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Tag: Ogunbiyi

  • Ogunbiyi collapses structure for Oyebamiji, declares senatorial ambition

    Ogunbiyi collapses structure for Oyebamiji, declares senatorial ambition

    A former governorship aspirant and Chairman, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc, Akin Ogunbiyi, on Saturday collapsed his political structure for the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) ahead of the 2026 election. 

    The Ile-Ogbo-born politician also declared intention to contest the Osun West Senatorial seat on the APC ticket. 

    The Nation recalls Ogunbiyi, who christened his political movement ‘Idera De’, was among the eight contenders for the APC guber ticket which Oyebamiji later clinched through a consensus arrangement. 

    Ogunbiyi, while addressing supporters across the state during a debrief meeting with members and leaders of his campaign structure in Osogbo, commended them for their steadfastness. 

    According to him: “We are very happy because I am from the West and we want the governorship candidate to emerge from the Osun West. We are grateful to God that one has happened. 

    “As for my belief and vision to govern the state. That has become a secondary issue now that a candidate of the party has emerged. So I have come to brief my supporters across the state that there is no more grouping. Just like all of us, aspirants, nine of us, we all agree to work for the party.

    “Everyone of us had a meeting and we resolved that everyone of us will work. We will do everything within our respective constituencies to ensure that Bola Oyebamiji emerges as the governor of Osun State from August this year.”

    He expressed confidence that Oyebamiji will emerge winner on August 8, 2026. 

    He said: “Our leaders have individually and collectively mentioned to me that I will pick the senatorial ticket. I don’t have any reason to doubt them. So I’m putting on record to my supporters that we have not lost anything.

    “The most important thing is for Bola Oyebamiji to emerge as the elected governor. If that happens, by the grace of God, I, Akin Ogunbiyi, from Iwo Federal constituency, by the special grace of God and the support of our leaders, I will emerge as the senator of the West.”

    Subsequently, he officially disbanded his political structure, charging them to work tirelessly for Oyebamiji’s emergence as the governor of Osun State. 

    “Before I came to do this today, I had all my caucuses, we had all met and resolved that the party’s candidate is the ultimate that we have to work for. That has been done. We may not be too happy that they didn’t give us the governorship, but that doesn’t mean that we are still not going to work for the party. 

    “We have 170,000 votes in Iwo, and I am telling everybody that by the special grace of God, progressives should count on Iwo, as we have always done in the past, we will still deliver for Oyebamiji and we will deliver for APC.”

  • Osun poll: What is Ogunbiyi up to ?

    Osun poll: What is Ogunbiyi up to ?

    By Kayode Akanni

    As the Osun State gubernatorial election slated for 2026 draws near, the question on the lips of most party members is: Will APC go into the election united or disjointed? Many members worry that the ensuing primary election may further impair the party’s fortune if not handled with tact. The concern is not out of place as the race for the party’s ticket is already brewing internal wrangling among contestants. Many party members are of the view that the defeat suffered by the party in 2022 was the result of the schism in the party. According to them, the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Isiaka Oyetola, lost the election to Senator Ademola Adeleke despite having the power of incumbency, not because of non-performance but principally because the party did not go into the election as one entity as the party splintered into groups. The splinter groups worked against the interest of the party with the result that the party which had been in power for 12 years in the state lost to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    There are genuine fears that the party may already be toeing the old path as the jostle for the party’s ticket by governorship hopefuls is already pitting party members against one another. While some leaders are trying to downplay this, many members are worried that the fate that befell the party in 2022 may be repeated unless leaders work towards the emergence of a bridge-building candidate who is acceptable to all party members across the state, a candidate who can rally every tendency together and position the party for victory at the polls in 2026.

    Many are agreed that the governorship aspirant whose candidature can secure electoral victory for the party in the ensuing electoral contest is Dr Akinade Ogunbiyi.

    Ogunbiyi is a consummate businessman and grassroots politician who is passionate about the development of Osun State. He is also a philanthropist whose tentacles spread to every nook and cranny of the State of the Livingspring. Ogunbiyi knows the whole of the state as he knows the back of his hand and identifies with the aspirations of various communities. Having worked with different people from various backgrounds in the state, he is so loved by the grassroots as well as the well-heeled that the mention of his name lights up the faces of people across the state. A man well known and respected by almost all of the people vying for the party’s ticket, Ogunbiyi’s emergence as APC candidate would result in tension simmering and everyone queuing up behind him to achieve the overall vision of wresting the state from the claws of the PDP.

