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Tag: Alao-Akala

  • Fire guts Alao-Akala’s residence, two injured

    Fire guts Alao-Akala’s residence, two injured

    No fewer than two persons were injured in an early morning fire incident that occurred on Monday at the residence of late former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala in Ogbomosho, Oyo State.

    The Director of Operations, Oyo State Fire Service, Mr Ismail Adeleke, confirmed the incident in Ibadan on Monday.

    Adeleke said the service got a distress call about 8.30 a.m. from one Tolu Ikusagba, Managing Director of Parrot101.1FM, Ogbomoso.

    He said that the cause of the fire incident could not be immediately ascertained, but that the fire had been put out to prevent further spread.

    Adeleke said from the two persons that sustained the injury, one was severe, adding that further update would be provided about the incident.

    However, an eyewitness who spoke on condition of anonymity told NAN that the fire incident was caused by gas explosion.

    The eyewitness said that the incident led to the death of one person which was yet to be confirmed by the appropriate authority.

    The eyewitness also said that the two people that sustained injury had been taken to hospital for treatment.

  • Late Alao-Akala’s son wins Ogbomoso Federal Constituency

    Late Alao-Akala’s son wins Ogbomoso Federal Constituency

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Olamijuwonlo Akala, son of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Adebayo Alao-Akala, as the winner of Ogbomoso Federal Constituency election.

    Olamijuwonlo, a former Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government polled 33, 268 votes to beat his close rival, Olufemi Onireti of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 27,126.

    Prof. Hakeem Salami, Returning Officer for Ogbomoso North/Ogbomoso South/Orire Federal Constituency, announced that the APC candidate scored 33,268 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Olufemi Onireti, scored 27,126 votes.

    Salami said, “I declare Olamijuwonlo Akala winner of Ogbomoso/North/South/Oriire Federal Constituency, having polled the total number of 33, 268 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates Olufemi Onireti, polled 27,126 votes.

    In his reactions, shortly after he was declared winner said, Olamijuwonlo said: “I’m so excited.

    “I will not disappoint the people of Ogbomoso and my constituents who voted for me. I’m so grateful to them all.”

    Recalled that Olamijuwonlo’s father governed Oyo State from 2007 to 2011 under PDP.

    Also, Najeem Oyedeji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Federal Constituency seat election for Iseyin/ Itesiwaju/Iwajowa/Kajola.

    Announcing the winner, the Returning Officer, Prof. Adeolu Adeleke, said that Oyedeji scored total votes of 30, 372, while Dr Soliu Gbadamosi, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), scored 28,821 votes.

  • Osinbajo, Makinde, others to pay tributes to late Alao-Akala

    Osinbajo, Makinde, others to pay tributes to late Alao-Akala

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Gov. Seyi Makinde and other prominent Nigerians are among dignitaries expected at the ‘Day of Tributes’ in honour of the late former Oyo Governor, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    A statement signed by Alhaji Kehinde Olaosebikan on behalf of the organisers in Ibadan on Sunday said that the event would feature tributes from prominent Nigerians, lecture and cultural display.

    The event is the first in a week-long of events organised to celebrate the life of Alao-Akala who died on Jan. 12.

    The event is organised by a conglomerate of politicians across party lines in Oyo State under the joint chairmanship of Chief Wale Ohu and Rep. Olusegun Olayiwola.

    Olaosebikan said that a lecture entitled ‘Otunba Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala: The Life of a Humane Politician’ would be delivered by retired federal permanent secretary and eminent scholar, Prof. Tunji Olaopa.

    He said that Osinbajo and Makinde would lead other prominent Nigerians to the occasion, where they would express their views on the life of the departed governor

    Olaosebikan said that among others expected at the event are labour, market, associations, students, women and youth leaders as well as captain of industries.

    He said that necessary arrangements had been concluded to give the late former governor a befitting burial in all ramifications.

    “As a governor for four years and 11 months, Alao-Akala was exceptional in governance; pragmatic, compassionate, sagacious and uncommonly generous.

    “All these virtues and his delightful relationships with the high and low in the society earned him the appellation of ‘Oyato Governor’. He was indeed unique and uncommon,” he said.

  • Alao-Akala demonstrated politics is local – Lai Mohammed

    Alao-Akala demonstrated politics is local – Lai Mohammed

    The life of former late Oyo state Governor, Otumba Christopher Alao-Akala demonstrated that “politics is local and as politician you can hardly get recognition if you are not celebrated at home”.

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture made the remark on Saturday in Ogbomosho when he paid condolence visit to the family members of Alao-Akala who passed on Jan. 12 at the age of 71.

