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  • Senate leader Bamidele raises alarm over alleged campaign of calumny against him

    Senate leader Bamidele raises alarm over alleged campaign of calumny against him

    The majority leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele on Friday, July 19, raised the alarm over what he described as a campaign of calumny being orchestrated against him for performing his statutory role.

    Bamidele, in a statement by his directorate of media and public affairs, said some people have deliberately misunderstood his role as the leader of parliamentary business of the 10th Senate.

    The statement titled: “Setting the Records Straight! reads: “We have, with grave concerns, noticed campaigns of calumny against the person and office of the Leader of the Senate, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, CON on social media.

    “Behind the campaigns are some individuals, who either misconstrued the statutory role of the Majority Leader in a democracy or willfully distorted established legislative rules that charged the Majority Leader with the duty of leading the business of the Parliament, including government bills.

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    “For the records, Senator Bamidele is never a power manipulator, enemy of the people and an obstacle to national peace, as some reactionaries or agents of regressive forces have been peddling in the social media.

    “As a political actor who enjoys vast public trust, he will never or can never act against the core and strategic interests of Nigeria and Nigerians at any level.

    “Under Rule 23, the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended) specifically provides for the Office of the Leader of the Senate, who shall be a Senator duly nominated from the political party with the highest number of seats in the Senate.

    “This is the global best practice, which is not peculiar to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but also to all democracies worldwide.

    “The rule further establishes that the Leader of the Senate shall (a) lead all government bills; (b) lead the business of the Senate; (c) manage the legislative schedule of the Senate; (d) liaise with Committee Chairmen and other functionaries of the Senate and (e) perform such duties as the President may assign to him.

    “Consistent with the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended), therefore, Senator Bamidele is under obligation to lead all government bills, a role he has been playing creditably. By implication, he is responsible for sponsoring and promoting government bills originating from the Executive Arm or its ministries, departments and agencies.

    “In this light, Senator Bamidele has been able to manage the floor debate on government bills successfully; build consensus across political divides; mobilise support for government bills within the Senate and lead negotiations to gain broader support.

    “Since his assumption of office on July 4, 2023, Senator Bamidele has equally deployed strategies in navigating the complex legislative procedures to advance government bills and coordinated closely with the Executive Arm to ensure that government bills reflect the administration’s policies and priorities.

    “Like other principal officers of the Senate, the role of the Leader of the Senate is provided for in the Senate Standing Orders, 2023 (as amended). In Nigeria, particularly, this role has been pivotal in advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR through the National Assembly. And he has played the role well through a combination of strategic planning, negotiation and leadership skills.”

  • Problems with the police, by Bamidele

    Problems with the police, by Bamidele

    Amid the increasing demand for an efficient and responsive police system, the Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele on yesterday lamented the dysfunctionality of the Nigeria Police, pointing out that as currently constituted, the police was not properly established to succeed in the country.

    Bamidele, also Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, observed that any police structure that did not reflect Nigeria’s federal realities would not effectively address the roots of security challenges facing the federation.

    He made these remarks at the 2024 Distinguished Personality Lecture Series jointly organised by the Department of Political Science and Institute of Legislative Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State yesterday.

    The lecture, titled: “Constitutional Amendment and the Political Dynamics of State Police in Nigeria,” was chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin. Jubrin was represented by Deputy Leader of the Senate, Senator Oyelola Ashiru.

    At the lecture were the Chairman, Senate Chairman on Agriculture, Senator Saliu Mustapha; Chairman, Senate Committee on Trade and Investment, Senator Sadiq Umar; Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs, Senator Akintunde Yunus; Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Egbewole (SAN) and Director General, National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Prof. Abubakar Suleiman.

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    Speaking at the session yesterday, Bamidele dissected diverse socio-economic and political forces responsible for the dysfunctionality of the Nigeria Police and reeled out antidotes to the problems of policing in Nigeria.

    While warning against the incessant deployment of the armed forces without compliance with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, Bamidele faulted the undue establishment and operations of vigilante groups and security outfits at the state levels without national legal framework.

    Bamidele explained that the incessant deployment of the armed forces for the purpose of maintaining law and order internally was at variance with their mandate under the 1999 Constitution and did not portray Nigeria as a truly democratic and internally stable democracy.

    The senate leader observed that the challenges facing the Nigeria Police “are numerous. How the police are organised, managed, governed and funded can determine its ability to deliver on its constitutional mandate of protecting the life and property of Nigerians.

