The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yari

  • ‘Stay away from our efforts on security’

    Zamfara Government has advised the Senator representing Zamfara Central, Sen. Kabiru Marafa, to stay away efforts of state and federal governments in addressing security challenges in the state.

    The government gave the advice in a statement by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Public Relations, Mr Ibrahim Dosara, in Gusau on Friday.

    The development followed the senator’s perceived negative comment on the recent decision of the state government to engage 8,500 youths as members of civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) on security in the state.

    The lawmaker was quoted as saying that the recruitment was part of plan by the state government to use the youths against any opponent in the 2019 general elections in the state.

    The government accused Marafa of “publicly denouncing’’ its widely-accepted new strategy, being applied for the lasting solution for peace in the predominantly rural areas mostly hit by activities of bandits in the state.

    “In the first instance, Sen. Marafa closed his eyes to all the efforts by Gov. Yari, President Muhammadu Buhari and all security agencies have been making to curb security challenges facing the state.

    “The Senator was vocally out in any fora he was opportuned to speak, to condemn both Yari and Buhari in this regard,” the statement added.

    Read Also: PDP kicks as security searches Atiku’s jet on return from Dubai

    It maintained that “the decision to recruit the 8,500 civilian JTF was taken based on the advice of the Presidency and some governors who had similar bitter experience, but succeeded in similar strategy of employing the JTF’’.

    It disclosed that the state Council of Chiefs, Council of Ulamas and the State Security Council approved the recruitment.

    “Therefore, the action is within the ambit of the law, and intended to bring to an end, the enormous security challenges in the state.

    “Moreover, the civilian JTF are to work with the security agencies fighting the 10 years old menace, providing intelligence, assisting in locating the bandits’ camps, etc.

    “The senator is hereby enjoined to face his remaining political calculations in Nigerian politics and allow the government, traditional institutions, security agencies and the public to continue working hard for a peaceful Zamfara state,” it said.

    The state government had a fortnight ago resolved to engage 500 youths from each of the 17 emirate councils in the state, who would receive training on intelligence-gathering and dissemination.

    They will also arrest suspected bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers and other criminals so as to rid the state of criminal activities.

    Already, the recruitment exercise has commenced and the state government has promised to give the youths a monthly stipend of N15, 000 each.

    NAN

  • Senator alleges Yari plotting to destabilise polls in Zamfara

    Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa, yesterday said that Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari was plotting to use  armed youths to destabilise the 2019 elections in Zamfara State.

    Gov Yari last week announced the recruitment of 8,500 civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) members to checkmate killings and banditry  in Zamfara State.

    Marafa in a statement said that the recruitment of the members of the JTF was an after thought, after Yari’s inability to force his preferred governorship candidate on the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

    Marafa who represents Zamfara Central Senatorial District.

    He expressed shock that “Yari who had (allegedly) deliberately allowed banditry in the state to fester, and banned the activities of self-help groups (local vigilante), despite all pleas and suggestions from all well meaning people across the state, will come out to announce the recruitment of  8,500 youth at the twilight of his administration.”

    Marafa said, “From our finding around his political circle, Yari resorted to recruit the 8,500 youths solely to execute his plot to destabilise the 2019 elections in Zamfara State like he (allegedly) did during the aborted October 3rd primary election where six people were killed and many more wounded.

    “The recruitment is to cause mayhem, terrorise innocent voters and snatch election materials to actualise his desperate desire to hold unto power beyond 2019 by proxy.

    “Because of his abysmal performance in the state, initially Yari thought he would use federal might including security agencies to manipulate next year’s elections. However, with the decision of INEC not to receive any list from APC for Zamfara State, (following its inability to conduct primaries and agree on consensus) all  orchestrated by him, Yari has decided to arm innocent youth in the state to upturn people’s will come 2019, since his popularity cannot win him a ward in the state.”

