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Tag: Ekiti State Governor

  • Osun 2018: Saraki, Fayose accuse INEC, police of compromise 

    Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian police of colluding with the Federal Government to rig elections in states.

    The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftains made the accusation while addressing reporters in Ede, Osun State after the party’s mega rally for its governorship candidate, Sen. Ademola Adeleke.

    Read Also:Oyetola: why Osun deserves govt of continuity

    Saraki said he has observed a trend in recent elections where results declared by INEC shows a huge invalidated number of votes with a narrow margin with which candidates win.

    He said the trend showed in the Bauchi National Assembly bye-election and Ekiti State governorship election.

    Saraki warned INEC and the Federal Government to desist from the trend, saying it is the latest style of rigging the elections in favour of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates.

    He said the trend must not repeat itself in tomorrow’s governorship election in Osun State.

    He faulted the declaration of Sen. Adeleke wanted by the police two days before the election.

    His words: “There is a pattern that we have seen and we hope that in this election of Osun we will not see that. When you look at the margin of victory between the party that wins and that party that loses, and you look at the amount of cancellation, you tend to see that the difference is almost the same. We are seeing that trend here, we saw it in Bauchi bye- election and to me, there’s something fishy going on.

    “And so it’s important in a credible election, there should not be that amount of cancellation. And I think INEC needs to step up. In the 2015 election, we never saw this level of cancellation. This is a new trend that is very disturbing and I hope that in this election INEC will show how credible it is and ensure invalid votes should not be like that. When cancellation is more than the margin of victory, then that election carries a big question mark.

    When asked about the level of confidence with which PDP was going into the Osun election, Fayose said the process was already compromised.

    He said: “It is not about level of confidence. We are talking about the process, the process leading to an election. INEC has been compromised, police have been compromised. When they want to arrest they will arrest PDP. When they are doing vote buying it is PDP that will be arrested, not APC. It is whoever police call a criminal that is a criminal. When already police are taking sides, what do we say to that? When you are telling us what level of confidence?  It is about the system, the process. If I come here and arrest you with gun what will you do? If they have the effrontery to say they are declaring the candidate of PDP in an election that is 48 hours away as the criminal to create a perception, you can imagine.”

    He added: “They are taking this state one after the other and they forget that nothing will last forever. We must all condemn this unnecessary, unwarranted assault on democracy…

    “For APC to come here and start talking about corruption, we have had enough of that. I wrote to EFCC that I will be coming on the 16th. I am still a sitting governor, you are declaring me wanted. You said they should be looking for me. I am here today. When I was passing the airport I had to look for Customs officers to tell them ‘I am here if you need someone to arrest.’

    “This is not the country of our dream; this is not the democracy of our dream. For anybody to say PDP wants to rig this election it’s exactly what they want to do that they are now laying on others. You saw what happened in Ekiti. Have you ever seen a governorship election won by under 20,000 votes? They won with 19,000 votes and voided votes were 18,000. The one the Senate President was talking about, their strategy is to invalidate most of the votes when they know that it is not adding up for them. This is not the spirit at all.

    “And I want to say to them if they like they should set Nigeria ablaze. They must remember the children yet unborn. Those who are benefiting from this wickedness should remember that if the last administration were to be like this they would never have got there.”

  • Prosecute Fayose for electoral offences, lawyer tells INEC

    A Lagos based lawyer, Mr. Kabir Akingbolu, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prosecute Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose and his Deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola Eleka, for alleged electoral offences.

    Akingbolu alleged that Fayose and Eleka, alongside the Acting Chairman of the Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation, Mr. Lere Olayinka, committed at least 10 electoral offences during the June 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.

    Read Also:Fayose’s deputy files 700-page petition against Fayemi

    He made the claims in an August 6 letter to INEC chairman Prof Mahmood Yakubu.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, polled 197,459 votes in the election to beat Eleka of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 178,121 votes.

