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Tag: Ekiti

  • Ekiti PDP condemns Adeyeye’s silence over arrest of Fayose’s aides

    Ekiti PDP condemns Adeyeye’s silence over arrest of Fayose’s aides

    •Party chief: I can’t carry governor’s cross for him

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has condemned the alleged silence of the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, on the arrest and detention of Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo, and the Accountant General, Mrs. Yemisi Owolabi, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    The party claimed that his governorship ambition had made him to abandon his duties.

    Adeyeye fired back, saying: “The PDP as a party abhors corruption and Fayose, at his presidential ambition declaration, promised to fight corruption with much vigour, if elected.”

    In a statement yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, Ekiti PDP Publicity Secretary Jackson Adebayo said: “Adeyeye should purge himself of anger over his failure to secure Governor Ayo Fayose’s support for his governorship ambition.”

    But the Director of Media and Publicity for Prince Adedayo Adeyeye Movement (PAAM), Mr. Niyi Ojo, said: “The PDP is greater and larger than any individual or group; anybody who sinned must not force others to carry the cross for him.”

    Ekiti PDP urged Adeyeye to resign and face his governorship ambition “because as it is, the ambition to be governor of Ekiti State is already affecting the performance of his duties to the PDP and its members”.

    It added: “If Adeyeye, whose duty is to defend our party and its members, cannot speak against the unlawful arrest of officials of the PDP government of his home state, just because the governor did not support his governorship ambition, which PDP controlled-state will he now defend?

    “Should we then conclude that Adeyeye has constituted himself to an opposition against the PDP government of Ekiti State, even more than the All Progressives Congress (APC), such that he lost his voice when members of his own party were unlawfully arrested by the EFCC and dumped in detention since Thursday?

    “Condemning or obstructing the law enforcement agencies from carrying out their constitutionally assigned responsibilities is not a veritable opposition.

    “If truly those officials were invited by EFCC, why did they refuse to honour the invitations? Were they also covered by the immunity of the governor?

    “We at PAAM believe that they will be released after interrogation if their hands are clean. Is the Accountant General also a PDP card-carrying member? He who wants to go to equity must go with clean hands.

    “Now, you need Adeyeye to do the Public Relations job for your already battered image. No, it can’t work. You can’t blackmail and intimidate Adeyeye out of office until after the national convention of our great party in December.”

     

  • INEC: EKiti, Osun guber polls timetable out Thursday

    INEC: EKiti, Osun guber polls timetable out Thursday

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it would on Thursday release the timetable for Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections coming up in 2018.

    The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this at a meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Abuja.

    Yakubu said that INEC had started preparations for the elections in the two states.

    “The end-of-tenure governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states will be conducted next year.

    “In keeping with the commission’s tradition of giving all stakeholders ample time to prepare, the timetable and schedule of activities for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections will be released on Thursday,” Yakubu said.

    He added that INEC would on Saturday conduct bye-election in Eti-Osa state constituency in Lagos state.

    “Only yesterday, we received the official declaration of vacancy by the Honourable Speaker House of Representatives for the Kware/Wamakko Federal Constituency in Sokoto state.

    “The timetable and schedule of activities for the election would be released on Tuesday.”

    Yakubu said that as part of the preparation for 2019 general elections, which remained 505 days, the commission would continue to explore ways by which all processes associated with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were improved upon.

    He said that so far 2,786,405 citizens have registered in ongoing CVR exercise of which 1,619,513 representing 58 per cent were males while 1,166,892 (42 per cent) were females.

    “In addition, 108,752 unclaimed permanent voters’ cards were collected.

    “The commission has also recorded 132,431 requests for transfer from original places of registration to new locations.

    “We also received 261,429 requests for replacement of PVCs that were damaged, defaced or wrong entries of personal and other details.”

  • Bejide: I’ll turn Ekiti around

    Bejide: I’ll turn Ekiti around

    Leaders and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ise/Orun and Emure Local Government Areas of Ekiti State have pledged their support for a governorship aspirant Ambassador Dare Bejide.

    They described Bejide as the right candidate for the PDP, adding that he is experienced politically and administratively and cerebrally to occupy the seat of the governor from October 16, 2018.

