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Tag: Accord

  • You’re not our Southwest leader, Accord tells Okupe

    The chairmen and leaders of Accord (AP) in the Southwest have warned a former Presidential Adviser, Dr Doyin Okupe, to desist from parading himself as leader of the party in the zone.

    The party chiefs gave the warning in a communique they issued at the end of their meeting yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The communique noted that the party’s Southwest chapter viewed a purported meeting organised by Okupe as of no effect.

    It said those who attended it had no locus standi to do so on behalf of the party.

    The communique said: “Action is ongoing to identify erring party members who were at the meeting with Okupe and sanctions are awaiting them at the zonal level.”

    Accord said it was untrue that its National Secretary, Mrs Adebukola Ajaja, and National Vice-Chairman for the Southwest, Alhaji Dokun Babarinnde, attended the meeting with Okupe.

    “The Accord Southwest is one and indivisible under the leadership of Alhaji Dotun Babatunde and other national officers from the zone,” the party said.

    The communique stressed that representatives of the party in the region had agreed that Okupe’s alleged anti-party activities would be reported to Accord’s national body for further actions.

    At the meeting, the Chairman of Accord’s Board of Trustees (BoT), Mr Isaac Adeniyi, expressed concern over Okupe’s alleged anti-party activities.

    He urged the party’s leadership in the Southwest to treat the report with urgency.

    The chairman told party members and state executive that Okupe, with some unnamed persons, held a meeting in Ogun State, where he declared himself as the leader of the party in the Southwest.

    Representatives of the party in the zone who attended the meeting included Chief Kayode Ojo (Ondo), Alhaji Muda Ogunsola (Oyo), Isiaka Amusa (Ogun), Alhaji Abdulrahman Opawuyi (Osun) and Mr Rotimi Ajibola (Lagos).

    But Dr Okupe has said he remains the leader of the party in the Southwest.

    Okupe was reacting to a statement credited to some leaders of the party in the Southwest, denouncing his leadership of the party in the zone.

    He said: “I remain the authentic leader of Accord in the Southwest. There’s a letter from the national secretariat of the party authenticating this.”

    The former presidential aide described as a charade the meeting of some chieftains of the party, led by the party’s National Secretary, Dr (Mrs) Adebukola Ajaja, in Ibadan.

    Okupe said: “Those present at the Ibadan meeting were All Progressives Congress (APC) moles working for the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari. They are lightweight politicians whose presence in Accord over the years has not added any substantial value to improve the fortune of the party.

    “The Iperu meeting, where a vote of confidence was passed in my leadership, was attended by notable leaders of the party in the Southwest, except the Oyo and Ogun states’ chairmen.

    “The Ogun State chairman, however, sent his deputy to represent him and apologise for his absence.”

    The former presidential adviser also said: “What is happening in the party presently is a desperate attempt by the National Chairman to use the party to promote the re-election bid of President Buhari.

    “That is why the National Chairman is using the Secretary of the party as a stooge to destabilise the Southwest zone of the party. It is on record that every notable personality in the party in Oyo State, including former Governor Rasheed Ladoja, left the party due to the way the party is being run by Ajaja who is doing the bidding of the National Chairman.

    “The National Chairman, who is from Daura, the hometown of President Buhari, dragged the National Assembly to court over election timetable. He claimed to have done that on behalf of Accord without the approval of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party.

    “He went further to employ the service of Senior Advocates of Nigeria (SANs) for the case, paying them millions of naira when the party has no money in its coffers. When confronted on where he got the money, he confessed to have got the funding from the government.

    “These are the characters presently parading themselves as leaders of Accord. It is clear that they are more of political merchants who have nothing good to offer to position the party as a credible alternative. We are ready to restrict their plans to annex the party as a support group for President Buhari’s re-election.”

  • Accord suspends chieftains for supporting Olusola

    The national leadership of Accord has dissolved the Ekiti State Executive Council, led by Chief Adebola Odeoba, for declaring support for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    Odeoba and the Accord leader, Akogun Banji Ojo, were also suspened indefinitly for abandoning the party’s candidate, Chief Abiodun Aluko, for Olusola.

