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Tag: Damisi Ojo

  • Child trafficking: Couple, two others arrested in Ondo

    Child trafficking: Couple, two others arrested in Ondo

    Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force at Funbi-Fagun division in Ondo town have arrested a couple, Ayobami and Mujidat Wahab with two other women over alleged child trafficking.

    According to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of the station, Olu-Ojo Ogunmoyole, the suspects who specialized in street begging are indigenes of Ibadan,Oyo State.

    They were arrested alongside five under-aged pupils who are between eight and 10 years in various locations in the community following a complaint by the residents of the area.

    The police chief said the suspects who always pretended as if they were blinds always moved about with the pupils and begged for alms on daily basis.

    In their confessional statements, one of the suspects, who gave her name as Folasade Iyiola, said she relocated from Ibadan to Ondo town recently to continue with her street begging.

    Folasade admitted that she is a victim of circumstances,adding that she left Ibadan with two of the pupils in different locations in without the knowledge of their parents.

    The suspect explained that she had been in the business for over three years, until he was arrested by the police.

    Her words: “I was introduced to the begging business by one Mujidat who is one of the suspects when we met at the Central Mosque in Ibadan and told me if she could get under-aged pupils that would be used for the business, after which I helped her to get two pupils before I later joined her in Ondo for the business.”

    One of the pupils,Ibrahim, said he was a primary six pupils in Ibadan, stressing that he was in the midst of his colleagues during the celebration of the last Ileya festival when he was picked by one Mrs Mujidat and brought to Ondo.

    The DPO said the suspects would be transferred with the pupils to the State police command headquarters in Akure for further investigation on the matter.

  • ‘We’re not privy to allegation against Ondo REC’

    ‘We’re not privy to allegation against Ondo REC’

    The All Progressives Congress in Ondo State on Monday debunked the report calling on the Police and Directorate of State Security (DSS) to investigate the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.

    The state Publicity Secretary, of the party, Omo’ba Abayomi Adesanya, in a statement last Wednesday, also expressed the need for the total overhauling of staff in the Commission ahead of the November 26 governorship election in the state.

    Adesanya accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Segun Agbaje and the Commission’s Administrative Secretary, Alhaji Kabir Omosanya of complicity with the faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State led by one Clement Faboyede.

    He alleged that the two top officers of the commission have been having shady deals through an unholy alliance with key loyalists of the  Governor Olusegun Mimiko to perpetrate fraud ahead of the forthcoming governorship poll.

    However, the APC chairman in the state, Isaac Kekemeke said his executives were not privy to the statement.

    According to him,“before any statement of such could be made public,or even any policy statement from the party executives,it must be agreed upon and ratified by the party executives.

    “But the publicity secretary who issued the statement to the press must have equipped himself with facts of the allegation,which spurred him to unilaterally fired the shot without inputs of the state excos.”

    Kekemeke said he received calls from many APC leaders within and outside the state on the sensitive allegation in order to ascertain its veracity,saying“I just told them that Adesanya must have got the proofs of the allegation before issuing the statement.

    “Although,the allegation had caused a lot of embarrassment to the party,but as the Party Chairman in the State,I have no pre-knowledge of the allegation,and none of my state executives was aware of it,we did nt discuss it at any of our meetings and as such,we are not a party to the allegation against the REC”

    The legal practitioner said the state executive remains committed to the victory of APC in the state on November 26.

    Kekemeke urged party members to work to remain calm and mobilise voters for the poll.

  • Ondo Poll: APC flays Fayose’s call for political violence

    Ondo Poll: APC flays Fayose’s call for political violence

    The All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ondo state has described Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose’s call for violence should the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) loss the forthcoming Governorship election in Ondo State as unfortunate and a barbaric conduct.

    The Party emphasised that the statement was unbecoming of a Governor and a supposed Chief Security Officer (CS0) of Ekiti state.

    Fayose was quoted to have said during the PDP rally held in Akure on Wednesday, that there would  be a repeat of 1983 violence in  Ondo state if PDP loss the forthcoming Governorship election in the state.

    A statement issued by the APC’s spokesman in Ondo Central, where the rally took place, Charles Titiloye, noted that the statement had exposed the evil plot of PDP and its candidate Eyitayo Jegede who all the while have been promoting a political ethnic agenda tagged “Akure Agenda”.

