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Tag: Akeredolu

  • ‘Why Akure indigenes will vote for Akeredolu’

    A former member of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Mr. Tayo Abidakun, yesterday said Akure indigenes have resolved to vote for the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu SAN.

    He added that this is contrary to the belief that the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, will sweep the poll in Akure South.

    Abidakun, who joined ACN last week, said LP has failed Akure people.

    The ex-LP lawmaker spoke with reporters in Akure after visiting the ACN secretariat in Akure South Local Government where he integrated with the members and empowered them ahead of the election.

    Abidakun recalled that Mimiko, while campaigning in 2009, promised to turn Akure to a millennium city.

    He said he has not fulfilled his promise.

    According to Abidakun, who was the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Governor Mimiko has denied Akure the dividends of democracy.

    He said: “Mimiko promised to turn Akure into a millennium city, but if you drive round, you will see that we are nowhere. We are still behind. The town is not in good shape, the roads are bad, the youths are jobless and there is no development. Our people are not empowered. We are suffering in Akure.”

    Abidakun, who represented Akure South Constituency 1, said many areas have been abandoned by the Mimiko administration, adding that the people are living in abject poverty.

    He said: “Go to Abusoro, Ilotin, Esure, Moferere, Afe-olowokere, Ijoka Extension and other areas in Akure, the roads are bad. Go to Isolo and Obanla, the roads are in a terrible condition. I’m sure Governor Mimiko does not have a plan to give these roads a facelift.”

    Abidakun said he admired ACN’s manifestos and its standard bearer in the October 20 governorship poll, Akeredolu.

    “I like what is going on in Lagos, Osun, Ekiti, Edo, Oyo and Ogun states. I admire the idea of Southwest economic integration. It is unmatchable,” he added.

    Abidakun enjoined Akure indigenes to work for the victory of ACN because it is a party that will recognise the citizens and provide infrastructures.

  • Akeredolu seeks removal of SSS director

    Akeredolu seeks removal of SSS director

    The Akeredolu Campaign organization (ACO) has called on the Director General of the State Security Services to immediately transfer, Mrs Betty Adokie, the Director, State Security Services(SSS) Ondo Command.

    It accused her of being “a tool in the hand of Governor Olusegun Mimiko in his campaign effort in Ondo State”, and accused her of actions which were unbecoming of an occupant of such a high office in a reputable organisation like the SSS.

    According to ACO “Mrs Adokie has devised a gimmick of arresting members of the PDP, ACN and LP while cleverly releasing the LP members and holding the PDP and ACN members in detention on spurious charges.”

    It called on the SSS authorities to transfer her from the state because she has “become a clog in the wheel capable of drawing the good name of the institution (SSS) in the mud. We also want to warn that if she continues in office with the same attitude the members of PDP and ACN may have no choice than to resort into self help which will not augur well for the peace of the state. Hence this call for her immediate removal which we believe the Director General will not take lightly.”

    The campaign organisation also denied allegation by the Labour Party (LP) that ACN is planning to bring Tokyo, the embattled former NURTW chairman of Oyo State to Ondo State to foment trouble describing it as a product panic and hallucination on the part of the LP.

    The organisation also called on the people of Ondo State to challenge the Labour Party to explain why it has commissioned agents to acquire unclaimed voters card from the Independent National Electoral Commission Ondo State.

    In a statement by Idowu Ajanaku, Director Media, Publicity and Strategy of ACO, he said a couple Mr and Mrs Ola Olu Oladapo form Ondo West has been arrested by the police with more than 2000 voters’ card and are in the custody of the police at the state headquarters in Akure. The man under arrest has confessed that these cards are unclaimed voters cards which he got from the INEC office.

    “We call on the Inspector General of Police to investigate this matter and not allow Mimiko working hand in glove with the Ondo State Police to sweep this under the carpet. We also want the people of Ondo State to see through the deception that the LP represents, especially with their public grand style which is contrary to what they are doing in secret. They say one thing and mean another but their evil deed will no longer be covered. God will continue to expose them.”

  • Akeredolu ‘ll transform Ondo, says Fashola

    Akeredolu ‘ll transform Ondo, says Fashola

    Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday said he is optimistic that Ondo State will witness a rapid transformation in all sectors, if the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) standard bearer, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, is voted into office on October 20.

    Akeredolu will create employment opportunities for youths, he said.

