Tag: Kwara

  • Saraki expresses disappointment over low voters’ turn-out

    Saraki expresses disappointment over low voters’ turn-out

    Senate President Bukola Saraki has expressed disappointment over low turn-out of voters in the Governorship and State House of Assembly elections in the state.

    The senate president, while casting his vote on Saturday at his Ajikobi ward, Opobiyi polling units 005, said the turn-out was not impressive compared to the presidential and national assembly elections on Feb. 23.

    Bukola, who arrived at his polling unit at exactly 11:08 a.m. in a blue caftan, with a cap to match, said the turn-out was low.

    He said he had been inundated with too many reports of military deployment in the state which could be the reason for the low turn-out.

    Commenting on card readers, the senate president said he had not received any reports of malfunctioning of the gadgets.

    He added that since the independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had insisted on the use of card readers, there must have been an improvement.

  • 15 PDP councillors defect to APC in Kwara

    No fewer than 15 serving Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) councillors in Kwara on Monday, defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of Governorship and State Assembly Elections.

    The defectors, who were drawn from five out 16 local government areas of the state, said they defected to APC in the interest of the masses.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that they were elected on the platform of PDP in November 2017.

    Speaking on behalf of the defectors, Hon Suleiman Taoheed representing Ajanaku Ward in Moro Local Government Area, explained that the current PDP administration in Kwara had failed.

    “We are tired of lies and poor performance of the incumbent administration in the state and as a result, we cannot be left behind in building better and brighter Kwara.

    “Everybody is complaining about the political hegemony in Kwara because the system has not brought positive changes to the people of the state,” Taoheed said.

    He promised on behalf of the defectors to mobilise electorate in their respective wards and vote en masse for all APC candidates on Saturday.

    They also pledged their support for AbdulRahman Abdulrasaq, the APC governorship candidate, stating that he had good plans for the state considering his antecedents.

    They revealed that more serving councillors would join APC before Saturday.

    Receiving the defectors, Dr. Alimi Abdulrasaq, an APC stalwart and brother to the governorship flag bearer said that they would not regret their decision.

    Abdulrasaq noted that his brother, when elected would ensure that local governments have full autonomy, and draw government closer to the people at the grassroots.

    He urged them to mobilise electorate to vote Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq and all APC state assembly candidates in the elections.

    The defected councillors are: Adam Tsado, (Edu), Ogundele Segun, (Isin), James Kayode, (Ilorin East), Aremu Jamiu, (Moro), Olorunrinu Suleiman, (Ilorin South)

    Others are: Omolara Sanni, (Isin), Adebayo Olatayo, (Isin) Saheed Abdulwasiu, (Isin) Saheed Musbau, (Isin) Adeyemi Oladele, (Isin) Suleiman Taoheed, (Isin), Ishola Seunayo, (Isin) among others.

  • EFCC arrests Kwara finance commissioner, accountant general

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested the Kwara state Commissioner of Finance and the Accountant General of the State, over in connection with alleged misappropriation of states funds during the just-concluded 2019 presidential, NASS elections.

    According to an EFCC source who spoke under condition of anonymity with a national daily [Not TheNewsGuru], the duo are being held at the Ilorin, Kwara state Zonal head office of the anti-graft agency to explain the utilization of over N1 billion fund received from a commercial bank a few days to the election.

    It was learnt that the Commissioner of Finance, Nurudeen Banu and the Accountant General of the state, Sulaiman Ishola, are being held to explain why the money was received and how it was disbursed.

    The EFCC had been asked by the Kwara Coalition for Good Governance and Accountability (KWARA-CGGA) to probe the over N1billion loan the State Government secured from a bank a few days before the general elections.

    The secretary general of the group, Hassan Omoiya said it had intelligence that the state government obtained the loan on 13th February from a first generation bank using the remittance of Kwara State VAT allocation due in February and March 2019 as collateral.

    He said, “We urge the EFCC and indeed the Federal Ministry of Finance to determine the appropriateness of utilization of credit facility of N1 billion by Kwara State Government at the twilight of general election.”

    Also, “The status of VAT Account as collateral for the credit facility in the absence of prior approval and authorization from Debt Management Office and Federal Ministry of Finance in tandem with extant laws and regulation on granting of loan to State Governments.

    “It is our expectation that your investigation will extend to individuals and corporate institutions that participated in the unwholesome act with a view of prosecuting the affected individuals and institutions with attendant cost and penalty.”

  • Why Saraki lost senatorial seat – Kwara senator-elect

    Mallam Sadiq Umar, the senator-elect for Kwara North Senatorial District, says Senate President Bukola Saraki lost his senatorial seat because he was no longer connected with the electorate.

    Umar said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ilorin.

    The senator-elect, who was reacting to the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, said Saraki’s political relevance had always been overrated.

