₦airaland Forum

Ladi Adebutu is on the run, trying to evade prosecution for vote buying, money laundering--Investigation

Contrary to his claim that he left the country because of alleged threats to his life, the
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State, Hon Ladi Adebutu, actually travelled abroad to evade the long arm of the law over alleged criminal activities, sources have revealed.

Checks revealed that Adebutu left the country following security agencies' uncovering of a vote buying plot linked to him during the March 18 polls in Ogun State and the invitation extended to him to clarify issues.

According to the sources, Adebutu was alleged to have perpetrated bribery, conspiracy, undue influence contrary to sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act 2022, breach of electoral law prohibiting vote trading, deliberate facilitation of money laundering, and connivance to deliberately breach the monetary policy of the federation.

Sources revealed that in the letter made available to security agencies investigating his criminal activities, Adebutu had indicated that he travelled abroad to seek medical care, and had given no indication of threat to life.

Sources within the security services indicated that
their investigations showed that in the build-up to the election, Adebutu had contacted his bank and caused over 200,000 prepaid Verve bank cards preloaded with N10,000 each to be printed.

A credible security source confirmed, with clear-cut evidence that these Verve Bank Cards were delivered directly in two batches on the 16th and 17th of March respectively, by an accounts officer from Zenith bank


This, it was maintained, is a violation of Section 121of the Electoral Act (2022) which prescribes 12 months' imprisonment for any “person who directly or indirectly, by his or herself or by any other person on his other behalf corruptly makes any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement to or for any person, in order to induce such person to procure or to endeavour to procure the return of any person as a member of a legislative house or to an elective office or the vote of any voter at any election."

The Verve cards, which were supposedly printed to honour the lawmaker's late mother, were however uncovered as vote buying instruments going by
the confessions of party agents and POS operators arrested by security agencies during the polls, which indicted the PDP guber candidate.

Adebutu was said to have applied for the Verve cards from Zenith Bank on February 27, two days after the presidential election which the PDP lost by a wide margin in Ogun State, following which the cards were delivered to him by his relationship officer in the bank.

Investigation further revealed that contrary to Adebutu's claim that the cards were issued during his mother's burial, they were actually issued few days to the election, raising the obvious question of collusion by Zenith Bank with a politically exposed person to perpetrate electoral fraud.

Also, the statements by some of Adebutu's polling agents that were arrested confirmed that he gave them the cards to manipulate the March 18 polls.


The sources described Adebutu's actions as well planned, carefully orchestrated and unprecedented electoral fraud made out of desperation after losing the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections using game-betting platforms and POS operators.


Adebutu and his agents were said to have
distributed the cards throughout the over 5000 polling stations and positioned POS operators at the same so each voter could receive money at the POS terminals.


The cards were said to have been funded on the 16th and 17th of March directly from Adebutu's account with Zenith Bank, with the lawmaker paying over N2.4bn directly from his account.


Said a source: "Checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) showed that the foundation in whose name the PDP candidate carried out his criminal activities were fictitious.


"We have it on good authority that following a petition written to security agencies over the incident, it was observed that Adebutu expended huge sums to manipulate the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State.



"Hon Adebutu caused prepaid Verve cards preloaded with N10,000 each and bearing such inscriptions as Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Empowerment Scheme, Dame Caroline Scheme and “Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme, to be printed under the guise of honouring his late mother, but it was a vote buying gimmick, and these cards were used to buy votes on March 18.



"Luck, however, ran out on him when party agents and POS operators used to perpetrate the deliberate manipulation of the electoral process were arrested by the security agencies and made statements that indicted him.




"The financial institutions that collaborated with him have revealed that he contacted them to create the cards which were delivered to him two days to the governorship election.



"It was when he observed that all these things had come into the open that he suddenly disappeared into thin air in order to evade justice."



The security sources, which accused the PDP lawmaker of violating Sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act (2022) which expressly forbid vote buying, said that it was regrettable that Adebutu had flagrantly violated laws meant to sanitize Nigeria's electoral process.

May 15, 2023

Tribunal dismisses two petitions against Abiodun, APC

The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has on Monday, dismissed two petitions file by two political parties, Action People’s Party (APP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) against the reelection of Prince Dapo Abiodun during the March 18 governorship election.

The APP had filed its Petition challenging the return of Dapo Abiosunt as the Governor-Elect in the Ogun State Governorship Election held on 18 March, 2023. It however deposed in its application for discontinuation moved this morning that “upon the re-evaluation of the grounds and facts of the Petition, the Petitioner is not reasonably convinced about the sustainability of the grounds of the Petition as presently constituted before this Honourable Tribunal.”

APP declared that the withdrawal of the Petition is based on the fact that upon a further evaluation of the Petition, the Petitioner had found that the Respondent won the highest number of lawful votes as duly recognised by INEC and permitted by law.”

On its own, the NNPP Chairman in the state, Sunday Oginni had disclosed that the party, which filed a petition against Abiodun before the Tribunal over the alleged omission of the party’s logo on the ballot papers for the governorship election by INEC was ready to withdraw. “The New Nigeria Peoples Party, Ogun State chapter under the leadership of Comrade Olaposi Oginni Sunday hereby step out of court and withdraw the suit with petition number: EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023,” he announced.
“We came to realise that on that same date (March 18) despite the fact that the INEC did not comply with an electoral act that stipulated that the name and logo must be on the ballot. The electorates still manage to vote for some of NNPP’s candidates and some of our candidates won in some places. For example, in Kano State, the governorship candidate of our party and candidates of NNPP for the house of assembly and Reps were declared winners”, Ogini said.

The Chairman of the Tribunal upheld the applications of the two party and dismissed the petitions accordingly

FG approves Yahasalam's security outfit for private guard

A private security outfit, Giraffe Vigilant Guards Limited, established by a leading security expert in Osun, Alhaji Hussein Yahasalam, has been approved by the Federal Government.

The security outfit, which had been at the forefront of providing private guard to Nigerians and contributing to internal security arrangement across the country was registered as a corporate entity by the Ministry of Interior, through the office of the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

By this new status, according to a top official in the Ministry, Giraffe Vigilant Guards is being recognized in the face of the law as a private guard, to complement the efforts of various security agencies in Nigeria towards safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerian populace.

According to the source, the security outfit would do more of local intelligence gathering and tactical operation.

Speaking further, the head of the security outfit, Alhaji Hussein Yahasalam, appreciated the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the Commandant General of the NSCDC for considering his organization worthy of registration to complement the efforts of formal security agencies.

He, therefore, pledged his unflinching commitment to security of lives and property of Nigerians in collaboration with government's security agencies in all communities of the country, through virile local intelligence gathering mechanism.

"I really appreciate the good gesture of the Minister of Interior and the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, for considering us worthy for registration as a private security guard.

"As someone with great passion and penchant for internal security surveillance through local intelligence gathering, I want to say that this recognition is an impetus for us to do more of what we have been doing in the last three decades", Yahasalam concluded.

Your light shall be permanent in Osun, OSEMA boss, Adejinle congratulates Gov. Ademola over supreme court victory


General Manager, Osun State Emergency Management Agency (OSEMA) Mr Amos Adejinle, has felicitated Governor Ademola Adeleke over his victory at the Supreme Court on Tuesday, describing him as a shining light of immeasurable value.

Adejinle, in a congratulatory message he personally signed and made available to newsmen in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, prayed that the shining light of the Governor in the State shall be permanent and with tremendous achievement.

He said the level of consistency and capacity displayed by the Governor in the last six months has clearly shown that he was ready for governance and purposeful leadership from the inception of his administration.

The OSEMA boss, added that with the pattern and content of developmental agenda of the Governor, the State would definitely experience uncommon development and speedy growth in all it's ramifications.

According to him, the promptness of response and zeal for policy implementation adopted by the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke have stand him out as listening and friendly Governor, saying the State has been lucky to have his type at the helms of affairs.

His words: "I heartily congratulate our performing Governor in Osun, Governor Ademola Jackson Adeleke, on his landslide victory at the apex court today.

"From all of us at OSEMA, we are greatly proud of you and your entire team; obviously, your style of administration and governance is a clear-cut departure from the past and a revolution in all ways.

"Also, we want to specially appreciate your prompt and speedy response towards array of our requests in the quest of creating succour for the downtrodden and vulnerable through robust emergency management mechanism in the State.

"We have no doubt in our mind that you are the best for this State at this critical moment of our political journey, as we wish you a successful tenure with indelible impacts ahead".

10th National Assembly: Yusuf Gagdi remains the best for speakership - Jackson Lekan Ojo

A leading security expert and social commentator, Jackson Lekan Ojo, has called on all Nigerians to rally support for a member of House of Representatives from Plateau State, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, saying the lawmaker possesses enviable traits of leadership above others.

Ojo, in an interview with newsmen on Sunday added that he was marvelled at the stellar performance and display of rare capacity of Gagdi, in all areas of governance and humanity despite being a first time member.

According to Ojo, Gagdi is the exact personality that Nigeria and the President -elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu need at this point in time for stability, harmonization and speedy development, through robust synergy between the executive and the legislature.

The APC chieftain insisted that though, all other candidates jostling for the position of speakership in the 10th National Assembly are respected members with capacity, however, Hon. Gagdi remains the best among them in all ramifications.

In his words, Gagdi has distinguished himself with strong liberal ideology that goes beyond ethnicity, religion or social status, with capacity to relate with all people of diverse backgrounds without blemish.