    While declaring his interest to fly the flag of APC in the 2026 election, Ogunbiyi said, “I stand as a unifying factor among all the candidates, and I believe that by the special grace of God, if I emerge, they will rally round to support me and the progressives,” Ogunbiyi said.

    When asked by journalists what he would do should he fail to get the ticket, he said he would not begrudge anyone but would rather remain committed to the party’s desire to reclaim the state.

    Ogunbiyi’s antecedent is the most inspiring among all those angling to get the party’s ticket.

    The governorship hopeful believes that with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy direction, APC is best suited to take the country out of economic woods. He is also of the opinion that unless Osun State aligns with the party at the centre, it may not really experience the much desired development. So, as a loyal party man, he has been working with other members of the party in all the constituencies to improve the lot of the party and increase its chances of winning the governorship election. 

    A builder of institutions, Ogunbiyi built the Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc from a one-room outfit into a multinational organization that has won accolades from every part of the globe. The company, which he registered in 1995, became a household name within the spate of 10 years. Over time, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc. has evolved into a conglomerate consisting of value-adding companies with diverse interests in various sectors of the Nigerian economy through investments, strategic alliances and partnerships. Some of the subsidiaries are; Mutual Benefits Life Assurance Limited, Mutual Benefits Micro-finance Bank, Mutual Benefits Homes and Properties Limited, Mutual Benefits Assurance Company, Liberia, and Mutual Benefits Assurance Niger SA, Niger. The company is a leading brand in the Nigerian Insurance Industry with over 5000 employees.

    A builder of societies and nations, Dr Ogunbiyi has been contributing to the development of Osun State for over two decades. He served as the Osun Development Association Vice Chairman for 18 years. The platform offered him the opportunity of having a profound understanding of what goes on within the state as well as its developmental challenges. Through the ODA, Ogunbiyi has been supporting good and measurable development initiatives geared towards impacting positively on Osun State and its people.

    At the national level, Ogunbiyi’s impact on the economy is legendary. Apart from being a towering giant in the insurance industry, he has contributed to the financial sector, the real estate sector, mining sector, transportation sector, oil and gas sector and the agriculture sector. A believer in human capital development, Ogunbiyi has mentored men and women who have become industry giants. And through his weekly column in the Nigerian Tribune he has encouraged industry and promoted entrepreneurship.

    At the sub-regional level, Ogunbiyi’s Mutual Benefits Group was instrumental to the rebound of Liberia after the internecine civil war, which spanned almost 10 years.

    As put by Ogunbiyi himself, “After the Liberian civil war was over, Mutual Benefits was in the country to help it get back on its feet. We worked with the government to practically rebuild the economy. We worked with the government to resuscitate the transportation sector. We did so many other things. We worked with the government to make the mining sector of the country viable. Today, the country is doing so well. If I could do that for another country, why should I not do more for my state? For me, it is not about ambition but about vision. I know that the state can be better than it is if it has visionary leaders. I am visionary and I can turn around the fortune of the state.”

    Talking about his motivation for seeking to govern Osun State, Ogunbiyi said he is motivated by the desire to give the state a fresh start.

    Read Also: Insecurity: Nigeria’s obsession with labels

    His words: “Osun State is too endowed for the people to be poor. Osun has 26 viable mineral resources but over the years, we have had leaders who lacked the capacity and managerial skills to turn these God-given gifts to wealth for the benefits of the citizenry.

    “What we shall do is to convert all these resources to wealth for the people. With that, we will not have any reason to wait for allocation from Abuja before we get things done.

    “I know how to turn the potentials of Osun State into real wealth. I know how to create wealth. I know how to create value. I am passionate about the state and I want to see it get better and the people to live better.”

    He added, “The strength of Osun State is agriculture but there is no motivation for farmers to turn it into big business. We will encourage subsistent farmers and promote mechanized farming. We will set up marketing boards and build additional silos where farm produce could be preserved.

    “If I am elected governor, education will become a priority and the state will regain its lost glory in education. We shall provide free healthcare services for children, pregnant women and the aged. We shall retool the civil service and properly motivate the workforce for productivity. Our coming into office will be the beginning of a new era for Osun State.”   

