http://citymirrornews.com/politics/2023/17/only-a-poor-student-will-be-jittery-at-examination-results/

PRESS STATEMENT. (JANUARY 17, 2023)

'Only A Poor Student Will Be Jittery At Examination Results'

Oyetola Has A Watertight Case

- APC Tells Osun PDP


The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed a surprise at the low reasoning and level of demonstrated administrative ineptitude of those saddled with the leadership of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for it to be prioritizing diatribes, harangues and tirades in running the affairs of their party and the government.

Reacting to a conjecture by the state chapter of the PDP where it was alleged that the immediate-past Governor Gboyega Oyetola has been running after the justices to influence the outcome of his petition at the governorship election tribunal in Osogbo, the state Acting Chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, said it was a pity that some disgruntled elements could choose to feed the members of the public with fallacy.

Lawal stated that the Osun PDP handlers are only trying to be clever by half by rolling out absolute falsehood in order to justify the imminent failure awaiting them at the tribunal.

He tutored the obviously confused, directionless and focusless burdened government of Adeleke and his ineptitude party that Oyetola needs not press any botton for his victory in all ramifications as it has not been his stock in trade which he could not now copy at his age.

The Acting State APC Chairman hinted that Oyetola could be likened to a metaphorical brilliant student who is always burning his candles at both ends before, during and after any examination and not in the league of those who wrote the NECO examinations three years before the establishment of the examination body itself.

The members of the public are implored to disregard the mere composition rolled out by the PDP about corner cutting by Oyetola concerning the tribunal as it's absolute falsehood and a figment of the imagination of those who put it together.

The party noted that its case before the tribunal is watertight and details of which are already known to the Nigerian public and as such they have notreason to panic or fear.

Lawal disclosed that "only about a month ago, the social media was awash with stories of how a contact committee was set up by the PDP to go after the tribunal justices.

"We hope they are not trying to accuse us of what they did only because the project failed?

"Any discerning Nigerian will immediately know that Governor Ademola Adeleke has a terribly bad case before the tribunal, as it is a common knowledge in Ede that he had issues with his certificate. No matter how hard he tries, there are people who are still alive who know his story.

"Again, the issue of overvoting is unassailable. We were able to prove our case on these two grounds before the Tribunal and we are confident that the outcome will favour us", the state APC chairman stated.

e-SIGNED:

Sooko TAJUDEEN LAWAL, Acting Chairman, Osun State APC.

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/13/osun-election-tribunal-parties-adopt-final-addresses/

Osun Election Tribunal: Parties adopt final addresses

...as Tribunal reserve judgement date

... Adeleke forged certificate, Oyetola's counsel insist

...Asks Tribunal to declare Oyetola winner after canceling votes of disputed polling units

... There are infractions in 1,750 polling units -- INEC counsel

... As Adeleke disowns INEC's BVAS report

The Osun Election Tribunal sitting in Osogbo, led by Justice Tetsea Kume, on Friday admitted the written addresses of the parties involved in the litigation, after the counsel for All Progressives Congress, APC, Adegboyega Oyetola, and those of Senator Ademola Adeleke, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, argued and adopted their final written addresses before the Tribunal.

This is even as Counsel for Oyetola insisted that Senator Adeleke submitted forged certificates, having submitted a Testimonial purported to have been issued by Ede Muslim Grammar School, bearing Osun State at a time Osun had not been created and another letter of Attestation from Ede Muslim High School, to indicate he attended a secondary school.

The petitioners insisted that if the governor had indeed attended Ede Muslim Grammar School, he could not have presented an Attestation Letter from Ede Muslim High School to show he attended a secondary school.

Making their submissions before the Tribunal, Counsel for Oyetola and APC, led by Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, noted that the mere fact that INEC did not at any stage indicate that the CTC BVAS report issued to the petitioners was a temporary one or an unsynchronised one, the Tribunal should accept it as the best evidence in the circumstances, adding that the second CTC BVAS report issued to the PDP and Senator Adeleke by INEC was an afterthought, especially because it was sought after the petitioners had filed their petition before the Tribunal.

Prince Fagbemi went further to submit that even in the CTC BVAS report issued to the PDP and Senator Adeleke, there were infractions in over 100 polling units. He therefore urged the Tribunal to declare Oyetola as the winner of the election, after canceling votes from the disputed polling units.

In his own argument, Counsel for INEC, Prof. Paul Ananaba, submitted that there were discrepancies in 1,750 polling units, saying that results of elections are updated on a continuous basis.

He said as at the time the first CTC BVAS report was issued to the petitioners, some "data were still hanging" and that it was the second CTC BVAS report which was synchronised that should be relied upon by the Tribunal.

This is even as Counsel for Adeleke Onyeachi Ikpeazu disowned INEC's second CTC BVAS report, a document relied upon by INEC at the Tribunal to defend its declaration of Senator Adeleke as the winner of the July 16 governorship election.

Arguing his submission before the Tribunal, Fagbemi said: "I state that it is only Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that is given statutory responsibility to conduct election. I submit that where there is allegation on conduct of election, it is only INEC that has the responsibility to show otherwise.

" The grouse of the petitioners with respect to these grounds, are on the conduct of the election. I submit further that the attempt by 2nd Respondent to discredit Exhibit R.BVR should be discountenance as stated by the 2nd respondent (Adeleke.)

"I submit that we are in a completely new electoral dispensation, unless we know this, we will just be wallowing. I started with concept of over-voting, is different in the present legal regime from the previous legal regime.

"Section 51(2) of Electrical Act, defines over-voting and this clearly is different from the position of Section 33 of the 2011 Electoral Act. Section 47 (2) of the 2022 Electoral Act read together with Clause 20 of the regulation of conduct of election (Exhibit 1) makes the use of BVAS and not Voters' Register mandatory in order to determine Accredited Voters.

"I submit that Exhibit 2R.RW2 in paragraph 1.2, did not mention any Voter's Register as part of the documents he used and I submit that witness did not consider it necessary hence his refusal to state that he used same.

"Section 64 (4) of Electoral Act 2022 is the provision of the law that requires the collation by the presiding officer to be satisfied by the number of accredited voters. I submit that the concept of synchronisation is unknown to the Electoral Laws. What it recognises is that where a voter not recognised by the BVAS machine, such a voter will not be allowed to vote. The only occasion where merger of data occurs on two BVAS machines is when two BVAS machines were used at a polling unit and they must be used or done at polling unit level - see paragraph of Exhibits.

"I submit that there was no report of any merger of any BVAS machine data used at polling unit at the election contest. I submit that INEC did not state any date in their pleadings that they used more than one BVAS machine in any polling. The intention of the law i.e Section 64 (4)(a) of the 2022 Electoral Act is that the number of accredited voters must have been ascertained before the declaration of results.

"I submit that under the 2022 Electoral Act, no time was stated for INEC to declare results. I submit that all the parties were unanimous on the date of election that took place on 16th of July, 2022 and declaration of results on 17th July, 2022 and issuance of Certificate of Return to the 2nd Respondent on 20th of July, 2022.

"The question therefore is on what details of accredited voters did INEC did all above? I further submit that RW1 stated in evidence that she issued and certified Exhibit R.BVR and as such, presumption of regularity endures in favour of the Exhibit. The 1st Respondent did not notify the petitioners of any irregularities as same was not recalled by the 1st Respondent.

"I submit that it was after service of the petition on the Respondent that they now resort to an afterthought concept of synchronisation. I submit that if the tribunal allows the concept of synchronisation, it will act to a point that it is INEC and not the electorate that determine the outcome of an election - see paragraph 7.33 to 7.39 of our Final Written Address," Fagbemi added.

On the issue of Certificate Forgery, the Petitioners' Counsel argued that "the testimonial shows on its face that or was issued in Osun State in 1988 a whole 3 years before Osun State came into existence. They should have pleaded that they made an error or mistake but that was never done.

"The Judgment of Court of Appeal that I said, they did not prove their case, there is nothing from the Respondent to contradict our evidence. So, the documents tendered in this regards by the witness of the 2nd Respondent (Adeleke) are mere hearsay. When you have no connection to a certificate, you are not the one that issued it, that he was given, the law says 'No' to such documents.

"It has no probative value. Any document showing that Osun State is in existence since 1988 is clearly false. Supreme Court says 'where only document shows it is false, it is clearly false."

On his part, Counsel for Adeleke, Ikpeazu SAN noted that a clear distinction ought to be maintained between back-end server and the Certified Copy of the extraction from the BVAS machines.

"Contrary to the submission of the Petitioners, RWl confirmed a physical inspection of the BVAS based on the Order of Court for same to be extracted. It is on this pedestal that the case of the 2nd Respondent (Adeleke) was mounted.

"2nd Respondent (Adeleke) is not bound by the case of the 1st Respondent (INEC) which was found as the second BVAS report which was labelled synchronised but which was not a comprehensive one from the BVAS machines themselves.

"The 2nd Respondent (Adeleke) is not bound by evidence led by the 1st Respondent (INEC) which is an independent body. The second Respondent presented a unique case which is founded based on Evidence Rule by relying on the physical and primary source of all capture of accreditations that were made on the day of the election itself."

After listening to all the arguments, the Tribunal rose at exactly 7. 30pm and adjourned for judgement on a date it said would be communicated to all parties.

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/13/opinion-oyetola-adeleke-in-40-days/
Despite N48billion allocation, Adeleke has been an utter failure in 40 days, plans to embark on borrowing extravaganza

By Adebayo Adedeji

In the last 40 days of Senator Ademola Adeleke as Governor of Osun State, it has been all noise without substance, motion without movement, despite the huge allocation, in the region of N48 billion, available to his government. It is also sad that he is making surreptitious moves in the Ministry of Finance, Abuja, to run the state into further debts by borrowing N123billion.

Here is a breakdown of what the new government has earned since inauguration: N14billion left by Governor Oyetola; N2.7billion SURE-P refund meant for capital projects in local government areas ( another inheritance from Oyetola); N10.1billion federal allocation for November 2022 but shared in December; another N11billion SURE-P refunds received just last week and N10billion PAYE tax of Federal Government workers in the state. The PAYE payment is also a brainchild of Oyetola considering the high level of diplomacy and financial shrwedness that went into play when IleriOluwa and his team interfaced with experts in the finance ministry in Abuja to press for the refund.

And anytime from now, another N9billion will land in the bank account of the state government being payment from World Bank SABER grant. I will return to the SABER issue very shortly.