    Trooping out in large numbers to welcome the aspirant, they described former secretary to the State Government (SSG) as approachable and assessible to party members pledging to work for his aspiration.

    At Ise/Orun council area, the PDP Local Government Executives were present and the excitement was visibly noticed as Bejide was ushered into the auditorium with chants of victory songs by women and youths groups.

    The PDP Women Leader, Mrs Bosede Adesanoye, stressed the women’s readiness to support the ambition of Bejide which according to her was the most outstanding candidate.

    Adesanoye further pledged to work with other delegates in the party primaries to ensure victory.

    In response to security agitation by the party executives, Dare Bejide assured the people of adequate security saying “One with God is in the majority”.

    He said he possessed the charisma required for the job and that his governorship ambition is God’s own project that will never fail.

    There was more razzmatazz at Emure-Ekiti when the train rolled into town as PDP youhs rolled out the drums and trumpets to welcome the aspirant.

    Bejide could not hide his appreciation to the youths for accepting him, despite the wide knowledge of his stiff resistance to moneybag politics.

    Bejide thanked the party executives for their resolve to work with him even “in the face of tyranny.” He admonished the party leaders against selling their conscience, noting that the era: of “political militarization” was over.

    He however pleaded with the leaders especially the would-be delegates to remain calm but resolute in their determination to achieve political freedom.

    Bejide said, “My ambition to become Ekiti State Governor is God’s driven and greased by my readiness to serve the people. Hence, Human apostasy is Sisyphean”.

    Meanwhile, Bejide has allayed the fears of party leaders and members over a possible outbreak of violence at the primary election to choose a governorship candidate following Governor Ayo Fayose’s insistence on the Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, as his successor.

    The pioneer PDP Secretary in Ekiti said: “Nobody can play God as to the emergence of the party’s flag bearer” saying the final decision on who picks the ticket and eventually wins the governorship poll rests on the Almighty.

    A party elder, Pa Matthew Faturoti, said: “We are afraid the lives of our delegates may be in danger during the governorship primary to elect our flag bearer.

    “It is now clear that the governor of the day already made up his mind to ensure that his deputy gets the party ticket. So, what assurance can we get on this?”

    He contended that he is in the race for good and expressed confidence that a credible, transparent, free and fair primary election will be conducted to elect an acceptable candidate.

    The governorship hopeful expressed optimism that he would win the PDP primary having touched the lives of party members and other citizens of Ekiti State during his tenure as an ambassador and government chief scribe.

  • Police parade five suspected kidnappers in Ekiti

    •They beat me up, says victim

    The police in Ekiti State yesterday paraded five suspects, who kidnapped a 67-year-old woman, Mrs Florence Popoola, from her residence in Ikere-Ekiti on September 14.

    The suspected kidnappers, Adeoye Sunday, 30, Adeusi Dare, 26, Ogunlayi Seun, 25, Bamigboye Damilola, 27 and Ojo Tope, 32, drove the woman to a thick forest in Awo-Ekiti and held her captive for four days.

    They collected N1.5 million ransom from her family before releasing her on September 18 when the police closed in on them.

    Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said N323,000 was recovered from them.

    The woman, he said, was abducted shortly after arriving from the church and was whisked away in her Nissan Sunny car, marked AG 08 KER.

    The suspects said they used part of the ransom collected to rent a two-bedroom flat and purchased other luxury items.

    But the victim, Mrs. Popoola said that the suspects seized her phone and drove her out of Ikere via Ilawe before arriving on the outskirts of Awo where she was held in captivity.

    She said: “They stopped at a place in the bush and they asked my children to be looking for money, that they should pay N1.5 million for my freedom.

    “They offered me food but I rejected their food; they beat hell out of me and insisted that I should eat. I was forced to eat but I vomited, I defecated and urinated in the same spot where I was tied down.

    “When they discovered that security men were on their trail, they changed location and continued to beat me up that I have put them in trouble.

    “After my children had paid the ransom, they were making moves to release me and they carried me on a bike to another unknown location.

