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Tag: Godwin Obaseki

  • Court strikes out PDP’s suit against Ize-Iyamu

    Court strikes out PDP’s suit against Ize-Iyamu

    The Federal High Court Abuja, on Tuesday, struck out a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seeking Osagie Ize-Iyamu’s disqualification from the Sept. 19 governorship election in Edo.

    Delivering judgment, Justice Ahmed Mohammed, struck out the suit on grounds that it had become academic.

    The judge also said that he saw no legal benefit that would accrue to the plaintiff if the suit succeeded.

    The PDP had dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ize-Iyamu to court praying for an order disqualifying Ize-Iyamu from the elections on the grounds that he was unlawfully nominated by APC.

    The PDP alleged that he was unlawfully nominated because APC did not conduct proper primaries to nominate candidates for the Sept. 19 election in Edo.

    The party based its allegation on the grounds that Mr Adams Oshiomohle, who conducted the “purported” primaries that nominated Ize-Iyamu was no longer national chairman of the party and had no right to conduct the primaries.

    The PDP held that the APC, having failed to conduct a valid primary election, was not entitled to participate in the election.

    Objecting to the suit, the APC held that the election had already been conducted and the candidate of the PDP had won the election.

    The APC also submitted that it had not challenged the outcome of the election, neither did it petition the winners at the election petition tribunal.

    On the last adjourned date, Mrs Wendy Kuku, arguing on behalf of INEC, had urged the court to dismiss the suit for lacking in merit.

    Similarly, counsel to the APC, Mr Akinlolu Kehinde, SAN, had prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that the suit was tantamount to “Mr A taking panadol for Mr B’s headache’’.

    Ize- Iyamu’s counsel, Roland Otaru (SAN) had also prayed the court to dismiss the suit on the grounds that it had become academic since the election had already been conducted and won by Gov. Godwin Obaseki.

  • Gov Obaseki’s aide under fire for N500

    Gov Obaseki’s aide under fire for N500

    Godwin Obinyan, a senior special assistant on social media to Governor Godwin Obaseki has come under fire over a tweet he made about being able to feed with just N500.

    Nigerians on Twitter dragged the Governor’s social media aide, describing him as insensitive and distanced from the plight of the ordinary Nigerian.

    Obinyan said with N500 he would be able to eat N200 rice, N100 beans and N200 assorted meat but that with $1 he can never do it in America.

    “How is he comparing what N500 does in Nigeria to what $1 does in America? Why can’t he compare N1 with $1? Like how do they become SA to Governor?” one Twitter user queried.

    Following criticism of the social media aide, he tried to expatiate his claim, saying, “purchasing power is what you evaluate and not the exchange rate”.

    https://twitter.com/Ody_johnson/status/1334260425546985472?s=19

  • Gov. Obaseki swears-in new SSG for Edo

    Gov. Obaseki swears-in new SSG for Edo

    Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo has sworn in Mr Osarodion Ogie as the new Secretary to the State Government(SSG).

    Obaseki performed the ceremony at the Government House, Benin, on Wednesday.

    “We started this journey together, and am not going to sit down here and give you the charge, you know the charge, you are part of the whole process. The only advise is that you are going to face pressure you have never faced before.

    “Because one of the most difficult things in life, is to change an aged system or to try to get an old person to change their ways. What we are tempting to do in the next four years we know will not be easy.

    “Trying to get an aged system to now begin to work efficiently and respond to the needs of our people. There will be extreme pressure on you, since you had that interface with the political system because people will want to do things in the way they are used to.

    “Let’s all see the EndSARs protest as a wake up call, if we do not begin that rapid restructuring, that rapid transformation to give the young generation an opportunity and hope, then we may all be victims.

    “But be rest assured that the way we started, that is the way we are going to end by the grace of God. Our purpose is service, our purpose is to serve our people, so don’t think that by pleasing someone today,” he said.

    In his remarks, Ogie said that he was not a stranger to the government.

    “I have been one of the pillars, and I want to give my word today that I will remain a pillar in that struggle in that journey to make Edo a better state.

    “Let me thanked our party leaders, we fault an on usual election, but they shown understanding, I want to join the governor to appeal to you to continue to show that understanding, because at the end of the day all our interest are the same,” he said.