He said:" Though, the majority party by tradition always produce the leadership of the National Assembly in the past, despite the fact that this is not statutorily binding on them by constitution but by mere practice, however, such practice might be difficult to sustain now with multifaceted political parties in the House of Representatives.

"In view of this, the ruling party needs an exceptional personality that possesses requisite capacity and acumen to consolidate all interests and garner enough support across party lines.

"To me and by the account of a revered member of the House of Representatives, who has been adjudged as the most eloquent, cerebral and focal, Hon. Kazaure, who vociferously threw his weight behind a gentle man from Plateau, Hon. Yusuf Gagdi, I consider the gentle man as the best for Nigeria to pilot the affairs of the House of Representatives.

"Listening to his narratives yesterday, I have no doubt in my mind that Nigeria and by extension, the President -elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu need such a personalty to stabilize the country and engender speedy development.

"His gentility, generous disposition, humility, simplicity, transparency, accountability, and all other enviable traits he had displayed in just four years of his membership of the House stand him out as a rare being of dependable value.

"As a former Deputy Speaker of the Plateau House of Assembly, Gagdi surprised many Nigerians by sponsoring ten critical bills that were all passed by the house , in which six of it enjoyed the assent of President Muhammadu Buhari.

"Look at the way he spoke about changing the present pattern of oversight function of the National Assembly, by providing a better alternative of making that function more effective and efficient.

"To this end, I call on all Nigerians to speak to their representatives in the house, as well as all religious leaders and other critical stakeholders to rally support for Hon. Yusuf Gagdi as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives. He is the one Nigeria and Nigerians need now for profound checks and balances for good governance".

10th Assembly: Tinubu can't afford to fail, must distant self from Godswill Akpabio-Jackson Lekan Ojo

....says former Akwaibom Governor is demonic, unreliable

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and global security expert, Mr Jackson Lekan Ojo, has cautioned the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu against open support for any candidate for the Senate presidency.

Ojo, insisted that such support for a particular candidate by the President-elect or his Vice could spell a doom for the incoming administration and be counterproductive, as he passionately warned them against associating with the former Governor of Akwaibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

The security expert explained that by the trajectory of the Nigeria's political history, every attempt in the past by the executive to meddle into the affairs of the National Assembly with regards to election of principal officers had been marred with controversies and subsequent disgrace on the part of the presidency.

He added that the Senate needs a very vibrant, bold and ruthless personality as it's President, who possesses what it takes to whip the Presidency back to line on any anti-people policies and decisions, and not a rubber-stamp leadership like the 9th assembly.

Ojo further said except Akpabio, who he described as unfit and lacking in competence and character to be Senate President, all other interested candidates are competent to lead the Senate, Senators like, Ali Ndume (Borno),jubrin Barawu(kano),Sanni(Niger), Orji kalu(Abia),Osita Osinaso (Imo)etc

According to him, Akpabio Senate presidency will be a big clog in the wheels of achievement and advancement for Tinubu's administration, arguing that the duo are two parallel lines in all ramifications of leadership and governance.

"I make bold to say that the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shetima must maintain neutrality in the election of principal officers of the 10th National Assembly, they must not repeat the mistakes of the past that brought in Saraki, Tambuwal, Dogara and the rest against the calculation of the ruling party, they must allow members of the National Assembly to choose their leaders who they consider as capable of protecting the superior interests of Nigerians, these people are not babies, they know what is best for Nigerians.

On the candidacy of the former Governor of Akwaibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, though, he was an uncommon Governor in Akwaibom State, that feat was lost as a Minister of Niger Delta , where he was in charge of about nine states, that position exposed his lack of cognitive capacity to superintend large political structure; many contractors of NDDC and other agencies under his Ministry continued to recount their woes in his hands till today.

"Asides his paucity of capacity and competence, he is also too ambitious, his Senate presidency will be a ladder for him to advance his 2027 presidential ambition at the expense of good governance and the country at large, that character will be a total disaster for Tinubu administration.

" So, Tinubu and APC leadership should be very careful in order not to allow the opposition to maneuver their ways as they have done in the past to team up with few disgruntled elements in the APC and hijack the Senate presidency and Speakership from them; that would terribly spell doom for the incoming administration", Ojo concluded.

Adebutu and Ogun PDP’s devious antics

Olayemi Festus Oke

Two months after being rejected by the good people of Ogun State, the Ogun PDP candidate, Hon Ladi Adebutu, is still at his devious antics, trying to whip up sentiments where there is none in the course of giving his followers false hope.

Like all sore losers, Adebutu is playing to the gallery, portraying himself as the victim while sponsoring fake news against the person and office of the Governor of Ogun State, an office which he sought to occupy by subterfuge and for which he was treated like the outlaw that he truly is by the perceptive, highly vigilant and unrepentantly progressive Ogun populace.

Adebutu suborned nasty bloggers to write fake news, including the claim that Prince Dapo Abiodun had sent the Akarigbo of Remo to beg his father (Sir Kessington Adebutu) to prevail on him (Ladi Adebutu) to withdraw his petition at the Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal!

In his desperation to be governor through the backdoor, Adebutu treated the distinguished royal throne of Remo with untrammeled contempt, showing that he is nothing but a political fraud and a career criminal for whom respect for royalty means nothing. The Yoruba say that even if a dog is going wild, it ought to recognize the threat of fire (Ti aja ba n sinwin, a mo oju ina). Adebutu should have played his political games without dragging the Remo throne into it. The fact that he could do that through his media ruffians shows that he respects no boundaries where his vaulting ambition is concerned. Think about it: if an election loser could drag royalty through the mud with fake news, what would he do if he somehow manages to rob and cheat his way into Government House?

The media blitzkrieg is apparently to portray himself as somebody who did well at the gubernatorial election but was cheated. Yet this is the same fella who committed electoral fraud; the same fraudster whose money distribution agents were arrested during the polls by the security agencies and are being investigated and processed for court appearance by the EFCC and the police for the infractions they committed. Adebutu and his media horde lie so brazenly and so shamelessly that even the devil would blush at their sheer duplicity and moral decadence.

Besides, their singsong that Prince Dapo Abiodun defeated them by only 13,915 votes makes them a laughing stock among the voting populace. In the first instance, by admitting that the Governor indeed defeated them during the March 18 gubernatorial poll, they are undermining their claim that they actually won the election. Secondly, their claim that Governor Abiodun’s margin of victory is narrow and therefore untenable flies in the face of logic and evidence. When you look at some of the governors that have just been elected, some of them defeated their opponents with less than 13,000 votes. The margins of victory in the Taraba, Adamawa and Zamfara governorship elections were all slim. So why the noise about 13,915 vote margin?

By how many votes did Rauf Aregbesola defeat Olagunsoye Oyinlola? What makes Governor Dapo Abiodun’s victory so plain and so self-evident is that out of the 26 House of Assembly seats in the state, APC won 17 while PDP won 9. So by what logic does a party with nine state assembly seats trump a party with 17 state assembly seats? Or are we in a season of abracadabra mathematics where 9 is more than 17? During his last election, Ibikunle Amosun also won 17 local governments.

Instead of waiting for their petition to be adjudicated on by the Tribunal, Ladi Adebutu and his gang have become the petitioner/complainant, the judge and media advocate at the same time, trying to whip up unnecessary sentiments, a strategy which is doomed to failure.

In the history of this country, there’s never been a family that committed the kind of monumental fraud that the Adebutus committed by printing ATM cards preloaded with N10,000 each to buy votes during the March 18 election. These are a bunch of corrupt, shameless criminals. That was electoral money laundering and brigandage for which they should face severe consequences. They deserve to be in gaol, not government.

Oke, a broadcast journalist, lives in Abeokuta

Caution your farmers against encroachment of our land, Osun community tells Ekiti Gov, Oyebanji

Residents of Ila-Orangun, in Ila local Government Area of Osun state have called on the governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke and his counterpart from Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji to as a matter of urgency intervene in the land tussle between the town and some Oke-Imesi farmers.

The residents said they would no longer tolerate the alleged intentional encroachment on a well-established Ila Ila-Orangun land by some Oke-Imesi farmers.

They, however, appealed to the Ekiti State government to evacuate their people from Orangun's land in Osun State, otherwise they would be forced out of the land.

At a meeting attended by all the traditional Chiefs, religious leaders and sociocultural groups of the town, held at the palace of Orangun of Ila, the sons and daughters of the ancient town said that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had in a suit No SC. 411/64 ruled that Orangun of Ila is the original owner of that land and that the Oke Imesi people were tenant of Orangun in their present farming location.

The land in question according to the Obanla of Ila-Orangun, His Highness, Oba Samuel Olufemi Otitoola is between Orangun and Oke-Imesi at the place where Osun River joins with Oruro River.

Quoted Messrs Carkeek and Burgess who established the boundary according to Otitoola, "By this arrangement, from the place where Oruro River meets with Osun River inward belong to to Esa-Oke. From Osun River to where it extends outward from Edemosi to Oruro River to Ayegun and to Ekiti boundary belong to Ila Orangun.

Oba Otitoola accused some farmers of Oke-Imesi of disobeying the court order which had stated clearly that the land belong to Orangun by intentionally encroaching the land.

"Traditionally the Orangun of Ila shares boundary with Alaye of Efon Alaye and what is today known as Oke-Imesi does not exist in between Ila/Efon vicinity. The Oke Imesi people hail from somewhere beyond or around Efon Alaye. They were brought to the present Oke-Imesi when there was a fight between their forebears, which became intractable. To amicably settle the fight, the reigning Orangun brought the forebears of Oke-Imesi people to the present Oke-Imesi which was originally Orangun's land.