    The lawmaker recalled that at the height of the killings and kidnappings in the state, “Yari abandoned the people and the state for Abuja in the name of national assignment, junketing from one hotel to the other, while our people are being killed and maimed mercilessly.”

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and security agencies to intervene and stop Yari from arming innocent youth in the state to advance his dead political ambition.

    He noted that the recruitment of the civilian JTF is Yari’s sole  idea and not the resolution of the state security council as he alleged.

    He said, “It’s the continuation of his idea to illegally create State Police.

    “He wants to turn our state into theatre of war as other politicians in the state will be forced to recruit theirs to defend themselves, their supporters and their votes. The Federal Government and all well meaning Nigerians should stop this now and call him to order.”

     

  • We’ll reconcile with Amosun, Okorocha, Yari, says Oshiomhole

    All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman Adams Oshiomhole is confident that the party will reconcile with three of its governors who are aggrieved over the result of the primaries.

    He named the governmors as Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).

    Speaking to reporters at Aso Villa after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, Oshiomhole said he would not betray his conscience or what he believes is right to keep his job.

    “And those who know, know that at my age I cannot learn new tricks. I am absolutely committed to justice, fairness.  I’m  a stickler to enforcement of rules; because the source of relevance is derived from rules. I have lived my life fighting for justice and fairness,” he said, adding:

    “Three governors are not particularly pleased with the outcome of the primaries in their states.

    “Change is easy, we all want change but the process of change can be traumatising.

    “These are internal family issues; they are my friends, and that is important , even in moment of distress; that friendship I want to believe is enough to help us to build a reconciliation.

    “There is no running away from the fact that we are the governing party, which has a higher stake; we are the one in the news. If we were in the stock market, our shares would have increased considerably.

    “So, it is not surprising that there is some disquiet, but I remain a friend to these governors. I respect them; I appreciate them for the fact that but for their support, I will not be chairman and you don’t go stepping on toes of those who helped you to get into position.

    “But however, I thought I was clear and I remain clear that helping me to get to the position, it was to help APC to return to its core values of progressive politics, of fairness, of justice, of adherence to rule of law and total submission to the extant provisions of our party constitution.

    “In doing that, you don’t look at power; you look at what is; what is just.

    I think that with time, we will reconcile all these; (Ibikunle) Amosun is my good friend; we have known each other for a very long time; we exchange personal visits in addition to official visits; Zamfara Governor (Yari) has been the  Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) and I was an active member of that forum; we had a wonderful time together and I believe in the future, we are going to have wonderful time together. Rochas Okorocha is one of those who had issues with my predecessor and I did my best to try and resolve those issues.

    “And I am happy that God used us to do that not by cheating in his favour but by doing what is right,” he said.

    Oshiomhole went on: “It is just that once you stick to the goal, sometimes, you either get caught on the right side or the wrong side.

    “I will say it is the tree that bears fruits that attracts stones; the tree that doesn’t bear fruits doesn’t attract any stones.

    “I have no illusions; this job I am doing is not a pensionable job, but I did promise myself that if I am going to be on this job for one day, I will do according to the rules and according to my conscience; I will be fair and just to all and God will give me the courage and the wisdom to do His will. How far that can take me is exclusively in the hands of God.

    “The truth is, we have 36 states and FCT and we do have 36 state organs and FCT and as far as I know, we have 23 governors; to be exact.

    “If there was any temptation in Nigeria, it is temptation towards power, not temptation towards the powerless.

    “So, all I have tried is to find some courage to enforce the rules and I think an overwhelming majority of the governors appreciate that I have done my best because change is not easy.

    “We all want change but the process of change can be quite traumatising, because it is not painless. People have been used to a particular way of doing things; to encourge them to do them differently can be a challenge.

    “We have a political system where it seems to the observer and even the analyst,  that we have run a political system over the years where of you are very powerful, you simply can’t

    “So, here I am as national chairman conducting primaries, the outcome of which some very powerful people did not see their preferred candidate emerging.”

