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Tag: All Progressives Congress

  • Ondo: Akeredolu and APC’s festering crisis

    There is fear that except the national leadership of All Progressives Congress moves fast to resolve the festering crisis within its Ondo State chapter, the party may be threatened in future elections, reports Assistant Editor, ‘Dare Odufowokan

    THE crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has deepened as stakeholders within the ruling party continue to haul brickbats at one another over the reported querying and suspension of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC over allegations of anti-party activities during the last general elections in the state.

    According to party sources who spoke to The Nation on the raging crisis on condition of anonymity, Akeredolu is being accused of using state and party machineries to support the aspirations of some National Assembly candidates who contested the February National Assembly Elections on the platform of the Action Alliance (AA) in some parts of the state.

    The Nation gathered that the reported suspension of the governor is not unconnected with the hordes of petitions received from numerous chieftains of the party in the state accusing Akeredolu of dumping the APC candidates in the affected areas and supporting the AA candidates as part of his camp’s protest against the alleged imposition of some National Assembly candidates by the national leadership of the party contrary to the desires of the governor.

    Trouble started between the governor and the Adams Oshiomhole-led NWC when the party decided to give automatic tickets to the three senators in the state to seek re-elections on its platform. Akeredolu, who had been at loggerheads with one of the beneficiaries, Senator Ajayi Borrofice, protested and insisted that primary elections be held, to determine who the APC candidates should be in the elections in the state.

     

    Suspended, unaware

    After the general elections, the NWC of the APC reportedly communicated Akeredolu’s suspension to him following a query earlier issued him by the national leadership of the ruling party, urging him to defend allegations of anti-party activities leveled against him by some prominent members of the party across the state. Party sources told The Nation that scores of petitions were received by the NWC from members of the APC in the state on the matter.

    Reports claim the governor was told in clear terms that he will remain on suspension from the party for engaging in anti-party activities until a decision is taken on whether to expel him from the ruling party or have him punished in other ways as allowed by the constitution of the party. While the party is yet to make an official statement confirming the reports, it has also failed to issue a statement debunking the reports.

    Early last month, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Isa-Onilu, after the meeting presided over by Oshiomhole, the APC announced that Akeredolu’s anti-party activities “greatly affected the fortunes of its candidates in the recently conducted Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.” Isa-Onilu, while speaking to reporters, also confirmed that a query had been sent to Akeredolu based on the directive of the NWC.

    “Yes, it has been done. The query has been sent to him according to the NWC’s resolution,” he said, while adding that he couldn’t tell whether the governor had responded to the query at the time or not. “It is not to my knowledge whether he has replied the query. You know that it is not my department that handles that particular assignment. I am not the one to receive his reply if he has done so. But I know that a query has been dispatched to him,” he said.

    However, Segun Ajiboye, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, while insisting that reports of the suspension are untrue, said his boss has yet to receive any query from the party’s National Working Committee. “As far as we are concerned, it is a rumour. The governor did not receive any query. The matter itself is an internal affair of the party which will be handled by the party.”

    Meanwhile, checks at the secretariat of the party revealed that the APC’s NWC may had on the first day of March, taken the decision to issue a query to the governor following its conclusion that Akeredolu has some explanations to make over some of his activities during the last general elections in the state as alleged in some of the petitions received by the party against him.

     

    Unending spats

    Recently, Otito Atikase, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Akeredolu on Political Affair’s, re-ignited the face-off in the embattled state chapter of the APC when he accused the National Chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, and the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, of being behind the travails of the governor in the party. According to him, some forces are bent on working against Akeredolu at all cost.

    “Akeredolu is a principled man who does not play politics with anything goes. “He will not allow anything that is not right to be done. Tinubu and Oshiomhole should not rule the party for their expansionist and narrow agenda. All I can see is the aftermath of the defeat Tinubu suffered when he sponsored Alliance for Democracy, AD, against Akeredolu in 2016.What disciplinary action did the party put in place?

