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Tag: Osun Speaker

  • Osun speaker, lawmakers storm PDP primary venue, clash with INEC officials

    Osun speaker, lawmakers storm PDP primary venue, clash with INEC officials

    The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Egbedun, along with some lawmakers and their aides, on Tuesday stormed the venue of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary to confront officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party members.

    Egbedun, accompanied by his deputy, Hon. Akinyode Oyewusi, and other lawmakers, arrived at Adolak Event Centre shortly after the primary winner was declared, expressing opposition to the exercise.

    A video circulating on social media showed Egbedun pointing at the INEC Public Relations Officer, Mr. Musa Olurode, dressed in a blue native attire, after which one of his aides reportedly attacked the official.

    The Deputy Speaker, Oyewusi, intervened, ordering the aides to cease the assault.

    The Speaker later entered the hall, angrily declaring that those at the venue had no right to conduct a party primary in Osun State.

    Speaking to newsmen, Egbedun warned Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, against using Osun State as a springboard for his presidential ambition.

    He said, “I am the Speaker of Osun, I am a leader in my state and in the PDP. We were on the floor of the house when we received calls that some people were here, all the way from Oyo State, to come just to have a vote that we call a drama.”

    “I am a leader of PDP and a bona fide member of the Party. I used the PDP ticket to win my election in 2023. So it’s very strange to see videos of people calling themselves PDP members. I could remember that there was a message that there was going to be a Congress. We were waiting for them, and we received another message that the Congress had been postponed.”

    He warned, “This is a message to Gov Seyi Makinde, if he is desperate to become President come 2027, he should use another state as a tool, not Osun state. We are bona fide PDP members; we have 25 House of Assembly members, 5 Rep members, and senators.

    “For a governor from another state to come to our state to dictate to us, we won’t take that. This is a message to everybody that we won’t take this anymore. They came here to do what I can call a drama, and this will be the end of it.”

    He reiterated, “We do not have any notifications whatsoever from any office. I am the Speaker, and a governor from another state will come to dictate to us; we won’t take that. We will have a meeting and decide on what to do.”

  • Coalition slams Osun speaker over stalled renovation of Assembly projects 

    Coalition slams Osun speaker over stalled renovation of Assembly projects 

    A coalition of civil society organisations has called on the Osun State House of Assembly to expedite the renovation of its gate and lawmakers’ quarters, which have been stalled for two years.

    Speaking during the group’s monthly state-of-the-state address on Friday, the Executive Director of The Osun Masterminds (TOM), Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, described the delay as insensitive and urged lawmakers to show greater responsibility in projects that enhance the state’s image.

    He said the Assembly should focus on initiatives that would make Osun State more attractive and better positioned for development.

    Also speaking, Comrade Ayo Ologun expressed concern over the prolonged delay, noting that the Assembly gate has remained under construction for two years.

    Read Also: ‘Oyo Assembly’s N300billion loan approval in order’

    “Gate and fence construction is one of the simplest projects to complete, but it has lingered unnecessarily, leaving the place as an eyesore,” he said.

    “Unfortunately, the assembly complex is close to the State Secretariat which make it look so disgracing for us all. It is the entrance of the state capital. This is lack of responsibility on the legislative arm part led by Adewale Egbedun.”

    “The neglect of the renovation of the lawmakers quarters, they woke up one morning and remove the roof of all the quarters only to leave them since over two years.”

    The coalition also used the opportunity to encourage Governor Ademola Adeleke to embrace alternative disputes resolution to resolve the ongoing local government imbroglio which had resulted to seizure of the allocation since February 2025. 

  • Osun speaker not suspended, conference of speakers debunks viral report

    Osun speaker not suspended, conference of speakers debunks viral report

    The Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, has strongly denied a widely circulated report alleging the suspension of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun.

    In a swift rebuttal issued on Thursday, Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin described the report, originally published by an online platform on July 30, 2025 as “entirely false, malicious, and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.” 

    The online blog had falsely claimed that Rt. Hon. Egbedun was suspended from the conference over alleged insubordination and abuse of office.

    “There was no such suspension. No press conference was held in Ibadan or anywhere else, and no such pronouncement was made by me or any authorized representative of the Conference,” Ogundoyin stated.

    He reiterated that the Conference is a credible and transparent body that follows due process in all its dealings, including disciplinary procedures. 

    “Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun remains a respected and active member of the Conference who has not been found wanting in any way” he affirmed.

    The Conference also expressed disappointment at the conduct of said online blog, calling the publication “a baseless fabrication lacking any journalistic credibility.” 

    The body urged the media to exercise responsibility and verify claims before publishing stories capable of harming reputations and causing public confusion.

    Rt. Hon. Ogundoyin demanded a retraction and public apology from the blog, warning that the Conference may be forced to pursue legal action should the platform fail to correct the misleading narrative.

    “This is a reminder that freedom of the press comes with responsibility. Fake news must be tackled with urgency,” the statement concluded.”

