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Tag: Senator Ayo Arise

  • Ekiti APC to elect NASS candidates by indirect primaries

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State will elect its National Assembly candidates through indirect primaries.

    The party’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Ade Ajayi, who disclosed this to our reporter on Monday, said the fate of the senatorial and House of Representatives candidates will be determined by delegates.

    Ajayi disclosed that Senate primaries will be held on Tuesday, October 2 in the three senatorial districts while House of Representatives primaries will follow on Wednesday, October 3 in the six federal constituencies.

    The House of Assembly primaries, according to him, will hold on Friday, October 5 in the twenty six state constituencies.

    Senator Ayo Arise, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, Dr. Olusegun Osinkolu and Sir Kayode Otitoju are slugging it out for the senatorial ticket in Ekiti North.

    It will be a straight fight between incumbent Senator Fatimat Raji Rasaki and former House of Representatives member, Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele in Ekiti Central while Prince Dayo Adeyeye has emerged as consensus candidate in Ekiti South.

    Meanwhile, the Ekiti APC has inaugurated the chairmen of its sixteen local government chapters with a charge to ensure victory in all the forthcoming elections.

    The state APC Chairman, Mr. Paul Omotoso, who performed the inauguration at the party secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, said the party must maintain its winning streak which started with the governorship poll in the fast approaching general elections.

    The APC chair charged them to disciplined, law abiding and obedient to the party constitution in the discharge of their duties as party bosses in the grassroots.

    Omotoso also urged them to be committed, dedicated and loyal to the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and other leaders of the party.

    He stressed the need for the party chairmen in the 16 LGs to embark on aggressive membership drive and mobilisation of members ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

    Omotoso further advised them to be attending meetings regularly and update their members on happenings in the party.

    The inaugurated APC LG chairmen are Clement Ojo (Ekiti East), Idowu Isaac (Ise/Orun), Olabode Oladipo (Ilejemeje), Oluwole Bolarinwa (Emure), Matthew Oni (Ikole), Tokunbo Akinyeye (Gbonyin), Olajide Felix (Ekiti Southwest) and Michael Akinleye (Ado).

    The rest are Olu Aladeloye (Ekiti West), Kayode Oyebode (Ikere), Opeyemi Ogundele (Irepodun/Ifelodun), James Awe (Ijero), Oluwafemi Adeyeye (Moba), Adewumi Aina (Ido/Osi) and Olumide Adeyanju (Oye).

     

  • Supreme Court must declare Saraki, others’ seats vacant, says Arise

    The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, has been urged to approach the Supreme Court on the need to declare the seats of Senate President Bukola Saraki and other defecting senators vacant.

    Former Chairman, Senate Committee on Privatisation, Senator Ayo Arise, said the executive arm of government is empowered by law to invoke Section 68 (1) g of the 1999 Constitution to declare the seats of the defecting senators vacant.

    Read Also:Saraki: I’m not bothered by impeachment threat

    Speaking on a Channels Television current affairs programme, POLITICS TODAY, monitored in Ado-Ekiti, Arise said the defection of Saraki and his followers in the Senate, without a valid reason as prescribed by the Constitution are no longer members of the National Assembly.

    Arise, who was in the Senate between 2007 and 2011, and seeking a return to the upper chamber said approaching the Supreme Court would save the country from what he called “the ongoing defection mentality which has now become a recurring practice in Nigerian politics, especially in the build up to every election.”

    According to him, the issue at stake is far beyond individual or a group of people but rather a constitutional matter in order to move the country forward.

    The former lawmaker stressed that Nigeria will forever remain underdeveloped politically, if will fail to do what is right by adhering to the tenets and dictates of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    Arise said: “Law is not a respecter of anybody and it must not be held contrary in Nigeria hence the need for the law to take its course in the latest development and set the record straight once and for all. This will go a long way at bringing sanity and sanctity into the nation’s democracy”.

    “The Supreme Court in the case between Hon. Ifedayo Abegunde and Ondo State House of Assembly and others, had unambiguously settled the issue of defections, when it defined the difference between factionalisation and fractionalisation of a political party and explained the reasons that can warrant the defection of any elected member of the National or State Assembly without suffering the consequences as stated in section 68 (1) g of our Constitution.

    “It stated that, factionalisation of a party could not have warranted any lawmaker to change his or her party but held that, factionalisation through which a Legislator can defect must be in conformity with the section 68(2) of the constitution which states that, there must be a division in the party.

    “What “factionalisation or division” means here is that, there must be a parallel executive from the national to the ward level within the affected political party before the constitutional requirements that permits defection without forfeiture of one’s seat could be met.

    “And as at today, there is no such ground in the APC to allow Saraki and others to change from the party through which they became legislators without losing their seats in the National Assembly. They could participate in a new election to fill their seats in their new parties.

    “On the possibility of having the INEC budget for the 2019 general elections passed into law because of the current face-off between the National Assembly and the Executive, Sen. Arise noted that, the constitution allows the President to spend up to 50% of previous budget proposal in the event of a delay in passing a current budget by the Lawmakers.

    “Therefore, the question of whether or not the passage of INEC budget could be an obstacle towards the conduct of 2019 general elections may not arise because the President can source for funds through some special intervention funds pending the settlement of the political imbroglio.