    “Understanding these dynamics can help in appreciating what needs to be done to improve security in the country. It is clear that Nigerians do not fully appreciate the depth and scale of the challenges facing the police.

    “I maintain that the police have not been set up properly to succeed in this nation. Effective policing in Nigeria is almost impossible unless there are fundamental changes. Indeed, the constraints faced by the police are used as excuses for various misconducts and unprofessional behaviours by many officers of the force.

    “Despite many attempts by its leadership of the Nigeria Police to enforce discipline and even sack bad eggs, operational misconduct is still prevalent in the ranks of police operatives, and this undermines their capacity to decisively respond to pervasive insecurity nationwide.”

    He argued that the regular deployment of the Nigeria Armed Forces across the federation was, no doubt, an indication that the present police structure could no longer address the present security challenges of our nation.

    To correct these anomalies, the senate leader canvassed the adoption of decentralised police model to address a myriad of security challenges currently undermining the country’s internal cohesion and disincentivizing investors from coming into the federation.

    According to him, it is self-evident that the establishment of state police will go a long way in mitigating Nigeria’s current security challenges, especially if the proper control mechanisms are put in place.

    The senate leader, therefore, reeled out different measures to prevent the political elite from using the state instrument against dissenting voices if the state police is eventually adopted.

    Bamidele suggested that an Independent Police Service Commission should be established to guarantee the autonomy, independence and non-partisanship of the state police at federal and state levels in matters of appointment, discipline, promotions and accountability.

    Such an independent police commission, he suggested, should be patterned after the National Judicial Council and utterly be insulated from the undue interference of the political elite whether at state or federal level.

    He observed that the adoption of a decentralised police model “is not without its political complexities.

    One of the primary concerns is the potential for abuse of power by the political elite. Its critics fear that the political elite may use state police to suppress opposition political parties, critical social actors or perceived enemies.

    However, according to him, this fear is not unfounded given Nigeria’s history of the abuse of police powers under the Nigeria Police.

    Bamidele expressed grave concern about the proliferation of vigilantes and security outfits in nearly all states of the federation without providing a legal framework for their operations.

    Bamidele noted that the increase in the number of vigilante groups and security outfits, among states, might degenerate into complex crises if we fail to provide a comprehensive legal framework for their operations consistent with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution.

    He observed that the vigilante groups or security outfits are indirectly exercising the powers of state police outside the purview of the 1999 Constitution. But most governments have justified their resolve to create vigilante groups on Section 4(7).

    “This provision expressly empowers the State House of Assembly to make laws for the peace, order and good government of the State or any part thereof. But Section 214 of the 1999 Constitution explicitly grants the federal power absolute policing powers.

    “It is therefore improper for the state governments to exercise policing powers without clearly constitutional provisions or nationally defined legal framework in order to avoid undue descent into anarchy.

    He advocated that there should be robust mechanisms for oversight, accountability and transparency to ensure that state police forces operate within the bounds of the law and respect citizens’ rights.

    “Federal oversight, independent review boards, and clear legislative frameworks are essential to prevent misuse of power. Another critical aspect to consider is the economic feasibility of state policing. Establishing and maintaining state police requires significant financial investment.

    “States must be prepared to allocate adequate resources for training, equipping, and remunerating their police personnel. On its part, the federal government can support this transition through grants and technical assistance, ensuring that no state is left behind due to financial constraints.

    “The path to constitutional amendment and the establishment of state policing in Nigeria must be carefully navigated. It requires broad consensus and collaboration among federal, state, and local governments.

    “Stakeholders – civil society organisations, traditional leaders, and the general populace – must be actively involved in the discourse to ensure that the transition is transparent, inclusive and devoid of rancours.

    “Public education and awareness campaigns are also vital to garnering support for this significant change. The benefits of state policing-enhanced security, improved community relations, and more effective crime prevention-must be clearly communicated to the Nigerian people.”

    Also, Speaker, Kwara State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Danladi Salihu; Speaker, kiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeoye Aribasoye and lawmakers from the two assemblies and National Assembly were in attendance.

  • ‘Saboteurs frustrating Fed Govt’s efforts to reboot economy, raise living standard’

    ‘Saboteurs frustrating Fed Govt’s efforts to reboot economy, raise living standard’

    • Senate Leader says Fed Govt crackdown coming on ‘fifth columnists’
    • Insists 2024 Appropriations Bill will be passed December 30

    Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele yesterday said the Federal Government will, as from next year, go after economic saboteurs who have made life difficult and unbearable for Nigerians.