  • Osun speaker lauds revalidation of June 12, Abiola, Gani’s honours

    The Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Dr. Najeem Salaam, has lauded the courage of President Muhammadu Buhari on his proclamation of June 12 as Democracy Day.

    He also lauded the President for recognising the nation’s past heroes of democracy, according the late winner of the presidential election, Chief Moshood Olawale Abiola, with the Grand Commander of Federal Republic (GCFR), the highest honour in the country, and honouring the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, with the Grand Commander of Niger (GCON).

    In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika, Dr. Salaam, who is vying for governorship seat in the state, said the President has shown courage and leadership in reversing an injustice that had lingered for 25 years.

    He said: “It takes courage and responsible leadership to reverse injustice, for those who directly benefitted from the struggle of June 12 which ultimately consumed the lives of Chief MKO Abiola, his wife Kudirat and tens of others failed to redress the injustice represented by the annulment of June 12, 1993 presidential election acclaimed to be free, fair and credible.”

    Speaker Salaam also commended President Buhari for recognising the sterling quality of the late human rights defender, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN, as he was posthumously honoured with national medal of GCON, the second highest honour that could be bestowed on any individual in Nigeria, saying that the honour was well deserved.

    “Recognising the duo of MKO Abiola and Chief Gani Fawehinmi with the highest honour is good news coming from the right quarters. It is marvelous because the two heroes made the democracy we are enjoying today possible.

    “Ignoring Abiola and Gani was an injustice to them and everyone who fought for civil rule. But these honours have come at the right time and justice is well served,” Salaam said.

  • Osun Speaker urges local councils to improve IGR

    Osun Speaker urges local councils to improve IGR

    The Speaker of Osun House of Assembly, Mr Najeem Salaam, has urged the 30 local governments in the state to increase their Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).

    This is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Goke Butika, and made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Thursday.

    He said the local governments should not continue to depend on allocations from the Federation Account to finance their operations.

    Salaam also advised the Local Government Service Commission and the Ministry of Local Government to, as a matter of urgency,
    fashion out ways through which the councils could improve their finances.

    Salaam said the Assembly, through its standing Committee on Local Government Affairs, would also monitor the councils.

    He advised each council to develop its agricultural potential so as to generate revenue for the development of the area.

  • Osun Speaker tasks students on elections

    Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam, has tasked Nigerian students to take keen interest in the country’s electoral process.

    Delivering a paper at an event organised by the students and management of the departments of Political Science and Philosophy of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife titled, ‘The Task of Nation Building and The Political Will of A Leader,’ Salaam said that this has become imperative in order to improve on the quality of leadership and governance in the country.

  • Osun Speaker advises Jonathan on security

    Osun State House of Assembly Speaker Najeem Salaam has urged President Goodluck Jonathan to expand the stakeholders’ meeting on intelligence and security.

    He said this could help to tackle the country’s security challenges.

    Reacting to the attack on the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, in which five people were killed and others injured, Salaam said security must be addressed by the Federal Government.

    In a statement by his Press Secretary, Mr. Goke Butika, the speaker urged Nigerians, irrespective of religious, ethnic or political differences, to unite against violence.

    He said: “There was a time when traditional rulers, like the Emir of Kano, were revered and seen as our collective symbol of value. That gunmen, kidnappers, and armed robbers have listed them as preys shows that our collective symbol of value is being challenged.

    “If the fortified people and spiritual heads are not secure from men of the underworld, it shows that the vulnerable masses are open to jungle justice. It will not be out of place to have an enlarged stakeholders’ meeting on security to come up with new strategies.”

  • Osun House condemns kidnap of speaker’s wife

    The Osun House of Assembly on Wednesday condemned the kidnap of Alhaja Muibat Salam, wife of the Speaker, by gunmen at Ejigbo in Ejigbo Local Government area of the state.

    In a statement signed by the Media Secretary to the House, Mr. Goke Butika, the members expressed the fear that the incident could disrupt the prevailing peaceful atmosphere in the state.

    “The victim is a responsible mother and wife who does not believe that she should rely solely on her husband for a living; she works hard in order to support the family.

    “For some gun-wielding men to waylay a woman on her way home from her shop was unfortunate, nauseating and uncalled for, “the News Agency of Nigeria quoted the lawmakers as saying in the statement.

    It called on security operatives to investigate the incident to determine whether or not it was politically-motivated.

    “Osun is known for peace and tranquility, the rate of crime in the state is very low, and kidnapping is very strange. So, abducting the wife of the Speaker who keeps an open-door policy is worth investigating,” it added.

    When contacted for comments, the speaker said he would not comment on the incident until the circumstances surrounding the kidnap are known.

    The police also failed to comment on the matter.

    Meanwhile, Osun residents have continued to throng the home of the speaker on sympathy visits, urging him to remain prayerful and hopeful that Muibat would be released soon by her captors.