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Tag: Ekiti STATE

  • Ekiti: Oshiomhole wants adequate security deployment

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomole has said enough security operatives, including the military should be deployed to Ekiti State for this weekend’s governorship election to ensure the safety of the electorates and the votes cast during the election.

    Oshiomhole said a situation where criminals will be wielding AK 47 on an election day, and the police is overwhelmed should not be allowed to occur in Ekiti state, adding that the deployment of a large number of policemen for this weekend’s governorship election in Ekiti State was necessary to ensure safety of lives during the election.

    Oshiomhole who spoke with newsmen shortly after receiving the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright said the number of policemen deployed to the state for the conduct of the election does not matter as long as it is aimed at protecting the lives of the people.

    The Inspector General of Police has reportedly deployed about 30,000 policemen to Ekiti State for the conduct of the election, but Oshiomhole said there was nothing wrong in the deployment, adding that for an effective presence and performance both army and police were needed in the state.

    He said that experience has shown that sometimes, such figures of deployment are announced, while the actual presence on Election Day will be a far cry from the announced deployment.

    Read Also: Fayemi warns troublemakers to leave Ekiti

    “Whether they should use the military or not use the military, I don’t think you want to argue that. Over the years since 2003, 1999, the armed forces have always been deployed.

    “Don’t forget that when I was in Edo state, I told people that I want the armed forces to be involved in the election because the rigging machine is serviced by criminals who are hardened and who are often hired. Now if you have criminals wielding AK 47 on an election day, and the police is overwhelmed you want to say the army should not be deployed?

    “We shouldn’t worry about who we deploy. I think we should all pray that however people are deployed that in the end we are not counting dead bodies.

    “My experience in Edo is that you will hear stories like so so number of people deployed. In the end, you will find no police men. I have seen that in Edo. The important thing is that regardless of what the  police chooses to do, regardless of the number they choose to deploy, let us ensure that those who are going to vote are safe and that the votes cast are secure.

    “Whatever number they need to secure the lives of those who are going to vote to create that sense of security for people to move freely to vote for candidates of their choice, I don’t think we should dictate to the Inspector General of Police how many people he wants to deploy” he said.

    The APC National Chairman also appreciated the British government for their support in promoting democracy in Nigeria, assuring that he would do everything to ensure a free and fair process in the Ekiti governorship election.

    “For the process is more important than the outcome because we are looking at the Nigeria project in terms of sustaining democracy not the survival of a particular political aspirant whether it is on my party platform or in the platform of the opposition” he said.

    In his remarks, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright said his country is interested in Nigeria’s democracy added that they intend to send observers for the election to ensure it is free and fair.

    “The British High Commission will be sending a team there to observe the election and to ensure that they go smoothly, to ensure that INEC can do its job, that the security forces do their job and basically to ensure that the people of Ekiti state are allowed to freely express their opinion, to vote along with their conscience and to be able to do so in peaceful manner” Arkwright said.

  • Ekiti guber polls: FRSC to deploy 500 men, 24 vehicles

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) is to deploy 500 personnel for the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti.

    The Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem, disclosed this in an SMS alert to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.

    Kazeem said 24 vehicles, including 3 ambulances, would also be deployed for the exercise.

    The aim, according to him, is to strictly enforce the expected restriction in vehicular movement, and to ensure there are no crashes before and after the polls.

  • Ekiti: We are not under threat, says REC

    Says no room for rigging with structure on ground

    20,000 security personnel to be deployed – CP

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the commission is not under any form of threat in Ekiti state ahead of next Saturday governorship election.

    630,000 out of the 913,334 registered voters are expected to elect the next governor of Ekiti state in an election where 35 political parties are contesting.

    Ekiti state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Abdulganiu Raji told newsmen at the end of the 2nd regular quarterly consultative meeting with security agencies under the auspices of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja that INEC is good to go as far as the Ekiti election is concerned.

    He also said that there is no room for rigging in the election given the kind of structure that has been put in place by the commission.