    He said that the senate president was able to hold the state in his grips for so long because elections had always been rigged in his favour.

    According to him, Kwara has suffered a protracted leadership problem and now they have the opportunity to speak out loudly.

    “The victory is an anticipated one and we are very happy about it. Everybody is very happy because it was a very free and fair election.

    ” Kwarans are very clear; enough is enough. They have not had a good leader and those who are ruling Kwara are not giving the best of leadership to the people.

    “So the people want a change and we are very happy the electorate have spoken very loudly that they are with APC and all candidates of APC won the elections from Presidential to National Assembly members,’’ he said.

    Umar described the development as a new dawn for Kwara, saying all what the citizens had been deprived would be given to them.

    “Kwara will see development in infrastructure, employment, empowerment, prompt payment of salary and improvement in salary among others,’’ he said.

    He urged the citizens to keep faith with the party and the newly elected representatives, assuring that they would not fail the people.

    “My message to them is that there is hope for them. We will never fail them.

    “We are aware of the nascent experience in Nigeria, particularly in Kwara. We just have to deliver the goods to the people of Kwara or else there will be a judgment day.

    “We are aware of that. We are responsible citizens who came into politics for the purpose of serving our people.

    “We are very grateful that they kept the faith. They promised they will support us and they did it overwhelmingly.

    “We are going to pay them back with good governance and the best service we can render to them.

    “So there is hope in Kwara, particularly in Kwara North that is backward in everything.

    “We need to speed and catch up as soon as we can,’’ said the newly elected senator.

  • Kwara is free at last, says Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed says with the outcome of last Saturday’s elections, Kwara is free “from a choking and pauperising political hegemony of a self-imposed dynasty”.

    The Minister, who is the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kwara, stated this while briefing newsmen on Monday in Ilorin.

    He stressed that never again would the people of Kwara be treated like slaves in their own land.

    “Enough is Enough – O To Ge!,” he said.

    The minister said the official results of last Saturday’s National Assembly elections in the state was a clean sweep for the APC.

    “All three seats in the Senate and all six in the House of Representatives were won by our party.

    “The match between our party and the PDP ended 10-0 (1-0 President, 3-0 Senatorial, 6-0 House of Reps)

    He advised that with the unprecedented victory the state should declare Feb. 23 of every year as the Day of Liberation for Kwara State.

    “I want to ask the incoming Governor of our state to, immediately he is sworn in on 29 May 2019, to declare Feb. 23rd of every year as the Day of Liberation for Kwara State.”

    The minister gave gratitude to God for the victory and thanked the good people of Kwara for coming out to vote for APC.

    “No single individual can claim credit for this victory. It belongs to the people of Kwara.

    “All of us, the party leadership, were fortunate to have been in the right place at the right time to lead the process.

    “But the ultimate credit goes to the people who resoundingly said NO to the PDP last Saturday.

    “Fired on by perhaps the most impactful, three-word political slogan ever in the history of party politics in this land – ” O to Ge” meaning Enough is Enough”.

    “Kwarans have confirmed the saying that the power of the people is much stronger than the people in power,” he said.

    The minister said the victory in Kwara was achieved in the sweetest way because the election was conducted in an atmosphere of peace and harmony.

    He said: “not a single shot was fired throughout Kwara, no one snatched ballot box rather it was an atmosphere of conviviality.”

    Mohammed said the election was a sharp departure from what used to be in the state.

    ‘It confirms what we have been saying, that when there is adequate security, there will be a level playing ground for all the parties, and for all Kwarans.”

    The minister thanked the security agencies, all the party members, supporters and leaders of the party across the state.

    He urged the party members to note that the job was not completed yet, until they deliver the March 9 governorship and State House of Assembly elections for APC.

  • Saturday polls: PDP raises alarm over heavy security presence in Kwara

    Ahead of Saturday’s presidential election, the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) has raised the alarm over heavy deployment of top security chiefs in Kwara State.

    Kwara is the home state of the President of the Senate and Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Dr. Bukola Saraki.

    A statement Wednesday by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the deployment was part of a plot by the governing All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to intimidate, harass and create fear in the minds of voters and rig elections in the state.

    As part of the plot, the Directorate of State Services (DSS) has deployed its Director of Operations, Etteng Bassey, as well as the State Directors in charge of Ogun and Anambra States to Kwara State ahead of Saturday’s elections while the Director in charge of Kwara State has been moved to Benue. This is in addition to the deployment of hundreds of other DSS operatives from Abuja to Kwara state.

    We also have it on good authority that soldiers will from tomorrow cordon off all entry points to the personal house of the Senate President in Ilorin as well as his late father’s compound in Ilofa Road, old GRA, Ilorin.

    Similarly, the police have made heavy deployment of officers and men from its headquarters in Abuja to Ilorin, Kwara state capital, where they have been instructed to arrest key political players loyal to Senator Saraki.