    Oshiomhole regretted that it is only in Nigeria that one can have 10 aspirants competing for one seat and one person emerges and the remaining nine will wonder why they did not win.

  • Yari claims APC primaries conclusive in Zamfara

    Gov. Abdulaziz Yari of Zamfara on Monday claimed that all primary elections of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2019 general elections have been concluded in the state.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Yari’s declaration came at a time when representatives of the party from the APC National Headquarters said no election was held at all.

    Yari alleged that the primaries had earlier faced challenges in the state following the failure of the first national committee Chairman, Abubakar Fari to conduct a credible exercise.

    He said, “since we must conduct elections and declare results before 12 midnight of Oct. 7, we have done what is expected of us and we have submitted the results to the APC authorities.

    “We do not know why those people (the second national committee led by Maj. Gen. Abubakar Mustapha (rtd.) are here, why they did what they did because I have since ordered for the continuation of the election on the 1st and 2nd of October.

    “Because I am the leader of the party in the state,” he maintained.

    He said, it was in order to meet the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deadline that results were collated from all the 147 wards of the 14 local government areas of the state and submitted to the party.

    He also said that this effort would ensure that the state was not left out in the submission of its candidates for the general elections.

    The governor then directed the party Chairman in the state, Alhaji Lawali Liman to announce winners of the primaries for governorship, national and state assemblies.

    According to the results, Alhaji Muktar Idris won the governorship ticket while  Yari was elected as the party’s senatorial candidate for Zamfara West, Sen. Tijjani Kaura for Zamfara North and Alhaji Ikira Bilbis for Zamfara Central.

    However, Mustapha, the Chairman of the APC committee mandated to conduct the primaries in the state said, “as far as the committee charged with the responsibility of conducting the primary elections in Zamfara is concerned, no election was conducted at all.

    “We have all the election materials intact in our position, and we are going to submit same as well as our report to the national secretariat of our party which mandated us to come and conduct the election.

    “I will not talk any further but we should wait for the next line of action from the national headquarters of our party”

    NAN reports that party members had in the past two weeks turned out in large numbers to participate in the primary elections of the party especially after the directive from the APC National leadership to the state to adopt direct primary. (NAN)

  • APC primaries: Yari dares Oshiomhole, calls supporters out for protest

    Gov. Abdul’aziz of Zamfara, on Friday called out his supporters for a peaceful protest over the decision of the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to cancel the party’s governorship primaries held on Wednesday.

    “I am calling on all our members to come out and storm the state Police Headquarters tomorrow (Saturday) by 10 am for peaceful protest.

    “We will continue with this decision until the national leadership of our party do what is right on this matter,” he said at a press conference in Gusau.

    The governor is having running battle with eight governorship aspirants in the state over the conduct of direct primaries.

    The governorship primaries held on Wednesday was cancelled by the party’s national secretariat and a fresh one is expected to hold on Saturday.

    According to Abu Fari, chairman of the election panel, the cancellation was due to harassment and intimidation of voters and snatching of election materials by thugs sponsored by politicians.

    Yari however dismissed the claim by the committee as false and warned its members not to step into Zamfara again.

    “Our issue is with the National Secretariat of APC where Adams Oshiomhole continue be a dictator to party members, he acts as a mini god.

    “You know, there is ongoing issue regarding the APC governorship primaries in the state, where the national headquarters sent a committee to conduct the election.

    “It was very unfortunate that the committee canceled the election on Wednesday.

    “We heard that the National Working Committee had dissolved the APC executive in the state and also send the same committee to Zamfara to repeat the exercise.

    “I want to call on the national headquarters of the party that we will not accept the decision and we are not satisfied with the committee, we don’t have confidence in that committee.

    “I am warning members of that committee that they should never come to Zamfara, they should never put their legs in this state, and anything that happens to them, Adams Oshiomhole should be held responsible.

    “We will continue with this decision until the national leadership of the party are ready to do justice,” he stressed.

    The governor dismissed insinuations that he had dumped the APC, saying nothing will make him leave the party.