    It is the considered opinion of many APC stakeholders that with Ogunbiyi’s high level of acceptance by all the tendencies in the party, his popularity among the voting public and the robustness of his plans for the state, the party will be putting its best foot forward by settling for the Ile Ogbo, Osun West-born business and political titan.

    •Akanni sent this piece from Oke-Baale, Osogbo

  • Ogunbiyi as Osun APC’s best foot forward

    Ogunbiyi as Osun APC’s best foot forward

    By Kayode Akanni

    As the Osun State gubernatorial election slated for 2026 draws near, the question on the lips of most party members is: Will APC go into the election united or disjointed? Many members worry that the ensuing primary election may further impair the party’s fortune if not handled with tact. The concern is not out of place as the race for the party’s ticket is already brewing internal wrangling among contestants. Many party members are of the view that the defeat suffered by the party in 2022 was the result of the schism in the party. According to them, the immediate past governor of the state, Chief Isiaka Oyetola, lost the election to Senator Ademola Adeleke despite having the power of incumbency, not because of non-performance but principally because the party did not go into the election as one entity as the party splintered into groups. The splinter groups worked against the interest of the party with the result that the party which had been in power for 12 years in the state lost to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    There are genuine fears that the party may already be toeing the old path as the jostle for the party’s ticket by governorship hopefuls is already pitting party members against one another. While some leaders are trying to downplay this, many members are worried that the fate that befell the party in 2022 may be repeated unless leaders work towards the emergence of a bridge-building candidate who is acceptable to all party members across the state, a candidate who can rally every tendency together and position the party for victory at the polls in 2026.

    Many are agreed that the governorship aspirant whose candidature can secure electoral victory for the party in the ensuing electoral contest is Dr Akinade Ogunbiyi.

    Ogunbiyi is a consummate businessman and grassroots politician who is passionate about the development of Osun State. He is also a philanthropist whose tentacles spread to every nook and cranny of the State of the Livingspring. Ogunbiyi knows the whole of the state as he knows the back of his hand and identifies with the aspirations of various communities. Having worked with different people from various backgrounds in the state, he is so loved by the grassroots as well as the well-heeled that the mention of his name lights up the faces of people across the state. A man well known and respected by almost all of the people vying for the party’s ticket, Ogunbiyi’s emergence as APC candidate would result in tension simmering and everyone queuing up behind him to achieve the overall vision of wresting the state from the claws of the PDP.

    While declaring his interest to fly the flag of APC in the 2026 election, Ogunbiyi said, “I stand as a unifying factor among all the candidates, and I believe that by the special grace of God, if I emerge, they will rally round to support me and the progressives,” Ogunbiyi said.

    When asked by journalists what he would do should he fail to get the ticket, he said he would not begrudge anyone but would rather remain committed to the party’s desire to reclaim the state.

    Ogunbiyi’s antecedent is the most inspiring among all those angling to get the party’s ticket.

    The governorship hopeful believes that with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy direction, APC is best suited to take the country out of economic woods. He is also of the opinion that unless Osun State aligns with the party at the centre, it may not really experience the much desired development. So, as a loyal party man, he has been working with other members of the party in all the constituencies to improve the lot of the party and increase its chances of winning the governorship election. 

    A builder of institutions, Ogunbiyi built the Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc from a one-room outfit into a multinational organization that has won accolades from every part of the globe. The company, which he registered in 1995, became a household name within the spate of 10 years. Over time, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc. has evolved into a conglomerate consisting of value-adding companies with diverse interests in various sectors of the Nigerian economy through investments, strategic alliances and partnerships. Some of the subsidiaries are; Mutual Benefits Life Assurance Limited, Mutual Benefits Micro-finance Bank, Mutual Benefits Homes and Properties Limited, Mutual Benefits Assurance Company, Liberia, and Mutual Benefits Assurance Niger SA, Niger. The company is a leading brand in the Nigerian Insurance Industry with over 5000 employees.

    A builder of societies and nations, Dr Ogunbiyi has been contributing to the development of Osun State for over two decades. He served as the Osun Development Association Vice Chairman for 18 years. The platform offered him the opportunity of having a profound understanding of what goes on within the state as well as its developmental challenges. Through the ODA, Ogunbiyi has been supporting good and measurable development initiatives geared towards impacting positively on Osun State and its people.