He further explained: "That the reigning Orangun was so magnanimous as to settle them on his land on the understanding that Oke-Imesi people are not to extend beyond the Oruro River.

"As time went by, some Oke-Imesi's residents were permitted to farm on Orangun's land and those of them who carried out their farming activities were made to to pay Isakole(yearly traditional tributes, consisting five big tubers of yam and a keg of Palm Oil per farmer which they have to carry by head from the farm to the palace of the Orangun of Ila as a symbol of subservience.

"At a time , some of the farmers were not paying Isakole accordingly, an action which prompted the colonial master to call in two experts , namely Messrs Carkeek and Burgess who established the boundary. However, matters on this was litigated in the Native Court and the matter was resolved in favour of the Orangun of Ila."

Also, speaking, the Baamofin of Ila-Orangun, Dr. Barr. Olusegun Durotolu, opined that the Supreme Court had stated it clearly that Oke-Imesi people were tenant of Orangun in their present farming location.

Barr Durotolu added that evidences of payment of Isakole to Orangun of Ila were contained in Archive Evidence, in File No 1131, Volume II. He further explained that in 1978 this matter was resolved by the Military Government and there was a meeting between Ila Orangun people and Oke-Imesi people where the land in question was finally returned to Ila Orangun people.

"Past efforts to resolving this lingering boundary issue are yet to yield fruitful results and we therefore appeal to the Ekiti State government to evacuate their people from Orangun's land in Osun State, otherwise, our community would force them out of our land by invoking the full wrath of Law against them, except they are willing to recognize the over lordship of the Orangun of Ila and are willing to pay all the arrears of Isakole owing the Ila community."

He , however, appreciated the state governor of Osun, Ademola Adeleke, the Orangun of Ila, Kabiesi Alayeluwa Oba Abdulwahab Kayode Oyedotun Bibire 1 and the Orangun in Council in their resolve to ensure that the matter is handled peacefully and to amicable resolution.

Present at the meeting were High Chief Paul Ogunrinade JP, Ejemu of Ila-Oragun, High Chief A. O Brahama, Obafaa of Ila-Orangun, the Omo Oba chiefs, Baales, Ila PARAPO IOCDC, Ila-Oragun Action Council, Ila Awareness Group, Isese Group, Farmers Associations among others.

Caution your farmers against encroachment of our land, Osun community tells Ekiti Gov, Oyebanji

Residents of Ila-Orangun, in Ila local Government Area of Osun state have called on the governor of the state, Ademola Adeleke and his counterpart from Ekiti State, Abiodun Oyebanji to as a matter of urgency intervene in the land tussle between the town and some Oke-Imesi farmers.

The residents said they would no longer tolerate the alleged intentional encroachment on a well-established Ila Ila-Orangun land by some Oke-Imesi farmers.

They, however, appealed to the Ekiti State government to evacuate their people from Orangun's land in Osun State, otherwise they would be forced out of the land.

At a meeting attended by all the traditional Chiefs, religious leaders and sociocultural groups of the town, held at the palace of Orangun of Ila, the sons and daughters of the ancient town said that the Supreme Court of Nigeria had in a suit No SC. 411/64 ruled that Orangun of Ila is the original owner of that land and that the Oke Imesi people were tenant of Orangun in their present farming location.

The land in question according to the Obanla of Ila-Orangun, His Highness, Oba Samuel Olufemi Otitoola is between Orangun and Oke-Imesi at the place where Osun River joins with Oruro River.

Quoted Messrs Carkeek and Burgess who established the boundary according to Otitoola, "By this arrangement, from the place where Oruro River meets with Osun River inward belong to to Esa-Oke. From Osun River to where it extends outward from Edemosi to Oruro River to Ayegun and to Ekiti boundary belong to Ila Orangun.

Oba Otitoola accused some farmers of Oke-Imesi of disobeying the court order which had stated clearly that the land belong to Orangun by intentionally encroaching the land.

"Traditionally the Orangun of Ila shares boundary with Alaye of Efon Alaye and what is today known as Oke-Imesi does not exist in between Ila/Efon vicinity. The Oke Imesi people hail from somewhere beyond or around Efon Alaye. They were brought to the present Oke-Imesi when there was a fight between their forebears, which became intractable. To amicably settle the fight, the reigning Orangun brought the forebears of Oke-Imesi people to the present Oke-Imesi which was originally Orangun's land.

He further explained: "That the reigning Orangun was so magnanimous as to settle them on his land on the understanding that Oke-Imesi people are not to extend beyond the Oruro River.

"As time went by, some Oke-Imesi's residents were permitted to farm on Orangun's land and those of them who carried out their farming activities were made to to pay Isakole(yearly traditional tributes, consisting five big tubers of yam and a keg of Palm Oil per farmer which they have to carry by head from the farm to the palace of the Orangun of Ila as a symbol of subservience.

"At a time , some of the farmers were not paying Isakole accordingly, an action which prompted the colonial master to call in two experts , namely Messrs Carkeek and Burgess who established the boundary. However, matters on this was litigated in the Native Court and the matter was resolved in favour of the Orangun of Ila."

Also, speaking, the Baamofin of Ila-Orangun, Dr. Barr. Olusegun Durotolu, opined that the Supreme Court had stated it clearly that Oke-Imesi people were tenant of Orangun in their present farming location.

Barr Durotolu added that evidences of payment of Isakole to Orangun of Ila were contained in Archive Evidence, in File No 1131, Volume II. He further explained that in 1978 this matter was resolved by the Military Government and there was a meeting between Ila Orangun people and Oke-Imesi people where the land in question was finally returned to Ila Orangun people.

"Past efforts to resolving this lingering boundary issue are yet to yield fruitful results and we therefore appeal to the Ekiti State government to evacuate their people from Orangun's land in Osun State, otherwise, our community would force them out of our land by invoking the full wrath of Law against them, except they are willing to recognize the over lordship of the Orangun of Ila and are willing to pay all the arrears of Isakole owing the Ila community."

He , however, appreciated the state governor of Osun, Ademola Adeleke, the Orangun of Ila, Kabiesi Alayeluwa Oba Abdulwahab Kayode Oyedotun Bibire 1 and the Orangun in Council in their resolve to ensure that the matter is handled peacefully and to amicable resolution.

Present at the meeting were High Chief Paul Ogunrinade JP, Ejemu of Ila-Oragun, High Chief A. O Brahama, Obafaa of Ila-Orangun, the Omo Oba chiefs, Baales, Ila PARAPO IOCDC, Ila-Oragun Action Council, Ila Awareness Group, Isese Group, Farmers Associations among others.

Be decent, stop bullying the judiciary, APC tells Adebutu



- Says “If wishes were horses, losers will win”



The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state has again urged the defeated candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, to desist from his persistent bullying of the judiciary and cyber-stalking of the Prince Dapo Abiodun Administration.

Reacting to yet another propaganda video in which Adebutu, who lost the March 18, 2023 governorship election to APC's Dapo Abiodun, was assuring that his petition would succeed at the Election Petition Tribunal, the APC, through its spokesperson, Tunde Oladunjoye, said that having submitted their “wobbly petition, the PDP and its loquacious candidate should allow justice to take its course.

“You cannot be a petitioner and judge at the same time. Election petition is not won on the social media,” the APC added.

In the press statement entitled, “If wishes were horses, losers will win,” the APC remarked that “Adebutu’s persistent bullying of the judiciary, peddling of lies against the government and inciting the citizens, is the worst version of what defective petitioners do to give non-existent hope to gullible followers to keep them in check and securely warehoused.”


The statement described Adebutu’s appeal to pity as a devious tactic, saying that the PDP candidate was raising fear where there was none by alleging that some civil servants were being victimized because of their voting preferences.

Pointing out that Adebutu’s hallucinations and bloated sense of self-worth is hinged on the supposed power of his pre-packaged N10,000-ATM cards that he felt must give him victory, Oladunjoye wondered how Governor Dapo Abiodun could have punished any voters when voting was done in secret.

He challenged Adebutu to show how and when Governor Abiodun assumed supernatural powers to identify those who voted for him and those who did not.

To the contrary, the Ogun workers have directly and through their unions have been expressing joy on the victory of Prince Dapo Abiodun at the polls, while many have paid congratulatory visits to the governor. Many other unions, professional associations and groups have written to felicitate the governor and requested for visitation.

“It is indeed funny that a gubernatorial candidate credibly accused of violation of the Electoral Act through documented and unprecedented vote buying is not content with submitting a flawed petition to the Election Petitions Tribunal, but is taking actions that are clearly subjudice; loading the public space with videos purveying vile propaganda.

“The petition they are hyping is nothing but foul smoke that will be blown away with the wind. They fantasised about votes to be deducted from APC votes!This is laughable. They have been deceived by rookie statisticians who came up with all manner of strange allegations, expecting their one-winged petition to fly.

“The decent thing to do is for Adebutu to refrain from propaganda. Bullying the judiciary and concocting lies against the performing and people-oriented administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun will not make him to be governor. If Adebutu is so sure of his roughly packaged petition, he should wait for our lawyers at the Tribunal, instead of thinking pigs might fly!”



END



E-signed

TUNDE OLADUNJOYE

oladunjoyelo@gmai.com

EID-MUBARAK!

On behalf of the Governing Council, Management, Staff and Students of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun State, I, Engr. Dr. Man Yahaya Sani, the Rector of the citadel, hereby rejoice with Muslim Umaar in the Polytechnic community, as we complete the holy month of Ramadan.