    Odeoba had appeared at the PDP mega rally last week where they declared support for the PDP and its candidate.

    In a letter dated 6th July, 2018 and addressed to the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the party set up a seven man Interim committee, led by Dr. S.O. Ogunniyi, to pilot affairs of the party in the state.

    The letter was signed by the National Chairman of the party, Hon. Muhammad Nalado and Secretary, Dr. Adebukola Abiola-Ajaja .

    Also addressing the party members in Ado Ekiti yesterday reaffirming the party’s commitment to Aluko’s candidacy, the trio of Nalado, Ajaja and the Southwest Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Samuel Babarinde, denied ever entering into any merger or alliance deal with the PDP.

    Nalado, who was represented by the National Deputy Chairman (North), Alhaji Yusuf Saulawa, said: “Surveyor Aluko remains our candidate having met all the criteria.  Those who thought they could trade with our ticket will be disappointed in the end.

     

     

     

     

  • Accord: no alliance with PDP

    Accord Party (AP) yesterday denied it has formed an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019.

    In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its Chairman, Mohammad Nalado, the party said there was never a meeting to form an alliance.

    He warned rumour mongers to be careful of baseless insinuations, adding that the National Working Committee (NWC) is not contemplating any alliance or merger.

    Nalado, who chairs the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), urged the National Assembly to make laws to uphold party supremacy.

  • INEC denounces Oyo Accord faction

    INEC denounces Oyo Accord faction

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State has denounced a break-away faction of the Accord Party.

    Two factions of the party held parallel state congresses in Ibadan, the state capital, on Saturday. The faction led by former Governor Rashidi Ladoja held its congress at the Green Springs Hotel on Old Ife Road, while the break-away faction held its election at the Olubadan Stadium.

    The latter had claimed that the congress was attended by staff of the electoral umpire.

    But the commission said none of its staff attended the Olubadan Stadium congress, because it was not recognised.

    INEC’s spokesman Ayodele Folami said it recognises only the Ladoja faction, because State Chairman, Bashir Lawal, wrote to the commission about the congress held at the hotel.

    According to him, Lawal is the only recognised party official who writes to the commission, pointing out that he did so at the appropriate time.

    Folami said no other individual is recognised by INEC as the state chairman.

    Though he pointed out that the second faction submitted the list of new state officers to INEC office, he said the list and the faction are not recognised by INEC.

    The unrecognised faction is being led by a team of party leaders who are opposed to Ladoja’s leadership. They held the former governor responsible for the party’s woes in the last year general elections.

  • Oyo PDP ready to work with Accord, says Akande

    Oyo PDP ready to work with Accord, says Akande

    Former House of Representatives Majority Leader Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande, in this interview with MUSA ODOSHIMOKHE, speaks on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s efforts to achieve unity in Oyo State, its proposed alliance with the Accord Party and other issues.

    What is the future of PDP in Oyo State?

    The future of the PDP is very bright in Oyo State because up till the 2015 election. Everybody went where they thought things will favour them, but when they realised that it would not happen that way, they now know that the only party that can put people together in the state is the PDP.

    But, the party is presently factionalised…

    I don’t understand what you mean by factionalisation of the party in Oyo State. I know that we only have one PDP in Oyo. The leaders of the party are very much united. They have their supporters intact and they have been having meetings together. I am a leader in Oyo State. Why did you not say a section of the party has followed Hon. Mulikat Akande? People have those they aligned to, but they are still loyal to the party. As you can see, there are lots of people from Oyo at this PDP Southwest Elders Meeting. I don’t think there is factionalisation in Oyo PDP.

    What lesson has the PDP leaders learnt from the last general election?