    “I remain in APC and I will never leave the party. No amount of pressure will make me to leave the APC.”

    The governor added: “I was among the founders of this party, I was in Lagos, Nasarawa states for meetings before we gave birth to the APC, therefore no amount of pressure will make me to leave the party.

    “You know, changing political party is not my tradition, therefore I will not change the party and the rumour going round is not true, I am not under any pressure to leave the party.”

    Yari’s travails began when he anointed his commissioner of finance as the sole candidate of APC in the state, a decision challenged by eight aspirants including his deputy, Ibrahim Wakala.

    The aspirants locally known as the G8, are a former governor of the state Aliyu Shinkafi, a serving Senator, Kabiru Marafa, and Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali.

    Others include, Aminu Sani Jaji, Alhaji Dauda Lawal, Alhaji Abu Mahaji and Sagir Hamidu.(NAN)

  • Marafa blames Yari for violence in Zamfara

    ALL Progressives Congress (APC) governorship hopeful Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa yesterday threw his weight behind the decision of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) on cancellation of Wednesday’s governorship primary in Zamfara State.

    The decision followed the recommendation of Professor Abu Fari-led governorship primary committee.

    Marafa, who is one of the aspirants in a statement, blamed Governor Abdul Aziz Yari for the violence that erupted in some parts of the state during the exercise.

    He noted that the insistence on the continuation of the exercise despite the violence orchestrated by those who should have ensured peace was the height of lawlessness and wickedness.

    Marafa said the primary election was postponed thrice and that after an exhaustive meeting with all security agencies, nine governorship aspirants, INEC and the committee sent from Abuja on Tuesday, it was unanimously agreed that the election should hold on Wednesday.

    He noted that after the distribution of election materials, the aspirant agents raised the alarm that ballot papers given to them were not up to 10% of the registered party members in their wards.

    Marafa added that the development forced the committee chairman to summon an emergency meeting in the office of the Commissioner of Police to address the issue.

    He said: “In attendance at the meeting were all the aspirants and heads of other security agencies. The chairman called the National chairman of APC, Chief Adams Oshiomhole, who spoke individually with all the aspirants. In the end, all the aspirants agreed that the ballot papers should be set aside and direct method of people queuing behind the candidate of their choice be adopted.

    Marafa said the National Chairman thereafter gave approval that the system be employed.

    He said: “the election went on smoothly in many wards and results started coming in, then suddenly violence erupted in major towns where desperate government officials organised thugs to attack party members, especially women.”

    The development, he said, forced the chairman of the election committee to quickly cancel the election to halt the crisis.

    “It is pertinent to mention here that the governor’s candidate lost in all the wards where elections held.

    “Hours after the cancellation, desperate Governor Yari went on air to announce that election will continue today (Thursday) without even condoling and sympathising with the families of the deceased and the injured persons,” he said.

    He urged APC members of the party and the people of the state to remain calm, abide by the decision of the national committee and await further announcement.

  • Freezing of Benue govt account unconstitutional, says Yari

    Zamfara State Governor Abdulaziz Yari yestedday said freezing of Benue State government accounts by the the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is an attempt to shut down the state.

    Yari, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), also described the EFCC action as unconstitutional.

    He spoke with State House correspondents after a meeting the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo at the Presidential Villa.

    He urged the Federal Government not to allow security agencies to become lawless.

    He said: “The freezing of any account of the state government whether Benue or anywhere is unconstitutional and not right. That is shutting down government. Government must spend, most especially Benue that is facing insecurity challenges.

    “Well, we don’t know why the EFCC took the action. But if indeed the EFFC froze the account, from my point of view, it is wrong.

    “This government will not sit down and oversee unlawful operation from security agencies. From what happened yesterday (Tuesday, Daura sack), everyone can understand that government is following due process and the laws of Nigeria.

    “For one to just send security agencies to shut down the National Assembly, and the action that followed, that is what gave credit to this government by local and international community.