    At the national level, Ogunbiyi’s impact on the economy is legendary. Apart from being a towering giant in the insurance industry, he has contributed to the financial sector, the real estate sector, mining sector, transportation sector, oil and gas sector and the agriculture sector. A believer in human capital development, Ogunbiyi has mentored men and women who have become industry giants. And through his weekly column in the Nigerian Tribune he has encouraged industry and promoted entrepreneurship.

    At the sub-regional level, Ogunbiyi’s Mutual Benefits Group was instrumental to the rebound of Liberia after the internecine civil war, which spanned almost 10 years.

    As put by Ogunbiyi himself, “After the Liberian civil war was over, Mutual Benefits was in the country to help it get back on its feet. We worked with the government to practically rebuild the economy. We worked with the government to resuscitate the transportation sector. We did so many other things. We worked with the government to make the mining sector of the country viable. Today, the country is doing so well. If I could do that for another country, why should I not do more for my state? For me, it is not about ambition but about vision. I know that the state can be better than it is if it has visionary leaders. I am visionary and I can turn around the fortune of the state.”

    Talking about his motivation for seeking to govern Osun State, Ogunbiyi said he is motivated by the desire to give the state a fresh start.

    His words: “Osun State is too endowed for the people to be poor. Osun has 26 viable mineral resources but over the years, we have had leaders who lacked the capacity and managerial skills to turn these God-given gifts to wealth for the benefits of the citizenry.

    Read Also: Babaeko at Nigerian Marketing Award:

    “What we shall do is to convert all these resources to wealth for the people. With that, we will not have any reason to wait for allocation from Abuja before we get things done.

    “I know how to turn the potentials of Osun State into real wealth. I know how to create wealth. I know how to create value. I am passionate about the state and I want to see it get better and the people to live better.”

    He added, “The strength of Osun State is agriculture but there is no motivation for farmers to turn it into big business. We will encourage subsistent farmers and promote mechanized farming. We will set up marketing boards and build additional silos where farm produce could be preserved.

    “If I am elected governor, education will become a priority and the state will regain its lost glory in education. We shall provide free healthcare services for children, pregnant women and the aged. We shall retool the civil service and properly motivate the workforce for productivity. Our coming into office will be the beginning of a new era for Osun State.”   

    It is the considered opinion of many APC stakeholders that with Ogunbiyi’s high level of acceptance by all the tendencies in the party, his popularity among the voting public and the robustness of his plans for the state, the party will be putting its best foot forward by settling for the Ile Ogbo, Osun West-born business and political titan.

    •Akanni sent this piece from Oke-Baale, Osogbo

  • Basiru, Omisore, Ogunbiyi lament political neglect of Iwo as ex-Concord Editor, Tella, launches book

    Basiru, Omisore, Ogunbiyi lament political neglect of Iwo as ex-Concord Editor, Tella, launches book

    The political marginalisation of Iwo town, Osun State came to the front burner during the launch of a book by a veteran journalist, Alhaji Liad Tella.

    Eminent Osun indigenes, including National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru; ex-Osun Deputy governor, Senator Iyiola Omisore;, Chairman of Mutual Benefits Assurance, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, noted this during the launch.

    The dignitaries who gathered at Riverside Hotel, Iwo, Osun State on Saturday, noted that Iwo town is an ancient town in Yorubaland which should not be neglected with its cultural and wide landscape.

    The author of the book, Alh Liad Tella, said “You will learn a lot of lessons from the book if you read it. The advocacy that this book raised will cause light of relevance to shine on Iwo, an ancient town which had long been marginalised.

    “The book will further push Iwo town forward from the politically marginalised side to limelight. This gathering today shows that we don’t do politics of bitterness as politicians from all parties are here.”

    In the remark, Basiru highlighted the factors responsible for politically marginalisation of communities.

    He said “there are four factors that work against development and benefit of any communities or groups. We must prioritise western education and not rely on Arabic class alone. We must work on the economy of our communities to be viable, our politicians must work jointly for the progress of Iwo and external politicians must see to the development of all towns evenly.”

