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Tag: Alasoadura

  • ‘How Alasoadura became ministerial nominee’

    Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu’s media aide Segun Ajiboye highlights the factors that led to the nomination of Senator Tayo Alasoadura as minister by President Muhammadu Buhari

    Before President Muhammadu the president Buhari finally made the list of his ministerial nominees known, speculations were rife about those being considered for the jobs.

    The list kept changing as Nigerians churned out names of those purportedly being considered for the plum jobs. And the people waited with bated breath to know their new ministers.

    The people of Ondo State were not left out of this restrained patience. It was common knowledge among the people that no less than four prominent and ably-qualified indigenes of the state were angling for the job, and so the people waited eagerly to know who would pick the much

    Last week Monday, the President sent a list of ministerial nominees to the Senate for confirmation. Shouts of joy rent the air in Akure, the Ondo State capital, as the name of Senator Tayo Alasoaduara appeared among those nominated by President Buhari to join him in steering the ship of the nation for the next four years.

    The belief in political circles across the state is that Akeredolu was behind the senator’s nomination.

    While speaking at a thanksgiving service organised by Alasoadura, Akeredolu told the gathering, which included prominent Akure indigenes, somehow predicting, that the senator would be nominated as minister by the president. To Akure indigenes, Alasosadura’s nomination is sweeter because it was the first time their kinsman would be appointed a minister since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

    It is also imperative to state that, the fact that the national leadership of the APC did not oppose Akeredolu’s choice of Alasoadura is a bright indication that light may finally be appearing at the end of the tunnel for the party, and an indication that Akeredolu’s quest for peace in the party is finally yielding results.

    Many regard the emergence of the senator as minister from a plethora of names that were allegedly being considered was a no mean feat for Akeredolu.

    Among those mentioned as eyeing the job were the Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services, Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited (NDPHC), Engr. Ife Oyedele, a former governorship aspirant in the state, Chief Olusola Oke and the pioneer Chairman of the APC in the state, Hon Duerimini Isaacs Kekemeke,  among several others.

    There were speculations that Oyedele was the favourite of an Abuja group for the ministerial slot. Oyedele, also said to be a close ally of President Buhari, was a frontrunner in the race for the job until the lot fell on Alasoadura. It was learnt that a group of Abuja politicians sought the ministerial job for him so that he would be well placed to displace Akeredolu in the 2020 election.

    Previously in the state, the ministerial position has always given ambitious politicians a firm advantage which they leverage on to dislodge the incumbent. It usually gives such politicians the influence and political connection to effectively pursue their aspiration and dislodge the incumbent.

    Rumours have been rife that Oyedele, Oke and Kekemeke, all wanted the ministerial job to enhance their chances of winning the next governorship election in the state. But the emergence of Alasoadura must put paid their plans, while at the same time brightening the chances of Governor Akeredolu for a second term.

    Media accounts may have strengthened this notion. While speaking with reporters in Akure,  Kekemeke was said to have expressed the fear that the appointment of Alasoadura would lead to the marginalisation of those who are not in Akeredolu’s camp.

    Those familiar with the political intrigues that trailed the nominations have also hailed the governor, describing the feat as a masterstroke, which they say will play a major role in who picks the party’s ticket to contest the governorship election in 2021.

    The governor had criticised the people of Akure South and North Federal Constituency in the central senatorial district for the defeat of Alasoadura in the last general election. The governor was particularly angry that the people failed to vote for their kinsman despite his performance in the eighth National Assembly, stressing that Alasoadura deserve to be re-elected.

    Many stakeholders across the state believe that the governor’s choice of Alasoadura as minister from the state has also further cemented the quest for peace in the state chapter of the APC.

    As a reliable political ally of Akeredolu, the appointment of Alasoadura is considered by many across the state as a big boost to the governor ahead of the governorship election. Perhaps more importantly, many party members see Alasoadura as a unifying factor, whose support base cuts across the three senatorial districts of the state. This is exemplified in the fact that there was no single opposing voice to his nomination, a distant departure from the past when petitions from various groups would have been flying around.

    It will be recalled that the late Dr Segun Agagu  maximized the advantage of his ministerial position to push out Adefarati out of the Alagbaka Government House in 2003.

