₦airaland Forum

*REPORTER’S DIARY: ‘419 votes’, hours in the jungle and other tales of Osun Poll*


Some stories are better left untold, for the sour memory it evokes leaves the heart totally repugnant to the most trivial of synonymous narratives. They haunt not only to the soul that harbour them. For a journalist, such stories cannot wither. They must be nourished and told. While the Osun state governorship election was to a large extent successful, the rerun was a tragedy – a well-choreographed one at that.

My journey to Osun began on September 21. The vehicle I boarded breezed past colourful posters, signboards and a few road shows announcing political parties, candidates, agendas and everything associated with the season. Osogbo, the state capital, was agog with the influx of people who had come to witness the election that would usher in a new helmsman on whose orders the fate of the state lies. Although just a day to the election, the atmosphere was calm.

On the D-day, voters came out to exercise their civil duties. As early as 6am, I left for Ede, a stone’s throw from the state capital. I observed that officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) started setting up polling booths as of 6:30am. There and then, I knew it was going to be an interesting exercise. Voting commenced early and the process was pleasant and free.


Presiding officer for ward 5, unit 17 addressing voters on the modalities for the election
I visited more than 40 polling units in at least three local government areas and the election went smoothly, save for some complaints and technical hitches in some polling units. By nightfall, results started trickling in; people already had a rough idea of the figures from local government areas, how the parties fared, who was leading among the candidates, jubilation had begun in some quarters but no one predicted the end. With a difference of 353 votes between Ademola Adeleke, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate who polled 254,698 and Gboyega Oyetola, his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart had polled 254,345, Joseph Afuwape, the returning officer, declared the election inconclusive. A rerun was slated for Thursday in the seven polling units were votes were cancelled.

The affected local government areas were Ife South, Ife North, Osogbo and Orolu. I was assigned to Orolu, where three of the polling units were located.

*THE JOURNEY TO IFON-OSUN*


PDP supporters turned back from voting by suspected APC thugs
At 7am, I set off for Ifon-Osun, headquarters of Orolu. From the tension at the Idisu area of the town, I already had an inkling of the event to unfold. Hundreds of voters who identified themselves as members of PDP, gathered to discuss the cruelty that was unleashed on them. The previous day, political thugs had invaded their villages, shooting sporadically and sending them out to the town. They took refuge in the palace of the Olufon of Ifon. The villages where voting was supposed to take place were no longer accessible as the thugs had established a kingdom of terror. Those who attempted to force their way to the polling units were beaten and sent back, while their permanent voter cards (PVCs) were snatched from them. This is going to be messy, I thought.

Nevertheless, I told my driver to soldier on. For the next 15 minutes, we were on a rough tiny path in-between bushes heading for Kajola village, where ward 8, polling unit 1 was. At intervals, we ran into ditches along the clay-filled track. As we got to the entrance of the village, we were stopped by thugs who had formed a barricade to screen those who go in and out of the polling zone. Occupants of two vehicles before us were beaten and sent back. The leader of the group drew closer, “You people are journalists. You can go. But I want you to be careful,” he warned. Just thirty seconds after the barricade, we met a retinue of security operatives not less than 50 who vetted us and ordered us strictly not to make video recordings at the voting centre at Kajola Community Primary School.

*JOURNALISTS WERE HARASSED*


Thugs screening voters and electoral officials
I met my friend Kemi Busari, a reporter with Premium Times, who had to quickly brief me of the situation of things. He was arrested briefly for taking pictures and later released. When Tajudeen Ajigini, the supervisory presiding officer, spoke with reporters, I asked him why the PDP agent was not accredited like other party agents, he said he didn’t know anything about that. We were later warned to desist from asking certain “sensitive” questions if we were to conduct any interview. An elderly journalist called us for a brief meeting where he insisted that we should be careful of the questions to ask if we still desired to leave the location alive.

*NETWORK BARRIER*

By the way, there was no network in the village. So, no one could make or receive calls. Aside the school building, there were no other buildings close-by. We were entrapped in the jungle. Journalists and observers were terrified. There and then, I remembered the words of Koffi Awoonor, a Ghanaian poet. In his Songs of Sorrow, he mused, “It has led me among the sharps of the forest. Returning is not possible and going forward is a great difficulty. I am on the world’s extreme corner.”

I was incommunicado for over one hour and this period was a trying one for colleagues back in Lagos. I was later made to understand that the anxiety grew because the last message I sent before the network went bad showed that I was in a dangerous area. When my editor finally reached me, I could sense from his voice that he was terribly worried.

