Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the 2018 Ekiti Governorship Election has been declared the winner in his polling unit of Isan Ward 11 Unit 9.
Fayemi polled 186 votes, as against 2 which Prof. Kolapo Olusola Eleka of PDP received.
The results, as released by the polling agents, are as follow:
APC- 186
PDP – 2
APA – 1
Unused papers – 145
Total registered voters – 345
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has met with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state in his latest round of peace talks with aggrieved members of the party.
Oshiomhole had earlier met with Senate President Bukola Saraki,House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and the APC caucuses in the two chambers of the National assembly with a view to persuading from dumping the party.
More meetings have been scheduled to resolve the issues at stake, his chief press secretary, Simon Ebegbulem told The Nation on Friday.
Ebegbulem said Oshiomhole has been very busy since his assumption of office to salvage the situation.
He said “Since he assumed office, he has not slept well, always meeting with aggrieved members till the early hours of the morning.
“He has met with Saraki, Tambuwal and Dogara. He has been pleading that they should all remain in the party so they can build it together.
“He also has this regret that the issues were allowed to linger for too long before he came into office.
“He met with the APC Caucus in the senate and the House twice seeking for peace. He met with Tambuwal, Kwankwaso individually and Saraki severally pleading for peace.
“As we speak he is still talking to them. We believe that the kind of implosion that people are envisaging may not happen. So his efforts are yielding results and he is determined to ensure that he brings many of them back to the fold.
“I want you to also know that he had experienced sleepless night dealing with the crisis in the party and the Ekiti state election. He has stressed the need for party leaders across board to bury their pride so they can achieve success.
“For him, the re-election of President Buhari is a priority and he has made it abundantly clear that any party leader who fails to embrace peace may be axed.
“For him ensuring peace ahead of the general election is not negotiable and any party leader who constitutes himself into nuisance in the search for peace may suffer the wrath of the party”.
The Akida faction of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State, and Kaduna Restoration group on Friday announced their exit from the party over what they called political marginalization and abuse by handlers in the state.
Members of the two groups include Senator representing Kaduna Central in the senate, Shehu Sani, his counterpart representing Kaduna North, Suleiman Hunkuyi, Chairman, Liberty Radio and Television, Dr Ramalan Tijjani, Barrister Jafaaru Abbas, Maitamaki Tom-Meyashi among others.
Addressing a joint press conference in Kaduna on Friday, Chairman, APC-Akida, Tom-Maiyashi who was supported by Legal Adviser, Kaduna Restoration group, Barrister Jafaaru Abass, the groups said their decision to exit the ruling party came after due consultations thereby has no regret.
Though they declined revealing the party they will be moving to, but there are strong indications that, they may form another political party using either of the groups’ names which have already gained some recognition in the state.
“We are not going to look for any name or borrow any name. We will do our analysis and take decisions and we are going to inform the public. But one thing is certain, we are not orphans.” Maiyashi said.
Reading the press text Maiyashi said, “this joint press conference is the culmination of extensive reviews and consultations over the state of the All Progressives,Congress (APC), in Kaduna State as well as in the Nation.
“As you will appreciate, groups such as our that had been in the frontline of the efforts to keep our party along the lines of survive, accountability and integrity will be diligent in ensuring that whatever steps we take are consistent with our high sense of responsibility.
“We are satisfied that the positions we have arrived at are in the best interests of our members and the ongoing efforts to create options and strategies that will rid our nation of undeserved and avoidable challenges.
“Members of our two groups have decided to leave the APC because it is incapable of accommodating and responding to well-meaning dissent, criticism and demands for inclusiveness and internal democracy. It has not lived up to the expectations of the millions of people who laboured to put in power, as well as Nigerian who expected that it will usher in genuine change. We are hereby advising all our teeming members to formalize their withdrawal from the APC.
“We are engaged in serious discussions with parties which share our value and principles toward political collaboration that best suits our interests. In due course, we will make public the outcome of these discussions.