    “Similar thing happened in 2011 and 2014 but nothing was done about it, this time around, government said enough is enough. The government of Muhammadu Buhari is following due process and will never oversee an unlawful activity by any security agency. So in the case of Benue, I believe something must be done.” he said

    Kano State Governor Umar Ganduje condemned Tuesday’s invasion of the National Assembly by security agents, saying that the legislature must be allowed to operate according to law.

    He said: “To use security agencies in trying to prevent them from doing there own normal legislative functions, i think it wrong.

    “But I have to salute the acting President for taking immediate action in order to save the situation.

    “The National Assembly is a very important institution and we should not embarrass ourselves and allow foreigners to view us as undemocratic.

    “The situation now has been corrected. It is something that is unfortunate, we have to move forward.” he added.

  • Osinbajo, Yari meet in Aso Rock

    Acting President Yemi Osinbajo on Wednesday met behind closed doors with Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.

    Yari, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, arrived the Acting President’s office at 3:36 p.m.

    The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.

     

     

  • Yari as ghost worker

    The concept of ghost-worker gained traction to underscore the transparency of the payroll. From 1999, every government at the centre makes a big issue of weeding out ghost-workers from the federal payroll. Likewise, state governments regularly boast of efforts to ensure that only those who work get paid. And so, every now and then, we are told ghost-workers have been eliminated, from the payroll.

    A ghost-worker in the Nigerian parlance can therefore, be roughly defined as a person who earns a salary for a work he doesn’t do. Of course, the ghost is not in the real sense a phantom, an apparition, a spirit, spook or spectre. It is only a ghost with respect to doing the work, but in reality, someone’s name is on the payroll and at the end the month, the person goes to the bank to cash the salary. So, this ghost eats, drinks and makes merry. Recently, in Bayelsa State, one person was 300 ghosts.

    Governor Abdul’aziz Yari of Zamfara State, penultimate week, unwittingly owned up to being a ghost chief security officer of his state. Yari who doubles as the chairman of the now enfeeble governors’ forum may be speaking the minds of his colleagues when he blurted out: “Chief Security Officer is just a nomenclature.” Of course, CSO is a name given to a governor, to justify his position as chief executive officer of state and the huge security vote he harvests from the state treasury.

    So when Yari says: “I am no longer the Chief Security Officer (CSO) of Zamfara” he was merely stating the obvious, even though he had been receiving humongous emoluments for a job he has no capacity to do. Like the ghost-worker in Bayelsa, Yari and his colleagues, every month heft home heavy emoluments as CSOs even when they know that the nomenclature is false. Of course, the constitution and other extant laws pack the dice against the state governors as CSOs, but instead of Yari and his colleagues pushing to amend the laws, they are just cool, taking the pay and doing nothing. Just as I was finishing this piece, another ghost CSO, in Plateau State, Simeon Lalung, was helpless, as 86 indigenes of the state were slaughtered by suspected herdsmen.

    How can Yari be a CSO when S.6 of the Police Act, CAP P19, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, provides: “The Force shall be under the command of the Inspector General of Police, and contingents of the force stationed in a state shall, subject to the authority of the Inspector-General, be under the command of the commissioner of that state.” Of course, the governors are not in control of the state security services, also known as DSS, neither are they in command of the armed forces of the federation. So, CSO is a false nomenclature for governors and Yari’s purported resignation is a fluke. The closest he could come as CSO, would be, if he had operational control of the police, which he doesn’t.

    Section 10(1) of the Police Act, on public safety and public order, gives the president expansive pre-eminent authority as the security chief. It provides: “the president may give to the Inspector-General directions with respect to the maintaining and securing of public safety and public order as he may consider necessary, and the Inspector-General shall comply with those directions or cause them to be complied with.”

    Intriguingly, section 10(2) which gives the governors similar executive powers with respect to the states, violently snatches it away with the ominous caveat: “provided that before carrying out such direction, the commissioner may request that the matter should be referred to the president for his directions.” Over the years, we have seen some presidents in dubious exercise of this statutory power, send commissioners of police to states, as viceroy, to tame any governor who is not in their good books.