Unfortunately, beyond paying salary and pension to a fraction of workers, there is hardly anything one can link to Governor Adeleke besides his lust for activation of simplistic committees with nebulous, overlapping and repeated terms of reference. The recent one is the creation of an ad-hoc committee to review assets and liabilities of the newly upgraded University of Ilesha, a responsibility that has been undertaken by another committee set-up by him.

Contrasting the lacklustre government of Adeleke with his predecessor's, a big gap would easily be identified. For instance, within the first 40 days of Adegboyega Oyetola as governor in Osun, the following milestones, among others, were achieved:

1. On December 11, 2018, a free health mission sprang up in the state where no fewer than 30,000 persons were treated in major towns across Osun State.

2. On December 14, 2018, Oyetola inaugurated a six-man committee, chairmanned by him, to revitalise the health sector in the 332 wards in the state.

3. Oyetola kicked off the process for rehabilitation of the general hospitals in Ejigbo and Ifetedo

4. Oyetola approved the reconstruction of deplorable Ede-Ara-Ejigbo road.

5. Oyetola and his team held strategic meetings with key federal ministries and agencies like Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Works to initiate partnership with them, a collaboration that later proved very useful for an administration that inherited humongous debt and nearly collapsed economy.

However, what we have now in Osun is a sharp departure from the standard elevated by Oyetola. The order of the day is institutionalisation of buffoonery, thuggery and victimization of opposition members through mindless committees enlivened by the dance-loving politician .

In Osun, committees are no longer set-up, as it was traditional during Oyetola, to see to rehabilitation of schools, roads and health centres, they are now emplaced to run after imaginary adversaries and men of the defunct administration "who went away with plates and cutlery." Pathetic.

Now I return to World Bank SABER grant which will be available to Osun State any moment from now.

In September 2022, the World Bank approved a loan of $750 million support to the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Nigeria State Action on Business Enabling Reforms designed by the Bank, Presidential Enabling Businesses Environment Council (PEBEC) and the Nigeria Governors' Forum. (NGF).

The fund is to improve critical business-enabling policy and institutional actions that will incentivise private sector development in 36 states ( including the FCT), in a similar format with State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) programme which ended in 2022.

Recall Governor Oyetola, for his prudent management of resources and ability to deploy little resources judiciously to achieve more, was recognised the Best Governor by the World Bank's SFTAS in 2022, beating other 35 governors to clinch the coveted award. The state was also adjudged the "TOP" performer on Domestic Revenue Mobilisation by the Bank.

Given the Oyetola administration's sweeping institutional reforms and commitment to deepening of Ease of Doing Business Reforms in the state, Osun State, after a rigorous selection process, was picked as a recipient of N9billion last year to drive the SABER programme in the state. The money was not yet paid to Osun before Oyetola "stepped aside" last November.

But the money is on its way to the state as I write. Strangely, the government of Ademola Adeleke which never lifted a finger but is to be the greatest inheritor of the sweat of Oyetola and his men is now the most vicious vilifier of the last administration. Saddening.

Nevertheless, it is hope that this experience will humble the vindictive government and persuade the village headmasters in Abere to be more circumspect. Again, the governor should discontinue his kurukere movements aimed at running the state into more debt to create troubles for Oyetola when he returns to the Bola Ige House in the next few months. Oyetola did not borrow a dime in his 48 months in government, Adeleke should not during his temporary stay in the saddles. All good-spirited citizens in Osun are charged to call the BVAS Governor to order. No to N123billion FG loan, please!

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/10/adeleke-inaugurates-eleven-man-committee-to-review-university-of-ilesa/

Governor Ademola Adeleke if Osun State has on Tuesday inaugurated eleven-man committee chair by Professor Ashaolu Taiwo of the Obafemi Awolowo University to review and assess the sources of funds for both capital and recurrent expenditure for the eventual take off of the University;
The governor, while inaugurating them also tasked the committee to generally review the implementation guidelines among other tasks.

Read the full speech of the governor and names of the committee members below �


TEXT OF AN ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF OSUN STATE, SENATOR ADEMOLA ADELEKE AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE ADHOC COMMITTEE FOR UNIVERSITY OF ILESA TODAY JANUARY 10, 2023
PROTOCOL
The Secretary to the State Government,
The Chief of Staff,
The Head of Service,
Chairman and members of the Adhoc Committee
Leaders in attendance,
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my pleasure to convey this gathering to address a matter that is of utmost interest to our administration. Ijeshaland is a territory of interest to personal interest to our government. Our administration is therefore committed to satisfying the needs and aspirations of the good people of Ilesa and environs.

Before and after the governorship election, I developed deep interest on the issue of University of Ilesa. My first conviction is that Ilesa indeed deserves a University considering the achievements of Ijesha people at home and abroad. I was however worried about the politicisation of the project. The last administration avoided due diligence and comprehensive project report. Instead, it opted for political action on a subject that demands thorough planning ,covering financial and academic forecast and provision.
This administration is however committed to doing the right thing. The ultimate goal is to ensure that the interest of Ijeshaland is adequately protected and satisfied. My desire is to have in place a University of Ilesa that will be sustainable, a university that will be one of the best in the country.
It is to achieve the above that I today set up this adhoc committee under the chairmanship of (1) Prof. Ashaolu Taiwo of the Obafemi Awolowo University.
Other members of the committee includes
2. Prof. Oyesoji Aremu
3. Prof. Lukman Jumoda
4. Prof. David Oladeji
5. Prof. Dayo Akintayo
6. Prof. (Mrs) Adefunke
7. Dr Mutalib Akanmu
8. Hon Bamidele Salam
9. P.ermanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
10. P.ermanent Secretary, Ministry of Education
11. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice
The terms of reference of the committee are as follows:


1. Review and assess funding requirements for both capital and recurrent expenditures for the eventual take off of the university;


2. Review and assess the sources of funds for both capital and recurrent expenditure for the eventual take off of the University;
3. Generally review the implementation guidelines proposed by the Implementation Committee;
4. Engage all relevant stakeholders including the host community, trade Unions, Alumni association of the College,the student body, etc. with a view to harmonize the position for the way forward;
5. Identify the gaps within the UNILESA Establishment Law and make appropriate recommendations towards its amendment to ensure adequate coverage of relevant interests for the eventual take off of the University;
6. Propose modalities for phased implementation of the University such that faculties and courses of study are matched with funding requirement of each phase of the implementation; and
7. Evaluate and draw appropriate policy recommendations towards the execution of the existing obligations, assets and liabilities of the College of Education, Ilesa with a view to removing all impediments for the eventual take off of the University.
I consequently urge this committee to take this assignment as a sacred responsibility. This issue at hand touches the heart and soul of our people. You are therefore expected to bring your wealth of experience to bear on the discharge of this historical task. I have no doubt in my mind that you will submit a report that will provide a road map for a great University of Ilesa.
You have six weeks to conclude this assignment.
On this note, I hereby inaugurate this adhoc committee.
Thanks for listening.
HE, Senator Ademola Adeleke,
Executive Governor of Osun State.

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/10/osun-rec-speaks-on-bvas-says-number-of-accredited-voters-must-tally-with-number-of-votes-cast/


Osun Rec Speaks On BVAS, Says Number Of Accredited Voters Must Tally With Number Of Votes Cast

Human beings have tendency to make BVAS work differently – Osun REC


The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, has disclosed that for credible election results to occur, the number of accredited voters must tally with the number of votes cast.
He said since Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation look System (BVAS) remains the only constitutionally recognised electronic device for the conduct of voters’ accreditation in any election, no contrary result must be declared apart from the figure therein.

The Osun REC also noted that saboteurs have the tendency to compromise the usage of BVAS, insisting that they could make it to work contrary to the purpose for which the devices were deployed in the election.


Speaking on a popular Radio Show ‘Frank Talk’ on Rave FM on Tuesday, the INEC boss, however, stressed that there are regulations guiding the usage of the machine in any election which he said, must not be compromised for any reason.

Dr. Agboke revealed that Section (47), Sub-section (2) of the Electoral Act was clear enough as regards the deployment and usage of the BVAS machine to verify, accredit and authenticate voters and guarantee the sanctity of the election.


“Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System (BVAS) is to accredit you, to authenticate you and is to show that you are the owner of your card by person that wants to vote. That is the number one function

The second function is to take the image and the snapshot of the image on the report sheet. You don’t input figure into the BVAS, it is the image that will be transmitted into the election results portal for public viewing. That is for public to view the results from the polling units.

So, where the number of accredited voters is less than the number of the people that voted, it means somebody has allowed those who were not accredited to vote.
“Where the voters are more than the accredited people in the BVAS, you have won zero vote. There shouldn’t be result in such a polling unit, that’s our regulation. What I mean is that where the number of those who have voted is more than the people accredited to vote, our regulation says it is zero vote that will be put there. There is no need for discussion. We are not going to come back for anything because there is no basis for it.

“Whether we like it or not, that technology is a game changer and we are going to showcase it here. we are going to see it in February. There is nothing that will be announced except from what is in the BVAS which will equal to the number of people that have voted,” he added.
The INEC boss also dispelled insinuations regarding BVAS machine as a scam saying, “yes, it is human beings that are behind the use of the machine, but there is a regulation about how the machine should work. Human beings have the tendency to make the machine work differently, in other words, if they say the accreditation is by the BVAS, the number of accredited voters must be equaled to the votes.”

Asked on what should be done to prevent over voting in next month’s general elections, Dr. Agboke noted that electoral laws had provided solutions to such occurrence, arguing that when such occurs, no vote is to be recorded.
“As regards the institutions that BVAS can be tampered with, ringing has been murdered by that technology. So there is no way you can do anything without BVAS, that is why we have beamed our searchlight on our people that will manage the machines, so that they will do the right thing according to the regulations. Anybody that does anything contrary shall not just be arrested but shall also be shamed as enemy of democracy in Nigeria.
“There is nothing anybody can do without the machine. The machine has been programmed, no human interference can be allowed. But it is one thing for INEC to say use the machine for accreditation, and somebody can be harassed, can be threatened that you are not going to use the BVAS here, in such a situation, our regulation says ‘let them have their way’, when you come to the collation centre, that particularly place, where they did not allow you to use the BVAS, it is zero vote they will give them, that is the regulation, so, don’t say you are going to use violence not to allow the use of BVAS.

