The Nation Newspaper

Category: Southwest

  • Ekiti poll: ADC issues certificate of return to Bejide as governorship candidate

    Ekiti poll: ADC issues certificate of return to Bejide as governorship candidate

    African Democratic Congress (ADC) yesterday presented certificate of return to Mr Oluwadare Bejide as its standard-bearer for the June 2026 Ekiti governorship election.

    The Deputy National Chairman of the party, Babachir Lawan, who presented the certificate, urged Bejide to proceed to Ekiti and ensure victory for the party.

    Bejide said if elected, he would prioritise infrastructural development across Ekiti to drive stronger growth, enhance public services and improve community well-being.

    He pledged to restore cherished Ekiti values by promoting integrity, cultural pride, responsible leadership and unity, which he said would help citizens reclaim the identity that once defined the state.

    He said agriculture would be a central priority because it supported economic progress, created employment opportunities and ensured long-term sustainable development.

    Bejide said he was committed to boosting human capital development and reforming the civil service to encourage professionalism, enhance efficiency, strengthen institutions and build a more effective and responsive governance structure.

    The governorship candidate stressed that he chose the ADC because it remained stable, unified and service-driven, noting that other political parties were struggling with persistent internal crises.

    Read Also: Fed Govt will rescue Kebbi abducted school girls, bring culprits to Justice — Shettima

    He said other parties were fragmented or troubled, leaving the ADC as the only dependable platform offering unity, credible leadership and strong commitment to democratic principles.

    He said ADC promoted democracy, transparency, good governance and accountable leadership, describing these values as essential foundations for delivering responsible administration and meaningful progress for Ekiti.

    Bejide stated that as a former two-time Secretary to the Ekiti State Government under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), he understood what the people truly needed.

    He added that his political journey began before Ekiti was created, serving as state secretary of the NRC in old Ondo State when Chief Ikimi was the chairman.

    He recalled becoming the pioneer secretary of the UNCP in Ekiti when leaders like Olajide, Niyi Adebayo and Babalola were contesting under the newly established platform.

    He said he later became the pioneer PDP secretary in Ekiti, ran as Prof. Adeniran’s running mate in 1999, and was subsequently appointed ambassador to Canada.

    Upon returning from diplomatic service, he served again as secretary to the Ekiti State Government, and was reappointed under an acting governor, and later returned to the same position.

    He added that he also chaired the Federal Medical Centre and served with UNHCR, insisting that his collective experience adequately equipped him to govern Ekiti effectively.

  • Abiodun felicitates Alake on 20th coronation anniversary

    Abiodun felicitates Alake on 20th coronation anniversary

    Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has congratulated Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Okukenu IV, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, on the occasion of his 20th coronation anniversary.

    Oba Gbadebo ascended the throne on November 19, 2005.

    Prince Abiodun described the royal milestone as a celebration of two decades of purposeful, visionary and selfless leadership that had brought progress, unity and dignity to Egbaland and Ogun State.

    He said Oba Gbadebo had, since ascending the exalted throne, demonstrated commitment to the peace, cultural preservation and socio-economic advancement of his subjects.

    He noted that the monarch’s wisdom, statesmanship and support for developmental initiatives had continued to inspire traditional and contemporary governance structures across the state.

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    “I join the government and good people of Ogun State in congratulating His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo (Okukenu IV), the Alake of Egbaland, on the momentous occasion of his 20th anniversary on the throne.

    “Since his coronation as the 10th Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland on November 19, 2005, Kabiyesi has continued to exemplify wisdom, dignity and an unwavering commitment to the peace, unity and development of Egbaland and Ogun State at large. His reign has been marked by remarkable strides in cultural preservation, community advancement and promotion of harmony among all people.

    “Kabiyesi’s reign has been characterised by grace, compassion and an unrelenting pursuit of the welfare of his people. His role in fostering communal harmony and supporting our government’s development agenda remains invaluable. On behalf of the government and good people of Ogun State, I congratulate our revered royal father on this remarkable anniversary,” the governor said.

    He prayed that the Almighty would continue to grant the Alake sound health, long life and greater wisdom to continue his noble service to Egbaland, Ogun State and Nigeria.

    He wished His Royal Majesty a memorable and impactful 20th coronation anniversary celebration.

  • Ekiti govt reports gains from economic, agric initiatives

    Ekiti govt reports gains from economic, agric initiatives

    Ekiti State Government has said economic reforms and agricultural initiatives of the Governor Biodun Oyebanji administration are yielding positive results.