    To make matters worse, for any pretender-governor to the onerous responsibility of a state CSO, S.215 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides similar restrictive clauses, as in section 10 of the Police Act. In fact, all the provisions are repeated mutatis mutandis. To further emasculate the federating units, section 214(1) provides, without equivocation: “There shall be a police force for Nigeria, which shall be known as the Nigeria Police Force, and subject to the provisions of this section no other police force shall be established for the federation or any part thereof.”

    To cement the dubious constitutional entrapment of states in our pretentious federal system of government, the constitution in section 215(5) precludes the courts from enquiring, whether the commissioner of police who refuses to obey the directive of the governor, is doing so, because he is obeying the proviso to Section 215(4), which is similar to the caveat to section 10(2) of the Police Act. That similar proviso says: “provided that before carrying out any such direction under the foregoing provisions of this subsection, the commissioner for police may request that the matter be referred to the president or such minister of the government of the federation as may be authorised in that behalf by the president for his directions.”

    That clearly duplicitous section 215(5) strangely provides an ouster clause, clearly contradictory to the provision of section 6(6)(a) and (b) of the 1999 constitution, which is the pre-eminent fulcrum in any democratic government. That unconstitutional sub-section (5), albeit listed in the constitution provides: “The question whether any, and if so what directions have been given under this section shall not be inquired into by any court.”

    I am surprised that none of our intellectually sagacious attorney generals and commissioners for justice in the states have approached the courts to determine the veracity of that sub-section, ‘most likely smuggled’ into our quasi-unitary constitution, to make the governors of states, fake CSOs, especially in difficult times as we are in presently. Let me note that the Nigerian Police Council, whether by the provisions of the Police Act or the 1999 constitution, is an effaced advisor to the president, even in the appointment of state commissioners of police; after all, the operational control is with the IGP and the president, after the appointment.

    Truly speaking, any state governor who claims to be a CSO is lying, for he or she neither has the powers nor the control over any security apparatchik to act as one. To make matters worse, any vigilante armed by them, can be charged for unlawful possession of firearms. The governors who take humongous security votes for a work they cannot do are not different from ghost-workers.

     On a different level

    The arrest and detention of Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, a vocal member of the opposition party, sends a worrisome signal. Unless a charge is preferred against him, forthwith, his arrest confounds the democratic credentials of the federal government.

  • Oshiomhole, Lalong, Yari: power ‘ll shift in Ekiti on July 14

    All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders have reiterated their push for power shift in Ekiti State at a rally witnessed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Chief Bisi Akande, 12 governors, ministers, and other big wigs. The election will hold on July 14. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU captures the expectations of the party faithful as the campaign train of the flag bearer, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, rolls into the 120 towns and villages constituting the Fountain of Knowledge.

    Brooms filled the air in Ado, the capital of Ekiti State. It was not a rented crowd. Joy was bold on the faces of party members who adorned customized t-shirts and fez caps. They were full of enthusiasm and zeal they danced and chanted party slogans at intervals. As the chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Jide Awe, put it, the voters were ready for the July 14 governorship poll.

    Artisans, peasants, youths, professionals, technocrats, women groups, and representatives of Hausa and Ebira communities joined party supporters from 120 towns and villages for the rally. They were in one accord. There was no display of unruly behaviour during the carnival-like rally that lasted for almost nine hours.

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) led the national party leaders who stormed the Kayode Oluyemi Stadium for the rally around 2. 05 pm. He was accompanied by 12 governors, some ministers and senior party officers who delivered powerful messages of solidarity and goodwill to Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the governorship flag bearer, his running mate, Chief Bisi Egbeyemi, and the Ekiti APC family.