    Some of the dignitaries at the event included Mr Tony Aziegbemi, the state chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Dan Orbirh, PDP South-South vice Chairman and Mr Anselm Ojezua, state All Progressive Congress (APC) Chairman.

  • Gov Obaseki tasks police to provide security for #EndSARS protesters

    Gov Obaseki tasks police to provide security for #EndSARS protesters

    Governor Godwin Obaseki has tasked men of the Edo State Police Command to do well to respect the rights of youths to peaceful assembly and provide adequate security for peaceful protests.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Governor Obaseki made this known in a statement on Friday, saying the agitations with the #EndSARS protests are legitimate and deserve attention.

    “My dear vibrant Edo youth, as you go out today to express your concerns through the #EndSARS protests across the state, I urge you to comport yourselves, be safe and orderly.

    “Your agitations with the #EndSARS protests are legitimate and deserve attention. We appreciate the effort by @PoliceNG to accommodate most of these concerns. More consultation is ongoing to ensure that your yearnings are conclusively addressed.

    “We urge men of the Edo State Command of the @PoliceNG to do well to respect the rights of youths to peaceful assembly and provide adequate security for peaceful protests,” he stated.

  • Edo election: Tribunal receives 5 petitions against Obaseki’s victory

    Edo election: Tribunal receives 5 petitions against Obaseki’s victory

    The Edo Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Benin has received petitions from five political parties and their candidates, challenging the declaration of Gov. Godwin Obaseki as the rightful winner of the September 19 poll.

    The Secretary of the tribunal, Mr Sunday Martins, who confirmed this in Benin on Monday, said that the 21-day window period for the submission of petitions ended on Saturday.

    He, however, said that the bailiff had not succeeded in his efforts to personally serve Obaseki the court notice.

    He said that the governor “must be served personally because it is an originating process”.

    The political parties and their candidates included the Action Peoples Party (APP), Action Alliance (AA), Mr Ukonga Frank, Allied Peoples’ Movement, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Mr. Agol Ebun, and Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr Iboi Emmanuel.

    All the petitions joined Obaseki, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as respondents.

    The petition by ADP and its candidate had the governor, PDP, INEC and Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress as defendants.

    Candidates of APP and AA petitions were challenging their unlawful exclusion from the ballot papers by INEC, after having been validly-nominated by their party, in line with the Electoral Act.

    They were praying the tribunal to nullify the election and order a fresh poll to be conducted within 90 days.

    They demanded that validly-nominated candidates should be included in the new ballot papers.

    On their part, APM and NNPP were challenging the validity of Forms EC9 and CF001, reportedly submitted by Obaseki in respect of the 2020 and 2016 governorship polls in the state.

    Also, ADP and Emmanuel were asking the tribunal to look at the list of Vice Chancellors (VC) of the University of Ibadan (UI), from 1947 to date, E-newspaper publication that announced the death of Prof. Tekena Tamuno, among other documents.

    Emmanuel alleged in his petition that Tamuno, who was the VC of UI, from December 1975 to November 1979, could not have signed the certificate Obaseki allegedly presented to the APC for screening.

    He also alleged that the purported university degree, which Obaseki claimed was issued by UI, had no date on it.

    The ADP candidate therefore argued that Obaseki was not qualified to run for the poll, adding that votes credited to him were null and void and of no effect and value.

  • ‘The truth about Governor Godwin Obaseki’s UI controversy’

    ‘The truth about Governor Godwin Obaseki’s UI controversy’

    By Professor Eghosa Osaghae

    Let us clear this mess once and for all. I entered the University of Ibadan in 1976, the same year as HE Godwin Obaseki. We were both from Eghosa Anglican Grammar School, where he finished one year ahead of me in 1973 (I left in 1974). Mr Ogbe Oviasu, also from the 1973 set, was the third person to enter UI that year from Eghosa. Chico Omere, also 1973 Eghosa, was the fourth, but he was in the Prelim class.

    I attended Edo College for the H.Sc, and I know that Obaseki was at the Centre for Continuing Education (now Institute for Continuing Education) which was quite popular for Advanced Level tuition those days. Obaseki was admitted to read Classics, Oviasu, History (both in the Faculty of Arts) and I, Political Science (in the Faculty of the Social Sciences).

