As the accommodation challenges bite harder, the students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko have called on the leadership of the Federal government Agency, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and Ondo State Oil Producing Development Commission (OSOPADEC) to complete the ongoing hostel accommodation in the campus.
It would be recalled, that the two agencies started the construction of the hostel projects few years ago and has been abandoned since 2014.
Mary Adeola, 200Level Mass communication said: “We call on them to as a matter of urgency resume work at the site of the project and help us complete the hostels because a large number of us are facing a lot of hardship off campus”
On his part, Faniyi Inumidun, 400Level Accounting department expressed his displeasure over how the hostel projects, which was nearing completion were abandoned over the years without any official communication. He called on the school management to engage them towards the completion of the projects.
Also speaking, the student Union President, Adegbola Odunyemi said a large number of AAUA students are facing serious accommodation hardship, ranging from lack of adequate water, epileptic power supply, insecurity and unconducive environment among others, which he said has affected the performance of the students.
The student union President urged the leadership of the agencies to help in the completion of the hostels in order to bring more students on campus for accommodation.
He further urged the school management to approach more corporate bodies and private individuals who are willing to build more hostels in the campus.
The Dean of Students Affairs, Dr Bolanle Ogungbamila said the institution is doing everything possible to provide more hostel accommodation for its students.
He said while the university was aware of some of the hardships being faced by students off campus, said no institution would be able to provide accommodation for all its students.
Dr Ogungbamila said in order to monitor and ensure the safety of the students, the management has approved the creation of an off campus student affairs unit.
He said the unit will be saddled with the responsibility of getting the outside hostels accredited and of course interact with the students regularly to know some of the problems they are facing.
Tag: Akoko
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AAUA students urge NDDC, OSOPADEC on hostel completion
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Akoko leaders condemn attack on aspirant
All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State at the weekend summoned an emergency meeting of all governorship aspirants in the area.
The meeting was hosted by former Deputy Governor Ali Olanusi, an indigene of Supare-Akoko and a Board of Trustees (BOT) member.
Last week, an aspirant, Segun Abraham, was reportedly attacked by some hoodlums, who smashed the windscreens of four vehicles in his convoy.
At the meeting were APC elders, including Chiefs M.A Akeju; Felix Ayegbusi; Mrs O.Tanimola and Julius Akinnigbagbe.
Four governorship aspirants were present at the meeting -Victor Olabimtan, Ganny Dauda, Tunji Abayomi and Abraham.
Senator Ajayi Boroffice and Foluso Adefemi were absent.
Olanusi appealed to the aspirants to shun violence and urged the people to work together.
He said: “Since I started politics in I978 during the formation of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), there was no time Akoko land witnessed such political violence and attack.
“As the APC leader in Akoko, I received many calls from APC stakeholders on what prompted the violence. We cannot stand alone until we have a separate state of our own, we should stop attacking ourselves.
“In politics, nothing is permanent, we are not praying for military intervention again. Democracy should be allowed to grow particularly in Akokoland, we should guard against ruining our reputation because of our lust for power.
“I recall that the then Western Region belonged to the progressives. In 1956, Akoko had a minister and the community did not lag behind in development. I wonder what is happening now.
“Akoko has great sons and daughters, but politicians want to destroy Akokoland. Please let us emulate our past heroes, I am so proud to be an Akoko indigene.
“Governor Olusegun Mimiko promised to dualise Ikare-Akoko because of this our monarch supported him but I told him then that Mimiko would not do it. See the situation in Akokoland now.”
A communiqué at the end of the meeting warned those allegedly sponsoring thugs to refrain from such.
The leaders also condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric. They urged the sponsors of the attack to apologise to Abraham.
The communiqué warned that such violence would not be tolerated again in the community.
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‘Power should shift to Akoko’
As the people of Ondo State warm up for the governorship election, lawyer and activist Akin Ogunsakin examines the justification for the agitation for power shift to Akokoland.