    “He had become a recurring decimal of the political equation of his local environment since 1997 when he was the Chairman of Oyo North Local Government.

    “One thing that I found a bit exciting and interesting about him is his personality to determine to a long extent, where the people of his local government will follow politically.

    “I was amused to hear that in 1998 he emerged as a candidate of the ADP, not even AD or PDP in these same local government and he was always the man of the people.

    “His life teaches us that at the end of the day all politics is local and you can hardly ever get recognition outside if you are not celebrated at home,” he said.

    Mohammed said Akala used the opportunity of his strong local politics to attain the position of Governor of his state and gained recognition nationally and at the political party level.

    He described the deceased as a humble, generous and easily accessible person who made impact and difference anywhere he found himself.

    “I am here in my capacity both as a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress and as a personal friend and family friend of the late departed patriarch.

    “It is no longer a secret that one of the wives of the late former governor, is a younger sister of my classmate.

    “I remember with fond memory anytime I met the late governor, he will say ” my inlaw, should I prostrate? and I would respond that I am not worthy to receive such greetings from you sir.

    “That was the kind of person he was even as governor and we will miss him dearly,” he said.

    The minister prayed for peaceful repose of the soul of the late former governor and asked God to protect and preserve all those he left behind.

    Hon. Olamijuwonlo, one of the children of the late patriarch, who responded on behalf of the family thanked the minister for the visit

    Also on ground to receive the minister were the late patriarch wives, Florence and Oluwakemi and Hon. Olusegun Odebunmi representing Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency of Oyo state in the House of Representatives.

    In the entourage of the minister were Mr Segun Adeyemi and Mr Williams Adeleye, both Special Assistants to the President attached to the Office of Minister of Information and Culture.

    After his retirement in the Nigeria Police Force as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in 1995, Alao-Akala returned to his hometown of Ogbomoso to join politics.

    He contested in 1998 for Chairmanship in Ogbomoso North Local Government, under the banner of All Peoples Party (APP) and he won the election.

    In 2003, he was selected by the PDP, as a Deputy Governor to Senator Rashidi Ladoja in an election they won.

    Alao-Akala became the Governor of Oyo State in January 2006, a position he occupied till May 2011.

  • Makinde abruptly ends state function over Alao-Akala’s death

    Makinde abruptly ends state function over Alao-Akala’s death

    Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Wednesday, abruptly ended the 2022 inter-faith prayer service, organised by the state civil service, following the receipt of the news of the death of former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor, who was shocked with the sad news, did not read the speech he had prepared for the service.

    Makinde, who called for a minute silence for the late politician who was governor between 2007 and 2011, after having earlier served as deputy governor from 2003 to 2007, prayed God to grant repose to his soul.

    He said: “I am here with the speech prepared for this event, but I have just been informed about the death of a former governor of the state, Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala.”

    The governor condoled with the immediate family members of Alao-Akala, all residents of the state and political associates over the demise of the former governor.

    “I pray God to grant his loved ones and all his well-wishers the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” he said.

  • Fraud: I’m happy Alao-Akala gets justice before his death – Counsel

    Fraud: I’m happy Alao-Akala gets justice before his death – Counsel

    Mr Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), a lawyer who represented the late Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala during his trial on N11.5 billion fraud charges, said he was happy that the former governor got justice before his death.

    Fagbemi made the assertions in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan.

    While reacting to Alao-Akala’s death, Fagbemi said he was very happy that the former governor was able to clear his name on the fraud allegations against him.

    NAN reports that the fraud case against Alao-Akala was instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in 2011 at the Oyo State High Court.

    At the completion of the prosecutor’s case on the fraud charges before an Oyo State High Court in 2021, after the case had dragged for 10 years, he filed a no case submission.

    The court presided over by Justice Olalekan Owolabi, however, ruled that Alao-Akala had a case to answer.

    Alao-Akala, not satisfied with the High Court’s judgment, approached the Court of Appeal in Ibadan which, however, set aside the judgment of the lower court.

    The appellate court, therefore, discharged and acquitted Alao-Akala on Dec. 2, 2021.

    Fagbemi said, “You will recall that Court of Appeal gave him victory in respect of the fraud case filed against him by EFCC.”

    He described his late client as “a cheerful and loyal client”.

    According to him, his death is a big lost to Ogbomoso and Oyo State in general.

    “It is my prayer that God will take care of his family he left behind,” Fagbemi said.

    Similarly, an Ibadan-based businessman, Mr Femi Babalola, popularly known as Jogor, described the death of Alao-Akala, as a big blow to the state political landscape.

    Babalola described Alao-Akala as his political and family friend.

    According to him, the political landscape of Oyo State will never be the same with the death of Alao-Akala.