“We want to commend the resilience and commitment of our members in the face of institutionalized exclusion, marginalization and abuse. We urge them all to keep faith”, he maintained.
The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has debunked accusation by the Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organization alleging movement of N18b from Akure Airport to Ekiti State for the election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Olusola’s campaign spokesman, Lere Olayinka, had alleged that the funds were illegally moved from UBA to Ekiti State to fund Fayemi’s election.
But a statement by Director of Media and Publicity Secretary, Wole Olujobi, scoffed at the suggestion, saying the author of the press release was writing from a “hallucinating imagination” and background of a professional liar.
“Lere Olayinka has a background of integrity deficiency in information dissemination in strict complement with his boss, Governor Ayodele Fayose.
“Across the country and the world audience through social media, Olayinka is renowned for his notoriety to concoct falsehoods and present them to readers as facts.
“Discerning minds will note the lies contained in the story by a single logic that it took Olusola and Olayinka a whole week after the leak of funds movement before they alerted Nigerians about a purported money cargo being offloaded in Akure for Fayemi’s election in Ekiti.
“By this lie from the pit of hell, we know that PDP is trying to paint a picture that it is a comrade-in-crime with APC after Fayose’s 2014 poll fraud funded with the loot from the office of the National Security Adviser.
“It is also to argue that APC bought Ekiti people’s votes after Saturday humiliation of Fayose and Olusola who have set Ekiti people back in their thirst for development. Olujobi also faulted Olusola’s claim that policemen assaulted Fayose on Wednesday, explaining that the latest Fayose’s apology to the Police authorities for lying against their officers did not support the claim that police assault the governor.
“It is great that security details attached to Fayose have confessed that there was no attack on the governor.
“The security details confessed after they were queried for dereliction of duty in the protection of their principal.
“Late last night, Fayose sent his aides to the police for forgiveness for lying against their officers.
“The police spokesman this evening said so, but Olusola is still misinforming Nigerians that the police assaulted Fayose, which then goes to show the quality of his Christian life that he is flaunting to aspire to lead the state.
“Nigerians are expecting the purported pictures showing funds movement to Ekiti State to fund Fayemi’s election, but we know that the pictures cannot be more than the 11 pictures that Fayose threatened to publish to show that President Muhammadu Buhari was on life support machine in the United Kingdom hospital,” Olujobi explained.
The Deputy Campaign Director of the Sylva-Igiri Campaign Organization during the 2016 governorship election was on Thursday reported dead.
Chief Lionel Jonathan-Omo, former Commissioner for Enviroment was said to have slumped and fallen from a balcony in his country home in Ogbolomabiri area of Nembe, Nembe Local Government Area of the state.
The sudden death of Omu, running mate to Chief Francis Doukpola during the 1999 governorship election on the platform of the All Peoples Party(APP), threw the Nembe communities and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) into mourning.
It was gathered that the politician, who owned the biggest farm in Yenagoa, was rushed to the community hospital immediately but doctors advised his family to convey him to the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Rivers State (UPTH).
He later died despite efforts by the doctors to stabilize his condition.
Omo was also former lecturer at the River State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), writer and a frontline advocate that the country should return to commercial agriculture.
The APC referred to the death of Omo as an “indescribable loss” of a wonderful ally at a time his experience and energy were most needed.
The APC State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Doifie Buokoribo, in a statement on Thursday said Omo was a forthright politician, and an illustrious son of Bayelsa State and the Ijaw nation who partook in popular activities to better the lives of his people.
The statement said: “We do this tribute with great sadness over the indescribable loss of our leader, political mentor, and friend, Chief Lionel Jonathan-Omo.
“Jonathan-Omo broke his limbs in a fall and fought bravely for his life at a private hospital in Port Harcourt to recover from the injuries he sustained. He never survived them. The chief died Thursday after an unsuccessful operation. All of us had hoped that Jonathan-Omo would recover from his injuries and get on with his life, particularly, at this time of intense political activities in our state and country when his experience and wisdom are seriously needed.