    I am not in a position to speak for them. But, for me as a person, if you ask what lesson I have learnt, I will put it this way because we have different interests. So, I can only speak for myself. First and foremost, we have realised that imposition of candidates will not take us anywhere and everywhere I go I tell them. Please, don’t let us repeat the mistakes of the past. We have to sit together; our interest has to be of patriotic zeal. Even though people can have ambition, we should work together because the realization of any ambition is from God. Any position you want can only be achieved in unity because we do not have independent candidate position under our party. So you have to align. People should begin to realise that it is not a question of if they don’t put me there, then, the party is gone. It should not be like that because what you think is best for you may not good for you. Internal democracy is what I am talking about. It is very important. People should do things right because we have a constitution. The Nigerian constitution is there, the party constitution is there and we have our manifesto. We have procedure, ways of doing things. We should be law abiding. They should begin to do thing rightly. If I am contesting an election and you are contesting too, it is your right. Thank God, our party will now have direct primary, just like the Option A4. There is no hiding place to do anything. You have to queue behind any person you are supporting. It is very glaring and everybody will see who you are supporting. It is not about spending so much money anymore. We want to discourage money politics, we want to encourage internal democracy and also have respect for the leaders.

    How effective is the crisis resolution mechanism in Oyo State PDP?

    It is very effective, I must tell you. Like I said, you can see that all the leaders have come together. In the past, some of them cannot even sit with some people. We have made progress and will continue to make progress. A party is big enough for everybody. It is just for people to realize, who they are and know their limit. It is not about someone being in the front all the times. That is not party, for me, I can decide I don’t want to contest any position again. I want to continue to build my party and be supporting those candidates who can do the right thing. So, people should be able to see themselves as such. It is not about one person all the time. People should be cautious in whatever they do and we should always weigh our words before we talk. We know our onions because once you say something; it is capable of generating reaction. We should realize that a party is a congregation of people; we need people and need to carry people along in whatever we do, right from the ward level to the national level.

    How do you view the proposed PDP/Accord parley in Oyo State?

    If the Accord people can merge with the PDP, that will be great. But, we also need to the cautious. Like I said, it is all about interest. Accord will not come to PDP and say okay we have submitted to you hook, line and sinker. The PDP too will say, oh, we have been there, it is our platform. So, we need to really get it right, so that we don’t have any fallout at the end of the day.

  • Can PDP/Accord merger work in Oyo?

    Can PDP/Accord merger work in Oyo?

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State is trying to reposition itself, following its defeat in last year’s polls. Its proposed accord with the Accord Party (AP) may herald a realignment of opposition forces, ahead of 2019 elections, reports BISI OLADELE.

    The Oyo State People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is projecting into 2019. The crisis-ridden chapter is trying to put its electoral defeat behind it by taking  actions that may forestall another electoral calamity. Its leaders have swallowed their pride. They are now reaching out to a former chieftain, Senator Rashidi Ladoja, who is the leader of the Accord Party (AP) in the state. They are appealing to the former governor to return to the party, in a bid to rebuild it ahead of the 2019 elections.

    In their view, only a re-energised PDP can confront the All Progressives Congress (APC), led by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, at the polls. Their decision, according to sources, was hinged on the results of the 2011 and 2015 elections. The popular thinking is that the PDP and the AP lost because they refused to work together.

    In the 2011 election, then Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala was the PDP candidate. Other factions  worked against the success of the party. While PDP chieftains pretended to have supported him,  they secretly supported other parties.

    A strong and major faction, led by Ladoja, had opted out to join the Accord Party in 2010. Ladoja, who is its leader and its governorship candidate, contested with Ajimobi of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Alao-Akala of the PDP. Ajimobi defeated them at the poll.

    The crisis that rocked the PDP got worse during Ajimobi’s first term.  In 2015, the PDP had further split, with the Alao-Akala faction defecting to the Labour Party (LP) and the Wole Oyelese and Seyi Makinde groups defecting to the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Thus, while there were only three strong candidates in the 2011 governorship election, two of who were originally PDP members – Ladoja and Alao-Akala – additional two PDP candidates emerged in the last year’s election. While former Senate Leader Teslim Folarin flew the PDP flag, Makinde flew the SDP flag.