    “So far, as we are concerned in Ekiti INEC, personally I don’t have any threat against me, I am comfortable, I did mentioned when we had a meeting last Wednesday that I am among my people, am feeling at home, there is no threat.

    “We are good to go in Ekiti state. All my staff, we are all in good mood and we want to thank the people of Ekiti state, so far. Even if there issues at all, it is not with INEC.”

    He further stressed that security agencies have always been handling whatever security issues.

    Read Also: NIS debunks arrest of Ekiti-bound foreigners

    On the preparedness of INEC, he said, “As far as INEC Ekiti state is concerned, we are fully ready. In fact if you get to Ekiti state now, apart from the operational works, all our offices are wearing a new look. We have distributed all the non-sensitive materials to all our local government.”

    Besides, he said INEC personnel that will be deployed have been trained and ready for deployment.

    Abdulganiu also revealed that Monday stakeholders’ meeting will be chaired by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.

    “So everything has been put in place in Ekiti state. The only thing left is that we are waiting for is the cooperation of the people of Ekiti state,” he added.

    On the insinuation that the election may be rigged, Ekiti REC said that the word rigging should be wiped off from the country’s electoral system.

    “I don’t know what you want to rig again with the kind of structure we have put in place in INEC. That is what we have been explaining to the people of Ekiti state.”

    He stressed that the process has a full proof against rigging, explaining that the authentication and verification from the voter register, and the smart card readers accreditation transmitted to headquarters of INEC both in Ekiti and National headquarters in Abuja, while the election is going on, will make it impossible for anyone to rig the election.

    Also, the Commissioner of Police for Ekiti state, Mr. Bello Ahmed said over 20,000 security personeel will be deployed for the election.

    The police force he said will be contributing about 16,000 of the personnel, while other security agencies will make up the remaining number.

    On measures put in place, Ahmed said that all the likely false points in the state have been identified and a robust security measure put in place.

    He said, “We have done trait analysis, all the flash points, all the individuals involved and everyone that is inimical to peace, not only during the conduct of this election but the entire generality of Ekiti state have been identified and we have put in a robust security arrangement to checkmate them.

    “With regards to personnel deployed, on the part of the police, we have over 16,000 that will be involved, and a total of over 20,000 police and other security personnel that will be involved towards this coming election.”

  • Ekiti: PDP, Fayose resort to panicking measure – Oshiomhole

    Accuse them of mopping up PVC from workers

    The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on Friday accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State of resorting to panicky measures in their desperation to win next Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

    One of such panicky measures, according to Oshiomhole, is alleged intimidation of civil servants to surrender their permanent voters cards so that they will not be able to vote in the election.

    The workers are said to be angry with the state government for not paying their salaries for about six months and are threatening to show their displeasure with the governor during the election.

    Oshiomhole, addressing reporters at his maiden news briefing in Abuja said the governor has ordered civil servants, teachers and other categories of workers in the state to surrender their pvcs.

    Those who refused to comply were queried, he said.

    His words: “You must have read reports that, in clear violation of the electoral act, Governor Fayose has instructed the civil servants, principals of schools and headmasters to retrieve pvcs  from civil servants because he is afraid that the civil servants and the people of Ekiti State will not vote for him and in demonstration of that, they are helping to educate the people on why they should not vote for his candidate.

    “He has not paid salaries for one year in spite of the fact that the federal government gave him bail out which he chose to divert to other uses.

    “So, they are panicking and while we are encouraging people to collect PVC, he is retrieving PVC.

    Read Also: Oshiomhole, new Delta APC leadership and 2019

    “We heard that they have started issuing query to workers, including teachers for refusing to surrender their pvcs. I don’t think you need any other evidence that the governor is panicking and we can’t wait to have him swept away in a free and fair election on the basis of one man, one vote, one woman, one vote.”

    The APC chairman claimed that Fayose himself was “ rigged into office and this is no secret because the military officers involved has since confessed to the role they played as well as those involved in the dollars that were withdrawn from the NNPC. These are no secrets anymore.

    “I think that Fayose thinks that the very instrument he used to come to power will be used against him. This is a party of change and so, we are not about to copy the darkest side of the PDP.