    APC noted that Fayose and Jegede are now frustrated that the multi ethnic and peaceful Akure people have refused to be deceived into a third term agenda of Mimiko under the guise of “Akure Agenda”.

    It urged the PDP to focus its attention on its intra-party crisis of choice of candidate and not drag Ondo state into any form of electoral crisis.

    The party noted that the party was on firm ground in Akure and its environs as the party presently occupies the senatorial, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly seats.

    It urged Fayose to face his war against cattle farmers and normads in Ekiti and continue to arrest cows,saying“ We are not cows in Ondo state and nobody can push us into a violent fight and barbaric criminal killings.

    The APC advised the governor to commence the 1983 electoral violence in his domain in Ekiti.

    It urged the citizenry to remain calm and continue to live peacefully among one another.

  • New jostling for Deputy Governorship ticket in Ondo

    Ahead of the November 26 governorship poll in Ondo state, some political parties among the 28 participants in the poll are in the process of selecting their deputy governorship candidates.

    Among the parties, only the Alliance for Democracy (AD) with, Chief Olusola Oke as its candidate have picked its running mate in person of the former lawmaker representing Akoko Northeast/Northwest Federal Constituency, Ganny Dauda.

    Dauda is a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) like Oke, the duo dumped the party following the post-primary crisis.

    The former President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) was declared the winner of the primary election which was rejected by three frontline aspirants including Segun Abraham, Olusola Oke and Ajayi Boroffice.

    The Election Appeal Committee had earlier recommended the cancellation of the shadow election because of alleged malpractices,while majority members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC ratified the decision of the Appeal Committee to conduct fresh primaries, but the National Chairman of the party overruled it and submitted Akeredolu’s name as the APC candidate.

    Since then, peace has eluded the progressive party in Ondo state. Aggrieved aspirants such as Oke had dumped the party, Abraham is now seeking redress in court to reclaim what he called his ‘Stolen Mandate’.

    Akeredolu’s name has been submitted with that of former PDP lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo,Agboola Ajayi as his running mate.

    The one-time National Assembly Member who is from Southern District and a particular community where the mother of the candidate,Akeredolu hails from,political analysts believed must be a surrogate used by the APC flag bearer to meet the INEC’s deadline.

    Truly as being contended,the APC in the state has set up a five-man committee saddled with the responsibility of screening the Deputy Governorship aspirants to become the running mate to Akeredolu.

    The Committee is chaired by the only female governorship aspirant of the party, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose.

    Three governorship aspirants of the  September 3,shadow election including Tunji Abayomi, Victor Olabimtan and Ayo Akinyelure are also members with Bankole Oluwajana, Dr A.Shaba and Wale Akinterinwa.

    They are to screen the aspirants and shortlist the best among them to run with Akeredolu (SAN).

    Those interested in the position apart from that of Agboola Ajayi are mostly from the Southern and Central District.

    The aspirants are 19 in number out of which 13 are from the South while the rest six are from the Central.

    The APC candidate,Akeredolu is from Owo in the Northern district.

    Prominent among the aspirants are the United Kingdom (UK) based lawyer, Bolaji Odidi, Lucky Ayedatiwa, Sam Aderoboye, APC spokesman, Omo’ba  Abayomi Adesanya, Boye Adegbemisoye, a former Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government and Commissioner for Public Utilities.

    Also on the screening list are,Ifedayo Abegunde, former House of Representatives representing Akure South/ North Federal Constituency and Ade Adetimehin, the incumbent APC Deputy state Chairman among others

    For Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)its candidate,Eyitayo Jegede has not picked his governorship candidate,but he may emerge from the Northern District.

    Other political parties have sent the names of their deputy governorship candidates to to INEC,but most of the names are still are unknown politicians.

    The names of the Deputy Governorship candidates for Social Democratic Party(SDP)is John Owoso,Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)which will soon be replaced is Olumide Ogunje, African Peoples Alliance (APA) Owoeye Jonathan, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Paul Oluwasesan, All Progressives Congress (APC) Agboola Ajayi (tentative) Labour Party (LP) Akinbamire Benson,Citizen Popular Party (CPP) Owolabi Yusuf and Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) Onisemo Oladapo.