    “Some people coming from the church and night guards came to my rescue and assisted me in calling my family and it was about 9 pm that I breathed the air of freedom.”

  • Protesters seek reinstatement of suspended Ekiti lawmakers

    Protesters seek reinstatement of suspended Ekiti lawmakers

    Scores of youths at Omuo-Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti East Local Government Area of Ekiti State, yesterday protested the suspension of the House of Assembly member representing Ekiti East Constituency I, Ojo Ade Fajana.

    The protesters gave the Assembly, under Speaker Kola Oluwawole, a week ultimatum to “immediately and unconditionally” reinstate Fajana and allow the constituency to enjoy representation in the state parliament.

    Led by a youth leader in the town, Comrade Samuel Olajide, the placard-carrying protesters described Fajana’s suspension for 101 legislative days as “laughable, unjust and constitutional”.

    They accused the lawmakers of acting “the script of a senior political figure in the state”.

    Some of their placards read: “We Say No To Illegal Suspension of Our Representative in the Assembly”; “We Say No To Autocratic Rule in Ekiti State”; “If You Want Peace, Do The Needful and Restore Ojo Ade Fajana”; “Our Mandate Must Not Be Rubbished by the State Assembly”; “Political Hostility Must Be Put To An End in Ekiti.”

    The protesters threatened to march on the Assembly complex in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, if the suspension on their representative is not lifted within the ultimatum period.

    Fajana was believed to have been suspended for refusing to renounce his association and loyalty to his political benefactor and Senate Deputy Minority Whip Biodun Olujimi, who has run into trouble with Governor Ayo Fayose because of her governorship ambition.

    The lawmakers, about a month ago, slammed Fajana with suspension for 101 legislative days without pay in the first instance “except he shows signs of remorse”.

    The Assembly also barred their colleague within one kilometre radius of the Assembly complex.

    Fajana was also ordered to submit all Assembly property in his custody to the Clerk.

    The protest by Fajana’s constituents caught many motorists passing through Omuo-Ekiti to Ondo, Abuja, Kogi and other states in the North unawares.

    The angry protesters barricaded the highway for some hours, which resulted in a traffic snarl in the town.

    Olajide said Ekiti East Constituency I had been denied a voice in the Assembly by the “unjust” suspension of Fajana.

    The union leader said the lawmaker’s loyalty to Olujimi was not enough to punish him.

    He urged well-meaning Nigerians, including the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the national level and the National Assembly, to call the Ekiti lawmakers to order “before they throw the state into avoidable crisis”.

    Olajide said: “The youths in this local government came out in their numbers to protest the unjust and illegal suspension of the member representing Ekiti East Constituency I in Ekiti State Assembly.

    “The suspended member was being persecuted because of his closeness and allegiance to Senator Olujimi, who is also from this community.

    “We ask whether or not there is any law in the land – whether in the party constitution, the House Rule or even the 1999 Constitution, as amended – which forbids people from associating with one another.

    “We came to the conclusion that our representative is being punished because of the governorship ambition of Olujimi, which we are aware did not go down well with the power that be at Ekiti Government House.

  • Accord party to challenge pdp, apc in Ekiti

    The political landscape of Ekiti State witnessed the rebirth of Accord Party last week. It was a new beginning for the party faithful.

    At the inaugural meeting and unveiling of the party secretariat along Iworoko Road Ado-Ekiti, the new executive members of the party were inaugurated. They were urged to be diligent, dedicated and hardworking to ensure victory for the party in the next gubernatorial and forthcoming elections.

    The new chairman of Accord Party, Chief Samuel Abiola Odeoba, promised to work with other members to ensure victory at the poll. He said young people and women seeking elective positions will be given their nomination forms free of charge. Consideration will also been given to  women between the ages of 30 – 50 years old who is interested and qualify to fill the position of the deputy governor which is opened only to women from Ekiti South and Central senatorial districts according to Chief Odeoba.

    A party leader Akogun Banji Ojo, who is also a governorship aspirant, rolled his programmes. He said his primary focus would be on the development of the state agricultural potentials especially in the area of cocoa plantation and production.