Akokoland came into being a result of quest for peaceable settlement by various towns and communities that made up the Akokoland. It is on record that we all migrated from Ile-Ife, but eventually settled in our respective location; our languages are diverse and unique. This is the source of our strength.
Akoko had gone far in its developmental roles in Ondo State. We are known as the pace setter in almost all facet of human endeavor. The big question is that, can we unite to fight against the common cause of our disunity? The late Pa AdekunleAjasin the elder statement came, he saw and he conquered. Chief Adebayo Adefarati the former governor of Ondo State had done his best for the Akokos and the state, he left indelible records that need to be surpassed. He was denied the opportunity of second term in office by his kinsmen. While the South and the Central Senatorial District were eulogising him, we the Akokos are demanding for his head, of a fact, he had left his fingerprint on the soil of the time. Indeed, history will judge him sagaciously.
We are on the March again! A critical look at the events that occurred few years back revealed that Akoko had been forgotten and relegated so much that it is difficult to say whether we are part of the Sunshine State.
I had taken a walk round the length and breadth of Akokos towns and communities. I want to submit that there is no single developmental project sited in any of the town and communities in Akoko for the past four years or thereabout. Our roads are moribund, abandoned and fashioned to kill.
However, the impeachment of an illustrious son of Akoko was orchestrated and staged managed by his kinsmen.
It is time for us to unite and forge a formidable front in the interest of the people of Akokoland. The forthcoming governorship elections in Ondo State must be seen as a litmus test for all Akoko sons and daughters. We are blessed with the best materials both humans and natural resources. The claim of some Akureindigenes that it is their turn to produce the next governor in the state is laughable! The Central Senatorial District is agitated drumming for supports for a claim that is unfounded. I will not comment on that position of some Akure indigenes. They have their rights to agitate the onus is on the people to do the right thing, logics informed that the Central Senatorial District cannot handover to another candidate from the same Central Senatorial District. Honestly, there must be equity, fairness and justice. We must allow for peaceable cohesion.
Let me again remind all the Akoko sons and daughters that the opportunity must not be wasted because of self aggrandizement. Our elders and leaders in the four Akoko LGAs must lead the vanguard to ensure that qualified candidate who is God fearing with congenital affinity of high moral character emerged as our candidate. We must be careful because other senatorial districts are watchful. While we are drumming for support, we must ensure that we pick a popular candidate with proven antecedent and pedigree. Also, our candidate must be mindful of conflict of ambition and its attendant repercussion.
We need to unite for a common cause because our children are roaming the street without job. The state of infrastructure amenities in Akokoland is worrisome; other senatorial district believed that we cannot unite for whatever reason one can think of. We are a people created to live together, we must fashion out ways of reconciling our differences as they say, different folks, different strokes, but they are all resolvable. We must be the change agent of our people and of course the Ondo State at large.
Frankly speaking, what will play out in the next few months in Ondo State depends to a large extent on the holistic approach from our elders and leaders. The meeting of all Akoko sons and daughters must be convened urgently to chart the way forward for the people of Akokoland.
Committees must be set up to access the candidates without bias and to avert crisis and disunity among our people.
The socio-economic development of Akoko must be paramount in our minds
Finally, Akoko is our home. let us unite in making Akoko our Eldorado. Once again, Happy New Year to all Akoko sons and daughters.
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‘Akoko should produce next Ondo governor’
A group, Akoko Leaders of Thought, is coordinating the agitation for power shift to Ondo North Senatorial District. In this piece, its President, Dr. Bunmi Kolawole, and Secretary, Raymond Ogodo, explains why the slot should be zoned to the district.
All the communities in Akokoland of Ondo State find it extremely necessary to give analysis of the current political situation and the mood iof the generality of the people of Ondo State with a view to determining where the governorship slot should be zoned among the three senatorial districts for the PDP to win the 2017 governorship election.
In doing this wee will have to use an election is most disadvantaged for the PDP to make our projections. This will form the worst scenario for the party and rthe best parameter to make future projections. We have therefore chosen the 2015 Presidential election where, in our observation, the people of Ondo State voted massively for the APC Presidential candidate.
