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Tag: Bamidele

  • Group endorses Bamidele for Ekiti APC ticket

    A group, Ekiti Professionals in Politics has endorsed the aspiration of Hon Opeyemi Bamidele to fly the flag of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship election.

    The group in a statement yesterday called on the delegates in the party to give the former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy their votes in the May 5 primary, assuring them that Bamidele is well prepared to lead the state into a glorious dawn.

    The group in the statement signed by its coordinator, Segun Adewolu, said Ekiti will be greatly blessed if Bamidele is allowed to use his wealth of experience to steer the ship of the state.

    They reeled out the achivements of Bamidele as a two-time commissioner in Lagos State, saying he has got the contacts and wealth of experience that will lead the state to envious height.

    According to them, his performance as member of the House of Representatives also attested to the fact that he is the rightful candidate to occupy the exalted position of chief executive officer of the state.

    The group also cautioned youths in the state not to use  the election as opportunity to cause trouble, saying they should abide by the rules of the game.

    It expressed concern that nothing has been done in the recent past by the state government to empower the youths which has made them easily available for politicians to use as tools to cause trouble during election.

  • Bamidele to delegates: vote according to your conscience

    All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Opeyemi Bamidele, has urged delegates at the primaries not to be influenced by money in their choice of the party’s candidate for the July 14 poll.

    Bamidele, in a statement by his media aide Ahmed Salami, urged the delegates to think of how the party would win the governorship election and remedy the years of the locust foisted by the People Democratic Party (PDP).

    According to him, any money offered to them by aspirant should be seen as a product of generosity, and not an attempt to buy their conscience.

    Bamidele, who described himself as the best man for the job, owing to his past political experiences, urged the delegates to consider the pedigree of all aspirants and what they have achieved in their past offices in arriving at the best candidate for the party.

    He disagreed with those calling on former governors not to participate in the primaries, saying it is their constitutional right to do so if they believe they are best suited to govern the state.

    The aspirant also enjoined party leaders to help ensure cohesion as a critical decision is being made to elect the party’s candidate for the July 14 election.

  • APC must present quality candidate to defeat Fayose’s man, says Bamidele

    A former member of the House of Representatives Opeyemi Bamidele, said yesterday that the All Progressives Congress (APC) must present a quality candidate to be able to defeat the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP candidate in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

    He said delegates to the party’s shadow poll should vote for the aspirant who is capable of providing good leadership and turn around the fortunes of the state for good.

    He listed other criteria to include, the pedigree of the aspirant in respect of his track record in their past public assignments, saying the party must not make the mistake of presenting someone who sees himself as an emperor.

    He said the large number of governorship aspirants would further brighten the chances of the APC at the election.

    He said the primary should not only be free and fair, there must be a level-playing ground for all aspirants.

    Bamidele, who was the  Labour Party candidate in the last election, said all those contesting the governorship ticket must work together to win the main election. He assured that he would abide by the outcome of the May 5 primary.

    Bamidele, who picked up the nomination form at the party headquarters in Abuja yesterday, said he was not threatened by the decision of Minister of Mines and Steel development Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to seek the APC ticket.

    He said: ” Dr Fayemi is eligible. The world is meant for those who can dare, I don’t see him as an obstacle. I am ready to accept the outcome of the primary,  once it is  free and fair.  I am sure, he  will be willing to work with me if I win and I will be willing to work with him,  if he wins the ticket.

    “I  hope there will be  a free exercise.  If the leadership is seen to be free and fair and we have the assurance of Chief Odigie Oyegun the last time he came to Ekiti State. All of us must work together. That’s the lesson we took home after the last governorship  election. It is no longer about any individual, it is about Ekiti state.”

    Appraising the development in the state under the administration of Ayodele Fayose, the former federal lawmaker who described Ekiti as an agrarian state said what was lacking in the state was the right leadership to harness its resources

    “I want to be an unusual governor,  in the sense that I don’t want to be coming cap in hand every  month to Abuja for monthly allocation.We are an agrarian state and I want to tap into our potential for agricultural produce.

    “Lagos took billions to Kebbi  for rice farming, Ekiti can tap into that and attain the feat of food basket. We can conserve the farm produce and take it to the next step as an agro allied industry. Ekiti has enormous mineral resources and it can be in our soil in the next 1000 years except  we have the right leadership. What Ekiti is lacking is resource managers.

    “I believe God has prepared me and I have the state of mind to give the right leadership.”

  • ‘Bamidele will develop Ekiti’

    A public analyst, Prince Aderemi Adejuwon, has urged the people of Ekiti State to vote the former Special Assistant in Lagos State, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, as their next governor.