    Similarly, the immediate-past governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, also used the opportunity of his ministerial position to earn himself a good place in the hearts of the Abuja power blocks and ultimately dislodging Agagu from office.

    The stage for the new found optimism in the camp of the governor was set earlier in the month when the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, led other chieftain, including the former interim chairman, Pa Bisi Akande, former governors of Ekiti and Ogun states, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Aremo Segun Osoba respectively, to Akure to reconcile the factions.

    It must, however, be said that there are still some dissenting voices, but the emergence of Alasoadura as minister may have changed the tide in favour of Governor Akeredolu ahead of the election.

  • Senate: ‘How we dislodged Saraki, Ajimobi, Akpabio, Alasoadura, Sani’

    When the 9th National Assembly takes off in June, some of the notable names that will be missing on Senators list are Bukola Saraki, the current Senate President; Abiola Ajimobi, current governor of Oyo State ; Godswill Akpabio,erstwhile Minority Leader of the Red Chambers and former governor of Akwa Ibom State; popular human rights activist Shehu Sani; and the Chairman,Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream); Tayo Alasoadura following their defeat in last weekend’s election. How did it happen? Those who defeated them spoke to correspondents Abdulgafar ALABELEWE, Bassey ANTHONY; Damisi OJO, Akure; Yinka ADENIRAN, Ibadan and Adekunle JIMOH, Ilorin

    The National Assembly election is only a week old today, but  the Senator elect for  Kwara Central,Dr. Ibrahim Yahaya Oloriegbe is already taking stock of his victory  over  Senate President Bukola Saraki. Oloriegbe, a  former World Health Organisation (WHO) consultant, thanked God and the people for making his victory  possible.

    Saraki’s cup is full – Oloriegbe

    “My reaction is that of gratitude to the Almighty God. He who gives power to who He wishes and takes power from He wishes,” he said in an interview in Ilorin.

    He said the people went a step further to demonstrate that they meant business with  to the slogan “O to ge”.

    The people, according to him, decided to “walk the talk because the talk has been enough is enough (“O to ge”) and the voice was loud.

    “This voice was demonstrated at the polls by voting out those that they considered were not delivering the dividends of democracy in the real sense of it. Those they considered as selfish, self-centred and those that used our commonwealth for self.

    “Those that have not provided Kwarans good education, healthcare, good roads, potable water. Those that have been cutting the people’s salaries. These are all the issues and more. Lack of job opportunities for the youth.

    “The other reaction is to look at the enormity of the current situation and the expectations of the people from us for the true change to happen in the state. But on that one, my belief is that we have good intention and our belief is that the people are still with us and they should be patient with us to start together with them to correct the wrongs on the past.”

    On the description of the voting pattern in the state as a revolution,Oloriegbe said: “ It is a combination of so many factors. It is not only about the revolution. Yes, there was that revolutionary movement of ‘O to ge’.

    “Kwara central people had made request to opposition parties to present candidates that are credible and have track records of performance for them to vote.

    “O to ge came up, but going back into history, 2015 people were in despair against the candidates presented by the opposition party against the status quo.

    “Then, if you go back to 2011 when I was the candidate of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), if you look at the performance when my current opponent, Senator Bukola Saraki, was a sitting governor, people voted massively for me.

    “The supposed winning by him then came from Asa local government area of the state, where the voters’ turnout was claimed to be over 80 percent as compared to the Ilorin metropolis where the voters’ turnout was put at about 40 percent.

    “That was a reflection of what should have been. In my view, I think the two factors came together. But far and above all those factors and human conjectures, it is God’s time that has come.

    “As we all know, in life nobody will live in perpetuity. It is only God.”

    Asked what had changed between the previous elections when  Saraki had defeated him and now for the people to go for him this time around,the senator-elect said: “There are several things that have probably changed. But there are certain things that have not changed.

    “Even in 2011 when he said he defeated me and I accepted the verdict but then at the tribunal, we proved that there were a lot of irregularities in that election. But through the use of the federal might, we were not able to get anywhere.

    “That was unfair. Now we have not used any federal might, we have ensured a level-playing ground. Apart from that, INEC is now stronger and more transparent. The use of the card readers has prevented many politicians to manipulate the elections. With card readers, there cannot be over-voting again.

    “What has changed again is that the cup of the Saraki dynasty is  full beyond what the people can tolerate.