    Others are Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) Emilere Akinlose,Democratic People Party (DPP)Lawrence Festus,New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Dr Babafemi Famakinwa,Hope Democratic Party (HDP) Oladutire Ronke,National Unity Party (NUP) Ojo Oladapo, Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP) Olajobi Olalekan, Young Democratic Party(YDP)Egbeola Martins and Accord Party(A).

    The rest are All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Yaya Olasehinde, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Oladele Bamitale,African Democratic Congress (ADC) Aganmayo Iseoluwa, Action Alliance (AA), Biola Ojo, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) Omopekun John, Independent Democrats (ID) Famuagun Moses, Kowa Party (KP) Alhaja Fausat Aliu, Peoples For Democratic Change (PDC) Olatunji Segun, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Ikusika Olanike, United Democratic Party(UDP) Olasupo Wasiu and National Conscience Party (NCP), Owolabi Stephen.

    It is observed that most of the names are unknown in the politics of the sunshine state,they are mostly surrogates to fill the list.

    But the real running mates would emerge latest October 19 when INEC must have released the final list of the candidates and their running mates.

    Meanwhile,the Alliance for Democracy(AD)has appointed the former Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state,Hon Bola Ilori as Director General,Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation,while the former Speaker,Victor Olabimtan who is a governorship aspirant is appointed the Director General to Rotimi Akeredolu Campaign Organisation of the APC.

    Meanwhile, Political Campaigns for all parties are commencing this week around the state.

  • Ondo: Abraham, Oke, Boroffice insist on fresh primaries

    Ondo: Abraham, Oke, Boroffice insist on fresh primaries

    ‎Three aggrieved leading governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday rejected the decision of the party National Working Committee (NWC) to uphold the primary result, which favoured Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

    The trio, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Olusola Oke and Segun Abraham at a press conference held in Akure, the state capital, expressed shock over the action of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

    At the event, which was also attended by their teeming supporters, Abraham was avoidably absent but sent his apology.

    Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, Boroffice particularly described the decision of the  Oyegun to uphold the result, despite the majority of the committee members kicked against it as very undemocratic.

    He said they were consulting and would soon make public the next line of action on their political careers.

    Boroffice said: “as enumerated in our petitions, which we submitted to the Appeal committee that was duly constituted by the NEC with the approval of the NWC of APC and as contained in the primary election guidelines of APC, the followining are the planks upon which our appeals are based:
    “Fraudulent injection of 383 names into the delegates list that was used to conduct the primary election.

    “Issuance of delegate tag to non-delegates and allowing the non-delegates to vote in the primary election.

    “On investigation, 300 delegates tags were indiscriminately issued to non-delegates, two designated buses were provided to convey known non-delegates to the voting centre and voted to give undue advantage to one of the aspirants. “These among others, were discovered after the charade called credible election.

    “It is important to bring into the public domain that on September 2, a new copy of the compromised delegates list was made available to all the aspirants by the election committee of APC around 10.30pm.

    “On the receipt of the purported new delegate list, we all made a written protest letter, including Akeredolu transmitted our letters to the primary election committee chairman informing him of our rejection of the substituted delegates list.

    “As democrats, having discovered the fraud in the process, we submitted ourselves to the process of redress as stipulated in the primary election guidelines of APC, believing that we are safe in the hands of supposed democrats.

    “The Appeal Committee, within the mandate of their authority, having regards to the preponderance of evidence laid before it recommended that the election be nullified and another election be conducted.

    “In line with the electoral guideline of APC, the report of the Appeal Committee was submitted the NWC for final ratification.

    “Considering our strength in the APC and a total votes of 1,617 in the primary election, as the Apex authority in the administration of APC in Nigeria, we have always assumed sanity and reasonableness on the part of the members of the NWC. “We hope the members of the committee will uphold justice and exorcised corruption from the process.

    “On September 22, the NWC considered the report of the Appeal committee and puts its decision on the recommendations of the Appeal committee to vote. The majority of the members of the NWC voted that recommendations of the Appeal committee be upheld.

    “To our dismay and in a manner at variance with democratic norms, the national chairman overruled the majority of the NWC. He rejected the path of truth and upheld the primary election that its process was chacterised with corruption.

    “We are determined to liberate our people and no undemocratic decision of a party and its leadership will be allowed to misdirect our attention from the goal.