“Lionel Jonthan-Omo who is from Nembe trained as a lawyer, and taught law at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology for several years. A former Commissioner in Bayelsa State, he was also a delegate representing the state at the 2005 National Political Reform Conference (NPRC).
“Until his death, he was a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). During the 2015-2016 Gubernatorial Elections, he was the Deputy Director-General of the Sylva/Igiri Campaign Organisation. He earned his living as founder of Achievers Farm in Igbogene-Yenagoa.
“Jonathan-Omo was a wonderful party man, a great Bayelsan, and an illustrious Ijaw son. He was at the forefront of every popular activity – politically, economically, and socially – to better the lives of people in his state and nation. He believed in truth and fought for it with every resource and avenue at his disposal.
“A democrat to the core, he always believed in dialogue and was always ready to listen to others. Lionel-Jonathan never judged or forced his opinion on anyone. He characteristically gave room for the ventilation of opinions, even from his fiercest opponents. His valuable and truthful counsels are some of the things we will surely miss.
“Jonthan-Omo was focused and intelligent, a man of magically brilliant political ideas. The remarkable thing about his ideas is that they were always meant to help and better society. He was sacrificial, but strong and hated being vulnerable. He was an incurable optimist and a huge encouragement to his political allies. He offered comfort and motivation to those around him.
“Jonthan-Omo was sincere, loving, and simple. He was a wonderful father to his children and a great breadwinner who laid a solid foundation for not only his family but also his community and friends far and near.
“Surely, his children and family will not lack people who will watch over them and ensure they continue to have a great life. Their father loved his people, lived with them, shared their pains and joys, and participated in activities to improve their political and economic wellbeing. He was a great man, brilliant and likeable”.
The Nation Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has appointed the Vanguard Correspondent in Benin, Simon Ebegbulem as his Chief Press Secretary.
The appointment of Ebegbulem was contained in a letter signed by the National Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni.
In a letter signed by the National Secretary of the APC, Hon. Mai. Mala Buni, it said Mr Ebegbulem shall “perform all the functions of a Chief Press Secretary and any such duties as may be assigned to you by the National Chairman”.
National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has frowned at the delay by some cabinet ministers to inaugurate Boards of government parastatal under their ministries despite a Presidential directive for them to do so.
He said the party will no longer tolerate any willful disregard to directives either from the party or from the government by any appointee of government.
Oshiomhole is specifically not happy with the Ministers of Labour, Senator Chris Ngige and Minister of State, Aviation and asked them to immediately comply and inaugurate all the Boards under their Ministries within one week or face the wrath of the party.
The Ministry of Labour and Employment is yet to inaugurate the Board of Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund following an investigation of the activities of the agency for fraud by the government.
In a letter addressed to the Ministers, dated 11th July 2018, the APC chairman expressed concern that the Ministers have failed to reconstitute the Boards in contravention of the position of the National Executive Council of the party and the Presidential directives to all Ministers, describing it as a great disrespect to the party.
The letter said: “this is to inform you that the attention of the National Working Committee has been drawn to your refusal to inaugurate members of the re-constituted Boards under the supervision of your Ministry.
“This contravenes the position of the NEC, National Caucus and the Presidential Directives to all Ministers to inaugurate Boards of Parastatals under their Ministries. We find this attitude as disrespect to the President and disservice to our great party.
“The party will henceforth no longer tolerate any appointee of government at all level who continue to willfully disregard lawful instructions from either the government or the party.
“In the light of the forging, you are hereby directed to inaugurate all the boards under your Ministry within one week, failure of which the party will take appropriate disciplinary measures against you”.
National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Wednesday described those leaving the party as mercenaries who joined the party for personal gains, assuring party members all PDP members still holding sensitive positions in the current government will soon be flushed out.