    According to him, agriculture, which was neglected due to the discovery of oil was the mainstay of the western region with which chief Obafemi Awolowo developed the region to an enviable height and that such institution still remain the pride of Odua till Date.

    To achieve this, the aspirant said he would partner with international investors, an example of which is an Agro-based company in Netherlands in the area of cocoa plantation and production. And this will be replicated in all the three senatorial districts of the state.

    He promised to abolish the Ministry of Establishment, which had rendered many government employees in the ministry redundant. Ojo said he will deploy people to farmlands where they can be fully engaged in productive capacities, in addition to giving interest – free agricultural loans to youths that are interested in farming.

     

  • APC ‘ll sack PDP from power in Ekiti, says Olumilua

    APC ‘ll sack PDP from power in Ekiti, says Olumilua

    An All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua, has expressed confidence that his party will regain the governorship seat which it lost in the 2014 election.

    Olumilua, who spoke at the weekend at Ikere-Ekiti, predicted that Governor Ayo Fayose and his “anointed” deputy governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, will suffer a “crushing defeat” in the 2018 governorship poll.

    He said the 2018 governorship poll has presented the APC with a “very bright chance” of sacking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power, following alleged poor performance and hardship visited on the electorate by what he called the state’s ruling party’s “anti-people policies”.

    Olumilua, who also expressed confidence that he would get APC’s governorship ticket at its primary, said he had designed an Eight-Point Agenda to turn around the fortunes of the state and bring about a better standard of living for the people.

    The aspirant said the Eight-Point Agenda encompasses Development and Empowerment of the Youth, Development of Rural and Urban Areas Infrastructure, Education Sector Resuscitation and Advancement, Agriculture and Agro-Allied Industry and Maternal and General Healthcare.

    The rest, he said, are: Bridging the Gender Gap, Innovation, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Growth in Technical Skills and Artisans’ Development.

  • Six in court for ‘cultism’ in Ekiti

    Six in court for ‘cultism’ in Ekiti

    Six men have appeared at an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ekiti State, for allegedly involving in cultism.

    Police prosecutor Caleb Leranmo told the court that the defendants committed the offence, about 10 am., at Omuo-Ekiti in Omuo Local Government.

    He said the defendants were Adewale Akosile, 30, Jimoh Lukman, 25, Amusa Jamiu, 25, Timothy Thomas, 23, Segun Akinola, 26 and Ojo Akinola, 20.

    Leranmo said the defendants paraded themselves as members of “Ashanti Secret Society”, which terrorise the community.

    He said the offence contravened Section 4 (1) of the Secret Cult (Abolition and Prohibition) Laws of Ekiti State 2006.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Their counsel, Mr. Timilehin Omotosho, prayed the court to grant them bail, promising that they will not jump bail.

    The Chief Magistrate, Aderopo Adegboye, granted bail to the defendants at N200,000 and two sureties.

    He adjourned the case till October 27 for further hearing.

     

  • Six men face cultism charge in Ekiti

    Six men face cultism charge in Ekiti

    Six men were on Thursday brought before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court over alleged membership of a secret cult.

    They were, however, released on N1.2 million bail.

    The accused are Adewale Akosile, 30; Jimoh Lukman, 25; Amusa Jamiu, 25; and Timothy Thomas,23.

    Others are Sefun Akinola, 26, and Ojo Akinola 20.

    Police Prosecutor Caleb Leranmo told the court that the accused committed the offence at 10.00 a.m. in Omuo Ekiti.

    According to him, the men paraded themselves openly as members of Ashanti secret society, a platform they used in terrorising the community.

    The offence contravened Section 4(1) of the Secret Cult (Abolition and Prohibition) Laws of Ekiti State 2006.

    They all pleaded not guilty to the charge and their lawyer, Mr Timilehin Omotosho, urged the court to grant them bail with a promise that they would not jump bail.

    In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Aderopo Adegboye granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 each and two sureties each in like sum.

    He adjourned the case until Oct. 27 for further hearing.