    “Therefore, we hereby condemned in absolute terms the undemocratic decision of the NWC. Since the party and the official leaders of the party have found pleasure in covering fraud, we owe the people of ondo state a sacred duty of liberation”.

    On his part, Oke said he is still consulting and he would soon make his next line of action known.

    He noted that “Whatever you might have since on the social media that I am moving to Action Alliance (AA), APGA, is the desire of my supporters.

    “As at today, I have not moved from APC and if I want to move I will inform you people about my next line of action.

  • Court remands Police Inspector for killing ‘okada’ rider

    A Magistrate Court sitting in Oke Eda, Akure, Ondo State on Friday ordered for the remand of a police inspector, Anthony Nwadike in prison custody for allegedly killing an motorcycle rider in Omifon in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Sources said the deceased, Sunday Joseph and two other persons were shot by the alleged killer cop during an argument.

    They were said to be on the motorcycle and met the accused person and some other police men at a police check-point.

    It was learnt that accused threw a big stick to the deceased on the motorcycle to stop him, making the deceased and his passengers to fall down.

    Consequently, it was learnt that an argument ensued between the deceased and the policemen.

    This reportedly led to the shooting of the three people by the cop .

    The deceased was said to have died on the spot while the two other victims were still in critical condition at the hospital.

    The accused person however pleaded not guilty to the offence but his plea was not taken.

    In his ruling, Magistrate; V. Bob-Manuel ordered that the accused person should be remanded in Olokuta Prison and adjourned the case till October 12.

  • Ondo APC primaries, not totally flawless – Observers

    Ondo APC primaries, not totally flawless – Observers

    The Accredited Observers Group for the last Saturday governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state on Thursday said the exercise was not totally perfect.

    At a briefing in Akure, the state capital, members of the six-man observer group led by Prince Richards Adebayo urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be more involved in parties’ primaries to give it credibility.

    Adebayo said: “We are not condemning the primary election outrightly. The voting pattern inside the Dome was transparent, but some of the contestants’ agents, observed, alleged and protested that clusters of delegates were allowed to cast their votes in contravention of the regulations of the primary election.

    “During the voting exercise, the poll officials detected that the accreditation of delegates was hastily done without proper screening and many delegates were given unstamped tags.

    “Some of the delegates that came to the voting centre were not accredited by the three major accreditation centres because they were not duly screened in contravention of the electoral rules and regulations of the electoral committee.

    “The Chairman of the Electoral Committee and Jigawa state governor, Mohammed Abubakar informed the electoral session that he had organised a few buses to bring the remaining delegates that were delayed due to the topology of the area and to enable them to cast their votes on time for the conclusion of the exercise.

    “We observed that few of the contestants’ agents condemned such arrangement of vehicles to convey delegates to the voting centre because it was outside agreed arrangement.”

  • Abraham rejects Ondo APC primaries, heads for appeal committee

    Abraham rejects Ondo APC primaries, heads for appeal committee

    A Governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Segun Abraham has rejected the outcome of the last Saturday’s governorship primary election of the party.

    Abraham who came second in the election with a total votes of 635 had earlier congratulated the winner, Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), but later said his decision was hinged on alleged irregularities that marred the poll conducted by a committee headed by the Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Abubarka.

    The Ikare-Akoko born politician has appealed against the outcome of the election through a petition forwarded to the tribunal set up by the APC national secretariat.

    According to a statement titled “that our democracy may endure” signed by the Director-General of his campaign organization, Prince Olu Adegboro, Abraham noted that the outcome of the election was unacceptable to him, because of ‘anomalies’ that characterised the exercise.

    The statement read further “It is no longer news that as a true democrat, imbued with the best spirit of sportmanship, I congratulated Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, who purportedly emerged as the candidate of the APC in the September 3, Gubernatorial Primary election in Ondo State in the face of palpable disbelief and surprise on the outcome of the Primary election by my numerous supporters.

    “The news however is that, sordid and staggering facts have since emerged on how the process leading to the primary election was manipulated and compromised. It is now beyond doubt that the delegate list used on the day of the primary election was doctored and strangely injected with a mind bogging number of delegates who are neither executive members of our party nor statutory delegates.

    “To say the least, the manipulation of the delegate list, highly skewed accreditation process and the entire processes leading to the conduct of the primary election has cast the darkest stain on the result of the primary election held on the 3rd September, 2016.