“Form EC8A is the result of the election. You will only enter results into the Form EC8A and can not enter the results unless you have concluded the election. That means there is no manipulation anybody can do. The image of Form EC8A will be taken and it will be transmitted. There is a procedure. So, there is nothing anybody can do about that.
“Internet is required for transmission, the internet is not required for accreditation and when you think there’s no effective network, INEC has partnered with the network provider to ensure that they do their part perfectly, when there is no network, our staff know what to do, they will move some steps of kilometer and get network and do the transmission, that is the procedure.
“It does need to be at the polling units. Don’t forget the result has been taken and displayed already, so, all the official needs to do is to look for network and do the transmission, so it is not necessarily to get to the office before doing it, nothing will change that.
“You cannot alter it. The fear of altering the figure, altering the result does not arise at all because the headquarters is monitoring whatever you are doing”, he added.
Dr. Agboke however declined to respond to calls by callers asking to know INEC’s position on the of synchronisation, insisting that the matter is before the Tribunal already

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/08/osun-pdp-thugs-attack-apc-campaign-office-in-ilesa/

Osun: PDP thugs attack APC campaign office in Ilesa

...CoS to Speaker attacked, hospitalised

...Party has returned Ijesa land to dark age of violence, thuggery - fmr commissioner
...appeals to President Buhari to wade in

The immediate past Commissioner of Works and Transport in Osun, Engr. Remi Omowaye's campaign office in llesa was attacked by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP thugs in the earlier hours of Sunday.

There were signs of gunshots at different places within the premises of the office, as the main door, glass windows, billboards and flags of the All Progressives Congress (APC) among other items were seriously damaged.

Similarly, another set of PDP thugs, led by one Sunday Amure a.k.a Irawo, also attacked the Chief of Staff to Osun State Speaker, Hon. Timothy Owoeye, Hon. Sunkanmi Obisesan.

He was attacked at Ifofin, in Ilesa, on Sunday afternoon. He has been rushed to Wesley Hospital, Ilesa, following the injury he sustained from the attack.

The attacks came less than 24 hours after the PDP-led government was accused of fine-tuning plans to unleash violence on Oyetola's men.

Recall that Omowaye, few days ago, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt launched on him and his supporters in Ilesa.

Addressing journalists shortly after his on-the-spot inspection of the scene, the former Commissioner described the attack as diabolic and inhumane, saying it is unfortunate that such ugly incidence had been launched twice on his person and property within two weeks.

Omowaye decried the incessant attacks on members of the APC since the inception of the PDP-led government in the State.

He said: "Just two weeks ago, there was an assassination attempt on me. And just yesterday, His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola branched over in Ilesa on his way from the Presidential Campaign rally of our party in Akure to attend the sensitisation programme that I convened to educate our members on certain things as regards the forthcoming general elections.

"And to our amazement, we got here this morning to see that this place has been riddled with bullets. This is happening twice in two weeks. It is so shocking that this is happening. We have reported severally to the security agencies, but nothing has been done. We thank God that no life was lost. We have reported again to the police this morning and this is just to show clearly that PDP is known for violence.

"A lot of people are dying, a lot of people have been attacked. I was just lucky to have survived an assassination attack about two weeks ago, if anybody had been here, there would have been a lot of casualties.

"So far, over 10 persons have been killed that are traceable to the activities of these people. And we are not surprise it is happening. As a government, PDP-led administration has a notorious killer, who had been declared wanted by the Police as a member of its Security Committee."

Omowaye called on President Muhammad Buhari through the Inspector General of Police and heads of other security agencies to come to the aid of the people of the State before things get out of control.

"We are appealing to President Muhammad Buhari through the Inspector General of Police to avert this incessant attacks on our people.

"There is no doubt in the fact that PDP is taking us to the dark age where thuggery is the order of the day and we are also calling on the people of Ijesaland to remain calm and should know that the PDP and Governor Adeleke are known for thuggery. The PDP should allow us do our opposition in peace.

"I have written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, Director General, Department of State Services and other sister agencies. Even when there was an attack on my person, they were all here.

"Adeleke should face governance and stop attacking us. When they were in the opposition for twelve years, nobody attacked them, they too should stop attacking our people", Omowaye added.

Similarly, member House of Representatives representing Ijesa-south Federal Constituency, Hon. Lawrence Babatunde Ayeni, has expressed displeasure over the incidence, saying no effort would be spared to bring the perpetrators to book.

Ayeni who lamented the incessant attacks on the people of the State particularly in Ijesaland said on no account will he fold his arms for his constituents to be molested and attacked by hoodlums.

He vowed to take the security challenge in the State to the National Assembly as a matter of public importance soon as the House resumes.

"It is unfortunate that this is still happening in spite the steps taken to avert reoccurrence having sent a copy of petition to Inspector General of Police as well as the Police Commissioner and the DPO informing them on the planned attack on the members of the APC.

"I want to place on record, as the legislator, representing the good people of Ijesa-south Federal Constituency regardless of socioeconomic and political differences, that I am conscious of whatever happens here, as I condemn in its totality, the attack on the person and office of the immediate past Commissioner of Works.

"It is shocking that for the past three weeks, the entire Ijesaland of six local government areas has been turned to battle field. Go to Igangan or Iwara, nearly all the people have deserted the areas due to incessant attack on them.

"I have reported the matter, I don't know if they are working on it, but as at today, nothing has been done on it. If the security personnel have been able to declare those miscreants wanted, maybe it would have helped to halt it. But they are still walking freely on the streets, which means something is wrong somewhere.

"I am imploring our people not to be intimidated, we know that the perpetrators of this inimical acts are looking for a way to scare them by creating unnecessary fears as we are approaching the elections period.

"I am calling on the federal government to see to this before it snowball into anarchy whereby everyone will be forced to defend himself or herself.

"Though I have met with the stakeholders particularly the paramount ruler, Owa Obokun of Ijesaland and other leaders on this matter where some of our party leaders and that of the PDP were invited to a meeting to allow peace to reign not knowing that they (PDP) will still still continue attacking our people.

"I am not going to relent, I am going to write another petition to heads of the security agencies and as well meet with the major stakeholders in Ijesaland while I await the resumption date of the House to formally raise a motion informing the House as a matter of public urgent importance so that Nigerians will know what's happening in my Constituency", Ayeni added.

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/06/between-gov-adeleke-and-speaker-owoeye-who-is-a-better-statesman/

Between Gov Adeleke and Speaker Owoeye: Who is a better statesman

By Ismail Omipidan

Politics, the world over is about interest. This is why once politics is over, those voted in, especially governors and Presidents face governance until it is time for another round of politics.

In Osun, the governorship election was held on July 16, 2022 and results declared the next day. But the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its candidate in that election, Adegboyega Oyetola, believed something abnormal happened with the votes count. They did not resort to self-help or electoral violence. They instead approached the Election Tribunal in line with the best practices across the globe to seek redress. What is undemocratic about that?

The petitioners, based on their watertight case and documentary evidence before the tribunal, believe strongly, and rightly so, that they will come out victorious in the court. What is undemocratic about being optimistic? It is like an intelligent and brilliant student who sat for WAEC at the time it was so-named. The student, having been cock sure of what the performance was during the examination, decides to make predictions about the possible outcome based on the deliverables. Is that a crime? Only a dullard, who has not written anything down during such examination will grow goosebumps each time the brilliant one makes a boast about the brilliant performance put up during the examination and based on which the student claims success.

For me, this is the scenario that played out yesterday during the inauguration of the Osun Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council. It was a political gathering. Not a state affair. Speaker Timothy Owoeye is a member of the APC. He faces a re-election in March this year. He only reminded the people that in 2019, the Supreme Court decision affirming the election of Oyetola came in July, 5th to be precise. But this time, owing to the new Electoral Act that emphasises timely dispensation of petitions, the process from the Tribunal up to the Supreme Court may not take that long this time. And that in the end, his party, sponsoring him for another election in about two months time will be victorious. What is undemocratic about that?

If the Speaker was not a statesman, he would not go to Ede, which is neither the Government House nor Governor's Office shortly after Governor Adeleke was sworn in, to see him. If the Speaker was not a statesman, he would have been boycotting major government functions, including being acerbic in his public communication with the Executive arm of government led by Governor Ademola since they are not of the same party. In fact, by now, he would have set up a committee to dig deeper into how a NECO SSCE certificate was obtained in Osun State at a time the state had not been created. Or isn't that an impeachable offence?

Therefore, if we go by the happenings of the last 40 days or so of the Ademola-led uninspiring administration, I will say without any fear of contradiction that Speaker Owoeye has so far behaved like a statesman with regards to his official conduct. We must, therefore, separate his political activities from his official conduct. Before attending the Thursday political event, he was at a state event, where he discharged his official duties as the number three citizen. But at the political event, he spoke as a political leader and one of the Assistant Directors of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

Now, let's look at Governor Ademola Adeleke since he came in. He claims since the election was over, he is a governor for all. But nothing so far demonstrates that he is indeed a governor for all.

Go and take a critical look at his official conduct and his press releases, including the ones signed on his behalf by his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, they are anything but statesmanly.

So, it doesn't appear I am doing a review of the government activities so far, I will only provide two instances. One, on December 21, 2022, it announced the setting up of a Rice Distribution Committee, which it called a non-partisan committee. Yet, it included a member of the defunct The Osun Progressives (TOP) in the committee, even when those who nurtured the group had announced its dissolution two weeks earlier before the committee was formed. Is that how a statesman behaves? Is that part of deepening the country's democratic credentials? Isn't that a major trait from Trump's school of political culture?

Again, in the release announcing the composition of the Committee, see what the governor said "His Excellency affirms that this administration is not a thieving government like that of his predecessor and he remains committed to cushioning the effect of the hard time on all sections of Osun society." Is this how statesmen talk and behave? Has any court of competent jurisdiction made such a pronouncement? Ironically, even though they claim they expended millions to purchase the purported rice, in the words of a Public Affairs Commentator, Dr. Dayo Sobowale, no one saw them. I concur.

With their shouts of "transparent and open governance", they should have availed the public of the necessary details of the truck loads of rice. The erudite scholar went further to say that: "Try and go to town as a neutral person, start discussion about this Govt inside Korope (Commercial Bus) and at Beer parlours, you'll realise nobody is interested in all your vindictiveness, nobody except your members and all you get from there is deceit.

"Did you know when you guys were in opposition, you gave us videos of your rice distribution. Till date, there's no single picture of your rice purchase talk less of distribution? You'll defend it, bring the video here."

They claimed after paying the November salary, the Treasury was empty. But in the November salary, which was signed off by Oyetola before he left office, it included salaries of political aides and 1,500 teachers. As I speak, these categories of persons have not received their November salary. Yet, the same government has the temerity to call one government a thieving one.