    “If he is afraid of being rigged out, why is he collecting pvcs  from registered voters and giving query to people for refusing to surrender their pvcs?

    “Why is he harassing heads of institutions and directing lecturers to award 20 percent free marks for any student that voted for his candidate?”

    Oshiomole said Fayose appears to be “hunted by the ghost of the forces he used to capture power because he didn’t win the last election.

    He dismissed allegation by Governor Fayose that the federal government closed the Akure Airport to stop PDP leaders from attending Thursday’s rally of the party in Ado Ekiti.

    He said PDP governors and other leaders of the party freely landed and took off from the airport in their private jets on the day in question.

    “Fayose said people were not allowed to fly into Akure airport, but our people have been able to produce a tape of how PDP governors and non-governors littered the Akure airport with private jets.

    “He has gone ahead to say that INEC wants to rig him out. Every armed robber thinks that every other person is an armed robber. If there is any political party that is on record as having consistently colluded with INEC, it is the PDP. I am an apostle of one man, one vote.

    “I rely on my sole power of persuasion and mobilization and dismantled PDP machinery in Edo State within firing a bullet. We came from the background of people winning election without relying on federal instrument and so, don’t need any reinforcement to do what we know best.

    “We will ensure that the rules of the game are obeyed. We have no apology for the fact that this time, Fayose will run on its records and will not be able to use those instruments he used before.”

    “If that is what he called rigging, too bad. We have seen a consistent pattern by the PDP that when elections are approaching, they will be shouting rigging, rigging while they are perfecting the act of rigging themselves. What we have brought on board as the new NWC of the APC is how to monitor and ensure that the rigging machine of the PDP is completely dismantled.”

    On the call that a vote for Fayemi is a vote for herdsmen, he said “Fayemi was Governor in Ekiti State and there were herdsmen when he was governor and was able to bring leadership to bear and involved the stakeholders. The truth is that we all need each other.

    “So, when people resort to bring in those divisive messages, it tells you how bereft of ideas they are and with that coming from a Professor, then I said no wonder that most professors are not successful in politics.”

  • Ekiti 2018: I remain Accord candidate, says Aluko

    Former Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Abiodun Aluko, has declared that he remains the candidate of Accord Party for the July 14 governorship election.

    Aluko said the party structures are still intact despite the exit of some of its members who have entered into an alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

    The Accord flag bearer said the action of the party leaders and members who have pledged to work for Olusola’s victory was borne out of greed.

    Addressing a news conference in Ado-Ekiti, Aluko said a former governorship aspirant in the party, Akogun Banji Ojo and the State Chairman, Chief Matthew Odeoba who are behind the alliance with the PDP do not enjoy the support of majority party members.

    Aluko said they gave gone to dupe Governor Ayo Fayose because they have found a willing buyer who was ready to pay for their services.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: Aluko gets Accord governorship flag

    He said: “I have a strong belief that these people only took the action to dupe Governor Fayose. They got a willing buyer in Fayose and they believe they have got somebody they can suck,” he said.

    Backing his argument with documentary evidence, Aluko said the crisis was sparked by Ojo’s demand for N65 million he (Ojo) had allegedly spent as expenses on the party before Aluko’s arrival.

    Aluko said he rejected the request based on conviction that it was meant to extort him, since the party has no verifiable structure in the state to buttress Ojo’s claim.

    “After my initial refusal, the national body said I should give him a sum of N5m, but he rejected. Rather than paying such huge money, I would rather spend in building structures for Accord and that I have been doing.

    “Being a former Deputy Governor, they though I have a mint machine at home whom they thought they could suck.

    “So, their opposition to my candidacy has nothing to do with my capability or financial wherewithal, but some people are out to make money from the governor, that was why they have been raising all manners of false allegations to justify their pay.

    “We are just trying to build structures at the wards and local governments so that it can be on ground to win election.

    “I may not have the whole money to prosecute this election, but I have the goodwill among friends and well-wishers who believed in our ability to make a change in the lives of Ekiti, they too shall contribute to our campaign.”