*ANOTHER ENCOUNTER WITH THUGS*

As we stepped out of the primary school, we walked through the slippery, muddy road while we dragged our motorcycles behind. Vehicles were stuck in the mud. While I brought out my phone to take pictures, I was immediately surrounded by thugs who openly professed to be working for APC. One of them snatched my phone as other pushed me. One, who had reached out for a big stick, accused me of taking their picture. He was prevented from hitting me by their leader who said my phone had already been confiscated. It took the intervention of some journalists before the phone was released after I deleted some pictures I took at the polling unit right in their presence. But the security operatives shied away.

*THUGS LEAD THE WAY, SECURITY OPERATIVES FOLLOW*


Security officials watch as thugs collect PVCs from voters
When we heard that some of the security operatives with the INEC supervisory officer were going to ward 8, polling unit 4 at Idiya village, we decided to follow the convoy. Busari joined me, while the journalists from SaharaReporters followed. We were led by a blue bus filled with thugs who were wielding machetes, guns and charms, followed by the vehicle conveying the INEC official and security operatives. We trailed behind. When the blue bus paused, the one behind halted and our vehicle would slam the break too. Still, we followed.

At the entrance to Idiya village, we met a military truck and soldiers, about 10 in number, stationed there. We were stopped by one of their commanders. He asked the security operatives we followed if we were with him and the senior office snapped, saying he didn’t know who we were. We had to quickly identify ourselves as journalists coming to cover the voting process. Before I uttered another word, he ordered us to leave immediately and that our work wasn’t needed at the polling unit. As the commander marched towards us with his escorts, we made a detour and disappeared instantly.

*RESIDENTS RECOUNT THEIR ORDEAL*


When we got back to Ido-Osun, we met a protest close to the king’s palace by residents who had been beaten and injured on their way to cast their votes. They were chanting that there was no election in their local government as only residents loyal to the ruling party were allowed to vote. An elderly woman said those who voted were given N20, 000 each and a white handkerchief which they presented to the thugs before they were given entry to the polling units. Ruka Ladosu, a nursing mother, was pulled down from the motorcycle that took her to the voting centre. She ran through the bushpath back to town.

Some observers who met us in town said they were also not allowed to gain access to ward 9, unit 1, Gbogbo village and Idiya, while those who stayed behind at Kajola were later sent away. About 3pm, I left Ido-Osun for Osogbo.

*MORE ONSLAUGHT IN OSOGBO*


Joel Chima, a journalist with Kaftan TV
Back to Osogbo, I went to Alekunwodo, where votes were cast in ward 5, unit 17. The major roads to the area were blocked by security operatives. Colleagues at the centre were petrified as they discussed in hush tones how reporters were harassed despite the heavy presence of security operatives. Joel Chima, a journalist with Kaftan TV, had a close shave with death as thugs at the venue aimed a machete at his head but he intercepted it with his tripod stand which broke into two. It took a gun shot from a security operative to disperse the thugs who had surrounded him. His camera was destroyed.

Completely exhausted, I went back to the INEC office along Gbongan road in the state capital. I decided to settle for a plate of rice adjacent the gate, where the security operatives had also converged. A few metres away from me, Seun Falomo, a reporter with Galaxy Television, was making a call. He was ordered to stop the call and leave the premises. While he was trying to ask why he couldn’t make his call, a police officer snatched his phone and ordered him to leave. The reporter asked to be given his phone, but he was attacked by some policemen. He was tear-gassed and thoroughly beaten.

*THE 419 VOTES IN OROLU*


INEC collation centre
The final announcement started late in the night. I waited to hear the result from Orolu local government area, albeit I had stumbled on the scores. The returning officer from the local government reeled off the result and proclaimed that the number of the total votes cast in Orolu was 419. That threw everyone in the hall into laughter as some journalists chorused ‘419’. Yet, he repeated at the end of his presentation that the total votes was 419. Meanwhile, INEC announced on Saturday, after declaring the election inconclusive, that the accredited voters affected by cancellation in Orolu were 947 voters.

Dele Adeleke, the PDP agent, asked him if he was aware of the violence and harassment by thugs in the local government which prevented majority of accredited voters from casting their votes, the presiding officer denied any knowledge of such occurrence. He maintained that the election was peaceful, free and fair.

Even international observers who monitored and praised INEC for Saturday’s exercise were shocked over the turn of events on Thursday. All of a sudden, hooliganism took the center stage; violence became the new order. If people had doubts in the ability of INEC to conduct a free and fair election in 2019, the Osun rerun just confirmed their fears. The reforms and progress recorded in 2015 were eroded in Osun. It took INEC over 18 hours to conclude elections in seven polling units. Worsestill, violence and disorderliness which prompted the repeat of the exercise tripled during the rerun yet INEC certified the exercise and all the collation officers denied the anomalies that were widely reported in the media. A sad one for democracy.


https://www.thecable.ng/reporters-diary-419-votes-hours-in-the-jungle-and-other-tales-of-osun-poll

© TheCable

Interesting times ahead......