    He said the masses are lamenting that the Olusegun Mimiko administration has failed to provide the basic amenities.

    Fashola, who spoke at the ACN State Secretariat in Akure during a prayer session organised by the Muslim chapter of the party, assured the indigenes that the ACN government would not betray them.

    The Lagos State Governor described Akeredolu as a trustworthy person, adding that he defended them at the election tribunals because of the injustice by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    He said Akeredolu was part of the team that retrieved the mandate of the party from the oppressors.

    He said: “I’m glad to be in this state today to canvass for votes and mobilise the people to support ACN and its candidate, Akeredolu. He has demonstrated that he is capable of wiping away tears from the eyes of the masses because in the past he fought for injustice and defended the masses. He led the legal team that restored the stolen mandates of the Ekiti, Osun, Edo and Ondo governors.

    “He will never betray the people and the party. Ondo people will smile during his tenure. Today, ACN remains the only party that has changed the lives of the masses in the country. I hope you are aware of the transformation projects already executed in Lagos, what Governor Adams Oshiomhole is doing in Edo. At present, Ekiti State is witnessing rapid transformation. I am delighted that my neighbour, the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, has built a bridge and a six-lane road. None of these states has the resources Ondo has.

    “The current administration in the state has enough resources to change the living standard of the masses, but it has failed to do so. The governor has failed to provide jobs for the youths.

    “I was disappointed when I read in a newspaper that the ruling Labour Party government promised to revamp the moribund industries in the state, if the people vote for him. My question is, what has he been doing in the last three and a half years? This is political propaganda. ACN will never make a promise without fulfilling it.

    “Ondo has oil, gas and cocoa. This state is the pillar of cocoa production in the Southwest. As at now, the state should have been producing chocolates for export. By initiating this, there will be employment opportunities for the people. “In Lagos, we have engaged our people through the creation of jobs. Over 7,000 people have been employed at the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency (LASTMA), 17,000 people have benefited from our skill acquisition programme and they are now independent, feeding their families. I don’t know why Ondo’s own is different.

    “ACN under the leadership of Akeredolu, popularly called Aketi, will revamp the moribund industries established by the leaders of our party such as the late Chief Adekunle Ajasin and Chief Adebayo Adefarati. Akeredolu will never betray you, he is committed to the development of the state and I am sure during his regime, Ondo will witness rapid transformation because he knows the blueprint of the ACN. Our blueprint is transformation and creation of job opportunities for the people.”

    Akeredolu described Fashola as the “skipper of all ACN Governors,” adding that it was his achievements in Lagos that created the channel which ACN used in taking over other states in the Southwest.

    The ACN candidate, who was accompanied by his wife, Chioma, urged the party members to turn out en masse for the senatorial district rally that would come up in Ikare, Ondo and Ore from today.

    “After the senatorial campaign, please go back to your wards and units to mobilise the people to vote for the ACN on the election day,” Akeredolu said.

    The Chief Imam of Qaulieayah Central Mosque at Ore in Odigbo Local Government, Sheik Aliyu Balogun Ibrahim and Alfa Akintuyi Azeez Jamiu predicted victory for the ACN.

    They urged Akeredolu not to neglect the people if he wins the election.

    Dignitaries at the event included the Acting Chairman of the party, Chief Noah Adesoji, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, the Director-General of the Aketi Campaign Organisation, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, Ifedayo Abegunde and Joseph Ajatta.

    Others are Tayo Abidakun, Olatunji Oshati, the treasurer of the party, Ade Adetimehin, Femi Adekanmbi, the State Women’s Leader, Erelu Modupe Johnson and Youths’ Leader, Enas Mohammed.

     

     

     

     

  • Akeredolu promises to build seaport in Ilaje

    Akeredolu promises to build seaport in Ilaje

    The governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the October 20 election in Ondo State, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), concluded his campaign tour of wards yesterday with a promise to transform the riverine areas by building a seaport in Ilaje to boost the economy.

    The ACN standard bearer, his running mate, Dr. Paul Akintelure and other party leaders like Chief Tayo Alasoadura, Director- General of the Akeredolu Campaign Organisation (ACO), Madam Erelu Modupe Johnson, the Women’s Leader, Mr. Wale Omojuwa, Chief Olu Tawose, Chief Ade Odoro among others were given a rousing reception by the supporters.