  • Fayose has link with IPOB funding, says Ekiti APC

    Fayose has link with IPOB funding, says Ekiti APC

    The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused Governor Ayo Fayose of giving financial and logistics support to Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

    The party urged the nation’s security agencies and the International Police (INTERPOL) to investigate the governor’s alleged support for IPOB, which the Nigerian military high command just declared a terrorist organisation following the seizure of weapons by the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) suspected to belong to the group.

    In a statement yesterday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, Ekiti APC said Fayose “demonstrated the seriousness of his support for the collapse of Nigeria” when the governor released his telephone number and email address on April 27 to those interested in the Biafra cause to contact him.

    According to Olatunbosun, the telephone number and the email address Fayose released to the public for identifying with the Biafra struggle are: 070300000393 and email: mystory2006@yahoo.com.

    He described the governor’s action as a “treasonable act”.

    The party’s spokesman said the governor’s lawyer’s statement at the weekend calling for dialogue to resolve the Biafran crisis is an afterthought.

    He said the Army was only performing its constitutional role of preserving the nation’s unity and bringing secessionists and their backers to justice.

    Olatunbosun said: “On April 26 and as published by The Nigerian Tribune and its Tribuneonline publication on April 27, Fayose said he was working in conjunction with Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu to raise funds for Kanu, stressing that he was taking his support for Kanu beyond showing solidarity in court by raising funds that would be deposited in an account opened in Kanu’s name.”

    He said: “He led a campaign to the Chinese Embassy in Abuja and later to Beijing, the Chinese capital, to urge the Chinese government not to help Nigeria out of recession.

    “Relentlessly, he led hate campaigns against the symbol of the Nigerian authority, President Muhammadu Buhari, wishing him dead, including hounding and haunting the President across the world, on his sick bed and threatening to expose the President on a life-support machine. All these were in spite of (Fayose) swearing to uphold the Constitution of Nigeria and to be loyal to the Nigerian state and its President.

    “As reported in the media on May 25, he said: ‘Ekiti State is now part of Biafra’, which drew the ire of several Yoruba groups…”

    Olatunbosun also quoted Fayose as saying: “We are just driving the cause. As soon as we receive his account details, we will be made available. People have the right to agitate for independence. Even in traditional institution, people agitate for autonomy.

    “As many as lawyers willing to fight the oppression should join the struggle for liberation from the oppression.”

    He added: “All the Southeast governors, including Ekweremadu, have opposed Kanu in his secessionist activities while Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has warned him and IPOB to stay away from Rivers. But Fayose declared Ekiti State as part of Biafra. This has confirmed the report that he is part of Biafra’s financiers as he had publicly declared to the media.

    “No wonder, just four months after Fayose started mobilising funds for Biafra, thousands of deadly weapons, including military assault rifles, were smuggled into the country but were intercepted by Customs. It was also discovered that uniformed Biafran militants already have military training camps where they are planning deadly assaults on Nigeria after threatening its leaders.

    “We had earlier alerted security agencies to the presence of armed gangs and stockpiling of arms in the Ekiti State Government House. Fayose’s present activities at raising funds for Kanu confirm that he is part of a rebellion against the Nigerian state.

    “We have always insisted that Fayose is a threat to Nigeria’s unity and the economic survival of its people.”

    Olatunbosun added: “His support for Kanu in funds mobilisation for his treasonable act and the activities of Fayose’s media men in promoting the Biafran cause only point to one agenda to destabilise Nigeria. That has proved us right that Fayose has no agenda than the destabilisation of Nigeria to enable him escape all illegal and criminal activities linked to him.”

    But Fayose dismissed the allegation of funding IPOB and its leader Nnamdi Kanu.

    Reacting last night while featuring on his monthly radio and television media chat: Meet Your Governor, he said: “The APC is hallucinating” by accusing him of giving financial and logistics support to the separatist group.

    The governor wondered why the state’s opposition was accusing him of sponsoring IPOB while he condemned the alleged killing of its members during what he called a military crackdown and occupation of the Southeast.

    Fayose said: “We cannot all be cowed. The militarisation of Nigeria, being witnessed now, can only be likened to 1984 when Buhari was military Head of State.

    “Killing people in the Southeast just because some people are agitating is wrong. I wonder why none of our so-called human rights activists is talking.