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Tag: Olusola Oke

  • Oke receives AD flag, assures of development

    Oke receives AD flag, assures of development

    The legal tussle threatening to undermine Alliance for Democracy (AD’s) victory in the November 26 governorship election was laid to rest yesterday with the presentation of the party’s flag to the governorship candidate, Olusola Oke and his running mate, Ganny Dauda.

    Supporters trooped into the Democracy Park, Oja-Oba, Akure, as early as 9am, defying the scorching sun. They danced to the songs of Fuji musician Saheed Osupa.

    At the occasion were AD leaders, including National Leader Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa; National Chairman Chief Joseph Avazi and National Legal Adviser Kehinde Aworele, who was in court to challenge Oke’s emergence.

    Aworele said: “There was a court action challenging Olusola Oke’s emergence but his victory is sure. We don’t want some people to go to court after his victory to challenge him.

    “This was why I was in court. And the fact that I am here addressing this crowd today shows that there is no more crisis in the party, no cracks within the party, we are one indivisible party.

    “I can assure you that Olusola Oke will be the next governor. Oke means mountain in Yoruba. Like his name he is on top, Ondo State will be on top, Yorubaland is on top.

    “No matter how tall an Iroko tree may be, it cannot be taller than the mountain, Olusola Oke is on top and he will win.”

    Akinfenwa said: “For 13 years, we have been in the wilderness, now it has pleased God to give us a leader capable of putting Ondo back on tracks.

    “If you look at the PDP, it is full of crises. People deceiving people; members are at each other’s throats. The APC too is not faring any better; it is an amalgam of strange bed fellows who cannot deliver on their promises.”

    Avazi assured that the AD was poised to form the next government given the spontaneous show of love for a party that merely came into reckoning two months ago.

    According to him, a new dawn is breaking in Ondo State and AD is set to bring back the lost glory of the sunshine state. We have ruled this state before, this is our second coming and we shall not disappoint you.

    In his acceptance speech, Oke assured that under his watch, Ondo would be better and the people would thrive.

    He said: “Some people have been out on campaigns of calumny against me that I will abandon most of the projects I meet on ground. This is not true.

    “Today, Ondo State is undergoing a difficult situation, all our industries are dead and there is poverty in the land.

    “The priority of my government shall be the good of the people. I greet our mothers, we shall ensure we give you life abundance. We shall give you money to trade. Our workers shall receive their salaries and other entitlements as at when due.

    “Our youths shall be employed as we shall revive our dead industries and make them functional again.”

  • New jostling for Deputy Governorship ticket in Ondo

    Ahead of the November 26 governorship poll in Ondo state, some political parties among the 28 participants in the poll are in the process of selecting their deputy governorship candidates.

    Among the parties, only the Alliance for Democracy (AD) with, Chief Olusola Oke as its candidate have picked its running mate in person of the former lawmaker representing Akoko Northeast/Northwest Federal Constituency, Ganny Dauda.

    Dauda is a former governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) like Oke, the duo dumped the party following the post-primary crisis.

    The former President, Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) was declared the winner of the primary election which was rejected by three frontline aspirants including Segun Abraham, Olusola Oke and Ajayi Boroffice.

    The Election Appeal Committee had earlier recommended the cancellation of the shadow election because of alleged malpractices,while majority members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC ratified the decision of the Appeal Committee to conduct fresh primaries, but the National Chairman of the party overruled it and submitted Akeredolu’s name as the APC candidate.

    Since then, peace has eluded the progressive party in Ondo state. Aggrieved aspirants such as Oke had dumped the party, Abraham is now seeking redress in court to reclaim what he called his ‘Stolen Mandate’.

    Akeredolu’s name has been submitted with that of former PDP lawmaker representing Ilaje/Ese-Odo,Agboola Ajayi as his running mate.

    The one-time National Assembly Member who is from Southern District and a particular community where the mother of the candidate,Akeredolu hails from,political analysts believed must be a surrogate used by the APC flag bearer to meet the INEC’s deadline.

    Truly as being contended,the APC in the state has set up a five-man committee saddled with the responsibility of screening the Deputy Governorship aspirants to become the running mate to Akeredolu.

    The Committee is chaired by the only female governorship aspirant of the party, Mrs Jumoke Anifowose.

    Three governorship aspirants of the  September 3,shadow election including Tunji Abayomi, Victor Olabimtan and Ayo Akinyelure are also members with Bankole Oluwajana, Dr A.Shaba and Wale Akinterinwa.

    They are to screen the aspirants and shortlist the best among them to run with Akeredolu (SAN).