    Oshiomhole, on the other hand, wanted his candidate to be picked after him in Edo but Akeredolu supported the man on the seat-Obaseki. Adams was very angry, so he became Chairman of the party to witch-hunt our governor. All I know is that Ondo people will determine who governs them. The God who brought Akeredolu to governance is not dead but reigns supreme over them,” Atikase said.

    But Bola Ilori, a chieftain of the party, accused Governor Akeredolu, of being the “spanner in the cog of wheel” of peace in the party. The former Commissioner for Regional Integration in Osun State said Akeredolu’s vengefulness and uncooperative attitude are the root causes of the lingering disunity and disharmony within the state chapter of the APC.

    “It was well reported on national headlines that Akeredolu organised an attack on me at the venue of an official government assignment in Akure. We were to go to court, but some elders of the party, led by Chief Bisi Akande, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Pius Akinyelure and others, intervened. They appealed to all aggrieved against the gubernatorial election processes to drop all further agitation and return to the party and embrace unity.

    “I also wish to place on the record that, as the Director General of the Alliance for Democracy campaigns in 2016, I don’t have any record of funding received from Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola or Senator Ajayi Boroffice for the AD. I dare Akeredolu and his team to come up with such fact. Let it be noted that neither Asiwaju Tinubu nor Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola directed us to the AD nor funded the party.

    “They did not campaign for the party to the best of my record, also. If any of Akeredolu minions is in possession of substantive evidence against any of our leaders let such fellow come forward with it or forever keep their peace. We, as adults have rights to our independent actions and Asiwaju never encourage sycophancy, he promotes robust intellectual discuss and don’t see dissent as a crime, yet we voluntarily hold him in high esteem,” Ilori countered.

     

    Fresh trouble

    Sadly, efforts to resolve the differences among the chieftains of the party appear not to be yielding fruits. Instead, a fresh face-off recently erupted between the camps of Governor Akeredolu and Senator Borrofice over a petition filed against the victory of the Senator at the National Assembly Election last February. As we speak, some aggrieved members of the party have ruled out reconciliation with the governor, accusing him of still working against the party.

    Specifically, Boroffice recently accused Akeredolu of instigating a petition against him at the election tribunal. In a statement by his Press Secretary, Kayode Fakuyi, the Senator claimed the governor’s loyalist, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, sponsored a petition against him at the Election Petition Tribunal as the candidate of the APC, in the last election in the state. He also insisted that Akeredolu was in the know of the said petition.

    The statement was in response to an earlier claim by one of the governor’s aides that Akeredolu intervened on behalf of the APC and Boroffice by asking the Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN), to withdraw the petition it submitted to the tribunal over the absence of its logo on the ballot paper. The petition was subsequently withdrawn to save Borrofice’s mandate.

    But Fakuyi said: “The Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) did not actually file petition against INEC and Boroffice. It was the senatorial candidate of Action Alliance (AA) for Ondo North, Mr. Tunji Abayomi, who sponsored the case on behalf of MPN without the authorisation of the national leadership of MPN.

    “Instructively, Mr. Tunji Abayomi of the Action Alliance could not have sponsored the case without the support and nod of his political leader, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. From the above-stated facts, it is clear Governor Rotimi Akeredolu did not play any such role like role of arbiter in the resolution of the MPN to discontinue a case that was initiated and instituted on its behalf without its authorisation.”

     

    Still a divided House

    As part of the effort to resolve the crisis before the last general election, a Peace and Reconciliation Committee was inaugurated by the party in January. Speaking during the inauguration of the 15 man committee, Adetimehin had said the committee was put in place to resolve all the crises within the party ahead of the election. He also charged the committee to draw from their political experience to ensure that every aggrieved member of the party is pacified.

    “You have been carefully selected. I charge you to represent the party well and justify the confidence reposed in you. You are not going to judge anyone but write and submit a report to us based on what you meet on the field,” he said back then. He urged the committee, which was decentralised into senatorial zones, to submit its report to the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, within the next one week. But it appears nothing good came out of the assignment of the peace committee.

