The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Oyo state

  • Oke-Ogun federal lawmakers-elect pledge to work together

    Ahead of their inauguration as members of the ninth national assembly, elected members for the house of representatives from Oke Ogun zone of Oyo State have said they will work together in unity in the interest of the entire zone.

    The three lawmakers who represent ten out of the 33 local governments of the state said they had realised that lack of unity of past lawmakers in the region had been responsible for the low level of progress facilitated to the region.

    The lawmakers included re-elected Hon Jide Olatunbosun (Saki East/Saki West/Atisbo federal constituency), and newly elected members: Hon Shina Peller (Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola /Iwajowa federal constituency) and Hon Olumide Ojerinde (Irepo/Olorunsogo/Orelope federal constituency).

    The lawmakers spoke during a press conference which was held at the Saki West Local Government Secretariat, Saki, to thank the people of the zone for the support that resulted in the victory of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, winning all the three house of representatives’ seats and Oyo North senatorial district seats for the zone.

    Read also: Rerun: Tight race in Kano, Sokoto as Lalong leads in Plateau

    Olatunbosun said some of his efforts that had yielded results in the area included the facilitation of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria office to the region, among others, noting that much more would be achieved with better collaboration of the lawmakers.

     

     

     

  • Oyo govt, APC tackle group over vote of confidence in Ajimobi

    THE vote of confidence in Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi by some party leaders after the last general elections has sparked off crisis within the party.

    A group within the state All Progressives Congress (APC), APC Reformers, has faulted the vote of confidence passed by the party leaders and members of the state chapter, describing it as self-deceit.

    The group admonished President Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s National stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, not to recommend Ajimobi for any appointment.

    The APC Reformers, which claimed it comprises APC former political appointees and leaders in Oyo State, in a statement signed by its acting secretary, Sulemon Ramoni, after a meeting in Ibadan on Tuesday, described the vote of confidence as “a continuation of self-deception by a congress of charlatans” that led to the party’s failure at the just concluded elections.

    But, the party’s spokesman, Dr. AbdulAzeez Olatunde, in an interview with The Nation, said members of the group were unknown to the party.

    He explained that at the state APC meeting held on Monday, party candidates and leaders, including state elected officers and government appointees, senatorial zonal leaders, party chairmen and secretaries from the 33 local government areas (LGAs), members of state working committee and national executive members, the 33 local council chairmen, women and youth leaders and ward party leaders among others, were in attendance.

    Olatunde added that the party leaders, after about five-hour’s deliberations, resolved to pass the vote of confidence in Ajimobi, after considering the governor’s achievements so far and his contributions to the party.

    “Then, who are the so-called ‘reformers’? They should tell us their identities, positions in the party, their membership, their local government areas and wards.

    “We know that those who worked against the party during the elections will come out soon and the group might be part of those who worked against our interests.

    “We are ready to react to their lies at any time. They are the real charlatans in the party.”

    When contacted yesterday, the governor’s spokesperson, Mr. Bolaji Tunji, in a statement, described the group as “a faceless association that is unknown to the party in Oyo State”.

    Tunji said: “In any case, the vote of confidence was passed on the governor by the party leadership in the state made up of the state EXCO, local govt party chairmen, secretaries,  women leader, youth leader, all party candidates in the general election,  party chieftains and stakeholders in the state. In all, we had nearly 300 party stakeholders in all the 33 LGAs. Elders like Pa Lasisi Lasunsi from Ibarapa, Alhaji Okaide Abass, Alhaji Abu Gbadamosi, Chief Akin Ojebode, elected senators and House of Representatives’ members. These were the people in attendance at the stakeholders parley. You will agree with me that these are the major stakeholders of the party in the state. Are you now saying that some unknown entities know better than these people?

    “The vote of confidence was passed based on certain indices. The Ajimobi administration is the only one to have spent two terms. It is unprecedented. It is an administration that ensures that peace reigned in the state unlike what we use to have prior to the advent of this administration.