    The traditional rulers at the event promised to support Akeredolu and his running mate by mobilising their subjects to vote for them.

    The ACO spokesman, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said in a statement that he cried because of the environmental degradation he saw during his visit to the Ugbo Constituency.

    He said despite the oil wealth, the people are wallowing in poverty.

    Ajanaku decried the parlous state of the people and identified with them. He promised that they would no longer be neglected if Akeredolu is elected the governor.

    Ajanaku said the electorate are justified to feel cheated by the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led Labour Party administration.

    The ACO spokesman assured the Ilaje people that under the Akeredolu leadership, the area would be transformed, as the seaport would attract economic activities from the neighbouring countries, which would complement the operations of the Lagos ports.

    “The seaport will serve as a source of income for the government and create jobs for the people,” he added.

    Ajanaku said Akeredolu would fulfil his promise to the electorate and would not abandon projects like Governor Mimiko who could not inaugurate a road in the three and a half years of his administration and who specialised in petty projects, such as building of market stalls, town halls and motor parks, while the rural areas and cities are in deplorable condition despite receiving over N600 billion from the federation account.

     

  • Mimiko has lost the election, says Akeredolu

    Mimiko has lost the election, says Akeredolu

    Former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), President Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) is the candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the October 20 governorship election in Ondo State.

    In this interview with select journalists in Lagos, he says Governor Segun Mimiko will not be helped by the incumbency factor, as the people are resolved to vote him out. Deputy Editor (News) ADENIYI ADESINA and Group Political Editor Bolade Omonijo were there.

    How do you hope to successfully challenge the incumbency factor considering the performance of ACN in the 2011 general election which was not quite impressive in the state?

    The performance of ACN in the last general election was actually determined by many factors. I concede that ACN did not do well in the election. But when you ask people, they will readily tell you that there was a belief that there was an understanding between the ACN and Labour Party. Many of those who voted Mimiko and Labour Party did so with the understanding that both parties are the same. But it was a matter of time before they all knew he was never part of them. In fact, he is PDP to the core and that is where he is going to end up at the end. So, we can all imagine the fortune of a party whose supporters went around with the assumption that both LP and ACN are the same.

    But you cannot use that election to judge this one because many of the ACN members have returned to their base. The ACN has won over half of those who are in Labour and over half of those in PDP. So, I can tell you that ACN is quite formidable in Ondo State today, more than ever before.

    When it comes to the issue of incumbency, I know he can out-smart all other parties put together when it comes to spending. He can spend in the rallies, campaign and giving people all sorts of things. This is because he is not spending his money but state fund. Obama cannot try it without going to jail. Cameron cannot try it. But in Nigeria, you can’t control it because there is no demarcation between an individual fund and the state fund. But we must know that the power of incumbency cannot match the resolve of the people. When people are determined, there is no amount of money you can spend to entice them. When the people were determined in Oyo, Akala left. When they were determined in Osun State, Oyinlola left and also in Ondo, when the people were determined, Agagu left for him. So, if he can oust Agagu who had all the support of the federal government at the time, so, who is Mimiko? We will run him out of Ondo State that I can assure you.

    Considering the fact that you are from Ondo North, specifically, Owo which has smaller population, how do you hope to win votes from other senatorial districts of the state?

    I am very sure that ACN as a party must have considered all these permutations before making a choice of a candidate from Owo. And I want to say categorically that no one is better placed than a candidate from Owo. In a state like ours, there are so many fallacies being dished out to the public and because you repeat, it seems to bring about some elements of truth. Of course, Akoko is an integral part of Ondo North Senatorial District and it has four local governments with 54 per cent voting population while Owo has two local governments areas with about 46 per cent voting strength. So, the figures are not determined by the numbers of local governments areas.

    Secondly, the relationship between Owo and Akoko has always been that, if you rub my back, I will rub yours. Most times, when the governorship candidate comes from Owo, the senatorial candidate has always been from Akoko. The current senator representing Ondo North is Prof. Ajayi Borofice who hails from Akoko. He is a member of ACN. So, the choice of a governorship candidate from Owo is just to balance the relationship that has often existed between the two Today, Akoko people will say “we are sure that ACN will win Akoko but our problem is Owo.” So, the Akoko people are solidly behind ACN and they are supporting our candidature.

