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Tag: Oshiomhole

  • Jonathan ran down economy for six years, says Oshiomhole

    •‘Current debts make previous liabilities small’

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has accused the Goodluck Jonathan administration of running down the nation’s economy and plunging the country into huge foreign debts.

    The governor spoke yesterday in Abuja when he visited the Dr. Aruba Wabba-led leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

    He said the nation’s current debt profile has broken the records of previous foreign liabilities the Olusegun Obasanjo government got a debt cancellation.

    Oshiomhole, who is also a member of the National Economic Council (NEC), said: “This economy has been run down in the last six years and this country has over-borrowed. It has so over-borrowed that our current debt profile makes our previous situation a joke.

    “When you look at the current number, vis-a-viz the number we had before the debt cancellation, this huge debt burden at a time of declining oil revenue are likely to put pressure on the exchange rate.

    “When government faces serious deficit, the temptation to resort to ways and means will be strong. All that will affect the value of wages, which will put pressure on the working people to demand for more at a time of declining national revenue.”

    The governor urged labour leaders to unite and engage the incoming Muhammadu Buhari administration to ensure that the interests of the Nigerian worker form part of its policies.

    He said: “I can see a lot of social tension, going forward. The least you require is to have leaders being divided on petty issues. This is the time you need a united voice… Even my being in government cannot give you the comfort.

    “What will give workers the comfort is the existence of a powerful, well organised, articulate and focused labour movement. Even if I was the President of Nigeria, you would need a strong movement to help to draw the President’s attention to the lot of the majority, who are actually the voters.

    “I know that Nigerian workers are united by poverty at the moment. They are united by so much uncertainty, threats to jobs and unemployment. I am sure you are not carried away by those symbolic economic policies. You need to go beyond that and encourage the incoming government to revisit Nigeria industrial policy.”

    “We can’t celebrate success in agriculture and yet post huge import bill on food. There are many things you must do at this level. I know that you can help the next government to evolve policies that are pro poor, to put in place economic policies that will lead to job led growth.

    “There is a lot to be done than sit back and query over an election that has been lost and won. All those who love the Nigerian worker must stop the fight, egg back into NLC under the leadership and drive the change that NLC need and engage the incoming government to ensure that from day one, the interest of the Nigerian worker is reflected in policies that President Buhari is going to pursue”

    He told the new leadership of the congress that “the NLC has a task of rebuilding the movement because there is no doubt that you have lost a lot of mileage and a lot of goodwill in the eyes of ordinary Nigerians. Many believe that NLC went to sleet for almost eight years.

    “I ask you to rebuild the movement, you must continue to be the vehicle for conveying discontent,not only on wage questions, but also on questions of public policy choices that have to do with the management of our economy.

    “I have made the point over and over again that what determine the quality of a worker is not just the volume of his wages. If is the overall way in which the economy is managed, the provision of infrastructure, government social policies among others.

    “If you are detained by wage issues along, and unable to find your voice on critical micro economic issues,  wages can’t deliver on prosperity. Indeed, wages can be consumed by inflation and all kinds of forces”.

    While acknowledging the discontent about the elections that brought in the new leadership, he said “I am aware that there are some persons who are not happy by the outcome of the election. But that is the way democracy works. The only way to avoid defeat in a democracy is not to participate in an election in which you have more than one candidate.

    “Once you submit to an electoral process in which you have more than one candidate, it is obvious that only person would win. The beauty of the labour movement is that it doesn’t produce winners like the Nigeria political system. I can understand why politicians can parochial in their language and strategy.

    “We have a rich tradition of organising, mobilizing and contesting issues without recourse to ethnic and religious sentiments and NLC must uphold this tradition and build on it. It is a rich tradition which we must guide and protect.

    “Once a free and fair election has taken place, the outcome is binding on all democrats who participated. We can’t have have a tradition in which losers have to be massaged and persuaded to accept defeat. That will be offensive to the essence of labour unionism and the democratic principles.

    “As far as I am concerned there is no space to sit on the wall between the truth and the truth. I will stand by the truth anyway, anytime and it doesn’t matter the number that stand on the truth.