    Bamidele, who was the Chairman of the Southern Senators’ Forum (SSF) in the Ninth National Assembly, insisted that the National Assembly would pass the 2024 Appropriations Bill on December 30 to sustain the January-December budget cycle.

    The Senate Leader said this while addressing reporters at Iyin Ekiti in Ekiti State.

    He said all federal lawmakers would have to cut short their holidays to ensure speedy passage of the 2024 Appropriations Bill.

    Bamidele expressed concern about the activities of economic saboteurs who he said were doing everything to keep the exchange rates high against the naira or trying to make the nation’s currency unavailable to bank customers. 

    The Senate Leader assured Nigerians that the Federal Government “will, from next year, go after economic saboteurs who are making life difficult and unbearable for Nigerians”.

    He added: “The Federal Government will charge, prosecute and punish them for their acts of economic sabotage. All these will take place next year.

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    “In the long run, those who mopped up the naira and dollars from the markets will face the consequences of their actions. Those who mopped up the dollars to keep commodity prices high will definitely not escape justice. 

    “Those who are speculating are also on the watch list of the Federal Government. At some points, the Federal Government will have to go after them.”

    Bamidele assured Nigerians that despite the efforts of saboteurs to stifle the economy, the nation would witness a true era of Renewed Hope in the coming year.

    The Senate Leader said there would be development, progress and prosperity, citing diverse plans by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to transform the economy.

    He said the Federal Government was planning “to invest heavily in agriculture and agro-allied industries”.

    Bamidele added: “We are equally doing all we can to harness our solid minerals potential as much as what we derive from the sale of crude oil. We are determined to sustain the daily production of 1.7 million barrels.”

    Providing updates on the 2024 Appropriation Bill, the Senate Leader assured Nigerians that the National Assembly would pass the budget on December 30.

    “To ensure the passage of the budget, we abridged time to make all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) appear before the joint sitting of all the relevant committees of the Senate and House of Representatives. 

    “This has already reduced the time for the budget defence process by half, rather than appearing before the Senate first and House of Representatives later. The resolution has also removed the need for harmonisation. In essence, we have been able to save time.”

  • Senate leader, Oni, APC chieftains bid farewell to mother of Oyetola’s ex-CoS in Osun

    Senate leader, Oni, APC chieftains bid farewell to mother of Oyetola’s ex-CoS in Osun

    Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Former Ekiti Governor Segun Oni, Wife of the Minister of Blue Economy Kafayat Oyetola, prominent APC members, and dignitaries attended the funeral of Dr. Charles Akinola’s Mother in Ilesa.

    Akinola was a former chief of staff to the ex-governor of the state and minister of Blue economy, Gboyega Oyetola

    Also, at the burial of Madam late Mrs. Beatrice Akinola, the former Nasarawa State Deputy Governor, Senator Solomon Ewuga, and wife of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bola, were among the dignitaries who thronged the town to pay their last respect to the matriarch of the Akinola family.

    Bamidele described the late Madam Akinola as a woman who lived a life of service to the nation and tutored many prominent Nigerians, especially in the northern part of the country.

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    Speaking on the impact of his late mother on the family, Dr Akinola said his late mother was a pillar of support for the family.

    He said: “I will miss my mother for a lot of reasons, first, she was a pillar of support. She is a woman of solid stealthy determination, in the last two to three years, she has shown sheer strength and positivity. She represents solid positivity which has become a value for the family. She confronted life with determination.

    Other dignities at the event include; Jimi Agbaje, MD/CEO, National Inland Waterways Authority, Bola Oyebamiji, Hon. Ajibola Famurewa, Osun APC Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, among many others.

  • Bamidele: my triumph in Ekiti senatorial race God’s project

    The senator-elect for Ekiti Central, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said his participation in last Saturday’s National Assembly poll and his triumph came through God’s intervention.

    The former Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy said he never knew he could survive the gunshot wound he sustained on June 1, last year, at a rally to kick-start Governor Kayode Fayemi’s campaign in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for last July 14 poll.

    The former House of Representatives member, who was the Director General of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign OrganiSation, was accidentally shot by a policeman at the campaign ground.

    The policeman was manhandled by a crowd of supporters at the party’s secretariat at Ajilosun area of the state capital.

    The incident landed Bamidele in a London hospital for an intensive medical treatment for several months.

    The APC candidate, who spoke yesterday at Iyin Ekiti after he was announced by the Returning Officer (RO), Prof Jeremiah Omotola, on Sunday evening as winner of the election.