    The lawyer urged INEC to prosecute the trio in line with Section 150 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as this “will go a long way to curb official impunity during elections.”

    Akingbolu noted that because Fayose and Eleka had constitutional immunity from prosecution until their tenure expires in October, investigation of the “serious electoral offences” ought to commence without delay.

    He threatened to apply to the Federal High Court for an order of Mandamus to compel INEC to carry out its “statutory duty forthwith”, if it “fails or refuses to commence the investigation of the serious electoral offences disclosed in the petition before August 15.

    Akingbolu said: “Throughout the campaign the trio campaigned against Dr. Kayode Fayemi and urged voters not to vote for him in contravention of Section 129(c) of the Electoral Act.

    “The campaign of the trio was tainted with abusive language, which injured religious, ethnic and sectional feelings contrary to Section 95(1) of the Electoral Act.

    “The trio threatened to make use of force and violence in contravention of Section 131(a) of the Electoral Act.”

    According to him, the trio prevented all government aspirants apart from Prof Eleka the free use of the Ekiti State Radio and Television station in contravention of Section 131(d) of the Electoral Act.

    In another instance, he claimed that Fayose paid the sum of N3, 000 to every civil servant on Friday June 13; with intent that such money shall be expended on bribing voters to vote for Prof Eleka.

    Akingbolu added: “The Governor campaigned for Professor Kolapo Eleka in the Governor’s lodge on June 14, 2018 within 24 hours prior to the polling day in contravention of Section 99 (1) of the Electoral Act, 2010.

    “They prevented the Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation from allotting equal coverage and conspicuity to all political parties in contravention of Section 100 (5) of the Electoral Act 2010.

    “In the morning of June 14, 2018 they assembled a crowd at the Ekiti State Governor’s Lodge where they prayed and persuaded voters to vote for Professor Kolapo Eleka

    “They caused the Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation to broadcast news which opposed the candidature of Dr. Kayode Fayemi in contravention of Section 101(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010.

    “Before the official declaration of the results of the governorship election by the Returning Officer they announced an election result which they knew to be false and thereby declared Professor Kolapo Eleka as the Governor Elect of Ekiti State on June 15, 2018 in contravention of Section 123(4) of the Electoral Act.”

     

  • Fayose sacks two board chairmen

    Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has sacked two board chairmen of the Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission, Chief Gabriel Falayi and Chairman, Governing Council of the College of Education, Ikere-Ekiti, Prof. Babajide Alo.

    Their removal, according to a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Dupe Alade, takes immediate effect.

    Consequently, Chief Femi Ogundipe has been appointed as chairman of the Ekiti State Teaching Service Commission and Mrs. Adeola Yesufu as chairman of Governing Council, College of Education, Ikere Ekiti.

    Read Also: Fayemi slams Fayose for owing Ekiti monarchs, workers

    Mrs. Folasade Akinrinmola was appointed as full time member, State Universal Education, Board (SUBEB).

    She said the governor’s decision was based “on the need to re-organise government parastatals for effective service delivery.“

  • Akeredolu to Fayose: You can’t stop us from coming to Ekiti

    Ondo State government on Tuesday criticised the statement credited to Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose through his Media aide, Lere Olayinka, castigating Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.

    Fayose had alleged that Akeredolu brought no fewer than 150 policemen to Ado-Ekiti last Friday to instigate the gun attack in which about four persons, including an APC chieftain, Opeyemi Bamidele, were injured.

    He equally repeated the accusation that Akeredolu had planned to use Ondo State’s two months’ allocation to fund the electioneering of the APC governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    A statement by the Ondo state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Yemi Olowolabi said” Ordinarily, we would have ignored all the deliberate lies and falsehood, but we felt that we would not be fair to the unsuspecting larger members of the public if such lies were not debunked.

    “For the information of the doubters, Governor Akeredolu, even if provoked, cannot debase his personality to a level that he will sacrifice the interests of his people for pecuniary gains.