    “What about the unprecedented infrastructural renewal in the state. In any case, APC won two out of three senatorial seats and nine out of 14 House of Reps seats. We know what happened. So, the vote of confidence is totally justified.  What should be uppermost in the minds of faithful party members now is how to constitute a formidable opposition to keep the incoming administration on its toes to ensure the continued development of the state. So, that Oyo State does not go back again to the years of locust.”

    But, the group’s statement reads: “After spending almost eight years in office, the people of Oyo State have passed a vote of no confidence in Ajimobi by ensuring that he lost his unit, ward, local government and the state in the last election.

    “Of what benefit would the decision of his self-appointed leaders and handpicked executive be for the party, democracy and the good people of the state?

    “Mr. President and the national leadership of the party, including Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, should not be misled by the charlatans to consider Ajimobi for a ministerial or any federal appointment, which is their motive.

    “Any federal appointment for him will worsen the party’s situation, make reconciliation impossible and lead to more loses in future elections.

    “The party lost the presidential election in Oyo State because it held on the same day with Ajimobi’s senatorial election.

    “The state elections were lost because of his influence and interference.

    “After the 2015 general election, Ajimobi scolded the party chairman, Chief Akin Oke, for losing his unit and ward, as a matter of fact he advised him to resign.

    “Some local government caretaker chairmen were also removed by him for losing their constituencies. Now that he has lost woefully, he deserves no reprieve.”

     

  • Rep Olatoye’s killing: Justice ’ll be done, says Oyo CP

    Commissioner of Police in Oyo State Shina Olukolu has assured the family of the late member of House of Representatives, Olatoye Temitope (Sugar), that the command will not rest until the perpetrators of his death are apprehended and brought to book

    He assured the families of the deceased lawmaker that the command was working on available information in its custody to ensure that the perpetrators and their collaborators are nabbed.

    The assurance came on the heels of the plea for justice by the family, associates and friends of the deceased lawmaker.

    Vowing that the family would get justice, CP Olukolu stressed that all that needs to be done would be done in line with the directive of the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the perpetrators did not go scot-free.

    He spoke while featuring on a radio programme on Inspiration FM monitored in Ibadan on the topic: “Do-or-die politics in Nigeria”.

    Expressing dismay at how the spread of fake news, especially on social media almost jeopardise the efforts of the security operatives, Olukolu warned the people to beware of the kind of information they believed and get authentic facts from people.

    He reiterated that the command went through an arduous time trying to confirm the authenticity of the death of many prominent people in the state on the heels of the death of Sugar, which turned out to be false.

    Olukolu said: “We are working on the information we have and we are assuring that the culprits will be arrested and brought to book.

    “The family will get justice. We can assure you and that is also the assurance from the Inspector General of Police.

    “There was serious tension when the news of the death broke out on the day of the election. But with synergy with other sister security agencies, the support of the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 11 and the Inspector General of Police, we were able to tame the situation.

    Read also: Who will fix Oyo APC’s fractured home?

    “We stationed our men at strategic volatile places, including Iwo Road, immediately and we recovered some arms. We also intensified our patrol and we were able to put the situation under control.

    “People must be circumvent of the kind of stories and information they spread and believed, especially on the social media. And I was shocked at the calibre of people, who even believed the stories.

    “It took us a long time to be able to verify the rumours of those that were alleged to have been killed. We had to put calls through to the like of Senator Teslim Folarin, the son of Auxiliary and all those that were alleged to have been killed, only for all of them to say nothing happened to them.

    “Then, we started debunking the rumours. Our people must know how damaging the spread of fake news could be and we must be very careful.

    “The Inspector General of Police had told us that there could be reaction from both sides after the election, either from the winner or loser and we also took proactive measures to ensure that there was safety of lives and property in the state.”

  • Ibadan Collapsed Building: Oyo Govt. summons site engineer

    Oyo State Government has summoned the site engineer in charge of ongoing construction project at the collapsed building in Ibadan.

    Alhaji Waheed Gbadamosi, the Director-General, Oyo State Bureau of Physical Planning and Development Control disclosed this to journalists in Ibadan on Monday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the two-storey building under construction at Sogoye area of Idi-Arere in Ibadan had collapsed on Friday, March 15.