Oshiomhole who spoke while inaugurating the non-NWC members of the party leadership elected at its recently concluded national convention said while he is ready to go to any length to persuade and appeal to genuine people who are aggrieved, he will not intimidated by any coalition against the party.
He said the formation of the Coalition of United Political Parties led by the PDP was a clear admittance by the main opposition and other political parties that they don’t have what it takes to unseat the current government.
He said the party was “aware that even as at today, we still have a lot of PDP people occupying very important positions in federal agencies. We will do everything possible to purge these elements out of the system because we are a party of change.
“They are the conservative right-wing party. We cannot entrust to conservative forces an agenda for change. Government is not in the Villa. Villa is the head of government. Government is in the agencies – what they do, how they do it, the quality of service delivery and the style of that service delivery.
“That is how the ordinary man interfaces with power and if these agencies are in the hands of those who do not believe in our change agenda, then we cannot expect miracles from them.
“And for those who are aggrieved as to how certain things are done, those who question that they do not seem to see the difference because substantially, PDP is still managing these agencies, we have a duty to convince the federal executive that this government has no business with any PDP in sensitive federal agencies and using their old tactics in service delivery. That, I believe is a task that all of us must pursue.
“I believe that we now must work consciously to ensure that in replacing, we replace sinners with believers. Believers are those who are card-carrying members of our party and before we go outside the party family, we must convince ourselves that the persons we are taking, we are taking him because we do not have that particular expertise within the family.
“But even so, he must first take the card and demonstrate loyalty because if you do not believe in a process, you cannot be entrusted with the management of that process. It is not because we are hungry to let our people have jobs, but because I have no confidence that PDP appointees can drive the changes that APC promised.
“APC promises must be kept by APC activists at managerial level, at board level and at political level. That, we must all work to achieve. But while we are working on that, I will ask you to have patience because some people give up too early in life.
“If you work with conviction, and you didn’t get exactly what you expected, that is not a reason to look the other way. I think the most fundamental purpose that brought the APC into being was to save Nigerians from the misrule of the PDP. That has been achieved, but the second challenge is now to take advantage of our being in office to work hard to deliver to Nigerians, first, before ourselves”
Speaking on the R-APC, the former Edo State Governor said “We will do everything possible to assuage those who have genuine grievances who simply want fairness and justice. I believe on your behalf, I can give them all the assurance that there will be justice, there will be fairness.
“However, for the mercenaries, who mistakenly joined the party because of what they can gain personally, not for the good of the country, not for the good of the party; they came in purely for greener pastures and they have found that they have had to work hard to plant the grass, to wet it, nourish it for it to become green and they cannot wait, they want to run, not because we have wronged them but because we just cannot satisfy a mercenary, for those ones, we will not only open the door, we are ready to open even the windows.
“But I am ready to go to any length to persuade and appeal to genuine people who are aggrieved. But like I have said, I am not intimidated; I am not frightened, I am not impaired and I want to urge everyone of you individually and collectively that we cannot be intimidated.
“And if any of us had doubts, from what we saw the other day, it is a collection of old coaches searching frantically for new ideas. The more they search, the more they get old players, not even the best of them, but the worst of old players and I do not think Nigerians can be fooled by a coalition of that.
“If you harness the energy of one million snails and transform it into one snail to run, it cannot catch up with an Antelope. So, when we were told 50 political parties had merged to confront us towards 2019, I was excited because first, that is a clear admission that as things stand today, neither the one we defeated before, the PDP, nor the new one that claim they have formed has what it takes.
“They are now saying to Nigerians that ‘we want to capture power even though we are different, but for the purpose of capturing power, we will unite’, and I do not think Nigerians need any further explanation that enough of this opportunistic politicking”.