    Read Also:Adeyeye’s defection to APC won’t affect PDP’s fortune – Fayose

    “Instead of engaging in hypocritical activities like eating at motor parks and cutting ponmo at the market square, Akeredolu is currently applying the public resources for the betterment of the lives of the people of the state.

    “So, it is interesting to state that Ondo is witnessing massive infrastructural development in all sectors of the state. On Monday at the state executive council meeting, a number of projects were approved for execution. That’s how development is moving in Ondo State.

    “Governor Fayose and his boy should be reminded that the Akeredolu led administration has performed creditably well in the last one year and few months.

    “On the Friday’s gun attack in Ekiti, we would like to refer Fayose to a statement by the Ekiti State police spokesperson, Caleb Okechukwu, cleared the air on the issue. Investigation by the police had revealed that the shooter was a police officer brought from Lagos by an Ekiti politician.

    ‘For this revelation, we believe that the Ekiti governor and his cohorts will now bury their heads in shame.

    “We, therefore, call the security agencies in the country to take note of the false accusation leveled against Akeredolu by Fayose and his town crier, who only a few years ago wrote a detailed report about the devious activities of his master.

    “It is also important for Lere and his boss to know one very important fact, that unlike his boss, we are committed to the progress and peaceful co-existence between the state and Ekiti. I mean, aren’t we one before October, 1996? The seed of discord Fayose is trying to plant between the
    two states will not germinate no matter how much cunning he is.

    “We will love to state here categorically without mincing words that Governor Akeredolu reserves every right to show support for the candidate of his party in Ekiti state, just as Governor Nysom Wike and the rest are showing support for the PDP in the state.

    “There is no law that prohibits that Fayose and the PDP are making issues out of this because of the smell of defeat that has overwhelmed them.

    “Fayose also tried to rewrite the sad incident that occurred on Friday, claiming that the tear gas canisters that hit a taxi driver were fired by the policemen that accompanied the thugs from Akure.

    Residents of Ekiti and those who were present during the incident knew that the pandemonium that greeted the shooting at the APC secretariat necessitated the tear gas canisters fired by the policemen.

    “Please note that the Policemen who fired the tear gas canisters were duly drafted to the secretariat by the Ekiti state police command to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
    On several occasions, we have come out straight to debunk the lies of Lere and his boss over an alleged statement made by Governor Akeredolu that he was ready to use two months allocations from his state for Fayemi’s election.

    “But again, such lies can only be told by people of low esteem. As we speak, the workers’ friendly governor in Ondo state has paid the May salary of workers. We are not owning a dime.

    “And unlike Governor Fayose who is owing the state workers between seven and eight months’ salary arrears, Akeredolu has paid up to date and also cleared four out of seven months backlog of salary inherited from the immediate past administration in the state”.

    The statement pointed out that Ekiti election is July 14, and Akeredolu has paid May salary with the allocation for May,but Ekiti state government is still pushing the story of the governor planning to use two months allocation to pursue Ekiti election.

    It added; “For the records, Akeredolu has recorded landmark achievements in the last 15 months of his administration in Ondo state. Fayose and Lere should take a ride to Akure and see what Akeredolu has done at Iwalewa and Abusoro. Or better still, Fayose should take a trip to the whole of Ondo State and see projects.

    Projects like construction of Iwalewa Road, Akure, Construction of Sabomi Road, Ese Odo, Construction of Abusoro, Ijoka Road, Akure, Construction of Opasorun road, Bajare/Okemayo, Construction of St. Joseph Road in Idanre, Construction of 3 box culverts at Oyinmomo  Ishakunmi and Megida Rental Road , Ikare.

