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Tag: Amosun

  • Amosun restates loyalty to APC

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun again dismissed the insinuation that he had defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC) because of the political developments in the state.

    Amosun spoke after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa yesterday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prior to Sunday’s meeting Amosun had visited the Villa four times in three weeks to meet separately with the president and Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    Amosun had allegedly accused some political interest group of `misinforming’ President Buhari about `political equation’ in Ogun.

    Amosun, who was accompanied by the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo III and former minister Iyabo Anisulowo renewed his allegiance to the APC.

    He said: “We will stick with (President Buhari) him. So, I want them to know that we are not going anywhere.

    “I’m going to be with the APC, we are in the APC and even after his second term, which by the grace of God and the support of all Nigerians he will win.’’

    Anisulowo said: “Ogun is very peaceful and is a very progressive state. Ogun is Baba Buhari’s state and we cannot allow anything to happen contrary to our wishes for him for his second term in office.’’

  • Amosun dismisses alleged defection from APC after meeting with Buhari

    Gov. Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun has dismissed as mischief the insinuation that he had defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) or planning to dump the party over political developments in the state.

    Amosun stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondent of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Sunday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that prior to Sunday’s meeting with the president, Amosun had visited the presidential villa for over four times within the past three weeks where he met separately with the president and the Vice-president Yemi Osinbajo.

    The APC National Working Committee is believed to have forwarded the name of Prince Dapo Abiodun to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as the party’s governorship candidate in the 2019 general elections.

    Abiodun was declared winner of the Ogun State APC governorship primary by the APC NWC panel sent to conduct the primary in the state.

    This declaration was against Gov. Amosun’s preferred candidate, Abdulkabir Adekunle Akinlade, who was elected as the governorship candidate of the party in another primary conducted by the state’s APC officials.

    Amosun had allegedly accused some political interest group of `misinforming’ President Buhari about `political equation’ in Ogun.

    But, the governor pledged his political loyalty to the president and vowed to support his political ambition in 2019, saying, however, he would hand over the mantle of leadership to his preferred candidate, Adekunle Akinlade, in 2019.

    Amosun, who was accompanied on Sunday’s visit to the presidential villa by the Alake of Egbaland Oba Adedotun Gbadebo III and a former Minister, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo, renewed his allegiance to the APC.

    He said: “We will stick with (President Buhari) him. So, I want them to know that we are not going anywhere.

    “I’m going to be with the APC, we are in the APC and even after his second term, which by the grace of God and the support of all Nigerians he will win.’’

    Oba Gbadebo, who also spoke after the meeting, said his visit to President Buhari, whom he described as his boss in the army, was a routine one.

    Anisulowo, one-time minister of state for education, said the people of Ogun would vote massively for President Buhari and all APC candidates in 2019.

    “Ogun is very peaceful and is a very progressive state. Ogun is Baba Buhari’s state and we cannot allow anything to happen contrary to our wishes for him for his second term in office,’’ she said.(NAN)

  • Ogun 2019: Don’t drag Obas into politics – Abiodun’s group tells Amosun

    The Dapo Abiodun Campaign Organisation(DACO) on Sunday advised Governor Ibikunle Amosun not to drag the revered traditional rulers in Ogun State into the  2019 politics of succession in the state, lest he desecrates their roles of fostering “unity” and “peace.”

    In a statement signed by Emmanuel Ojo, DACO’s Media Director, it alleged that Governor Amosun had “hoodwinked” the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, and the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, into following him to Abuja to prevail on President Muhammadu Buhari not to  accept Prince Dapo Abiodun, the All Progressives(APC)  Governorship candidate for 2019 election on Ogun state.

    DACO claimed that the latest move being singlehandedly pursued by the governor is ” heavily laden with ulterior and selfish motive” which it said should be condemned by well – meaning people of Ogun State and abroad because of its potential to erode the place of traditional institution as symbols of unity and peace.

    It also urged President Buhari to reject any moves by Amosun to make him go against the lawful and legitimate position of the APC on Abiodun as the authentic governorship candidate of the party for the 2019 polls.

    “Our attention has been drawn to the latest political  antics borne out of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s relentless desperate move to upturn the overriding wish of all Ogun APC party members, who unanimously voted for Prince Dapo Abiodun as their gubernatorial candidate.