    “Let me declare that those complaining have all the qualities of being President, even of Nigeria, but it is just that at any one point in time, only one person will preside. I ask you to develop some additional capacity to embrace everyone, including those that undermine the election you clearly won. There are challenges in life which are meant to toughen us and not meant to weaken us.

    “I appreciate so much the contribution of the ASUU President who was the chairman of the committee and all of us old and not so old, veterans were all there to witnessed this process. I think that the outcome reflect the will of the Nigerian worker.

    “There is no honour that is greater than being selected by the productive forces of our great country, those who are responsible for the wealth of our nation.to be elected by the wealth creators of the country and not bugged down by the primordial sentiments of ethnicity and religion, the sort of thing that idol politicians still parade”.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Southsouth, Southeast ‘miracle votes’ must be eliminated, says Oshiomhole

    Southsouth, Southeast ‘miracle votes’ must be eliminated, says Oshiomhole

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said the electoral system needs to be cleaned to eliminate “miracle votes” from the Southsouth and Southeast.

    Oshiomhole, who said he was fulfilled that Nigeria has finally joined countries that could be counted to successfully change their government through the ballot box, said  “ancestors come out to vote in the Southeast and part of the South south”.

    The governor spoke when the State Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) visited him at the weekend.

    Oshiomhole noted that he was happy that the coffin of godfatherism in Edo politics had been finally nailed.

    He said President Barack Obama refused to visit Nigeria because rigging was deepened in every election.

     Oshiomhole said he would be happy to retire from politics because he survived the evil machinations of godfathers and presided over their (godfathers’) own liquidations without any shot but through the PVC (Permanent Voter Cards).

    He said:  “Indeed when President Obama visited Africa and Nigeria was not on the list, few of us were in the US on the platform of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and visited the State Department and we expressed our disappointment that Obama would not visit Nigeria.

    “The Secretary of State for Africa now said, Obama will not come to Nigeria because they do not encourage bad behaviour. He said those of them who are friends of Nigeria, each time we think you are beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, they will say let us encourage these people to get there, that when you wake up the next day you will find out that the tunnel has been removed.

    “So, it is so disappointing for those of them who see Nigeria as the key to Africa’s development, both politically and economically. He said Obama will go to Ghana because though Ghana haven’t solved all their problems, they have shown some capacity and their democracy has matured. And the test of that maturity is that the people of Ghana have been able to remove a government through the ballot and elect a government. A ruling party has been defeated by the opposition party and opposition party that formed the government has been defeated by another opposition party. That is the litmus test of democracy, unlike in Nigeria where in one election you deepen the rigging in the next election. Nobody wants to go and appear to seem to endorse or support such a situation. That was why Obama will rather not come to Nigeria and will prefer to go to Ghana to encourage them to consolidate.

    “Today we are happy that Nigeria has joined those nation states that can now say it is possible that a government has been replaced by very ordinary people equipped and armed only by their PVC. So as a Nigerian I am very proud of this country. For all those who struggled and also died in the struggle for democracy we can now say finally we are here. But of course, there are still couple of things to be done, to completely clean up the electoral process so that those part of the country where you still have the miracle votes, where the ancestors come out to vote in the South East and part of the South South, those are areas we need to clean up so that overall, Nigeria will begin to grow.

    “And if you recall where we are coming from in this state, you will appreciate how I feel. When I came in, every councillor in this state, local government chairmen, House of Assembly members, the governor and, of course you have the Presidency, now to imagine that from ground zero we came in to challenge this order and of course, we must not forget that when they talk about godfatherism in Nigeria politics, when they talk about the power of godfathers, a small powerful, unaccountable, unelected group, Edo is their home base. That is something everybody knows so much that people from outside this state come here for consultation to consult with the Edo god fathers.

