The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Paseda

  • ‘Attacks on my campaign ground by thugs, a coup,’ says Paseda

    … Laments carting away of gift items meant for supporters

    The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ogun State, Prince Rotimi Paseda, has lamented the coordinated attacks on his campaign ground by armed thugs, describing it as a “coup” orchestrated to disrupt the rally and prevent people from listening to his liberating programmes for the state.

    Political thugs suspected to be pandering to the interest of the opposition parties in the state broke into Paseda’s campaign ground in Ijebu at the weekend and for about 20 minutes, the hoodlums  held party members and supporters in terror with many scampering in different directions  for safety as gun shots rang out.

    The hoodlums struck just when the SDP governorship hopeful was addressing the rally, broke it off and began to shout opposition slogan, and the situation worsened when the guards at the event battled to prevent the hoodlums from seizing the stage, a development which led the thugs to shoot into the air.

    In the ensuing commotion, the campaign was brought to an abrupt end while security operatives hurriedly bundled the gubernatorial candidate and other VIPs at the event away to safety.  Gift items such as gas cookers, sewing machines, hair dryers, refrigerators brought to the venue for empowerment were carted away by the thugs.

    Paseda, who was taken aback by the attacks, said it was a premeditated one, but thanked God that there was no loss of life.

    He said: “In my state, most especially my senatorial district we have never been attacked before, we are very peaceful; I only associate with peace.

    “I think we started the campaign very fine until we saw a set of people who were not our party members. We tried to manage and calm them but they kept shouting the opposition slogans and the way it was done I think it was a coup plan because I’ve never seen that before. We have never had any attack on our campaign train until this particular incident.

     

     

     

  • Group endorses Paseda for governor

    Group endorses Paseda for governor

    A Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, the Yoruba Patriotic Movement (YPM) has adopted the Ogun State candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in the 2015 general elections Otunba Rotimi Paseda to re contest in the coming 2019 gubernatorial race in the state.

    The chairman of the group Hon. Oladosu Oladipo, disclosed this recently during a courtesy visit to the candidate at his  Ijebu-Omu home, in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State. He said a round peg should be put in a round hole.

    The YPM chairman, who described Paseda as a disciple of the Awolowo dynasty, said the the former UPN governorship candidate has imbibed  the spirit, intellect and political sagacity of the late sage.

    “Paseda has resuscitated the defunct UPN with his political ambition in Ogun State. He was the flag bearer of the party in Ogun State in 2015 and he is still going to be the governorship candidate of the party in the state in 2019.

    “If I am to go back to the memory lane, it was this same political party I rode to victory when I contested for the legislative assembly seat in the old Oyo State.” he said

    Oladipo explained that there is need for political  realignment in the State where people of like mind and same political ideology would flow together to form a universal political base that will be anchored on welfairism and service to humanity which can only be seen in UPN.

    “Therefore, everybody should give their support to the UPN, so that we can have somebody like Paseda with programmes and roadmap to lead and  turned things  around for good. There must be integrity in our state. Unless we go to the knitty-gritty and the platform, the UPN has the strategy and tactics to coast home victory.

    “I have no doubt that Paseda has the ability, character, foresight and he is active politically. He has a potent platform to make Ogun State great. Everybody will integrate with you in Ogun State. Thank you for resuscitating the legacies, policies and ideas of the Awolowo-led UPN in Yorubaland”, said Oladipo.

    Besides, the YPM leader, noted that  restructuring could only come to reality unless the country return to the 1963 constitution which allowed all the regions to develop, according to their own pace.

    “Awolowo started with free primary education throughout the old western region. He was very proactive because his programmes were all-inclusive. He was doing these alongside the establishment of farm settlement, industrial layout but with these laudable projects Western Region was ahead of other regions. Development doesn’t come overnight but it is a gradual process”, said the YPM Chairman.

    He, however, admonished Paseda not to be discouraged over his ambition and asked him to hold humility as the only key to get up.

    Paseda stated that it was a great opportunity to have the leadership of the YPM on a courtesy visit to his Ijebu-Omu home.

  • GNI, Senator Adeola, Paseda, others for Ogun top magazine anniversary

    GNI, Senator Adeola, Paseda, others for Ogun top magazine anniversary

    The fourth edition of celebrity magazine, Ijebu News Xtra lecture series, is slated for Sunday, January 31, 2016 at the upscale Equity Resort Hotel, Ijebu Ode, and the PDP governorship candidate in the 2015 general election in Ogun State, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, is scheduled to deliver the anniversary lecture titled ‘Fast-tracking Development in Ogun State, Using Inherent Human and Natural Endowments of Each ‘Zone’.