Why 2015 presidential election?
As stated abiove, the change slogan or the Apc and the massive influence of its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari created a turbulent wind that swept the PDP oft its feet in Ondo State. It was a serious siege that caused PDP a serious plague across the country. PDP cannot have it worse uin any future election. Hence we chose to use that election for our projections.
We choose not to use total voters reguistration because it is unreliable as only a few but sizeable percentage of people come out to vote on election day. Hence we base our projections on actual voters in a critical election with large turn-out.
The 2015 presidential election among all other elections had the highest turnout because of the determination of people in the country to effect change especially at the presidential level while other elections (National/State Assemblies) still have some elements of candidates personalities considerations.
In Ondo State particularly, foreigners and Northerners voted massively for APC because of Buhari, putting the PDP in a most disadvantage position.
Majortiyof elites including businessmen, teachers, civil servants who reside mostly in Akure voted massively for APC because they were fed up with PDP government at the National level and even at Ondo State level, especially considering the problems within the PDP as a result pof the merge of LP and PDP.
2015 presidential election
We present as attached tables 1,2 & 3 being the results of the 2015 presidential elections in the three senotoerial zones of Ondo State. Table I shows the results in Ondo North senatorial district comprising Akoko North West LG, Akoko NELG, Akoko SE LG, Akoko SW, OSE LG and Owo LG table 2 shows the results in Ondo Central senatorial district comprising Ifedore, Akure North, Akure South, Idanre, Ondo East and Ondo West LG while table 3 shows result in the Southern senatorial district which comprises of Okitipupa, Irele, Odigbo, Ile-Oluji, Ese-Odo and Ilaje LG areas.
Analysis
Generally, totoal voters turn and across the three senatorial district were almost the same with not too much difference as follows:
North senatorial district 174,928 total votes out of which PDP scored 41 per cent.
Central senatorial district 189,705 total votes out of which PDP scored 39.65 per cent and
181,638 total votes from the Southern senatorial district out of which PDP scored 57.4 per cent.
South senatorial district
The PDP is very strong here with its 57.4 per cent as against an approximate of an average of 49 per cent each in the other senatorial districts.
The strength wil stil be maintained if the PDP does not go to sleep as this zone is the only zone is the only zone hwere the PDP has a predominant of effective officers including the senator, all the MHRs, almost all the MHAs and the speaker if the House of Assembly. If these people really want to defend their mandates for future el;ections, it is expected that PDP should improve to over 60 per cent irrespective of whether the governsorship is zoned there or not; moreso when the speakership will stil remain there for continuity if the general electuion favours the PDP whether the Governos is from North or Central. PDP cannot afford to have the Governor and Speaker in the same senatorial district. Hence, for PDP the governorship should either go to the North or Central.
The argument of the Minister being from the South, even though he is not from our party is rather a reason why the governor must come from another zone as the South cannot have the governor, the Minister and the speaker put together. The argument that the appointment of the Minister will sway our vote to the APC does not hold water if the defection of the likes of Olusola Oke, Femi Agagu, Oladunni Odu and others who are veteran politician could not sway our vote for the APC in House of Assembly with all his defection at the twilight of that election. Who then is this minister with all his money (if any) who will rattle the PDP in the South?
From the beginning of this democratic dispensation since 1999, the PDP has always picked its candidate from the south as follows:
1999-Agagu (but failed)
2003-Agagu (won)
2007-2009-Agagu (won but lost in 2007 to election tribunal)
2012-Olusola Oke
2016 ?
Q= Must we be telling other zones that PDP belongs solely to the south?
A= Let us shift to North or Central to prove that PDP belongs to all zones in Ondo State.
our conclusion then is that the governorship candidate of the PDP must not be restricted to the Southern senatorial district and with all the arrays of our elective officers in that zone, PDP should have a comfortable lead in that zone. We expect at least 65 per cent from that zone in the next election if PDP does not work against PDP.