Two, only yesterday, a release personally signed by the governor to felicitate a member of his party, Hon. Lere Oyewumi, who openly asked members of his own party, the PDP, to take up arms against the APC members in the build up to the July 16 governorship election, noted that: "The Governor lauded Dr. Oyewumi for remaining true to his avowed commitment to a better Osun state in the face of obvious frustration from oppressed (oppression) forces, adding that his (Dr Oyewumi) role in the dislodgement of the ruinous APC in Osun state is worthy of celebration." Is that how statesmen talk? This same Oyewumi is the party's senatorial candidate for Osun West in the February election.

In conclusion, if we go by the popular axiom: "He who comes into equity must come with clean hands," I doubt if the current PDP administration in Osun has any locus to accuse Speaker Owoeye of not acting like a statesman.

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/05/gov-adelekes-son-bred-exposed-by-in-law/

Sina Rambo’s estranged wife, Korth has taken to social media to expose BRed, the son of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.


News Indicator reports that this is coming a few days after BRed and his wife, Faith Johnson, sparked marital crisis issues online.


A check on Instagram shows that Faith has yanked off ‘Adeleke’ from her name on the photo-sharing app and deleted every trace of BRed on her page, including their good memories.


The couple, who welcomed their son and secretly wedded in 2019, have also unfollowed each other on Instagram.


Taking a dig at BRed who also threw shade at her in the wake of her marriage saga with Sina Rambo, Korth exposed details of the singer’s police record.


The post shared on Korth’s Instagram story shows that Adeleke’s son, BRed had once been arrested for theft by shoplifting.


Two Daughter Of Gov. Adeleke Arrested For Battery

Meanwhile, Korth in December also released evidence alleging that two siblings of her husband, Folashade and Adenike have been arrested for battery.

Korth, in a series of posts on Instagram on Monday, accused Sina Rambo and his sister of violence, backing her claims with videos, chats, and pictures.

She called out her husband for unpaid debt, claiming he owes her, adding that the marriage was over as she won’t be subjected to abuse.
Amidst the buzz it created online, Korth is still bent on proving that all her allegations are true as she took to her Instagram page to share documents of Folashade and Adenike’s arrest.
The document shows that Sina Rambo’s two sisters have been arrested three times for fighting and battery

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2023/01/05/adelekes-imperceptible-lethargic-approach-to-governance/


Adeleke's Imperceptible, Lethargic Approach To Governance


By KOLA OLABISI


After his unannounced absence from the state for about twenty days after his thirty-five-day tenancy at the Bola Ige House, Abere, Osun State, the embattled Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke, sneaked into the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, venue of the government 2023 cross-over activities.

During his 20-day AWOL, it is tempting to submit that the state was in limbo as no one could be said to be officially in charge because power and authority was not transited to the deputy governor, Mr Kola Adewusi.

The dancing governor was sighted at the 30th year marriage anniversary of Chief Dele Momodu, the publisher of OVATION Magazine, where he was twerking in a manner which was at variance with his new status of a state governor to the utter consternation of the eminent dignitaries in attendance.

While the governor was rollicking in Lagos in a resemblance of a glaring abdication of the official responsibility of his oath of office to administer the state for the sustainability of her glory, the members of his copious committees were busy taking a pound of flesh from some leaders of the opposition APC in a calculated attempt to diminishing and demarketing the opposition in the February general elections.

The committe system of administering the state, casually introduced by Governor Adeleke, apart from being first of its kind, has been found out to be antithetical to solving any known corporate challenges of the state. It rather aggravates the challenges.

Simply because Adeleke has been running a government by proxy due to his lack of wherewithal to act to type in his official function as the state governor, the state has been the victim as there has been an arrested development since Adeleke took over the baton of power.

It may not be out of tune to tag the Adeleke government as one being strangely run by issuance of frivolous press statements and obnoxious executive orders which unarguably have no place in a genuine democracy.

It is painful to note that some of the political functionaries in the Adeleke camp have forgotten that they are no longer in the opposition as they nauseatingly compete among one another to spew unexpected hogwash against the opposition in order to convince the discomforted new Sheriff in town that they are loyal and due for either political patronage or one appointment or the other.

The situation is so bad with the Osun State PDP that there appears to be absence of decorum and regulations as to who should be the official spokesperson of either the government or the ruling party as every Tom, Dick and Harry has been fouling the media space in an effort to demonstrate their loyalty to the Pathfinder faction of their party.

Good intentioned citizens should call Adeleke to order, to desist from making Osun State a laughing stock among the comity of states in Nigeria as there is need for him to target his actions and inactions to reflect his new status as a state governor.

The embattled governor should explain his mission in Lagos for about twenty days within his thirty-five days of assuming office. The tackless defence offered by his associate and PDP senatorial candidate for Osun West, that Adeleke was observing the public holiday and that he would resume at the end of the holiday, is not sufficient.

It beats one's imagination how a governor would work for fifteen days and proceed on an holiday for twenty days while the various committees he set up were busy going after the opposition leaders in clear case of victimisation, oppression and vindictiveness.

Both Adeleke and the pungently spent Ajele chairman of their party, Akindele Adekunle, have left leprosy to deal with ringworm, in their ways and manners of dealing with any issue that concerns Oyetola and the APC. They assume they can take laws in their hands and pervert justice.

It has been discovered that since Monday when His Excellency, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, was treated to a tumultuous welcome in Osogbo, the governing party and the incumbent governor have developed cold feet. They have been bugged down by the spirit of uneasiness, confusion and despair.

Adeleke and his handlers should perish the thought that since the PDP's government was inaugurated in the state, the APC members and leaders have fled the state in order for the PDP to have a field day. No, this is a joke taken too far. APC remains the party to beat in the state.

No matter the efforts of the Osun PDP to whip up sentiment to curry the unmerited favour of the populace aimed at clinging on to power, they should come to terms that heaven would not fall if justice is made to take its pride of place in the ongoing election petition at the Tribunal.

So far, there is nothing concretely suggestive of the preparedness and readiness of Adeleke to provide quality governance in Osun State as he has strangely contracted out his statutory authority to rule the state to some committees which are busy exposing the administrative weakness and laxity of their illusive principal by concentrating on witch-hunting and mudslinging.
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*OLABISI is the Osun State APC Director of Media.*

MissLeslie:
Witness this and I was shock that people will still welcome this man back to the state of Osun.

Cure yourself of the hate, Oyetola is well loved by the people. You think the 370k votes he garnered in the last election were a fluke? He earned those votes particularly after the 260k votes he polled in 2018.

Oyetola deserves whatever accolades given today: he paid salary and pension as and when due. He invested in infrastructure. He constructed major roads in the state. He built/renovated over 300 primary health centres. And above all, he ensured peaceful communal co-existence and adequate life and property.

2023: Osun welcomes Oyetola with funfair

... former gov expresses confidence to reclaim his mandate soon, urges party loyalists not be intimidated


The immediate past Governor of Osun, Adegboyega Oyetola, was on Monday received with funfair in Osogbo, the State capital, as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and well-wishers trooped out in large number to welcome him at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office.

Oyetola who was given a tumultuous welcome and excitedly ushered into the Campaign Office, marvelled at the huge crowd awaiting his arrival.

The ecstatic party's loyalists sang solidarity songs to express their unalloyed support for Oyetola and his wife, Alhaja Kafayat.

The immediate past Governor had attended an interdenominational prayer session organised by the State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to herald the New Year before visiting the campaign office.

Addressing the party's loyalists shortly after the prayers session, Oyetola said he was back in the State to reclaim his mandate freely given to him by God and the good people of the State in last year's July 16 governorship election.

He said another year of manifestation of God's promise has come as he is confident in Him to reclaim his mandate soon and lead the party to victory for Tinubu and Shettima in the February Presidential election.

"I am happy returning home. I wanted to come in gently and unannounced. That was why I didn't announce my coming, but to my greatest surprise, you were already here in this huge number to welcome me. I thank you all for your undying love and unflinching support.

"God has revealed to us that this year is a year of happiness and unending manifestations. God doesn't fail His promises. This year is going to be a year of laudable achievements. We are going to reclaim our mandate.

"God has made us to know that this year is for two victories. We will reclaim our mandate and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be elected President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"After God is God. I just went to rest a bit. You can see that I am fresh. Part of what God has done that gladdens my heart is that I served this state wholeheartedly without a rest.

"With the little time I was away to rest, I was able to be with my family particularly my grandchildren. I was able to go to Lesser Hajj with my wife, where I was able to thank God for all He has done and to further beseech His face for mercies upon my life.

"He has returned us back to the state to reclaim our mandate soon.

"I am always glad because God really helped us to raise the bar of good governance as every citizen of Osun felt the impact of our administration. It is not by my power, it is by God's. God is the Alfa and Omega of all.

"And for those that are saying I have gone to Lagos to stay permanently, I have not. I am back. We will be here and here fully. By the Grace of God, I am coming back to power. Today's event is for prayer and I believe God has answered our prayers as supplicated by the clerics of both faiths and all of us.

"We will start our campaigns across the units, wards, local governments soon. So, don't be intimidated, don't give up, I will be around. Please don't abandon the party, let us resume our meetings.

"Osun shall rise again. Please let us jettison our differences and work together. Don't allow anything to cause unnecessary division. Let us work together as usual. We don't have another party other than this. I am overwhelmed by what I have been seeing and hearing, and this gives me assurances that out party remains the party to beat.

"I am particularly very charged and energized by what I have seen, and I want to assure you that I will lead this party to victory by the grace of God. What I see today shows that victory is assured. Asiwaju is the man, he has no rival. Social media is not the issue. We are talking of people that have demonstrated capabilities. Go to Lagos State and see what he did. Go to Borno and see what his running mate, Shettima did. With Asiwaju/Shettima ticket banditry is over, it is going to be fought with technology.

"I am worried by the number of uncollected PVCs in Osun -- close to a million. Please, let's collect ours. That is the only power that we have.

"Let us collect them and elect Asiwaju. He has done excellently well and sacrificed a lot for this country. We are all witnesses to his achievements. I could remember that when the opposition party took over the southwest, he was the one that returned the region to progressive government.

"We will soon inaugurate our Presidential Campaign Council. Though everybody can't make the list, we are all important. Let us continue what we have been doing to strengthen the party. We shall continue to support everybody, including our candidates", Oyetola added.

