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Tag: OSUN

  • APC’s victory in Osun shows democracy at work, says Tinubu

    All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu says the party’s victory in the Osun governorship election shows that democracy is at work in the country.

    Tinubu said this after he received Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and the newly elected state Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola at his Resident in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the end of Thursday’s re-run election in seven wards.

    He polled a total of 255,505 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ademola Adeleke, who polled 255,023 votes.

    Tinubu said that the people of Osun exercised their rights and chose the best candidate to drive development in the state.

    ”The people of Osun, the state of ‘Omoluabi’ demonstrated their strong determination, they have good judgment, they exercised their rights to choose the best candidate necessary for developmental programmes in the state.

    ”When you look at those who were running, you have the best, the most brilliant, the most qualified, competent, calm and great candidate.

    ”That is what they have done to show that democracy is at work.

    “Democracy is about the people, and the people have equally exercised their right to be tolerant, patient, persevere and do what is necessary to develop the economy of the state.

    Read Also: Alhassan resigns as minister, quits APC

    ”And you need the most competent person that will perform.

    ”In leadership, you need a thinker and a doer that must be present in the mind, body and soul; that person who will carry the responsibility of he state and I feel that Mr Oyetola fits perfectly,” he said.

    Tinubu urged the people of Osun to encourage and give maximum support to Oyetola.

    ”The rest is for the people of Osun state to rally round and give him the necessary support and encourage him to do well following the legacy already built.

    ”He already has a blueprint for development agenda,” he said.

    On the APC presidential primary, the Party National leader said the huge support from party faithfuls in Lagos State was a signal that the party would emerge victorious in 2019.

    “Democracy is at work and we have managed the party till now.

    ”Here in Lagos, about 2.3 million people including myself, as I am standing before you supported and participated in voting for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    ”And I want to tell you that this has sent a tone orAll Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu says the party’s victory in the Osun governorship election shows that democracy is at work in the country.

    Tinubu said this after he received Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun and the newly elected state Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola at his Resident in Ikoyi, Lagos on Friday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared as winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the end of Thursday’s re-run election in seven wards.

    He polled a total of 255,505 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sen. Ademola Adeleke, who polled 255,023 votes.

    Tinubu said that the people of Osun exercised their rights and chose the best candidate to drive development in the state.

    ”The people of Osun, the state of ‘Omoluabi’ demonstrated their strong determination, they have good judgment, they exercised their rights to choose the best candidate necessary for developmental programmes in the state.

    ”When you look at those who were running, you have the best, the most brilliant, the most qualified, competent, calm and great candidate.

    ”That is what they have done to show that democracy is at work.

    “Democracy is about the people, and the people have equally exercised their right to be tolerant, patient, persevere and do what is necessary to develop the economy of the state.

    ”And you need the most competent person that will perform.

    ”In leadership, you need a thinker and a doer that must be present in the mind, body and soul; that person who will carry the responsibility of he state and I feel that Mr Oyetola fits perfectly,” he said.

    Tinubu urged the people of Osun to encourage and give maximum support to Oyetola.

    ”The rest is for the people of Osun state to rally round and give him the necessary support and encourage him to do well following the legacy already built.

    ”He already has a blueprint for development agenda,” he said.

    On the APC presidential primary, the Party National leader said the huge support from party faithfuls in Lagos State was a signal that the party would emerge victorious in 2019.

    “Democracy is at work and we have managed the party till now.

    ”Here in Lagos, about 2.3 million people including myself, as I am standing before you supported and participated in voting for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    ”And I want to tell you that this has sent a tone or signal to what will come in February 2019, ” Tinubu said.

    Meanwhile, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence were also on ground during the visit. signal to what will come in February 2019, ” Tinubu said.

    Meanwhile, Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode and Mr Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Minister of State for Defence were also on ground during the visit.

  • Fayose: Osun election was a ‘show of shame’

    Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose has described the governorship election conducted in neighbouring Osun State as a “show of shame.”

    He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly perfecting rigging plans with “compromised elections” in Edo, Ondo, Ekiti and now Osun.

    Fayose in a statement on Friday by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said “democracy is dead in Nigeria” with the outcome of the supplementary governorship poll held in Osun on Thursday.

    Read Also:Ekiti PDP aspirants vandalize secretariat, reject alleged imposition by Fayose

    He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of compromising with the APC and security forced to pervert the will of the Nigerian electorate.

    The Ekiti governor commended the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer in Osun governorship poll, Senator Ademola Adeleke for “having fought a good fight.”

    Hailing Adeleke, Fayose said: “You did not lose but your mandate has only been stolen”

    Fayose said: “With the show of shame that happened in last Saturday’s Osun state governorship election in general and the Thursday rerun in particular, there is no other conclusion to draw than that democracy is now dead in our beloved country.

    “With what happened in Osun state, democracy is actually dead in Nigeria and we are in critical times.