    “Ekiti deserves prosperity. JFK will bring prosperity to Ekiti. On July 14, don’t waste your votes. We are moving forward. We are cooking a good soup for you,” Osinbajo said in Yoruba, assuring Ekiti of a brighter future.

    On the raised platform were Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former APC Interim Chairman Chief Bisi Akande, out-going National Chaitman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, his likely successor and former Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Secretary to Government of Federation Boss Mustapha, National Secretary Mai Buni, former Governors Bamidele Olumilua, who gave the opening prayer, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Segun Oni, Fayemi’s wife, Bisi, and Mrs. Egbeyemi.

    Tinubu, who saluted the endurance and resilience of the crowd, urged the people not to waver in spirit and focus. He lamented that it is strange that Ekiti is not yet part of the broom revolution. Why is Ekiti different? He asked. Throwing his weight behind Ekiti APC’s avowed commitment to change, the party stalwart said: “We will do this voting together. I don’t have a PVC in Ekiti, but…”

    Urging the people to get their permanent voter’s cards ready, he said: “What is the value of your stay here, if you don’t have the permanent voter’s card? That is the red card. You watch the world cup matches. They have issuing yellow and red cards to players. You should give the PDP the final card on the day of the election.”

    In the mood of excitement were Adebayo and Oshiomhole, who basked in the euphoria of incumbency power wielded by the ruling party. Thus, there was a flash of federal might which may have sent the PDP jittery. “I am not a visitor to Ekiti like our party leaders. I have not much to say. PDP says they don’t want soldiers and police. It is foul of them. On poll day, there will be soldiers and police,” said the Iyin-Ekiti-born politician.

    To Oshiomhole, what goes around comes around. He mocked the PDP over its loss of power, which he said was used to prevent his entry into Ekiti for campaigns four years ago. He said the PDP rigged the 2014 poll. “Many days are for the thief, one day for the owner. 2014 was for the thief. July 14 is for the owner,” he said, urging the electorate to shun fear on election day.

    Reminiscing on his 2014 plight, he said: “Four years ago, I was on my way to Akure, to come to Ekiti, to send a message. Those in power did not allow me. They stopped me at Benin. Tough times don’t last. Those who used power, God took them away.”

    The former labour leader urged the electorate to vote for Fayemi. He said:” Ekiti recorded achievements under Fayemi. You are intelligent. You can’t choose a roadside banana maker. Don’t be afraid. Your votes will count. What is good for Kogi, Kwara, Ondo, Osun, Lagos and the rest of Nigeria cannot be bad for Ekiti.”

    Echoing him, a defector, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, former Minister of State for Works, said the PDP is dead in Ekiti, adding that its leading lights are defecting in droves. He challenged Fayose to repeat the feat of wining in 16 councils on July 14. “PDP is dead in Ekiti. It will not rise again. We have uprooted it. We will not set it on fire. People are decamping on daily basis from PDP. One of the exco members of PDP, as Fayemi knows, has defected. Fayemi will liberate us.”

    To Oyegun, Adeyeye’s defection was long overdue. Presenting the flag to Fayemi, he said: “It is the popular consent of your people that you will be governor. Congratulations. Impressed by the turnout of party faithful, he said: “You can see victory. You can feel victory. Have you not tried two wives? Who is your governor? JFK.” Turning to Adeyeye after receiving him into the fold, Oyegun added: “We have wanted you in the APC. Today, you are with us. To God be the glory.”

    Also, Oni mocked the PDP, saying it is depreciating, adding that a party that had over 30 governors when he served as governor on its platform, now has less than 12 governors. “Ekiti is the od state out in Yorubaland. We should join the progressive camp to be part of development and prosperity,” he said.

    Awe alerted Ekiti to the imminence of a political tsunami, which he said, will sweep away the remnants of PDP from the state. He said the change will open a new chapter in the life of the chapter, adding that it will be a stepping stone to a glorious future. “We lost in 2014. It will not be repeated again. On July 14, come and vote for APC,” he added.

    Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun was visible at the rally with his familiar hill-top cap. “Ekiti should not come last in the Nigerian project. Having tasted the PDP and the APC, you know the better one. Let everyone take his PVC to vote for FKJ. The loss of 2014 must not be repeated,” he added. His Oyo State counterpart, Senator Abiola was comical, saying: “For you to be fine, you should vote for Fayemi.”

    Their Osun compatriot, Rauf Aregbesola, was hailed by the crowd as he approached the podium. Waving his broom at the crowd, he said in Yoruba: “Ekiti is full of eagerness. We should prepare anew. We must not fail this time around.”

    As if he was reading his lips, Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who added a little drama to his speech, declared: “This is a different time. Fayemi only retraced, only to come back in full force. APC has produced governors in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo. It is the turn of Ekiti.”

    Urging voters to gird their loins, Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed said: “Ekiti should be part of progressive states. On July 14, let us vote for the APC. Fayemi has been governor before and he was successful. We should vote for him again.”

    Yahaya Bello, governor of Kogi State, who directed his message to the youths, urged them to vote for APC in appreciation. “APC is the party that appreciates the youths. It is a party that recognizes the youths. In this dispensation, they gave me an opportunity to represent the youths. The way we won Edo and Ondo is the way we will win Ekiti. We will campaign day and night to win,” he said.

    The governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, hailed Ekiti for their zeal, assuring that the reclamation is far gone. Noting that Nigeria in the last three and half year have been safe in the hands of President Muhamadu Buhari and Osinbajo, he said: “By God’s grace, on July 14, Ekiti will come under the rule of the APC.”

    His Zamfara State counterpart, Abdulazeez Yari, asked the crowd: “Are you ready for change in Ekiti in 2018?” The crowd responded: “Yes”. He said: “The crowd I saw in 2014 is different from that of 2018. That means you are ready for change.”

    Southwest APC Women Leader Chief Kemi Nelson, while charging voters to prepare for the exercise, said: “Go and collect your PVC so that you can vote for Fayemi.”

    Senator Babafemi Ojudu, Presidential Adviser on Political Matters, said the end of the PDP’s rule in Ekiti was approaching. “Oshofo will go. Let’s say bye to him. He will go.”

    A representative of the students, Niyi Odebunmi, reiterated the support of youths for Fayemi. “Students are socio-cultural and political asset. We identify with Kayode Fayemi in his bid to restore our values and secure our future.”

    The vice chairman of the Hausa Community, Mustapha Sheu, said victory is assured, adding: “We are expecting the swearing in of Fayemi, who has been kind to us. We cannot forget him.”

    A leader of Ebira community, Sadiku Ojo, said: “We support Fayemi for a second term. We came to this rally in the bus he gave to our community in his first term. He really empowere our women and traders. We will vote for him.”

    Fayemi said he was humbled by the genuine solidarity of party leaders. Firing salvos at the PDP, he said: “They said they want continuity; continuity of poverty, backwardness and fraud.”

    Highlighting his vision for Ekiti, he added: “Our government will start to pay for school fees, NECO fees and social security. We will provide jobs. Our LCDAs will be back. By God’s grace, July 14 is our day with destiny. It is the day the PDP will be obliterated; a day of restoration of values, decorum and good governance.

    At the rally were Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, his Plateau and Borno counterparts Simon Lalong and Kashim Shetima, Minister of Information Lai Mohammed, APC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi, former Ekiti State Deputy Governor Modupe Adelabu, Southwest APC leader Chief Pius Akinyelure, Senator Olorunnimbe Mamora, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, Senator Ayo Arise, Mr. Ayo Afolabi, Bimbo Daramola, Dele Faparusi, Kayode Ojo, Emmanuel Adesoye, Bode Oyedele, Akinlayo Kolawole, Ondo APC Chairman Ade Adetimehin, Yahaya Kolade, Hajia Hassan, Afolabi Ogunlayi, Uche Ekwunife, Sharon Ikereasor, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, and Senator Bunmi Adetunmbi.