    Currently, a number of other leading figures of the APC in Ondo State, including former chairman of the party, Isaac Kekemeke, a former Deputy Governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi, as well as a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Baderinwa, are currently at loggerheads with the governor and his people. Reliable party sources said most of the aggrieved members are not ready for the reconciliation.

    When contacted, the Chairman of the party in the state, Chief Ade Adetimehin, said stories of crises and disagreements in the party are being sponsored by enemies of the party. According to him, before, during and after the elections, the party was and remained united. “I want to tell you that there is no crisis in our party. We remain one and that is why we are doing great in the state. The APC in Ondo State is moving forward and we have no problem.”

    But a group within the state chapter of the party disagrees with Adetimehin. According to the Mandate Group, the crisis currently troubling the APC in Ondo State is capable of affecting the chances of the party in the forthcoming gubernatorial election and as such, should promptly be looked into by the national leadership of the ruling party. The group also wants the state leadership of the party sacked.

    The group, which has been complaining that Governor Akeredolu was working against the interest of the party said Akeredolu and the state party chairman actually worked for the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar in the election, attributing the PDP victory in the state to the anti-party activities carried out by the governor.

    Addressing newsmen at the APC national secretariat, the group’s Publicity Secretary, Comrade Olugbenga Bojuwomi, said they have evidence that Akeredolu did not vote for President Muhammadu Buhari and all APC candidates in the Feb. 23 Presidential and National Assembly Elections. The aggrieved party members also blamed the governor and the leadership of the party in the state for the disunity within the party in the state.

  • Be more committed: Ondo APC urges workers

    The All Progressives Congress, (APC) in Ondo State has urged public servants in the state to be more committed to their duties for greater development.

    The party commended the State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for promoting harmonious working relationship between the government and its members.

    A statement by its spokesman, Alex Kalejaye said the party regarded the State workforce as the pillar on which implementation of government policies rest.

    It therefore called for more sincerity and further commitment on the part of the workers to ensure the public derived maximum benefits from such policies.

    Read Also: Abe: I remain committed to APC

    The party assured that the APC would never shy away from supporting quality welfare package for the workers, believing that no government can succeed without the effective cooperation of its workforce.

    According to the statement “It is for this reason that Ondo State Government is among the first few states to announce its willingness to consider implementation of the new minimum wage.

    “We congratulate the State NLC on its recent election, and emergence of a new dynamic team, under Comrade Sunday Adeleye, to pilot the affairs of the chapter.

  • Appeal court sacks Edo APC Rep candidate

    The Court of Appeal sitting in Benin City has sacked Comrade Peter Akpatason as the All Progressives Congress candidate for Akoko-Edo Federal Constituency.

    It declared the Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly, Hon Kabiru Adjoto as the candidate of the party for Akoko-Edo federal constituency.

    The appellate court also nullified the APC National Assembly Primaries election appeals committee headed by former governor of Edo State, Professor Oserheimen Osunbor.

    Delivering judgment on the appeal filed by Speaker Adjoto, Justice Moore Abraham-Adumein said that the trial court ought to have heard the case brought before it since it is its duty to do so.

    Justice Moore held the Prof. Osunbor led committee was not properly constituted because the committee contravenes Article 21 B of the APC guidelines party of which says “no member of the five member appeals committee shall be from the state of assignment”.

    Moore noted referring the case back to the trial court would have been statute bared but that haven considered the evidences before the lower court which it did not consider, Adjoto won the primary election as the returning officer during the election Hon Sufiyanu Igbafe declared that Adjoto scored 7,034 votes as against his opponent, Honourable Peter Akpatason who scored 5,606 votes.

    Read Also: Court frees Ozubulu massacre suspects

    According to him: “The trial court for reasons best known to it failed or neglected to make any pronouncement on the real issue before it

    “This appeal is hereby unanimously allowed and the prayers sought by the appellant in the trial court are hereby granted and the sum of N300, 000 is hereby awarded as cost against the 1st and 2nd respondents”.