     

    “Governor Amosun has concluded plans to commission two highly revered Paramount Rulers from Ogun State to go and plead with President Buhari not to accept the candidature of Prince Dapo Abiodun, who is the validly elected candidate of the party.

     

    “Information has it that the Alake of Egbaland, HRM Oba M. A. Gbadebo and Olu of Ilaro, HRM Oba Kehinde Gbadewole Adeboye Olugbenle may have been successfully hoodwinked and placed on standby for this task.

     

    “We have been reliably informed that the traditional Rulers who are presently in Lagos, in preparatory to leave for Abuja any moment from now, have been fed with all manners of unsubstantiated lies and falsehood by the governor.

     

    “Having failed with so many attempts geared towards legalizing illegality, including a botched attempt to get an ex parte order at the Federal High Court Abeokuta on Friday 19th October, it is quite unfortunate that Governor Amosun is using his position of authority to unduly influence and mobilize respected traditional leaders for such hatched job.

     

    “This act is capable of desecrating the symbol of peace and unity which our traditional leaders stands for and must be widely condemned by concerned citizens of Ogun State at home and abroad.

    “Our traditional leaders should not be dragged into this kind of murky politics which is heavily laden with ulterior and selfish motive being singlehandedly pursued by Governor Amosun, who is frantically and desperately looking for every possible means to upturn the final decision of party members in the state, and duly ratified by the NWC of our great party.

    “We all know that our dear president is a peace loving man whose integrity cannot be compromised. He will not upturn the mandate that had been freely given to Prince Dapo Abiodun by all members of Ogun APC, in a bid to satisfy the personal interest of Governor Amosun.

     

    “The general public is hereby put on notice, as we call on well-meaning citizens of Ogun State to kindly find out the real reason behind Mr Governor’s desperate moves to install Hon Akinlade at all cost

    It appears there is more to this than meet the eyes,” Ojo stated

    In a statement by the Aare Baaroyin of Egbaland, Chief Layi Labode, titled “Alake Speaks on alleged trip to Abuja to intercede in Ogun State APC governorship ticket,” he said the Palace is aware of the interest the media and the public have shown in the matter but added that the Alake would speak on it tomorrow (Monday).

     

    Labode stated: “We have been following, with keen interest and responsibility, the news making round  in the media, that the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, His Majesty, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, CFR and the Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, had gone to Abuja to intercede in ongoing disagreement between Senator Ibikunle Amosun and APC National leadership, on the Ogun State APC Governorship ticket dispute, with President Muhammadu Buhari and APC leadership.

     

    “We are very much aware of the interest of the Media and the public in such circumstance.

     

    “We wish to assure the media and the public that, His Majesty, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, would speak to the Media on the issue tomorrow, Monday, 22 October, 2018 on the sideline of the swearing-in of the New Chief Judge of Ogun State, coming up at the Oba Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.”

  • Buhari, Amosun, Ogun leaders meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday met with a delegation of leaders from Ogun State at his official residence in the State House, Abuja.
    The governor of Ogun State, Ibikunle Amosun led the delegation to the Presidential Villa.
    This was disclosed on the Facebook account of the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.
    Among those at the meeting included the Alake of Egbaland and Chairman of Ogun State Council of Obas, Oba Aremu Gbadebo; the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle; and former Minister of State for Education, Senator Iyabo Anisulowo.
    The meeting may not be unconnected with controversy over the 2019 state governorship primaries election under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • Ribadu, Abe, Amosun, Aisha Buhari’s brother lose out at APC Appeals Panel

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Chairman Nuhu Ribadu, Senator Magnus Abe and President Muhammadu Buhari’s wife’s brother are among the big losers as the All Progressives Congress (APC) Appeals Panel submitted its report yesterday.

    Also, Niger Delta Affairs Minister Usani Uguru Usani failed to upturn the outcome of the Cross River State governorship primary.

    Mrs Buhari’s brother Mahmoud Halilu (aka Modi) and President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) Bala Bobboi Kaigama also lost the opportunity to have their candidates returned as party standard bearers.