    NAN reports that no death was recorded from the incident, but some site workers who sustained various degree of injuries are presently hospitalised on the bills of the state government.

    Gbadamosi said that the site engineer was summoned to explain what led to the collapse of the building.

    “Preliminary reports on the possible cause of the disaster revealed that standard materials were used for the construction.

    “But we have found out that they did not allow the curing period to lapse before they continued with the construction.

    Read Also: Sugar’s killing: I am innocent, Oyo lawmaker tells police

    “When you do your decking, you must allow it to cure for 21 days before you start to put blocks on it. They didn’t allow that three weeks to lapse.

    “I think they were in hurry to complete the building. I am sure, by the time they were putting more loads on it, definitely it will come down,” he said.

    He stressed that the site engineer was not professional enough to advise his client to allow compliance with due process.

    According to him, “It is like you are putting too much loads on your head, your neck will just crack and you will go down. So, that was what happened.”

    Gbadamosi said that the site engineer would be reported to his professional body, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), if he failed to honour the invitation.

    “If he fails to honour the invitation, we will report him to his professional body. By the time we report him to COREN, the body may deregister him,” he said.

    He said government had always ensured that developers come with their own engineers, adding that such engineers would sign undertaken with government.

    Gbadamosi said the undertaken would bear COREN’s stamp to undertake the supervision of any structure from foundation till completion.

    “We have introduced a new system which directs that you return to us when you complete your building. We will come and examine whether you are worthy of being given a certificate of completion.

    “You will pay a token, like N25,000 to get the certificate. If you are not given the certificate, it means the building is not worthy of being inhabited by any individual, not even goats,” he said.

    NAN

     

  • Prioritise welfare of citizens, Ajimobi tells Ogun governor-elect

    Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State has advised  the  Ogun governor-elect, Mr  Dapo Abiodun, to prioritise the welfare of the people of his state as compensation for their overwhelming support.

    A statement by Ajimobi’s spokesman, Bolaji Tunji, said the governor gave the advice when Abiodun visited the Oyo State governor in Ibadan on Sunday.

    Ajimobi thanked the people of Ogun for electing Abiodun, urging the governor-elect to see his election as a rare opportunity to serve his people and better their lots.

    The governor, who congratulated Abiodun, described him as gentle, kind-hearted and an epitome of humility.

    “When my brother, Dapo Abiodun, intimated me of his intention to contest for the Ogun governorship election, I told him that he should go ahead and that he will be victorious by the grace of God.

    “I therefore thank God that today he has become the governor-elect of Ogun.  I have every cause to glorify God on his behalf.

    “In the affairs of men, God has always been present. It is this divine presence that has brought him this victory.

    “Dapo is gentle, kind-hearted and an epitome of humility. All these he has demonstrated here today through this visit.

    “While I’m congratulating you on this victory, let me state that an opportunity to serve is an opportunity to be Godly.

    “You must do everything humanly possible to prioritise the welfare of your people as a compensation for the overwhelming support they gave you to emerge governor-elect,” he said.

    Ajimobi urged Abiodun to be ready and prepared to step on toes towards recording meaningful achievements as well as making the desired change during his tenure.

    “If you want to be a good leader and make a change, you must be ready and prepared to step on toes. When you step on toes, the toes will kick you back. Just forge ahead.

    “If you really want to make a change, study your environment; have courage, not only to envision but also to make a difference.

    “Put Godliness above all things and ensure that whatever you do is in the best interest of the people.

    “While I will tell you that you should not under-estimate your enemies, let me, however, say that you should not be deterred by their antics. You can lose a battle but you must win the war.

    “You will have sycophants along the way but you must remain focussed. I have no doubt that with the level of your intellectual disposition, you will succeed,” he said.

    The governor said notwithstanding his defeat at the Oyo South senatorial district election, he had not lost anything other than the opportunity to serve his people.

    According to him,”when I look at my life, I can say without any equivocation that God has been so kind to me.

    “He gave me the opportunity to serve as a senator and as governor of Oyo State for two consecutive terms.

    “For me, that I did not win does not mean that I have lost everything. In fact, I must say that I have not lost anything.

