TheNewsGuru

Tag: Osun State

  • Osun election: Oyetola carpets Aregbesola’s anointed, Adeoti to emerge as APC candidate

    Osun election: Oyetola carpets Aregbesola’s anointed, Adeoti to emerge as APC candidate

    Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun has been declared the winner of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in the state.

    Oyetola, who is seeking re-election, pulled 222,169, votes to defeat his closet rival, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the anointed candidate of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, who scored 12,921.

    The governor won in all the 30 local government areas of the state in the direct primary election on Saturday.

    He also defeated Mr Lasun Yusuf, a former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, who scored 460 votes.

    The Kwara Governor, AbdulRaham AbdulRazak, Chairman of the Primary Election Committee, announced the results at about 3.00 a.m at the APC Secretariat in Osogbo on Sunday.

    AbdulRazak said that the total registered voters for the exercise was 408,697.

    The chairman added that the total numbers of accredited voters was 247, 207, while the total votes cast was 235,550.

    He said: “I, AbdulRaham AbdulRazak, the Chairman, Primary Election Committee, hereby certified that Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola, having scored the highest votes cast in Osun governorship primary election held on Feb.19 and met all requirements as contained in the guildlines of the election is hereby declared the winner.”

    In his remarks, the Chairman of APC in Osun, Mr Gboyega Famodun, commended the committee for a job well done.

    Famodun said the peaceful outcome of the primary had put an end to tension in the state.

    He said the party would work toward the victory of Oyetola, who is now the party’s candidate for July 16 governorship election in the state.

  • BREAKING: Oyetola floors Aregbesola in his ward in Osun APC primary

    BREAKING: Oyetola floors Aregbesola in his ward in Osun APC primary

    Osun State Governor Gboyega Oyetola has floored Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola in his ward in Saturday’s governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Oyetola won at Ward 8, Ifofin, Ilesha East, according to official results of the Osun APC governorship primary.

    Aregbesola, who is a former Governor of the State, though not contesting, has his anointed candidate, Moshood Adeoti in the Osun APC governorship primary.

    Both Aregbesola and his political godson lost the ward to the incumbent governor, who is gunning for a second term.

    TNG reports Oyetola won the ward, polling 309 votes against 124 polled by Adeoti.

    APC Primary: Gov. Oyetola wins own ward

    Meanwhile, Oyetola also emerged winner in his ward of Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area of the State.

    Announcing the result of the direct primary at St. Peters Primary School, ward 001, Iragbiji, Mr Samson Oyebade, the electoral officer, said Oyetola scored 1,612 votes, to beat two other aspirants, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, and Lasun Yusuf, who scored no vote.

    He said 2,053 party members were accredited for the exercise, adding that only 1,612 party members cast their votes for the governor.

    In his remarks, the governor said he was not surprised that he won in his ward.

    Oyetola, who described the exercise as a family affairs, said the primary was not expected to be a battle field.

    He also urged party members to brace up for the challenges ahead.

    “I want my fellow aspirants to see this exercise as a family affair and not a battle field.

    “Because God is always in control, there is no violence in the state, although violence is not expected.

    “I dot not know why the agents of other aspirants are not here but we should all brace up for the challenges ahead and create opportunity for reconciliation,” he said.

    The governor described the turnout of the party members for the exercise as meaningful and impressive.

    “I thank God that we were able to do it peacefully.

    “All the members of the party have the opportunity to decide who will carry the flag of the party.

    “I want to appeal to all our people all over the state to please maintain peace.

    “This election process should not be a battle field. It should not be a do or die affair. There should be no violence.

    “Let everybody have the opportunity of participating in his choice of who should be the candidate of our party.

    “I think that is the process and I think it has gone very well, contrary to the speculation,” he said.

    TNG reports the three aspirants for the primary are Gov. Oyetola; former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, and Mr Lasun Yusuf, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives.

    The APC Chairman in the state, Mr Gboyega Famodun, said the primary would take place in 332 wards across the 30 local government areas of the state.