    “People have become intolerable of the bad governance they have been experiencing in the last eight years.

    “Eight years ago, when he left as   governor for the Senate, things were not as bad as they are now. Salaries of workers were paid then but now they are not paid.

    “The current Abdulfatah Ahmed administration, which Saraki installed, has not performed at all. Of course, we cannot totally remove his attitude to the APC government, a platform that he used to get the Senate Presidency.

    “He worked against that party to become a minority in the National Assembly, minority in terms of leaders and not in terms of membership; that is particularly important for us, especially Ilorin people as he cannot handle trust.

    “He used his position to work against Buhari. Buhari, in Ilorin, is a friend by virtue of his friendship and relationship with the late Major General Tunde Idiagbon. Ilorin people see the sincerity and credibility of Buhari.”

     

    It’s a surprise Shehu Sani got up to 70,000 votes, says Uba Sani

    Kaduna Central Senator-elect, Malam Uba Sani of the All Progressives Congress (APC),who defeated  incumbent Senator Shehu Sani, also spoke on his own triumph at the polls.

    Sani came a distant third  in the race with 70,613 votes.

    Second was Lawal Adamu of the PDP  who had  195,497 votes. Uba Sani recorded  355,242  votes.

    Aiming a dig at Shehu,the senator-elect said: “It is even a surprise to me that Shehu Sani got up the 70,000 votes that he got. I didn’t even expect him to get more than half of what he got. So, I congratulate him for even getting 70,000 votes.”

    They used to be in the same party,APC,until Shehu fell out with Governor Nasir El-Rufai apparently because of Shehu’s ambition to succeed the former.

    A parting of ways between the governor and Shehu soon came when El-Rufai vehemently refused to give the senator another chance to contest on the platform of the APC.

    He accused Shehu of working against the interest of the people by voting in the Senate against the approval of a $350million World Bank loan for the state.

    Shehu moved on and berthed in the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).

    Uba Sani believes that Shehu’s constituents have repaid him back for abandoning them.

    “Defeating an incumbent like Senator Shehu Sani is as easy as anything because, right from the very moment he was elected, he abandoned the principles of the APC,” he told The Nation.

    He added: “The principles of the APC require that you are close to the people, but he abandoned the very people that elected him.

    “Kaduna central zone is a very important one, where you have a lot of elite and highly educated people, who know what is going on in the National Assembly.

    “So, if you don’t constantly come back to tell them what you are doing, ask about their problems and go back to the assembly to make a case for them, and promote the development of their constituency, they will vote you out.

    “An instance is the issue of the $350million World Bank loan the Kaduna State government requested for. Shehu Sani rejected it. He might have take n it as a joke, and I saw his explanation for rejecting the loan, but that was a major mistake he made. You don’t toy with the interest of your people; we are talking about nine million people of Kaduna State.

    “When you look at the template we submitted to the World Bank, we are supposed to build over 1,000 schools, primary and secondary schools and enhance our healthcare. We are building infrastructure in Kaduna, and someone sat there saying, I am going to block this loan, simply because he didn’t want Governor Nasir El-Rufai to achieve anything.

    “For me, it is not about El-Rufai, it is about nine million people of Kaduna State, and that singular act made us to be able to defeat the incumbent. He committed a lot of unfortunate errors.

    “I also challenge you to go to his constituency office, you will see it taken over by dust, because he has not opened it in the last two years. You cannot do that in Kaduna central, and that is why we found it very easy to defeat the incumbent.”

    Uba Sani also said that the party on which platform he(Shehu Sani)contested –PRP-  has no structure to win an election.

    His words: ” I don’t think the PRP has any structure on ground to win an election. In fact, he (Shehu) should be worried that it is so bad that he even lost in his polling unit; APC which is my party is a very popular one in Kaduna central zone, Kaduna State and Nigeria as a whole.

    “The truth of the matter is that, we never regarded PRP as our challenger in this contest and of course, you know that  the major reason why he was rejected is that, he abandoned his people. “Take for example the situation in Birnin Gwari, the road from Kaduna to Birnin Gwari, which is a federal one, and as a senator for almost four years, he never for one day made a case for the government to  do anything on the road until recently when Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai reached out to the federal government, which  has made a commitment to fixing the road.

