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Tag: Obasanjo

  • Stop attacking Buhari, take rest at 82, Alake advises Obasanjo

    The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Aremu Gbadebo, on Tuesday advised former President Olusegun Obasanjo to desist from his ceaseless attacks on President Muhammadu Buhari.

    The monarch gave the advice in his goodwill message to mark the 82nd birthday anniversary of Obasanjo at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library in Abeokuta.

    Gbadebo, who noted that Obasanjo had been ‘‘a warrior’’ all his life, urged him to rest, fight less and rather take a position of a consultant at his new age.

    ‘‘At 82 years, I think you should keep your sword more rather than use it always,’’ he said.

    Gbadebo, who served as a military officer during the military administration of Muhammadu Buhari between 1984 and 1985, said he had always told Obasanjo to leave his boss (Buhari) alone.

    Read Also: Obasanjo keeps mum over Buhari’s reelection

    Obasanjo, who responded to goodwill messages from friends, family members and well- wishers at the programme, responded by saying that the issues between him and Buhari were not personal.

    According to the elder statesman, governance is not a family affair, adding that democracy involves criticisms and consideration of all sides to an issue.

    ‘‘There is nothing personal between President Buhari and I.

    ‘‘In a democracy, you can criticise a policy, a government or a leader because democracy is not a family affair.

    ‘‘If it is my brother that is occupying the leadership role and he is not doing what I believe he should do, he must be criticised and that is what democracy is all about.

    ‘‘I have been in that position longer than any Nigerian will ever be there.

    ‘‘So if I say anybody in government in Nigeria is not doing well, let that government prove that it is doing well,’’ he said.

    Former Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Mr Mangosuthu Buthelezi, delivered a lecture entitled: ‘‘Colonialism, Apartheid, Freedom and South Africa Rising.’’

    Buthelezi, in the lecture, identified corruption as the biggest challenge facing the African continent.

    He expressed concerns that South Africa currently ranked so poorly on the Corruption Perceptions Index of the Transparency International.

    The former South-African Minister attributed the development to ‘‘the mistakes we have made, allowing resources to be consumed by greed and abuse.’’

    Buthelezi, who noted that only six countries in the African Union had ranked above 50 on the corruption index, stressed that ‘‘corruption is pervasive throughout the region.

    ‘‘This is difficult to hear and perhaps, it stirs our anger. We must, however, accept the facts and fix them.

    ‘‘When we consider countries like Seychelles and Botswana who have become paragons of excellence, we need to ask what they did to achieve this.

    ‘‘We know that Botswana, for instance, reinforced its legal and institutional frameworks and made resources available specifically to fight corruption.

    ‘‘There are measures we can take and we must take them.

    “If we can overcome these challenges in Africa, we will open the possibilities for growth, development and social justice that were the dreams of my generation,’’ he said. (NAN)

  • Atiku calls Obasanjo

    BOOKMAKERS were confused. Some said it was going to be down to the wire. Others saw a rout. Atiku Abubakar, they vowed, was set to retire Muhammadu Buhari and send him back to Daura to tend his cows. Buhari, others claimed, will carry the day.

    And the long wait – the election took place on Saturday and the winner was announced at 4.39 a.m. Wednesday when many Nigerians were still snoring in bed – had everyone in a flap.

    Will an Elder Godsday Orubebe – where in the world is he? – show up at the collation centre, screaming and huffing and kicking and cursing and swearing and daring Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to continue the collation and announcement of the results? Can Yakubu play Jega, Prof Attahiru Jega, his predecessor at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who remained unfazed as Orubebe went gaga? Will a judge issue an injunction stopping the show? The rumour was all over the place that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was shopping for a judge who will grant an “ex parte order” that the exercise should be stopped. Will somebody listen to the PDP’s shrill cry that the collation be cancelled? When exactly will the winner collect his prize? The anxiety was so much you could feel it. Many were wondering what the PDP had up its sleeves as it summoned its war council, the national caucus, to pooh-pooh the election.

    And the denouement. Yakubu announced Buhari as winner. He won with 15,191,847 votes. Atiku scored 11,262,978.

    There were many rumours. Some said Atiku was meeting with some foreign envoys to complain that he had been robbed. They should intervene to save democracy, he was said to have told them. As usual with such speculations, nobody could confirm it as no documentation of such meetings existed. Others said Atiku was under pressure to call Buhari and congratulate him. Yet, others –again without any proof whatsoever – swore that Atiku called former President Olusegun Obasanjo, one of his major backers, to seek advice on his next line of action.