    In both faculties, all undergraduate courses were three-year courses, as the university offered preliminary courses only in the sciences, agric, technology, and medicine (preliminary or pre-degree courses for arts and social sciences were offered in the Jos campus of UI, which became the University of Jos in 1975).

    Up until 1978 when JAMB was established, Nigerian universities had two modes of entry (applications were made to individual universities, and many of us had multiple admissions). The first was the concessional entrance mode by which students were admitted to preliminary classes, which were in effect, pre-degree classes (at Ibadan, prelim classes were sub-100 level and were taken as qualifiers for entry into degree programmes).

    For this mode of entry a minimum of 5 WASC/O/L credits was required in addition to passing the concessional entrance examination set by individual universities. The second mode was direct entry (direct literally because you were admitted to 100 level unlike prelims which were pre-degree and sub-100 level).

    In the arts and social sciences at UI, direct entry courses were for three years, and unlike the current practice of admitting direct entry students at 200 level, direct entry students were admitted to 100 level of three-year courses. For direct entry admissions, a minimum of 2 H.Sc/A/L passes in Princpal subjects was required, in addition to WASC credits in proper combinations.

    Many of us had 5 WASC credits, but this was not a requirement. Three WASC credits, and two H.Sc principal passes got you admission (admission was based on a points system that was calculated on the basis of WASC and H.Sc papers).

    A credit in English was also required but an H.Sc O pass grade was accepted in lieu of English. A credit in Maths was also not a requirement in the faculty of Arts (in the social sciences, 1976 was the last year students without credit in maths were admitted- this was done apparently to accommodate hundreds of students from the Jos campus who opted to continue with UI rather than the new University of Jos).

    These were the requirements for admission at the time, and are not to be confused with requirements that came with JAMB and now govern admissions. I should add that universities in the north accepted pre-degree and schools of preliminary studies/IJMB passes in lieu of WASC and H.Sc papers. Governor Obaseki was my classmate at Ibadan and we took some mutual courses in History and Philosophy during the 3-year programmes. He was in Nnamdi Azikiwe hall, Oviasu was in Tedder, and Omere and I were in Independence hall.

    Other Eghosa students at Ibadan at the time included Professor Larry Edosomwan (Agric) and Mr Duke Osunbor (Forestry) who both graduated in 1978. We graduated in 1979. I know so much about Obaseki because we grew up in the same neighborhood in New Benin (those ties are for life), attended the same schools, and belonged to the same church (St Peter’s Anglican Church, Lagos Street, Benin City).

    He attended UI and graduated with an Honours degree in Classics in 1979, the same year I graduated in Political Science (and Ogbe Oviasu in History).

    I hope this messy matter can be finally laid to rest.

    Professor Eghosa Osaghae, Professor of Comparative Politics, University of Ibadan and former Vice Chancellor, Igbinedion University Okada.

  • Buhari tells Obaseki what he wants for APC

    Buhari tells Obaseki what he wants for APC

    President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed that he is trying to make sure that the All Progressives Congress (APC) is built on a civilized basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, right from polling units to local government areas, to States up to Abuja.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports President Buhari stated this on Friday when he received the newly elected Governor of Edo State, Governor Godwin Obaseki, his Deputy, Philip Shaibu and a number of their supporters at the State House in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Friday.

    Thanking Governor Obaseki for bringing his Deputy, Shaibu and his supporters to see him after defeating the APC in the just concluded Edo State Governorship election, Buhari said trying to make sure that the APC is built on a civilized basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings is what he has been insisting as his contribution to the National Working Committee (NWC) and the executives of the APC.

    Buhari, in his brief remarks during the visit, said he is supposed to preside over all Nigerian interests whether he likes it or not and that the message he got across to the Inspector General of Police was that elections must be free and fair and that his single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer.

    The President said, “I thank you for bringing your deputy and supporters to come and see me after beating my party. I am supposed to preside over all Nigerian interests whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer.

    “I am supposed to preside over all Nigerian interests whether I like it or not, but my single desire is to make sure that innocent people don’t suffer. That message I got across to the Inspector General of Police, that elections must be free and fair.