    He said his two colleagues, Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, who is the presiding Justice and Justice Tunde Efotoye agreed with the judgment.

    Lawyer to Akpatason, Omoh-Ige Adebayo said they would contest the judgment at the Supreme Court while an elated Adjoto said: “The judiciary is not only the last hope of the common man but also of the big man” and promised to give more representation to his people more than he has given in the state House of Assembly.

  • Edo 2020: APC passes vote of confidence on Obaseki

    Edo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has passed a vote of confidence on Governor Godwin Obaseki.

    It said the unprecedented achievements of winning all the 24 seats in the State House of Assembly was a referendum of the administration and performance of Governor Obaseki.

    This was contained in a statement signed by State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mr. Chris Azebamwan after the APC’s State Executive Committee meeting.

    Read Also: APC’s claim on my birth is ridiculous, pedestrian, says Atiku

    The statement said the party would continue to sustain its commitment to give Obaseki the needed support to keep it focused and on track.

    It reads in parts: “Members congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari for his well -deserved victory and the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole for the overall success of the Party in the general elections nationwide.

    “Members also noted the role of the party’s leadership in guiding our members at the National Assembly in relation to their leadership as both desirable and commendable.”

  • APC chieftain to Ekiti Commissioners-designate: Shun corruption, disloyalty

    A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu has urged the commissioner nominees just approved by the Ekiti State House of Assembly to refrain from corrupt and acts that could derail Dr. Fayemi-led administration.

    Osinkolu said their focus and premium task should be how to implement the Fayemi’s 4 -cardinal agenda  to transform and accelerate the lives of the predominantly agrarian Ekiti residents.

    He described those nominated by Fayemi as committed individuals in their respective communities aside from being  party loyalists, saying he has no apprehension that they will discharge their duties diligently for radical turn around of the state’s  socio-economic status.

    Fayemi had last week Tuesday sent names of 14 commissioners designate to Ekiti assembly for screening and approval and were later confirmed on the floor of the House on Thursday.

    The governor will on Tuesday inaugurates the cabinet members and subsequently assign them to the  Ministries they will superintend over.

    Read Also: Ekiti Assembly confirms 13 commissioner-nominees

    Speaking in Ado Ekiti on Saturday, The Director General Buhari/Osinbajo  Campaign Council said proposed cabinet members came at a time when the people are having high expectations from all sectors to compensate for the deprivation suffered in the past, saying they can’t afford to disappoint Ekiti populace under this circumstance.

    Osinkolu added that the All Progressives Congress as champion of progressive governance should run a government that can change the lives of the people for better, urging the nominees to bear this in mind that they are being appointed to serve and not to pursue personal gains and material acquisition .

    He said: ” Governor Kayode Fayemi met a lot of rots in the system caused by bad policies and laxity on the part of the immediate past administration.

    “He came at a time when several months of salary and pension arrears are owed. Deductions and gratuities to  civil servants and retirees   running into several millions of naira are outstanding and infrastructures in schools are dilapidated and our people are questing for radical improvement .

    ” I want the nominees to share the dream of our governor and his resolve to bail us out of this conundrum.

    “Under Ayodele Fayose- led government, over 40,000 people were displaced from the safety net like the social security scheme, Ekiti State Peace Corps, Youth in Commercial Farming (YCAD) and others being policies  initiated by Governor Fayemi in 2011 , apart from astronomic increase in the level of unemployment among youths . All these APC government would have  tackle for people to have a reprieve.

    “They must know that coming at this precarious time as commissioners is more of a service than material  acquisition. They must be ready to sacrifice their personal gains to benefit humanity and posterity shall be fair to them as leaders who put up appropriate fight for our people to be delivered from the bandage of poverty if they eventually prove their mettle”.

    Osinkolu appealed to APC members and other Ekiti populace to give them the required supports and play advisory roles where necessary for the success of the present administration.