Indeed, we have just fulfilled another important pillar of Islam, for the purpose of strengthening our relationship with Almighty Allah and move closer to Him.

It is also important for all Islamic faithful to see this spiritual exercise as a great opportunity to pray for our nation, moreso as we are about to witness another transition in our democratic system.

May the blessings of this special moment be permanent in our lives and that of our loved ones

Eid-Mubarak

E-signed

Sola Lawal

Media, Protocol, Media and Public Relations Officer.

Eid-fitri: Timi of Ede felicitates Muslims, calls for concerted efforts against insecurity

The Timi of Ede land, HRM OBA DR. MUNIRUDEEN ADESOLA LAWAL, LAMINISA THE 1ST, has felicitated with all Ede sons and daughters around the world on the completion of this year's Ramadan fasting.

This was contained in statement signed by his media aide, Dapo Akinyele, the copy which was made available to newsmen in Ede on Thursday.

The revered traditional ruler said the period of fasting had afforded Muslim Ummah around the world to concentrate on total supplications and fervent prayers to Almighty Allah.

Oba Laminisa, also called for concerted efforts towards ending the spate of insurgency and other criminal tendencies, saying Nigeria needs peaceful co-existence to strengthen her economy.

The statement read in part:" I heartily felicitate all my sons and daughters around the world on this occasion of the end of this year's Ramadan fasting.

"Obviously, these past days of fasting had been a great opportunities for us to double our efforts towards rededication and total submission to the will of Allah.

"May Almighty Allah accept our prayers as an act of ibadah. Eid-Mubarak!

RE: AJAP SERVICES AND STAMP DUTY: PDP’S FOOLHARDINESS

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state has described as “foolhardiness”, the statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) concerning the request by Governor Dapo Abiodun for the approval of the Ogun state House of Assembly to engage a consultant for the collection of backlog of stamp duties owed the state by the Federal Government.

In a statement in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the Publicity Secretary of Ogun APC, Tunde Oladunjoye remarked that “the words of Suyog Potdar could best describe the pitiable situation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun state, after losing the last governorship elections, despite serious and unprecedented electoral, constitutional and financial infringements by it’s candidate, Mr. Ladi Adebutu.”

Oladunjoye said further in the statement: “The poet, Suyog Potdar, had posited that “when fools try to fool others, they actually manifest how foolish they are.”

In its wishy-washy statement on the request by Governor Dapo Abiodun to the Ogun State House of Assembly for approval to engage a consulting company for collection of backlog of stamp duties, the wobbling party really advertised its pitiable ignorance to the world!

“For the purpose of educating the PDP, AJAP is the Consultant engaged by the 36 states of the federation, including the PDP-controlled states, through the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) to achieve a seamless and quick resolution of the refund of Stamp Duties and Excess Crude Account owed to the states by the Federal Government.

“A diligent check on the part of the fumbling PDP would have saved it from this national embarrassment arising from unpardonable naivety

“All the 36 States of the Federation filed a case in the Supreme Court seeking amongst other reliefs, the refund of all monies collected as stamp duties to State Governments from January 2015 to December 2022.

“According to the governors, the power to collect stamp duties belongs to the states, not the Federal Government.

“In January 2023, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, said the amount collected as stamp duty between 2016 and 2022 stands at N370,686,315,505.28.

“However, at a meeting held on March 30, the governors, under the auspices of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), had resolved to settle the matter out of court to enable the States to access the backlog of unpaid stamp duties.

“Towards the amicable settlement, the NGF engaged the services of a consultant known as Ajap Financial Services Ltd. to facilitate payment to all states.

“It is on record that Prince Dapo Abiodun has continued to prioritise prompt payment of salaries and allowances and has increased payment of backlog of pensions and gratuities owed by previous administrations to N1 billion quarterly.
“The payment of stamp duty, from which our retirees could be taken care of is what the fragmented PDP is now against. It is indeed a big shame that a party that had dreamed of governing Ogun state, a state of many firsts, including education; could be so ignorant on simple matters that a tap on the internet would have resolved.

“Of course, the robust relationship between the different arms of government in Ogun state and the patriotic disposition of the Ogun State House of Assembly has continued to be a source of pain and envy for PDP unlike the era when the State House of Assembly was locked-up for more than 15 months in defiance of all men and women of reasons, including the National Assembly.

"The APC is aware that the Publicity Secretary of the PDP is merely appending his name to the press releases of the party, since the well-known yellow journalist and squirrel of a former governor has taken over, we urge the publicity secretary to save his name and whatever is left of his reputation by resigning from the position. This, in our opinion, is better than attaching his name to recent press statements being ridiculously churned out."

Adamawa: Yunusa Ari, threat to democracy, arrest him now-ADAPHAI

A civil Society Organization, Advocacy for Advancement of Peace & Harmony in Africa Initiative (ADAPHAI) has called for immediate arrest of the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Adamawa State, Mr Yunusa Ari, for what he termed a divisive action to subvert democracy in the State.

Recall that the INEC REC, contrary to electoral guidelines and the trend of the exercise announced the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, as the winner of the poll even before the conclusion of the process.

ADAPHAI, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Sulaimon Suberu, described the action of Ari as antithetical to tenets of democracy and it's ethos, adding that such tendencies could cause unimaginable crisis that is capable of deraling democratic governance .

According to the statement, Ari has acted in a manner that have brought reproach to the commission and raises suspicion about the integrity and sanity of the whole process from the beginning.

The statement then called for immediate arrest of the Rec and other appropriate sanction in accordance with electoral act and other extant laws guiding electoral process.

"We were taken aback and terribly worried by the development in Adamawa State where the REC, out of desperation took over the responsibility of the Returning Officer in the supplementary election for gubernatorial poll that was declared inconclusive on March 18th, and strangely announced the candidate of APC the winner of the poll even before the conclusion of the exercise.

"This is divisive as it is dangerous to any democratic environment, it is indeed a desperate move to subvert the will of the people and cause monumental havoc in the State.

"There is an urgent need to stop this dangerous trend and sanction the REC and his collaborators to serve as detterent to others with such mentality", the statement read

Ogun: Yellow journalism and senseless propaganda of frustrated elements

By: Bisi Adedamola

The ongoing vituperation and smear campaign by opposition elements and their cohorts against the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, is clearly understandable, though pitiable, it is undoubtedly a function of frustrated minds and hopeless situation; we genuinely sympathize with them.

The most laughable of the recent junk of less cognitive strength is the one authored by a scavenger in the media space, who is in desperate need of means of survival amid marital trauma of fragmented home; I was seriously amused by his reference to 'friends and colleagues in the media', this is unpardonable product of imaginary error. Who are his colleagues and from which media platforms?

However, because this response is originally conceived to kill the dangerous virus the dirty mind ignorantly sold to some unsuspecting members of the public about the governor of Ogun State and his administration, I will not dignify this element by dwelling much on his personality and rough antecedents, but quickly go straight to puncture some of his lies I consider necessary for the sake of the good people of the State, as majority of those lies are too intelligible with obvious absence of logic to elicit any response.

First, we understand why these political jobbers were raising the issue of ecological funds and imaginary disappearance of $9m from the state coffers. It is a matter of messy background and history of monumental corruption that characterized the 8-year administration of their gang leader, in which every fund meant for ecological intervention was criminally siphoned by the governor and his cronies, they thought it is going to be the same style of governance this time around.

They were also hallucinating on the kleptomaniac way in which their leader swindled the State for eight years and depleted the state's treasury with impunity, they now maliciously concluded that the stealing spree which was the order of those days would continue under PDA, moreso, when all their entreaties to join the new administration and continue their criminal activities were cleverly blocked by the governor, who knows his onions and also understands their psyches.

Putting the record straight, Governor Dapo Abiodun has been open and transparent with the management of all funds accruing to the State's purse with high level of prudence and financial intelligence, in which ecological funds is not an exception. As a matter of facts, the Governor, more than any of his predecessors have judiciously utilized the funds as a result of his consciousness towards safe and clean environment.

At no time did Governor Dapo Abiodun, ask any Chairman of any local government to sign for ecological funds without corresponding disbursement in the same breath for the purpose it meant for. Again, the purveyors of this jaundiced narrative are former beneficiaries of callous gang-raping of ecological funds during their time, they are certified criminals.

Speaking on the Mikano Cars gifted to Chairmen of local governments and issues surrounding it, obviously, the scenario was blown out of proportion by the enemies of the Governor and the State, there is no any animosity between the Governor and the Chairmen. As a result of inclusive governance of the present administration in the State, every state functionary is fully aware of the economic status of the State and always ready to sacrifice whatever that is needed to ensure its stability and functionality, so, the impression these elements are trying to create around this issue was a mere ploy to set the governors against chief executives of councils, which has become dead on arrival indeed.

It is indeed instructive that Governor Dapo Abiodun, has been a rallying point in the administration and management of the ruling party, the APC, in the State, without unnecessary interference and with high degree of loyalty and decorum, even in the face of shameless betrayal of his supposed ally and predecessor, who stooped so low to have been manipulated by money to embark on anti-party activities during the last gubernatorial and house of assembly elections, for which he will be appropriately sanctioned for that ignoble and shameful act.

On a final note, the bunch of ignoramus, the citizen journalists who are in the business of yellow journalism in the State out of frustration and confusion and majorly for crumbs should know that the people of Ogun State are too politically inclined and sophisticated to fall for their lazy antics, while our administration can never be distracted by their shenanigans. We are without doubt a moving train.