    “To imagine that very ordinary people like me and few others who are convinced that this order can be overthrown and liquidated and we started fighting with our bare hands and today we have effectively buried the godfathers, for me the four chapters are closed. For me, the real import of this is that never again will anybody in this state look at any one and say, who are you, because you don’t have a godfather. To now imagine that when we liquidated the godfathers in this state and somehow Abuja put them on life support, they were still able to harass us and even intimidate us and even threaten us even when they are not on ground in the state, but that life support was switched off by Nigerians on March 28, which is why the final political funeral of the godfathers was such an easy task on April 11.”

  • Oshiomhole is Edo political leader, says Airhiavbere

    Oshiomhole is Edo political leader, says Airhiavbere

    A former Edo State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Maj.-Gen. Charles Arhiavbere, has described Governor Adams Oshiomhole as a leader the state politics.

    Arhiavbere, who recently defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), addressed reporters yesterday in Benin, the state capital.

    He said: “The Lord is working in our favour to turn the tables. APC is having the highest number of seats in the House of Assembly election in Edo State. With this victory, it has shown that Oshiomhole is the leader of Edo politics. We are all here to support him and to ensure that the people get the benefits of democracy.

    “Democracy has matured in Edo State. The people have spoken that Oshiomhole is a leader and if you see the trend of results coming out and from what we are hearing from other states that contested governorship election, you will know that APC has come to stay.

    “The Comrade Governor will be energised from what he has seen and we can still see the APC ruling this state in 2016.”

    Also, APC state Chairman Anselm Ojezua reiterated the party’s commitment to discipline as more defectors join the party, especially from the PDP.

    He said: “The Saturday victory was a good way to end the elections. We are grateful to God for giving our people the wisdom to do what they did. All we ask God was a majority but what he gave to us was a fantastic result.

    “APC has always been the party to beat in Edo State for some time now. As I always said, every political party must be in the permanent state of mobilisation. So, it is always a good thing when people come in, so long as they are willing to subject themselves to the leadership and the rules and regulations of the party. I have no problem with it.”

  • PDP faults Oshiomhole on 140,000 void votes claim

    PDP faults Oshiomhole on 140,000 void votes claim

    The Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State has picked holes in claims by Governor Adams Oshiomhole that 140,000 votes of the All Progressive Congress were voided during the conduct of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    It said it symphatised with Governor Oshiomhole for his inability to accept defeat adding that the Governor was looking for excuses to make up for the defeat of the APC at the polls.

    The PDP said 97,414 votes were cancelled and not voided as claimed by the Governor.

    State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, in a press statement said the cancelled votes was in respect of the cancelled votes in Orhiomwon Local Government Area where no vote was recorded.

    Chief Orbih noted that votes from Orhiomwon Local Government were not captured in the March 28 election and that the entire people who collected PVCs in the council were disenfranchised.

    Orbih said the PDP would have swept the polls “if the forces of darkness had not prevailed on INEC to cancel the election going by what we recorded in other local government in the Edo South senatorial zone.

    “When did Governor Oshiomhole become a Returning Officer in INEC that he now apportions electoral figures? We had expected Governor Oshiomhole to have learnt some lessons in the resounding victory of the PDP in the election but we have again seen that the Governor has not desisted from his old ways of playing on the intelligence of Edo people.

    “After winning five out of the nine House of Representatives seats and two out of the three Senate positions in Edo State, we are glad to declare that come the governorship election next year, Edo people will have the final opportunity to put this sad chapter of the APC’s misadventure behind them.”

  • Oshiomhole: 140,000 APC votes voided in Edo

    Oshiomhole: 140,000 APC votes voided in Edo

    EDO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday blamed his All Progressives Congress (APC) loss of the presidential election on March 28 to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southsouth state on the cancellation of votes.

    According to him, 140,000 of the 150, 000 voided votes in the state were APC’s. He made the revelation in an appreciation broadcast to the people for voting the APC in the general elections.

     The governor said the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, secured 45 per cent of the total valid votes despite the cancellation. The APC scored below 25 per cent in all the Southsouth states except Edo.

    In the broadcast, Oshiomhole said: “I want to formally thank you for standing by me and the government of Edo Sate during the just-concluded presidential, National Assembly and State Assembly elections. During the presidential election, you refused to be swayed by the campaigns of hate, religious and ethnic bigotry.