    “So, for me, the people of Birnin Gwari rejected him because he abandoned them; he never for one day stood up on the floor of the National Assembly to move a motion on the security challenges in Birnin Gwari.

    Read also: Horror moments for Saraki, Southwest politician

    Why Ajimobi fell- Balogun

    The senator-elect for Oyo South District, Dr Kola Balogun,sees the hand of God in his election.

    “My victory is absolutely by God’s mercy,” Balogun told The Nation in Ibadan.

    He said: “My victory is absolutely by God’s mercy.

    “And talking about political factors, I will say that through my interaction with the people of the district, I discovered that they were tired of government policies and programmes, particularly at the local level.

    “There is so much poverty, there is the inability of the government to develop the local economy, pay salaries promptly, pay serious attention to the entitlements of pensioners, ensure that collapsing infrastructure are attended to, revamp the education sector, inability to pay teachers’ salaries, provide teaching aids, affordable healthcare, develop agriculture, which is one of what we can leverage on to provide employment for our youths, inability to assist market men and women with low interest loans and inability of the government to provide security. All these produced hopelessness.

    “But we presented better alternatives which people embraced. We also leveraged on my track record. They also saw my sincerity of purpose during my interaction with them. They saw that I could represent them well.”

    On how he feels after defeating the incumbent, Sen. Soji Akanbi and the APC candidate, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Balogun said: “I give all the glory to God. It is not by my power. I thank God and I feel fulfilled. I also thank the good people of Oyo South Senatorial District for their tremendous show of support. I reassure them that I will not disappoint them.”

    I knew God was going help me defeat Akpabio, says  Ekpenyong

    Dr. Chris Ekpenyong, who defeated Senator Godswill Akpabio  in Akwa Ibom Northwest also attributes his victory to God.

    Ekpenyong, deputy governor of the state between 1999 and 2007, said his own  political sagacity also went a long way to give him victory.

    “It was just like what happened to Jehoshaphat in the Bible when he was accosted by people with chariots and weapons and he called upon the name of the Lord and the enemies vanished,” he said in Uyo.

    “I knew I was going to beat him because I was backed  up by the blood of Jesus Christ.

    “God led me to the political battle field with prayers as my only weapon of war. I made several supplications to God asking Him to let His will be done in the election.

    “I’m glad God gave me victory; it shows that there is always victory in humility. I told God to come and set His people free the way He set the Israelites free from the hands of pharoah.”

    On his mission in the Senate, Ekpeyong said:“Since the war ended, our people are yet to be rehabilitated and reintegrated. There is no reconstruction and we are still having the relics of war.

    “We need reconstruction, rehabilitation and reintegration. Governments have come and gone, yet no action.

    “We need someone to bring it to the front burner. My primary responsibility is to ensure that there will be good laws and resolutions that will positively change the fortunes of the people of Akwa Ibom north west senatorial district. My victory is from God”.

    He said he supported and worked for Senator Godswill Akpabio’s reelection until he dumped the PDP for APC in August 2018.

    According to him, “In 2007 when I laboured for power shift to our senatorial district, Akpabio contested and won as governor; I supported him.

    “When he wanted to go  for a  second term, he took me to the then President Jonathan and I knelt down and begged Jonathan to allow him contest a second term as governor.

    “I didn’t do it for a fee but  I showed humility in service.

    “In 2015, Akpabio went to the Senate, I supported him. Even in 2018 when he declared for reelection, I supported him wholeheartedly until he left PDP for APC and the PDP fielded me to contest against him.  It is just a change of baton.

    “My name is Christopher and I am a cross bearer, I bear the cross of my people “.

    Akinyelure: my victory is of God

    Mr.Ayo Akinyelure (PDP)  is returning to the Senate for a second time after defeating Mr.Tayo Alasoadura (APC) and former Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Zenith Labour Party in the contest for the   Ondo Central District ticket.

    Incidentally, it was Alasoadura who defeated Akinyelure in 2015.Akinyelure,like Ekpeyong and Balogun, attributed  his victory to God.

    He was also full of praises for his  constituents for reposing confidence in him.

    “My people had resolved to pay me back for the good work I delivered to Ondo Central during my stewardship in the 7th Assembly as the senator  that represented the district,” he said.