    Could that be true? Is it not logical for Atiku to call Obasanjo, who put his integrity on the line for him in so controversial a manner? What did they discuss? “Editorial Notebook” asked an Atiku aide to clear the air on the rumour. He declined comments. Luckily, this reporter ran into a former school mate who claims to be close to the uncle of a friend of his whose maternal cousin works in the sprawling hilltop facility of the former president in the heart of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. He swore that Atiku actually called Obasanjo, but he confessed that he was not privy to the details of their discussion, even as he pleaded not to be named because of what he called the “sensitivity” of the matter.

    Here, nevertheless, is a conjectural account of the discussion between Obasanjo and Atiku since nobody would confirm or deny that they talked, let alone divulge the details:

    Atiku lies on a couch in the living room, surrounded by some friends and aides who are harrumphing about the election and its result. He suddenly rises and asks for his mobile phone. He goes into a room and calls Obasanjo.

    “Good morning, Your Excellency. This is Atiku Abubakar. I hope I didn’t wake you up sir.”

    Obasanjo: Waziri, is that you? Good morning. And how are you?

    Atiku:  I am fine sir. And you, baba?

    Obasanjo: Thank you. I dey kampe.

    Atiku: Your Excellency, I am a bit worried. I am sure you must have heard the result of the election. Is this a true reflection of the wishes of the majority of Nigerians? What is going on? I am worried, walahi, that democracy is being emasculated.

    “Huuuu! Huuuum! (Obasanjo clears his throat).You see, Abubakar, why are you worried? Is this the first time you have lost an election? Why allow your soul to be troubled?”

    “Baba, people have been mounting pressure on me to surrender. These are people, who should be fighting this big injustice against us; this obvious rigging and theft of my mandate, a mandate freely given to me by Nigerians. I will go to court, I swear. I am a fighter and I will fight this injustice.

    “One even said I should call Buhari and congratulate him. And I said, ‘for what?’ Where is that done? You contest an election, you are rigged out and you won’t go to court to fight it out and you will, instead, be calling the so-called winner. I am not a fool; I won’t.”

    “You see, Waziri, if I were you, I will simply call my opponent and say, ‘okay, as things stand now, you won, abi? It was all a game and in the true spirit of  true sportsmanship, I congratulate you’, Chikena! I will move on. But you politicians are hard of hearing.”

    “Sir, you say ‘we politicians’; are you no longer one of us? Are you not our leader?”

    “Me? I am not a politician o. With due respect, I am not. I am a statesman. I said so a long time ago. That is why I have stayed out of it. Nigeria is my politics. Anybody, I repeat, anybody who wants to destroy Nigeria, I don’t care; I am ready to go konko bilo with that person, no matter his position.

    “If they say Buhari has won, so be it. But if you have the courage to fight, as you have claimed, rally the media, get your supporters to organise mass protests in major cities and call on the world to rise and save democracy in Nigeria.”

    “Baba, what will our people say, our supporters across the length and breadth of this country? The masses of our people who we promised jobs, education, security; those who expect us to get Nigeria working again; what do we tell them? I refuse to surrender.”

    “Waziri, if anybody says you have not done well, dat na dem toro. You don’t owe anybody any apology. Let them also try and see how easy it is.”

    “Sir, what is the feeling of our foreign friends? I was surprised to see that some of them saw nothing wrong in the process – the violence, the disenfranchisement of many people who wanted to vote for us – and I said kai! And I… .”

    “Okay. Hold on. Hold it, please. You see, Oyinbo people won’t say what they didn’t see o. I didn’t expect it to go this way. I must confess. We can’t condemn this election on the basis of violence; it was largely peaceful. Is that clear?”

    “But, baba, if you tell them it is not peaceful; won’t they believe you?”

    “Please, my dear Waziri. Again, with due respect, I can’t lie. I have never lied. I don’t know how to lie and it is too late at my age to learn how to lie. God has given me all that I have asked for. So, why should I lie? But if you want me to join this fight, I will. I can talk to our foreign friends and my fellow statesmen, the Generals that they should not allow democracy to suffer.”

    “Some of our people are even saying you destroyed my chances with all you wrote about me in your book. I have told them not to embarrass you and… .”