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2022/12/31/2023-oyetola-greets-osun-citizens/

2023: Oyetola greets Osun citizens
...Urges Nigerians to approach elections with renewed hope, faith

Immediate past Osun Governor and Osun Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima 2023 Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, Adegboyega Oyetola, has felicitated Osun Citizens and Nigerians on the occasion of the New Year celebration, urging them to approach the New Year and the 2023 election with renewed hope and faith.

He also called for prayers, more sacrifice and commitment for the success of the 2023 General Elections.

Oyetola noted that the call became necessary because the current democratic dispensation is the longest in the country's chequered political history, and as such all hands must be on deck to sustain and deepen it.

He added that the country has had 24 unbroken democratic experience because of Nigerians' determination, commitment and sacrifice.

In a press statement by his media aide, Ismail Omipidan, Oyetola said, "2023 presents us with another opportunity to sustain our democratic credentials, having enjoyed unprecedented 24 years of unbroken democratic experience. We must, therefore, approach it with renewed hope and faith.

"I have absolute confidence in the ability of our Presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and his running mate, Senator Kashim Shettima, to build on the achievements of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, and by so doing, delivering accelerated economic growth and development to Nigerians. This is why Nigerians must vote wisely in the presidential election by voting the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.

"As for Osun citizens, God will never forsake us as we celebrate this new year. God's promise will come to fruition in Osun. The sun shall shine again, brighter and warmer, and the sustainable development and participatory governance that we enthroned in our first term, which were applauded by local and international organisations, shall be restored and put on a surer and better footing.

“I rejoice with Nigerians, particularly citizens and residents of Osun, on behalf of my family and the Presidential Campaign Council in Osun on the celebration of the New Year — 2023."

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2022/12/29/oyebanji-floors-oni-tribunal-upholds-ekiti-govs-election/

OYEBANJI FLOORS ONI, TRIBUNAL UPHOLDS EKITI GOV’S ELECTION
...Tribunal says Oni's petition failed woefully

The Election Petition Tribunal hearing the dispute arising from the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State on Thursday upheld the election of Governor Biodun Oyebanji and his Deputy, Chief (Mrs). Monisade Afuye

The Tribunal in its judgment dismissed the petition filed by former Governor and Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Chief Segun Oni resolving all issues in favour of the Respondents.


Oni’s case had started to crumble as the Panel earlier ruled on some motions upon which verdict was pending before determining the merit of the petition holding that the Petitioners have failed to prove the allegations that Oyebanji and Afuye were not qualified to run for the offices of the Governor and the Deputy Governor respectively.

Respondents in the petition are Oyebanji (1st), APC (2nd), Yobe State Governor, Alhaji Mai Mala Buni in his capacity as the National Chairman of the APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (3rd), INEC (4th) and Afuye (5th).

Oni’s petition were anchored on whether Oyebanji and Afuye were qualified to have contested at the polls; whether they were validly nominated by their party, the APC; whether Mala Buni had the authority to sign their nomination papers and forward same to INEC; whether Afuye possessed the right academic certificates to run for Deputy Governor alleging that they were forged and whether the election was not vitiated by corrupt practices.

The panel ruled against the challenge of the Petitioners (Oni and the SDP) against the January 27 APC primary that produced Oyebanji holding the the Governor and his Deputy were duly and validly nominated by their party (APC) to contest in the June 18 main governorship election.

According to the Tribunal, Oni’s averment that the Ekiti APC governorship primary election which produced Oyebanji as the flag bearer was superintended over by the National Caretaker Executive Committee under the leadership of Buni does not hold water as the votes which gave him the mandate were cast by party members and not Mala Buni.

Ruling on Oni’s position that Mala Buni and the then Secretary of APC CECPC, Dr. John Akpanudoedehe signing the nomination papers of Oyebanji and Afuye, invalidated their nomination as governorship and deputy governorship candidates respectively, the Tribunal described the petitioner’s objection as “lame.”

The Tribunal held that the issue of Buni’s signing of letter of the party’s sponsorship of Oyebanji to INEC in his capacity as the National Chairman of APC CECPC while holding office as Yobe State Governor had been decided by the nation’s highest court, the Supreme Court.

The Panel ruled that Supreme Court had held in the case of Eyitayo Jegede v INEC describing such an issue as an internal affairs of the party and further held that it is not within the jurisdiction of the Election Petition Tribunal.

The Tribunal held that in deference to the earlier judgment of the Supreme Court, Mala Buni in his capacity as Yobe State Governor cannot be sued as he enjoys constitutional immunity in line with Section 308 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999

The Tribunal said it lacks the propriety to inquire into the role played by Mala Buni in the internal affairs of his party moreso when the case had been settled by both the Supreme Court in the Eyitayo Jegede case and the Court of Appeal in the Gboyega Oyetola case which was decided recently.

The Tribunal ruled: “It was the party members who voted at the primary and not the person that signed the nomination papers. The 3rd Respondent (Mala Buni) merely co-signed the letter and formally informed the 4th Respondent (INEC).

“The decision is that of the 2nd Respondent (APC) and not that of the 3rd Respondent (Mala Buni) and the matter has been decided by the Supreme Court. The decision to nominate candidates is jointly carried out by the congress of the party, voting is done by members.

“The decision is not taken by the National Executive Committee of the political party. The National Executive of the party submitted the names (of the candidates) to the 4th Respondent (INEC), it was a notice to the 4th Respondent, an official communication to the 4th Respondent.

“That issue has been settled by the Supreme Court and we shall be swimming against the tide of the decision of the superior court if we resolve the issue in favour of the Petitioners.”

Ruling on Oni’s allegation of certificate forgery levelled against Afuye which the Petitioners claimed had disqualified her from running, the Tribunal held that “the Petitioners have a duty to prove that the 5th Respondent (Afuye) does not have valid certificates to stand as deputy governorship candidate.

The Tribunal held that the Petitioners attempted to invoke the issue of forgery as an afterthought and the prayer is invalid by the fact that it was introduced against the 5th Respondent in the Petitioners’ additional statement on oath and not contained in the main petition filed.

The Panel noted that the allegation of forgery was raised against Afuye state by Mr Dada Moses Bamidele Petitioners Witness 2 (PW2) and the 1st Petitioner, Oni, who was PW3 after the window for filing of the petition had closed and it cannot be smuggled in with the filing of the additional witness on oath in reply to the Respondents witness on oath.

The Tribunal ruled that by doing so, the Petitioners had acted in breach of Paragraph 11A of their Petition that forbade them from introducing a new matter after the window to do so had lapsed when their petition was filed adding that such an allegation must be proved beyond the reasonable doubt.

The Tribunal ruled that the Petitioners did an incalculable damage to their case by failing to call the examination body, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to give evidence and prove that school certificate of the Deputy Governor was forged adding that evidence given by Bamidele and Oni were hearsay.

“The allegation (against the Deputy Governor) must be proved beyond the reasonable doubt. The next issue for the Petitioners was to have called WAEC to give evidence hence the evidence of PW2 and PW3 (Bamidele and Oni) will be hearsay even if not swept away by our ruling in an earlier motion. They testified that they had never worked with WAEC,” the Tribunal held.

The Tribunal further ruled that the 1st and the 5th Respondents were qualified to run for the offices of the Governor and the Deputy Governor respectively and the testimony of Oni that they were not qualified holds no water as the SDP candidate had admitted while being cross-examined by counsel to the Respondents that the duo (Oyebanji and Afuye) were validly nominated by their political party (the APC).

The Tribunal held that having admitted while giving evidence that Oyebanji and Afuye were validly nominated, Oni’s testimony was “inconsistent and self-defeating” with his prayer in his additional statement on oath before the Tribunal that they were not qualified to run.

“The evidence of PW3 (Oni) that he was sponsored by the SDP and that the 1st and the 5th Respondents were sponsored by the APC has sounded a death knell on the petition of the 1st Petitioner (Oni),” the Tribunal held in part.

The Tribunal also dismissed the allegation of corrupt practices across the places where election was held in the election levelled by Oni holding that “it is incumbent on him (Oni) to prove same beyond the reasonable doubt as the allegation was criminal in nature.”

Besides, the Panel held that Oni and the SDP failed to call witnesses from the units, wards and local government areas where such alleged corrupt practices to give evidence to prove the alleged corrupt practices maintaining that “such must be proved unit-by-unit, ward-by-ward.”

The Tribunal held that since the Petitioners have failed to provide any evidence to disqualify the 1st and the 5th Respondents, they were qualified to contest in the June 18 governorship election and the votes recorded for them and the results declared by the 4th Respondent (INEC) are valid.

The Tribunal further ruled that INEC conducted a free and fair election which was in compliance with the Election Act (as amended) and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 hence it has resolved all issues in favour of the Respondents.

“Head or tail, the Petitioners have woefully failed to convince us to resolve all issues in their favour. We confirmed that the election that returned the 1st and 5th Respondents as Governor and Deputy Governor was conducted in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“The Petition is hereby dismissed,” said Justice Zadawa who read the latter part of the judgment.

The judgment lasted 2 hours and 30 minutes.

In the result declared by INEC, Oyebanji of the APC polled 187,057 votes to defeat Oni of the SDP who scored 82,211 while the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bisi Kolawole came third with 57,457 votes in an election that was contested by 16 candidates.

Dissatisfied with the result, Oni filed a petition on July 7 at the Tribunal Registry challenging the return of Oyebanji as the poll winner by INEC.

frank14011991:
I am an APC supporter, but this report seems biased. Over voting yes, but his waec has been verified.

Which WAEC? This one?

https://www.newsindicator.com.ng/2022/12/27/osun-tribunal-adeleke-pdp-failed-to-defend-over-voting-forgery-allegations/

Osun Tribunal: Adeleke, PDP failed to defend over-voting, forgery allegations

By Adebayo Adedeji

There appears to be fire on the mountain for the new governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party, as the life of their infant administration is threatened in view of the seemingly lacklustre and weak defence put forward by their counsels during the hearing of the Osun State Governornship Election Petition Tribunal.

Rather than calling the right witnesses that would help their case and impugn the allegation of over-voting and forgery leveled against Adeleke, the respondents' counsels chose to revel in showmanship, farcicality and banality. They, strangely, left their burden of proof to be carried and shouldered by the petitioners.

Whereas it is trite in law that facts of common knowledge need no be proved in court, the political worshippers of the "interim" governor in Abere believe otherwise. They reason that Oyetola should have gone a step further to parade witnesses, from WAEC, NECO, NYSC, to establish his forgery allegation against their idol.