    “During that period, I was able to add value to the citizenry of the  district by providing employment for over 550 graduates in various federal ministries and parastatals and many empowerment programmes designed to raise my people.”

    Recalling his defeat by Alasoadura in 2015,the senator-elect said:”When I was defeated in 2015 election by Senator Alasoadura, I was the first to congratulate him and accepted the verdict of my people.

    “The incumbent came second in the just concluded election,and has congratulated me.”

    This developnent,he said, demonstrated the spirit of sportsmanship.

    However, he said he was still expecting a congratulatory message from former Governor  Mimiko.

    He said:”He should remember that one good turn deserves another. We all stood by him when the whole Ondo State decided to vote him twice as governor of the state.

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    “Ondo State belongs all of us and therefore, any one of us is qualified at one time or the other to be chosen by the majority of the people of Ondo State, particularly Ondo Central to represent their interest.

    “It is,therefore, my turn now, and they have resolved to re-elect me to the Senate as a ranking senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

  • I’ll beat Mimiko mercilessly, says Alasoadura

    The lawmaker representing Ondo Central Senatorial District, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, has boasted that he would beat the immediate past governor of the state, Dr Olusegun Mimiko, in the coming senatorial election.

    Mimiko is contesting the seat under the platform of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) while Alasoadura, the incumbent Senator, is of the APC.

    At a media parley in Akure, the state capital, yesterday, the lawmaker who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) said, “I am a strong grassroots politician who had visibly impacted on my constituents. I am working hard and confident of overwhelming Mimiko and other candidates.”

    Alasoadura said: “Mimiko has never won real election in the state, the one he won on February 23,2009 from Benin after 22 months in the tribunal was a mandate from the court as against the one given by the people to the late Governor Olusegun Agagu on April 14,2007, which was reversed

    “The second election he won in 2012 was through the power of incumbency both from Abuja and in Ondo State.”

    The lawmaker who listed several achievements he had recorded in the last four years said his reelection would give him more opportunity to provide for his constituents as a ranking senator.

    According to him, “I am a core progressive. I only defected to PDP because Yoruba race was totally marginalised then; we were short-changed. I joined PDP at that early stage with Agagu and there was monumental progress all around during that era.

    “After six years in the PDP, I retraced my step and returned to my political root as member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and in 2014, I decided to go to the Senate and fortunately I won.”

    Alasoadura said he had sponsored three bills and many motions especially that of the upgrading of Adeyemi College, Ondo, to university of education status. He disclosed that a sum of N2b was approved for the take-off of the institution in the 2018 budget.

    The former Commissioner for Finance and Chairman, Forum of Finance Commissioners in Nigeria, said he had secured employment for many graduates in the military, police and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) while many people-oriented projects were delivered in many communities within Ondo Central District.

     

     

  • Alasoadura mourns Akande’s wife

    Alasoadura mourns Akande’s wife

    THE Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Up-stream), Chief Tayo Alasoadura, has commise-rated with the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande, over the death of his wife,Omowunmi. The lawmaker representing Ondo Central Senatorial district described described the deceased as virtuous woman, who supported her husband during difficult times.

    Alasoadura noted that the deceased played pivotal roles in ensuring that Chief Akande accomplished his visions in life. According to him, “Mama was hardworking and a philanthropist par excellence who assisted many less privileged in the society in a modest way. Alasoadura prayed to God to give the APC leader, his children and family members,the fortitude to bear the loss of their departed matriarch.

  • Adeola, Alasoadura lament

    Adeola, Alasoadura lament

    Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications Solomon Adeola and the senator representing Ondo Central Tayo Alasoadura yesterday described the sudden death of Senator Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, as a shock and unbelievable.
    Senator Adeleke, who died on Sunday, represented Osun West.
    Adeola, in a statement he signed, noted that Adeleke was full of life two weeks ago when the Senate adjourned for the Easter break.
    He said they have been “bracing up to resume plenary this week to tackle all the pending matters before the Senate, especially the passage of the 2017 appropriation bill now before us, but that has now become a mere dream”.
    The senator, who represents Lagos West, noted that Adeleke was a “well-bred politician and a goal-getter anytime any day, free with all in and outside the chamber, irrespective of political affiliations.”
    He added: “My heart goes to his immediate family, his political family, the people and the government of Osun State, the Yoruba race and the country in general.”
    Alasoadura said the death of the lawmaker representing Osun West had robbed the Senate, Osun State and Nigeria of a quintessential and colourful politician, who contributed immensely to the sustenance of democracy and rule of law in the country.
    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream) commiserated with his immediate family, the people of Ede land, Osun State, the National Assembly and Nigeria.
    The former commissioner noted that Adeleke’s death had created a vacuum in Osun politics, urging the people to take solace in the fact that he served his people and the nation meritoriously.