Central senatorial district
The central senatorial district polled a total of 189,705 in that election for both APC and PDP out of which the PDP polled approximately 40 per cent. The majority of vote for APC came from Akure South Local Government which polled a total of 50,411 votes for APC. There is currently an Akure Agenda that wants the governorship candidate to come from either Akure North, Akure South or Ifedore. We concerned members of PDP do not agree that Idanre is part of this Agenda.
Idanre is considered by us as brother to Ondo (i.e Ondo agenda if any) since they are united by culture, language and geographically congruous.
When we talk about rotation of governorship seat, it is believed to be on Senatorial District by Senatorial District. Talking democratically in Ondo State, the governorship has gone round all the zones.
Agagu has done it twice (6 years) from the South, Adefarati and Ajasin have done it twice from the North (8 years) while Mimiko alone has taken the share of the Central twice (8 year). In effect the governorship can come from any zone BUT it cannot start from the CENTRAL for the single reason that the Central is just leaving the seat and it cannot be succeeded immediately by another person from the central (back-to-back). This will mean the central going at a stretch for 12 years or 16 years provided his successor spends a single or double terms!.
This is unacceptable. The argument of Akure District being marginalize could be addressed when the rotation comes back to the Central where then the Ondo District hat has enjoyed it will let go for Akure. It is then that Akure can talk about marginalization and get the sympathy of everybody in the state. For now Akure District (i.e Akure South/North or Ifedore) can settle for Deputy Governorship.
Northern senatorial district
The Northern Senatorial District polled a total of 174,928 votes in that election with only a difference of about 7,000 votes compared to the South. The PDP polled 41% of this. There is an Akoko Agenda that wants the governorship to come from Akoko.
The desperation of Akoko (their Agenda) is that they will vote massively for any party (especially the major parties) that picks their son or daughter as candidate.
The PDP must not leave Akoko bare for APC to ravage. Even with the massive support APC enjoyed in the North in that election, PDP still polled 41% of the vote. The worst scenario is for both APC and PDP to pick their candidates from the North PDP and APC will at worst share North 50-50 but with a good and foridable candidate from the North especially from Akoko extraction, we can confidently give 70% to PDP in the North.
Akure agenda Vis-à-vis Akoko Agenda
- Akure Agenda is not limited to Akure South but extends to Akure North and Ifedore.
- Total votes in Akure South was 68,536 while Akure North and Ifedore combined is 42,399. So an agenda of Akure South indigenes (i.e about 20,569) which is less than the indigenous votes from the other two LGs. Voters in Akure South are elites civil servants, teachers, foreigners, businessmen and even Ekiti State people resident in Akure. The real Akure Agenda is Akure North/Ifedore. If they want to succeed they must get the views of politicians and opinion leaders from those two local government areas. Our findings show that the greater noise of Akure Agenda come from Akure South and the PDP candidates being considered are from Akure South. This marks the failure of the AGENDA ab-initio. Is there no credible candidate from Igbara Oke, Ilara, Ijare, Itaogbolu, Iju Oba-Ile, Ogbese, Igbatoro etc? Why limiting the candidates to Akure South (i.e the SANs)
The total votes cast in the three Akure Agenda LGs of Ifedore, Akure North and South is 110,935 while the four iron cast Akoko LGs is 114,122 votes. PDP has 41 per cent in the North and about 40 per cent in the central. We cannot perform worst in the central if Mr. Governor works extra hard; the central senatorial district being his immediate constituency.
For Akoko, we cannot afford to give APC a field day by ignoring it. When without a candidate yet and in the worst election ever suffered by PDP in that region, it pooled 41 per cent. With a candidate from there to face another APC candidate, if it is the one being propagated enough to get its candidate from either the central or South, God will give us 92 per cent with all things being equal.
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Akoko community stool crisis deepens
Youths demand White Paper
Youths in Arigidi-Akoko, Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State, yesterday called for the implementation of the White Paper on the obaship crisis in the community.
The youth, under the aegis of Arigidi Pathfinder Movement (APM) and Arigidi Concerned Youth Forum (ACYF), marched on the Governor’s Office, Alagbaka.