According to Section 124 of the Evidence Act 2011:

(1) Proof shall not be required of a fact the knowledge of which is not reasonably open to question and which is –
(a) common knowledge in the locality in which the proceeding is being held, or generally; or
(b) Capable of verification by reference to a document the authority of which cannot reasonably be questioned.

It is common knowledge that a WAEC result must show an examination number and grade obtained by the candidate.

It is common knowledge that NECO was established in 1999, and not in 1981!

It is common knowledge that NYSC only issues Exclusion letter to part-time or online graduate, and not Exemption certificate as we have it in the case of Adeleke.

It is also common knowledge that Osun State was created in 1991; and therefore a document purpotedly issued in 1988, but bearing Osun State, as related to Adeleke's secondary school testimonial, is fake.

So it is ludicrous to read warped arguments being canvassed by some political devotees of the current government shifting the burden of proof, on what is common knowledge, to the petitioners.

Let's ask: on whose requests were the WAEC official and Ede Muslim Grammar School's Principal summoned to the Bwari High Court in 2019 when Adeleke's 1981 May/June result was a subject of litigation? Adeleke and PDP's requests, of course! So, why did they choose to play ostrich this time around?

Matter-of-factly, the respondents had the opportunity to invite an official of the West African Examination Council to validate the dancing governor's 1981 Nov/Dec GCE result questioned by the petitioners. Instead, a Bunmi Jenyo, Adeleke's domestic staff, was brought forth to speak on documents that do not belong to him. Witness Jenyo became a "cynosure" of all eyes at the Tribunal when he struggled to prove that his Nigerian travel passport was the only evidence in his possession to demonstrate that, (1), he attended the graduation ceremony of Adeleke, and (2), that his principal did not obtain a degree from Atlanta Metropolitan State College 24 days after he completed his Penn Foster High School studies.

Legal opinions differ, but consensus is that what petitioners needed to have done on the issue of over-voting was to tarnish the credibility of the alternate election reports presented by the two star witnesses for the respondents, Mrs Abimbola Oladunjoye (INEC ICT Deputy Director) and Mr Samuel Oduntan ( a forensic examiner). And this responsibility counsels for petitioners discharged creditably. Oladunjoye, for example, did not only agree that over-voting took place in the July 16 election, she confirmed that the result upon which Adeleke was announced winner of the contest was untidy and incomplete as at July 17 when the Commission declared him Osun governor-elect.

Why Adeleke, Osun Government snub Pastor Adeboye

By Esther Olorunisakin

Reactions have trailed the decision of the new governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to distance himself from this year's Go-A-Fishing Christmas Programme held in Ada, Boripe Local Government Area of the state on Friday, 23rd December, 2022, inspite formal invitation by the Redeemed Christian Church of God (Osun Region 3).

The Annual programme is designed by the Redeemed Christian Church of God to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and share the Gospel with communities and cities.

In December 24, 2013 when the programme was held in Ede, Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the then governor of the state, was in attendance alongside key government functionaries.

Similarly, in December 2021 when another edition of the programme was held, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, the church's General Overseer, was welcomed graciously by high powered government delegation led by the First Lady of the state then, Mrs Kafayat Oyetola and the former deputy governor, Mr Benedict Alabi. Others were Secretary to the State Government Prince Wole Oyebanji, Chief of Staff to the Governor Dr Charles Akinola, APC State Chairman Prince Gboyega Famodun and several members of the the State Exco.

However, in this year's edition, reverse is the case as Governor Adeleke was not only conspicuously absent, he did not send any senior government official to represent him.

Sources said the renowned and respected preacher was snubbed by Adeleke because he did not support his emergence as Osun governor.

Adeleke, according to the sources, misconstrued Pastor Adeboye's closeness to former Governor Gboyega Oyetola as proof of his contempt to his person.

A source within the government who would not like his name mentioned disclosed to this reporter that Adeleke was advised by his close associates to honour the invitation nothwithstanding his reservation towards the Ijesha-born pastor, but the Governor rebuffed saying he would only extend love to those who supported his governorship aspiration.

To conceal his intention and avoid backlash from fans of the great revivalist, the source confirmed that Adeleke hurriedly arranged a Lagos trip and jetted out of the state ahead of the Ada crusade under the pretext of going for Christmas break.

Meanwhile, many RCCG members interviewed after the programme on Friday expressed their displeasure over the humiliation meted out to their spiritual father.

"Governor Ademola Adeleke is supposed to be father to all, irrespective of their religious, social and political class and bias," a visibly angry member submitted.

Anger in Osun over Governor Adeleke's Lagos holiday

The people of Osun State have expressed their disappointment over the decision of their new governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, to embark on, what they called, "provocative holiday" to Lagos State just less than 3 weeks in the life of his administration.

The visibly angry citizens who shared their dismayed remarks on their social media handles called the new governor unprintable names including a "lazy bone who sees government as an avenue to fulfil his appetite and lust for Owanbe and show-off."

According to one of them, "which responsible governor would leave the precincts of his state and travel miles to Lagos State, when state civil servants and pensioners are hungry and yet to be paid their December Salary? Is that not callous? I am sure Osun people didn't bargain for this leader who is in short supply of discretion and good judgement. No governor in the history of the state has been associated with this crude public display of vanity and vain-glory."

The news of Governor Adeleke's holidaying in Lagos was shared by Dele Momodu, a bosom friend of the governor, through his Instagram handle @ delemomoduovation and it has garnered huge scathing reactions.

It was a bad day for the INEC deputy director who was the star witness for the respondents. She confirmed all the allegations of over-voting and what-have-you. With the disclosure, it is safe it is end of the road for the BVAS governor of Osun State. Welcome back Governor Adegboyega Oyetola.

tsirin:



https://punchng.com/inec-official-admits-seemingly-over-voting-in-osun-poll/

zoedew:

Throwback to the Oyinlola years when the supposed “prince of peace” unleashed violence on the citizens via the illegal use of one Jude the DPO at Okebale Police Station Osogbo and at Ilesha where Rape and killings were the order of the day at the behest of Gov Oyinlola!

The Department of State Services(DSS) has reportedly withdrawn its officers attached to the Osun State Governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, for hurling insults at them.

A socio-political group, Osun Shall Rise Again(OSRA), had in a statement signed by its chairman and secretary, Lanre Akeju and Saheed Bakare respectively, claimed that Adeleke will personally appear at the DSS headquarters in Abuja over the matter.

The group disclosed that Adeleke had been insulting the officers attached to him for a while before the personnel made official complaints to the state command.

“It is unfortunate that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s unguarded utterances has led to DSS withdrawing their personnel from him. Despite the fact that top official of the department called to caution the governor, they (Adeleke and his sister) hauled more insults on the officers.

“The development angered the DSS headquarters and after making contacts, they decided to withdraw their personnel.

“After the withdrawal, the governor pleaded with the DSS command for another chance. He is being expected in Abuja on Monday, where he will be explaining himself and reassure the DSS that he can be trusted with their officers,” the group said.

Reacting, Adeleke said there is no cause for alarm over the matter.

Adeleke,who spoke through his spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, said: “The Executive Governor is still setting up his team from security to other areas of the new government. Many issues are being addressed.

“So on this particular one, I can assure you there is nothing like crisis or otherwise. If there is an inter-agency rivalry, relevant authorities will address it. I can assure the public that there is no cause for alarm. This administration is still at a formative stage.”

(The Nation)

The ace singer David Adeleke popularly known by his stage name of Davido today received what he did not bargain for over his comment on the recently conducted election in Osun State which involved his uncle, Senator Ademola Adeleke. INEC had announced Senator Adeleke as the winner of the election, but his main challenger who is also the incumbent governor of Osun, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola is now challenging the result of the election in the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal holding in Osogbo, the state capital. One of the grounds upon which Oyetola is challenging the result of the poll is that there were incidences of over-voting in 749 polling units where Adeleke was said to have won. In the Reply to the Petitioners' claims which was submitted last week, Adeleke agreed that though over-voting took place in some units, he held that it was not up to 749 polling units claimed by Governor Oyetola and his party.

In his tweet today, which many of his fans have found rude, immature and unpleasant, Davido insulted the state governor, accusing him of spreading lies.

Davido wrote, “Your actually just a bad human being … @GboyegaOyetola no other way to put it spreading lies everywhere destroying ur legacy (not like you even have) … it’s done and dusted @inecnigeria Abeg is there any such thing as over voting with your new BVAS Machine? NOV 27th WE MOVE !!”

However, in quick reactions, many of the singer's followers called him out for being arrogant and advised him to allow Tribunal to do its job.

According to Setofunmi Alo who tweeted *@TheAloset, " Contesting the outcome of an election is not a vice. This matter is before the court of law. All what your uncle and INEC need is to defend the declared result and counter the alleged malpractices. Leave the ranting to your paid lawyers."*

In the opinion of Wale S. Akerele who tweeted *@akerele "But your uncle agreed that there was over-voting in some polling units. Let the court judge. Oyetola is an elderly man. Have some respect for him."*

*Abdullahi Tadese tweeted, "As an exposed and civilised guy as you are, you're not being updated about the ongoing issue of your uncle and his party. Na wa o. @inecnigeria will answer your question."*

*Ismael @Isma was unhappy that Davido chose to disrespect the governor of his state. He wrote, "...you calling out our governor in this manner bellittles you and your Omoluabi we stand for. Your Uncle also challenged Oyetola in the last election in Tribunal so what is the new thing there?"*

*Segilola @segilola tweeted, " What's all the ranting for though? The matter is in court. If your uncle comes out triumphant, so be it; if he loses, so be it. All this immature shouting no follow abeg."*

Tweet of Lekan Yusuff *@lakelekan was similar to Segilola's above, " This your tweet really shows that there is something to worry about the election especially on the issue of over-voting."*

*Adewale @skilbanji was sarcastic in his own opinion, " Your uncle done lule again" alluding to the 2018 experience when Oyetola defeated Adeleke to become the state governor.*

*Hailey @AzizPrDeyForU in his own derided the singer and called him a dreamer. "When Tribunal sacks your uncle, your eye go clear."*

*"Why is David complaining about the election Tribunal all the time?" Adeleke Adenuga who tweeted @princesuleto asked. "Seems the stuff is not going in the way of your uncle again," he added.*

Governor Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress, in their Petition, are appealling to the Tribunal to cancel votes returned in the 749 polling units where over-voting are said to have been recorded. The polling units cut across 10 local government areas in the state. They are also seeking Adeleke's disqualification on account of what they called forged credentials he submitted to the

electoral body.