  • Fayemi’s monthly stipends made me self-reliant, says 85-year-old

    As the Ekiti State governorship election inches closer, the electorate are keen in voting for any one who will have their well-being at heart. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that among those who wish that Dr Kayode Fayemi wins is 85-year-old Madam Victoria Funke Akinyemi who rears goats from savings from stipends she received during Fayemi’s tenure as Ekiti State Governor.

    As the Ekiti State governorship election is 10 days away from today, frantic efforts are being made to encourage the electorate to vote for ex-Governor John Kayode Fayemi. Some are also convinced that, with their votes, the man who had his Doctorate degree in War Studies from King’s College, University of London, England, and who specialised in civil-military relations, will win the election with great margin.

    Among ardent believers that victory is already his on July 14, is 85-year-old woman, Madam Victoria Funke Akinyemi who has ever remained grateful to Dr Fayemi for his gesture when he was governor of Ekiti State.

    The octogenarian, who rears goats from the savings that accrued from the N5, 000 stipends that she received monthly during his administration, has narrated how the monthly stipends received during the tenure of Fayemi changed her life.

    Speaking with reporters in her home in Ilasa-Ekiti, Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, the woman said she purchased a she-goat from the stipends and now rears goats on commercial basis.

    Apart from selling goats to sustain herself, the octogenarian said she also feeds on the animals, even as she gives out some of the meat to others in her neighbourhood.

    Describing Fayemi as her “father,” Mrs. Akinyemi urged voters in Ekiti State to vote for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the July 14 election to enable them to enjoy good governance and for more aged people to be taken care of.

    According to her, voters should entrust Fayemi with their votes to enjoy regular payment of workers’ salaries, provision of social amenities in rural areas and other benefits enjoyed during his tenure.

    She said: “Now I sell goats. It was my father (Fayemi) that gave me the money with which I bought one goat. It was money I saved from the monthly N5, 000 allowances to the aged people received when he was governor.

    “In fact, the last time he came to campaign in my community, I presented a goat to him (Fayemi) in appreciation of what he did for me and other aged people during his tenure.

    “I purchased a goat from savings of my own stipends and that goat gave birth to more goats  as you can see them here. I sell goats to people who need them and I also kill one from the flock any time I feel like eating goat meat.

    “If not for what Fayemi did for us, I wouldn’t have had the opportunity of selling goats to make money years after he had left office.

    “I pray from the depth of my heart that Fayemi will win the next election. God will answer his prayers to become governor again to enable more people to benefit from the programmes he has for the state.

    “I want people in my community to vote for Fayemi; they should support him to win the next election so that he will pay workers’ salaries and pay stipends to the aged people again.

    “We want him to return to Government House again to do those good things for the people. In fact, if it is possible, goats will vote for Fayemi.”

    A neighbour to Mama Akinyemi, Mr. Folarin Olaiya said: “Mama was lucky to be selected among the aged people who obtained forms during Fayemi’s administration and she was collecting N5,000 monthly.”

    “From the money, she was buying goats for rearing and her goats multiplied. After Fayemi left office as governor, Mama was selling her goats to sustain herself and also feed on the goats.

    “We are calling on Dr. Fayemi to come and rescue Ekiti people from the suffering they are going through, including stoppage of those laudable programmes and payment of taxes by our children in their schools.

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Fayemi campaign raises alarm over Ekiti debt figures

    The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has raised the alarm over the latest figures released by the Debts Management Office putting Ekiti State’s debts at N117b up from N56b figure it released few months ago.

    In its latest table detailing the debts owed by the 36 states of the federation, DMO put Ekiti State debts between October 2014 and 2018 at N117b.

    The Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, in a statement on Tuesday accused Governor Ayo Fayose of profligacy, saying the governor is deliberately piling up debts to help himself while the state remains under the bondage of suffocating debts.

    He regretted that despite huge debts owed by Fayose, there is nothing to show for them except an over-priced 800-metre single-lane flyover that cost Ekiti people N17.5b in official records, though quoted at N6b to Ekiti people to escape public anger.