    Concerning the central senatorial zone, with all apologies to my campaign director, that senatorial zone is like a pool. We have Owo people there and Akoko, people from the south senatorial zone among others. I remember we once joked that if you remove the population of other senatorial zone from Akure in particular, that is when they will know that there are more non-indigenes in Akure than the indigenes. Of course, the figure in central is large but it is not just for the indigenes of the senatorial zone, it also comprises those from other senatorial zones.

    And when it comes to the South, yes, Olusola Oke is from the place and luckily for us, our deputy governorship candidate is also from the area and he belongs to the largest ethnic group there, I mean the Ikales who are much populated than the Ilaje where Oke hails from. So, when you look at it, you will discover that a lot of balancing is already in place. And again, Oke knows that the race is actually between two persons. I know PDP will eventually work with us. Of course, we have always worked together because we both have one agenda and that is to get Mimiko out of that seat. When we meet at rallies, we joke, drink together and we often tell each other that the important thing is that Mimiko leaves that seat.

    Recently, the governor alleged that illegal registration of voters is being carried out by your party and the INEC chairman also confirmed that illegal registration is going on in Ondo State though he refused to mention any party; what is your view on it?

    Well, we are not in government. So, we couldn’t have been carrying out illegal registration of voters. ACN does not have the resources. We are not PDP and we are not controlling federal government. We are only controlling some states, so you will agree with me that this is a tissue of lies. So, who are the people doing the registration? Suspiciously, it should be the Labour Party. When the issue was raised, I remember INEC saying it was wrong for Ondo State government to be doing its biometric registration of the labour force at that point in time. I think that is where the suspicion came from.

    The government has been there for almost four years, why has the biometric registration not taken place? So, why is it being carried out on the eve of the election? And it has also been discovered that some of those being captured are not even workers with the state government. But one thing I know is that such steps will be a futile exercise as there is no amount of rigging that will change the result of the election. INEC should be commended for what it did in Edo State and I have confidence that the result of Ondo election will be free and fair.

    How do you feel, considering the fact that the incumbent governor was recently endorsed by prominent personalities like Dr Tunji Braithwaite, Dr Fredrick Fasehun and Mrs Ganiat Fawehinmi, among others?

    Endorsements don’t win election. Who is Braithwaite in Ondo State politics? Nobody. Who is Fasehun in politics of Ondo State? Nobody. Yes, Ganiat Fawehinmi can ride on the goodwill of her husband, the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. But I can tell you that if the husband were to be alive, he would have supported me. So, I will rather prefer having the spirit of the husband who is no more rather than that of the wife who is around.

    Yes, when Chief Fawehinmi died, the governor gave him a befitting burial and we also know that he established a diagnostic centre which he named after him, even though it has just come to the notice of everybody that the centre is actually not funded by the state government but by some private investors and probably he has some interests in it.

    Some people have suggested that you are not your own man…

    I wish to place on record that I have always been my own man. The assumption in some quarters that I was hand-picked is not correct. I have served as Attorney General of Ondo State before and I know Ondo State very well. It is also instructive to point out that when I was a former president of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and I was championing a number of campaigns aimed at curbing government excesses, was anybody using us? So, all along, I have always been my own man at every given opportunity and at every point in time.

    There is also a belief that your emergence elicited so much controversy that the party is yet to recover. How would you respond to this?

    The process that produced me was fair because all the aspirants signed up to it; no exception. Every political party has its process of selection, which I believe is democratic enough. At the end of the day, some people, feel aggrieved, which I believe is normal. But we have continued to talk to them and most of them are now with us. If we have one or two who felt they must eventually go, there is nothing we can do about that. It is politics. It is personal ambition. If you chose to be governor and somebody offers you deputy governorship ticket and you go, that means you never wanted to be governor. So, for me, nobody can fault the process of my emergence, because it was thorough and we were all part of it. So, by and large, I believe the Action Congress of Nigeria that chose me has made the best choice for Ondo state ahead of the governorship election.

    Your opponent, the incumbent governor, kick-started his campaign few weeks back and we all witnessed the mammoth crowd that graced the event at your home town, Owo; what will you say this portends for your chances?