    “Please, hold it! Don’t annoy me o. Me? Embarrass me? Point of correction. And get me straight and clear; nobody can embarrass Obasanjo. Not me. Never. If I wrote about you nko? Were they deaf when I told the whole world that you had repented? I said, ‘yes, Atiku was bad; he has confessed and repented and I have forgiven him. He promised not to do it again. Not so? If they are now saying all that nonsense and jagbajantics, that I contributed to your loss, that’s their problem, not my headache.”

    “No problem sir. I hear they are so afraid we could cause problems for them. They have asked the security people to start watching us.”

    “Security? Trouble ko treble ni? Let them keep watching. Security my foot. I dey my house, let them come and carry me.”

    “Even Secondus is asking me to call you and say my mind – that I must defend democracy and … .”

    “W-a-z-i-r-i. Thank you. Secondus; who is so called? I dey laugh o! (He chuckles). You see, when you make Secondus your chairman, do you need to search for why you’re second? If you carry second, na Obasanjo do am? A beg I need to go back to bed. I have a squash game to play in a few hours. I wish you all the best.”

    “Bye-bye sir.”

     

    UNILAG Eight and their distraught victim

    A UNIVERSITY of Lagos (UNILAG) student, 17, has told of how eight fellow students  gang-raped her, filmed the act and blackmailed her with it. Five of the suspects have been arraigned before a court. The others are being sought.

    The victim was afraid of telling her story, but her friend helped her to unload her burden. She was hospitalised for days. The parents of some of the suspects offered her parents between N3m and N5m to settle the matter, but they refused to sell their dignity.

    Justice Sururat Soladoye of the Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court has adjourned the hearing till March 18. Rights activists and all lovers of justice should pay attention to this case, which is a vivid expression of man’s inhumanity to man, pure savagery and bestiality.

    The parents who tried to bribe the victim’s family are shameless and useless – even to their children who took a fiendish pleasure in hurting their fellow student. Where is that common humanity that separates us from animals in the jungle? We need to find it and restore it through the instrumentality of law and justice as well as good parenting..

  • Obasanjo casts vote in Abeokuta

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo finally voted at hid Ward 11 unit 22, within Olusomi compound, Abeokuta, in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, three hours after voting had commenced in most polling units in Abeokuta, the state capital.

     

  • Only fools call TraderMoni vote- buying, says Osoba

    A former Ogun State Governor Aremo Segun Osoba on Friday described those saying the TraderMoni programme of the Federal Government amounts to vote-buying as fools.

    Osoba spoke at the old Banquet Hall of the State House while reviewing a book “Nigeria on Firmer Ground: Towards lasting peace and progress” put together by the Presidential Media Team.

    He said calling a revolving loan given to the market women to aid their petty trading vote buying was nothing but foolery.

    According to him, the government had said before its implementation across the country the fund was approved by the National Assembly.

    READ ALSO: Abiodun will succeed Amosun, says Osoba

    He also described Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, as a conspirator frustrating President Muhammadu Buhari’s return for second term.

    According to him, in the 2003 election, the total votes cast for the President was 1.6m while as governors they got a total of about one million.

    He said that the court described what happened in Ogun State as criminal.

    “It is not my words but that of the court,” he said

    In other serious nations, he said former President Olusegun Obasanjo should have been impeached.

    He said that the government could not account for over 600,000 votes.

    “President Buhari won in 2003. He won in 2007. They rigged it and they cannot rig again.”

    Details shortly…

  • BMO to observers: Resist pressure from Obasanjo

    The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has asked former Tanzanian President and Head of the Commonwealth Observer Mission for the 2019 general elections, Dr. Jakaya Kikwete to resist any pressure from his friend and former President, Olusegun Obasanjo in carrying out their assignment while in Nigeria for the 2019 general elections.

    While welcoming the appointment of former Tanzanian leader to head of the 20-member Commonwealth observer group for the February 16 Presidential election, the group demanded fairness and openness from the team, stressing that its only concern was that the team leader is a well-known friend of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    A statement signed by the Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, the group said “Many Nigerians are worried that the head of the Commonwealth observer group may be swayed by Obasanjo’s skewed pre-election position that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) does not have the integrity to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

    “This concern, we know, is as a result of the long standing friendship between the two former Presidents which began long before Kikwete became the head of the Tanzania government in 2005. But we are encouraged by the values that the Commonwealth holds sacrosanct, and the fact that the head of the election observer team has a track record as a peace maker, especially in the Great Lakes region of East Africa.