    The campaign spokesman said it is callous and unpatriotic to put Ekiti people in difficult condition while the governor enjoyed the best of life.

    He said the latest debt figure was wearisome after recent reports indicated that Fayose had allegedly borrowed N9b at an outrageous interest rate from a South South governor to allegedly finance the election of the Deputy Governor, Olusola Eleka, with the condition to repay the debts within six months if Eleka wins the July 14 election.

    Read Also: Fayemi meets workers, artisans, others

    Asking Fayose to retrieve the alleged stolen N19b allegedly lodged in the accounts of a construction company to address the state’s economic challenges, Olujobi said: “Paying N9b debt back within six months is a clear signal to workers that they should not expect any salary in the first six months of Eleka’s administration if he wins, even though N19b is allegedly hidden in the accounts of a construction company for safe-keeping for alleged personal comfort.

    “We are worried that within four months, Ekiti State’s debts have risen from N56b to N117b without commensurate development projects except reports of property acquisitions across the nation allegedly traced to the governor.

    “It is also worrisome that despite the latest DMO’s figure of N117b, Fayose has allegedly borrowed N9b with suffocation conditions from a South South governor to prosecute Eleka’s election.

    “This irresponsible transaction has already drawn the anger of the Rivers State indigenes and Rivers State chapter of APC in particular, who urged the two partners to stop spending public funds for private comfort while their people suffer.”

    Regretting that Fayose had allegedly turned Ekiti State to a “trading post”, Olujobi asked the governor to account for the bailout and budget support facility he collected to pay salary but were allegedly diverted to self-serving projects.

    “Fayose for a very long time denied that he collected N2b ecological fund before he owned up after APC was about getting the facts with the Freedom of Information (FOI) law.

    “He denied collecting monthly N1.3b Budget Support Facility for 13 months to pay salary before the Federal Government exposed him.

    “Local governments allocations are illegally hijacked with threats while, repeatedly, Fayose lied that he never borrowed one kobo only to be exposed by DMO that he had borrowed N56b, which has now jumped to N117b without the approval of his rubber-stamped House of Assembly.

    “By now, Ekiti workers ought to know that by this latest debts figure of N117b, there is no way Fayose can sustain his lie that the state has no money to pay workers; he is deliberately denying workers their entitlements while Ekiti people are denied development projects for the comfort of one man in position of authority.

    “This is callous, and a deliberate punishment of Ekiti people by a man who believes that Ekiti State exists only for his private comfort while 2.7m Ekiti people suffer,” he explained.

  • Ekiti 2018: Oni, others can’t sabotage Fayemi’s victory – Bamidele

    The Director General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organization, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) entertain no
    fear about the victory of its candidate in the July 14 governorship poll, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

    Bamidele said he has implicit confidence in the leadership of the party in Ekiti State, including former Governor Segun Oni and his group working for Fayemi to make the victory a resounding and collective one.

    The Director General said these in a statement from his office and signed by his Media Aide, Ahmed Salami in Ado Ekiti on Thursday.

    Recently, Oni was linked to a litigation purportedly filed in Abuja seeking the nullification of Fayemi’s victory in the party’s primary on account of his failure to resign as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in line with the party’s constitution and guidelines.

    Commenting on the event that has been causing ripples in APC, Bamidele said he has no reason to doubt Oni and his commitment to Fayemi’s victory
    in this election.

    Bamidele said: “We are not ruling out the possibility of people having some ill-feelings about certain issues in our party, but that should not degenerate to the
    level where people can act as fifth columnists in their own party.

    “Ekiti APC can’t be immuned from crisis just like every other parties because we have diverse backgrounds and our temperaments differ in the way we handle issues. Let me say this, the doors of the party are wide open to entertain complaints and trash them in the interest of everybody.

    “This is not the time to suspect anyone unduly. We should see ourselves as one big family and prevent anyone from hiding under social media to break our ranks.

    Read Also: Ekiti 2018: Fayose will be caged on election day, says Fayemi

    “As the leader of Fayemi’s campaign for this election, we are ready to work with everybody and urge the leaders of all committees working within our campaign structures to be receptive to everybody and refrain from act that can lead to rancor and polarization before this election.