    The crowd you saw were people they brought from outside. People from Owo never came out. They brought in people from all the 18 local governments areas to Owo in many buses. People before us have said it, may be because the time has passed. We all know, crowd doesn’t vote. We are unperturbed because we know people are behind us. Even with the crowd that was brought to Owo, if you ask them to vote, we know that over 70 per cent of them will vote for us. You can bring people to rally. You can drive people to rally and you can more or less bribe people to come to a political campaign. They were more or less forcing people to come out. They are forcing civil servants while teachers were given numbers and at the end of the day, you gave them money. We have been out and we have seen crowd too, those who will attend rallies from 9 am till 11 pm without being given a kobo. Those are the real crowd. Those are the people we have. If you do your research in Owo, you will confirm what I’m saying and you will discover that the crowd was brought there.

    Considering the fact that the governorship election is close by and your major opponent is a sitting governor, what do you think can make him lose the election?

    Let me say emphatically that Mimiko has already lost the election. He can never win any election in Ondo State and that is why he is running from pillar to post. This is because he knows quite well that he has lost the forthcoming election.

    How?

    If you have a government that has nothing as achievement in four years, how do you expect people to vote for such government? In four years, he started one or two roads, none is completed. And I have said while I was campaigning that he can never complete any of those roads because I will be the one to complete them. I’m standing on that. Again, you have a government where the army of unemployed has increased and many of these unemployed are voters. How do you expect those people to vote for government that does not provide them with jobs?

    So, you are saying the crowd does not represent the strength of the party?

    Many of those you see in their rallies were there because they are forced. Some, out of inducement and some are there for sight-seeing. Some go there to collect vests and money. In the heart of the Ondo State people, Mimiko is out already. You can stay here in Lagos, watch television and start to imagine how we are going to defeat him because of the crowd you see. But I don’t have any doubt in my mind that he is going to lose. And if we are to look at it critically again, are the people of Ondo State foolish? They are not.

    Oba Adesida Road has been there all the while, with street lights on it and then you remove them and put other ones. At what cost? There is no project today that he can commission except for the markets which are responsibilities of the local governments. And this is someone who has refused to conduct election at local government levels. And the markets, nobody is even going there. Just drive through Ondo State and you will see that there are no people in those markets. Some people have refused to go to the markets because they believe they are more or less rituals stuff. Of course, I don’t believe in such any way because they don’t mean anything to me.

    What about the town halls?

    The other one, you force people to go and be building town halls. What has the state government got to do with the building of town halls? What are the people there to do? These are what people could raise money among themselves to build. And in fact, some of these town halls are already collapsing. In Opete for instance, a side of the town hall wall has collapsed. So, the government has not achieved anything, except hardship. The economy is grounded. How do you expect people to retain it? You need to go to the state, the whole place is dry. There is no money. That is the reality people of the state are facing and many people who are not there don’t know. And that’s the reason we are confident we are going to win.

    Specifically, what are your programmes for the people of the state?

    We have told the people of Ondo State that we have a five-cardinal programme. This includes education, technology, agriculture, entrepreneurship and infrastructure. I have told them that I have absolute commitment to the rural areas and our farmers will have cause to smile and that is why they are with me.

    As part of other things we will do when we get there, we will improve our IGR. This not going to be by tax but by ensuring we increase the number of places where we generate money into the coffers of the state government. And I’m very sure many people will be happy to pay their taxes. On the issue of surplus bitumen in the state, even if it is too much for just a state, about six to seven states can come together and run a company that will take care of it. We will jointly invest in it and we will still make our money because we are going to involve other people there. Our investment will be larger and investors will be happy to participate.

    Share with us your programmes for education?

    Education will take the chunk of our resources when we get there. This is because it will be made free from primary to secondary level. At university level, we will give scholarships. But such scholarship will not be limited to those who have Second Class (Upper) because that is what is obtainable now and I think it is not right. You may not be brilliant and your parents may not have the means to sponsor your education.

    Also we will ensure that bursaries are paid when due to indigent students. We will also support those who are in law schools and it will be more than the N25, 000 they are being given now.

    The role of first ladies has been abused in recent times; if you eventually emerge, what role will your wife be playing?

    It’s quite unfortunate that my wife is not here. But I can tell you that I’m married to a person that is highly political. She is somebody who does not believe in wasting people’s resources. So, we are going to have a first lady who is not going to waste people’s resources. I know that for sure. She runs a non-governmental organisation that addresses women issues. She is the President of Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BECAN). She already has an idea of what to do. It is not that when she gets there that she will start thinking of what to do. I’m sure her programme may include “let us all jug for a week. Let’s have breast cancer examination for all women”, among others.