  • APC warns against Amosun’s last -minute transactions

    Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday advised the public against engaging in last minute transactions with the out – going administration, warning that the incoming government would review any of such transactions.

    In a statement by the Publicity Secretary of the Caretaker Committee of APC in the state, Tunde Oladunjoye, it alleged Governor Ibikunle Amosun- led administration has engaged in last- minute awards of contracts, withdrawals from treasury, sales of land and illegal recruitment of Senator Amosun’s cronies into senior positions of the Ogun State Civil Service, ostensibly to tie the hands of its successor.

    APC noted such reported transactions are shocking and warned members the general public such hurried deals would not necessarily be binding on the incoming administration.

    The party stated: “It has come to our notice that the outgoing administration of His Excellency Senator Ibikunle Amosun, is busy with last minute awards of contracts, selling and auctioning of government properties, and secret recruitments into the civil service in a way to tie the hands of the incoming Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun.

    “While we find these reported last-minute awards of contracts, withdrawals from treasury, sales of land and illegal recruitment of Senator Amosun’s cronies into senior positions of the Ogun State Civil Service, very shocking, our party wishes to warn the members of the general public that such hurried transactions would not necessarily be binding on the incoming administration.

    “We urge Ogun State’s top senior civil servants not to be part of the desperate moves of the departing Governor to undermine socio-economic stability of our State, by engaging in, condoning or being part of any act that breaches or constitute a flagrant abuse of laid-down rules, regulations and due process.

    “It is our belief that an administration with less than two months to handover, should, by now, be preparing its handover notes for a smooth transition instead of digging pits for the incoming government.

    “May we also reiterate here that all loans, overdraft and financial obligations that do not follow due process, including the approval of the Ogun State House of Assembly, would not be honoured. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.”

    Read Also: Onnoghen’s resignation: Buhari is vindicated, says APC

    On Friday, the state government approved appointment of Professor Akinwale Coker, a professor of Civil Engineering as the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of the newly established Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology (MAUSTECH), Abeokuta as part of measures for its take off.

    The university was established in accordance with Section 8 of the Moshood Abiola University of Science and Technology Law, 2017.

    The government also approved the constitution of a Governing Council for the institution with Mr. Oye Hassan Odukale as Pro Chancellor/Chairman.

    Other members of the Council are Mrs. Bunmi Oke, Prof. John Oluranti Olajide, Chief Wale Taiwo SAN, Mr. Oladeji Oluwadiya, Bldr. Dapo Adesega, Arc. Ibukun Sonola, Ms. Amina Oyagbola and Engr. Segun Adeleye.

    The tenure of the Council Chairman and members shall be four years in the first instance while that of the Vice-Chancellor shall be a single term of five years, according to a release by the Secretary to the state government, Mr. Taiwo Adeoluwa.

    Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Rotimi Durojaiye, demanded for details of the contracts and people recruited.

    “Can I have the list of contracts awarded, the names of people recruited into the civil service of the state and other information that may assist me, please? Thank you,” he stated.

    But when reminded Amosun has just approved the appointment of a Vice – Chancellor and Governing Council for MAUSTECH, Durojaiye stated: “Council members are not government employees, they only receive allowances.”

  • Our decision on NASS leadership supreme – APC

    Mr Yekini Nabena, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that the party’s decision on the selection and zoning of principal officers for the incoming 9th National Assembly is supreme.

    Nabena stated this while speaking with newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja.

    He said that the party’s decision must be respected by its legislative caucus and opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly.

    He, therefore, cautioned the outgoing President of the Senate,Dr Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara to steer clear of the leadership in both legislative chambers.

    “The APC has learnt its lesson from the outgoing National Assembly when impostors masquerading as party men sabotaged our party and hijacked our mandate; affliction shall not rise up the second time.

    “The efforts by the Adams Oshiomhole leadership of the party are commendable in achieving a fair selection and zoning arrangement that appeals to a greater section of the party stakeholders.