    Also, the Chairman of the occasion, the ex-National Secretary of APC, Senator Iyiola Omisore, said “the title of the book has suggested its contents, I urge every politician in Osun State to get a copy of this book.”

    Read Also: FAAC shares highest allocation of N1.818tr in June

    Earlier, ex-guber candidate in Osun State, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, co-launcher, said “I can boldly say that Iwo has been marginalised for so long as if it is not part of Osun State in the last 30 years, there is no development that has come to Iwo compared with other communities.

    “When you read this book you will weep for us in Iwo. I challenged Alh Liadi Tella to write this book so that people will know what we are facing. In the last 40 years, we have never been governor, deputy governor, Minister, Speaker, Ambassador…Nothing! I want to tell the people of Iwo that power is not shared in a la carte, we must fight for it to earn it.”

    The dignitaries present were; Commissioner for Water Resources, Hon. Sunday Oroniyi, who represented the  of Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke; Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi; ex-SSG, Fatai Akinbade;  Prince Dotun Babayemi;  ex-Commissioners under administration of Adegboyega Oyetola, Yemi Lawal; Folorunso Bamisayemi.

    Also, Former National Commissioner of Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), Professor Lai Olurode; General Adelekan Adeniran (rtd); ex-SSG, Kazeem Adio; LT Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, among others.

  • Recapitalisation counter-productive, disruptive, says Ogunbiyi

    Efforts by the National Insurance Commssion (NAICOM) to reposition the industry through Risk-Based Supervison (RBS) and Tier-Based Minimum Solvency Capital (TBMSC) could be counter-productive, anti-growth and disruptive, Mutual Benefits Assurance Plc Chairman Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi has said.

    He spoke at the fifth  Businesstoday Annual Anniversary and Awards held in Lagos.

    Ogunbiyi said the implementation of the Tier-based rating of insurance companies could lead to a crisis of confidence for the  industry where only about seven of the 29 companies will qualify under the new standard.

    He said it would lead to de-listing of insurance stocks from the stock market.

    Ogunbiyi stressed that insurance stocks were already classified as penny stocks due to inability to the support pricing by regular dividend payments, adding that there would be hostile take-overs of the companies for peanuts, especially by foreign investors with short-term gains as focus.

    He said: “It might be practically impossible to fully implement the provision of the Local Content law.The Rebranding project of the industry may suffer a major set-back as the public perception of some companies and the entire industry will be affected adversely and there will be significant job loss

    “As an industry, we need to urgently adopt a value innovation strategy to enable us provide relevant affordable products for our teeming population. My advice is that as a priority, we must align insurance services to the unique lifestyles of our citizenry in all income groups.

    “Is it only capitalisation that can drive insurance development in Nigeria giving the experience of other African insurance markets? What has been the contributions and performance of the industry since the 2007 recapitalisation exercise? What level of returns (Return on Equity/Return on Investment) have accrued to the investors and shareholders of the industry ever since? Who are the target investors expected to shore up the new capital call even if there was time?” he asked.

    Ogunbiyi said shrinking profit pool and the overall performance of the industry could only be checkmated by innovation, technical capacity, healthy competition, adoption best practices, governance structure and creating ‘blue oceans of untapped new markets.

    “As an industry, we need to urgently adopt a value innovation strategy to enable us provide relevant affordable products for our teeming population. My advice is that as a priority, we must align insurance services 2to the unique lifestyles of our citizenry in all income groups,” he advised.

  • Dahir-Umar, Ogunbiyi, others speak at BusinessToday anniversary, awards

    PENCOM Acting Director-General (DG), Mrs. Aisha Dahir-Umar and Mutual Benefits Group Chairman, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, are among dignitaries  who will speak at the fifth edition of BusinessToday Anniversary and Awards.

    The annual event is scheduled to hold on August 28 at Sheraton Hotels & Towers, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Ogunbiyi will chair the event. The keynote addresseswill be delivered by Mrs Dahir-Umar and Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) Chairman, Tope Smart.

    A statement by the Editor-In-Chief/Chief Executive Officer, BusinessToday, Nkechi Naeche, said experts drawn from insurance and pension sectors would be on hand to speak on  the theme : “Repositioning the Nigerian economy: Insurance and pension industry perspective”.

    She explained that the experts would seek solutions to how the economy can be repositioned by both sectors and in turn better the lives of policy holders, contributors and retirees and investors.