Adedamola writes from Abeokuta

Ogun PDP’s desperate lies

Something sinister is going on in Ogun PDP quarters right now and Nigerians must be taking notice. In a desperate bid to confuse the Ogun populace, they are cooking up lies at an alarming rate, but even in this they are not ingenious. They are peddling provocatively insane lies that raise questions about their mental state, paying bloggers to promote blatant falsehoods and loading social media with hogwash. But the people are well apprised of their proclivity for mischief, and so all their labour of lies is for the trash can.

The latest of this lies is that as we speak, Prince Dapo Abiodun has sent some people to beg Chief Kessington Adebutu, father of Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in the March 18 election in Ogun State, to withdrawal the case he filed in court challenging his (Governor Abiodun’s) reelection! In the same breath, and as if seized by demons, they are also claiming that the Governor is in fact in Kessington Adebutu’s house right now, prostrating and begging for mercy! This is an terrible low even for professional propagandists.


Naturally, Ogun PDP’s dirty tactic is understandable. After realizing that all efforts to manipulate the electoral process by inducing voters with ATM-like cards preloaded with N10,000 failed woefully, they have become desperate for attention, knowing for a fact that they have no real case to pursue anywhere. The story of the vote-buying cards is well known because operatives of the NDLEA and the police arrested many of the PDP agents on election day. In any case, no less a person than the Secretary of the party in the state, owned up to the fraud perpetrated, saying that the PDP candidate had “empowered” voters on March 18, a euphemism for vote buying of the most blatant kind; an affront on the Electoral Act.


This is not the first time Ogun PDP is purveying jejune propaganda. Their incitement of mendacious mobs against the governor and the good people of Ogun State when he (the governor) collected his Certificate of Return produced no results; the people paid them no heed knowing their accustomed practice of crying wolf where none exists. If you find it rather strange that after submitting a petition at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, these charlatans still tried to curry public sympathy by claiming that the Ogun State government was after Adebutu’s life, you are not alone. These people have no honour, a commodity found even among thieves. They have a case in court but cannot wait till the judiciary makes a pronouncement; they are in panic mode because their case is horrendously warped and shamelessly shallow.


Just think deeply about it for a moment: on what basis would Governor Abiodun be begging a manipulator of the electoral process? Would he beg those who disrupted election with thugs and moved from town to town with gun-wielding thugs on election day to withdraw their case in court when there is unassailable evidence of their criminality?

These charlatans should wait for their day in court. The court will have the opportunity to make a pronouncement when all their atrocities against the Ogun people are laid bare. Telling unintelligent lies like the one being peddled right now makes them look so pathetic. The pernicious propaganda isn’t working: let them wake up and smell the coffee.


Ogun PDP’s mendacity is sickening. Is it the same Governor on official assignment outside the country that they saw in Kessington Adebutu’s house? Are they seriously telling us that the man whose victory they are contesting has now acquired omnipresent powers? These people are just rabble rousers, a bunch of political failures comforting themselves and their followers with fairytales. They just want to give their supporters fake hope, clutching at straws. But they fail to realize that propaganda, however desperately packaged, can never override the truth.

Olatunbosun Ajibola writes from Ajilete

*Ogun Guber Poll: PDP chieftain confirms vote-buying, calls it "empowerment"

The Ogun State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Sunday Solarin, has confirmed that the party's governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, owned the distributed pre-paid credit cards allegedly used to induce voters during the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

Solarin, who made this confirmation on a live interview on a private television station, Silverbird Television, disclosed that the credits cards with inscription 'Caroline Oladuni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme' and loaded with N10,000 each were meant to empower the people of the state.

Security agents, including police and the operatives of National Drug Law and Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), had at different locations intercepted and seized hundreds of the pre-loaded credit cards from PDP agents along with hundreds of permanent voters cards (PVCs) on the election day.

The cards brazenly distributed across the polling booths in the 236 wards of the state were allegedly used to entice voters into voting for the PDP.

The election later went in favour of the incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC), as he was declared victorious by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The INEC State Returning Officer, Kayode Adebowale, who announced the result, said the APC candidate scored 276,298 votes to emerge the winner of the keenly contested election.

The PDP candidate, Adebutu, polled 262,383 votes to come second, thus trailing the winner with 13,915 votes, while Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) polled 94,754 votes to come third.

However, Adebutu and his supporters cried foul, claiming the gubernatorial election was “won” by him.

On the other hand, the APC accused Adebutu of engaging in massive vote-buying, using credit cards designed in his late mother's name.

But speaking during the television interview which also featured the State APC Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, Solarin argued that the credit cards were not meant for vote-buying but empowerment of the people.

He stated that the Adebutu's Family is known for its philanthropic gestures, stressing the credit cards were given to the people as a form of financial empowerment in memory of late Mrs. Adebutu.

Solarin, however, said he was not aware that party agents were arrested with the cards on the election day, insisting that the INEC erred by declaring Governor Abiodun the winner.

He boasted that the "stolen mandate" would be reclaimed by Adebutu and the PDP at the Election Petitions Tribunal.

Also speaking on the programme, Oladunjoye said the APC won "fair and square" despite the massive vote-buying and other electoral infractions engaged in by the opposition party.

Oladunjoye, who displayed one of the credit cards on the show, carpeted Solarin for being economical with the truth by feigning ignorance of the heinous electoral infractions committed by his party on the election day.

While advising Adebutu and the PDP to stop chasing the shadow, the APC spokesperson said Governor Abiodun was declared winner of the poll having satisfied the constitutional requirement as stipulated in the Electoral Act.

He further lampooned Adebutu and the PDP for embarking on a "show of shame" by mobilizing hoodlums to the INEC head office in the name of submitting a petition.

Based on equity, ethnic balance; Gbajabiamila unfit for Chief of Staff- Jackson Lekan Ojo

How would you justify the proposed selection of Rt. Hon. Gbajabiamila as the Chief of Staff to President-elect, Bola Tinubu

Ojo: Yes, the selection of Gbajabiamila as a Chief of Staff to the President-elect, can I say President Hammed Bola Tinubu , I don't think there is nothing wrong when you talk of performance, capability, acceptability, there is nothing wrong but when you talk of maybe moral justification, that has to do with equity , to balance both religion and ethnic imbalance that is bedeviling this country today, that is bringing about disunity, that is bringing about distrust and mistrust in our political system, I think based on all these indices, I think Gbajabiamila is not suppose to be the Chief of Staff to Mr President-elect.

Now, it is very clear that the issue of religion is very very sensitive and I want to praise God that , that did not cause any problem during the election because before , it was an issue that people were bothered about, now the President-elect is a Muslim, a minority Muslim anyway, and the Vice-president is a majority Muslim, now if we have somebody like Gbajabiamila, from the same Lagos where the President-elect hailed from, from the South -West and is a Muslim, what are we talking about, that means everybody should recognize the position of the Chief of Staff, is a defacto president, let me use that language, so, when you see that position being headed by a Muslim again, I don't think is normal, and there wouldn't be war but there would be peace of the graveyard.

People will still be running the system peacefully, but then, at the end of the day, a lot of people will begin to form enmity and begin to form ethnic bias into the Government based on this; the Christian community across the country even across the world will not trust the government, people will begin to nickname it Muslim, Hen, you know, in the time past, there is a particular time they were saying they want to Islamize Nigeria, so, when you have a President as a Muslim, a Vice-president a Muslim, the National Chairman of the party a Muslim, the Chief of Staff to the President a Muslim, definitely, and maybe eventually, as they are trying to zone the Secretary, SGF to the North, possibly the SGF too will be a Muslim, so, it wouldn't balance the religious imbalance and ethnicity too, it would not be balance too.

President from Lagos, the Chief of Staff to the President from the same Lagos, noo! and South West, it wouldn't be nice at all, it wouldn't be nice at all, that is it, so, I urge President-elect to look around himself, to look at capability, to look at trust, to look at religion, to look at ethnic, somebody like James Faleke, I think is one of the most trusted ally of Mr President-elect. James Faleke is a Christian, is worthy , is capable, is a member of the Federal House of Representatives, with that experience, is a loyal guy that contested as Deputy to the late Abubakar Audu, they won the election but before they were sworn in, Abubakar Audu died. If James Faleke is not a loyal guy, he would have gone to court, Yahaya Bello wouldn't be there now, somebody like that, that is one of the thing we should look at, he kept quiet and recently, some people bought form for him to contest as Governor of Kogi State, the guy turned it down that since he had won his election to the House of Representatives, let another person take that, so, what type of loyalty, what type of cool-headedness are we talking about that we can't discover in this guy, so, I think James Faleke is worthy and I advise. We in the Renewed Mandate assurance group, I think we were thinking of something like this because we really want the campaign slogan of Mr President-elect his renewed hope and based on this renewed hope, we are assuring all Nigerians that the renewed hope will be a renewed hope, that the assurance of the renewed hope, that is the meaning and for the reason of the renewed hope assurance organization.

So, we in the renewed hope assurance organization, we are advising Mr President-elect to look at all these analysis and possibly consider James Faleke to be the Chief of Staff , is a cool-headed character, the power wouldn't be concentrating in Lagos as some people are saying that the power will be concentrated in Lagos.

2. What would be your choice of the Speaker and Senate President in the 10th Assembly

Ojo: In the 10th assembly, I don't think we need a rubber-stamp leadership, in the 9th assembly, I think what we have was lesser than a rubber-stamp, because if you can listen to the Senate President and the Chairman of National Assembly, Dr Hammed Lawan, he sometimes ago said whatever the President will request, will ask for , it shall be expressly given to him, that statement negates and bastardize and buried the principle of checks and balances.