    “If contestants have too much money and they decide to spray, so be it. But what I insist is, nobody should go and raise a counter force to the government, arm heavily-drugged thugs to go and humiliate people.

    “I want Nigerians to appreciate that I respect them as Nigerians and that I am bound by the oath I have taken, that their security is in the hands of God and in the hands of the government, which I am leading.

    “I am trying to make sure that the party is built on a civilised basis, rule of law and respect for human rights and human beings, right from polling units to [LGAs], to States up to Abuja and that’s what I have been insisting as my contribution to the NWC and executive of the party.

    “I know we are a developing country, a developing economy and trying to develop our political culture. I want the development of political culture to be based on integrity and accountability. Let people work very hard and earn what they are looking for through their hard work and through fair competition”.

    While it seemed the President was trying to woo the Edo State Governor back to the APC, Governor Obaseki had said he cannot return to the party after he defected to seek re-election in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    Obaseki, who won re-election last Saturday on the platform of the PDP after defeating Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the APC, shortly after the meeting with the President, said it would be immoral for him to return to APC.

    Responding to questions from newsmen after meeting Buhari, he affirmed that leaving the PDP for the APC goes against Buhari’s gospel of integrity.

    He also said he would not replace Oshiomhole as the new godfather of Edo politics.

    Also, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State had said the Edo governor was free to join any party he chose to, but said on moral grounds, Obaseki would not take such a decision because he was given an umbrella when he was left in the cold.

  • Gov. Obaseki praises Oba of Benin for his role in Edo election

    Gov. Obaseki praises Oba of Benin for his role in Edo election

    Newly re-elected Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki has expressed thanks to the Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II for his fatherly role in the just concluded governorship election that held in the State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Obaseki thanked the Oba as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday presented certificates of return (COR) to him and his Deputy, Mr Philip Shaibu.

    The Edo Governorship Election Returning Officer, Prof. Akpofure Rim-Ruke, had on Sunday declared Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the governorship election in the state.

    Rim-Rukeh had declared Obaseki winner after polling 307,955 votes to defeat his closest opponent Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who garnered 223,619 votes and 12 other candidates.

    The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Edo, Bayelsa and Rivers, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu presented the certificates of return to both the Governor and his Deputy at a ceremony that took place at the collation centre at the State headquarters of INEC in Benin.

    Agbamuche-Mbu said that the presentation of the CORs was a statutory obligation of the Commission which must be carried out within seven days after its declaration of a winner.

    She said, “This occasion is only made possible because of the successful conduct of the governorship election last Saturday, Sept. 19.

    “INEC, I believe, has played its humble part but we have always maintained that a successfully conducted election is a collective effort, and so it has proven to be,” she said.

    In his acceptance speech, Obaseki thanked God and Edo people for a peaceful election, adding that history had been made in the state.

    Obaseki said INEC’s national Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, should receive most of the accolades for his steadfastness and ability to withstand pressure, adding that using his intellect in introducing technology for the election should be hailed by all.

    “Despite all the criticisms, the ability of INEC to view results as the counting is taking place in polling units is one innovation we will implore INEC to maintain and improve on.

    “Because it has introduced different element of transparency in the way we conduct election in Nigeria

    “I am using this opportunity to extend a hand of fellowship to my brother, Osagie Ize-iyamu, and other colleagues in the APC to work with us to move Edo forward.

    “On a specific note, I want to use this occasion to call on former National chairman of the APC Adams Oshiomhole that the fight is over, to come and join in building the house where he was part of laying the foundation.

    “We have no malice; the only thing we disagreed on is on the approach in moving Edo forward.’’

    Obaseki, who also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, said the president would be remembered as the father of democracy in Nigeria.

    “This is because he had a choice to ensure and insist that his party wins in the state but he rose above partisan politics, and insisted the right be done,” he said.

    According to him, I want to finally thank his royal majesty, Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, for his fatherly role, for the prayers for peace, and for being that symbol we all look up to.

    Earlier in his address, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC, Mr Johnson Alalibo, said the ceremony was just another fulfilment of the provisions of the law.

    “My joy knows no bound as I am standing here to present this welcome address, having conducted an election without any loss of life,” he said.