    We alert Nigerians that the Federal Government plots to use the same strategy in key states of the federation to subvert the will of the people,” the statement said.

    The PDP said the heavy deployment was the reason behind APC’s boasts of winning the general elections, even as the main opposition party said all indications, including the opinion polls sponsored by them, showed otherwise.

    The PDP however said that such vicious plots by the APC and the Buhari Presidency will come to naught, adding that Nigerians are ready to confront all aggressions and vote them out at the general elections.

    The party charged all its members and supporters to remain resolute in resisting what it described as the machinations of the APC. It urged them to come out enmasse to vote and protect their votes with every legitimate means available to them.

  • Why we posted Tinubu’s former CSO to Kwara few days to general elections – Acting IGP

    Why we posted Tinubu’s former CSO to Kwara few days to general elections – Acting IGP

    The acting Inspector-General of Police,Mohammed Adamu, has explained that the posting of Kayode Egbetokun, a former chief security officer to the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, to Kwara State as Commissioner of Police was only based on merit.

    Adamu stated this at a one-day summit organised by the Vanguard for Transparent Leadership and Democracy in Abuja on Thursday.

    Represented at the event by an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Mogaji Ismaila of the FCT Police Command, the acting IG said the outcry that greeted the posting of Egbetokun was unnecessary because the exercise had no political undertone.

    He said, “May I appeal to the journalists and the politicians not to drag us into political issues. Posting of commissioners of police is purely the responsibility of the IG in conjunction with the Police Service Commission.

    This recent posting came as a result of the retirement of some commissioners of police and the elevation of some CPs to the rank of assistant inspectors-general of police, and even to the position of deputy inspectors-general of police.

    You don’t expect the IG to leave states whose commissioners of police were promoted to AIGs and DIGs vacant. Definitely, there is going to be movement and as far as we are concerned, the IGP used experience, competence and other qualities in posting those police officers to the affected states.

    The postings by the IGP have no political undertone and he has no ulterior motive in carrying out the exercise. He carried out the exercise purely for effective service delivery.

    On the issue of a former CSO to a former governor, the man carried out that task as a junior officer. Now that he has risen to the position of CP, are you saying that he should not be posted?

    The IG is free to post him to any state where he feels he could deliver. His posting is based on his track records, devoid of any political undertone and the criticisms about it are unnecessary.”

    The acting IG promised that the police would play a neutral role throughout the electoral process.

    It is not true that majority of the newly posted CPs are northerners. Our postings are purely on merit and based on competence,” he added.

  • 2019 Elections: APC speaks on alleged masterminding of police postings in Kwara, Lagos, others

    2019 Elections: APC speaks on alleged masterminding of police postings in Kwara, Lagos, others

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has debunked allegations by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) that the police hierarchy had compromised police posting for the purpose of providing election security in its favour.

    Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC National Publicity Secretary, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, described the allegation as laughable.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the CUPP had alleged that they were in possession of credible information that police posting for the purpose of providing election security had been compromised.

    The coalition’s spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, said this in a statement that some APC leaders had been requested to make their choice of Commissioners, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, SARS Commanders, and other strategic positions in the police.

    A nebulous group which parades itself as CUPP has made some laughable allegations on some police postings, particularly in Kwara State ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

    Ordinarily, the APC wouldn’t respond to a group of charlatans running errands for the embattled President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.

    However, since the group has issued the statement as a decoy for him, we would direct our reactions to their paymaster,” he said.

    Mr Issa-Onilu reiterated that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and indeed other senior party leaders mentioned in the statement were too busy with the party’s Next Level campaigns.

    He stressed that the APC leadership was too busy with engagements to be involved in the childish conspiracies and spurious allegations contained in the statement.

    He, however, said it was not within the rights or responsibility of any political organisation or group to dictate to agencies empowered by laws how to deliver on specific mandates.

    The APC spokesman added that the party believed that leaders with a modicum of honour, should not tread on the path of cowardice by hiding under nebulous groups to make unsubstantiated allegations.

    He also said the APC however, understood that people’s fears were oftentimes their own weakness.

    He said it was clear that Sen. Saraki, the PDP, and their cronies were recollecting their usual practice of manipulating state institutions to achieve their political ends.

    According to him, the PDP is now scared of its own shadows.

    Let it be known that our party, the APC, has not copied such dubious template,” Mr Issa-Onilu said.

    He further reiterated that a new and progressive Kwara beckons through the votes of the people, adding that Kwara electorate would decide on the new political direction in the state.

    Kwara has suffered enough backwardness and under-development resulting from the selfish grip of a self-appointed leader in the state.

    In the next election the will of the Kwara electorate will prevail,”Mr Issa-Onilu stressed.