    Speakers expected at the events are: IEI-Anchor Pension Managers Limited Managing Director, Glory Etaduovie; Universal Insurance Plc Managing Director, Ben Ujoatuonu; Managing Director, Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Olaotan Soyinka;  and Managing Director, Premium Pension Limited, Umar Mairami.

    The event, according to her, will also feature the launch of BusinessToday Magazine and award presentation in different category to insurance and pension companies while, who distinguished themselves last year, would be celebrated.

    She said the yearly award was designed to celebrate creativity and excellent performances exhibited by individuals and organisation and by extension deepen insurance and pension awareness in the country.

  • Why Adeleke must be disqualified, by Ogunbiyi

    One of the governorship aspirants of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, has warned that the failure of the party’s leadership to resolve the controversy trailing the primary might affect its fortunes in the September 22 election.

    Ogunbiyi has faulted the outcome of the party’s primary, calling for the disqualification of Senator Ademola Adeleke, who was decalred winner, for not being eligible to contest the primary.

    The governorship aspirant, in a petition, titled: Petition Against the Conduct And Purported Outcomes of the Governorship Primary Election Conducted on Saturday, July 21, 2018, sent to the chairman of the Governorship Electoral Appeal Panel of the PDP, rejected the outcome of the exercise.

    The petition reads: “I, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, a gubernatorial aspirant on the platform of our great party, the PDP hereby submit my petition against the conduct and the outcome of the just concluded gubernatorial primaries for Osun State at GMT Hotel, Osogbo, Osun State, on Saturday, July 21, 2018. That I am a card-carrying and financial member of the PDP from Ward 5 of Ayedire Local Government Area. That I was validly nominated and met the requirements to participate in the primary.

    “That I went through the screening and was duly cleared by the national secretariat of the party to contest the July 21 primary.

    “That I participated in the primary that was conducted on Saturday, July 21.

    “Based on the declared results, I was credited to have received the second highest number of votes (1,562). The outcome of this primary, as declared by the panel, is hereby rejected by me.”

    Stating his grounds of appeal, Ogunbiyi said: “Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke is not eligible to contest as governorship candidate of the PDP, having failed to meet the requirements stipulated by Section 177 (D) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).”

    He also argued that “Senator Adeleke submitted a document purported to be a testimonial as evidence that he was educated up to Senior Secondary certificate, which is not suffice to meet the basic qualifications stipulated by the Constitution and the Electoral Act”.

    The aspirant added: “The date of issue on the purported testimonial submitted by Senator Adeleke was altered with a biro pen.

    “The Principal (head teacher) of Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Osun State, Mr Khalid A. Abbas, who purportedly signed the testimonial, had not been posted to the school in question as at the date indicated on the document.

    “The Principal, who purportedly issued the testimonial to Senator Adeleke, has denied ever issuing or signing it and the denial is very well on record.

    “I hereby put Senator Adeleke to the strictest proof of his eligibility and demand that he proves same to the contrary.

    “The obvious implications of 1.1 to 1.6 above are that the PDP will not have an eligible governorship candidate in the forthcoming September 22, 2018 election, if Senator Adeleke is fielded.”

  • Ogunbiyi urges PDP to declare him Osun primary winner

    An aspirant in last weekend’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary in Osun State, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, had urged the party’s leadership to declare him winner.

    Apart from claiming to have scored the highest lawful votes cast, contrary to what was announced, Ogunbiyi faulted the educational qualification of Senator Ademola Adeleke, who was declared winner.

    Ogunbiyi told reporters yesterday in Abuja, the nation’s capital, that he was at the party’s national secretariat to petition its leadership over the result of the primary which produced Adeleke as the standard bearer for the September 22 poll.

    The PDP chieftain narrowly lost to Adeleke, polling 1,562 votes as against 1,569 votes by the latter.

    In a petition addressed to the Chairman, Governorship Electoral Appeal Panel of the PDP, the aspirant said 42 voided votes and 128 unaccounted votes were for him.

    He added that the total votes he garnered at the poll were 1,732.

    “I, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, having polled the highest number of votes in the primary election of July 21, be declared the validly nominated/ elected PDP governorship candidate for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun,” he said.

    Ogunbiyi also called for the disqualification of Adeleke, based on the faulted process of the primary.

