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Tag: Adejare Bello

  • Former Speaker gives INEC passmark

    Former Speaker, Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adejare Bello, has hailed the conduct of the election in his polling unit, adding that he would give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a passmark, if the same scenario is replicated at the various polling units across the state.

    His words: “As far as this polling unit is concerned, I would say so far, so good. We have been restricted from moving around during the election, so I have no way of knowing what is happening elsewhere.

    Read Also: EFCC, INEC partnership targeted at opposition – Wike

    “But, if what us happening here is replicated in all the polling units,  I will give INEC a passmark and I will say that the exercise has been successful.

    “At this polling unit, the disabled were given the opportunity to cast their votes; some of them were assisted by their able-bodied counterparts.

    “As you can see, voting is still underway at this unit as at 1.30pm. This is because we have close to a thousand registered voters are registered here and the turnout is quite high.”

  • Ex-Osun Assembly speaker resigns PDP membership

    A former Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Adejare Bello, has resigned his membership of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).

    Bello, in a letter addressed to the PDP state’s Chairman, Mr Soji Adagunodo, on Monday in Osogbo, said he was resigning his membership of the party because “the party had been hijacked by some certain elements”.

    The former speaker was one of the seven PDP governorship aspirants that stepped down during the party’s primary in July 21, 2018.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bello contested as the party’s deputy governorship candidate to Otunba Iyiola Omisore in the 2014 governorship election.

    Bello alleged that the party was shifting from the intendments of the founding fathers of the party.

    “The recent events within Osun State chapter of PDP and the National PDP in general, are to my mind inimical and a total shift from the intendments of the founding fathers of the party.

    “This intendment, which was built on justice, fairness and service, had caused me to reconsider my membership of the party, which I hereby resign.

    “It is my sincere belief that some certain elements had hijacked the rudder of the party and changed its cause toward an unknown path, which I am not ready to take,’’ he said.

    Bello, however, thanked the leadership of the party for the opportunities given to him to serve as the speaker of the assembly from 2003 to 2011.

  • Seven Osun PDP governorship aspirants withdraw from race

    At least seven governorship aspirants of the People Democratic Party in Osun State have withdrawn from the primary election of the party going on in Osgbo, the state capital.

    Those that stepped down from the race before commencement of the primary at the GMT Event Centre are former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Adejare Bello; a lawyer, Dr. Ayoade Adewopo; a university don, Prof. Adeolu Durotoye; former chairman, Irewole Local Government Area of Osun a State, Chief Lere Oyewumi; former chairman, Federal Road Maintenance Agency, Engr. Jide Adeniji; former Minister of Youths Development, Senator Olasunkanmi Akinlabi; and former Senator representing Osun Central in the Senate, Chief Ogunwale.

    Read Also: Osun PDP screens 11 governorship aspirants

    But Senator Ademola Adeleke, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Barr. Nathaniel Oke and Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, still remain in the race.

    The governor of Bayelsa State, Sierake Dickson, is the chairman of the party’s electoral panel conducting the primary where over three thousand delegates would be voting to elect the party’s candidate.

    Unlike the All Progressives Congress that used  direct primary on Thursday to pick its flag bearer, the  PDP is using delegate method to elect the party’s candidate.

  • PDP screens 11 aspirants for Osun guber poll

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is currently screening 11 aspirants that have indicated interest in the party’s ticket for the Osun State governorship election.

    The eleven aspirants are Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, Dr. Oyewumi Olalere, Oladipo Oke, Felix Ogunwale, Fatai Akinbade and Ezekiel Adeniyi.

    Others are Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Ayoade Adewopo, Adejare Bello, Senator Ademola Adeleke and Prof Adeolu Durotoye.

    Chairman of the screening committee, Mr Austin Opara who spoke to journalists at the party’s Abuja secretariat on Monday, said the party would provide level playing field for all the aspirants.

    Opara said, “We are determined to do things right. The new leadership of the party has said we must rebrand the party. We will be guided by the guidelines of the party, the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the PDP constitution.

    “We will not import any material that is not in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the guidelines. The constitution for instance has specified the age limit, especially with the passage of the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill into law”.

    Opara announced that all the aspirants have returned their nomination documents and assured that the process will be transparent.

    “The exercise is a process and it is clear in all that the party is doing, including the screening that is taking place today. It is going to be very transparent because we want the best for the party and of course, the best for the party is the best for the country. We would be transparent and fair to all concerned.

    “At the end, we want the best for our nation. You can attest to the fact that things are falling apart in the country today as led by the ruling party, even in Osun State. The only party that can give Nigerians hope today is the PDP,” Opara said.