ProjectNaija:
Atiku does not command the sort of strong following Kwankwaso commands.

He is talking nationally you are talking north and by the way, Kwankwanso is only popular in Northwest and we still have Northeast and Northcentral where ATiku has more say there.

The battle for the soul of Lagos State took a strange twist yesterday when Governor Akinwunmi Ambode boldly told a meeting of leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, at the Bourdillon, Ikoyi home of the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that he will not step down for their preferred candidate in the 2019 governorship race in the state.

The meeting chaired by Tinubu and called under the banner of Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) the most powerful clique in Lagos APC also had in attendance outgoing governor of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, his newly elected successor, Gboyega Oyetola, Ambode and other members of the 22-member council.

A reliable source at the meeting told Saturday Sun that “Ambode was told in plain terms that the party will not support his second term ambition and as such should step down for the candidate the party members are clamouring for. But throughout the whole discussion and till the meeting ended, the governor stood his ground, explaining why he must run and that he will run if APC desires to win the state.”

The governor was said to have listed his achievements to convince the party leaders who equally failed to shift ground. “He was busy speaking grammar when no single member at the meeting supported him. We wish him luck”, the source added.

The meeting however ended with a directive to the State Working Committee of the party to address a press conference today, Saturday at the party’s secretariat on Acme road, Ikeja where the preferred governorship candidate Jide Sanwo-Olu and his running mate, Femi Hamzat will be officially presented to party members to vote for at the governorship primaries scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday.

The Ambode camp however appears determined to enter into full battle with Tinubu and his men. A source close to the governor told Saturday Sun yesterday that, “Tinubu and his men are jokers, if they fail to present Ambode for second term, they will lose Lagos like they lost Osun, forget the eventual manipulation of the final result.”

“Ambode is the party’s poster boy, and that’s why President Buhari asked the SGF, Boss Mustapha to wade into the Lagos ticket issue but if they ignore even the president’s intervention, they will be doomed like Osun. Nigerians will see that Tinubu is overrated as has shown in Osun. You can see that the president had to send Fayemi, Oshiomhole and others to step into the Osun election, the presidential emissaries didn’t go to meet Tinubu and Aregbesola who were in Osogbo before they went straight to meet Omisore in Ile-Ife, that shows how less they regard him”, the source added.

The Ambode camp had hoped that yesterday’s meeting will end in their favour but was shocked by the insistence of the party leaders that the governor must step down.

Culled from The Sun

I love those holding forth to the truth

The battle for the soul of Lagos State took a strange twist yesterday when Governor Akinwunmi Ambode boldly told a meeting of leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, at the Bourdillon, Ikoyi home of the party’s National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that he will not step down for their preferred candidate in the 2019 governorship race in the state.

The meeting chaired by Tinubu and called under the banner of Governor’s Advisory Council (GAC) the most powerful clique in Lagos APC also had in attendance outgoing governor of Osun, Rauf Aregbesola, his newly elected successor, Gboyega Oyetola, Ambode and other members of the 22-member council.

A reliable source at the meeting told Saturday Sun that “Ambode was told in plain terms that the party will not support his second term ambition and as such should step down for the candidate the party members are clamouring for. But throughout the whole discussion and till the meeting ended, the governor stood his ground, explaining why he must run and that he will run if APC desires to win the state.”

The governor was said to have listed his achievements to convince the party leaders who equally failed to shift ground. “He was busy speaking grammar when no single member at the meeting supported him. We wish him luck”, the source added.

The meeting however ended with a directive to the State Working Committee of the party to address a press conference today, Saturday at the party’s secretariat on Acme road, Ikeja where the preferred governorship candidate Jide Sanwo-Olu and his running mate, Femi Hamzat will be officially presented to party members to vote for at the governorship primaries scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday.

The Ambode camp however appears determined to enter into full battle with Tinubu and his men. A source close to the governor told Saturday Sun yesterday that, “Tinubu and his men are jokers, if they fail to present Ambode for second term, they will lose Lagos like they lost Osun, forget the eventual manipulation of the final result.”

“Ambode is the party’s poster boy, and that’s why President Buhari asked the SGF, Boss Mustapha to wade into the Lagos ticket issue but if they ignore even the president’s intervention, they will be doomed like Osun. Nigerians will see that Tinubu is overrated as has shown in Osun. You can see that the president had to send Fayemi, Oshiomhole and others to step into the Osun election, the presidential emissaries didn’t go to meet Tinubu and Aregbesola who were in Osogbo before they went straight to meet Omisore in Ile-Ife, that shows how less they regard him”, the source added.