A Handshake with an Enemy and a Heart of Forgiveness…

By Bode Ojoniyi

Yesterday, as I was descending the stairway of the administrative building of Osun State University, guess who I met walking into the building? Prof Olukoya Ogen…

You should know that name by heart if you have been following my fight against the hegemony in Uniosun for the past 7 years running. It is a fight that actually started in June 2015 when I provided evidence against Dr Amao Temitayo Ayanbisi who had manipulated 94 results of 2013/2014 graduating students of the Department of English and International Studies of the College of Humanities and Culture. For any reason unknown to rationality, the University Management had sought to cover up the crime. The University Management through Prof Ogen and his gangs of Profs Christopher Alebiosu, Bolaji Omitola, Idowu Akintayo, Monsuru Adeleke and others had then blackmailed and defamed me to withdraw my evidence against Dr Amao. They eventually used Femi Makinde and Tunde Odesola of the Punch Newspaper to defame me through the media. Of course, you already know how I have fought back writing plays, short stories, poems, essays, and through the court of law to date.

You would recall that on 20 February this year, the Court gave a landmark judgment against the University. The Court ordered my immediate reinstatement and the payment of my salary of over 6 years running. The Court in the judgment went as far as saying that Ogen is not fit to be called a Professor and that Amao is not fit to be a lecturer anywhere in this world! You would also remember that just last month I wrote a very strong petition against the investiture of Ogen as an intending member of NAL, Nigerian Academy of Letters. A petition that neither Ogen nor NAL found the temerity to respond to, either to refute or acknowledge the claims it made against Ogen…

Actually, to date, the University Management, Ogen, his gangs and their paid media dogs and all that participated in blackmailing and defaming me to cover the crime have lost their balls and voices against my writings and actions… When I talk or write now, they simply keep undignified silence, including their unless media aids… and, it may be because their main media dog, Femi Makinde, has eventually been sacked by the Punch newspaper while his elsewise loquacious Editor, Tunde Odesola, has also ‘japa’ to the US to escape same sanctioning, I guess…

It is the Ogen that I fortuitously met yesterday. Of course, he could not have imagined such a meeting and at a very close range on the University Campus… After all, the University has written to me that I have been banned from entering any of the campuses of Osun State University. Yeah, that was after I led men of the Nigerian Police Force to identify the criminal blackmailers and defamers. It was a dramatic experience. The garrulous Christopher Alebiosu whose office we first visited had taken refuge in the Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences toilet to avoid being served a letter of invitation by the Police. He was in hiding until the arrival of the University CSO. The CSO pleaded that the Police Officers should submit the invitation letters to the Office of the Vice chancellor. These were letters they had initially rejected, asking the Police to proceed to serve individual culprits, for which the Police had invited me to lead them to identify the individual criminals…

They needed to do something desperate to stop me from entering the University to stop me from identifying the criminals for the Police… Of course, as in anything ‘Nigerian Police’, the Police eventually also made a U-turn to claim that they cannot guarantee my safety if I again enter the University Campus… That was after I demanded for the authority of the University to claim that I have been banned from entering such a public space like a University in Nigeria? I also wrote to the University Registrar, the VC, and the lawless SAN who claimed to be the Chairman of the Council of the University… Of course, they or the Police could not defend their lawlessness. ‘Power’ must have changed hands in the agreement between them and the Police…

Anyway, I have continued to enter the University anytime I am in town and the Spirit so moves me…

No doubt, I must have been led of the Spirit, for, for some esoteric reasons, I needed to meet Ogen yesterday… For the Love of Sisyphus…, that first play of its kind in Nigeria that dramatises the experience of its author with the real characters, their names and their actions, a true historical record of the blackmail and the defamation of my character, is going on stage in Chukwwemeka Odumegu Ojukwu Uiversity, Akwa, today. It is a theatre workshop. The Head of Department had discussed my experience in Osun State University with his students. They had taken interest in the play and had contacted me over it. I had shipped the play and another play, Death in a Masque, to them. We kept communicating through the period of their rehearsals. And, I had been informed the performance is today!

Anastasia, the director of For the Love of Sisyphus almost found the reality of the play unbelievable. She had queried its reality. She would even want to speak with Ikwue Ejiro Mercy. Luckily for me, a woman who had earlier private chatted me on the same case, who confessed she had followed the case from the time it was published by the Punch Newspaper to the point judgment was delivered in February, one who wanted me to deal with Ejiro, probably sending her to gaol, had volunteered information on her phone number, the private school where she is teaching in Ajah, Lagos, including her experience with her husband and the rest…

I am not such individual who rejoices over evil or the misfortune of others, I would have gone for a form of special testimony of the challenges of Ejiro as we speak…

I gave Ejiro’s number as the woman sent it to me to Anastasia to satisfy her curiosity by speaking directly with Ejiro. She is a lady. She needed to hear the side of Ejiro… But, Anastasia was disappointed. Ejiro blocked her off immediately she started her investigation… My story was, after all, a true story. She felt pity for me, but, in equal breath, I had become an unimaginable being, a non-being, perhaps, a monster of a sort.… She could not believe the story was true… She was facing a new reality of her life. When she told me of how Ejiro responded to her and blocked her off, I just laughed. I became a character that looks larger than life in her imagination…

Knowing fully well that my story of Uniosun is being performed and interrogated on the Nigeria theatre stage, I beamed with a broad smile to call Ogen who wanted to pass-by as if he did not see me: ‘Oga Ogen, quite an age sir!’ He looked at me, almost trembling. Impulsively, he stretched forth his hand for a handshake, saying, ‘Dr., a very longtime!’ I equally reflexively responded to the gesture. I shook his hand with a knowing mischievous satisfaction: I had told them I would have my own pound of flesh from them without a drop of blood! He quickly walked away without waiting for any familiarity banter…

I reflected on the reason they are now afraid of me on that campus: it is indeed not easy for anyone of them to stand before me and look into my eyes or face again… They have become prisoners of their ignoble actions… They have become slaves to such haunting shadows of the dead body they had buried whose legs had unfortunately remained in the open with its fouling stench… But, my returning to Uniosun to teach or do research would be like the story of that greedy man who carrying a big game as an elephant on his head was said to have stopped on his way home to dig the hole of a cricket with his toe to kill it in the hope of adding it to his catch! Haba, who would leave a Federal University where it is being celebrated for its creativity and scholarship to pursue a career with such animals as these blackmailers again… Who? Not Ojoniyi Olabode Wale anyway… Like those characters in the recounted story of the ‘Not I Bird’, I also snap my right hand over my head three times to say ‘Not I!’ Not in this age or generation again…

But, and sincerely so, if Akinkoyi, Maren, our own Wole Soyinka, and the great Sage, Obafemi Awolowo, could forgive those who plotted evil against them, those who imprisoned them, I wholeheartedly forgive Ogen, his gangs and the management of Osun State University, including Labo Popoola and Yusuf Ali… after all, what they plotted and executed against me to ruin me has only turned me to a god in my own right. If they did not do what they did, there wouldn’t have been For the Love of Sisyphus and the other plays for the stage now and forevermore…

Tell Dr Amao, Ejiro, Femi Makinde and Tunde Odesola also, I have forgiven them… They should go and sin no more…

I don’t love ‘vawulence!’ I pity the man as I shook his hand yesterday… of course, we would all not ever be the same again after the blackmail story… Yet, we should all love to forgive and forgive and forgive if humanity would ever learn anything…

‘Bode Ojoniyi writes from Osogbo
16 September, 2022.

Osun Election Tribunal: PDP Casts Doubt on INEC Server

By Adebayo Adedeji

I read the opinion of one of the lawyers representing PDP in the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal regarding APC petition and I chuckled. Obviously, the loquacious lawyer, speaking on the chances of his party and its governornship candidate, does not have in-depth knowledge of the BVAS or perhaps he does not know how to prevaricate. His claim that "INEC Server" is a "stranger" in the election, hence is useless and unreliable for the purpose of determining valid number of accredited voters, lacks substance.

What is BVAS and how does it function?

BVAS, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, is a security identification and authentication device which uses automated methods of verifying or recognising the identity of voters based on physiological characters like fingerprints, facial images and iris. The BVAS was prescribed by the electoral law of 2022, and other relevant rules, to cure the human manipulation that hitherto had been responsible for electoral violations in Nigeria.

According to Clause 48 (a) of the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of the July 16 election..., "An election result shall only be collated if the Collation Officer ascertains that the number of accredited voters agrees with the number recorded and votes scored by political parties on the result sheet is correct and agrees with the result electronically transmitted or transferred directly from the polling unit as prescribed in these Regulations and Guidelines."

A similar instruction is also handed down in Clause 38 of the same document, "On completion of all the polling unit voting and result procedures, the Presiding Officer shall: (i) Electronically transmit or transfer the result of the Polling Unit direct to the Collation System as prescribed by the commission ( in this case BVAS).

Reading the above clauses together, one would agree that the prime place of the BVAS in our election management is emphasised.

The BVAS has numerous components for its effectiveness. The accreditation on it is transmitted straight to the server, so each machine has a storage of the number of accreditation done. Everything that goes into the machine goes into the server. The server accepts and responds to requests made over a network. What this means is that as soon as the voter Accreditation ended in all the polling units on the election day, the complete record was already stored in the server. What the server did not capture was, no doubt, some figures that came later -- after the completion of the accreditation. Later after the August 10 when APC/Oyetola served INEC with their petition. What it did not capture was figure of improperly accredited "voters." APC and Oyetola are insisting PDP and its candidate, in collaboration with INEC, smuggled figures into the system to cover up the electoral fraud levelled against them -- the allegation which is now before the Tribunal for adjudication. The allegation that INEC issued a diametrically variant Certified True Copy of the BVAS report to the PDP..., well after it had issued another copy of the BVAS report to the petitioners ( APC/Oyetola).

Undoubtedly, the nation's electoral body is in two courts: the judicial court and the court of public opinion. It behooves on it to prove its credibility and reliability in those two courts. The palpable fraud it appears to be blanketing at the moment is a whirlwind that would blow no one, particularly its leadership, any good.

http:///s7531daf8220913en_ng?link=1&client=news

http:///s53b95ad5220910en_ng?link=1&client=news

Oyetola, Election Petition Tribunal and the Estoppel Doctrine

By Adebayo Adedeji

It is no longer news that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) issued to PDP a Certified True Copy of BVAS Report which is diametrically at variance with the one it earlier issued to APC and Governor Oyetola. Labouring to prove their case at the Tribunal, APC and Oyetola have countered that INEC should be ESTOPPED from asserting a contrary view or denying the correctness of the contents of the BVAS Report it issued to them. The Petitioners (APC/Oyetola) relied on the fact that the BVAS Report was duly issued to them by INEC. What are the implications of this INEC's action on the July 16 Governorship Election held in Osun State? While it is advisable we allow the Tribunal to adjudicate on the merit of the case, for the purpose of our casual discussion, it is instructive we shed some light on what ESTOPPEL, cited by the Petitioners, means.