    “So we hope that Dr Kikwete would resist the pressure that will surely come from former President Obasanjo who believes that he has a divine role to determine the winner of the Presidential election.”

    The group however assured the Commonwealth team and other observer missions of the readiness of the Buhari administration to ensure a favourable atmosphere for a credible general election.

    “As someone who had previously been on the wrong end of shoddy electoral processes before his electoral victory in 2015, President Buhari has, on many occasions, given his word to the world about his readiness to ensure a credible election after benefitting from one.

    “He has consequently, over the course of three and a half years, made sure that the election management body has everything it requires to conduct a very credible election. And like the 20-man Commonwealth observer team would found out when it visits INEC, the Commission has been operating without any form of interference from the President who is keen on ensuring that the elections are the most credible in the nation’s political history.

    “He has also openly assured Nigerians that he has no interest in rigging the forthcoming elections, and would not allow anyone to rig. It is against this backdrop that we at BMO demand fairness and an open-mind from Kikwete and his team of election observers as they arrive Nigeria on February 8.”

  • Tinubu: PTDF cash stolen under Obasanjo, Atiku

    I’m not seeking third term, says Buhari, You can’t blackmail Nigerians, PDP tells President

    NIGERIANS were yesterday urged to remove the cancer of corruption from Nigeria by renewing the mandate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for another four years.

    The counsel was given by APC leaders during the party’s campaign rallies in Ekiti and Ondo states.

    At the rallies were President Muhammadu Buhari; Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Co-chairman of the APC Presidential Campaign Council Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, governors, including Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti); Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo) and nonagenarian Second Republic Senator Ayo Fansanmi, among others.

    They told Nigerians why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar should not be trusted to steer the country’s affairs.

    Tinubu, who took a swipe at Atiku and his former boss, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, for running the nation’s economy aground when they held the forte, said the country deserved a leader like Buhari, who has used the nation’s resources for the common good in the past three years and seven months.

    According to the APC chieftain, former President Obasanjo and former vice president Atiku owe Nigerians an explanation on what happened to the Petroleum Trust Development Funds (PTDF).

    The PTDF was managed by the Office of the Vice President during the Obasanjo administration from 1999 – 2007.

    Cautioning the electorate against making the mistake of returning the PDP to power on February 16, Tinubu urged Nigerians to reject the PDP and its candidate. He said they had nothing to offer but to auction the nation’s commonwealth.

    In a sarcastic manner, he said: “People’s Destruction Party (PDP) has come again from all the nooks and crannies to lie to you. Poverty Development Party (PDP) is here again to tell you lies.

    “One who is always busy with contentious business says he is running it. What does he know? What he has propagated is their container economy.

    “They want to come back and sell our commonwealth. They promised to create two million jobs for you and nobody has asked them how.

    Read also: Political jobbers endorsed Atiku, says Fasanmi

    “The questions we should ask are: When they were there with Obasanjo, how many jobs did they create? How many times did Obasanjo say Atiku stole PTDF’s money? The answer he always gave was that his former boss too stole money. Is this the kind of person you want to vote for?” Tinubu asked rhetorically.

    He said that the PDP was responsible for fake tariff and estimated billing.

    “Their actions to share the electricity company into GenCos and DisCos caused the hike in tariff and estimated billing,” he said, adding: “What is Atiku’s response and PDP’s? He said, ‘what is wrong if I share Nigeria’s resources with my friends?’ Is that what you want them to come back to do?”

    On why Nigerians should re-elect Buhari, Tinubu said the President revived the agriculture sector and introduced the Anchored Borrowers’ Scheme, noting that both programmes generated over 5.8 million jobs.

    He urged the Ekiti people to vote massively for Buhari on February 16 to enjoy more benefits of good governance.

    Buhari also addressed the crowd of supporters and residents who thronged the 12,000-capacity Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado Ekiti, the state capital. He renewed his promise to take Nigeria to loftier heights.

    Admitting that fighting corruption has been difficult, the President vowed not to be dissuaded to rid the nation of graft in line with the promise he made in 2015.

    Buhari said he was quite conscious of the promises he made while contesting four years ago, particularly the ones that had to do with corruption, insecurity and resuscitation of the economy.