    “APC has overwhelming majority in the National Assembly and has a legitimate right to make its choices on the selection and zoning of principal offices.

    Read Also: APC, Niger South Senatorial seat and travesty of justice

    “The APC family is in agreement on the party’s supremacy and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties should focus on their minority positions,”he said.

    According to Nabena, the outgoing President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the PDP NASS caucus have been moving from pillar to post to frustrate the plan of APC.

    He said the PDP had a hidden evil plot to interfere in the emergence of incoming National Assembly leaders.

    Nabena said that the APC was aware of the scheming by Saraki, Dogara and the PDP caucus to interfere with the emergence of the incoming National Assembly leadership.

    “Their plans are bound to fail as the APC is a strong party with unity of purpose,” he said.

  • Zone Speakership position to North Central, ex-Lawmakers tell APC

    Former Members of the House of Representatives who are members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the platform of Forum of Former Members of the House of Representatives have asked the leadership of the party to zone the position of the Speaker of the House to the North Central zone for the sake of equity and balance.

    The former lawmakers also asked the Party to be tactful in handling the issue of the leadership of the National Assembly and avoid a repeat of the 2015 mistake which cost the party so much in terms of Executive/Legislative relationship.

    The group believe that the leadership of the party must move fast to douse the likely tension that will emerge if the varied interests in the leadership are not streamlined on time and individuals allowed to take position like it was in 2015.

    Addressing a news conference in Abuja, spokesman of the Forum, Idris Yahuza Yakubu said it was high time the party takes a decision on the zones where each of the principal officers should come from before it becomes too late.

    While pledging to making themselves available to assist the party at all times, the former lawmakers believe that the party must be guided to toe the line of equity and fairness, suggesting that the cognate experience, party loyalty and acceptability among colleagues should be considered.

    He said further considering the fact that the North West and South already occupies the position of President and Vice President, while the north east has been given the position of Senate President, the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North central zone.

    The Forum said “As the APC tries to consolidate on its recent successes; the party must not lose focus, but do all it can to stay on track by putting in place a structure that will support its programs for improving on the lot of the people. The eye of the public and indeed the international community is on us to see if we can translate this victory into something tangible for the entire nation and more importantly, if we are able to put our acts together to create the enabling environment.

    “The foundation for building a cohesive and united Nigeria stands on the tripod of equity, justice and fairness and this is where those of us who have been elected to the House of representatives in the past who have seen how the different arms of government are run have decided to advice our beloved party on how best it can go about addressing the current agitations for geopolitical balancing in allocating the remaining top positions that would determine the shape of the next administration and engender a harmonious executive – legislature relationship for the good of the nation.

    “You will recall that in 2015, the APC made the mistake of not paying enough attention in the election of the leadership of the National Assembly and how the party nearly paid dearly for it by having to constantly battle with a hostile legislature since its leaders were not products of the party’s internal democratic arrangement.

    “The APC as the ruling party cannot afford to make that mistake again by leaving the choice of those to assume leadership positions in the National assembly to chance. It is our strong view that the party must step forward to provide political direction to its elected members at the

  • Ogun guber election: true reflection of people’s will – APC

    The Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday appraised the March 9 governorship elections in the state and declared that the outcome was a true reflection of the will of Ogun people.

    The party added that it was “heart-warming, that despite the harassment, intimidation and sponsored violence from known quarters in the state, the people of Ogun spoke with their votes on who they preferred to govern the state for the next four years.

    In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, in Abeokuta, APC observed that
    the election recorded over one hundred and fifty-eight thousand voters more than the National Assembly elections, a demonstration that Ogun people were really determined to choose who becomes their governor.

    The statement reads: “It is beyond a reasonable doubt that our candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun, won fair and square as confirmed by all other candidates in the governorship election, except the sore loser and his paymaster.

    “Our people showed more concern in the governorship election. While the total votes for the Senate were 549, 909, the House of Reps were 552, 223, and Presidential elections had 605, 738 voters; a total of 708, 807 voters participated in the governorship elections.”