  • Osun APC Primary : Aregbesola’s faction raises alarm of violence and rigging

    Osun APC Primary : Aregbesola’s faction raises alarm of violence and rigging

    Ahead of the gubernatorial primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, a faction of the party loyal to Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has raised an alarm over alleged plan by Governor Gboyega Oyetola to rig the election in his favour.
    A governorship aspirant of the party and former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti who addressed a press conference in Osogbo yesterday faulted the Governor Oyetola’s membership of the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, (NCECPC) of APC till date.
    He said the failure of Governor Oyetola to resign from the committee was as a result of his influence which was said was against the party’s constitution, adding that the Governor would use the advantage over him in the primary election.
    He said “It is on record and has been decided in several law suits that it is not possible to be a judge in your own case. We note that it is the display of “they cannot do anything” that makes Governor Gboyega Oyetola to remain in membership of the National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, (NCECPC) of APC till date. It is on record that we have advised him to resign but he has remained adamant and unperturbed.
    ” The reason, by our estimation is simple: Governor Oyetola has enjoyed the manifest misuse of the power of the committee to his own advantage since its evolution. It is sad that the NCECPC has decided all cases brought before it by us and other stakeholders in favour of Oyetola. We have it on good authority that there is understanding between members of the NCECPC that they would protect members interests at whatever point it is needed. And this has been the case in all of our efforts to seek justice in all disputation between us and governor.
    “In the spirit of fair play, objectivity and natural justice, Governor Oyetola is not supposed to remain in the membership of the NCECPC. What we are witnessing is a case of a thief adjudicating his own case. He can never convict himself. Governor Oyetola’s membership of the NCECPC is against the democratic norms. We dare say that this is capable of causing disquiet, more than we are facing in Osun APC now, if allowed to pass us bye.
    “The governorship primary cannot be fair, free, and equitable if Governor Oyetola is still a member of NCECPC. We note that like it happened in time of the congress, we are reliably informed that Governor Oyetola is the one who hand-picked the Chairman and members of the primary election committee. It is within human reasonability not to trust such handpicked committee by an interested party member. Such committee would never be fair to other contenders.
    “We therefore express absolute opposition to whatever committee that will conduct the primary election because they were chosen by Governor Oyetola. There can only be point of convergence for us if Governor Oyetola could resign his membership and the process of conducting the primary begins afresh.
    “The provision of Article 31(iii) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Constitution (2014) as Amended reads as follows:
    “Any party office holder interested in contesting for an elective office (whether party office or office in a general election) shall resign and leave office 30 days prior to the date of nomination or party primary for office he or she is seeking to contest”.
    “From the Constitutional provision quoted above, it is against the tenet and intendment of Article 31(iii) for Governor Isiaka Adegboyega Oyetola to still remain and retain his membership of CECPC. A closer look at the provisions of the Constitution quoted above shows that the drafter of the APC Constitution has envisaged a situation as the one that is currently happening in Osun State.
    “We also note that the need to manipulate the primary process and outcome in favour of Governor Oyetola is responsible for drawing back the date of the primary from March 5 to February 19.
    “It is unfortunate that, with the background of the formation of APC with high moral ground in following the law, rules and regulations, the party will play the role of reversing itself in a serious matter like the date of primary already advertised for close to three months. It is unacceptable and shameful that the NCECPC will shift the goal post in the middle of the game. The date for Osun APC primary was fixed for March 5, 2022 but was hurriedly reversed to February 19, 2022. This is mind boggling and begs the question; why?
    “We have it on good authority that the NCECPC was influenced by Oyetola to reverse the date to have the primary before the National Convention coming up on February 26, 2022. It is believed that Oyetola is afraid of contesting a free and fair primary election to be conducted by an objective committee.
    However, the APC’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Mr Kunle Oyatomi while reacting to Adeoti’s allegations said the Governor is a peace loving person who would not encourage violence of any kind in an issue that involves members of his party.

    He said the the Osun Progressives (TOP) was only crying wolf where there was none, stressing that the only recognized leadership of the APC in the state is under the chairmanship of Prince Gboyega Famodun while Governor Oyetola is the leader of the party.

    He assured that the primary election would be free and fair, saying that the Governor or any leader of the party would not interfere in the exercise.