Without the National Assembly, there is no democracy and with the National Assembly not be very effective, democracy will be weak and the weakness of democracy will be weakness of government and weakness of government that must have been caused weakness of legislative arms is equal to an autocratic system and autocratic system will bring about catistocratic system, so, this time around, I think we want the best in the National Assembly to be the speaker , to be the President of the Senate , that is the Chairman of the National Assembly and Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly, so, in the case, we still need, though, the law said the principal officers will emerge from either the selection or election within the members of the National Assembly, so, zoning or no zoning in the public glare does not have effect in the National Assembly; who soever they deem it fit to be their principal officers will definitely be and party have no influence on them because it happened sometimes ago when Mulikat from Oyo State was nominated to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the opposition came together with some leadership of the ruling party then and before you know, Tambuwal emerged against the party, they can go against the dictates of the party, but the most important thing is if they do it according to the rule and guidance of the National Assembly, I think they are right , so, this time around, I think North West that has given the highest number of votes to the President-elect.

I think the position of the Senate President should come from there, and very very effective ranking member, it is not somebody that will so effective to the extent of fighting to be in confrontation with the executive all the time, but based on principle, a lot of things could be iron out , a lot of things could be corrected for the purpose of smooth running of the government and not to the inimical, to the growth and development of the citizens of the Federal republic of Nigeria that these people are governing on, so, to me, very efficient, very effective ranking member from the North West, I wouldn't want to mention because the Northern Nigeria today, the North West can parade an array of persons , ranking members of the National Assembly that have the capability to even rule the world, so, one cool-headed, straight and I wouldn't want to forget what Andrew Jackson said that" Boldness and ruthlessness is one of the major attributes of any leader, any Senate President should be ruthless in case the Executive want to be stubborn, inimical to the growth of Nigeria , the Senate President could be stubborn , that is it, but not confrontational that will always, even if the executive meant well, meant good, may be the executive is against budget padding and other things and based on this they confront no, and the other way round, Deputy Senate President, a ranking member could come from the South South and the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives could come from the South East, while the Deputy Speaker could come from the North East, that is what I mean, but the most important thing is that we wouldn't want any confrontation, we want people that will work base on principle in harmonious relationship, but base on principle, they stand their ground and work for the best interest of all and sundry in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.


3.What would be your agenda for the incoming President , Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Ojo: For the President-elect, Hammed Bola Tinubu, I think it would have been nice for him to look at first of all as uniting all the ethnic groups and ethnic nationalities across the country, to make sure that he creates a situation and avenue so that everybody will be free and comfortable to live in any other part of the country, you know. Igbo should be very very much comfortable in Lagos, the Yorubas, the Efiks, the Ibibio, the Benins, should be very very comfortable in Maiduguri, very very comfortable in Kano, so, Bola Tinubu should be able to set Nigeria the way the Americans are feeling today.

In America, nobody thinks who is coming from Florida, who is coming from Mississippi, who is coming from Chicago, who is coming from Philadelphia, the most important thing is you see yourself as an American, that is the most important there and that is how they see themselves, so, somebody should be able to come and I believe Bola Tinubu , being a very , can I call him a global man , he has a global exposure, global relationship should be able to do that, then, if that happens, and he looks inward into the issue of economy, he looks at the issue of power, definitely, all those ones will enhance the security situation of this country, if there is no poverty in this country, the level of insecurity will go down low, honestly, and then , if he looks into the principle of Federal character, if it reflects in his appointment, honestly, both in the Military, Paramilitary, security, civil service, Ministers, Special Advisers, Special Assistants and all that, Directors-general and Chairmen of the board, Parastatals and all that, if the principle of Federal Character reflects openly in it and people are comfortable, you will discover that ethnic agitation will no longer be there, that is it, but to me, I think I am very optimistic that Hammed Bola Tinubu is going to do the best and I wish him very best.

Jackson Lekan Ojo, is a security expert, Certified Golden member, International Security Association, Switzerland.
Fellow, International Institute for professional security and Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC.

*OGUN APC WELCOMES ADEBUTU'S FILING OF PETITION, ADVISES HIM TO CONDUCT HIMSELF RESPONSIBLY*


The Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has welcomed the filing of petition by the defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu.

Recall that Adebutu filed his petition challenging the outcome of the March 18 election at the Ogun state governorship election petition tribunal in Abeokuta, the state capital, on Thursday.

A statement issued in Abeokuta by the Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, quoted the party as saying, "Now that Mr. Adebutu has seen reason and decided to toe the path of civility and honour as we advised him, we hope that he will desist from his antics of cheap blackmail, sponsored protests, incitements, false claims and propaganda.

"We also took cognisance of his claims when he went to file the petition and wish to advise that
he should not intimidate/stampede the tribunal with his immoral and unethical boasts as if the Honourable Justices are pliable and/or in his pockets.

"His lawyers should be professional enough to advise him against this ignoble attitude, knowing full well that a case is determined by the relevant laws, facts and evidence and not based on the fantasies, whims and caprices of any of the parties, no matter how plausible.

"They have stated their claims. They should expect our response. But suffice it to say that the same Adebutu who said he won the election and should be so declared is in another breath, according to reports in the media, asking the court to disqualify His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, from the rerun if his prayer that election should be held in certain polling units and wards is upheld. So, we ask: Who is really afraid of a contest?

"While we leave our team of lawyers to do justice to the jejune issues raised in the petition, we advise Adebutu to be decorous and conduct himself as a citizen of Ogun state under the leadership of Prince Dapo Abiodun, who, by the grace of God and the benevolence of the good people of Ogun state, remains the Governor of our dearly beloved state."

Easter: Timi of Ede congratulates Christians, harps on compassion

The Timi of Ede land, HRM OBA DR. MUNIRUDEEN ADESOLA LAWAL, LAMINISA THE 1ST, has felicitated with all Ede sons and daughters around the world on the occasion of this year's Easter celebration, calling for global peace through compassion.

The Monarch opined that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ symbolized genuine love and undiluted compassion for humanity, saying these virtues must be adopted by every individual to build egalitarian society.

This was contained in statement signed by his media aide, Dapo Akinyele, the copy which was made available to newsmen in Ede on Saturday.

According to the statement, Oba Laminisa also enjoined Christians to maintain peaceful co-existence among other faiths in the same way Jesus Christ did.

"I heartily felicitate with my sons and daughters around the globe on the occasion of the celebration of the death and resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ.

"Beyond the usual merriment, let's all continue to follow the path of Jesus Christ and emulate his enviable virtues for the benefit of humanity.

"I wish you all Easter celebration!

Election victory: Ogun Coalition of Civil Society Activists felicitates Abiodun, plans congratulatory visit


The Ogun State Coalition of Civil Society Activists and Pro
Democracy groups in the State (CSOs), has congratulated Governor Dapo Abiodun, over his victory at the just concluded governorship poll in the state.

The organization with over 72 non-governmental organizations as members and other affiliated associations, in a congratulatory letter signed by Messrs Bankole Solomon and Dolapo Junaid, the Chairman and Secretary of the organization respectively, described the governor's victory as a well deserved one.

The CSOs expressed its readiness to pay a congratulatory visit to Governor Abiodun, to collectively celebrate his triumph in the March 18 free and fair election in the state.

According to the statement, the planned visit will further proclaim the governor as a popular leader as
well as showcasing him as a great achiever whose developmental agenda had
touched lives across the state.

It further acknowledged Abiodun's determination to deliver
dividends of democracy during the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down the whole world and seriously impeded general performance.

The statement noted that nevertheless, the governor performed excellently well and did not allow the pandemic to halt the wheel of good governance in Ogun.

The organization, however, said the visit to the governor would afford it to discuss the state affairs in Ogun as well as the state of
Civil Society activists in the state.

*Ogun APC to Adebutu: Don't Kill Yourself Over Forlorn Ambition*

The Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised the defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Mr. Oladipupo Adebutu not to kill himself over his forlorn governorship ambition.

Reacting to media reports which quoted Adebutu as saying he might be killed over the outcome of the governorship election held on the 18th of March 2023 and his challenge of same, the APC, in a statement issued in Abeokuta Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, said, "We read with shock the alarm raised by Mr. Adebutu that he might be killed over the outcome of the governorship election and his quest to challenge same at the tribunal.

"As a progressive party and government, we pride ourselves as people who are irrevocably committed to the plurality of opinions, the freedom of choice and association which our constitution and democracy provide.

"That choice has been freely and democratically exercised on the 18th of March, 2023 governorship and House of Assembly elections. It is very ridiculous that Candidate Adebutu threw a lavish party to celebrate the nine seats won by his party in the House of Assembly elections which was lost to it by the APC, while he had problems with the House of Assembly seats and governorship won by the APC. This kind of petty and unsportsmanlike politics with not help our state; a state of many firsts in Nigeria.

"All the resort to red herrings, cheap blackmail and futile propaganda will not help him achieve what he could not achieve through the ballot even with documented inducements and several breaches of the Electoral Act.

"We know how it feels to have expended so much family resources in the past 20 years or thereabout pursuing a forlorn ambition, especially when you are already been called 'His Excellency' with some paraphernalia of office. It is a very bitter pill to swallow now that reality is setting in. How long will you continue to delude yourself in answering to 'His Excellency' without actually having a taste of the position, power and perks of the office? We can feel Mr. Adebutu's pains and vacuity.

"However, we urge him not to kill himself over his failed governorship ambition. He should take heart and accept his defeat at the polls in good faith, knowing full well that the next election circle will soon be here in four years.