    Those interested in the position apart from that of Agboola Ajayi are mostly from the Southern and Central District.

    The aspirants are 19 in number out of which 13 are from the South while the rest six are from the Central.

    The APC candidate,Akeredolu is from Owo in the Northern district.

    Prominent among the aspirants are the United Kingdom (UK) based lawyer, Bolaji Odidi, Lucky Ayedatiwa, Sam Aderoboye, APC spokesman, Omo’ba  Abayomi Adesanya, Boye Adegbemisoye, a former Chairman of Ile-Oluji/Okeigbo Local Government and Commissioner for Public Utilities.

    Also on the screening list are,Ifedayo Abegunde, former House of Representatives representing Akure South/ North Federal Constituency and Ade Adetimehin, the incumbent APC Deputy state Chairman among others

    For Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)its candidate,Eyitayo Jegede has not picked his governorship candidate,but he may emerge from the Northern District.

    Other political parties have sent the names of their deputy governorship candidates to to INEC,but most of the names are still are unknown politicians.

    The names of the Deputy Governorship candidates for Social Democratic Party(SDP)is John Owoso,Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)which will soon be replaced is Olumide Ogunje, African Peoples Alliance (APA) Owoeye Jonathan, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Paul Oluwasesan, All Progressives Congress (APC) Agboola Ajayi (tentative) Labour Party (LP) Akinbamire Benson,Citizen Popular Party (CPP) Owolabi Yusuf and Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) Onisemo Oladapo.

    Others are Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) Emilere Akinlose,Democratic People Party (DPP)Lawrence Festus,New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Dr Babafemi Famakinwa,Hope Democratic Party (HDP) Oladutire Ronke,National Unity Party (NUP) Ojo Oladapo, Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP) Olajobi Olalekan, Young Democratic Party(YDP)Egbeola Martins and Accord Party(A).

    The rest are All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Yaya Olasehinde, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA), Oladele Bamitale,African Democratic Congress (ADC) Aganmayo Iseoluwa, Action Alliance (AA), Biola Ojo, Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) Omopekun John, Independent Democrats (ID) Famuagun Moses, Kowa Party (KP) Alhaja Fausat Aliu, Peoples For Democratic Change (PDC) Olatunji Segun, Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) Ikusika Olanike, United Democratic Party(UDP) Olasupo Wasiu and National Conscience Party (NCP), Owolabi Stephen.

    It is observed that most of the names are unknown in the politics of the sunshine state,they are mostly surrogates to fill the list.

    But the real running mates would emerge latest October 19 when INEC must have released the final list of the candidates and their running mates.

    Meanwhile,the Alliance for Democracy(AD)has appointed the former Special Adviser to Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun state,Hon Bola Ilori as Director General,Olusola Oke Campaign Organisation,while the former Speaker,Victor Olabimtan who is a governorship aspirant is appointed the Director General to Rotimi Akeredolu Campaign Organisation of the APC.

    Meanwhile, Political Campaigns for all parties are commencing this week around the state.

  • Ondo: Abraham, Oke, Boroffice insist on fresh primaries

    Ondo: Abraham, Oke, Boroffice insist on fresh primaries

    ‎Three aggrieved leading governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State yesterday rejected the decision of the party National Working Committee (NWC) to uphold the primary result, which favoured Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN).

    The trio, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Olusola Oke and Segun Abraham at a press conference held in Akure, the state capital, expressed shock over the action of the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun.

    At the event, which was also attended by their teeming supporters, Abraham was avoidably absent but sent his apology.

    Speaking on behalf of other aspirants, Boroffice particularly described the decision of the  Oyegun to uphold the result, despite the majority of the committee members kicked against it as very undemocratic.

    He said they were consulting and would soon make public the next line of action on their political careers.

    Boroffice said: “as enumerated in our petitions, which we submitted to the Appeal committee that was duly constituted by the NEC with the approval of the NWC of APC and as contained in the primary election guidelines of APC, the followining are the planks upon which our appeals are based:
    “Fraudulent injection of 383 names into the delegates list that was used to conduct the primary election.

    “Issuance of delegate tag to non-delegates and allowing the non-delegates to vote in the primary election.

    “On investigation, 300 delegates tags were indiscriminately issued to non-delegates, two designated buses were provided to convey known non-delegates to the voting centre and voted to give undue advantage to one of the aspirants. “These among others, were discovered after the charade called credible election.

    “It is important to bring into the public domain that on September 2, a new copy of the compromised delegates list was made available to all the aspirants by the election committee of APC around 10.30pm.