    He said his health challenge or incapacitation by the bullets that hit his stomach and thigh could have robbed him the opportunity but for divine intervention.

    Bamidele said: “I participated in this election by miracle. I received divine favour and I will never take that for granted. Surviving such a gunshot was a rare privilege and opportunity.

    “Ekiti has an avalanche of intellectuals; I mean those who are more intelligent and more exposed than me. But I believe that I received divine favour and I am prepared to give my people qualitative representation to reciprocate this confidence repose in me. This is because I never knew I could win with such a wide margin.

    “I really appreciate the spirits of other contestants, particularly my brother and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Obafemi Adewale. The race between us was like no victor, no vanquished.

    “I am ready to work with him to improve the lives of our people because I know he has his own plan of actions and we can still achieve that through my representation.”

    The APC chieftain said he was ready to with Governor Kayode Fayemi to improve the economy of the state and the wellbeing of Ekiti residents through education, job creation, agriculture and industrial development.

    He added that these would satisfy people’s desperate quests for more dividends of democracy.

    Bamidele noted that being a former member of the House of Representatives would stand him in a good stead to contribute more at the Senate.

    The senator-elect promised to sponsor bills, move motions and perform oversight functions for the development of the nation.

  • Bamidele Wins Ekiti Central Senatorial for APC

    Former House of Representatives member and All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate in Ekiti Central for the Saturday National assembly election, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, has been emerged victorious in the the Saturday’s Senatorial election.

    Bamidele, who was in the lower chambers of the National Assembly between 2011 and 2015 was declared winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with 94,279 votes against the opposition People’s Democratic Party candidate, Barr. Obafemi Adewale who polled a total of 46, 707 votes

    Immediately the news filtered into town, Bamidele in company of party supporters stormed Iyin Ekiti to celebrate with the electorate.

  • 2019: APC’ll not buy votes, says Ekiti deputy gov

    The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, on Friday said the ruling party, All Progressives Congress would not indulge in vote-buying in the forthcoming elections.

    Egbeyemi said APC will not engage in any filthy practice that can cast a pall on the party, saying APC led government monumental achievements and President Buhari’s integrity would serve as a pointer.

    Speaking while inaugurating the APC Ekiti Central senatorial Campaign council for the 2019 elections, Egbeyemi, said the only thing he foresaw that can dim the chances of the party is act of betrayal.

    The Council is to campaign across the 57 wards in the district for the victories of President Muhammadu Buhari and senatorial candidate, Hon Opeyemi Bamidele, the House of Representatives candidates in constituencies 1 and II, Hon Sola Fatoba and Hon Wunmi Ogiunlola respectively and the House of Assembly candidates in the next elections.

    Egbeyemi said : “The task is not too much for us to achieve. We are here today because Bamidele didn’t die during the gunshot of June 1, 2018. God specifically preserved him for the senatorial ticket, because he will win.

    “We are not going to buy votes, we are not used to it. Even those who did it in the last election got instant punishment. All we need to tell our people is that our candidates will do well the way governor Kayode Fayemi has been doing”, he stated.

    “The laudable achievement of President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Fayemi within his first 100 days in office was enough to serve as a pointer to the people of Ekiti State to vote massively for APC in the coming polls”

    ” If members are given any logistic, make judicious use of it in the interest of our party. Let us be dedicated. All we want is free and fair elections, we wont engage in vote buying and tolerate crisis.

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    “When I saw the list of the council, I had a conclusion that these were people that own the district, so the job has been made easier if only we can go home and work hard.

    ” I want you to embark on house to house campaign and let people know Fayemi has started well and ready to do more to deliver dividends of good governance”, he said.

    He advised members of the All Progressives Congress(APC) not to betray the party for their candidates to be victorious in the next elections.

    The senatorial candidate of the party in Ekiti Central, Hon Bamidele said the candidates in the district will run a joint campaign since it is about the survival of the party and not about individual.

    The APC state Chairman, Barr. Paul Omotoso urged members to avoid division and educate voters to reduce the number of void votes that affected the party in the last governorship election.

    Omotoso urged them to begin voter education, bemoaning that the party lost over 18,000 votes to poor voting in the last governorship election held in the state thereby reducing the margin of defeat to 19,000.

    ” No one can be willing to join PDP today, because it is crisis-ridden. So, as we are trying to poach good people in the opposition, don’t allow crisis that can dissuade those who want to join us. We must work as a team for these coming polls.