"It is our prayer that the Almighty God will keep him till then to witness that truly 'Igbega Ipinle Ogun has continued' (i.e. the development of Ogun state has continued.)”

END
Tunde Oladunjoye
Publicity Secretary,
Ogun APC

Anti-Party activities: APC Youth League calls for immediate suspension of ex-governor Daniel

The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Youth League, Ogun State Coordinate, has called on the national leadership of the party to immediately suspend a former governor of the state and senator-elect for Ogun East senatorial district, Gbenga Daniel, for working against the party in the March 18 Governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

The APC Youth League, which equally urged the party leadership to strip Daniel of every privilege of being a member of the ruling, also demanded that the former governor should be compelled to refund the money he got from the APC to prosecute his own election.

These calls were contained in a letter entitled 'Need to Sanction Otunba Gbenga Daniel, Senator-Elect, Ogun East Senatorial District of Ogun State', dated March 31st and jointly signed by Fayomi Yunus and Abbas Olanrewaju Ismail, the State Coordinator and State Secretary of the League, respectively.

According to the letter addressed to the National Chairman of the APC, the former governor was found out to have vehemently worked against the interest of the APC during the elections in the state, a situation which almost scuttled chances of victory of the party at the poll.

While further calling on the APC national leadership to decide the appropriate action against Daniel as stipulated by the party constitution with regard to such anti-party tendencies, the APC Youth League with membership across the 236 wards in Ogun, said a discreet investigation revealed that the former governor had several nocturnal meetings ahead of poll with members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, with a surreptitious plans to work against the reelection of Governor Dapo Abiodun.

The investigation, according to the group, further revealed that Daniel collected several millions of naira to work for the emergence of the PDP governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, against the APC and the incumbent governor.

The statement added that “Daniel was tracked and discovered to have led the PDP machinery that
worked for Adebutu in Ogun East with attendant propaganda instruments led by his prominent aides against Governor Abiodun, without any rebuttal from the former governor.”

The League, however, expressed its dismay that the senator-elect “could go so low to have compromised
the sanctity of party loyalty and solidarity, by forming an unholy alliance with the PDP, his supposed former party to stop the reelection Governor Abiodun.”

The letter reads: "The APC Youth League, Ogun State Coordinate with its membership across all the 236
wards of the state considers it a great obligation as a matter of exigency, to address you
today as a result of a certain unpalatable situation that played out in the last gubernatorial
election in our dear state, Ogun State, as it affects our party and threatens its cohesiveness.
We are particularly disappointed and taken aback by the surreptitious activities of the
former Governor of the State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, in the just concluded governorship
election, where he vehemently worked against the interest of our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and almost scuttled our chances of victory.

"It was utterly strange that Otunba Gbenga Daniel, could go that low to have compromised
the sanctity of party loyalty and solidarity, by forming an unholy alliance with the Peoples
Democratic Party, his supposed former party to stop the reelection of Governor Dapo Abiodun.
We have it on good authority through discreet investigation how Otunba Gbenga Daniel
held several nocturnal meetings with leaders of PDP and the Adebutu's, in the build up to
the governorship election, where money in hundreds of millions was given to him to work
for the candidate of the PDP, Mr Ladi Adebutu, against the party that gave him a ticket to
represent his senatorial district at the Red Chamber of the National Assembly.

"Otunba benga Daniel, was tracked and discovered to have led the PDP machinery that
worked for Ladi Adebutu in gun East with attendant propaganda instruments led by
Daniel's prominent aides against our candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun, without any rebuttal
from Daniel himself.

"It is no more news that Otunba Gbenga Daniel, consciously collapsed the remnant of his
political structure for Ladi Adebutu and worked against the APC that gave him ticket and
also sponsored his election.

"It is now obvious that the original notion behind the defection of Governor Gbenga Daniel
into APC in 2021 was to deceptively secure the ticket of our party having realized the PDP was no more popular in his domain and could not win any credible election, then to later serve as a mole to destroy our party to the advantage of his original party, the PDP.

"It is against this backdrop that we call on the national leadership of our great party to demand for immediate suspension of Otunba Gbenga Daniel from our party, the APC, and strip him of every privilege of membership.
We also demand that the national leadership should ask Otunba Gbenga Daniel to refund
every kobo he got from the party to prosecute his election and further decide the appropriate action against him as stipulated by our constitution with regard to such anti party tendencies".

MURDER OF EMMANUEL ADENIRAN: LADI ADEBUTU’S PANICKY VISIT AND OBSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS

We have received enquires from media outfits asking for the reaction of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the spurious allegation against our party by the defeated governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, on the gruesome murder of a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emmanuel Adeniran, who was killed during the March 18, 2023 elections.

We see Adebutu’s visit to the family as panicky, patronizing, a cheap and wicked way to seek popularity, while his trump-up allegation is not only wicked and obstructive, but also a desperate attempt to block police investigation into the murder of the INEC staff.

Ladi Adebutu was merely trying to run away from his shadow, which is impossible.
After his woeful loss of election, he has suffered and still suffers from delusion and electoral hangover from his woeful loss. That is why if he is not on the streets with his hirelings protesting, he is visiting INEC office with hundreds of rented people “to submit a letter”, or making vile and unfounded allegations all over.
When he should actually be answering questions from the police and other security agents on his wanton breach of electoral laws and the Constitution during the March 18, 2023 elections, he still strutting the streets like one that is above the law.

The death of the deceased officer is painful, condemnable and wickedness of the highest order. Ladi’s panicky popularity-seeking visit to the deceased’s family and his gibberish are attempts to obstruct police investigations. Ogun State people know who is prone to violence; it is in the DNA of PDP. Remember that a police corporal identified as Sunday Idoko was shot dead by unknown gunmen while escorting election results from Ipokia to the Ilaro collation centre on February 24, 2019. Ipokia local government is the home of Ladi Adebutu’s deputy in the March 18 governorship election, Hon. Kunle Akinlade, who was contesting in the 2019 governorship election as a candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
The police should use this latest case of gruesome murder of Femi Adeniran to get to the root of dastardly murder of the INEC officer and bring whoever is involved to books. This is also an opportunity to reopen the case of the murdered police officer, Sunday Idoko.
Ladi should be reminded, as we have seen during the last elections that: MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING AND CANNOT BUY EVERYONE.

- Tunde Oladunjoye
State Publicity Secreatry
APC.

MURDER OF EMMANUEL ADENIRAN: LADI ADEBUTU’S PANICKY VISIT AND OBSTRUCTIVE COMMENTS

We have received enquires from media outfits asking for the reaction of our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), to the spurious allegation against our party by the defeated governorship candidate of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, on the gruesome murder of a staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Emmanuel Adeniran, who was killed during the March 18, 2023 elections.

We see Adebutu’s visit to the family as panicky, patronizing, a cheap and wicked way to seek popularity, while his trump-up allegation is not only wicked and obstructive, but also a desperate attempt to block police investigation into the murder of the INEC staff.

Ladi Adebutu was merely trying to run away from his shadow, which is impossible.
After his woeful loss of election, he has suffered and still suffers from delusion and electoral hangover from his woeful loss. That is why if he is not on the streets with his hirelings protesting, he is visiting INEC office with hundreds of rented people “to submit a letter”, or making vile and unfounded allegations all over.
When he should actually be answering questions from the police and other security agents on his wanton breach of electoral laws and the Constitution during the March 18, 2023 elections, he still strutting the streets like one that is above the law.

The death of the deceased officer is painful, condemnable and wickedness of the highest order. Ladi’s panicky popularity-seeking visit to the deceased’s family and his gibberish are attempts to obstruct police investigations. Ogun State people know who is prone to violence; it is in the DNA of PDP. Remember that a police corporal identified as Sunday Idoko was shot dead by unknown gunmen while escorting election results from Ipokia to the Ilaro collation centre on February 24, 2019. Ipokia local government is the home of Ladi Adebutu’s deputy in the March 18 governorship election, Hon. Kunle Akinlade, who was contesting in the 2019 governorship election as a candidate of the Allied People’s Movement (APM).
The police should use this latest case of gruesome murder of Femi Adeniran to get to the root of dastardly murder of the INEC officer and bring whoever is involved to books. This is also an opportunity to reopen the case of the murdered police officer, Sunday Idoko.
Ladi should be reminded, as we have seen during the last elections that: MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING AND CANNOT BUY EVERYONE.

- Tunde Oladunjoye
State Publicity Secreatry
APC.

Who becomes Tinubu's Chief of Staff? -By Jackson Lekan Ojo

Making a deeper allusion to the Nigeria's political history, from the beginning of this fourth republic in 1999, one can convincingly infer that the role played by the President -elect and former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu can never be over-emphasized, in terms of political conceptualization and progressive ideology, including frontline pattern of administration.

While his impacts in civil administration cut across many areas of governance, I will limit my discussion on his brainchild, which swiftly became the model adopted by all, including the presidency. That is the concept of 'Chief of Staff'.

While I don't want to bother myself on his thinking at that time that resulted into that kind of idea or where he had learnt that instrument of administration, I want to clearly state here that it was a brilliant initiative brought to bear in civil administration, it was indeed a game changer as far as democratic process of governance is concerned in Nigeria.

Conversely, as the nation warms up for the transition into another administration that will be piloted by the former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the progenitor of the office of Chief of Staff, many as wondered who fits into that shoe of herculean administrative task at that level of government and governance.

Beyond array of narratives from different quarters on who occupies the exalted position in the new administration, I consider it imperative to first dissect the requisite qualifications that make a good Chief of Staff to the Nigerian President.