    “On the receipt of the purported new delegate list, we all made a written protest letter, including Akeredolu transmitted our letters to the primary election committee chairman informing him of our rejection of the substituted delegates list.

    “As democrats, having discovered the fraud in the process, we submitted ourselves to the process of redress as stipulated in the primary election guidelines of APC, believing that we are safe in the hands of supposed democrats.

    “The Appeal Committee, within the mandate of their authority, having regards to the preponderance of evidence laid before it recommended that the election be nullified and another election be conducted.

    “In line with the electoral guideline of APC, the report of the Appeal Committee was submitted the NWC for final ratification.

    “Considering our strength in the APC and a total votes of 1,617 in the primary election, as the Apex authority in the administration of APC in Nigeria, we have always assumed sanity and reasonableness on the part of the members of the NWC. “We hope the members of the committee will uphold justice and exorcised corruption from the process.

    “On September 22, the NWC considered the report of the Appeal committee and puts its decision on the recommendations of the Appeal committee to vote. The majority of the members of the NWC voted that recommendations of the Appeal committee be upheld.

    “To our dismay and in a manner at variance with democratic norms, the national chairman overruled the majority of the NWC. He rejected the path of truth and upheld the primary election that its process was chacterised with corruption.

    “We are determined to liberate our people and no undemocratic decision of a party and its leadership will be allowed to misdirect our attention from the goal.

    “Therefore, we hereby condemned in absolute terms the undemocratic decision of the NWC. Since the party and the official leaders of the party have found pleasure in covering fraud, we owe the people of ondo state a sacred duty of liberation”.

    On his part, Oke said he is still consulting and he would soon make his next line of action known.

    He noted that “Whatever you might have since on the social media that I am moving to Action Alliance (AA), APGA, is the desire of my supporters.

    “As at today, I have not moved from APC and if I want to move I will inform you people about my next line of action.

  • Ondo guber poll: Supreme Court dismisses Oke’s appeal

    Ondo guber poll: Supreme Court dismisses Oke’s appeal

    The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed an interlocutory appeal by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate in the last governorship election in Ondo State, Olusola Oke.

    The court, in a judgment, held that the appeal was without merit and upheld the earlier decisions on the issue by the election petition tribunal and the Court of Appeal, Akure.

    Oke had challenged the outcome of the election, which returned the Labour Party candidate, Olusegun Mimiko, as duly elected governor of the state.

    But after the close of pleadings (after parties had filed their relevant papers), Oke applied to be allowed to include additional evidence.

    In his motion dated January 16, Oke argued that the evidence which were just released to it by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were not in his custody when he filed the petition.

    The PDP candidate also argued that the evidence would enable the tribunal reach fair and just decision in the case.

    In a ruling on February 4 the tribunal refused the motion on the ground that it sought to amend the substantive petition and introduce fresh facts.

    The Court of Appeal, Akure, to which Oke later appealed, upheld the decision of the tribunal, to the effect that “any amendment to the petition would, in the circumstance, be substantial as to overreach the respondent.”

    Dissatisfied, Oke took his case to the Supreme Court.

    Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, in the lead judgment, held that Oke’s motion offended the provision of Paragraph 14(2)(a) and (b) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act 2010.

    He held the provision prohibits an election tribunal from allowing any form of amendment after the expiration of the period within which to present an election petition.

     

  • Ondo Tribunal delivers judgement on Friday

    Ondo Tribunal delivers judgement on Friday

    The Ondo State Election Petitions Tribunal  sitting in Akure, the state capital will on Friday deliver judgement on petitions before it.

    The Action Congress of Nigeria[ACN] and its Candidate,Rotimi Akeredolu as well as Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] Candidate,Olusola Oke are contesting the result of last year governorship election declared in favour of Dr Olusegun Mimiko of the ruling Labour Party[LP] by the Independent National Electoral Commission[INEC].

    The three-man Panel headed by Justice Andova Kaka’n was inaugurated on November 22,2012 and has 180 days to prosecute the petitions.

    The Petitions of Congress for Progressive Change [CPC] and its Candidate,Prince Soji Ehinlanwo that was struck out at the pre-hearing stage by the tribunal was ordered for retrial by the Appeal Court.

    However,on the hearing day,CPC and its Candidate petitioned the Appeal Court President to disband Justice Kaka’n panel for alleged bias.

    The case was then adjourned indefinitely.Confirming the judgement date,ACN lawyer Charles Titiloye told” The Nation” that the party and its Candidate had been served with notice iof judgement by the Tribunal