    Oyatomi who said there was no cause for alarm regarding the primary election called on members of the APC across the state to troop out in large number and assemble at their wards’ voting centres throughout the state from 8.00am on Saturday to participate fully in the party’s direct primary.

    The party spokesman said that the APC candidate for the July 16 governorship election will be elected by all card-carrying members of the party and urged the party members not to be scarred by rumours of violence and attack.

    He urged members of the party to comport themselves orderly, peaceful and responsibly for the process to be a successful one.

  • 2022: Political parties in Osun sign peace treaty ahead guber poll

    2022: Political parties in Osun sign peace treaty ahead guber poll

    Ahead of the July 16 guber election, political parties in Osun State have signed a Peace Accord, vowing to eschew any form of uprising capable of truncating the poll.

    The treaty was signed at an event held on Thursday, at police headquarters in Osogbo in Osun state.

    The political parties that signed the treaty include the representative of the All Progressives Congress, APC, PDP YPP, LP, SDP and others.

    Osun Commissioner of Police, Wale Olokode who was represented by his Deputy, Kanayo Val, said it is important to put all political parties and other stakeholders on their toes on the need to abide by all rules and regulations guiding the conduct of peaceful, credible and violence-free elections.

    He explained that, “we are all aware that the governorship election in Osun will take place in July this year and political parties have begun necessary and required preparations for the process.

    “In accordance with the time table released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the Osun Governorship election, signed by its Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, build-ups to the election would begin February 15, 2022.

    ”The notice also indicated that February 16 to March 12, 2022 is fixed for political parties to conduct their primaries and resolve disputes that may arise from them while April 17, 2022 is the official date for the commencement of campaigns by parties”, he stated.

    He added that political activities, party primaries, consultation visits, campaigns and other are legal so far they are within the confine of the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    The police boss however, enjoined all political parties and groups to play the game by the rules and allow themselves and their activities be guided by the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    He said, ‘ I advise politicians and other members of the public who may be supporting political parties to always formally inform the command before embarking on processions, assemblies, campaigns or rallies in order to make necessary security arrangement that would prevent any breakdown of law and order.

    ”I want to assure all political parties of a free level playing ground before, during and after the election. I also want to assure the entire people of the state that the police will leave no stone unturned in ensuring security of lives and properties before, during and after the election period”.

  • Oluwo of Iwo denies asking N20 million from Gov Oyetola to fund royal wedding

    Oluwo of Iwo denies asking N20 million from Gov Oyetola to fund royal wedding

    The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has denied requesting the sum of N20 million from Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State to fund his royal wedding.

    In a statement, the Oluwo Palace clarified that Oba Akanbi never asked for financial assistance from Governor Oyetola but that he only said the ceremony is capital intensive and that it would cost around N20 million.

    The statement released by Alli Ibraheem, Press Secretary to Oluwo’s Palace has it that at the date on the letter, the Oluwo was not in the state and that his secretary has no audacity, whatsoever to sign on his behalf.

    “The said letter lacks basic in-house styles of Oluwo’s palace correspondence. Oluwo always append his personal signature while writing the government. Equally, the font in the letter is not our official style.

    “At the said date on the letter, Oluwo was not in the state up till now. And his secretary has no audacity, whatsoever to sign on behalf of His Majesty while communicating with the government.

    “The letter was orchestrated by mischievous people whose mission is to discredit the palace. Marriage is a personal affairs. There is no marriage venture too big for Oluwo to finance on his own,” the statement reads in part.

    The statement, however, did not deny that the Oluwo of Iwo is getting married to a Princess of Ado Bayero dynasty from Kano Emirate.

  • Royal Marriage: Oluwo of Iwo writes Gov Oyetola, solicits for N20m to sponsor wedding

    Royal Marriage: Oluwo of Iwo writes Gov Oyetola, solicits for N20m to sponsor wedding

    …proposed wedlock is with daughter of prominent Kano Emir

    The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi has written a letter to the Governor of Osun State, Isiaka Oyetola soliciting for N20 million to enable him marry the daughter of a prominent Kano monarch.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this was contained in a letter dated February 8 where the first class monarch made a special appeal through the Governor’s Special Adviser on Local Government Affairs.