    “Furthermore, never in the annals of governorship elections in Ogun State, had the winner received such outpouring of congratulatory messages, encouragement, promised support and visitations by his co-contestants. Prince Buruji Kashamu, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, Otunba Rotimi Paseda, Chief Tope Tokoya, Mr. Adewale Omoniyi, and about other ten political parties and candidates have either sent goodwill messages or visited the winner or placed congratulatory adverts in the newspapers, in a commendable demonstration of good spirit of sportsmanship.

    Read Also: Why we settled for Lawan as Senate President, by APC

    “Having submitted itself to the authority of Election Petition Tribunal, we urged the Allied Peoples’ Movement to stop its campaign of calumny against our candidate, and its seeming patronage of the Tribunal with its amateur simulation in the media. We see this as deliberate and desperate campaign after elections. APM should allow the law to take its course.

    “It is also on record that over 90% of those arrested on election day, by security and anti-corruption agencies for perpetrating election-related crimes on March 9, 2019 in Ogun State were well-known agents of the Allied Peoples’ Movement and top government officials in the outgoing regime. We, therefore, call on the relevant agencies to do the needful going forward. The APM is actually crying for being unable to execute its rigging plans.

    “The APM, with a sitting Governor as its chief promoter, and despite the enormous state resources deployed and poured into the process, who could not muster a convincing win in 1/3 of the 20 LG’s in Ogun State should bury its head in shame and stop campaigning after elections. If the governorship elections in Ogun State is to be held several times again, the margin for our candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun, can only increase.“

  • Some actions, decisions of 8th Senate regrettable, says Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has frowned at some actions and decisions of the 8th National Assembly, saying such activities remain regrettable.

    The president, who made his feeling known when he hosted state governors and senators-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Monday night.

    President Buhari particularly cited the deliberate and persistent delay in passing the nation’s annual budget by the national assembly.

    He, therefore, challenged the in-coming 9th national assembly to do things differently from the outgoing 8th senate so as to enable his administration to achieve its target of transforming the nation.

    “This is my fifth and last time of standing for an election – for that reason I’ll like to leave something behind.

    “And what I want to leave cannot be successfully done without your support.

    “So, that is why I’m appealing for your support. What happened in the last senate and so on is regrettable because I still feel it shouldn’t take seven months to pass a budget. You have a very, very serious job ahead of you.

    “So, what I’m appealing is that any major decision you are going to take please reflect more on the country than yourself as a person – what effect will it have on the country,’’ he said.

    While promising to work and partner with the 9th national assembly in promoting peace, stability and economic prosperity in the country, the president thanked the governors and senators-elect for their support and understanding.

    The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke to State House correspondents after the dinner, said the whole purpose of the event was to bond the new and old senators, to establish a new of relationship between the executive and the legislature.

    He said: “The system talks about the separation of powers between the executive and legislature and the two must handshake for things to happen.

    “And when you have a president that is determined to drive changes, fundamental changes that will affect our habits, our life style, review the economy, deal with the security situation, fight corruption as fiercely as he is trying to do, he will need a very supportive legislative arm of government.

    “And happily, the Nigerian people have given us the number in the legislative arm of government.

    Read also: Buhari moves to prevent National Assembly hijack

    “All we have agreed today is that we will use these numbers as a functioning whole to determine the leadership of the Senate in a way that we are not going to go to the floor of the Senate and allow the opposition dictate who becomes the senate president.

    “Because, we have a comfortable majority to drive that, what we have to do is to manage that majority.’’

    Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau, who also spoke on outcome of the meeting said: “What the president has done today, I think is the right step in the right direction.

    “The last time we did not have the opportunity of this politics but today, Mr. President invited us. Because, we are governors and we also dialogue with our senators.

    “Mr President said in order to avoid rancour, let me lay the way forward and we are very happy he has laid the way forward and because of that we are all going to work towards achieving the desire of Mr President for the good of this country.’’(NAN)