    “Consequently, it is on record that Edo is the only state within the   Southeast and Southsouth geo-political zones where the President-elect,  Muhammadu Buhari, secured the highest number of 45 per cent of votes cast.

    “It is now clear that the about 140,000 out of the 150,000 voided votes were actually APC votes. If we add 140,000 to the 208,000 votes declared by INEC, it is clear that Gen Buhari won the election in Edo State.

    “I am very excited by this outcome. Indeed, all Nigerians, other than those blinded by religious and ethnic sentiments, are proud of the outcome. I am glad that you resisted the subversive generosity, the monetary inducement displayed by our opponents and you voted for change. I cannot thank you enough for doing us proud in the manner you voted.

    “In the House of Assembly election, you rose in unison to re-affirm a vote of confidence in my stewardship. You demonstrated clearly your commitment to change and your desire for us to sustain and build on the gains recorded in the last six years of my stewardship, as governor.

    “Indeed, the outcome of the just concluded elections has confirmed unequivocally that the APC is the darling of the people across the three senatorial zones of our dear state, and in fact, across Nigeria.

    “Not only did we win convincingly in all the seven local government areas in Edo South and the six local government areas in Edo North Senatorial zone, but even in the home base of the godfather-general, we still won convincingly in three out of the five local government areas in Edo Central senatorial zone.  I dare say with all sense of humility that it could not have been better than this.

    “It is manifestly clear that God has used you, the electorate, to silence all the godfathers across the state; a small clique that has for about 16 years – at the federal level and 10 years at the state level – feasted on our common patrimony; criminally privatised our resources and presided over the underdevelopment of our state.

    “You have now effectively and permanently retired the four political ruling houses that have kept our state and our people in political bondage.

    “Over the past six years, we may have offended some individuals or groups in our bid to improve the lot of our people, through aggressive urban renewal, rural development and revenue generation. To those we have inadvertently offended by our actions or inactions, I offer my unreserved apologies. However, to those that had deliberately constituted themselves as cogs in the wheel of progress, we have no regrets.

    “Now all hands must be on deck. With the support of the president-elect, we are well positioned to do all we need and take Edo State to the next level.”

  • Oshiomhole holds ‘thank you’ road show on APC’s victory

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole yesterday led thousands of All Progressives Congress (APC) faithful on a 10-kilometre road show round major streets of Benin, the state capital.

    The occasion was the celebration of the party’s victory in the April 11 House of Assembly elections.

    The “Thank You” road show, which started at the Ramat Park on Auchi-Abuja Road, took the governor and the party faithful through Ikpoba slope to Ewah Street, Gani Fawehimi Layout, Guobadia Street, the New Lagos Road, to New Benin through Mission Road.

    It ended at the Oba Ovoramwem Square in the heart of the state capital.

    Addressing a huge crowd of party faithful, who sang and danced with him throughout the road show, Oshiomhole noted that last Saturday’s victory of the APC was the final nail on political coffin of those he called expired godfathers in the state.

    He said: “Everybody here, all Edo men and women, have again spoken. You have reaffirmed your confidence and trust in my stewardship. You have renewed the vigour, your commitment to change. Last Saturday, you completed the first chapter in this journey.

    “You recall I told you few years back that we terminated ‘godfatherism’ when we voted again and again to bury the ‘godfather’. But as we bury them, Abuja put them on oxygen mask. They have been on oxygen for so many years. I told my friend and brother, President Goodluck Jonathan, why are you putting these godfathers on oxygen?

    Oshiomhole added: “You remember the President came to Edo and said the state would fall in 2015 and 2016. I said in the name of God, our Creator, He will not abandon us. I said Jonathan would fall. Has he not fallen? And I said the ‘godfather’ would fall. Has he not also fallen? Where are they today? From Edo Central to Edo South, all the ‘godfathers’ have finally perished.