  • Akeredolu urges IGP to transfer Ondo police chief

    Akeredolu urges IGP to transfer Ondo police chief

    •US envoys visit candidates

    The Ondo State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) yesterday urged the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to transfer the police commissioner.

    The ACN candidate accused the police chief and his team of partisanship.

    Akeredolu spoke in Akure, the state capital, when two American envoys, Jeffrey Hawkins and Rolf Olson, visited him.

    He alleged that the police chief and his men were working for the ruling Labour Party (LP).

    The former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President doubted the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Prof. Attahiru Jega.

    Akeredolu noted that without a trusting and fair security partnership with INEC, it would be difficult to know the truth about the election.

    The ACN candidate hailed the American envoys for representing the agents that would ensure a free and fair poll.

    He said the dividends of democracy are not in building roads or providing basic amenities – as these are also achievable under a military government – but by allowing freedom of speech and the liberty to vote for one’s choice of leadership.

    Jeffrey Hawkins and Rolf Olson were in Ondo State to assess the political situation in the Sunshine State and familiarise with the governorship candidates.

    They visited governorship candidates and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and emphasised the need for a free and fair election on October 20.

    The envoys also listed the benefits of a violence-free poll to the growth of democracy.

    Addressing reporters in Akure, the state capital, when they visited the ACN candidate, Hawkins, who is the Consul-General, said the US was interested in ensuring that the poll result represents the people’s wish.

    Hawkins said American observers would monitor the poll.

    Olson spoke of the need for the poll to adhere with democratic guidelines.

     

  • Mimiko’s claims on weapons false, says Akeredolu

    Mimiko’s claims on weapons false, says Akeredolu

    The Akeredolu Campaign Organisation (ACO) of the Ondo State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) yesterday said the allegation by the ruling Labour Party (LP) that it had bought N200million weapons of destruction was false.

    Through its Director of Publicity, Mr Koye Odogiyan, the LP yesterday in Akure, the state capital, alleged that “as part of the plans to effect this, arrangements have been concluded by the opposition party to bring to the state, ahead of the October 20 election date, 100 sophisticated guns and the accompanied ammunition as well as bullet-proof vests”.

    But in a statement in Akure by its spokesman, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, ACO said the LP allegation showed that the party was practising “elementary subversive techniques”.

    The statement reads: “It is on record that security agents have apprehended LP thugs in several parts of the state with dangerous weapons, as a confirmation of the alarm already raised by ACN in several statements. It is also a fact that it is the LP that has been unleashing violence on members of opposition parties in the state. We believe the LP is only trying to practice elementary subversive techniques.

    “It was LP thugs that attacked the chieftains of ACN during the late Adebayo Adefarati memorial lecture in Akure. They attacked Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s convoy after the state primaries. They attacked him during campaign in Okeluse. They have attacked our members in Akure during ward meetings in Lafe, Ijoka area of Akure and at Oka Akoko. In fact, Akeredolu confronted Mimiko for promoting violence during the meeting of the Director of the State Security Service (SSS) with leaders of the parties in Ondo State.

    “It was LP that can afford to spend N200million on weapons and not ACN, a party that is not in government. If we had such money, we would rather spend it on our campaign.

    “We, therefore, call on the security agents not to allow the LP to practise their diversionary tactics on them. It is the LP that they should beam their searchlights on.

    “For us in ACO, we want to remind Governor Olusegun Mimiko and his co-travellers that the Ondo State people are not cowards and that no amount of intimidation and lies will make them change their minds from voting him out in the October 20 poll.

    “The people of the state are determined to vote for ACN, which has promised to replicate the massive infrastructural development of Lagos, provide 30,000 jobs within 100 days in office, to stem the tide of the criminal neglect of the youths of the state.

    “The ACN standard bearer, Akeredolu (SAN), is a honest man. He has the pedigree and integrity. He is trustworthy. Ondo State people can trust him to fulfil his promises because he is another SAN with a sound mind.”

  • Students back Akeredolu

    STUDENTS, under the aegis of Ondo State Students/Youth Coalition, have endorsed the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate in the October 20 governorship election, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

    The students said the ACN standard bearer is an agent of change who would transform Ondo State.

    A statement by their Coordinator, Jimoh Ibrahim, expressed disappointment in the Labour Party (LP) administration of Olusegun Mimiko, especially its handling of the state’s finances.