    “The Osun supplementary elections was just a repeat of what happened in Ekiti state on July 14th. And it is unfortunate that, again, the will of the people has been perverted.

    “It was obvious even to the blind that the Osun election, as was the case with Ekiti, was a contest between the PDP and the security agencies supervised by a compromised INEC.”

    Fayose added that the University professors also used as returning officers by INEC have, ab initio, been compromised and only serve the interest of those he described as their pay masters.

    He added: “Therefore, we want to believe that conscionable Nigerians and the survival of this country as a whole are at the mercy of God and of the judiciary. And if the judiciary fails to rise up to the occasion, Nigerians will be among men the most miserable”

    He condemned the violence that attended the election, sympathized with the families of those killed and enjoined PDP members to refrain from taking the law into their own hands.

  • Osun Rerun: Stop issuing threats, go to court – APC tells PDP

    The APC Campaign Council for the Osun governorship election has advised the PDP to stop issuing threats and take full advantage of the democratic process if it has any grouse with Thursday’s supplementary election result.

    In a statement issued in Osogbo, the Chairman of the Council’s Media Committee, Alhaji Lai Mohammed expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the supplementary election .

    Mohammed who is also the Minister of Information and Culture said with the results, the people had emphatically pitched their tent with the ruling party.

    ”When the PDP led in the main election, which was declared inconclusive, we did not threaten fire and brimstone, neither did we drag the international community into it.

    “We simply went along with the prescribed process. We urge the PDP to emulate this,” he said.

    The chairman congratulated the Governor-elect, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, the outgoing Governor Rauf Aregbesola and the entire APC family for the “well deserved but hard-earned victory”.

    He, also, commended INEC and the security agencies “for a largely peaceful and orderly election, as attested to by local and international observers”

    He called on INEC and the security agencies to ensure that the “PDP thugs, fake observers and vote buyers” who were arrested during the rerun were all brought to justice expeditiously.

    Read Also: Osun: Oyetola will build on Aregbesola’s legacies -APC

    The chairman noted that the biggest winner in the whole election saga is democracy.

    He gave the credit to the people of Osun as well as the ruling APC, which did not hesitate to submit to the democratic process despite the high stakes.

    ”As we said in an earlier statement, the PDP, in its time, would not have given any room for a rerun as it would have hijacked the main election, with its brigandage, rigging and total disdain for the democratic process.

    ”But as a party of change, we believe strongly in the democratic process.

    “We believe in the ability of the relevant institutions to carry out their assigned responsibilities and we believe in the ability of the people to do what is right.

    ”In the end, the good people of Osun did what is right by ensuring the shellacking of the PDP,” he said

    The chairman stressed that the Osun electorates had done the right thing in voting the APC, considering the impressive performance of the party’s led government in the state in the last eight years.

  • APC wins in Ife South, Ife North councils

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) won in the supplementary election held in three units of Ife North and Ife South local governments on Thursday.

    At Unit 12, Ward 7, Adereti Village, Olode, Ife South Local Government, the party polled 283 votes to defeat Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which got 15 votes.

    At Oyere village, Unit 2, Ward 10, Ife North Local Government, APC garnered 126 votes while PDP polled two votes.

    Similarly, at Unit 10, Ward 8, Osi, Ife South Local Government, APC scored 172 to beat PDP which polled 21 votes. The two parties were the top contenders in the election.

    At Olode village, there was a large turnout of voters and the exercise started at 8:00 am as slated. But the polling unit was besieged by huge number of politicians and hoodlums thereby creating tension at a stage in spite of the presence of heavy security.

    The exercise, however, went peacefully. Sorting started at 2:02 pm and was followed by counting.
    Voters had defied the rain which started at about 9:30 am. Most of them stayed in the rain, maintaining their positions in the long queues.

    A total of 812 voters registered at the Olode polling unit but only 310 votes. Of the lot, six votes were voided.

    The crowd of voters and politicians left the polling unit satisfied.

    Security agencies represented at the venue included Soldiers, Navy, Police, Immigration, Civil defence and the DSS.

  • APC wins Orolu rerun election

    The APC has won the rerun election in two out of the three units were it held in Orolu local govt area of Osun state.

    In Ward 8 unit 1, the ruling party polled a total of 111, PDP got 03 votes. Others are ACD 01; void 03.

    In Ward 8 unit 4

    APC 128; PDP 55, PPA 1; SDP 1 ; PPC 4; ADP 1; ADP 1. VOID 4

    But the PDP won in

    WARD 9 UNIT 3, polling 64 votes to
    APC’s 41

    DPC got 01, and one vote voided.

    The election in the three units, all located in the belly of Orolu forest, was generally peaceful.

    As early as 7:30am, voters had trooped out to participate in the exercise.

    The presence of heavily armed security personnel, drawn from the military; DSS; police, Civil defence, FRSC among others, helped ensure sanity.

    Voters and party agents praised the presence of the security personnel. They denied being intimidated by security personnel or political thugs in the ongoing rerun election in Orolu LGA.