    Reacting to the recent inflation figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) for October, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti said the state was on a path of economic stability and sustained improvement.

    Read Also: Fed Govt will rescue Kebbi abducted school girls, bring culprits to Justice — Shettima

    He attributed the high year-on-year inflation figures released by the NBS largely to legacy and historical factors that had placed Ekiti ‘’in this position for several years, emphasising that improvements often take time before they become fully visible in the annual data.’’

    Noting that the month-on-month inflation figures, which compared September to October 2025, actually showed genuine progress with Ekiti ranked fourth among states with the slowest month-on-month inflation, Olatunbosun said the development was an indication that the economic interventions of the current administration were beginning to yield positive results. 

  • ‘PDP has chosen dangerous path of judicial manipulation’

    ‘PDP has chosen dangerous path of judicial manipulation’

    Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed concern about the disturbing signals emanating from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Convention – an event that laid bare the party’s internal disintegration and its reckless determination to drag the judiciary into avoidable disrepute.

    Spokesman Seye Oladejo said in a statement in Ogba: ‘’In a democracy still refining its institutional identity, PDP has chosen the dangerous path of judicial manipulation, contempt for due process and a brazen mockery of the rule of law.’’

    He said particularly alarming was the spectacle of conflicting rulings from the Federal High Court in Abuja and Oyo State High Court in Ibadan, each conveniently cited by rival factions of the party to justify a pre-planned chaos.

    Oladejo added that such contradictory judicial pronouncements – circulated and manipulated like campaign leaflets – risked ‘’bringing our judiciary into global ridicule.’’

    He said: ‘’Even worse, the PDP has now normalised the dangerous practice of choosing which court order to obey and which to discard, depending on which faction benefits.

    ‘’A party that shamelessly cherry-picks which order to obey is certainly not practising democracy. It is practising confusion, lawlessness and transactional opportunism.

    ‘’If this pathway is not corrected, a new and disastrous precedent will be entrenched – where litigants procure judgments from the comfort of their bedrooms, turning the courts into political convenience stores, instead of sanctuaries of justice.’’

    Read Also: FAAC shares N2.094tn October revenue to FG, States, LGAs

    Oladejo said Lagos APC trusted that the National Judicial Council (NJC) would not remain silent, noting that democracy demanded clarity and Nigerians expected decisive action.

    He said the refusal of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to monitor the PDP’s chaotic event stood as an unmistakable verdict.

    ‘’The purported convention lacks legality, coherence and legitimacy. It confirms the obvious – that the PDP is now a shadow of its former self.

    ‘’Rather than rebuild through internal order and democratic ethics, the PDP has perfected the art of turning every known principle of democracy upside down. A once-dominant party has reduced itself to a laboratory of confusion,’’ the Lagos APC spokesman further said.

    According to him, ‘’the judiciary is the last hope of the common man. Any party that abuses it, ridicules it, or selectively obeys it is a direct threat to national stability and democratic survival.’’

    Oladejo said as a responsible governing party, the APC remained committed to strengthening institutions, ensuring respect for lawful processes and protecting democracy from those who sought power through shortcuts and judicial theatrics.

    He noted that the events surrounding the PDP’s failed convention were more than an embarrassment – they were a warning.

    ‘’A party that shops for court rulings like foodstuffs at Dugbe Market cannot lecture the nation on democracy.

    ‘’A party that selectively obeys court orders is unfit for leadership and a party that turns justice into a political marketplace is marching boldly toward self-inflicted extinction,’’ the statement said.

  • Oyo government moves against unauthorised estate developers

    Oyo government moves against unauthorised estate developers

    Oyo State Government, through its task force, has begun enforcement against estate developers operating contrary to the approved regulations on the issue of private estate development.

    Commissioner for Lands Housing and Urban Development, Williams Akin-Funmilayo, made this known during an enforcement operation held at Akinyele-Iseyin axis.

    He said increase in the number of estate developers undertaking site clearing and construction activities without requisite approvals from the ministry was alarming, adding that ‘’this unauthorised development poses risks to orderly urban growth, environmental safety and implementation of the state’s physical development policies.’’

    Read Also: Fed Govt will rescue Kebbi abducted school girls, bring culprits to Justice — Shettima

    Akin-Funmilayo said the estate developers were not known to the state government and did not have any traceable address, except on radio with complaints of illegal transactions, which had been traced to the unregistered estate developers, hence their activities needed to be regulated in the public interest and to prevent crisis relating to land grabbing.

    He said the exercise would curb indiscriminate developments and assert the ministry’s authority in regulating land use and urban development.