    The President said: “We are fighting corruption but it has not been easy. But we told the security agencies to keep watch and ensure that those who have cases to answer do not escape justice.

    “As part of our promises, we are building roads, rail lines, fighting corruption. We introduced the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and increased power supply, so Nigerians can have their own businesses.

    “I want to be grateful to Ekiti voters because the two times I came here, I achieved success. I came here in 2014 and I also came here to campaign for Fayemi; he won the governorship election. So, I’m here today to campaign for myself. I believed you are going to give us the vote to consolidate on our laudable and people-oriented projects.”

    He sought the support of royal fathers for sustainable peace in Ekiti State and beyond.

    To Oshiomole, Buhari remains the candidate to beat, owing to his achievements since 2015 in security, economy diversification, anti-corruption battles, job creation, agriculture and infrastructure among others.

    The APC chair said: “Atiku has told us that if Nigerians mistakenly elect him, he would put Nigeria on sale. I believe Nigerians have made up their minds to return President Buhari, who they can trust, not the one whose business partners are in prison. William Jefferson, Atiku’s business partner is in prison for corruption charges …

    “The problem we have had as a nation is lack of policy consistency and coherence. So, changing government every three and half years can only lead to confusion.

    “Let us sustain it so that together Nigeria can move from a consuming country of imported product to a country that virtually consume what it produces,” he said.

    Prof Osinbajo, who spoke in Yoruba, said: “$383 billion was realised from oil between 2010 and 2014 under Dr Goodluck Jonathan. That was when we had the highest but nothing was done with it.

    The vice president said: “If that money had been utilised judiciously, all the roads, rail lines and employment we are creating would have long been in place for Nigerians.

    “Buhari built three refineries as minister of Petroleum under the military era. No government has ever added one, not even during the 16 years of PDP.

    “Don’t let them deceive you, vote for a President you can trust, that is President Buhari.”

    Fayemi promised: “Our president will get 90 per cent of the votes on February 16.

    “The government is planning to dualise Ado-Akure road, complete the federal housing units, the federal secretariat and the Lagos-Kano rail line. So, we have no option than to return President Buhari because Ekiti people are progressives.”

    The highlight of the rally in Ekiti was the presentation of PDP defectors, including some members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

    The lawmakers, who were led by Speaker Ebenezer Alagbada, are: Cecelia Dada (Ilejemeje State Constituency) and Olanrewaju Olayanju (Emure State Constituency.)

     

  • ‘Obasanjo goofed on Osun governorship poll’

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for allowing supplementary election in parts of Osun State during the September 2018 governorship election. The former President was of the view that the rerun was not necessary, claiming that a winner had emerged in the first round. Assistant Editor LEKE SALUDEEN sought opinions of Nigerians on Obasanjo’s comment.

    EMINENT lawyers and stakeholders have faulted former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s comment on the Osun State inconclusive governorship poll. In a letter addressed to the public recently, Obasanjo said: “From what we saw and knew about Osun State governorship election, what was conclusive was declared inconclusive, despite all advice to the contrary.”

    Some lawyers said the former President should have taken time to read and understand the rules guiding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in declaring an election inconclusive. According to them, INEC’s decision on the matter was based on extant law and its guidelines and regulations. They said the electoral umpire’s decision on elections cannot be influenced by public opinion.

    A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Emeka Ngige, said INEC’s decision to order a rerun in the Osun governorship election was appropriate. He said if the electoral umpire had gone ahead to declare a winner, the tribunal could have nullified the election on the basis that some voters were disenfranchised. He said it would have been wrong to declare a winner, when voting did not take place in some places.

    He said: “INEC did the right thing. That was what they did in Anambra in 2013. INEC conducted a rerun in areas where election did not take place. That time, nobody found anything wrong with the Returning Officer answering a phone call. He needed to consult, because it’s a team work. That’s exactly what the Osun Returning Officer did.”

    Ngige said apart from Anambra, other precedents were set in Imo and Kogi in previous elections. He recalled that there was a rerun in one local government in Imo State in 2015, when the exercise was disrupted by violence. He added: “Even though Governor Rochas Okorocha had gotten the required number, INEC refused to make a declaration in his favour.” He said Okorocha went to the Federal High Court to stop INEC from conducting the rerun, but the court refused to grant any injunction. The rerun took place and Okorocha won.