    “Dr Fayemi in his address after clinching the party’s ticket displayed humility by openly expressed his readiness to work with all groups. He later visited other 32 co-contestants for the ticket and this prevented the widely envisaged defections of bigwigs in APC.

    “We are not going into this race with divided mind. We are going into this election to win and we are rest assured that all our members will contribute to this victory.

    “We have no reason to be suspecting these men who decided to join the APC’s moving train, because our party is receptive and we have constitution that guarantees safety for all members.

    “There is no class differences in APC, you can only get that in PDP and that was why the party had always been in perpetual crisis. Our party has
    respect for everybody, regardless of whether you are old or new members.”

  • Fayemi already smelling defeat – Olusola campaign

    The campaign organization of the PDP governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Prof Kolapo Olusola has described allegations by the APC candidate,  Dr Kayode Fayemi that Governor Ayodele Fayose was compromising INEC as a function of “a frustrated desperate politician that is already smelling electoral defeat.”

    Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign Organization,  Lere Olayinka said it was clear that Fayemi was raising alarm to cover up his plans to manipulate himself to power.

    Olayinka,  who maintained that the PDP position is that the July 14 election must be free,  fair and transparent, added that;  “Those banking on federal might to foist themselves on Ekiti people are the ones now crying just to divert attention.

    “We have been preparing for this election since 2016 and Ishaku Abbo was engaged as a consultant since then.

    Read Also: Fayose lied on cattle colony, says Fayemi

    “Whereas,  Fayemi is just running around trying to market a battered image to the same Ekiti people that he maltreated when he was governor and did nothing when he was Minister.

    “Our question is; did we prevent Fayemi and his ilk from also engaging a consultant? Are we the ones who made them to rely solely on federal might instead of the might of God and the people of Ekiti?

    “If they are now being faced with the reality of a failed believe in federal might, shouldn’t they just accept defeat instead of this childish attempt to create a excuse for their impending electoral failure?

    “As for us in the PDP,  with the support of God and Ekiti people that we enjoy,  we are sure of wining the election in a free and fair atmosphere and we are hopeful that INEC will prove Nigerians wrong by conducting a free,  fair and credible election in Ekiti.”

     

  • Ekiti 2018: Kwankwaso visits Fayose, calls for credible governorship poll

    Former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso on Monday paid a courtesy to Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose.

    The purpose of Kwankwaso’s visit to Fayose remained unknown as journalists working for the independent media were not invited to the parley at the Ado-Ekiti Government House.

    Kwankwaso, who presently represents Kano Central in the Senate, is believed to be on his way out of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the platform through which he won election into the National Assembly.

    He is locked in a bitter struggle for the control of Kano politics with his long-time ally and successor, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

    Although Kwankwaso is believed to be nursing presidential ambition but it could not be confirmed whether his visit to Fayose was in connection with his interest to vie for the Presidency.

    Key politicians in the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) interested in the presidential race have been paying visits to Fayose who is the chair of the party’s Governor’s Forum.

    Read Also: 2019 election: Ganduje dismisses Kwankwaso’s influence

    Kwankwaso and Fayose were said to have called for credible and peaceful governorship election in Ekiti State on July 14.

    In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Idowu Adelusi, also quotes Kwankwaso as saying that “elections should not be seen as war but the votes of the people must be made to count.”

    The statement disclosed that Kwankwaso addressed the Northern Community resident in the state, urging them to live in peace with their hosts and exercise their civic duties during the election.

    Kwankwaso also decried the spate of killings in some parts of the country, noting that it was the responsibility of the government to secure the lives and properties of the citizens.

    Speaking on whether he would defect to the PDP, Kwankwaso replied that his next move would be determined by the collective decision of the new PDP bloc.

    Responding, Fayose hailed the former Kano Governor for the visit.

    Fayose added that peace was imperative for the unity and corporate existence of the country.

    He criticized the Federal Government for allegedly failing to curtail the killings going on in the country.