    “Rather, I have only lost the opportunity to serve my people again and give them good representation at the Senate.
    For us in Oyo State, it is joy.

    “God has been so good to us. We have served commendably. We have succeeded in not only providing peace and security, we have also promoted the socio-economic well-being of our people,” Ajimobi added.

    Earlier, Abiodun said the purpose of the visit was to thank Ajimobi for his support during the election and to seek his “wise counsel.”

    Abiodun said that ‘some forces’ did everything possible to scuttle his victory, adding that God, in His infinite mercy, had given him the grace to win.

    The governor-elect commended Ajimobi, whom he described as his very good brother, for staying with him since he started the journey.

    Abiodun said that he was extremely pained when he heard of Ajimobi’s defeat, saying his monumental achievements as governor would remain indelible.

    “Things like these happen some times which you find extremely difficult to explain. But, you are a good man. You are the father of modern Oyo state.

    “You have turned the fortunes of the state around and I am sure that posterity will judge you right,” he said.

    On Abiodun’s entourage were the deputy governor-elect, Mrs Noimot Salako-Oyedele; Sen. Lanre Tejuoso and a former Deputy Governor of the state, Prince Segun Adesegun.

    Also on the entourage were Mr Tunde Osibodu, Mr Tunde Osinowo and Mr Afolabi Salisu, among others.(NAN)

  • I don’t know about Sugar’s death, detained Oyo Chief Whip tells police

    The Chief Whip of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede, has exonerated himself from the killing of a member of the House of Representatives, Temitope Olatoye popularly known as Sugar.

    He said that he knew nothing about the incident.

    Olatoye was killed by yet to be identified gunmen during the March 9 governorship and House of Assembly elections at Lalupon Area of Lagelu Local Government.

    Akinmoyede, who contested for the Lagelu State Constituency for the second time under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but lost to the rival Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has since been in detention at the State Criminal Investigations Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan in connection with the incident.

    The legislator, in a statement on Sunday by his media assistant, Mr. Segun Olawale, said that he was not, in any way, connected with the death of Olatoye.

    “Although both of us are from rival political parties, “Sugar” was my friend, brother and longtime political ally.

    “We were together in APC for a very long time before he defected to the African Democratic Party (ADP) under whose platform he contested for the Oyo South Senatorial election.

    “I am a man of peace and this can be attested to by my political associates, my colleagues in the House of Assembly and indeed, the people of my constituency.

    “The fact that Sugar and I are not from the same political party does not mean that we should be at each other’s throats.

    “Incidentally, we were not contesting for the same political office. While he contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat, I contested for the Lagelu State Constituency for the second term.”

    Read Also: Life and times of lawmaker ‘Sugar’

    Akinmoyede further explained on receiving a call from the headquarters of the State Police Command at Eleyele, Ibadan that his attention was needed in connection with Sugar’s death, he honoured the invitation by voluntarily walking to the police command since he knew that he was innocent as far as the incident was concerned.

    He said the unfortunate killing of Olatoye did not happen at his polling unit, Ward 7, Isale Osun, where he had earlier cast his vote and there was no crisis whatsoever while the exercise lasted until the arrival of the federal lawmaker in Lalupon town from his Alape village with his “boys” which resulted in the electorate scampering for safety.

    According to him, it was not long after that he heard that gunshots were being exchanged between Olatoye’s “boys” and some people at the Lalupon motor park which eventually culminated in his being shot.

    “I am therefore surprised by the reports in a section of the media to the effect that I was arrested by the police.

    “I must state emphatically that I was never arrested. I reported myself to them voluntarily upon receiving their call,” the lawmaker said.

    Akinmoyede, a former Chairman of Lagelu Local Government, called on the police to intensify their efforts and do thorough investigations with a view to fishing out the real killers.

  • Sugar’s killing: I am innocent, Oyo lawmaker tells police

    The Chief Whip of Oyo State House of Assembly, Mr Olafisoye Akinmoyede, has exonerated himself from the killing of a member of the House of Representatives, Mr Temitope Olatoye.

    Olatoye, popularly known as ‘Sugar’, was killed by unknown gunmen during the March 9 Governorship and House of Assembly elections at Lalupon Area of Lagelu Local Government area of the state.