    He added: “Contrary to Section 30, Sub-Section ‘E’ of the Electoral Guidelines for primary election 2018, the total number of delegates accredited was not announced before the commencement of voting.”

    Ogunbiyi alleged that the document submitted by Adeleke as evidence of his educational qualification up to school certificate level did not meet the basic qualification stipulated by the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act.

    He said: “The Principal of Muslim Grammar School, Ede, Mr Khalid Abbas, who purportedly signed the Testimonial, had not been posted to the school as at the date indicated on the document.

    “The principal has denied ever issuing or signing it and the denial is very well on record.”

    Adeleke described the primary poll as “a brotherly and family contest”.

    The PDP flag bearer urged aggrieved aspirants to join hands with him to reclaim the state from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    He urged Ogunbiyi to “come on board” and congratulated him for “his hard-fighting team and for running a good and impressive campaign”.

    Adeleke said: “It was a brotherly contest in our collective strive to redeem our state. It is, therefore, no gainsaying that we are all winners.

    “My emergence as the governorship candidate of our great party marks the beginning of divine liberation of our dear people from repression and oppression.”

    Also, supporters of the Osun State governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, who lost with seven votes to Senator Ademola Adeleke, the winner of the party’s July 22 primary, protested yesterday in Osogbo, the state capital.

    Leading the protesters, Mr. Funso Babarinde, accused Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson-led electoral panel of fraud.

    The protesters claimed that last Saturday’s primary was manipulated in favour of Senator Adeleke.

    Babarinde added that “many of the ballots marked as void votes” were for Ogunbiyi.

    Demanding cancellation of the results announced by the electoral panel, the PDP chieftain claimed that the manipulation robbed Dr. Ogunbiyi of victory.

  • Ogunbiyi rejects Osun pdp primary result

    A leading governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi ,yesterday rejected the result of weekend’s primary which gave the ticket to Senator Ademola Adeleke.

    According to the result, Adeleke edged out Ogunbiyi by seven votes.

    But Ogunbiyi said he would get the result reversed through the party’s internal mechanism.

    He said: “The outcome of that primary has been a subject of concern to a great majority of our party members who have been disappointed, disillusioned and confused by the conduct of the exercise and the results.

    “Some of the major issues, which compromised the integrity of the exercise and made the results clearly unacceptable, include the non-adherence to the clear provisions of the electoral guidelines and unfortunate manipulation of the accreditation, voting, sorting and counting of the votes cast by delegates at the primaries.

    “Consequent upon these infractions, therefore, the votes attributed to me at the end of the voting exercise were much lower than what I actually scored as valid votes.

    “I have, therefore, resolved to use the internal mechanism of the party to seek an immediate redress of this clear case of injustice, which is contrary to the spirit of transparency and justice being propagated by the new leadership of our party, led by the National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus.

    “While this process is on, I wish to use this opportunity to thank leaders and members of our party who stood by me before, during and after the Primary elections.”

    Ogunbiyi expressed appreciation to co-aspirants who stepped down for him and the delegates from the 332 wards who voted for him.

    He assured them that “the mandate, which was freely given to me by majority of the delegates, will be reclaimed by the special grace of God”.

  • Osun’ll prosper when I become governor – Ogunbiyi

    A governorship aspirant in Osun State, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, says economic prosperity will be the lot of the people if he is given the opportunity to rule.

    Ogunbiyi, who is a former managing director of Mutual Benefit Assurance, wants to contest on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Addressing supporters when he visited to the party’s secretariat in Osogbo to declare his intention to contest, Ogunbiyi said leadership is about service.

    He urged his fellow aspirants to allow the corporate interest of PDP predominate over personal ambition, adding that if he wins the ticket he would return Osun State to the path of economic prosperity without plunging the state into unnecessary debts.

    He donated a 60-seater bus to the state party secretariat and also announced the donation of 46 brand new vehicles to the party.

    Besides, he awarded scholarship to the son of former image maker of the PDP, Iyabo Olusola, who died recently following a protracted illness.

    Responding, the PDP chairman, Soji Adagunodo, noted that Ogunbiyi had been a consistent financier of the party.

    He recalled that he was deeply involved in the reconciliation process that saved the PDP from being torn into shreds during the intra party crises which lasted for two years.