    Alalibo commended the candidates, security personnel and the entire people of Edo for their display of professionalism and maturity during the election.

    According to him, this election has already been adjudged as one of the best and it shall so remain in the annals of our history.

  • VIDEO: We will have no mercy on Oshiomhole if… – Gov Obaseki

    VIDEO: We will have no mercy on Oshiomhole if… – Gov Obaseki

    The Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki has said mercy would not be shown on erstwhile godfather, Adams Oshiomhole if he continues to misbehave.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Obaseki made the statement when he appeared on Arise TV on Tuesday.

    When asked about reports that there is a plan to “run Oshiomhole out of the state” he responded that no such plan exists, but the response of his administration depends on the behaviour of Oshiomhole.

    “I don’t have any plan, but if he continues to behave the way he always does, if he continues to be disruptive, if he continues to fund his lions and tigers, and tries to create problems for us here, then we will not have any mercy,” Obaseki said.

    https://www.instagram.com/p/CFb9UqbgNju/

    He added that he has no plan to move to the Senate at the expiration of his tenure.

    “After the next four years, i’ll seek admission and go back to school to teach. I don’t have any wishes to go to the Senate,” he stated.

  • BREAKING: Jubilation in Edo as Obaseki, Shaibu receive certificates of return from INEC [PHOTOS]

    BREAKING: Jubilation in Edo as Obaseki, Shaibu receive certificates of return from INEC [PHOTOS]

    Governor Godwin Obaseki and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu have been issued certificates of return by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) after their victory in the just concluded governorship election in Edo State.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports INEC’s National Commissioner supervising Edo, Rivers and Bayelsa States, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu presented the certificates of return to the winners of the Edo State Governorship election at the INEC’s office in Benin on Tuesday.

    Earlier, Obaseki had received the official results sheet of the election from the election management body, after defeating Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election.

    “I have just received the results sheet of the Edo governorship election from INEC Nigeria, which provides details of the polls cast on Saturday. I appreciate Edo people for their support and unflinching resolve to reward our hard work. Congratulations to all of us once more,” Obaseki said shortly after receiving the results sheet.

    The results sheet as received the Governor contained the details of the election as submitted by the returning and electoral officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State.

    According to the results, Godwin Obaseki secured 307,955 of the total votes, 84,336 more votes than his closest rival, Ize-Iyamu, who polled 223,619 votes. A total of 14 political parties fielded candidates to jostle for the office of the governor in the State.

    Below are the official results of the Edo State Governorship election as announced by INEC:

    Igueben LG

    APC – 5199

    PDP – 7870

    Esan North-East

    APC – 6,556

    PDP – 13,579

    Esan Central

    APC – 6,719

    PDP – 10,794

    Ikpoba Okha

    APC – 18,218

    PDP – 41,030

    Uhunmwonde

    APC – 5,972

    PDP – 10,022

    Egor

    APC – 10,202

    PDP – 27,621

    Owan East

    APC – 19,295

    PDP – 14,762

    Owan West

    APC – 11,193

    PDP – 11,485

    Ovia North-East

    APC – 9,907

    PDP – 16,987

    Etsako West

    APC – 26,140

    PDP – 17,959

    Esan South-East

    APC – 9,237

    PDP – 10,563

    Oredo

    APC – 18,365

    PDP – 43,498

    Esan West

    APC – 7,189

    PDP – 17,434

    Akoko Edo

    APC – 22,963

    PDP – 20,101

    Etsako East

    APC – 17,011

    PDP – 10,668

    Etsako Central

    APC – 8,359

    PDP – 7,478

    Orhionmwon

    APC – 10,458

    PDP – 13,445

    Ovia South-West

    APC – 10,636

    PDP – 12,659

    The Governor had lauded the people of Edo State for giving him the mandate to govern the State for a second time.

    In his victory post on his official Twitter page, Obaseki who said words failed him, thanked the people of Edo for being courageous in their bid to end godfatherism in the state.

    “Words fail me in saluting our teeming supporters who displayed immense courage in the face of threats, intimidation and brutalisation. The collective will of Edo people made itpossible for us to triumph over godfatherism. Congratulations to all Edo people,” Obaseki tweeted.