

He commiserated with the bereaved family and Igangan people on the death of Oba Adewuyi, who he said loved his community and worked hard to bring peace and development to his domain.

The governor also commiserated with the people of Ibarapaland and the traditional institution in the zone and state.

He said the people of Ibarapaland and, indeed, the state government, would miss the late royal father, whom he added collaborated with his government to restore peace to Igangan.

House of Assembly Speaker Adebo Ogundoyin described the death of the monarch at 76 as shocking.

He said the traditional ruler would be missed.

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde yesterday received the draft of the state development plan, 2021-2040, from the Central Working Committee and Technical Group.

He said his administration would unveil a long-term state development plan and a medium-term development plan from 2021-2025 in the second quarter of next year.

The governor, while receiving the draft of the development plan at the Executive Chamber, Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, said the plan, which would be unveiled through an economic summit, would facilitate economic prosperity for Oyo State and serve as a guide for successive administrations.

He said that the plan would equally help to enforce commitment to promises made to the people, adding that it comprises economic development, human capital and social development, infrastructure development and physical planning, among others.

The former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yussuff, ex-Secretary to Osun State Government Moshood Adeoti and former Speaker of House of Assembly Najeem Salam have united with the loyalists of Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.

The three leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State expressed their readiness to work together to rescue the party from what they described as imminent collapse.

The trio, who also contested the ticket of the party with Governor Adegboyega Oyetola in 2018, alleged that the governor had been playing politics of exclusiveness and disunity since he took over the mantle of leadership.

Speaking yesterday at a special meeting of The Osun Progressives (TOP), a caucus of the party, Adeoti said: “The current governor (Oyetola) was more powerful than Aregbesola, I swear by God. It was only the approval pen that Aregbesola had. It shouldn’t be the Chief of Staff if anyone should deny Aregbesola.”

Yussuff said he decided to join hands with other leaders of the party in The Osun Progressives because of his love for the progressives, his relationship with Aregbesola and the need to take the party back to the genuine progressives in the state.

Salam said it was disheartening that genuine APC members, who worked for the emergence of Oyetola, were being treated as outcasts and nonentities by the governor and his people.

He said: “My humble self, Yussuff and Adeoti have resolved to downplay individuals’ political interest, accept and work with whoever emerges among us as the candidate of the party in 2022.”

Reacting, the Commissioner for Political Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations, Taiwo Akeju, said: “Yussuff, Adeoti and Salam are just heating up the polity of the state. The party is open to reconciliation. Any agitated member should come forward for his grievances to be resolved.

“Oyetola is well loved in the state and this is why he has been receiving endorsements for second term. Those who are complaining of exclusion are excluding themselves because Oyetola extended hand of love to them but they decided on what to do.”

A governorship aspirant in the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Special Adviser on Federal Matters to Ekiti State Governor, Makinde Araoye, has withdrawn from the June 18, 2022 governorship election.

Araoye, in a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, announced his withdrawal from the governorship race, saying he took the decision after consultation with stakeholders and supporters across 177 wards.

He added that his withdrawal was hinged on the overall interest of the APC unity and its quest to crack the age-long riddle of succession.

The Director-General, Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Council in the 2019 general election in Ekiti State, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu, has expressed fear that the internal rift in the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state can be its greatest undoing in the June 18, 2022 governorship poll.

He warned that unless the leadership of the party resolved the crisis, it would be a Herculean task for the APC to emerge victorious in the coming governorship election.

The APC chieftain spoke yesterday at Ayede-Ekiti in Oye Local Government, at the Christmas get-together he organised for party members across the five councils in Ekiti North Senatorial District.

He lamented that the seemingly internal divisions in the party’s state chapter was weakening and quaking the APC support base, adding that Governor Kayode Fayemi’s achievements will be undermined if the party fails to break the succession jinx.

Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has unveiled a network of nine roads with bridge within the Soluyi community in Kosofe Local Government.

The roads are Aderemi Akeju Street with deck on pile bridge, Okun Street, Femi Kufo Street, Brown Street, Adegbenro/Ganiyat Dawodu streets, Yetunde Street, Anipole Street and Sosanya Street, totalling 2,840 metres.

The governor congratulated members of the community and urged them to take ownership of the roads.

He said: “Today bears testimony to the fulfilment of our administration’s promise to ensure continuity of governance by completing projects that were inherited from the previous administration, especially those that are directly beneficial to the well-being of our people. In addition to initiating new projects, we have expended huge resources on the completion of several projects, which cut across different sectors in all parts of the state.

“Soluyi community is a strategic settlement with a fast growing population in need of infrastructural renewal. This prompted our decision to prioritise the completion of these roads, with a total length of 2.840km, including a bridge, which will serve a population of more than 300,000 people within the Soluyi-Araromi-Ifako-Gbagada communities.

‘These roads will serve as an alternative route, a by-pass, for motorists within Soluyi community to the Third Mainland Bridge and Apapa-Oworonsoki Expressway via the Third Axial underpass. It will address the perennial environmental and infrastructural challenges facing the community, including flooding. It will increase property values, help improve quality of life and the productivity of residents, reduce maintenance cost on vehicles, and reduce the cost of doing business and earning a livelihood in the area.

“These projects exist as a testament to our administration’s resolve to continue to provide the necessary infrastructure for sustainable development in every part of the state.

“I implore the Community Development Association to immediately assume ownership of and responsibility for the judicious use of these projects/roads. You must care of them with devotion and dedication, keep them clean and the drainage free of waste, at all times.”

Sanwo-Olu hinted that the Opebi/Ojota link bridge would be inaugurated next month.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and infrastructure, Aramide Adeyoye, said the projects have helped to improve connectivity, while providing multiple by-pass and encouraging traffic flow, which has helped in reducing gridlock in the area.

Ondo State new Police Commissioner Oyediran Oyeyemi has promised to make the state unbearable for criminals.

He urged people not ready for legal businesses to relocate or face prosecution.

Oyeyemi, who spoke yesterday after assuming office, said he would work with legally constituted security agencies.

He said his mission is to ensure that people are safe and have rest of mind.

The CP said kidnapping, banditry and terrorism would soon stop, following efforts by the Federal Government to tackle crimes.

He urged the citizens to provide information for the police and other security agencies on suspicious movements in their areas, for immediate intervention.

Oyeyemi said: “We need the support of everyone to fight crime. I assure the people that they will sleep with both eyes closed.

“I am ready to work with stakeholders that will make Ondo State safe. We are ready to work with other security agencies under the law.”

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ondo State Command, has said it has deployed 1,750 of its personnel for adequate security across the state, to ensure crisis-free Yuletide.

This is contained in a statement by the Commandant, Dr. Hammed Abodunrin, made available to reporters yesterday in Akure by the command’s spokesman, Daniel Aidamenbor.

Abodunrin, while assuring the residents of adequate security during and after the Yuletide, warned personnel against all forms of unprofessional conduct in the discharge of their duties.