  • Alasoadura urges support for Akeredolu

    Alasoadura urges support for Akeredolu

    THE senator representing Ondo Central, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, yesterday urged support for Ondo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate Olurotimi Akeredolu.

    He pleaded with APC National Leader Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to accept the outcome of the party’s September 3 primary.

    The lawmaker, who addressed reporters at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat, Akure, said the former Lagos State governor remain the party’s national leader.

    He was accompanied to the briefing by two members of the National Assembly, member representing Akure South/ North Federal Constituency Afe Olowokere and his colleague representing Akoko North East/ North West, Stephen Olemija.

    Other party chieftains at the news conference included the party’s deputy chairman, Ade Adetimehin, Mr. Wale Akinterinwa, former lawmaker Sunday Abegunde, Mr. Olaitan Ayeni and some other party leaders.

    Alasoadura said the quality of Tinubu was what earned him his leadership position in APC as well as Asiwaju of Yoruba nation.

    He said even though he might have disagreed with Tinubu on two occasions, he would still work for the former Lagos State governor.

    The former Commissioner of Finance, who announced that his structure will work for the success of the APC and Akeredolu, pleaded with other “aggrieved aspirants to sheath their sword and come on board”.

    He said the Sunshine State could not afford to extend by a minute, the “callous and reckless administration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”.

    According to the senator, the exit of a former governorship aspirant in the party, Chief Olusola Oke, to the Alliance for Democracy will not affect the chances of the party in the November 26 governorship election.

    He said the party won the last year’s presidential and National Assembly election without Oke, noting that the APC will still win the forthcoming election without him.

    On why he backed Akeredolu, he said he decided to endorse him after proper consultation with his teaming supporters.

    He said: “This belief, which is in tandem with the underlying mission of our great party, the APC, coupled with the unwavering determination of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari, has kept me hoping for the best for Nigeria.

    “It is, therefore, not necessary to tell the stories all over again. However, permit me to say that some of the issues as presented by some members of our party are regrettably disappointing.

    “They have engaged in making claims and counter-claims, which have greatly factionalised the party, thereby affecting the public perception of APC in Ondo State as if electoral processes in advanced democracies are perfect.

    “Reflecting deeply on happenings within our party, we will see glaringly the extent to which we have embarrassed ourselves and equally brought our national leaders into ridicule as a result of our actions and utterances in pursuance of personal ambitions.

    “Nevertheless, my supporters and I do not want to scratch the healing wounds here so as not to make them fresh again.

    “I strongly believe that there hadn’t been any better time than now for APC in Ondo State to harness its political strength, shift grounds to accommodate the differences of others for the purpose of giving to the good people of this state a government that they can really trust and call theirs and which will ultimately bring the change everyone has been yearning for.”

    “Therefore, the Ondo State chapter of our party has had more than enough of internal bickering.

    “The crises, we believe, should no longer be allowed to fester, if we are truly progressive-minded politicians. Now is the time to sink our differences and move forward as a united family to win in the November 2016 governorship election for our party by supporting Akeredolu by all true democrats.”

     

  • Alasoadura urges APC members to unite

    The senator representing Ondo Central, Tayo Alasoadura, has urged All Progressives Congress (APC) members not to allow alleged imposition of aspirants to cause disaffection among them.

    He spoke on a private radio station, Adaba FM programme, monitored in Akure, the state capital, against speculations that one of the 25 governorship aspirants had been endorsed by the party’s national leaders.

    Alasoadura, who is also a governorship aspirant on the platform of the APC, said only delegates would determine who flies the party’s flag in the November 26 election.

    The senator said he had nothing to fear since APC leaders had assured the aspirants that free and fair primary would hold.

    He said he had worked hard for the party’s nomination, saying it was only lazy aspirants that called for zoning or desperately sought endorsement from leaders.