Speaking on the various options available to party to curtail money politics, he said “We have a lot of options in our constitution. We have the option of direct primaries. By direct primaries, you remove the power away from delegates to the party members and so if you think that you can compromise the delegates and undermine the wishes of majority of our members, we will call our members to do the voting.
“So, all those options are open. If we ask you to do consensus, you refuse to do consensus and you want to do a one man show, we knowing that one man cannot do election, we will neutralize those abuse of privileges by allowing direct membership participation.
“This leadership cannot be compromised. We will not be intimidated and we will not misuse our privileges to deny any one of our member’s appropriate opportunities to contests and have the opportunity to serve the country”.
Speaking on this weekend’s governorship election in Ekiti, Oshiomhole said “You saw our outing yesterday (Tuesday) in spite of all the crude misuse of limited state power which Gov. Fayose chose to do. But our superior commitment to progress and to overcome challenges explains the huge crowd that you saw.
“I was happy today that he was talking about crowd that was hired. If we can hire crowd, right, that is nice because he had demobilize the movement facility by paying off all the taxi drivers, bus drivers and Okada riders to make sure that there was no local transportation.
“But like I said, you can demobilize all of those. But what you cannot demobilize is the will of the people to do what they believe in. And we saw a stadium that was packed full as if Fayose was not in town.
“I was excited and I feel proud that our members in Ekiti know that for us to overcome and to win the forthcoming election against a man who has had to rely on instrument of violence not only to win but to retain power that they need to be one inch ahead of him. That point was made on Wednesday and I am sure it will be proven by the special grace of God on Saturday.”
The national chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar have deplored Wednesday’s police attack on the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose.
The duo also deplored the invasion of the Ekiti State Government House by police and other security personnel, where Fayose was allegedly tear gassed.
At a media briefing in Abuja, Secondus accused President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of making a self-succession cruise to turn the country into a fascist state.
He recalled a recent statement by the national chairman of the APC, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, saying that the ruling party was going to crush the opposition.
Secondus said the situation in Ekiti has reinforced the signpost of a manifest desire by the APC and its leaders to subdue the resilient spirit of Nigerians and set up a totalitarian regime in the country.
The party said, “This morning, in its desperation to forcefully take over Ekiti State, the APC-led Federal Government deployed armed police personnel led by one Compol Mopol Echel Echel, who blocked the Ekiti State Government House, attacked and placed the democratically elected governor of Ekiti State, Governor Ayodele Fayose, under house arrest. At the moment, no one goes in or out of the government house.
“The invading police squad sacked the official security at the Government House, fired sporadically into the premises during which Governor Fayose was beaten up by policemen and brought down by volleys of teargas while several others were injured.
“This, we have been informed, is part of the ‘order from above’, in line with the earlier boast by the Buhari-led APC, to ‘cage’ Governor Fayose ahead of the July 14, 2018 Ekiti governorship election, so as to grant their agents a field day to rig the election.
“In fact, we have been made aware that the invasion was a plot to assassinate Governor Fayose and blame it on accidental discharge by one of the policemen”
The party chairman described the development as an assault on the governor and a siege to the government house, saying it constituted a recipe for violence.
“It’s a complete attack on our democratic order and direct assault on the corporate existence of Ekiti and her people as a federating part of our nation.
“We know that this is part of the desperate effort by the APC-led Federal Government to intimidate, subjugate, frighten and overawe the people and unleash a rigging mechanism for the election.
“Information available to the PDP reveals that part of the rigging design includes the deploying of an APC state governor in each of the local government areas across the state to coordinate the plot.
“We also know that the APC rally on Tuesday, which was boycotted by the people of Ekiti State, was a gimmick to import thugs from neighboring states.
“Our supporters, who have been placed at red alert, have been monitoring all strange faces already milling around in various local government areas in the state.
“Also our intelligence reveals that the 30,000 policemen as well as some compromised military personnel deployed to Ekiti state are being positioned to embark on mass arrest and harassment of Ekiti citizens with the view to frightening them and preventing them from participating in the election”, Secondus added.