    Isiaka has had an eventful life and is still enthusiastic about the state of his state. Apart from his sojourn in politics, Isiaka, a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountant of Nigeria is a thoroughbred economist who has also carved a niche for himself in community development. Other prominent stakeholders in Ogun political development, who will also speak at the event, include Senator Olalekan Solomon Adeola a.k.a. Yayi, who is the Vice Chairman Senate Committee on Communication; Prince Rotimi Paseda, a chieftain of the Unity Party of Nigeria; Adewale Osinubi, the CEO Wesco Pools & Lottery and Alh Bidemi Rufai, Founder, Omo Mayodele Educational Foundation.

    A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun East and former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun state House of Assemby, Hon Tokunbo Oshin, will chair the event, while the erstwhile Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Mr Wale Adedayo, will serve as the compere.

    Baaroyin Dayo Rufai, the publisher of the magazine, argued that while a good number of such community-based tabloids and magazines in the state have gone extinct following the increasing harsh climate of publishing, dwindling sales figure, threat from web-based publishing, low advert patronage, among others, a few others have kept trudging on. Ijebu News Xtra has not only managed to survive the teething challenges of publishing but also boldly stamped its authority as the flagship of community magazine in Ijebuland, its target area.

  • My plan is to institute youth based government -Paseda

    My plan is to institute youth based government -Paseda

    Prince Rotimi Paseda, the governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria in Ogun State, has said his vision in politics is to institute a youth based government. He made the statement in a brief chat where he also spoke of his experiences during the last general elections.

    As he puts it: “My plan is to institute a youth based government. I made my first million pounds in England as a very young man as a result of pure friendship when I was in Cardiff University on Ogun State scholarship. My parents couldn’t have been able to afford the trip to England if not for the benefit I got from Ogun State. Incidentally, most of our leaders at the helms of affairs benefited from all these government largesse and they are now shutting the doors against the youth of today, which is what we see in every state we turn to. I had a friend in the university that was wayward and not ready to read and get serious in life, and his father was a multi-millionaire then and the father noticed the affinity between his son and me and started using me to correct his son. At a time, I was practically living in their house as one of his children, with full benefit of being his kid. He made sure his son and I hung out every time except during lectures and on a particular day he went to an auction because he was an estate auctioneer and bought us one house each for speculation at the price of a million pound and taught us the art of speculation and ever since then I have not looked back in business and every time I go back to him for advise here and there and to the glory of God his son today is a better man in business and personal life. Now tell me why I shouldn’t give back to the society, when the society made me?”

    On his experiences during the last elections, where he contested for the plum office of governor, Paseda said, “it is not strength or might that will sustain a man but the grace of God. So, when people asked who I am and my antecedence in politics, I tell them if a man will get there, he will with God on his side. So, spending money on election and different people seeing me as someone to extort is all a game to me as I am enjoying myself. For your information, I consider that episode as politics 101 for me and I have graduated a better person; the whole experience have not affected me a bit and have not changed me because I believe as an adult we all have free will to decide what to do and what not to do; so if you decide to do wrong, it’s your decision and if you decide otherwise, so, I have come out of the whole election a stronger person and with a stronger will to do more and go further.”

    The governorship candidate also commented on the attitude of Nigerian leaders, advising them to treat other Nigerians with greater civility while in office. “It is time we let our leaders know they are there to serve us and not the other way round. The other day we all saw the picture of our ex-president in London emerging from an Apple shop alone. That wouldn’t have been possible some 10 months ago, so nothing is permanent in life. So, treat others as you would want to be treated,” he told serving leaders.

  • I didn’t step down for Amosun, says Paseda

    I didn’t step down for Amosun, says Paseda

    The governorship candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) in Ogun State, Prince Olatunde Rotimi Paseda, has denied insinuations that he has stepped down for Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Paseda said those spreading the rumour are afraid of his grassroots support.

    He spoke to reporters yesterday at the arrival hall of the general aviation terminal of the domestic wing of the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, aboard a flight from Kaduna.

    Paseda said he will not step down for anyone because the UPN remains the party to beat.

    His words: “I understand that there are some rumours, hearsays that I have stepped down for Governor Ibikunle Amosun. I’m sure Amosun himself knows that I will never step down for him and in this particular race in Ogun State, he is also aware that it’s between Paseda and Amosun, everyone else is inconsequential. They don’t even have any presence in Ogun State.

    “Every household in Ogun State knows Paseda  and there are lots of tricks that are being played. My posters are being removed; my billboards are being replaced.

    I think they are just being intimidated. They feel that I am a formidable force  and-they think the only way they can do that is to spread ugly rumours that they feel can give them advantage.

    “My message to my people is for them to keep doing what they are doing. They know I won’t step down for Amosun. They will see that Awolowo has been reincarnated and Ogun State will go back to where Awolowo started and left it.”