    He said the only credible aspirant is Bamidele, who worked for years in Lagos State before returning to help his state.

    Adejuwon, who addressed reporters in Lagos, attributed the poor performances of governments to wrong choice of leaders.

    The former Customs officer urged Ekiti leaders to consider the credentials of aspirants before supporting them.

    He said: “Well, as at now, I will not deceive you. To build a better and greater Ekiti State is our collective responsibility. I think Governor Ayo Fayose has done his best, but there is more work to be done. I think the best aspirant among them is Opeyemi Bamidele.

    “Bamidele is a gentleman to the core. He served in the best state in the country, Lagos, for 12 consecutive years. He was commissioner for Information; he was also special adviser on Youths and Sports. He has the experience to make the state better.

    “Having said that we must realise that this young man is a gentleman to the core. I never see him as a desperate politician who engages in do-or-die political affairs. I can remember vividly that when he lost the governorship election to Fayose, he was the first person to congratulate him. He later returned to his chamber to practise law.”

     

     

  • Bamidele: Ekiti will regain lost glory

    Former House of Representatives member Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele has declared his intention to run for Ekiti State governor on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.

    Michael Opeyemi Bamidele became a household name in Nigeria as the National President of the National Association of  Nigeria (NANS).

    Having placed his hand on the political plough, he has not looked back. He has served as Senior Special Assistant to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu,  National Publicity Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Commissioner for Youths and Sports, and later, Information and Strategy in Lagos State, and member of the House of Representatives representing Ekiti Central Constituency 1, comprising Ado-Ekiti and Irepodun Ifelodun Local Government Areas.

    In 2014, his governorship bid hit the rock on the platform of the Labour Party (LP). He retraced his steps to the All Progressives Congress (APC. At the weeeked, he unfolded his ambition to succeed Governor Ayodele Fayose at a declaration ceremony in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Before the event, he had visited his ward in Iyin-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area and other parts of the state to inform party leaders of his intent. His posters in which he appeared in a white dress with a white “Awo” cap to match were visible in every part of the state with a caption: “Iranlowo nbo lona (Help is on the way). Help is on the Way”. This  is Bamidele’s message of hope for the people.

    His supporters from the 16 local government areas appeared in customized T-shirts, fez caps, and mufflers.  and other commemorative dresses. Motorists and commuters  along  Okeyinmi, Old Garage, Ijigbo, Ajilosun were held up in traffic as a result of the crowd. There was no dull moment as ‘Ekiti Kete House of Arts’ band and other entertainers thrilled the crowd. Bamidele rode to the venue in his open roof of his Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), waving the broom, the symbol of the party.

    ‘Help is on the way,” he told the people, assuring thatof he state will be restored, if he becomes governor.

    The aspirant unveiled his manifestos, promising to transform sectors, including agriculture, security, tourism, housing, mining,human capital development, and infrastructure development. He said Ekiti will savour good governance.  good governance, among others.

    Bamidele spoke on his relationship with other aspirants, particularly the  Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, former Governor Segun Oni and Presidential Adviser on Politics Senator Femi Ojudu. He described them as patriots who mean well for Ekiti.

    Bamidele said the pact between him and Fayemi was not for personal aggrandizement, but for the corporate benefit to the party. He was referring to a recent visit Fayemi paid to him at his law chambers in Abuja.

    “The Minister visited my office in Abuja and the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Senator Babafemi Ojudu also wrote a goodwill message to me as I declare my intention today. To me, this is a sign of good development. All the party leaders must work together. What these signaled was that the APC is no longer in war. It shows that the party is becoming more united and stronger. It showed that we are giving each other mutual respect.

    “ I have settled rift with Fayemi. The two of us are frontline party men and we have to work together to rescue our party. We are doing same with Engr. Segun Oni, all in the interest of our party”, he said.

    On the agitation for zoning to Ekiti South, Bamidele, who is from Ekiti Central, said it will not  preclude him and others from exercising their rights to contest.

    “The constitution of our party does not respect zoning. So, we are free to contest, irrespective of the legitimacy of the agitations”.

    Bamidele said he never defected from APC to another party, saying the party had not been formed when he defected to LP in 2013.

    “I was a member of the legal team that returned the Certificate of Registration of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria to INEC for APC to be consummated.

    “But because of the misunderstanding among the leaders of our party, I then quit even before the registration of the new party.

    “This is not even a basis for argument. Senator Ayo Arise left the Action Congress to the PDP in 2007 when he thought the primary that produced Fayemi was not fair enough and today, he is back, ditto Engr Oni.