    “We now have a completely new energetic, imaginative, rugged and dogged political leadership. I am proud of Edo people. I want to thank you very much for being there for me. I promise that I will be there for all of you. I will give my all for Edo people, because if you imagine the plans of the enemies while we were campaigning for change, for progress and development, they were plotting to use acid to bath my political life. They did advertorials, they did all kinds of abusive campaigns, but God said the devil is a liar.

    “Today, like I told you at Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, people like us conquered fear many years ago. We will stand on our feet and fight on the basis of our convictions. We will not go down on our knees to beg those who themselves are living on the quicksand of time.”

    The elated governor also said: “I am very happy for the referendum that took place on Saturday. The election was a referendum between the godfathers and the great people of this great state. We know who the godfathers are. Of course, one or two escaped the first day but by Saturday, we finished them.

    “I salute the fighting spirit of our people in Esan land. We took the fight to the doorstep of the godfather and his young godson; we dealt with them and we have now formally restricted them to Uromi. We caged him from Ubiaja, then we nailed him from Irrua and finished him at Igueben. So, it is complete. I thank God that at the end, God used me to nail their political coffin, and I thank you for being a part of it.

    “To the Edo woman, we will do our best to support your commercial life. We will do for you much more than we have done before. To our youths, this struggle was about you. You have all come out in large numbers; you bore the risk, you sweated, you did not sleep. By the grace of God, we are now in a position to reposition you and to empower you.”

    Oshiomhole added: “…We will revisit some programmes that are specifically targeted at our elders because the elders have prayed, they have had sleepless nights praying against the devil. As you can see, God answered the prayers.

    “To all the great people of Edo State, to the great Oba of Benin Kingdom, to all the members of the royal family, to all the Enigies of Benin Kingdom, to all the chiefs, to all the leaders of thoughts, the Benin Forum, the Benin Leaders of Thought, the great Benin Women, the Odionweres, to everybody, I cannot thank you enough. God will bless your children as a reward for your sacrifice.”

     

  • ‘Tinubu, Oshiomhole architects of new Nigeria’

    ‘Tinubu, Oshiomhole architects of new Nigeria’

    Former Lagos State Governor and National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been described as the leader, architect and pathfinder of an emerging new Nigeria.

    A statement by the Senior Special Assistant  (Media) to Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. John Mayaki, while congratulating the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on his victory, said: “the likes of former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Rivers State Governor Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole of Edo State and others, should be congratulated for leading a most ferocious battle against a most desperate Federal Government under President Goodluck Jonathan.”

    Mayaki described Governor Oshiomhole as a steadfast, courageous pathfinder and democrat, who provided effective leadership for the people even as he called on those who left the party to consider returning home.

     “We made it to the other side after the PDP captivity, the turbulent and fearful crossing (transition) of the sea to the other side of victory and Promised Land for Nigerians.

    “It is not easy to be in opposition. Comrade Oshiomhole has again proved his onions. He is never intimidated or cowed. He is courageous and at his best when intimidated. He was steadfast and focused throughout.

    “Today, Edo State was in the league of states in the opposition party, which dethroned a corrupt-ridden Federal Government.

    “Oshiomhole fought with other democrats to rescue Edo State from the grip of the PDP, which almost snuffed life out of the state.

    “I want to appreciate those who have joined him from other parties and encourage others who are yet to catch the joy of liberation with the governor to do so in the interest of the state and the country.

    “It is a matter of leadership. Oshiomhole has done this again. He has shown leadership and if you think you no longer find leadership in PDP or any other party, why not join the pathfinder – Adams Aliyu Oshiomhole,” Mayaki said.

  • Why I dumped PDP, ex-Gov Osunbor

    Why I dumped PDP, ex-Gov Osunbor

    A former Governor of Edo State, Prof Oserheimen Osunbor said he decided to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the All Progressives Congress (APC) because the PDP does not have the interest of the people at heart.

    Speaking at a rally where he formally decamped to the APC, Tuesday, Osunbor said: “sometimes in February 2012, I reflected on my journey in politics and realized that the people in my party at that time (PDP) did not have the interest of the people of Edo State in mind and that was why during that election I cast my vote in favor of the re-election of the Comrade Governor. I told all my supporters across Edo State to give their votes to him and what did we see? 18 over 18.