    The statement reads: “At this critical time in the threshold of a new political era in our dear state, Ondo State. We must stand up to be counted as a generation of youths who refused to be cowed by state power and shunned lucre in the interest of generation yet unborn. We are confident that our modest stance today will galvanise the teeming masses to action to be counted in the historic transformation which our actions would bring forth to our dear state and by extension to the country in general.

    “It is of note that the Mimiko-led administration took over the affairs of our great state in February 2009. We have been following the projects awarded by this administration; we realise that none of this project has been completed after three and half years they took over from the last administration.

    “A government that inherited liquid cash of N38.34 billion from the last administration and has collected over N500 billion from the Federal Allocation; a government that has full access to local government fund for 42 months with capital budgets of over N350 billion in 42 months, it is quite unfortunate that all Governor Mimiko could show are few markets, Mother and Child Hospital, streetlight and fountain water.”

    The students’ body added: “Our governor has been spending billions of naira on the Oba-Adesida–Oyemekun Road in the last three years; yet, it has not been completed. All roads started by the present administration are yet to be completed. These include those of Arakale, Ondo township and Owo.

    “Also, his failure to conduct a local government election since the inception of his administration is clearly an illustration of his failure, fraud and undemocratic tendencies.

    “The resources meant for local governments are diverted. This has forced down some projects on the throat of those local governments.

    “The poor performance of the present administration, led by Mimiko, is responsible for the agitation for change that we are witnessing today.

    “Due to non-performance of this present administration and for the fear for our future, we took time to look examine all the candidates that are contesting in the October 20 election. We went through their profiles and programmes. We looked at their past activities and how successful they were in their businesses. We decided to give our support to Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, the governorship aspirant under the party of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), to actualise his dream.”

     

  • Akeredolu: I’ll transform Ondo

    Akeredolu: I’ll transform Ondo

    •Akande decries youth unemployment

    The Ondo State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) governorship candidate, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), yesterday promised to transform the state, if elected in the October 20 election.

    The ACN candidate assured the youths of getting 30,000 jobs in his first 100 days in office.

    He spoke at the B.T.O. Hall in Akure, the Ondo State capital, during his interactive session with youths, tagged: Ondo Youths for Change Forum.

    Akeredolu reaffirmed his promise to increase students’ bursary and give scholarships to students.

    He condemned the ruling Labour Party (LP) administration for not treating Ondo State students well, saying youths are the future of the country.

    The former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President assured the residents of brighter days ahead.

    A popular actress, Mrs Funke Akindele-Oloyede (aka Jenifa), who spoke as a youth ambassador, said Ondo State must be liberated from the clutches of the ruling Labour Party (LP).

    Award-winning musician, Akande Abolore (aka 91ce), entertained the guests.

    ACN National Chairman Chief Bisi Akande blamed the problems militating against development of Nigerian youths on bad leadership.

    He decried the neglect of Ondo State youths, saying they are the future of the country.

    Akande, who was represented by the party’s National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Lai Mohammed, blamed the rising youth unemployment in the country on bad governance.

    He said: “While the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is not creating jobs at the federal level, the LP in Ondo State has also failed to provide jobs for the teeming unemployed youths in the state.”

    The former Osun State Governor urged the youths to ensure that their votes count in the October 20 election.

    He advised them to allow ACN take over the governance of the state after the election, to usher in youth-oriented projects, as obtained in other ACN states.

    A member of the National House of Assembly, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who anchored the interactive session, decried the underdevelopment of the Sunshine State.

    She urged the residents to embrace ACN as it moves its development agenda across the country.

    The state Youth Leader, Comrade Mohammed Enas, emphasised the importance of the event.

    He said the time has come for a turning point for Ondo State youths.

    Enas said: “This is a historical landmark and a turning point for the youths to redefine and reposition ourselves in the task of challenging the pervading hopelessness and high unemployment among our youths.

    “In the last four years, the well-being of youths in Ondo State have been relegated to the background by the present government, to the extent that we are only deemed fit to be used as thugs for electioneering purposes while our counterparts in other states, under the governance of our party, are progressing.”

    At the event were: Wale Akinteriwa, Prince Adegboyega Adedipe, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, Abegunde, ACN state Chairman Mr. Adesoji, Comrade Ayo Adewale, Kehinde Bamigbetan.