    “We were actually planning for the birthday of his wife slated for Saturday this weekend, not knowing that God will not allow him to witness it,” Babalola said.

    He prayed for repose of the soul of the deceased and commiserated with the family, Ogbomoso people and Oyo State in general.

  • 1950-2022: Life and Times of Otunba Christopher Alao-Akala

    1950-2022: Life and Times of Otunba Christopher Alao-Akala

    Within the last 24hours the long cold hands of death has taken the lives of two prominent sons of the South Western geo-political zone of Nigeria.

    In the early hours of Tuesday a one time Head of Interim Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan died and just this morning, another political heavyweight in the person of Chief Christopher Alao-Akala too has gone to the great beyond.

    Christopher Adebayo Alao-Akala is a Nigerian politician and the former Governor of Oyo State, Nigeria. He is a member of the Action Democratic Party (ADP). He started his early career as a police officer. Alao Akala was Born on June 3, 1950, at Ogbomoso in the Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    Alao Akala is married and has several children.

    Political Career:

    Otunba (Dr) Adebayo Alao-Akala started his political career as a member of New Dimension, a political association of progressive young elements.

    He participated in the zero-party local government election of 1996 and later co-founded the UNP before its fusion with UNC to form UNCP. He participated in the Ogbomoso Federal Constituency (One) primary election of the UNCP in 1997. He contested and won the chairmanship seat of the Ogbomoso North Local Government along with seven councilors under the platform of APP in 1998. He was elected vice-chairman of ALGON, Oyo State Chapter between 1999 and 2002. Alao-Akala founded the Ogbomoso Unity Forum, a political association which later joined the PDP. He was the Executive Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government from 1999 to 2002.

    Alao-Akala became the Deputy Governor of Oyo State from May 2003 to January 2006. He became the Executive governor of Oyo state, till May 2011.

    On 8 December 2014, Otunba (Dr) Adebayo Alao-Akala defected to the Labour Party in Oyo State due to internal irregularities in his former party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). On 10 December 2014, he formally declared his intention to re-contest the gubernatorial election of Oyo State on the platform of the Labour Party in the February 2015 general elections in Nigeria. During his declaration of intent, all other party gubernatorial aspirants stepped down for him, thereby making him emerge as the Labour Party’s gubernatorial flag bearer in Oyo State.

    On 16th December 2017, he formally defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in a huge ceremony in Ibadan, the capital city of Oyo State.

    Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala is a polyglot. He speaks English, Yoruba, Hausa, (Twi, Fanti and Dagbani) Languages fluently.

    Early Life:

    Adebayo Alao-Akala attended his elementary school at Osupa Baptist Day School, Ogbomoso. Then proceeded to the Kamina Barracks Middle School, 5th Battalion of Infantry Tamale, Ghana.

    After his studies at the Kamina Barracks Middle School, he furthered to Government Technical College, Tamale, Ghana and Ogbomoso High School, Ogbomoso.

    Otunba (Dr) Alao-Akala continues his studies at Nigeria’s premier high institution, the University of Ibadan.

    In due course, he obtained the following certificates, the First school Leaving Certificate obtained in 1962, West African School Certificate (1972), ASCON Certificate (1985), Passed Staff College (Psc) 1990, Diploma in Business Administration (1998), Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) Honoris Causa, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso (2006), Doctor of Science (Political Science) Honoris Causa, Lead City University (2008).

    His Excellency, Otunba (Dr) Adebayo Alao-Akala has attended several career development courses. He was enlisted as Cadet Inspector of Police in June 1974 at the Nigeria Police College, Ikeja. Following his brilliant performance, he was recommended for overseas training at the Metropolitan Police Training School, Peel Centre, Hendon, London.

    He has also attended the Administrative Staff College, Topo, Badagry; the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos; Police Staff College, Jos; Command and Staff College, Jaji. Otunba Alao-Akala has participated as a Nigerian delegate at two INTERPOL Conferences in Nice, France and Malaga, Spain.

  • BREAKING: Former Oyo gov, Alao Akala is dead

    BREAKING: Former Oyo gov, Alao Akala is dead

    Reports reaching TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) now indicate that a former governor of Oyo state, Christopher Alao Akala is dead.

    The details of his death are still sketchy at the moment but a family member confirmed to TNG that he has passed on.

    Details to follow…

  • S’Court judgment: Postpone Oyo LG election, Alao-Akala counsels Makinde

    S’Court judgment: Postpone Oyo LG election, Alao-Akala counsels Makinde

    Former Gov. Adebayo Alao-Akala of Oyo State has urged Gov. Seyi Makinde to postpone the forthcoming local government election in the state.