    As ource, who hinted about the proposed PDP/Accord deal, said: “Now that they have tried it twice individually and realised the futility of personal efforts, they are coming back to bring Ladoja back into the party to strengthen it.” The source, an Accord Party chieftain, said the deal can work, if there is commitment.

    Throughout the years of division, which plunged the party into electoral woes, Ladoja and Alao-Akala remained the most significant candidates, trailing Ajimobi at the polls.  But Alao-Akala has since joined the APC after losing in the 2015 election.

    In the new realignment, according to sources, are Folarin, former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Jumoke Akinjide and Senator Ayo Adeseun. They are determined to re-integrate Ladoja into the party and possibly hand over the leadership to him.

    Why the alignment?

    A reliable source in the PDP explained that the party has managed to remain popular party in the state, adding that,  if its scattered members can come together, it can spring a surprise.  The source stressed: “Let me tell you that our party (PDP) is the single largest party in Oyo State. The failure to harmonise our personal interests has been responsible for the division which seems to have weakened the party. But now that we are coming together, and with determination, you will see that we will regain our strength and send the APC packing in no time.”

    The Nation learnt that the PDP leaders chose to swallow their pride on realising that their political future was bleak, if they remained factionalised. Having lost at the federal level, and not willing to join forces with the APC because of differences, they concluded that no individual can survive on its own, except he join forces with like minds to present a formidable platform that has the capacity to win election. “It is better to have the hope of gaining power in the future than having no hope, no matter how great one’s personal strength is,” a source said.

    Another PDP chieftain said: “Our options are not many. It’s either we come together and win elections or we don’t come together and lose.”

    The current dynamics in the APC a also play a role in forcing PDP members to consider realignment. Ajimobi’s second term will expire in 2019. The PDP is planning to produce his successor.

    Also, there is no other major figure in the APC that can be regarded as a ‘Governor-in–waiting.’ If Senator Olufemi Lanlehin had remained in the APC, eyes would have been on him as a likely successor.  It is not clear if any of the three serving senators has governorship ambition. Indeed, they are not perceived as men of strong candidates by the PDP.

    Among the six ACN governorship aspirants in 2011, only two of them, Soji Akanbi, who is now a senator and Dr Bayo Adewusi, who recently returned to the APC from the Accord Party, are keen.

    In the view of PDP leaders, it is important at this time to bring the juggernauts together under a strong umbrella to prepare for a victorious run against the APC in the 2019 elections.

    Also, the PDP believes that the poor financial situation of the state foisted by dwindling federal allocations has affected governance and the PDP can make it a campaign issue and ride on it to regain its acceptance.

     

    Challenges

    As in other human efforts, the re-alignment will face some challenges from Ladoja and his party, the ruling APC.  Another factor is the public perception of the PDP, owing to its inglorious past in the state.

    The first major challenge against the alignment is likely to come from Ladoja and his followers. The former governor and his followers see themselves as a huge force to reckon with in the state. For this reason, Accord is likely to present terms that will give it more privileges over others. The party will most likely ask for the overall leadership to be ceded to Ladoja and insist on primary for all positions, believing that it has more members and also enjoys more support among the people than the PDP.

    This position will partly be strengthened by the fact that Ladoja and his followers left the PDP for Accord in 2010. Ladoja was illegally impeached and his deputy, Alao-Akala, worked against him during the preparations for  the 2007 elections. The party ditched Ladoja for Alao-Akala, the latter having been endorsed by the strongman, the late Chief Lamidi Adedibu, during the crisis that seized the party.

    Ladoja is opposed to the PDP’s style of leadership. He will likely present terms that will allow him to control the party as he currently does in the Accord Party. But, that may not go down well with other PDP members.

    Also, should the realignment show signs of success, the APC will likely ensure that those who defected from the PDP are rewarded to prevent them from going back.