    Another lawyer, Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), said the 2018 governorship election in Osun State was not the first time INEC would declare an election inconclusive. Besides, he said the electoral umpire had judicial approval from the Supreme Court.

    Okutepa cited the case of James Faleke versus INEC that arose from the November 2015 governorship election in Kogi State. He said: “In that case, Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN) led me and other eminent senior lawyers to argue that the reliance by INEC on its manual for election was unconstitutional, because the constitution has already set out the parameters on how and when a governor should be declared elected in Nigeria.

    “We argued that as at the time INEC declared the result of Kogi State governorship election inconclusive, the late Prince Abubakar Audu and James Falake had won the required spread and majority of lawful votes. There was no necessity for the rerun in the polling units whose results or elections were cancelled.

    “The trial tribunal, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court did not agree with us. Unless we approach the Supreme Court to overrule itself what INEC did in Osun State is within its powers.”

    A law teacher, Mr Wahab Shittu, agreed with Okutepa, saying the declaration made after the Osun governorship election was not new. He said: “My position is that the decision in Faleke versus INEC upholding the right of INEC to declare elections inconclusive, relying on constitutional provisions, the provision of Electoral Act, guidelines of INEC inclusive of its manual as quoted in the Faleke’s case remain a good law.

    “If INEC is vested with powers to conduct elections, it should retain incidental powers to follow constitutional provisions and its own established guidelines. Section 179 (2) (a) (b) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides, A  candidate for an election to the office of governor of a state shall be deemed to have been duly elected, where there being two or more candidates: (a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election; and (b) he has not less than one-quarter of all the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the local government areas in the state.

    “Section 53 (2) of the Electoral Act 2010 provides: Where the votes cast at an election in any polling unit exceed the number of registered voters in that unit, the result of the election for that unit shall be declared void by the commission and another election may be conducted at a date to be fixed by the commission where the result of that polling unit may affect the overall result in the constituency.

    “Section 53 (3) provides: Where an election is nullified in accordance with subsection (2) of this section, there shall be no return for the election until another poll has taken place in the affected area.”

    Shittu added: “However, Section 69 of the Electoral Act provides: In an election to the office of the president or governor, whether or not contested and in any elective office, the result shall be ascertained by counting the votes cast for each candidate and subject to the provisions of Sections 133, 134 and 179 of the Constitution, the candidate that receives the highest number of votes shall be declared elected by the appropriate returning officer.

    “The returning officer, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, said the election was declared inconclusive because the margin between the two leading candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ademola Adeleke, was lower than the registered cancelled votes.”

    The law teacher said after the first round of the election, Adeleke polled 254,698 votes, while Oyetola scored 254,345 votes. The difference was 353 votes. He added: “The returning officer said the election was marred with irregularities in some polling units in Ife North, Ife South and Orolu local government areas, including cases of card reader malfunctioning, ballot box snatching among others. This, he explained, led to the cancellation of 3,498 votes recorded in the affected polling units. Quoting INEC standing rule, he said INEC declared the election inconclusive because 3,498 were expected in seven polling units across four local governments of the state.”

    Shittu said there was disruption of the election in three polling units in Orolu Local Government, which have a combination of 947 voters; in Ife South Local Government, where there was malfunction of Smart Card Readers in two polling units, which affected 1,314 voters; in Ife North, over-voting affected 353 voters in a polling unit and in Osogbo local council, there was no voting in a polling unit that has 884 votes.

    The Osun APC spokesman, Mr Kunle Oyatomi, said it was a pity that Obasanjo was using the privilege of his position to express an opinion that was subjudice to a case already in court. Oyatomi said the opinion expressed by the former President at this stage is not only unlawful, but a glaring disrespect for the rule and process of the law.

    The APC Director of Publicity, who is a lawyer by profession, said: “This is more so because Obasanjo is using that case which is still disputed to illustrate unfairly his allegation that INEC cannot be trusted to run a free, fair and credible presidential election in February. We advise Chief Obasanjo to limit his comment on a matter that is subjudice, otherwise he would be laying a precedent that would be unhelpful to the rule of law.

    “Under our electoral law and provisions of our constitution, INEC has the function of conducting all elections in the country. And it is also empowered to declare an election valid or invalid, if there are sufficient lawful reasons to do so.