    Winning the next election must be our ultimate target”, he advised. The Deputy Chairman of the party, Mrs Kemisola Olaleye, said the party held Bamidele in high esteem, adding that  his declaration would be an impetus to the party to reclaim the state back from the PDP.

    Olaleye assured that the party will conduct free and credible primary.

    As Bamidele continues to reach out to delegates, ahead of the primary in  May, it remains to be seen how far he would go in the race for the APC ticket.

  • Bamidele joins Ekiti APC governorship race

    Bamidele joins Ekiti APC governorship race

    A former House of Representatives member, Opeyemi Bamidele, yesterday declared his intent to run for the governorship seat of Ekiti State.

    Bamidele, who declared amidst pomp and ceremony, said he joined the race because of his genuine interest to serve the state.

    The aspirant said he and fellow contestants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket were working towards securing victory for the party in the July 14 governorship poll.

    Bamidele is the 34th aspirant to officially visit the party’s secretariat to inform the state executive of his ambition.

    The former lawmaker said there was no division in the party, as being speculated in some quarters.

    According to him, he did not see personalities, like the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former Governor Segun Oni and Presidential Adviser on Politics, Senator Femi Ojudu, as well as others as enemies but patriots who means well for Ekiti State.

    Bamidele was joined by a mammoth crowd of supporters who shut down Ado-Ikere Road for over three hours the ceremony lasted.

    The aspirant said the pact between him and Fayemi was not for personal aggrandisement but for the corporate benefit to the party.

    He said: “Yes, the minister visited my office in Abuja and the Special Adviser on Political Matters to the President, Mr Babafemi Ojudu, also wrote a goodwill message to me as I declare my intention today. To me, this is a sign of good development.

    “All these shouldn’t give room for speculation that someone was trying to persuade the other to shelve his ambition for the other. All the party leaders must work together. So, our working together and their visits to my office were not for selfish interest or about our ambitions alone.

    “What these signalled was that it is no longer the old story. It showed that the APC is no longer at war. It shows that the party is becoming more united and stronger. It shows that we are giving each other mutual respect.

    “I have made it clear at every political gathering I attended that I have settled the rift with Fayemi. The two of us are frontline party men and we have to work together to rescue our party. We are doing same with Segun Oni, all in the interest of our party.”

    Bamidele said the agitations for zoning would not preclude him and others from exercising their rights to contest for the governorship seat.

    He said: “I want to say that zoning is a legitimate issue. It is also legitimate for every district of the state to aspire in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The constitution of our party does not respect zoning and even the nation’s constitution. So, we are free to contest, irrespective of the legitimacy of the agitations.”

    The former lawmaker said he never defected from APC to another party, adding that the party had not been formed when he defected to the Labour Party (LP) in 2013.

    Bamidele said: “I was a member of the legal team that returned the Certificate of Registration of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for APC to be consummated.

    “I stood with the ACN till the last time  when the certificate was returned. The progressives then were not unaware of the need for us to merge with other parties to be able to win at the centre and that led to the death of ACN.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Bamidele holds declaration rally March 7

    Ekiti 2018: Bamidele holds declaration rally March 7

    Former House of Representatives member, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, will formally declare intent to contest for the governorship of Ekiti State on March 7.

    Bamidele, who is a former Commissioner for Youth and Sports and later Information and Strategy, hopes to use the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to realize his ambition.

    His campaign organization is already planning a big rally and declaration ceremony at the APC secretariat located in Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

    Director General of Opeyemi Bamidele Campaign Organisation, Hon. Ropo Ige, explained that Bamidele’s supporters in all the 16 local government areas will witness the event.

    He also explained that some guests from outside the state who believe in Bamidele’s vision for Ekiti transformation are also expected at the ceremony.

    According to him, Bamidele will unveil a manifesto to transform sectors like agriculture, security, tourism, housing, mining, human capital development, infrastructure development, good governance, among others.

    Ige said Bamidele has the capacity to win the governorship seat for the APC if fielded by the party as the flag bearer for the July 14 poll.

    He noted that Bamidele has acquired experience in governance for twelve years in Lagos State from Special Adviser to Commissioner before representing Ekiti Central Federal Constituency II in the Lower Chamber for four years.

    Describing Bamidele as a “man of the people who have the interest of the masses at heart,” Ige disclosed that the ex-federal lawmaker attracted 88 projects to his constituency 49 of which were completed before leaving office.

    Ige stressed that Bamidele remains the only aspirant that has cognate experience spanning the three arms of government as a lawyer in the temple of justice, a lawmaker in the legislature and a commissioner in the executive.