    Akinmoyede contested for the Lagelu State Constituency seat for the second time under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC),  but lost to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate.

    The lawmaker, who has been in detention at the State Criminal Investigations Department, Iyaganku, Ibadan in connection with the incident, said that he knew nothing about it.

    The legislator, in a statement issued on Sunday by his media assistant, Mr Segun Olawale, said that he was not in any way connected with the death of Olatoye.

    “Although both of us are from rival political parties, “Sugar” was my friend, brother and long time political ally.

    “ We were together in APC for a very long time before he defected to the African Democratic Party (ADP) under whose platform he contested the Oyo South Senatorial election.

    Read Also: Oyo police hold suspect in Olatoye ‘Sugar’ murder

    “I am a man of peace and this can be attested to by my political associates, my colleagues in the House of Assembly and indeed, the people of my constituency.

    “The fact that Sugar and I are not from the same political party does not mean that we should be at each other’s throats.

    “Incidentally, we were not contesting for the same political office. While he contested for the Oyo South Senatorial seat, I contested for the Lagelu State Constituency for the second term,” he said.

    Akinmoyede further explained that he did not hesitate to honour the invitation of the State Police Command at Eleyele, Ibadan, in connection with Sugar’s death.

    He said that he voluntarily walked into the police command since he knew that he was innocent as far as the incident was concerned.

    He also said  it was worthy of note that the unfortunate killing of Olatoye did not happen at his polling unit, Ward 7, Isale Osun, where he had earlier cast his vote.

    The chief whip said that there was no crisis whatsoever while the voting lasted until the arrival of the late lawmaker in Lalupon town from his Alape village with his “boys”.

    According to him,  “not long after Sugar’s arrival did I hear that gunshots were being exchanged between his “boys” and some people at the Lalupon motor park which eventually led to him being shot.”

    “I am therefore surprised by the reports in a section of the media to the effect that I was arrested by the police.

    “I must state emphatically that I was never arrested,  I reported myself to them voluntarily upon receiving their call,” the lawmaker said.

    Akinmoyede, a former Chairman of Lagelu Local Government, called on the police to intensify their efforts and do thorough investigation with a view to finding the killers of Olatoye.

    NAN

  • COREN says no fatality in Ibadan building collapse

    Mr Sam Adeleke, the Chief Inspector, Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) Oyo State, says “no life was lost” in the building collapse in Ibadan, on Friday.

    Adeleke made this known on Saturday, at the scene of the incident, after a meeting some Landlords in the area.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a two-storey building, situated beside Kajola Mosque, Sogoye Bustop, along Idi Arere-Molete Road, Ibadan had collapsed on Friday.

    The Chief Inspector, who is in charge of Engineering Regulation Monitoring of COREN, led officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Institute of Town Planners and Architecture, among others, to the scene.

    He said the team would continue investigations into the cause of the incident; and promised to brief newsmen after its preliminary findings.

    Meanwhile, Mrs Mudinat Oladejo, who witnessed the collapse of the building, told NAN that eight persons, including bricklayers and a food vendor, were inside the building when it collapsed.

    Oladejo said the building collapsed around 5:30 pm, on Friday evening, but six of the trapped persons came out of unhurt.

    “The remaining victims were rescued around 12 midnight by personnel of the state’s emergency management agency, OYSEMA.

    “The distress call made by one of the two trapped victims enhanced the rescue mission to locate the exact position of the victims trapped in the wreckage.

    “We thank God that all the victims are alive, though the last two victims sustained minor bruises and were rushed to the hospital immediately,” Oladejo narrated.

    Another eye witness, who simply identified himself as Ademola, said that the bricklayers were casting pillars on the second floor of the building when it collapsed.

    Ademola, who also confirmed that no life was lost from the incident, urged relevant regulatory agencies to ensure effective monitoring of building constructions in order to guard against preventable waste of lives and resources.

    NAN

  • What future for Oyo APC?

    The Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) performed woefully in the just concluded general elections. The state lost both the presidential and the governorship polls to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). LEKE SALAUDEEN examines the factors that were responsible for the performance and the way forward.