    “I did that because I was convinced that the Comrade Governor has the interest of the ordinary people at heart but the people in my former party, the PDP, didn’t have the interest of the common man at heart.”

    The former Governor said, “In the local government elections, I supported the ACN as it were then but and all the while I have been supporting the APC and the election of 2 weeks ago, I cast my vote for the candidate of APC and I told my supporters to vote for APC candidates. I also reflected and saw that within APC are my friends. Why should I be in exile while my friends are in APC, so I decided to come home from political exile to realign with the Comrade Governor and APC in Edo State. The government at the Federal is APC and the Government at the State is APC, what will you benefit if you vote for PDP? He asked.

    In his response, Governor Adams Oshiomhole said, “today for me is historic for several reasons. This is the first formal public display of the bond of unity, friendship and comradeship between Prof. Osunbor and Comrade Oshiomhole. I am sure you all know that I took over from Prof. Osunbor under very hostile condition and today it is to his credit, his large heart and my own purity of heart that whereas governors who smoothly change power today are at war against each other in many parts of Nigeria, in Edo State, the immediate past and the present are bonded together by the broom in a common commitment to work and sustain positive changes in our state and indeed in our great country.”

    Oshiomhole added, “Prof. Osunbor, I want to thank you for your courage and for putting the bigger issue before the smaller issue and like you said demonstrating publicly what you have always done with us privately. May God bless your decision and all those who have come with you in their renewed hope in our mission of change.

    “For me, it is a fulfillment of a long dream. Like he said, Prof. has shown a large heart. For many people, once you have a little quarrel they never forgive and politicians are worse for that and like he recalled, before my second reelection, Prof. Osunbor was there for me not secretly, he told everybody to vote for me and he made a statement that will be recorded in our history.

    “There are many who will say, ‘I will never forgive him’ but that is not Prof.  For me, your coming has not just completely healed wounds, it has strengthened us and it will make a very important mark in the heart of many of our young people who should learn the spirit of forgiveness, the spirit of downplaying personal issues and supporting the bigger question.

    He continued: “The election that took place last week has already settled one major problem that we have had in this state, the problem of political godfatherism. That is now buried forever and history will record it in our favor that together we buried godfatherism in our state and in the country. We now have a state that will be led by younger generation of leaders whose actions and interest in politics is about development. We have radically moved away from politics of exclusion to politics of inclusion. From politics of who do you know to politics of everybody matters.”

    While admitting the Professor into the APC family, Oshiomhole assured that a bigger ceremony will be held at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium to receive him.

  • Oshiomhole, Amosun, Saraki, Fayemi, others greet president-elect

    Oshiomhole, Amosun, Saraki, Fayemi, others greet president-elect

    Governors and other eminent citizens yesterday congratulated the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, on his victory.

    Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole said Buhari’s victory represents a new dawn in the nation’s polity.

    Oshiomhole, in a statement, said: “Let me congratulate you sir, on your historic victory at the presidential election, through a process which has been adjudged as free, fair and credible by both local and international observers. Indeed, your victory, on the basis of one man, one vote, represents a new dawn in the democratic governance of our great country

    “The spread of your victory across the length and breadth of the country shows your national acceptance as the man Nigeria needs at this critical stage to reposition her from the 16 years of misrule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “I have implicit confidence that, with you as president, Nigeria will no doubt get a true and selfless leadership needed to drive the much-desired change at the centre, which will start the process of reengineering the country and halt the drift, which the country had been plunged in the past 16 years.”

    Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun has also congratulated the president-elect.

    Amosun expressed the hope that Buhari’s government would bring about the much needed security, economic growth and development.

    Amosun, in a statement yesterday by his spokesperson, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Wakama, added that the victory was a demonstration of the Nigerian people’s confidence in Gen. Buhari’s strong leadership qualities.

    Amosun said: “The people have spoken and demonstrated with their votes, their confidence in the ability of the president-elect to pull the nation out of its present economic woes.