  • Bamidele: no more rift with Fayemi

    Bamidele: no more rift with Fayemi

    A former House of Representatives member, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the rift between him and former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi is over.

    Bamidele said he had reconciled with the Minister of Mines and Steel Development in the interest of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the July 14 election in the state.

    The former Lagos State commissioner for Information and Strategy spoke yesterday while declaring his intent to contest next year’s governorship election on the platform of APC at his ward in Iyin-Ekiti.

    Bamidele was received by chairmen of two wards in the town, Mr. Opeyemi Ogundele, and Mr. Folorunso Adeuyi, as well as other party leaders.

    The former federal legislator left the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in controversial circumstances before the formation of APC for Labour Party (LP), where he was candidate in 2014 governorship election.

    He came back to the APC with his supporters shortly before the March 28, 2015, Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Announcing his intent, Bamidele said: “God has settled my rift with Fayemi and there are no more factions again in the party.

    “God, in His own way, has settled my differences with Dr. Fayemi. So, there is no more crisis and segregation. We are all one.

    “There are no groups called Bibiire or JKF. We are one APC, and that we shall continue to exploit to rescue Ekiti from the dungeon of economic doldrums.”

    The APC chieftain unveiled his blueprint for Ekiti development, tagged: Manifesto of Brighter Future for Ekiti, which encapsulates his mission and vision for the state, if elected.

    Shedding light on his blueprint, Bamidele said it consisted of programmes to proffer solutions to the socio-economic problems afflicting the state due to “bad governance of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government”.

  • Bamidele sprouting with Stanzee Records

    Bamidele sprouting with Stanzee Records

    Simply called Bamidele, crooner of popular song, ‘Laye’, a fusion of afro-pop and afro-highlife, produced by Milla Rankz, is unrelenting. It does not matter the rate at which new artistes spring up daily in Nigeria, for him: water will always find its level. And he is doing all of this in a unique way.

    Signed to Stanzee Records, the young artiste recorded his first track in 2006 at Micky Me studios, a period of experimentation and creation of different sounds that are peculiar to him. This effort earned him a place at Stanzee Records with a worthy contract.

    With an eye-catching video for ‘Laye’, shot by Matt Max on location in Lagos, the rave reviews can only continue, complementing his charisma, lyrical quality and ingenious artistic elements in his music.

    The Nigerian music industry has never been short of talent and it takes a lot more than a good voice for any artiste in this dispensation to rise above competition. Badagry, Lagos-born Hundeyin Bamidele is, however, gunning for greatness as he merges voice with dashing look and great management in Stanzee Records, a label that is willing to go the whole hog.

  • Why we must make sacrifices, by Ajimobi, Bamidele

    Why we must make sacrifices, by Ajimobi, Bamidele

    OYO State Governor Senator Abiola Ajimobi and a former House of Representatives member, Opeyemi Bamidele, have enjoined political leaders and followers to be prepared to make sacrifices for the country’s growth.

    Ajimobi gave his advice in an interview with reporters after Eid-el-Kabir prayers at Agodi prayer ground in Ibadan.

    Others with him include some members of his executive council, the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Dauda Makanjuola and other Islamic faithful.

    The governor called on the citizens to perform their civic responsibilities and to play the role expected of them for the country’s progress.

    On the essence of the Sallah celebration, the governor admonished the people and those in position of authority to ensure that they fulfilled every promise they made, which, he said, is in line with teachings of the holy Qur’an.

    “For every position we occupy in life, there is a responsibility. As Prophet Ibrahim was ready to sacrifice his son, we should also be ready to sacrifice. We should not always expect that only God must give; every individual must also give to get.

    “For me, Eid-el Kabir signifies promises fulfilled. When a promise is made, we must ensure that we fulfill it. As government, we must endeavour to fulfill our promises.”

    The Chief Imam of Ibadanland, Sheikh AbdulGaniyu Agbotomokekere called for tolerance and peaceful co-existence among  residents of Ibadan.

    He counselled the people to be vigilant and report any suspicious movement to security agents.

    Bamidele appealed to Muslims to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari to overcome the economic and security crises confronting the nation.

    The former lawmaker, who felicitated with Muslims for witnessing another Sallah, said every patriotic Nigerian must view the economic situation as requiring a collective effort for the citizenry to wriggle out and emerge stronger.

    The former federal lawmaker urged the Muslims to imbibe the culture of perseverance, love, and the spirit of be your brother’s keeper as commanded by Prophet Mohammed (SAW), for the country to rise to reckoning again.

    Bamidele lauded the Muslims for their prayers and unflagging belief in the project Nigeria, describing their contributions as sustaining the corporate existence of the nation this far.