On his part, Atiku described the development in Ekiti as appealing. In a statement in Abuja on Wednesday, Atiku said
It was an uncivil assault on democracy and fell short of democratic best practices.
The former Vice President the administration that it came into being because the past administration of the PDP ensured free and fair elections at all levels in 2015.
The statement said, “Having been a beneficiary of such propriety, it is incumbent on the Federal Government not to deprive others of the ladder it was provided by its predecessors.
“Free, fair and credible elections are not a privilege. They are a right! The peaceful congregating of the good people of Ekiti State, be they members of the All Progressive Congress or the Peoples Democratic Party or of any other party, must be allowed by the Federal Government”.
Atiku observed that it’s not in the place of any government to harass, intimidate, hound and humiliate political opponents in an election.
He urged the Federal Government to provide a level playing ground and guarantee the security of the electorate and the principal political actors in the election.
“The immunity that a president enjoys under the constitution is the same immunity being enjoyed by a state governor.
“Thus, it is an aberration to democratic norms and practices in a federal system of government that one layer of government should muscle out another government on account of political differences.
“The democracy and fundamental human rights that Nigerians enjoy today were earned at a very high price”.
“Instructions must be immediately given to all law enforcement bodies on the ground in Ekiti State to act in the best interest of Nigeria”, Atiku added.
He called on the federal government to stop anything that could jeopardise the nation’s democracy and urged those in charge of the security agencies to be aware that the whole world is watching.
“It is too late in the day for anyone to think they can put that genie back into the bottle”, he said.
Atiku admonished the Federal Government to do everything within its powers to douse the tension being generated over the governorship election in Ekiti State.
Former Abia State Deputy Governor, Comrade Chris Akomas has officially declared his intention to contest for Abia State Governorship position on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). This is as he said that he would fix the problems of the state in four years of his administration.
Akomas while addressing State, Local Government and Ward officers of the party at his Nenu country home, Obingwa local government area of the state disclosed that he only wants to rewrite the history of the state by setting the state on the platform of progress for a single term of four years which he wishes to be the governor of the state.
“I am one of the proponent of a single term tenure and I believe that 5years is good enough to do wonders. If 5years will be good enough, 4years will be good enough. All I have to do is to divide the other years and add them to the four years that I will be in power.
“For me, 4years is more than enough to complete any project that I want to execute in the state. How many years did Ngige have to set Anambra on path of progress? Ngige cleared pension and salary arrears within the short time that he was in power. Peter Obi continued on that and Obiano the present governor of the state couldn’t have done anything less than what his predecessors did.
“All I need is to set this state on the sustainable path of progress that whoever that will come after me would have no any other option but to make sure that Abia continues to grow.
“I know that my brothers from Abia North will be wondering if this man goes for four years, would he keep to it. I am a gentleman, I know what to do, I know where to go, I know what we will do to get money and attract investors to the state.
“In Abia, we have growth centers that have remained moribund. I know what to do to ensure sustainable economic growth for Abia and those things, we can setup within two to three years of being in power and the fourth year will be to commission the built projects.
“I had a plan for Abia when I contested in 2010. I am going to dust up and update those plans to meet the present realities. I can assure you that I know how to bring the people together to key into our plans to reposition the state that within four years, we would have done so much that people will wonder if that happened only within four years.
“I don’t need more than four years to set the solid foundation for social, economic and infrastructural growth and development to thrive in the state.”
The chairman of APC in the state, Hon. Donatus Nwankpa represented by his deputy, Adiele Ogunka thanked the former Abia deputy for making his intention known to the APC officers.
Ogunka promised that the party would give level playing ground to all aspirants and also to make sure that the upcoming primaries would be free, fair and credible. This is even as he noted that Akomas was the first among the party members in the state to declare his intention to fly the flag of the party in the state come 2019 general election.