    Others are: Asiwaju Solidarity Group, Action Youth Movement, Ondo Less Privileged Group, Mr Segun Mayegun, Mr Femi Adekanbi, Erelu Modupe Johnson, Mr Adegboyega Adefarati and Comrade Sola Iji.

  • Stakeholders worry over electoral violence in Ondo

    Stakeholders worry over electoral violence in Ondo

    Political leaders in Ondo State are worried over the spate of violence that has characterised the governorship campaigns in the state.

    They want the security agencies to rise to the occasion. Traditional rulers and community leaders have also been suing for peace, urging rival partisan politicians to desist from heating up the state ahead of the October 20 election.

    Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leader in Akure, the state capital, Chief Wumi Adegbonmire, attributed the violence to the desperation of the Labour Party (LP) Governor Olusegun Mimiko to remain in office beyond this year. He complained that thugs have been invading the ACN meeting venues to instill fear into the people. The foremost politician warned that the trick would fail because people were seriously pushing for power shift.

    Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer, Olusola Oke, a lawyer, has also complained that suspected LP thugs have been disrupting campaigns. But he urged calm, saying that the will of the people will prevail.

    The Director of Mimiko Campaign Organisation, Mr. Kola Olabisi, denied the allegations. He said PDP and ACN were giving the dog a bad name to hang it. “LP is a peaceful party. Ondo State was peaceful before some people invaded the state to disturb its peace. Our campaign in the Labour Party is peaceful”, he said.

    ACN spokesman Gboyega Adedipe said Olabisi was pretending. He alleged that Governor Mimiko, who is seeking re-election, has been waging war against the opposition. He recalled that violence started on April 20, 2012, when the ACN organized a memorial lecture for former Governor Adebayo Adefarati at Oyemeku Road, Akure. Adedipe said LP members stormed the venue, singing and dancing provocatively to abusive songs against the opposition party.

    “As the guests, mostly ACN members, began to arrive, the situation became rowdy as their supporters also stationed themselves outside the hall singing and dancing. The situation, however, turned violent when some invitees to the lecture, including former commissioners and special advisers who served under the late governor were prevented from entering the lecture hall by Labour Party members”, he lamented.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and police took the pre-emptive action by banning political gatherings. But it is always difficult to enforce ban on political activities in a volatile state.

    On Saturday, July 28, the convoy of the ACN candidate, Rotimi Akeredolu, was attacked in Akure by thugs. The party blamed LP for the attack, which was denied by its Publicity Secretary, Kole Odogiyan. The media aide to Akeredolu, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, alleged that hoodlums hauled stones and pebbles at the convoy.

    A day before this attack, there was a clash between PDP and LP members at Ode-Irele. According to the PDP Director of Publicity, Mr. Ayodele Fadake, the clash was sparked off by government’s decision to inaugurate a community-based project on the same day that the PDP had obtained a Police permit to hold a rally in the town. “Some LP members planned to defect to the PDP and this sent the ruling party leaders jittery”, he said.

    Ajanaku said Mimiko resorted to violence because he has no concrete achievement. “This is a governor who has sought to convince the world that he has performed in all spheres, but the evidence cannot be found”, he said. Olabisi rejected this claim, saying that the governor has done much for the state, adding that people would reward him with votes next month.

    Ajanaku said gone were the days when non-performers would continue to be in public office in the Southwest. “Can we perform Mimiko to Fashola in lagos, Adams Oshiohmole in Edo? The handwriting is bold on the wall”, he added.

    Election observers warn that violence may discredit the poll in Ondo, if stakeholders fail to avert the scenario. “Politicians should engage the people with their manifesto and plans, instead of resorting to violence during electioneering,” said Tunde Imolehin, an activist, who added: ”Violence is an ill-wind that blows nobody no good.”

    Adegbonmire said an atmosphere of peace is critical to peaceful elections. “ACN is ready and we will not be intimidated. we want security agents and INEC to do a thorough job without fear or favour”, he added.

    Last month, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, warned thugs to leave the state. He warned the members of the road transport unions, who are always tools in the hands of politicians, to shun violence. “I am coming to supervise the election in Ondo myself. So, the unions should stay away from trouble”, he said.

    Resident Electoral Officer Akin Orebiyi, who spoke on phone, also assured the partied of a level playing field. “We will work with security agents to ensure an atmosphere of peace and transquility during the election”, he assured.