Because of the heterogeneous nature of our country, a Chief of Staff to the President must be a detribalised Nigerian with satisfactory exposure and liberal posture. He must be approachable , calm, tolerant and diplomatic, with cordial relationship among people across the country. To say it all, the person must be a Populist.

Meanwhile, several names have been flying around in the media space, among those names, three of it continued to appear prominently in the narratives, namely: Former Governor of Lagos and incumbent Minister for Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbjabiamila and a member of the House of Representatives from Lagos, who hails from Kogi in the North Central Geo-political zone, Hon. James Falake, he held sway as the Secretary of the APC's Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) for the 2023 election.

Engaging in a thorough evaluation of the three personalities in tandem with various attributes of a good Chief of Staff has analysed above, only one person clearly fits in to that office without blemish, and that is Hon. James Falake from Kogi State, a very clear-headed personality, brilliant, friendly, gentle, cool and calm at all times.

He is the only one among the three that will not make more enemies for the President in the course of discharging his duties, he knows his onus when it comes to administration and diplomacy, as his door is always open to everybody irrespective of status and language.

The level of maturity Faleke displayed in Kogi when he was robbed of becoming the Governor of the State in broad daylight and his subsequent commitment to the ideals of progressive politics and development of humanity is profoundly enviable, we need such a character at the presidency for inclusive governance, purposeful leadership and even development.

I, hereby, urge the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to consider Hon. James Falake, as the man to occupy the position of the Chief of Staff in his administration.

Jackson Lekan Ojo, a Chieftain of APC and leading security expert writes from Abuja.

Oliyide’s and the fresh attacks on Governor Dapo Abiodun



By Gbemisola Saliu

Steve Oliyide, the loutish and vainglorious buffoon who launched series of vile attacks on Prince Dapo Abiodun and his Government in the failed bid to turn the tide against him ahead of the March 18 governorship election, is at his familiar game again. This time, he is once again on the online platforms and social media, the space where he is understandably most comfortable, cooking up allegations and casting aspersions on the Governor and the Government of Ogun State.


Canvassing illogic and throwing innuendos about, Oliyide is apparently trying his level best to mobilize a mob against the people’s Governor by re-writing the story of his service to the Ogun people and the March elections. He and his paymasters failed woefully only two weeks ago, but the devil in them is never tired of mischief. There is no need to soil this piece by quoting the imprecations he heaped on Governor Abiodun. As our people say, he who points a finger at an innocent person, the remaining four fingers will be for him.

In a brazen display of stupidity, Oliyide claims that Prince Abiodun didn’t win the March 18 election and couldn’t have won. Pray, is this fellow INEC? From where did he derive the competence to declare election winners and losers? What is his pedigree in determining electoral victors? Bad blood is indeed a disease.

Oliyide launched endless attacks on Governor Abiodun before March 18, thinking that the mischief prepared by his paymasters would consume the Governor. He got some money from Ex Governor Ibikunle Amosun and his principal, Gbenga Daniel, and he is desperately trying to justify his pay by publishing fake news. But there is one good thing about his latest cant: whereas his former epistles represented the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau, this latest piece has been unmistakable in exposing his sponsors. He has cast off his cloak of pretence and the big masquerade behind his mischief has been unveiled. How interesting that it is a media aide to Gbenga Daniel, a notorious politician, that is being used to manipulate public opinion after the gubernatorial election in Ogun State has been won and lost!

Oliyide apparently thinks that people have forgotten history so soon. He thinks that they cannot recall the inglorious circumstances that surrounded his boss’ exit from power. As a sitting governor, Daniel had to form a political party outside his political party in order to install a crony as governor, but failed woefully. His government was riddled with scandals. He was continually at loggerheads with lawmakers, some of whom were caught stark-naked carrying sacrifices. Under him, Ogun became a theatre of scandals and even political assassinations. Are we talking of the same Daniel that desecrated Government House but only got a facelift in APC? Does Oliyide think that he can put an undeserved garment of honour on him?

Daniel, to set the records straight, betrayed his party during the gubernatorial election. He was the South-West coordinator of the Atiku Presidential Campaign in 2019 but he joined APC after the presidential polls to better his lot. Sensing that his political future in PDP would be in ruins, he quickly aligned with APC and was extremely happy that Governor Dapo Abiodun won. Governor Abiodun’s win meant that he could now walk as a free man in the state after the eight warlord years of Amosun during which he was persona non grata; the years during which his big hotel in Abeokuta was marked for demolition and during which he had been a regular guest of the EFCC.

Ahead of the 2023 polls, Prince Abiodun went out of his way to get Daniel the Ogun East senatorial ticket following the intervention of the Awujale of Ijebuland but what did he (Abiodun) get in return? Perfidy. Having won election as senator, Daniel turned traitor very quickly. He started instigating the people against the governor, asking them if he had done well and such like. Pray, why did Daniel not play his Judas Iscariot card before the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections? Where was Oliyide then?


Inded, who is this guy and where is he coming from? He has no stake in Ogun affairs. He is a tramp who writes for a bottle of Henessey. In one breath, he said he was working for Amosun in order for Biyi Otegbeye of the ADC to win the gubernatorial election. Yet in another breath, he claimed to be working to actualize the failed electoral bid of PDP’s Ladi Adebutu. He is the kind of felon who according to the Yoruba dines at the house of oro, and yet also dines in egungun’s house, a bag of contradictions whose dead conscience knows no loyalty. Well, he is working to justify the N4bn his boss allegedly collected from Baba Ijebu; tarnishing an innocent man’s image is nothing to him. Let him continue; he and his boss will cry many more tears in vain.

Saliu is of Psychology Department, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State

Protect election materials from Adebutu, PDP and thugs

- Ogun APC charges INEC

The Ogun State Chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to “provide maximum security for its staff and the election materials in its possession, especially all the ballot papers pertaining to the just concluded general elections” in the state.

In a statement issued in Abeokuta on Sunday, and signed by the State Publicity Secretary of APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, the party said “it has become pertinent to demand for the provision of watertight security for INEC offices across the state, its officers and election materials.”

The statement read in part:
“In view of the recent happenings in Ogun State, particularly the last week’s invasion of the State’s INEC headquarters by the PDP governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, who lost in the March 18, 2023 elections, we are duty bound to call on INEC and all other relevant statutory bodies, including the security agencies, to ensure that nothing untoward happens to the election materials, especially the ballot papers in the possession of INEC.”

“Or where in the world has it been reported that a loser at an election, along with hundreds of hired people, marched on the office of the electoral umpire purportedly “to submit a letter”, as we saw in Abeokuta last week?”

“Hon Adebutu not only took thugs to INEC to 'submit a letter' but also insisted that officers of INEC must come out to address his hired crowd and respond to the so-called letter?”

“But for the steadfastness, professionalism and civility of the joint security men on guard, Hon. Adebutu and his hirelings would have overrun the INEC headquarters and this, most probably, would have led to loss of lives and destruction of property, including election materials“.

“It is an already established legal process that parties who wish to challenge an election result and intend to gain access to INEC materials can only do so through the order of the Court after an application has been filed and granted. It is, therefore, worrisome to see someone who wanted to govern a state of many firsts like Ogun State, lead misguided crowd to submit ordinary letter.

"Everyone knows that INEC has an interactive website! Besides, in this age of courier services and other communication avenues, why would anyone resort to crooked and illegal route to ventilate his grievances? We can only thank God that such person was unable to buy his way into the office of the Governor of Ogun State at the just concluded election.”

“The invasion of INEC head office by Hon. Adebutu was a desperation of the highest order, which depicted poor sportsmanship. Having lost the election and having failed to get to office via purchase, the PDP and its candidate lack the moral rectitude to make allegations of electoral impropriety against anybody or INEC.

“It would be recalled that around November 9, 2022 the INEC office in Abeokuta South LGA of the state was razed down by hoodlums who reportedly gained access around 1.00am. Even as the arsonists are yet to be arrested and prosecuted, we do not want a repeat of such incident in Ogun State. INEC must live up to expectation by safeguarding all its staff and offices from the PDP and its rampaging candidate!"

Probe Adebutu, Ogun PDP’s electoral infractions, group tasks security agencies

A group, Ogun Integrity Vanguard, has tasked the leadership of security agencies in the country, particularly the Nigeria Police, to ensure comprehensive probe of the electoral infractions allegedly perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, during the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections in the state.


The group made this call in a statement signed by its secretary, Duro Thomas, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday.

Making reference to the incidents that happened during the polls, the group noted that PDP agents were arrested in the Agbado area of the state by Agbado Police officers with cash, more than 300 PVCs and Verve prepaid ATM cards with the name Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme written boldly on them, pointing out that the action was a clear contravention of the Electoral Act.

It said: “It was not only the police that arrested agents of the PDP and other parties carrying out such devious acts.

“As amply documented by the spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, operatives of the agency on election duty stop and search intercepted four party agents with hundreds of money credit cards meant to buy votes at Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.

“Each card contained N10,000 and was meant to be activated with a code.

“The suspects, who were PDP agents, were subsequently handed over to the police. It is clear that Adebutu’s bloated image is underpinned by corrupt tendencies.

“ If we want this election to be a litmus test ffor future elections where Nigerians say no to manipulation and corruption of the electoral space, there is a need for the police to not only investigate but to also invite the PDP governorship candidate to explain why he carried out such infractions.”

The group added that a situation where some people believed that they could have their way through manipulation and corruption of the electoral process must stop.

“If INEC is sincere, this is the time to prosecute and make some people scapegoats,” it said.