The basic concept of an estoppel is that where Person (A) has caused Person (B) to act on the basis of a particular state of affairs, A is prevented from going back on the words or conduct which led B to act on that basis, if certain conditions are satisfied.

Relating the foregoing to the case at hand, does it mean INEC is bound by estoppel since, based on the available information, it issued the BVAS Report to the petitioners after they had met all the conditions stipulated in Section 104 of the Evidence Act 2011? Let's consider Section 169 of the Evidence Act 2011 for a probable answer. The Part X of the Act ( Presumptions and Estoppel) states that "When one person has either by virtue of an existing court judgment, deed or agreement, or by his declaration, act or omission, intentionally caused or permitted another person to believe a thing to be true and to act upon such belief, neither he nor his representative in interest shall be allowed, in any proceedings between himself and such person or such person’s representative in interest, to deny the truth of that thing."

In the case of Peter Enahoro v. O'cerons Limited & Ors (2014) LPELR-22841(CA), the Doctrine of Estoppel is also articulated thus:

" (a) If a man by his words or conduct willfully endeavours to cause another to believe in a certain state of things which the first knows to be false, and if the second believes in such state of things and acts upon the belief he who knowingly made the false statement is estopped from averring afterwards that such state of things does not exist at the time.

(b) If a man either in express terms or by conduct makes a representation to another of the existence of a state of facts, which he intends to be acted upon in a certain way in the belief of the existence of such state of facts, to the damage of him who so believes and acts, the first is estopped from denying the existence of such a state of facts.

(c) If a man, whatever his real meaning may be, so conducts himself that a reasonable man would take his conduct to mean a certain representation of facts and that it was a true representation and facts and the later was intended to act upon it as in a particular way and he with such belief does act in that way to his damage, the first is estopped from denying the facts as represented. See Olalekan v. Wema Bank Plc (Supra). See also: Joe Iga & Ors v. Ezekiel Amakiri & Ors (1976) 11.”

Considering the striking examples cited above and in view of the pleading of the Petitioners that INEC was authorised to issue the BVAS Report after the Petitioners had met the statutory requirements, is it not logically satisfying to maintain that INEC is tied by the Doctrine of Estoppel as to the BVAS Report it issued to APC and Oyetola? Only the Tribunal can answer this question but it is worth reminding the electoral body the need to preserve confidence of the people for such confidence is of high importance. INEC must prove to be above board in the allegation of improper collusion with PDP leveled against it by APC and Oyetola.

rolams:
This can't hold water! This one no be case!

If it is not a case, what is it? Can you read well at all or you are like Ademola Adeleke that can barely read and write?

Update on Osun Election Tribunal

By Adebayo Adedeji

On July 18, 2022, two days after a governorship election was conducted in Osun State, APC and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola applied for the Certified True Copies (CTC) of the BVAS Report for the election ( Note: The said election was conducted on the basis of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS).

After the statutory payments were made, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on July 29, 2022, 13 days after the election, issued the CTC of the BVAS Report to APC and Oyetola.

On August 10, 2022, APC and Oyetola served INEC their Petition challenging results in 749 polling units on the account of over-voting that they believed took place in those polling units.

Having discovered the palpable inconsistencies between figures recorded as accredited votes on the EC8A ( result sheet) and the BVAS Report, INEC, according to APC and Oyetola, mischievously tampered with the contents of the original BVAS report to protect the mandate it erroneously awarded to Ademola Adeleke and PDP by issuing a fresh CTC to the defendants, claiming the CTC earlier issued to APC and Oyetola was incomplete and unsynchronised. Recall the winner was declared on the basis of BVAS.

So APC and Oyetola asked: why did INEC declare a winner when its record was untidy and not yet synchronized?

They further asked: why did INEC, on 20th July, issue the Certificate of Return to the Candidate of PDP when BVAS report, upon which the election was declared conclusive, was unsynchronised?

Oyetola and APC, in their Reply to INEC's Defence, averred that the claim of the electoral body, as to non-syncronisation of BVAS Report, is an afterthought to cover-up a shoddy job it ( INEC) did at the various polling units which led to the over-voting alleged in the controversial polling units.

The Petitioners, Oyetola and APC, are begging the Tribunal in their Petition to cancel the 173,655 votes in the disputed polling units because voters were not validly accredited as stipulated by the extant laws, and the Tribunal should declare them (Petitioners) as winners having obtained valid votes of 314,723 as against Adeleke/PDP votes of 290,213.

https://insightlinks.net/education-reform-in-osun-and-its-impacts-on-waec-examination-by-adebayo-adedeji/

Education reform in Osun and its impacts on WAEC examination

By Adebayo Adedeji

In the last two weeks, Osun State has become a subject of discussion on the account of the recently released West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination ( WASSCE) result which indicates that 32.6% of the public school students which sat for the exam in 2021 received matriculable credit passes. Many even claim WAEC ranked the state as number 36 in the whole of Nigeria. Whereas WAEC has debunked the lie that it carried out ranking on performance of states... because it is not part of its duties as Council, many opinion moulders and commentators continue to run with the negative story for political mischief aimed at projecting the education policy of the state government as ineffective and warped. Whether WAEC has truly ranked the state as number 36 or not, what is not in dispute is that the 2021 result is not a befitting feat for the state and there is a need for the state government to be more painstaking to its Performance Evaluation and Review Techniques ( PERT) in the education sector. However, it is important to accentuate the fact that the Mean Percentage of performance of the Oyetola Administration in WASSCE, 29.18%, is better than 29.0% of the immediate past administration or 11.5% of the PDP administration.

The PDP government of 2003-2010 was trademarked for disaster in the WAEC examination. Its best result was in 2010 when 36,439 of the entire 43,216 students that sat for the exam failed to obtain the needed matriculable passes. In fact in 2007, almost all the students that sat for the exam in Osun failed. Only 2,483 of the 36,171 students that sat for WAEC exam in the state obtained matriculable credit passes.

Meanwhile, in 2015, after being in the saddle for about 5 years, and after committing over =N=30 billion in education sector, the Rauf Aregbesola Adminstration could only achieve an average 20.5% performance in the senior school certification examination. The government's best performance at the time was 22.24%. It was that woeful!

Unless the harsh environment in which the current government has been forced to operate is situated and explained, one might not understand the appreciable effort that went into achieving the 32.6% mark that is now a discussion driven and sustained by detractors to gain political traction.

Without mincing words, the current government inherited a nearly collapsed education sector. The public school was clumsy. Quality teachers were inadequate. And where quality teachers were found, the morale was at its lowest ebb, thus teachers could not give their best. From 2015 to 2018 when the government experimented with the half-salary regime, the teachers in Osun State public schools were the most traumatised because when they were on the streets literally begging for what to eat, the government of that time was busy institutionalising white elephant projects. The situation was made worse with the lack of instructional materials that was prevalent in schools. The touted Opon Imo project was driven more by impulses for self-glorification than for sustainable public gain it was projected to serve. Investigation revealed none of the devices was handed to the current government. And when visitations were made to a warehouse where the devices were said to have been kept, the number available was barely 5,000 and were badly damaged, many damaged beyond repair. Recall the government repeatedly claimed no fewer than 40,000 tablets were procured for the use of secondary school students in the state. However, no information is available to ascertain number procured because relevant files relating to the project, like many projects of the defunct administration, were carted away by men who held sway at that period. Everything was more of noise than substance. No serious teaching but show-off. But the government, after all, was interested in its rating in the standardised exams by WAEC and NECO. So to shore up the image of the government, many of the school administrators became ready tools for examination malpractice. The state had been so much engrossed in this underhand practice that in 2019, when a new government was settling down to work, the state came under a heavy hammer of the examination body. Of the 318 schools that hosted WAEC in the year, 266 of them were indicted for malpractice! 111 of the schools were later banned for two years, while the remaining 155 were reprimanded. This was the education sector bequeathed to the Oyetola Administration.

In October 2019 when Governor Adegboyega Oyetola appointed Hon. Folorunso Bamisayemi as Commissioner for Education, he charged him to cure all the factors responsible for exam malpractice in our schools and run a sector entrenched in Omoluabi ethos and values. And since then, that has been the preoccupation of the Ministry of Education he superintends.

The Ministry now encourages Tutors-General and Inspectorate Departments with financial assistance to enhance their operation --- for effective supervision of schools. The Ministry, in the last three years, has also facilitated payments of grants to school. The teacher's recruitment, which began in 2020 but was stalled by the COVID-19, was completed and the first batch of 1,000 teachers, mostly science teachers, resumed classes in February 2022. The process for final recruitment of another 1,500 teachers is in the pipeline. The Ministry of Education, which was without a bicycle let alone a vehicle as at the period the current Administration came on board, is now a proud owner of 7 jack trucks for its operation. The government, through the ministry, has also invested heavily in equipping the science laboratories in public schools. The hitherto redundant Local Education Inspectors in local government areas are now active and alive to their supervisory roles.

Again, the Zero-tolerance policy for cheating and examination malpractice of the state government has begun to yield fruit. In the 2021 WASSCE, only one public school was indicted for cheating. This is a significant improvement coming from a background where 266 schools were recently scandalised for engaging in malpractice.

Even though there have been deliberate attempts by some largely fickle political characters to misinform the innocent public as to effort of the Oyetola government in the education sector, the fact is that thunderous outbursts, according to German literary agent and publisher Keith Thompson, are no substitute for superior knowledge. The 2021 performance may not be an appropriate and fair yardstick to evaluate the effort of the current government having regard that the students who sat for the exam were already on their way out of the system when the current government came on board, hence its reform could not have had much impact on them to earn it the malicious criticism its traducers currently hurl at it. But the leap in performance of the candidates in WASSCE from 4.78% in 2020 to 32.6% in 2021 is reassuring and an indication that the future is bright if the reforms are guided jealously. The extant education policy is a work-in-progress, and with more effort and cooperation of citizens and stakeholders, the desired results would begin to reflect in no distant time.

This is not photoshop.

Advocate500:
Clearly photoshopped.

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