    Others are Construction of Jubilee – Ugbe Road, Ikare, Construction of Oke Alafia Road, Supare,  Construction of Ogbomo Ifedara, Ajegunle Streets and Howlet Road, Ifon,  Construction of Ilara Mokin /Ikota, otherwise known as Gulf C road, Ilara, Construction of Police Road, Ore,  Construction of Virgin road network within GRA to Prison, Owo, Construction of internal and access roads within the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) Okitipupa, Rehabilitation of the deadly Iwaro Oka hill and the
    ongoing work at the notorious Oke Alabujoto in Ikare Akoko are there to mention  a few.

    “Fayose and his boy also attempted to drag Governor Akeredolu into the attack by the herdsmen on Chief Olu Falae’s farm. What we don’t understand is whether Fayose understood what he was saying and the import of his statement.

    “Akeredolu sympathized with Chief Falae over the attack and also issued a strong warning to Herdsmen to vacate the state. No single incident has been heard since them. We are aware that same herdsmen kidnapped Chief Falae under the PDP administration in the state.

    “He, who comes to equity, must come with clean hands. We want to urge Nigerians to disregard the blatant lies being spread around by Fayose and his attack dog, Lere.

    “Today in Ekiti, politics has been turned into a do or die affair by Fayose. His only strategy is lying and concocted stories. We are therefore, advising him and his cronies to go and prepare for the election”.

    The statement emphasised that thousands of Fayose cannot stop Akeredolu and other APC governors from coming to campaign in Ekiti state.

  • Fayose is very abusive, lacks decorum, says Oyegun

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Odigie-Oyegun said Monday that the party was working hard to redeem Ekiti state from what he described as a very abusive government.

    Oyegun who spoke when he received the report of the Primary election Committee from the committee chairman and Nasarawa state governor, Tanko Al-Makura said the present Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose was very abusive and lacked decorum.

    He praised the aspirants for their spirit of sportsmanship, adding that the disrupted primary,  gave the party an opportunity to organise a perfect one, adding that the committees, aspirants and the delegates at the primary deserves a gold medal.

    He said the party leadership had started work to consolidate on the victory recorded at the primary, saying “We are working to ensure that the victory you have started is carried through come July 14, this year at the governorship election”.

    Presenting the report, Gov. Tanko Al-Makura attributed the success of last Saturday primary to the maturity exhibited by aspirants, delegates and party members.

    He said the exercise was successful because of the cooperation, passion and commitment of party members, delegates and the aspirants, adding that “More than anything else, is the conduct of the delegates at the primary, they were very matured and orderly”.

    He added that in spite of the rains, the delegates carried themselves in a much matured way and even embarrassed themselves after the results were announced.

    He said the party’s leadership should use the platform of solidarity exhibited at the primary to ensure coercion among its member in the state especially.

    Al-Makura however, blamed the disrupted May 5 primary to the activities of hoodlums whom he said took advantage of security lapses then, to course crisis.

    Read Also: Fayose reacts to Adeyeye’s exit from PDP

  • Fayose, Mark, Olujimi call for holistic action in addressing poverty

    Fayose, Mark, Olujimi call for holistic action in addressing poverty

    There must be a holistic efforts from both the government and the elites in the country, if poverty is to be tackled, it was learnt Monday.

    The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, former Senate President, Senator David Mark and Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Abiodun Olujimi made the call Monday at the launch of Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Senator Bode Ola’s book, titled: Why the Poor Are Still with Us in Abuja.

    Fayose who was represented by Ayodele Oladimeji noted that the issue of unemployment and stressed the key role of the country’s elites as well as the government in addressing the poverty challenges.

    The governor, who spoke through Hon. Ayodele Oladimeji blamed the menace on the increasing unemployment and underemployment rates.

    He said: “Today the major challenge is unemployment. After unemployment we equally have under employment. I spoke with two people in Ekiti state on Sunday the husband is teaching in Primary school and the wife is equally teaching in another nursery and primary school. Each of them earn 15000 per month. You can then imagine the condition of the children this couple will rear.”
    On the book, he said it captures the challenges confronting the poor masses of the country, while it went further to recommend solutions.

    Oladimeji who noted that he is also one of the poor people in the country therefore urged the elites to make use of the book for the benefit of the masses.