  • Lagos, Kwara, Kogi, others get new CPs [Full list]

    Lagos, Kwara, Kogi, others get new CPs [Full list]

    The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the appointment and deployment of 37 Command Commissioners of Police for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja.

    Their appointment came following recommendation by the acting Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu to the Commission.

    With the approval, Lagos, Kwara, Kogi and other states now have new Commissioners of Police while the Commissioners of Police in charge of FCT, Borno and few other states’ appointment were revalidated.

    With the approval, CP Mu’azu Zubairu will take over from CP Edgal Imohimi as the new Commissioner of Police Lagos State.

    Details of the approval and deployment is contained in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday by the Commission’s Spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani.

    The Commissioners of Police and the states they are deployed to are: “Buba Sanusi, Katsina State; Mohammed Wakili, Kano State; Rabiu Ladodo, Jigawa State; Ahmed Iliyasu, Ogun State; Mu’azu Zubairu, Lagos State; Ibrahim Sabo, Niger State; Alkassam Sanusi, Taraba State; Garba M. Mukaddas, Adamawa State; Omololu Bishi, Benue State; Bola Longe, Nassarawa State; Isaac Akinmoyede, Plagos, teau State; Odumosu Hakeem, Edo State; Olushola David, Bayelsa State; Adeleke Yinka, Delta State; Austin Iwero Agbonlahor, Cross Rivers State; Bashir Makama, Akwa Ibom State; Awosola Awotunde, Ebonyi State; Belel Usman, Rivers State; Bello Makwashi, Gombe State and Abdulrahman Ahmed, Kaduna State.”

    Others are: “Bala Ciroma, FCT; Egbetokun Kayode, Kwara State; Hakeem Busari, Kogi State; Asuquo Amba, Ekiti state; Galadanchi Dasuki, Imo State; Suleiman Balarabe, Enugu State; Dandaura Mustapha, Anambra State; Etim Ene Okon, Abia state; Ibrahim Kaoje, Sokoto state; Celestine Okoye, Zamfara State; Garba Danjuma, Kebbi State; Abiodun Ige, Osun State; Undie Adie, Ondo State; Olukolu Shina, Oyo State; Ali Janga, Bauchi State; Damian Chukwu, Bornu State and Sumonu Abdulmalik, Yobe State.”

    According to the Commission, the CPs are expected to proceed immediately to their new Commands ahead of the 2019 general elections.

    The Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Musiliu Smith charged them to quickly settle at their new posts and ensure that the forth-coming general elections in their various Commands are peaceful, free, fair and transparent.

    He also stated that the country cannot afford any disruption of the elections anywhere as the world was looking up to Nigeria for a proof that its democracy has continued to mature.

    The Commission also said its approval has been conveyed to the acting Inspector General of Police for implementation.

  • 2019: APC postpones governorship campaign in Kwara, cites insecurity

    2019: APC postpones governorship campaign in Kwara, cites insecurity

    The Kwara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress on Thursday postponed its plan to launch Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq’s governorship election campaign, citing insecurity as reasons.

    The campaign was scheduled to hold in Kosubosu, headquarters of Baruten Local Government Area, before the abrupt cancellation.

    The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Kosubosu is a border community with the Republic of Benin, which is a journey of more than five hours from Ilorin.

    Journalists and party supporters had gathered on Thursday morning for the event when a member of the Media Committee, Kayode Oyin-Zubair, conveyed the decision of the party to the guests.

    NAN findings revealed that the party postponed the programme due to an alleged plan by some thugs to scuttle the event.

    However, a party supporter in Kosubosu, Mr. Kehinde Musa, expressed dismay over the postponement of the governorship campaign.

    Musa noted that supporters had gathered in Kosubosu to receive the APC governorship candidate before the information was relayed to them.

    He stated that the massive APC supporters in the area would file out again when next the party decides to meet the people.

    Meanwhile, Kwara APC chairman, Mr. Bashir Bolarinwa, who expressed regrets over the suspension in a statement on Thursday, blamed the postponement on “incontrovertible security reports.”

    The manifesto presentation ceremony of the All Progressives Congress gubernatorial candidate, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, which was expected to witness a mammoth attendance today (Thursday) in Kosubosu, Baruten Local Government Area, was regrettably called off due to very strong and incontrovertible security reports.

    As a responsible party, we put the protection of the lives of our teeming party members and, indeed, enthusiastic supporters who were waiting to line our routes above other considerations.

    We, therefore, use this opportunity to appeal to our party faithful for the inconveniences caused them, as many had already gathered at various departure points,” Abdulrazaq said.

    He also announced that the party had taken full charge of the campaign structures, processes and activities for the purpose of delivering an effective mobilisation of all Kwarans for the victory of the party.

    He said that a new date for the campaign take-off would be announced soon.