    The commissioner advised the private estate owners/developers to regularise their title/planning approvals with the state government within the next three days of the service of the contravention notice, to avoid enforcement of Town and Country Planning Laws and Regulations.

    He urged them to relate with the Office of Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development for further information, clarifications and directives.

  • ‘Makinde prioritises fair compensation’

    ‘Makinde prioritises fair compensation’

    Oyo State Government has reiterated its commitment to the Ibadan Circular Road project, emphasising that it will be executed with a clear vision and a deliberate objective to attract investment opportunities to the state.

    In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, the government said the current agitation was not unexpected even when it appeared to have been hijacked by a few individuals with a different agenda.

    Read Also: FAAC shares N2.094tn October revenue to FG, States, LGAs

    He said for a defining project of the nature, avoided by past administrations, the government was left with no choice but to see the project to its conclusion. 

    The commissioner said the imminent all- inclusive meeting between the government and genuine land owners was what everybody should look forward to, instead of pre-emptive and volatile remarks that tended to confuse the citizenry.

    He said as far as government was concerned, the issue of compensation was ongoing, while the issue of resettlement was up for discussion as soon as an appointment was agreed between government officials and genuine stakeholders.

  • Firm employs 1,000 Ondo youths

    Firm employs 1,000 Ondo youths

    The Gallery Security Service, a private security organisation, has said it has engaged no fewer than 1,000 youths across Ondo State to provide surveillance and security along waterways and coastal communities.

    General Manager, Mr. Anthony Onyeisue, said this yesterday during the organisation’s 13th anniversary celebration in Agadagba Obon, Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state.

    He said the recruitment drive was part of the company’s efforts to curb criminal activities in riverine areas and provide employment to youths.

    According to him, youth empowerment remains central to Gallery’s crime-reduction strategy.

    “Youth unemployment remains a major challenge everywhere in the country, and to address this, we have employed over 1,000 personnel, providing jobs and keeping young people away from criminal activities,” he said.

    He noted that the company worked closely with conventional security agencies, including the police and the military, even though it did not possess prosecutorial powers or access to military-grade equipment.

    Read Also: Fed Govt will rescue Kebbi abducted school girls, bring culprits to Justice — Shettima

    “We are restricted from using equipment such as drones, but our partnership with the military allows us to draw on their capabilities. We use everyday devices such as mobile phones and walkie-talkies effectively,” he added.

    The GM said the security outfit had assisted in the arrest of criminals, who were handed over to the police for prosecution.

    “Any criminal we identify is handed over directly to the police. We do not keep statistics, but I can tell you that a good number of those arrested are at correctional centres, including Olokuta,” he said.

    Onyeisue says Gallery Security Service operates under the regulations of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), mirroring the national community-policing model.

    He revealed that the organisation’s operations extended beyond Ondo State.

    “We have an agreement with Ondo State Government to manage its waterways, which serve as a gateway to Niger Delta and Lagos.

    “Although our headquarters is in Ondo, we operate in Lagos, Akure, Benin and other parts of the country. Once accredited by the NSCDC, we can operate anywhere in Nigeria, and we are working toward building a global brand,” he said.

  • Tinubu Support Group announces appointments

    Tinubu Support Group announces appointments

    The Tinubu Support Group (TSG) in Ondo State has announced a new set of appointments into its directorates, as part of efforts to intensify grassroots mobilisation for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    The state Director-General of the group, Prince Ademola Adegoroye, made the announcement in a statement issued yesterday in Akure.

    Adegoroye, a former minister of State for Transport, said the appointees – drawn from among seasoned politicians, technocrats and administrators – were expected to drive mobilisation activities across the 18 local governments.

    He named Mr. Adetula, CEO of Afripoint Group, as Director of Administration/Secretariat, with Ms. Taiye Afilaka, an accomplished administrator and agribusiness expert, appointed as Deputy Director.

    For the Directorate of Organisation, Boye Adegbemisoye, a former Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government and ex-Commissioner for Public Utilities, was appointed Director, while Bayo Anifowose, former Chairman of Ese Odo Local Government and a serving Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) board member, was named Deputy Director.

    In the Directorate of Finance, former Ondo State Deputy Governor Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo was appointed Director.

    Read Also: FAAC shares N2.094tn October revenue to FG, States, LGAs

    Adegoroye said the Directorate of Welfare and Special Interest will be led by Dr. Yemi Mahmud, a former Commissioner for Women Affairs, with Erelu Modupe Martins serving as Deputy Director.