    He said. “The book is highlighting the challenges of the poor masses, what are their needs what can the elites do to assist them I believe that the principles would have put there to assist us as groups, individuals, establishment to see what you can do to really assist the poor”.

    In his remark, Senator Mark, noted that the book launch was timely as it seeks to identify the major causes of poverty and ways to eradicate them from the society.

    “I cannot think of a more important and timely topic for Nigeria, than issue of poverty and the large number of the poor In the society, ”he said.

    Earlier, Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Abiodun Olujimi stressed the need to prioritize the welfare of its people.

    He decried the level of poverty in the country; stressing that the people are spiritually and socially poor.

    The senator stressed that “a country where its citizens die because they could not afford a malaria drug of N1000 is a poor country.”

    She also called for reorientation noting that the; “government needs to take charge and look after its own people.”

    In his remarks, the book’s author, Senator Bode Ola, stated that poverty was a major bane to prosperity.

    Quoting the World’s statistics on poverty, he said this should be a source of concern considering the present state of the country’s economy.

    He also blamed funds mismanagement and over dependence on oil for the menace.

    On the book, he said it was his passion and compassion for the poor that prompted his writing.

    “This book was borne My passion and compassion for the poor, it is said that poverty is a threat to prosperity. The rich cannot sleep because the poor are awake. With the present state of things in Nigeria it is a concern to everyone.

    “The world statistics on poverty is a source of concern, as a politician it is a concern. The book tried to answer three problems this includes what is poverty, why poverty is still with us, this involves mismanagement of resources and overdependence on crude oil, it is because of oil we neglected other areas.”

    He however suggested the establishment of University of Entrepreneurship education to where youths can learn the art of wealth creation through self-generated ideas as well as self-dependence.

    Prof. Gbenga Ibileye of the Kogi state University who reviewed the 160 paged book said the book is packed full with both theoretical insights and actionable recommendations that if followed, will initiate genuine process of curing Nigeria of the toga of chronic poverty and usher her into the realm of prosperity, which will eventually eradicate or sufficiently alleviate poverty in the land.”

    He explained that the book which is divided into eight chapters captured poverty, the cause and the solutions.

     

  • ‘Fayose, forget your presidential ambition’

    ‘Fayose, forget your presidential ambition’

    One of the aspirants for the chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prof Tunde Adeniran has called on the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose to let go his presidential ambition.

    Adeniran who made the call in Abuja on shortly after he returned his nomination documents, said the governor’s ambition was responsible for his (Fayose’s) opposition to his chairmanship ambition.

    Saying that opposition from Fayose cannot stop him from winning the race, Adeniran enjoined the governor to respect the party’s decision zoning the 2019 presidential ticket to the North.

    Adeniran said: “my governor is interested in contesting the presidency of this country and I believe that he thought it will be impossible for us to have the President and national chairman from the same place.

    “Now, the more he realizes that the party has taken a decision that our president by the grace of God as for 2019 will come from the North, the more he realizes the reason to stand by the method decided by the party.

    “The more he will realize that the position taken by the party at the convention is a reality and that he will support his brother Adeniran for the chairman. In fact, I expect that he will lead the Ekiti state delegation to support me at the convention.”

    Speaking earlier, the caretaker committee chairman of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi restated the commitment of the leadership to conduct a free, fair and credible convention.

    Makarfi reminded Adeniran and other aspirants of the consequences of breaching the peace pact signed by all the aspirants on Tuesday, stressing that the aspirants must be ready to call their errant supporters to order.

    Makarfi said: “I will assure you that as a caretaker committee, we will do our best no matter what a few might say. We are determined to be transparent and to conduct a free and very fair convention where the views of PDP members will prevail.

    “One of the key elements of the peace accord we discussed on Tuesday was the acknowledgement that the only thing the party has zoned in respect of national issues is the Presidency to the North and chairmanship to the South.