    The APC is also likely to make moves to attract more PDP members to further strengthen its own popularity, ahead of the next election. If the alignment succeeds, the party will also face the burden of acceptance after disappointing the people when it led the state twice in the past.

    When the PDP was in power between 2003 and 2007, Oyo State under former Governor Ladoja was plunged into chaos. It was difficult for Adedibu to control Ladoja.  The protracted crisis led to the rise of many miscreants, particularly in Ibadan, many of who inflicted violence on innocent people.

    The culture of violence continued, and even grew worse, when Alao-Akala governed between 2007 and 2011. If the on-going corruption allegations against PDP national figures is added, the party faces a tough hurdle of gaining acceptance from the people of the state.

    Prospects of re-alignment

    Politicians are die hard optimists. They can work out possibility out of difficult situations. Therefore, the PDP and the Accord Party may surmount the challenges. Having lost elections twice, and with the current stain on the PDP’s name at the national level, gladiators may not find it difficult to drop personal ambitions.

    If it succeeds, the new PDP will obviously put the APC on its toes. It will also force the APC to present its best candidates in the next election. The re-alignment may toughen the political space.

    Former House of Representatives Majority Leader Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande applauded the proposed merger. She said it should be given a trial, adding that it may change the face of the opposition in Oyo State.

    As stakeholders await the workability of the merger talks, the political space remains fluid for participants to reshape the road to 2019 elections in Oyo State.

  • Oyo Accord, PDP working out merger

    Oyo Accord, PDP working out merger

    After a woeful outing in last year’s general elections, Accord and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State have begun talks to merge and form a new party.

    The Nation learnt from a reliable source yesterday that several PDP top notch have opened talks with the Accord leadership on the possibility of working together to form a stronger party ahead of future elections.

    It was learnt that PDP leaders came to the conclusion that only a merger of strong parties can give the All Progressives Congress (APC) a run for its money.

    They were said to have realised that their failure to come together robbed them of victory in last year’s elections.

    The source said several PDP leaders have been visiting the Bodija, Ibadan home of Accord leader Rashidi Ladoja in recent times with talks at an advanced stage.

    Asked if Accord is ready for the merger, the source, who is an Accord chieftain, said the party was open to the talks because it will strengthen its chances in future elections.

    “We are working with the PDP now. We are working out the possibility of coming together as one party, and it will be most likely under a new name.

    “This is because APC has brought PDP to disrepute given the gale of corruption cases against its members,” the source said.

    On the reason for Accord’s interest in fusing with the PDP, the source said: “We have worked together before. We are the same politically.”

    The source further revealed that Ladoja would be the leader of the new party going by the new arrangement.

    It was learnt that the PDP leaders have indicated their interest in making Ladoja  the leader of the new party.

    “They have been coming to beg Ladoja to join forces with the PDP. So, there is no question on who will be the leader,” the source said.

    The APC, PDP, Accord, Labour Party (LP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) were the top five parties in contention in Oyo State last year .

    The APC won the governorship election, three senatorial seats and 12 of the 14 House of Representatives seats.

    APC’s Governor Abiola Ajimobi polled 327,310 votes. Ladoja trailed him with 254,520 votes while LP’s Adebayo Alao-Akala came third with 184,111 votes.

    The PDP candidate, Teslim Folarin and Seyi Makinde of the SDP clinched the fourth and fifth positions.

    In the House of Assembly election, the APC won 18 seats, Accord eight and LP six.

    Alao-Akala has since joined the APC.

    Confirming the new move, a PDP chieftain, who pleaded for anonymity, said the efforts are only aimed at bringing Ladoja into the PDP to strengthen the party in the state.

    He said: “We are rebuilding the PDP in Oyo State. We are working hard to bring Ladoja back into the fold.

    “The name will still be PDP for now. But if any popular arrangement comes in the future that necessitates forming a broad-based new party, we shall consider it.

    “But for now, we are PDP. We are just working hard to come together again.”