    The Oba specifically mentioned the Kano Monarch’s name, stating the cost of sponsoring the royal wedding.

    The letter reads: “I have the instruction of His Imperial Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi, The Oluwo of Iwo, to notify you of the Oluwo’s decision to marry a Princess from Kano Emirate to be precise Ado Bayero dynasty.

    “I wish to remind your Excellency that this kind of royal wedding within two notable traditional institutions in Nigeria will require huge expenses, which necessitate support of state government financially even logistically.

    “Moreover, the estimated amount for the event is above (N20,000,000.00) Twenty Million naira.

    “His Excellency, Oba Akanbi relies on you for necessary consideration and approval on this request. Thank you”.

  • APC announces date for Osun governorship primaries

    APC announces date for Osun governorship primaries

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) says it plans to conduct the primary election for the July 16 Osun governorship election on Feb. 19.

    Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, National Secretary, APC Caretaker Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), said this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

    “In accordance with the provisions of the amended Electoral Act 2010 and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

    “The APC has released a revised timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2022 Governorship Primary Election in Osun,” he said.

    Akpanudoedehe said the last day for submission of completed Expression of Interest and Nomination forms and accompanying documents at the party’s national secretariat would be on Wednesday, Feb. 9.

    He added that screening of aspirants would hold on Thursday, Feb. 10, while publication of claims and objections would take place on Saturday, Feb. 12 and screening Appeal would take place on Thursday, Feb. 15.

    He further added that Election Appeal would hold on Tuesday 22, Feb. 22.
    The APC began the sale of Expression of Interest and Nomination forms to aspirants on Thursday Nov. 18, 2021.

    The forms were sold at N22.5million, with the nomination form sold at N20 million, while the expression of interest form was sold at N2.5million.

    Female and physically challenged aspirants were however, to pay 50 per cent of the prescribed fees.

  • Cultists kill no fewer than five residents of Ilesa

    Cultists kill no fewer than five residents of Ilesa

    No fewer than five residents of Ilesa, Osun State, have been killed during clashes between two rival cult groups and suspected land grabbers.

    The fight started on Friday afternoon after some youths, suspected to be cult members, stormed a new building that was being roofed at Omi-Tuntun area of Ilesa and demanded for money from workers at the site.

    One witness, Mr Bisi Oyetade revealed that the hoodlums, who also operate as land grabbers, were told to stop extorting workers at the site by some suspected cultists, said to be relations of the house owner.

    Oyetade explained that in the process, clashes broke out and a suspected cultist was overpowered, dragged to the bush and hacked to death by the gang protecting the new building.

    He said that the hoodlums regrouped at night and avenged the death of their colleague. The group stormed Ijoka Area of Ilesa and killed another suspected cultist.

    He added that in a bid to maim their opponents, an innocent woman was shot dead by the warring suspected cultists on Friday night.

    According to him, the rampaging youths resumed their hostilities on Saturday and ended up killing two innocent residents.

    The police have since launched an intensive manhunt for the suspects while some patrol vans of Ijamo and Ayeso Police Divisions in Ilesa were seen patrolling the town in order to restore peace and order.

    All efforts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dsp Yemisi Opalola, on the matter proved abortive.

  • INEC tells parties to respect chosen dates for Ekiti, Osun primaries

    INEC tells parties to respect chosen dates for Ekiti, Osun primaries

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has advised political parties to respect chosen dates for Ekiti, Osun Governorship Election Primaries, based on the commission’s timetable and schedule of activities.

    INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made this disclosure at the commission’s first quarterly meeting with political parties for 2022, on Tuesday, in Abuja.

    Yakubu also advised party leaders to conduct transparent primaries for the two states elections.

    He said that already, many parties had rescheduled their primaries several times, while INEC had earmarked a period of three weeks and four days (i.e. 25 days) for the conduct of the Ekiti governorship primaries.

    “For Ekiti , virtually all political parties have decided to hold their primaries in the last 4 days (Jan 26 to Jan. 29). In fact, seven political parties have chosen the last day for their primaries.

    “Similarly, no party has so far submitted its list of aspirants, the composition of its electoral panel, or the register of members or list of delegates, depending on the chosen mode for electing its candidates.