    THE defeat of the flag bearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the recent presidential election, President Muhammadu Buhari, in Oyo State came as a surprise. Many had thought that Oyo being an APC state would deliver for Buhari. Besides, incumbent Governor Abiola Ajimobi, the party’s senatorial candidate for Oyo South, was equally defeated by a dark horse fielded by the PDP.

    The party also inflicted a crushing defeat on the APC in the governorship and the House of Assembly elections. The PDP governorship candidate, Seyi Makinde, polled 515, 621 votes to defeat APC’s Adebayo Adelabu who garnered 357, 982 votes.

    A stalwart of the APC who spoke in confidence said: “Ajimobi performed well as governor, because he constructed and rehabilitated many roads more than all his predecessors. He also excelled in the provision of basic infrastructure, but his leadership style is negative. Ajimobi’s leadership style ruined the APC. He doesn’t listen to anybody; even those working with him don’t have access to him. He is not a team player. He is self-centred.

    “It was a protest vote against Ajimobi; it was the state versus Ajimobi, not the APC against the PDP. We won’t find ourselves in the position we are today, if Ajimobi had listened to words of wisdom. Look at the case of the aggrieved members that defected to other parties; he never made attempt to reconcile with them. Politics is a game of numbers. You can imagine if all those who left the party were still with us today; our party would have won all elections in the state.”

    The party stalwart said the defeat suffered by the APC was a result of protracted internal crises. The conflict, he said, dates back to the years of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), before the APC was formed.

    Before the 2011 general elections, the ACN had two distinct camps: those loyal to a former governor and leader of the party, Lam Adesina, and those in support of the party’s governorship candidate, Senator Abiola Ajimobi. The late Adesina’s camp was known as “Lamists”, while those loyal to Ajimobi were tagged “SENACO”, an acronym for the governor’s campaign organisation.

    Before the death of Adesina, there had been insinuations that the Lamists were being sidelined in the scheme of things. But the animosity was not pronounced until the death of Adesina and formation of the APC. The crack widened in December 2016 when some members of the Lamist group alleged that the governor was planning to impose candidates on party members in the local government election scheduled for February 2017. The conflict later degenerated into a sharp division in the party, which later snowballed into a full controversy that tore the party apart. The ward and state congresses turned violent.

    The crisis and in-fighting reached a crescendo during the build up to the last governorship primary. The Minister of Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu, who was a governorship aspirant, rallied together some aggrieved APC members and federal lawmakers in the state under the umbrella of what they called “Unity Forum”.  Most of them had defected from the APC to other parties, like the ADC and the PDP.

    On the eve of the 2019 general elections, Shittu vowed to work against the APC in Oyo State. He was disqualified from participating in the governorship primary by the National Working Committee (NWC) on the ground that he did not participate in the one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). He rejected the call on him by the reconciliation committee to bury the hatchet in the interest of the party.

    Shittu said: “Before you talk of reconciliation you must first talk of restitution. If you violate somebody’s property and you are found out, instead of you to surrender what you had stolen you are now talking of reconciliation. As for me, I don’t recognise the governorship candidate of the APC. I am in court and I am sure that I would triumph over those who were less than intelligent to foist a stranger on our party in Oyo State.

    “With all sense of humility, I have passed the stage where any party would threaten me. I am in court and if the party is sure that it has a better basis for what they have done, let us go and meet in court. You don’t start threatening those who feel unfairly treated, thinking you can get me out of the justice system.”

    The minister alleged that some leaders in the APC were worse than some of the PDP members they were accusing of impunity and corruption. He added: “I have passed that stage where any party will be threatening me. The loss is not mine, but that of the people of Oyo State who deserve the best in governance.”

    The APC spokesman in Oyo State, Dr Olatunde AbdulAzeez, said this is not the time to blame any individual for the party’s misfortune. His words: “I don’t believe in blame game. What matters to us now is how we are going to bounce back to power; it is not how long it takes you to get up when you fall, but the courage you bring into it that matters.