  • Accord has future in Oyo, says chieftain

    Accord has future in Oyo, says chieftain

    Alhaji Basiru Lawal is the chairman of the Accord Party in Oyo State. In this interview with BISI OLADELE, he speaks on the challenges confronting the party and its plans for the future.

    What is responsible for the strength of Accord in Oyo State since 2010?

    Rashidi Ladoja is the foundation and strength of Accord because it is his integrity that has given Accord in Oyo State its popularity.

    Is that why people commonly say Accord is Ladoja and Ladoja is Accord?

    Yes. I’m also one of the people who say so.

    Does that mean if Ladoja pulls out of Accord today in Oyo State, there will be no one staying back?

    No, because I think most of us  will follow him to wherever he goes again.

    Why do people follow major politicians?

    Because politics is a profession. I believe that you have to follow somebody and learn. When you follow that person, you learn his habit and character and see whether he fits into yours. What I advise politicians to do is that they should have their own careers or business. They should not just live by politics alone. It is when you live on politics alone that you always want to be in position of authority. People like that are always under pressure to move from one party to another because they always want to be in government. They eat in government. They always want to eat in government because they feed in government. But, a politician who has other things to do for livelihood won’t depend on politics. Definitely, that politician will have a level of principle. So,  somebody having a level of principle will definitely follow a politician who has principle. But unfortunately, the majority of politicians see politics as a means of livelihood. That is why it is so easy to cross from one party to the other, even when most of our parties are not ideological.

    You said it is good for politicians to follow some leaders. For how long have you been following Ladoja ?

    I have been with Ladoja since 1998.

    So, how much have you learnt from him?

    I have learnt a lot from him.

    Can u highlight some of the things you have learnt from him?

    One thing I have learnt from Ladoja is to be patient. I have come to realise that if you are patient in life there is nothing you will not achieve. I have learnt that from him. I have learnt humility. You see, if somebody that has not met somebody meets him, he will not believe it because he may think that he is being introduced to an ordinary farmer. The scriptures preach that any leader should be humble. If you are humble, your followers are supposed to raise you up. So, I have learnt humility from him. I have learnt to be patient from him because as a small boy, you know we believe in things working speedily. Sometimes, when some things happen, we say: “Oga (boss), lets do it this way,” but he will ask us to be patient. Though it’s difficult but I have come to realize that there is wisdom in it.

    Again, why I follow him is that I have come to realize that his own type of politics is more of service to the community. He told us how he became a millionaire before the age of 40 years. I think he has self-satisfaction. So, I have come to learn that too from him.

    What was responsible for the defeat of the Accord Party in the last several elections?

    Actually, I was really shocked by the result of the 2015 election, especially the National Assembly election.

    Does every member and leader of your party feel the same?

    Yes,we were really shocked because when we joined Accord in 2010 and participated in the 2011 elections, we won four House of Representatives seats and seven House of Assembly seats. As far as the party was concerned, Accord was stronger in 2015 than in the 2011 election. So, we expected that we should perform better than 2011. Unfortunately, when the results came, we were shocked. We had to go back to the drawing board and we came to realise this issue of “change.” People actually wanted a change in government at the national  level, but maybe our level of political enlightenment was not enough, because after the election, people came to our office and asked for the time to vote for our National Assembly candidates. Imagine! As far as they were concerned, people were just thumb-printing the broom because it was difficult for them to differentiate between the presidential broom, Senate broom and the House of Representatives, broom – I’m assuming anyway. So, for them not to take any risk, they just thumb-printed the broom.  it was a Buhari tsunami that is responsible for our woeful performance.

    Now that election has come and gone, is Accord back to the drawing board for the 2019 election?

    Yes, Accord is on the drawing board preaparing for the next election, but I have to be sincere with you that Nigerian political space is not yet stable.

    How?

    Because you can see the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members now decamping to the ruling party, APC. So, I see a possibility of the PDP going to extinction. When we look at the APC, the ruling party,I’m sorry to say, it is not a united party and I foresee a situation whereby some people will leave that party as they did to the PDP. I foresee a possible new mega party of which Accord is likely to be part. Looking at the APC, I think it is not yet a united party.