    Alao-Akala gave the advice on Friday, while reacting to the Supreme Court judgment which invalidated the sack of the duly elected 33 local government chairmen in Oyo State.

    TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports that the former governor is the Chairman, Elders Advisory Council of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State.

    Recall that the Makinde-led administration had slated May 22 for the local government election in the state.

    The former governor charged Makinde to postpone the local government election to protect the sanctity of the nation’s developing democracy.

    According to him, now that the dust has settled on the legality or otherwise on the sack of the chairmen, it is trite in law for Makinde to see that there is need to postpone the election.

    He said that conducting the local government election as earlier scheduled would throw the state into another round of legal gymnastics.

    “My advise to him is to sit with officials of Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) and look into the new development and do the needful which is to shift the election date.

    “Fortunately, the OYSIEC chairman is a learned fellow. He knows what the law says on disenfranchisement, he knows what the constitution says about holding elections and consequences of holding a one-sided election.

    “Apart from that, both the governor and the OYSIEC chairman have a name to protect. This is an opportunity for Makinde to correct his past mistake.

    “He should not commit another blunder by going on with that election, which certainly will be faulted again by the judiciary,” he said.

    Alao-Akala commended the Supreme Court judgment for guiding against the unguarded disregard of the sanctity of the constitution.

    The former governor urged the judicial arm of government to find possible means of fast-tracking time bound litigation that could disenfranchise litigants of their legal rights.

    He cited the case of Oyo State ALGON where the final judgment was delivered few days to the official end of the tenure of office of the litigants.

  • ‘Fresh leadership crisis in Oyo APC as Buhari’s ex-minister, others reject Alao-Akala…’

    ‘Fresh leadership crisis in Oyo APC as Buhari’s ex-minister, others reject Alao-Akala…’

    Fresh leadership crisis is again rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state barely 72hours after Gov Kayode Fayemi’s peace parley with APC leaders in Ibadan.

    The crisis reared its head on Tuesday in a statement jointly signed by Senator Soji Akanbi, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Senator Ayoade Adeseun and former Minister of Communication, Barrister Bayo Shittu rejecting Otunba Adebayo Alao-Akala as the Chairman of the party’s Advisory Council in the state.

    The three APC leaders in the statement emphasized that Otunba Alao-Akala was never appointed as the party leader at any of the recently held peace meetings both in Abuja and Ibadan.

    A former Financial Secretary of the party in the state, Alhaji Kayode Adanla on Wednesday lashed out at the trio of Senator Soji Akanbi, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin, Senator Ayoade Adeseun and former Minister of Communication, Barrister Bayo Shittu for opposing the leadership of Otunba Alao-Akala as the leader of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo describing them as opportunists who are allegedly out to destabilize APC in Oyo state.

    Alhaji Adanla in a statement in Ibadan accused the four signatories to the statement of using the already resolved crisis to boost their political image outside the state”.

    According to the APC chieftain, the already defunct Unity Forum was birthed to resolve the problem of imposition in the Oyo APC, which was alleged caused by the late former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, preparatory to the local government election in the state in 2018.

    He added that Senators Soji Akanbi, Olufemi Lanlehin and Ayoade Adeseun are outsiders who were never part of the defunct Unity Forum at inception.

    “We need to set the record straight here. These four people who were said to be the signatories to the statement rejecting former Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala were not members of the defunct Unity Forum in the true sense of it.They are opportunists, scavengers and parasites who are using and exploiting the now dead Unity Forum to make money from politicians from outside Oyo State”, he said..

    Alhaji Adanla added, “Soji Akanbi can never be described as a true member of the dead Unity Forum. At best, he was a member in the night and a member of SENACO under the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi in the day time.

    “Senators Olufemi Lanlehin and Ayoade Adeseun were never part of the forum. Lanlehin was until recently a member of the ADC where he was pushed out, while Adeseun was also pushed out of the PDP. Both Lanlehin and Adeseun just joined the APC and their membership of the party is yet to be ratified. How then can they claim to be members of the Unity Forum which I helped to form in my office in 2018?”, he wondered.

    The APC former financial secretary stressed that Oyo APC would no longer be left in the hands of those who he said are being bankrolled by some politicians from Lagos and Ogun states, adding that some of those who are claiming to be leaders of the party, particularly in the defunct unity Forum, are not electable and cannot win the 2023 elections in the state.

    Adanla stated that “Oyo APC has been liberated. We don’t want moneybags or slavery in the party anymore. Power now resides with the people. What matters now is your integrity, goodwill, pedigree, honesty and trust. That is what we are building the party on”.

    He added, “some of these people claiming to be leaders of the party are the ones getting one federal appointment or the other, but they are not using their offices for the benefit of the people of the state.”