    “As progressives, we know in politics, there must be challenges. How we are able to overcome these challenges will separate us from the conservatives. In 2003, we were in complete dark, when the entire Southwest, except Lagos State, was taken over by the PDP. We didn’t succumb; we took our time to re-strategise and reposition our party and by the grace of God, we regained power in 2011.

    “In 2019, our problem is in isolation. In the whole of Southwest, only Oyo State was taken over by the PDP. The kitchen will be too hot for them. Oyo State is odd man in the Southwest. The PDP victory in Oyo State will not last.”

    On the way forward, AbdulAzeez said: “The APC in Oyo State should restructure its activities. For the next one year, it will be ‘siddon look approach’. We have pretenders in the fold. Within one year, they will show their true colour. We shall embark on stock taking. The hypocrites among us would find their way; our blood will not desert us.”

    But, Ogundare had advised the APC against shutting its door against aggrieved members who left the party. He said the party should have a sober reflection over its problems and find enduring solutions to them. He said: “If I were Ajimobi I will go for an all inclusive reconciliation. Invite those who left to a round table meeting and resolve all the differences in the interest of the party.

    “You can’t say people like Pa Michael Koleoso from Oke-Ogun zone, Dr Busari Adebisi, Adebayo Shittu, Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, Yinus Akintunde, Alhaji Isiaka Alimi, Chief Adegoke Oyetunji and many others that have decamped are not relevant in Oyo politics. Ajimobi should put ego aside and look for a way to accommodate these people. If he is able to do that, the APC would bounce back in Oyo State very soon.”

    The analyst said if the APC had reconciled with former Governor Alao-Akala weeks before the election, it would have performed better. He described the situation whereby it took the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to intervene and get Alao-Akala back to work for the APC governorship candidate in less than a week to the day of election as laudable, but too late. He said the scenario suggested either Ajimobi did not make overtures to Alao-Akala or that the former governor rebuffed him.

    Ogundare advised the APC National Working Committee to reconcile aggrieved party members in Oyo State. He said Ajimobi is a party to the crisis. He added: “So, there is no way he can resolve the crisis fairly. Asking Ajimobi to preside the reconciliation meeting is like asking him to be a judge and prosecutor in his own case.”

     

  • Ibadan Obas-in-Council congratulates Makinde

    The avalanche of congratulatory messages being poured on the Oyo State Governor-elect, Mr Seyi Makinde continued on Thursday with the latest of such coming from the Ibadan Obas-in-Council in which the new governor was admonished to walk his talk in terms of electoral promises.

    Rising from their meeting which held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan, the Obas-in-Council consisting the promoted members of Olubadan-in-Council and the promoted Baales in Ibadanland, they rejoiced with Makinde over his victory at the polls held across the state last Saturday.

    Makinde of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) defeated his closest rival, Mr Adebayo Adelabu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election, a development that has elicited jubilation across the state.

    In a message signed by the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba (Dr.) Lekan Balogun, on behalf of the Council, the governor-elect was asked to run an all-inclusive government that would reflect the combined efforts of the forces that saw him through the excruciating election.

    According to the Ibadan Obas, “We are happy for the governor-elect that at last, the Almighty creator crowned his efforts of many years back with this victory. We enjoin him to be magnanimous in victory, seeing the entire state as his constituency without any form of discrimination.

    Read Also: Makinde: my victory was like Agbekoya revolt

    “We equally note his utterances since he was declared winner of the election and we are happy to observe his continuous emphasis on socio-economic development of the state and we can only urge him not to leave any stone unturned to bring his dream into reality.”

    Asking the residents of the state to give the incoming government their maximum cooperation towards reaping dividends of democracy, the monarchs maintained that “it is only under a conducive environment devoid of brigandage and all forms of security threat that any government can perform optimally.

    “The pockets of violence recorded during or after the last Saturday’s elections coupled with the rumours of killing of different people in the state did not portray the state in a good light. We urge our people to please shun violence and desist from rumour mongering which are only capable of creating unnecessary tension in the state.”

    While praying for a successful tenure for the governor-elect, they urged the residents of the state to always remember him in their prayers, saying, “our leaders need our prayers at all times so as to succeed because it is in their success that the subjects can find peace and joy”.