They maintained that playing politics with such sensitive matter would breach the peace in the community
A protest letter by Olugbenga Olanipekun, Awolumate Olumide and two others lamented that Arigidi community had not experienced any development.
In 2013, the government set up a Judicial Commission of Enquiry into the perennial chieftaincy dispute in Arigidi Akoko.
The commission was headed by Justice A.O Adebusoye, but the government allegedly refused to publish the White Paper on what many observers described as “political factor”.
The youth urged the government and security agents to caution Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun and a factional leader of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Gani Adams, whose activities in the community were worrisome.
They condemned an attempt to drag Synagogue Founder Pastor T.B Joshua into the crisis, noting that casting aspersion on the reputation of the man of God would be untenable.
A contestant to the stool of the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko, Prince Tunde Olanipekun, has approached the state High Court in Ikare Akoko, asking that the appointment of the monarch, Alhaji Yisa Olanipekun, be nullified.
He is sought an order restraining Olanipekun from parading himself as the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko and an order declaring him the town’s ruler.
Joined in the suit are Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Deputy Governor Lasisi Oluboyo, attorney general and commissioner for justice, head of Irara ruling house Pa Salau Olanipekun and head of Arigidi kingmakers Chief A.O. Oloruntoba.
According to the notice of the suit filed by Olalekan Akinrinsola, the court was asked to compel Mimiko and other defendants to respect Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi’s ruling of July 25, 2011 and that of the Appeal Court, presided over by Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun on June 19, 2013, which nullified the selection and appointment of Olanipekun as the Zaki of Arigidi Akoko.
The plaintiff also prayed the court to set aside the October 3, 2014, judgment of Justice Bode Adegbehingbe of the High Court as it could not supersede the verdict of the appellate court.
The plaintiff also asked the court to determine “whether it is not unlawful for Olanipekun to arrogate to himself the recognised chieftaincy title of Zaki of Arigidi and continue to parade himself as such when the Court of Appeal on June 19, 2013, affirmed the judgment of the High Court, which set aside the approval of Olanipekun as the Zàki of Arigidi-Akoko.”
The suit sought clarification on “whether the judgment of Justice Bode Adegbehingbe superseded or nullified the judgment of the Court of Appeal, Akure, which affirmed the judgment of the court.”
The originating summons gave the defendants seven days to file their replies.
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Controversy trails selection of Akoko monarch
Kingmakers are divided over the selection of the Alale of Akungba-Akoko in Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Some kingmakers support Prince Isiaka Oseni, others are backing Prince Sunday Adeyeye.
The head of the kingmakers, Chief Akin Osemawe, last week, announced Adeyeye as their choice.
He said his name would soon be sent to the authorities for approval.
But some kingmakers, led by Chief Isiaka Opaka, faulted Osemawe’s position. They insisted that Oseni was their choice.
Oseni said he was the choice of the Ole ruling house, which is producing the Alale.
He urged the public, especially the people, to disregard Adeyeye’s purported selection.
But Osemawe said the selection of Prince Adeyeye from Ole ruling house was a product of wide consultations with Ifa Oracle and general acceptability by the community.
He said there was no time they selected any other person apart from him.
Osemawe appealed to Governor Olusegun Mimiko to begin the installation process for Prince Adeyeye.
He said installing Prince Adeyeye will also allow the Regent, Princess Oluwatoyin Omosowon, return to her former life.
Prince Adeyeye said: “My nomination and selection process began on September 18, 2003.
“The other party went to court and the judgment delivered by Justice T. Adeyeye on December 20, 2013, said my selection was valid.”
He denied the allegation that he was not from the Ole ruling house.
“ They went to court on that matter too and they lost. My father is the oldest man and head of the Ole ruling house, if they are in doubt let them go to court to challenge it again.”
The Alale of Akungba- Akoko stool had been vacant since 2004, following the death of Oba Adekanye Omosowon.
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Akoko residents groan over hike in fares
Residents of Akokoland in Ondo State are complaining about the high cost of transportation in the area.