    “Osun’s case is not the first such instance of invalidation of any particular election which is deemed to be inconsistent with the laws of the federation as stipulated in the constitution and the electoral law. Neither the APC or the PDP or even Obasanjo can make a pronouncement on whether or not an election is conclusive or inconclusive after INEC has made a pronouncement. Only the court has such powers. Obasanjo’s comment is not only unsolicited, it is an unacceptable interference in the process of the court in which he has no legal right to do.”

    The INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Prince Solomon Soyebi, said the decision to have a rerun in Osun governorship election was based on extant law and INEC guidelines and regulations.

    Soyebi said: “The Returning Officer, Prof. Joseph Fuwape, has communicated to the commission his inability to make a return in accordance with the legal framework and INEC guidelines. This was as a result of areas where results were cancelled; there was no voting or there were disruptions. In all, 3,498 voters could not vote in seven polling units spread across four local government areas.

    “Based on the results collated by the returning officer, the margin between the two leading candidates is 353 which is slower than the number of registered voters in the affected areas. Extant law and INEC guidelines and regulations provide that where such a situation occurs, a declaration may not be made.

    “In the light of the foregoing, the commission met and decided that it will remobilise and return to the affected polling units on Thursday, September 27, 2018, conclude collation and make a return.”  The commissioner said it was only the votes of the electorate in Osun State that determined the winner.

    On the conduct of the election, Soyebi said Osun governorship election has been one of the most keenly contested elections in Nigeria in recent times. He added: “We congratulate the Osun State voters for their keen interest in the polls as shown in the large turnout, orderliness and their respect for the rules governing the process.”

  • 2019: Obasanjo meets with politicians in Ogun

    •Warns against further violence

    FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo on yesterday met with leaders of political parties and security chiefs in Ogun State, following the spiraling circus of violence during campaigns in the state and the attendant risks to lives and properties.

    This came about 48 hours after the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Dapo Abiodun and running mate, Engr. Noumot Oyedele – Salako, reportedly escaped alleged assassination plot when people suspected to be political thugs blocked their access way in Mokola area of Abeokuta, leading to a clash between the thugs and supporters of Abiodun, who battled to shield him from harm.

    Obasanjo who met with some leaders of political parties at the Green Legacy Resort, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) Abeokuta, warned them not to heat up the politics of the state but to strive towards ensuring peaceful polls before and during the general elections.

    In attendance at the two – hours long private meeting were the quartet of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

    The State Chairman of ADP, Chief Wale Egunleti, who addressed reporters on behalf of the political parties present at the meeting, disclosed that the former Head of State, called for orderly and peaceful campaign in the state ahead of the Presidential and governorship elections slated for February 16th and March 2nd respectively.

    “Our father (Obasanjo) has called the political parties for a meeting to shun any act of thuggery, fighting, and any form of violence during and after the elections.

    “We want to serve the people and we must lead by example. Therefore, we have been warned and advised to keep the peace in Ogun for the benefit of all,” Egunleti said.

  • Obasanjo vouch for Atiku to reposition Nigeria

    Former President Olusegun Obasanjo yesterday restated his confidence in his erstwhile deputy Atiku Abubakar to reposition the country.

    He spoke at the 2019 Island Club Quarterly Business Lecture, where the former vice president delivered a lecture titled: “My vision to get Nigeria Working again”.

    In his remark, Obasanjo believed that Atiku had the experience, the capacity and passion to move the country forward.

    According to him, his support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate should no longer look strange to Nigerians, despite what he said and wrote about him in the past.

    He said that he stood firmly by whatever he said in the past about Atiku and indeed President Buhari.

    He, however, said the PDP candidate had demonstrated what was expected of a committed and sincere leader by owing up to his past mistakes and showing remorse. Obasanjo added that Atiku had not only apologised to his political party and the nation, but also apologised to him for the past disagreements he made as his deputy.

    He said that Atiku was not infallible like every other human being and that he, (Obasanjo) would be playing God by not forgiving the former vice president.

    Obasanjo: “I have been called names because of my position on Atiku Abubakar, the Waziri Adamawa. “Everything I have said as far as I have knowledge of Atiku, I have not retracted and I stand firmly by them because they are to the best of my knowledge true.

    “And neither has what I have said and written about Buhari been controverted, if anything, they have been confirmed and proved beyond any shadow of doubt. “But Atiku has done things which are absolutely imperative for a leader to be followed and believed. “First, know who you are and present yourself as you are – a human being in blood and flesh and susceptible to human mistakes and human frailties.