    “As at yesterday, only one party has indicated the venue for its primaries. I urge you all to do so immediately to enable us to work out the detailed plans for monitoring the primaries.

    “All primaries for electing candidates must take place in the constituency where election will hold as required by law.

    “In the cases of Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, any primaries conducted outside the two states will not be monitored by the commission and their outcomes will not be accepted.

    “This also applies to primaries for bye-elections conducted outside the constituencies,’’ Yakubu said.

    On the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Yakubu said that INEC had last week, presented the register of voters to political parties.

    He noted that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for new registrants, requests for transfers and replacement of cards, had been printed and delivered many weeks ago to INEC FCT office for collection by voters.

    He stated that in the next few weeks, INEC would intensify stakeholder engagements, monitoring of campaigns by political parties and preparations for Election Day activities.

    “On this note, I want to draw your attention to the distribution of voters to Polling Units in the FCT, particularly the fact that 593 out of 2,822 or 21 per cent of the total, do not have voters.

    “This is because voters failed to take advantage of the expansion of access to transfer to these new Polling Units.

    “The detailed distribution of voters to Polling Units in the FCT is among the documents in your folders for this meeting.’’

    Yakubu assured party leaders that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed in the FCT elections, which is the second major election after the Anambra governorship election, held in November.

    He said the FCT elections which comprised 68 constituencies (six Chairmen and 62 Councillors) was another opportunity to pilot the efficacy of the BVAS in a different geographical, geopolitical and electoral context.

    The INEC boss said the constituency covered extensive urban and rural locations, sharing border with five states in the North-Central and North-Eastern parts of the country.

    “The same technology will be deployed in all forthcoming bye-elections across the country.

    “For all elections going forward, polling unit results will be uploaded in real-time to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal,” he said.

  • Osun 2022: Do not impose Sen Adeleke on us, group cautions Saraki

    Osun 2022: Do not impose Sen Adeleke on us, group cautions Saraki

    …they’re APC spies – Fmr PDP scribe reacts

    A group, under the aegis of PDP Support Group, has warned former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, not to impose the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2018 governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on the party again.

    This was contained in a statement signed and made available to newsmen by the Coordinator of the group, Apesin-Abiodun Adegoke, urged the National Secretariat of the party to checkmate Saraki on the purported move, saying the attempt may destroy the party.

    The group alleged that Senator Saraki is riding on the relationship with the elder brother of Adeleke, Dr Deji Adeleke, to achieve the purported move ahead of the primary election of the party.

    It, however, appealed to the Iyorcha Ayu-led National Working Committee to allow the party structure already in place since 2018 to conduct the primary election.

    “The National Secretariat should stop Senator Bukola Saraki and his serialized attempts to subtly impose Senator Ademola Adeleke on the majority of Osun PDP critical stakeholders.

    “Osun PDP wants to put it on record before the NWC that under the extant laws of the party, only the elected State Chairman and Executives that came into being upon their inauguration on March 25, 2018, which tenure is guaranteed and certain for 4 years will expire on March 25, 2022, that has the constitutional powers and legal right/backing to conduct the Ward Congress and 3 Ad-Hoc delegates which they duly conducted on September 25 & 27, 2021.

    “We, therefore, advise that no other faction should be given any recognition unless we want to destroy the party completely and allow the ruling party, the APC, to strive in their failure of governance of the country.

    “No group in Osun should be allowed to host or transport any Ad-Hoc, congress, or primary election, on Committees, the national headquarters of PDP should bring neutral and credible characters that have no affiliation with either of the groups and their names should be in public.

    “Senator Saraki should face the problems of governance in PDP in Kwara and leave us alone in Osun State. He should not use his ambition and personal interest to scuttle the gradual peace process that is ongoing in Osun state”, the statement added.

    The former National Deputy Publicity Secretary, Diran Odeyemi, said the group is just hibernating on the PDP, working for the All Progressives Congress and should be disregarded.

    He said, “the author of the statement is representing a group working for APC and operating in the PDP. Who is he? What is his status in Osun PDP? The group has a client and we know them. No one should blackmail our leaders. People should disregard his claim.”