    Raheem Alan, a PDP agent in Ward 9 Unit 3, told The Nation that although voters were initially delayed at the entry point to the voting arena, it was for security reasons. “Once the security personnel were convinced nobody came to the voting arena with any form of dangerous weapons they allowed us into the arena freely,” he said.

    Olaniyi Tairu, APA agent said there is not a single threat by security personnel. “In fact, we need them more here; they are protecting us.”
    In similar vein, Nimota Kolawole ACD agent in the unit, said tales of intimidation or prevention of people from voting are all lies. “Nobody has been denied voting right here; I have been here since 7:30am. Please don’t believe such stories.” she explained.

    Kolawole said initially the community was apprehensive on sighting the heavy presence of security personnel. He however said realising their presence was for their security, they calmed down and trooped out to vote.

    “What happened on Saturday cannot be allowed to happen today. We thank the security officers here,” she submitted.

  • Osun rerun: Police arrest suspected thug with charms, marijuana

    The Police have arrested three suspected thugs near Unit 17, Ward 5, in Osogbo where a rerun election is ongoing.

    They were caught with charms and wraps of Indian Hemp (marijuana).

    They were arrested in a building just by the polling unit where a rerun was ordered due to disruptions.

    The three young men in their 20s could not explain their mission around the unit but claimed they were not thugs.

    They said they were going about their normal business.

    According to them, they did not mean to harm anyone with the charms.

    Read Also: Osun rerun: No cause for alarm, says REC

    They said it was for their own protection.

    The three protested their innocence as they were asked to lie on the floor before being taken away.

    Another middle-aged man was caught with what was suspected to be a fake Permanent Voter Card (PVC).

    It had no photograph on it.

    The Police led him away for further interrogation.

  • Osun re-run: Drama at polling units as voters defy heavy rainfall

    There was mild drama at Polling Unit 17, Ward 5, Adewale Street, Alekuwodo, Osogbo, when voters that came out to participate in the Osun governorship re-run election refused to quit the queue in spite of a heavy downpour.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election process started at 8 a.m. on Thursday but at around 9:12 a.m., there was heavy downpour which halted the process.

    The sudden rainfall had everybody running for cover but voters already on the voting queue, who initially ran for cover, quickly returned when they noticed that others who refused to take cover had moved forward to replace them.

    Read Also: Osun Decides 2018: APC, PDP battle in rerun election (Live Updates)

    By the time the rain subsided, all the voters on the queue were already drenched.

    The voting, however, continued at 9:30 a.m. when everyone (INEC staff, security, media men and others) had returned to their posts.

    Earlier, some middle-aged men and an elderly woman who came with Permanent Voter Cards from another unit, had attempted to cast their votes but were disallowed by vigilant security and party agents.

  • Osun: 20 parties back APC

    TWENTY political parties are  supporting the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Gboyega Oyetola in today’s supplementary governorship election in Osun State.

    Addressing a news conference in Osogbo yesterday, the leader of Alliance for Cooperating Political Parties (ACPP), comprising  Advanced Democratic Congress,  National Conscience Party and People for Democratic Change, among others,  Prince Adesoji Masilo, said the coalition was backing Oyetola because of his intelligence and character.

    Masilo said his African People’s Alliance polled over 2,000 votes at Saturday’s inconclusive poll, adding that over 20 political parties decided to support APC owing to the party’s progressive spirit.

    According to him, the APC had proved that it is capable of developing the state. He urged members of the coalition to troop out today and cast their votes for the APC.

    Masilo, who decried the vote buying that characterised last Saturday’s  election, said politicians should desist from such act.

    He said voters should refrain from selling their votes and ensure that they vote Oyetola.

  • Today is public holiday in Osun

    The Osun State Government has declared today (Thursday September 27, 2018) a public holiday throughout the state.

    This is to enable workers to participate in the supplementary election taking place in seven units in Ife-North, Ife-South, Orolu and Osogbo Local Government Areas of the State.

  • Court orders release of PDP chieftain, two others in Osun

    An Osun State High Court in Osogbo yesterday ordered the unconditional and immediate release of Alhaji Fatai Diekola, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and two others.

    Diekola, Alhaji Adekilekun Segun and Alhaji Sikiru Lawal were arrested by the police on Monday, for allegedly inducing voters with money at Alekunwodo in the state capital.

    Justice Olubunmi Ayoola, ruling on the suspects’ application to restrain the police from further detaining them, ordered the release of the trio, pending the determination of the application for the enforcement of their fundamental rights.

    The applicants’ counsel, Mr Bukola Onifade, had earlier moved an application urging the court to restrain the police from further detaining his clients pending the determination of a motion on notice brought before the court.

    The Judge, who granted the prayers of the applicants, ordered their immediate release from custody pending the determination of the motion on notice.

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the September 22 election inconclusive and scheduled a rerun for today.