    “Against this background, coupled with the change and integrity that our party preaches and practices, and having widely consulted with my numerous supporters, I have reached the hour of decision to fall back on the internal mechanism of our great party to seek redress so that the end of justice will be served and more importantly, our democracy may endure.

    “To this end, the outcome of the September 3, APC Governorship primaries in Ondo State is unacceptable and I hereby appeal against same.

    “The allegations that have sadly pelted the supposedly free and fair Saturday exercise, where 24 aspirants battled to nick the party’s ticket, include but not limited to, delegates list tampering, fake delegates incursion, disenfranchising of rightful delegates, smuggling of illegal ballot papers into ballot boxes.”

    Abraham said the official petition would soon be forwarded to the Electoral Appeal Committee to back up the appeal.

  • Kekemeke remains Ondo APC Chair, says NEC

    Kekemeke remains Ondo APC Chair, says NEC

    The National Secretariat of the  of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Tuesday passed a vote of confidence on the embattled Chairman of the party in Ondo state,Isaac Kekemeke and its executives.

    It debunked the report on the removal of Kekemeke, saying he is still in control of the party in Ondo state and will remain so until the national secretariat decides otherwise.

    In a communique issued at the end of the meeting of the State Executive Committee (SEC) of the party, with the National Executive Committee(NEC)officials from Abuja, it resolved to remain focused and determined to wrest power from the present government in the state.

    According to the communique “the National Secretariat of the party led  by the National Deputy Chairman (North) and the National Deputy Chairman (South) have made it abundantly clear yesterday in a meeting held with the State Working Committee that the State Party Chairman, Kekemeke remains the Party’s Chairman in Ondo State, while grievance(s) from any dissent voice can only be treated as at first instance by the Party’s zonal committee in line with Article 21 (B) (vi) (d) of the party’s constitution.”

    The communique released by the party’s Director of Media and Publicity, Mr Steve Otaloro reads further “we remain resolute with the leadership of Hon. Kekemeke as the De-facto and De-jure Chairman of our Great Party in Ondo State.

    “We retain confidence in the leadership of Chief Pius Akinyelure, the Party’s National Vice Chairman (South West) of our great Party.

    “We further affirm our confidence in the leadership of the National leader of our Great Party, in person of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

    “We therefore assure the general public, our party members home and abroad and all the party’s gubernatorial aspirants in the forthcoming primary election in Ondo State that the exercise is going to be free, fair and transparent to protect the integrity of our party in Ondo State.

    “We also we re-assure the general public who have made up their mind to send away the PDP-led government from its reign of deceit in Ondo State through their votes come November 2016, that there will be no imposition.”

  • Group makes case for Owo/Ose constituency

    A group, Owo/Ose Egaliterian Group (OEG) has said that it is its turn to
    produce the next governor of Ondo state under the plaform of any political
    party.

    It emphasised that it was illogical for Akoko Division in the same Ondo
    North to have the governorship and senatorial seats simultaneously.

    A statement by its Coordinator, Akin Famadenuyi said the group was concerned about the capability of whoever should aspire to lead Ondo state now in the face of the dwindly revenue and zero industrial base.

    It said the present prevailing situation demands for intergrity of a visionary leadership with unflinching loyality to the cause of the progressives party.

    OEG recalled that it was a concensus in the state that the office of the governor should be rotated round the three senatorial Districts begining with late Chief Adebayo Adefarati (North) Dr Olusegun Agagu (South) and the
    incumbent Olusegun Mimiko (Central).

    The statement reads: “It is most reasonable to continue in that direction
    unless the North which is next in turn find it difficult to produce an acceptable candidate.

    “Akoko has been the most beneficiary of political offices holding either elective or on appointments since the advent of the present democratic dispensation, they have produced Governor, two deputies, speaker, House of Assembly, Chief of Staff (CoS) to the President, Ministers and others including the incument Senator, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice.

    “The concensus is that when the governor comes from Akoko, the Senator
    should come from Owo/Ose axis and vice versa, but now Akoko has an array of
    aspirants in the race which is morally wrong.”

    OEG urged the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples
    Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties to zone the governorship
    slot to Owo/Ose Federal Constituency particularly Ose local government in
    the interest of justice and fairplay.