    There was tension at the national headquarters of APC as aspirants for the Senate and House of Representatives sought information on who- is-who on the list being taken to the INEC.

    The party’s Director of Organisation, Alhaji Abubakar Kari, at about 2pm, led some officials in a branded APC bus to submit the list of candidates to INEC.

    The two petitions against the governorship primaries in Rivers by Senator Abe and Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs were not upheld. The petition from Delta State by Prof. Pat Utomi was dismissed and tagged “overtaken by event”.

    From Borno, there were four petitions against the conduct of the governorship primary. The committee recommended that a consensus option be explored to be driven by the National Chairman in consultation with the President.

    It was also gathered that majority of the petitions against the conduct of the Senate and House of Representatives primaries were not upheld for various reasons, ranging from lack of merit and lack of proof to lack of time for fresh primaries. No reasons were adduced for not upholding some others.

    Similarly, some petitions were upheld and some of the petitioners declared as candidates of the party either because they actually won the primaries and were substituted or for other reasons ranging from lack of clearance and others that were not adduced by the committee.

    A summary of the report indicated that all petitions on the Senate and House of Representatives primaries were rejected by the panel.

    Also rejected were those from Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross River states.

    In Delta State, eight petitions were upheld because the petitioners won the primaries, but their names substituted. Seven were rejected. The three petitions against the conduct of the governorship primary in Akwa Ibom State was rejected alongside eight House of Representatives seat. Five were upheld.

    From Kaduna State, six petitions were treated on the senatorial primaries. Five of them were rejected. The one by Shehu Sani was upheld.

    Two petitions each were received against the governorship primaries in Sokoto and Jigawa states. They were rejected. Three House of Representatives and three senatorial petitions were rejected from the two states.

    Petitions from Kebbi and Katsina states were also rejected. The two against the conduct of the governorship primary were referred to the National Working Committee.

    The petitions from Kano were either upheld or referred to the party’s national secretariat.

    From Taraba State, The Nation gathered that 10 petitions were received against the conduct of the governorship primary, four against the Senate primary and nine against the House of Representatives primaries, with all petitions rejected, a similar situation with Adamawa and Bauchi states, with only one senatorial and one House of Representatives seat in Bauchi upheld.

    The situation is not different from the southwest zone, with six petitions treated from Ekiti against the conduct of the National Assembly primaries and rejected. Three House of Representatives petitions from Osun were also rejected.

    From Ondo State, the panel upheld three petitions for Senate, referred one to the NWC, rejected two and upheld the five petitions for House of Representatives, saying that they won the primary and were substituted.

    Of the two petitions received from Lagos, one was rejected for the Senate. The one for the House of Representatives was upheld. The panel also rejected two Senatorial petitions from Ogun and recommended that the third petitioner be adopted as the candidate saying stakeholder of the party in the areas agreed to adopt him as a sole candidate.

     

  • Amosun restates opposition to Ogun APC candidate Abiodun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday restated his opposition to the candidature of Dapo Abiodun.

    Abiodun is the candidate approved by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but Amosun insisted that his anointed aspirant, Abiodun Akinlade, should be the standard bearer.

    In a statement in Abeokuta, the state capital, yesterday by Commissioner for Information, Otunba Dayo Adeneye, titled: My Position on Ogun APC Governorship, Amosun said he had “followed with deep reflection and consternation, the false and embarrassing reports in some sections of the media that he had been prevailed upon by some party leaders in the state to support the purported emergence of Prince Dapo Abiodun as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    The statement said the “malicious allegations” would have been ignored but for the general interest of the public and the good people of Ogun State.

    It described the allegation as another in a series of political propaganda to tarnish the image of Governor Amosun, who stands solidly behind the duly elected consensus candidate of the APC, Adekunle Akinlade.

    “Those behind the unfounded rumours are doing so to heat up the polity ahead of the 2019 general elections. They are doing it on behalf of their paymasters for cheap political motives. It has become a routine of many political jobbers in Ogun State,” the statement said.

    “There are no slaves in Ogun State, as insinuated by some aggrieved politicians. Everyone under our watch is a free born and the Amosun administration will continue to defend the freedom of the masses and work for the socio-economic advancement of the state till our last day in office,” it added.