    “And in the peace accord which we have signed, you categorically stated that by the South, you meant all the states in the South and by the North, all the states in the North.”

    Insisting that the party would not impose micro-zoning on the chairmanship position, Makarfi, however, said the party would go along if the aspirants themselves reached an agreement to microzone the position to any part of the South.

    He flayed the actions and utterances of one of the party chieftains from Ogun State who has been attacking the national leadership of the party and urged Adeniran to call the party chief to order.

    “Such individual has done everything possible to make us compromise by going to the media to say that we have compromised with somebody else. Left for such individuals the caretaker committee should not be in place”, Makarfi said.

  • ‘Fayose PDP number one destroyer’

    ‘Fayose PDP number one destroyer’

    The Senator representing Ogun East, Senator Buruji Kashamu, Thursday took a swipe at the 2019 presidential bid of Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose describing the governor as a joker.

    Kashamu also described Fayose as the number one destroyer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

    The lawmaker, who reacted to Fayose’s presidential campaign launch in Abuja, noted that the governor was only showing Nigerians how unreliable he is.

    He described as a huge joke Fayose’s presidential ambition insisting that “I tell you Fayose is not bidding for any presidential position come 2019.”

    Kashamu said: “He is a confusionist and number one destroyer of the party because how on earth would somebody who agreed with other party chieftains that the presidential ticket of the party for 2019 should be zoned to the North, now turn around to start campaigning for the same ticket as a Southerner and particularly as a South westerner to the detriment of the National Chairmanship ticket of the party already zoned to the area.

    “Lovers of our great party and politically minded Nigerians generally, should by this action of Fayose see him as the number one destroyer of the party and the most cantankerous politician in the polity who can at any time abuse anybody and go against agreed plans at any time.

    “I believe that am not the only one disturbed by Fayose’s agbero brand of politics but all political stakeholders in the land including those who followed him from Ekiti to grace his campaign launch because everybody knows that he is going nowhere come 2019 but just exercising his right in a funny way as a joker.”

    Kashamu slammed the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party under the leadership of Senator Ahmed Makarfi for allegedly issuing him query unreasonably.

    The lawmaker wondered why he was accused of instigating crisis in the Ogun State chapter of the party when he was in Abuja as a Senator representing the good people of Ogun East Senatorial District.

    He claimed that the query served him by the party which has been responded to has no substance but a pure mischief and a product of malice.

    He claimed that Makarfi who heads the party as National Chairman, Caretaker Committee, wanted to corner the 2019 presidential ticket of the party.

    He also accused Makarfi of working surreptitiously to ease out those he felt could challenge him.

    He said, “In fact, the December convention of the party may not hold due to Makarfi’s ambition. He is a chameleon pretending to have the interest of the party at heart but secretly executing his own personal agenda.”

  • ‘I would have burnt my PDP card if Sheriff won’

    ‘I would have burnt my PDP card if Sheriff won’

    Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, said he would have burnt his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) membership card if the court had declared Ali Modu Sheriff chairman of the party.

    He said that he would have also destroyed the party’s flag in his possession.

    Fayose, who returned to the state on Friday after the Wednesday’s Supreme Court session, stated this while addressing PDP supporters in Ado-Ekiti.

    He said that he would have destroyed his membership card of the party and the flag right at the court premises if the verdict had been in favour of Sheriff.

    “I never imagined myself being in the same party with impostors,” he said.

    The governor, however, said that Sheriff and his followers had been forgiven but won’t go scot-free for causing the party members so much pain.

    “I went to court with a perfume which I wanted to use to spray my cards and party flags and set them ablaze even within the court premises if Sheriff had won; that was why I went to court.

    “Although I believe that we remain the same PDP family, no one can cause our party such pains and embarrassment and expect that he will go without being asked to account for his actions.

    “The no victor, no vanquished’ that we said was a mere political slogan. Whoever that participated in this charade must show some reasonable level of remorse for his actions,” he said.