    “We need unity in our party to win the governorship election. So, we should not allow any rumour that can cause disaffection among our members.

    “Leaders of our party have assured us of fairness in the  party primaries. I must say that I believe them. They cannot veer off the path of fairness they have chosen to trek.

    “Becoming Ondo State governor is not a walk in the park. You must work for it. I think I’ve worked hard to deserve the ticket of our party. If I eventually clinch it, I will surely crush the candidate of any other political party that stands in my way to the Alagbaka Government House.”

    The former commissioner for Finance promised to revive the Olokola Free Trade Zone project started by the last administration, but now abandoned by the incumbent government.

    He promised to diversify the economy to create jobs and wealth for the citizens.

    He said: “We will do our best to grow the economy. We will revive Olokola with a view to industrialising the state. This will scale down the rate of unemployment.”

  • Alasoadura’s governorship ambition intact

    SENATOR Donal Tayo Alasoadura lost his wife to the cold hands of death penultimate Thursday, prompting many to think that he would abandon his governorship ambition as he continued to grief over the loss. But he has come out to clear the air, stating that his governorship ambition remains alive.

    The senator, one of the aspirants seeking the ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the November 26 governorship elections in Ondo State, expressed his contempt for the brains behind the rumour that he was giving up his governorship ambition on account of the death of his loving wife. He addressed the issue while presenting a bus and N1 million to the state secretariat of the APC over the weekend.

    He said: “Today makes it exactly 38 days since the demise of my wife. She struggled while on earth for me to become the governor of the state. In keeping her memory alive and in order not to demoralise my supporters, I will continue with the gubernatorial race.”

  • Ondo APC condoles with Alasoadura

    Ondo APC condoles with Alasoadura

    THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has commiserated with the senator representing Ondo Central, Tayo Alasoadura, over the death of his wife, Adetayo.

    A condolence message by its Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Adesanya, in Akure, the state capital, described the late Mrs. Alasoadura as one of the pillars of the APC’s success in last year’s general elections.

    Adesanya said: “Her robust activities were not unconnected with Senator Alasoadura’s political ambition.

    “Mrs. Alasoadura’s death is a big blow to us in Ondo APC at this crucial period in our state.

    “Our condolences go to the widower, the children, friends and family, the people of Iju/Itaogbolu, Akure Kingdom.

    “We pray God to give the family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

  • NASS crisis: Alasoadura must apologise, says ex-lawmaker

    NASS crisis: Alasoadura must apologise, says ex-lawmaker

    Crisis is looming in the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The crisis is the fall-out over the emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki as the Senate President with one of the APC senators in the state, Chief Tayo Alasoadura, believed to have voted for Saraki in defiance of the directives by the party’s national leadership.

    Alasoadura, who served as Commissioner for Finance in the administration of the late governor, Dr. Olusegun Agagu, was alleged to be the only APC Senator in the Southwest that supported the emergence of the new Senate President.

    The lawmaker’s action, it was learnt, sparked a row among the leadership and members of the party particularly in Ondo Central Senatorial District comprising six local government areas in the state which Alasoadura represents in the National Assembly.

    The leadership of the party in the state under the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Isaacs Kekemeke, was accused of supporting Alasoadura’s action.

    A leader of the party in Ondo Central and former member, House of Representatives, Ifedayo Abegunde with our correspondent, said Alasoadura should apologise for working against the interest of his constituency.

    But Alasoadura, sources disclosed, maintained that he did not work against the interest of the party on any issues that are in conformity with the aspiration of his people.

    Abegunde however insisted that the senator should retrace his steps rather than embarking on what he called “political propaganda in the media.”

    He added that Alasoadura must “swallow his pride and submit himself for necessary actions.”

    The APC chieftain noted that the Senator must show remorse and apologise to his party because of the public outcry the issue of Saraki’s emergence as Senate President has generated.

    He wondered why the state leadership of the party under Kekemeke should be celebrating a man who joined few party members to put the party in disarray.

    The former legislator lamented that Alasoadura did not consult his constituents nor had their mandate to go against the party’s directives on the National Assembly election.

    Abegunde added that majority of party members in the party in the state aligned with the position of its National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he said had come to the aid of the party in the state at critical period.