Sources said commercial cyclists and road transport operators in the four local governments of Akoko North East, Akoko South West, Akoko North West and Akoko South East are overcharging commuters, especially in Akungba, Ikare-Akoko, Oka-Akoko and Isua.
Filling station operators are reportedly selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) between N130 and N150 per litre.
Many users have complained that despite the price hike, some filling stations still doctor their metres in order to maximise profit.
A visit to some motor parks in the area showed that from Ikare to Lagos now cost N3,000 instead of N2,500; Ikare to Akure is N800 as against N500.
A similar situation is playing out among commercial motorcyclists, who increased their fares, particularly in Arigidi-Akoko, Akungba, Ugbe and Ikare-Akoko.
Students and market women are complaining about the high cost of transportation, which has affected prices of various commodities, especially food stuff.
The Iyalaje of Ikareland, Hajia Risikat Mohammed, appealed to the Federal Government to find lasting solution to the fuel situation.
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Akoko community killing: OPC leaders, monarch have no case to answer, says DPP
The controversy over the murder of Igbekele Oyeleye in 2009, by unknown persons in Arigidi-Akoko, in Akoko North West Local Government Area, Ondo State, over chieftaincy tussle still lingers on.
There was a public outcry recently by some aggrieved indigenes, calling on the government to probe Oyeleye’s killing whose corpse is still in the mortuary at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, where it was deposited five-years ago.
However, the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP), of the Ministry of Justice has entered a ‘no case’ submission against the three accused.
The accused according to a petition by one Mallam Gani Ashiru, to the Commissioner of Police are the National Coordinator of Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Otunba Gani Adams, who is an indigene of the town, his personal assistant, Mr. Segun Akanni, and Arigidi’s monarch, Oba Yisa Olanipekun, the Zaki of Arigidi-Akoko.
Speaking during a protest by some members of Arigidi community at the Governor’s office, Akure, the spokesman of the group, Mr. Amos Ogunleye, said many residents of the community now live in fear over alleged attack on some of them by supporters of the embattled monarch.
He appealed to the state government to release the White Paper on the report submitted by a commission of inquiry set up to look into the crisis in Arigidi community in 2011.
However, the OPC coordinator, Adams, has cautioned that those who are fond of accusing him and Oba Olanipekun of killing Oyeleye should stop such accusation or face prosecution since the DPP has already entered a ‘no case’ submission on the case.
According to the legal advice sent to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, ‘D’ Department by the DPP and signed on behalf of the state Attorney-General by a senior legal officer in the Ministry of Justice, J. M. Itiola, the petitioner has no credible evidence linking the suspects to the alleged killing.
The legal advice conclude thus; “In view of the above, I have so many unresolved doubts in my minds considering the gap in the period of years between the incidences and the fact that several other names were mentioned in connection with the incidence, who were never arrested or interrogated.
“I am of the view that the issue is premised on malice and to this end, I humbly suggest that the uninve-stigated and unresolved doubts should be resolved in favour of the suspects, while the statements of the purported eyewitness, Mrs. Beatrice is considered an afterthought.
“I therefore humbly advice that all the suspects in this case, i. e. pages B1-Oba Olanipekun, B2-Otunba Gani Adams and B3-Segun Akanni, be let off the hook for lack of credible evidence.”
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Tinubu, other ACN leaders storm Akoko for rally
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu , National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and other leaders will storm Ondo State today for the beginning of the state-wide mega rallies at Ikare-Akoko in the Ondo North Senatorial District.
The governorship candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), will unfold his manifestos for the 18 local governments to the electorate.
He will be accompanied by his running mate, Dr. Paul Akintelure, whose choice has resulted in the increase in the number of ACN supporters in the Ondo South Senatorial District.
Also expected at the rally are Southwest governors such as Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); National Assembly members, leaders, elders and well wishers across the country.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo will also begin the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaigns in Akure today, where the Zonal Leader, Mr. Segun Oni, will raise up the hand of the governorship candidate, Mr. Olusola Oke.