    “The trajectory of the president-elect, his principles and uprightness are some of the qualities that must have endeared him to the electorate.”

    To the former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Gen. Buhari’s victory signposts a new beginning for Nigeria and Nigerians.

    “History has just been made in our dear country”, declared Fayemi, who hailed Buhari’s victory over the incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan as a victory for democracy and the Nigerian citizenry.

    Fayemi, in the statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Olayinka Oyebode, said going by the outcome of the election, Nigerians have demonstrated to the entire world their ability and readiness to tow the path of greatness and oneness.

    “Nigerians have spoken. They have spoken clearly through their votes. They want a new direction and a new approach to governance and the APC government under the leadership of Gen. Buhari owes them this and more”, said Fayemi.

    He added that the APC, through the victory, is now saddled with the responsibility of making a meaningful change in the lives of the people as promised during the electioneering.

    Fayemi, who chaired the APC national convention that produced Gen. Buhari as the party’s candidate, said Nigerians were the actual winners in the keenly contested election, having demonstrated rare courage and determination to effect the change they desired.

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki dedicated Gen, Buhari’s victory to the citizens.

    Saraki, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media and Advocacy, Bamikole Omishore, in Abuja, called on the president-elect to be magnanimous in victory.

    He enjoined him to use his unique stature as a statesman to reunite the country and heal whatever crack that might be in the political demography due to the electioneering process.

    The Oyo Central senator-elect, Monsurat Sunmonu, congratulated Gen. Buhari on his victory at the polls.

    The House of Representatives members-elect for Oyo Federal Constituency, Prince Akeem Adeyemi and Waliu Ganiyu, greeted the president-elect, saying that his victory was well-deserved.

    The Secretary to the Oyo State Government (SSG), Mr. Ismail Ali, described the presidential and National Assembly elections as the best ever in the history of Nigeria.

    The APC chieftain congratulated the APC presidential candidate for the victory in the keenly contested polls.

  • Jonathan’s transformation has deformed Nigeria, says Oshiomhole

    Jonathan’s transformation has deformed Nigeria, says Oshiomhole

    EDO State Governor Adams Oshiomhole has said has said President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda has not made any impact on the country. According to him, President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda has deformed the country, rather than transform it

    Speaking on Monday, after a road walk, tagged: “March for Buhari”, which started from Oba Ovoranwen Square, and culminated in a mass rally in New Benin, Oshiomhole said Nigerians have the opportunity, on Saturday, to vote out the government, which failed them in 16 years.

    Oshiomhole said Jonathan’s administration abused the people’s trust and should be voted out.

    He said: “I have seen the huge gap between the promise and the reality. Nigeria today is 16 years into democracy. Governments have come and made promises, they have abused the trust of our people.

    “On Saturday, there will be a referendum; every Nigerian, 18 years and above, who is equipped with his/her Permanent Voter Card (PVC), will have to make a decision that will define the future of our nation and indeed, the future of the black race.

    “NEPA does not give you light for months and yet they ask you, in a democratic country; a free country, to pay fixed charges even when they deliver fixed darkness. Who says we should continue with this condition?

    “The primary purpose of government is to protect its citizen. Even in the days of dictatorship, we were never so ruthlessly exploited.

    “Where is the transformation? They have transformed refineries that were working when Buhari was the minister of Petroleum, to refineries that are not working. This issue is about common sense. When the Warri refinery was working, many of our people were working there, earning good salaries and adding value. When General Buhari was head of state, our refineries were working. He refused to take the IMF loan. N1 was equivalent to $1 but today, $1 is N230.

    “We want to change the story. We want to change from darkness to light so that when you put on your light, it works. We want to remove the fraud that was committed in the name of privatisation.

    “They say Buhari will Islamise Nigeria. General Buhari was a military head of state, with both executive and legislative powers, did he Islamise Nigeria?

    “It is true he sent some people to jail but did he jail innocent people? He jailed corrupt people and he will jail corrupt people again. There is no running away from it. That is why they are afraid, that is the message.

    “So I ask you to stand up. You must be on your feet”.