    “The most practical and legal solution is to follow the dictates of our Constitution and declare the seats vacant by seeking the opinion of the Supreme Court again if anyone is doubt that any judgment of the Supreme Court is the law of the land.

    “The Constitution also empowers the Executive arm of the government to enforce our laws.”

  • Arise: Saraki, Kwankwaso, others must vacate seats

    Former National Assembly member, Senator Ayo Arise, has called on the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to initiate moves to ensure that Senate President Bukola Saraki and other lawmakers who ditched the party lose their seats.

    Arise in a chat with reporters in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday insisted that Saraki should not only lose the senate presidency, he should also forfeit the Kwara Central senatorial district seat he occupies.

    Read Also:APC to Saraki: resign now

    The former lawmaker urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to get set in conducting elections to replace those that has left the party, noting that none of them including the Senate President have the right to continue with the seat.

    He suggested that the APC should approach the Supreme Court and seeks the removal of Saraki, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso and other Senators and House of Representatives members who defected from their seats.

    Arise contended that there was no division or factions in the APC to warrant their mass defection to other parties insisting that the defecting lawmakers must be made to lose all privileges attached to their positions.

    Describing their action as “immoral,” Arise said it was wrong for political office holders to take the mandate received on the platform of one party to another party hence constitutional and judicial efforts must be made to halt the trend.

    Arise; who represented Ekiti North in the Sixth Senate said frequent defections from one party to breed instability in the polity and shortchange the electorate who voted the lawmakers into office.

    His words: “Saraki should not only drop the Senate Presidency but he should lose its seat. He not have any right to continue with that seat and I want to urge INEC to conduct new election for those that has left.

    “My position on this is that we can’t continue in this manner as a nation because what is wrong is wrong.

    “I am of the opinion that when you are voted in on a particular platform and you move away from that platform, the individual should lose the privileges because the party is supreme to individuals. These People that has moved should be ready to drop their seats and go for a
    new election.

    “As for me, there is no excuse, drama or smart moves that will justify anyone who was voted in from a particular party to move and still enjoys all the privileges of that party without the consent of people that voted for you.

    “When I was in the Senate, my position was that anyone that moves, you forfeit the privileges. We must put an end to this immoral movements and unjustifiable one.

    “At a point, the National Assembly said you can move when there is a division, but now where is the division? Those people making noise (rAPC) have no convention or party executives or so ever. There is no division or factions in the APC.

    “I want to say the party should move against them and go to the Supreme Court to remove these people.”

    Arise urged the INEC to get set in conducting elections to replace those that has left the party, noting that none of them including the Senate President have the right to continue with the seat.

  • Kidnappers free Senator Arise after six days in captivity

    Kidnappers free Senator Arise after six days in captivity

    After about six days in the kidnappers’ den, former Chairman of Senate Committee on Privatization, Senator Ayo Arise, has regained freedom.

    Arise was reportedly dropped at Ibillo town in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State by his captors.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant in Ekiti State was released unhurt Friday evening.

    Although details of his release were sketchy at the time of filing this report, it was not clear whether any ransom was paid.

    Arise was abducted at about 7.00 pm on Sunday at a location between Okene and Lokoja in Kog State while on his way to Abuja.

    His abductors later contacted family members and associates and demanded a ransom of N80 million.

    A childhood friend and old schoolmate, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, confirmed the release of Arise to The Nation around 8.00 pm on Friday.

    Afuye said: “I spoke with him (Arise) after his release and he told me that he was dropped inside a bush in Ibillo after they had trekked long distances.

    “He said the kidnappers kept changing locations after he was kidnapped on Sunday so that they won’t be tracked down by security agencies.”

    A Facebook post Friday night by Arise’s political followers read: “We the entire camp of Senator Ayo Arise wish to appreciate the general public for your uncommon show of love and kindness during our trying times.

    “We appreciate your steadfastness and we are grateful for your prayers. We thank you for your brotherly concern. Senator Ayo Arise is back.”

    Arise represented Ekiti North Senatorial District in the upper Chamber between June 2007 and June 2011.

  • NHRC lists Uduaghan, Iwu, others indicted for election offences

    NHRC lists Uduaghan, Iwu, others indicted for election offences

    The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday named former state governors, a former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Maurice Iwu,  INEC staff, politicians and institutions as some of those indicted for various offences allegedly committed during the 2007 and 2011 general elections in the country.

    About 60 people and institutions named were indicted for criminal offences, administrative, judicial and professional misconduct.

    Names of the identified individuals and organizations are contained in the final report of past decisions in electoral cases, released in Abuja by NHRC under an exercise termed: “Electoral Accountability Project/and Electoral Impunity Project,” which commenced in June 2003.

    The commission recommended among others, that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), the Inspector General of Police, INEC and other relevant institutions, take necessary steps on the report including prosecuting and ensuring that disciplinary measures were taken against those found wanting.

    The ex-governors named in the report are – Clarence Obafemi (who acted as Kogi State governor in 2008), Prof. Oserheimen Osunbor (Edo State) and Dr. Emmanuel E. Uduaghan (Delta State).

    Also listed are – Senator Hosea Ehinlanwo, Senator Ayo Arise, Mukhtari Shehu Shagari, Prof C. E. Onukogu, Resident Electoral Commissioner, Anambra State in 2011, Major Gen. Abubakar Tanko Ayuba (rtd), Hon. Aminu Sule Garo and Tarzoor Terhemen.