    “We are not going to tolerate a situation whereby you will be our member and you will vote for PDP on the day of election.

    Omotoso added that the PDP is no longer a credible alternative in Ekiti and Nigeria at large, saying any APC member who betrays the party shall pay for it dearly.

    Going by its composition, the Deputy governor is the Grand Patron of the council, while Chief J.F. Alake is the Chairman and is to be co-chaired by Chief Remi Oguntuase.

  • Winning Ekiti poll was therapy for my recovery, says Bamidele

    Former member of the House of Representatives and Director General of Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship elections in Ekiti State was the therapy he needed to quickly recover from his bullet wound.

    Bamidele, who was shot at the APC secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during a campaign, said his doctors had to allow him do what he wanted on the day of the election because he had consistently told them that winning the election was critical to his recovery.

    The former lawmaker, who is contesting the Ekiti Central senatorial seat, also said it would be assuming too much and underrating the extent of growth of the nation’s democracy if Nigerians had assumed that the recent party primaries would not be greeted with protests and crises.

    He said: “I was in my hospital bed in London while the election was going on. But I participated in it as if I was on the ground, in terms of calling everyone who needed to be called.

    “It was one day my doctors agreed I should be left alone to do whatever would help because they had come to the conclusion that winning the election, like I always told them, would be some form of therapy for me. So, I was virtually in touch with everybody who needed to be in touch with and I knew that it was one election that Ekiti people had looked forward to.”

    Dismissing claims that the party engaged in vote-buying during the election, Bamidele said: “People are talking about vote-buying and I must say that it is still an aspect of our democracy that we all need to work towards defeating.

    “I know and I can tell you that we never sat anywhere to discuss vote-buying as a strategy for winning that election. It is now a question of who was buying votes and from who. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) paid a lot of money to get votes.

    “We have documentary evidence that people got credit alerts on their accounts two days to the election and a day to the election. Some people will tell you that they got N3,000 and N4,000.

    “It was done with so much impunity. It was not just pushing money into people’s hands on Election Day but through bank transactions. If that happens and we have evidence to show, I am not in a position to stand here and say there was nothing like vote-buying.

    “What I can say is that on the side of the APC, it was never our strategy to buy votes from anyone. I cannot imagine Dr. Kayode Fayemi would have sat down with any group to start buying votes. People will always spend money on elections because there are logistics issues that will always cost money.

    “You spend money on publicity and all manner of political communications you need to get across to the people. However, as far as we are concerned, vote-buying was not and would not have been a strategy for winning that election.”

    On the crisis that trailed the APC primaries across the country, Bamidele said such a crisis should be expected, especially considering the fact that there is a high hope of the party winning the general election.

    He said: “It is characteristics of any party that is most likely to win a general election, especially a ruling party. I am sure that if APC had not won the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, we probably would not have had this number of aspirants showing interest in contesting elections into various offices.

    “In the same vain, if APC was not in power at the centre, you probably would not have these many aspirants across the country showing interest.

    “When the PDP was in control for 16 years and their primaries were rancorous, a lot of people felt it was in their character. The truth is that part of what was responsible for that is still the same thing responsible for some of the skirmishes within the APC.

    “A lot of people see serious prospects and the possibility of winning. So, they are showing interest and are passionate about it. They want to put in everything to win. I believe it also tells where our democracy stands today and the extent of its growth.

    “Let us continue to remind ourselves that where our democracy is today is exactly where it ought to be some 30 or 40 years ago if the military had not taken advantage of the teething problems of the First Republic to terminate our democratic process.

    “After that, we had over there decades of military rule. That is why, in 2018, we are still where we were supposed to be some 30 years ago. But then, we are making progress and Nigerians are becoming wiser by the day. I am confident that as much as possible, we will do everything tht we can to ensure that everyday is better in this democratic experience.

    “The crisis is part of the democratic process. However, in terms of affecting our chances, I want to say that it is much of a problem to the APC as much as it is to the PDP. We have 91 parties today and some of them were even begging people to be their candidates.

    “I think it is a common phenomenon among the major parties. At the end of the day, it will boil down to who is the liberal candidate, the manifesto and strength of character of the candidates.

    “To assume that there won’t be issues like these during the primaries would be assuming too much and overrating the sense of growth of our democracy. We are still grappling with the teething problems. The more our democracy grows, the more it becomes of quality.”