    According to the governor, political actors should be wary of statements that could de-market the state and reverse the enormous gains of recent years.

    He said: “You don’t have to be seen to discredit a government with sterling achievements in order to advance your own selfish ambition or make wild, inflammatory and seditious comments that have no foundation.

    “You don’t also create artificial tension and insecurity in order to advance your cause, without the thought of the economic consequences to the state and welfare of the masses. This is not the right way to play politics.”

    The statement added: “Politicians who know their onions and enjoy grassroots’ support fight their political battles on the electoral field rather than recourse to cheap blackmail and propagation of falsehood.”

  • Amosun: all successful applicants will get C of O

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has assured Homeowners’ Charter Programme applicants that they will collect their Certificates of Occupancy before the end of his administration.

    Amosun spoke during the 35th edition of the distribution of Certificates of Occupancy and Building Plan Approval to beneficiaries, at the Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

    Amosun, represented by Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure,  Olamilekan Adegbite, said the process was being fast-tracked by issuing land title documents to 2,000 beneficiaries monthly.

    ‘’One of the Mission to Rebuild Ogun State came with the message of validating the residency of every person that has property in Ogun and we are consistently doing that, by putting smiles on the faces of thousands of people on monthly basis and we will continue to do that until every applicant that met the requirements collect his or her C of O’’, he said.

    The commissioner who was represented by the Director, Administration and Supplies, Nofiu Adebiyi, enjoined those yet to pay for assessment to do so.

    In his remarks, Director, Planning Research and Statistic, Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning (MUPP), Bola Ajayi, congratulated beneficiaries, asking them to support the administration.

    Speaking for beneficiaries, Mrs. Omowunmi Showole, from Ibafo in Obafemi Owode Local Government, thanked the government for making residents happy.

  • Amosun: I won’t quit APC

    •‘I stand with Buhari’

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has debunked the rumours making the rounds that he plans to defect from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to another party due to the recent party primaries in the state.

    He described the report in a segment of the media as a figment of imagination of the writer(s).

    In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Otunba Dayo Adeneye, the governor wondered how he could be expected to quit a house he jointly built with other patriots.

    “It is true that enormous pressure was brought to bear on Governor Amosun to move to another party, because of the glaring injustice meted out to some party members at the recent primaries. But the governor maintained his stand that he would not decamp, especially on account of President Muhammadu Buhari, whose judgment and sense of justice, as the leader of the party, he cherishes and values immensely,” the statement said.

    Adeneye added: “For those who know Amosun over the years, his struggles are usually not about his own person but equity, justice and fairness for all, especially the downtrodden masses. President Buhari represents this spirit and Amosun will stand by him and with him in any party at all times and at all costs.”

     

     

     

  • Buhari, Amosun meet in Aso Rock

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed doors with the Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    The meeting started around 11.30a.m when he arrived the President’s office.

    The governor was among state governors that had issues with the primaries held in their states.

    He had accompanied other eight governors to see the President on Thursday over the issue.

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    After meeting with the President last Thursday, Amosun had also met with the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo the same day.

    His meeting with President Buhari on Tuesday was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

  • Efficient civil service ensures high productivity for govts, says Amosun

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun yesterday said and efficient civil service is a vital factor to the productivity of any state or Federal government.

    The governor noted that the high performance of a state is a reflection of the kind of civil or public service it has, as well as the people in it and the kind of support they give.

    Amosun spoke at the send-forth ceremony for the retiring Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Abayomi Sobande, and 14 permanent secretaries in Abeokuta, the state capital.

    The governor, who hailed them for their service to the state, having put 35 years into the public service or reached the mandatory retirement age of 60 years, said they had laid a solid foundation on which subsequent governments would continue to build.

    Extolling the virtues of the HoS, Amosun said Sobande almost missed being made the HoS as security report and internal sources depicted him as a “nonconformist” due to his non-compromising disposition.

    The governor added that he had no regret having Sobande as HoS.

    He said: “Some of the attributes that people said he possessed almost made him to miss being appointed as of the time we were looking for a Head of Service.

    “When we consulted and asked that people should write reviews for Head of Service hopefuls, the reviews they sent were not the qualities I had thought I wanted.