    Dr. Omorinola Akinduro-Olanipekun, a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Administration of Nigeria (CIPAN), was named Director of Women Affairs, while grassroots mobiliser, Yeyeoge Olufunlola Oluwadare, was appointed Deputy Director.

    The TSG Professionals Directorate will be headed by Idowu Otetubi, a chartered accountant and former commissioner, with a lawyer, Olatunde Ayemo, as his deputy.

    Adegoroye also announced three senatorial coordinators: Ondo North: Chief Foluso Aminu; former Chief of Staff to the late Governor Adebayo Adefarati; Ondo Central: Dr. Kola Ademujimi, former Chief of Staff to the governor for eight years; Ondo South: Pastor Olusegun Aiyerin, former aviation administrator and two-time local government chairman

    He said the appointments were carefully made to ensure credible and experienced individuals lead the mobilisation efforts in support of President Tinubu, his administration and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Adegoroye said the group was committed to deepening engagement across communities, as the government continued to deliver democratic dividends to the people.

    He added that more appointments would be announced in the coming days.

  • Lagos engages retirees in interactive session

    Lagos engages retirees in interactive session

    Lagos State Government, through the Head of Service, Mr. Olabode Agoro, yesterday held an interactive session with retirees of the public service at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja.

    At the event, Agoro was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs. Sunkanmi Oyegbola.

    The session provided a platform for retirees to share their experience, concerns and suggestions regarding their post-service welfare and ongoing state initiatives.

    Mrs. Oyegbola emphasised government’s recognition of retirees as invaluable contributors to the development of Lagos State.

    She highlighted the state’s commitment to ensuring timely payment of pensions and improved engagement with retirees through regular consultations and programmes tailored to their needs.

    Read Also: Fed Govt will rescue Kebbi abducted school girls, bring culprits to Justice — Shettima

    “Lagos State Government acknowledges the pivotal role our retirees have played in shaping this state. This interactive session is part of our continuous efforts to listen, engage and address issues affecting our esteemed retirees,” she said.

    Retirees appreciated the gesture, describing it as a welcome opportunity to communicate with the government.

    Participants raised questions regarding pension administration, health care benefits and opportunities for continued engagement in community and mentorship programmes.

    The interactive session concluded with assurances from the Head of Service, through Mrs. Oyegbola that the government would continue to prioritise retirees’ welfare and strengthen mechanisms for effective communication and support.

    The government said such engagements would be institutionalised as a regular practice, to ensure retirees remained integral to the state’s social and developmental framework.

  • Firm employs 1,000 Ondo youths to secure waterways

    Firm employs 1,000 Ondo youths to secure waterways

    The Gallery Security Service, a private security organisation, has said it has engaged no fewer than 1,000 youths across Ondo State to provide surveillance and security along waterways and coastal communities in the state. 

    General Manager of the firm, Mr. Anthony Onyeisue disclosed this on Wednesday during the organisation’s 13th anniversary celebration in Agadagba Obon, Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state.

    Onyeisue explained that the recruitment drive was part of the company’s efforts to curb criminal activities in riverine areas and provide meaningful employment to young people. 

    According to him, youth empowerment remains central to Gallery’s crime-reduction strategy.

    “Youth unemployment remains a major challenge everywhere in the country, and to address this, we have employed over 1,000 personnel, providing jobs and keeping young people away from criminal activities,” he said.

    ‎READ ALSO; Emir of Ilorin condemns Eruku Church attack

    He noted that the company works closely with conventional security agencies, including the police and the military, even though it does not possess prosecutorial powers or access to military-grade equipment.

    “We are restricted from using equipment such as drones, but our partnership with the military allows us to draw on their capabilities. We use everyday devices like mobile phones and walkie-talkies effectively,” he added.

    The GM stated that the security outfit has assisted in the arrest of several criminals, who were handed over to the police for prosecution.

    “Any criminal we identify is handed over directly to the police. We do not keep statistics, but I can tell you that a good number of those arrested are in various correctional centres, including Olokuta,” he said.

    Onyeisue emphasised that Gallery Security Service operates strictly under the regulations of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), mirroring the national community-policing model.

    He also revealed that the organisation’s operations extend beyond Ondo state.

    “We have an agreement with the Ondo state government to manage its waterways, which serve as a gateway to the Niger Delta and Lagos. 

    “Although our headquarters is in Ondo, we operate in Lagos, Akure, Benin, and other parts of the country. Once accredited by the NSCDC, we can operate anywhere in Nigeria, and we are working toward building a global brand,” he said.