    “Don’t cover up with sanctimonious veneer of bogus integrity, incorruptibility, uprightness, goodness and false figures and statistics, all of which are contrived to deceive, to cheat, to plunder and to destroy.

    “Atiku never claimed to be a saint and I never described him as such. I will never so describe any human being alive let alone calling him a Messiah.

    “On an occasion in the past when I said that someone was not a Messiah, some Nigerians out of bad “belle” were up in arms.

    “For me, as a Christian, the only Messiah I know and have is Jesus Christ and even then, the man aspect of Him was imperfect while the divine aspect of Him was perfectly messianic.”

  • Oshiomhole lashes out at Obasanjo for ceding Bakassi

    NATIONAL Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Adams Oshiomhole yesterday lashed out at former President Olusegun Obasanjo for ceding Bakassi to Cameroon.

    He spoke at the UJ Esuene Stadium, Calabar, the Cross River State capital, after handing over the governorship flag to Senator John Owan-Enoh.

    According to the party chair, the country will never forgive the past president for handing over Bakassi because he allegedly wanted a Nobel Peace Prize.

    According to him, such prize was not for traitors or opportunists, but for those who have worked hard for the development of humanity.

    “The only thing I want to remind the people of Cross River is that never ever can you afford to forget a Nigerian leader, in the person of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who ceded part of Cross River State to Cameroon, because he was pursuing a Nobel Peace Prize.

    “He (Obasanjo) handed over Nigerian territory to a foreign country and induced Nigerians to become refugees. Obasanjo has ceded our community to Cameroon. We can never forgive him. Nigeria will never forgive him.

    “There is no statesman in the modern world that would voluntarily cede part of his territory to a foreign country. That crime committed by Olusegun Oabsanjo, if we are too weak to punish him, history will punish him because no leader gives away his household and sell them to slavery. If it is something that can be revised, the president has enough courage to do everything that your predecessor said was not possible.

    “Those who preside over the award of Nobel Peace Prize, they do not give it to traitors. They give it to people who have worked hard to add to various spheres of human endeavor. It is not for traitors, opportunists and certainly not for those who bastardize their fatherland. This is the only message I have on today’s occasion.”

    Acting State Chairman of the APC in the state, Sir John Ochala, said the state was fed up with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administration in the state, which he alleged has destroyed the development of state.

    Expressing confidence that the APC will win the state in the next elections, the party chairman called on the President to call the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Usani, also laying claim to the governorship ticket of the party, to order.

    Ochala said the number of the teeming supporters at the rally showed the acceptance of the APC in the state, outstanding development of infrastructure in the state by the Federal Government cannot go unnoticed.

    “Unfortunately we cannot say this of Cross River State because it is not well led. There is a near lack of governance in the state. Cross River State has degenerated.

    “Once acclaimed as the cleanest in the state it is no longer so. Investors have been chased out because of irrational and multiple tax regime of the government. Pensioners are hungry and dying due to non-payment of their pension arrears and gratuity.

    “The bail out given to the state by your government has been bailed to unknown quarters. Local government system is near collapse due to failure to conduct local government election and failure to pay salary arrears.

    “These, among others, are the reasons there is a growing sense of disenchantment by the people, who are clamouring for a change. The Super Highway project commissioned by you is one of the phantom projects of this administration.

    “There are other phony projects. Governance in Cross River has been reduced to a joke. We have a corrupt and clueless government. Indeed Cross River is in a state of political and economic emergency. The good news is that APC has come out with the very best in the person of John Owan-Enoh. Better days are ahead with John Owan-Enoh.

    “Mr President, I would like to draw your attention to a major distraction to an otherwise easy victory for us at the polls. This distraction is caused by your cabinet member. We call on you to use your good office to call him to order.”

    National Vice Chairman, Southsouth of the APC, Ntufam Hilliard Eta, said the people of the state were grateful to the President for being gracious towards them and would express their appreciation at the polls.

    Senator Owan-Enoh thanked the President for the visit.

    “We thank president for the rally and let me say that Cross River people and APC would not forget this day. On February 16, the president would win in Cross River. On the second of March, we would elect an APC administration for Cross River. The broom revolution that started in 2015 is berthing in Cross River in 2019.”