     Sen. Ladoja has confirmed that he collected N100m on behalf of Accord. what is the thinking within the party concerning the money your leader collected?

    There is nothing spectacular about that because when the election was coming,we politicians know ourselves. We knew the battle was actually going to be between APC and PDP. So, PDP was running around to gain support of smaller parties. The APC did the same. APC talked with our party leaders at Abuja as well as the PDP. They were lobbying the national office in Abuja for the presidential election.

    So why are you still with Ladoja as a representative of his caucus?

    Because I believe in his political ideology. You know I made mention of the possibility of another mega party coming up. So, if that party does not fall into our ideology we are not going to go with them.

    What is that your ideology ?

    To serve the people. Though I believe it is where you work that you will eat,  I don’t  believe in making yourself a lord over your people.

  • APC, Accord supporters clash

    All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord supporters yesterday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, clashed outside of the Magistrate’s Court, Iyaganku.

    The parties’ supporters were at the governorship election tribunal sitting to support the petitioner and the governorship candidate of Accord, Sen Rashidi Ladoja, and Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the APC.

    Ladoja is claiming that the April 11 governorship election was rigged in favour of the APC candidate.

    An eyewitness said trouble started when Accord supporters started singing to spite APC supporters.

    The quick intervention of armed policemen saw the arrest of two “troublemakers”.

    Twenty armed policemen blocked the court entrance with an Armoured Personnel Carrier and a police truck. They were kitted with ballistic shields and bullet proof vests. Traders within the court hurriedly closed shop.

    An Accord supporter, Saheed Adigun, said they were in the court to observe the proceedings but were prevented from entering by the security operatives.

    “So we decided to stay out, but to our surprise some APC supporters started singing abusive songs and we warned them to stop.

    “But they started throwing stones at us and it was the policemen who saved us. Three of our members were injured,” he said

    But an APC member, who pleaded for anonymity, claimed that Accord supporters have been threatening them.

    “We believe Accord members must allow peace reign and desist from attacking our members unjustly. This is a democratic era and everybody has freedom of speech and movement.

    “We are certain that at the end of this tribunal our governor shall remain victorious, no matter the amount of intimidation and attack,” he said.

  • How LP beat Accord to Minority Leader, by Oyo Speaker

    Oyo State House of Assembly Speaker Michael Adeyemo has said majority of the 32-member of the Eighth Assembly chose to suspend the rule of the House to allow a Labour Party (LP) candidate  emerge as Minority Leader.

    Adeyemo, who spoke to The Nation at the weekend, said the lawmakers did so to throw the position open.

    The House is made up of 18 members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), eight Accord and six LP members.

    Olagunju Ojo defeated Olalekan Olagunju to emerge the Minority Leader.

    He scored 21 to beat his rival’s nine.

    Political observers had expected that Accord would produce the Minority Leader having produced higher minority  lawmakers.

    The development attracted some criticism.

    But Adeyemo said the constitution allows suspension of any rule of the House to allow a majority decision sail through.

    He said: “There is no controversy. People decided to go with what we have in the House rule, forgetting that the same rule makes provision for the suspension of any rule for you to do certain things.

    “If you want to do certain things, you suspend the provision of the House rule that will stop you from doing it.

    “Election of principal officers of the House is the business of the members of the House either from the majority or the minority. All members will participate.

    “So, when it comes to the issue of election of minority leader, our rule says it should be from the minority party with the highest number of members but a member raised a motion that the rule  be suspended.

    “Why? They wanted the whole thing to be thrown open. So, what we did was in accordance with the rule of law.

    “All members approved the suspension of the House rule and we went for voting. And the members decided who should be the Minority Leader.”

    Adeyemo also promised that the Assembly would surpass the record of the Seventh Assembly as members have agreed to work together, irrespective of their political affiliations.