     

  • Bamidele, Adeyeye, Adetunmbi win Ekiti senatorial tickets

    Former House of Representatives member, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, former Senator, Mr. Olubunmi Adetunmbi and former Minister of State for Works, Prince Adedayo Adeyeye have clinched the three available senatorial tickets in Ekiti State.

    At the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries conducted on Friday, Bamidele defeated incumbent Senator, Mrs. Fatimat Raji Rasaki, to win in Ekiti Central senatorial district.

    Bamidele polled 61,823 votes as against Mrs. Rasaki’s 3,289 in all the 57 wards of the district.

    In Ekiti North, Adetumbi polled 21,763 to defeat a strong field of five aspirants.

    Aspirants defeated by Adetunmbi and their votes are Mr. Cyril Fasuyi (6,021), Dr Olusegun Osinkolu (5,312), Engr. Akin Bamisaye (2,003), Sir Kayode Otitoju (1,183) and Mr. Femi Ajepe (1,183).

    Adeyeye, despite standing as a consensus candidate in Ekiti South, still polled 51,443.

    The six APC candidates for the House of Representatives were also elected at the Friday’s primaries.

    Former Chief of Staff to the ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu emerged as the flag bearer for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1 while former House of Assembly Speaker, Mr. Femi Bamisile won the ticket for Ekiti South Federal Constituency 2.

    The Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 1 ticket went to Mr. Sola Fatoba. Former Ekiti Assembly Chief Whip, Mrs. Omowumi Ogunlola, grabbed the ticket for Ekiti Central Federal Constituency 2.

    Former Chairman of the State Housing Corporation, Mr. Peter Owolabi, won the Ekiti North Federal Constituency 1 ticket while former Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters, Mr. Ibrahim Olarewaju, clinched the ticket for Ekiti North Federal Constituency 2.

    Speaking with reporters in Iyin-Ekiti after being declared winner, Bamidele promised to make the difference if he wins at the National Assembly polls in 2019.

    He said the direct primary conducted in Ekiti had afforded every member the right of participation as entrenched in democratic ideals,
    saying act of imposition would only brew ill-feelings among party members.

    Bamidele lauded party members for exhibiting so much love for him, urging them to replicate the gesture next year’s February 16, when the presidential and National Assembly elections will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

  • Bamidele on thank-you tour of Ekiti Central

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Opeyemi Bamidele has begins a tour of the Ekiti Central Senatorial District to thank constituents for their  solidarity during his trying period.

    The former House of Representatives recently returned from overseas where he was recuperating after sustaining wounds from gun shots at a rally in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State.

    Opefemi, former Lagos State Information and Strategy Commissioner, visited Efon, Ekiti West, Ijero, and Ado-Ekiti. He was also at the Isan country home of Governor-elect Dr Kayode Fayemi, from where he  returned to Iyin, his home town for a reception.

    The district was enveloped in anxiety, following the accident which occurred when Bamidele was preparing for the funeral of his father, whose body is still in the morgue.

    Despite his absence, Bamidele was named as the Chairman of Fayemi Campaign Team, which worked hard for the victory of the APC flag bearer at the July 14 poll.

    A leader of the party in Ekiti West Federal Constituency, Chief Joseph Alake, said the thank-you visitt  kicked off in Efon-Alaaye, the headquarters of Efon Council today. Bamidele will address party faithful.

    He said: “We are happy that Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele is back; hale and hearty. The anxiety is over. He is organising the thank-you tour to show appreciation to party members who prayed and stood by him.”

    Party sources said the five local governments are rooting for the senatorial candidature of the survivor in next year’s election.

    In 2011, the former commissioner had contested for the Senate. Other contenders included Senator Babafemi Ojudu and Mr. Dele Alake, his predecessor at the Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy. The shadow poll conflict was resolved in favour of Ojudu, who is now presidential adviser on political matters. Bamidele was elected into the House of Representatives.

    In 2014, the former legislator defected from the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) to the Labour Party (LP), where he contested the governorship against Fayemi. The two of them lost to outgoing Governor Ayo Fayose.

    However, during the preparations for the recent governorship poll, Fayemi and Bamidele were working together for the APC, until the tragedy that nearly claimed his life.

    Bamidele has not unfolded any ambition for the Senate. He has also not denied media reports linking him and Prince Dayo Adeyeye with senatorial aspirations. Adeyeye, who recently defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC is from Ekiti South. In the past, both nursed governorship ambitions.

    Analysts believe that, if the duo are elected as senators next year, they are likely to throw their hats in the governorship ring when Fayemi completes his second term.