The Ambode camp had hoped that yesterday’s meeting will end in their favour but was shocked by the insistence of the party leaders that the governor must step down.

Culled from The Sun

modath:
2019, Kwarans will be liberated from the chokehold of Saraki Mesujamba of Ilorin, God willing......

So all these years you and your fellows were not for good governance after all when you were shouting change change but just on a revenge mission. I really pity your future with my whole heart. Funny funny clowns

The political gladiators 2019 will be interesting.

mrperfect:
Your article is informative. Good job.

I am of the belief that many Nairalanders can benefit from this insightful post. Laladticlala kindly do the needful.

Elections are holding at three PU's in Orolu LGA. Yet soldiers are stopping observers at Adegunle junction from reaching the PUs, especially PU 003, Ward 9. Reporting: Prince Rasak Olawale Fadipe

tigerclaws:
and tomorrow cilicmarin and many apc cultists will tell us that apc is better than pdp

see as 5.5 billion be like tfare

useless party
Thunder scatter Buhari Insha'Allah amin
Thunder scatter Buhari Insha'Allah amin
Thunder scatter aisha masha Allah amin
bunch of useless corrupt charlatans
Tinubu is a bastard drug dealing vagabond
apc is bokoharam and fulani herdsmen

kiss the truth

You always say it as it should be said. I respect you bro, your posts always make my day comrade.

olagbola55:
If it from okuku it true...okuku na pdp town ....ijabe and oyan nah for apc so it allowed

Confirmed bro

Jchi9876:
You are a peedpig agent your results are baba nla fake

Stop constituting a nuisance APCheats clown. Authentic results are they yours are the fake

Jchi9876:
I just called they said your results should be thrown in a dirty dustbin fake fake fake

Bloody liar I know what I posted don't bring your nonsense to me Osun people are wiser. Save this

Confirm results that can never be altered by any body even INEC is what I will paste...I vow to past real results.

Oya let's go there!

Ward 01 Unit 06 Okuku, Odo Otin LG
ADC=33
ADP=1
APC=25
APGA=1
MMN=2
PDP=82
PPA=2
SDP=8

Ward 07 Unit 06
Total number of votes=145
Void=7
ADP=1
NCP=1
UPN=1
APP=1
APC=29
SDP=12
PDP=91.

Ward 11 Unit 05
PDP=92
APC=92
SDP=4.

Ward 09 Unit 01
Accredited Votes=189
Ballot paper brought by INEC 159
Void=14
APC=93
PDP=62.


Ward 13 Unit 3 odo otin
ADP=33
APC=72
PDP=44
SDP=19.

Ward 1 Unit 6 Oba ojomu odo otin
ADP=2
SDP=11
ADC=35
APC=62
PDP=75.

Ward 1 Unit 2 oba Ojomu odo otin
ADC=32
APC=25
SDP=36
PDP =138.

Ward 1 Unit 1 Odo Otin
APC=74
ADC=45
SDP=34
PDP=137.

Unit 2
PDP=138
APC=25
SDP=33
ADC=32

unit 3
PDP=107
APC=69
SDP=13
ADC=20

unit 4
PDP=135
APC=55
ADC=37
SDP=22
AD=1
ADP=2

unit 5
PDP=114
APC=74
ADC=21
SDP=15

unit 6
PDP=157
APC=89
ADC=34
SDP=11

unit 7
PDP=95
APC=37
ADC=20
SDP=8

unit 8
PDP=75
APC=41
SDP=14
ADC=33

unit 9
PDP=156
APC=54
SDP=16
ADV=36

unit 10
PDP=109
APC=56
ADC=34
SDP=45
APP=7.

If you doubting this results call other party agents there, they will tell this results are authentic.

Nigeria’s foreign debt up by 40% under Buhari — NBS

September 19, 2017
Bassey Udo

Nigeria’s total domestic and foreign debt stocks as at June 30 stood at about $15.1 billion and N14.1 trillion respectively, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday.

A review of the total foreign debt profile of the Federal and the 36 states governments and the FCT also shows a continuous rise since the coming of the present administration, from $10.718 billion in 2015, to $11.406 billion in 2016 and $15.047 billion in 2017.

Out of the current total figure of $15.047 billion, the Federal Government accounts for $11.106 billion, or about 74 per cent, while the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja owe about $3.94 billion, or 26 per cent.

The Federal and State government shares of the debt stock grew from $7.349 billion and $3.369 billion in 2015, to $7.84 billion and $3.568 billion in 2016, and $3.94 billion and $11.106 billion in 2017 respectively.

The NBS gave further disaggregation of the country’s foreign debt to include $9.67billion as multilateral debt; $218.25million as bilateral (AFD) and $5.15billion from the Exim Bank of China credit to the Federal Government.

Details of the debt figures show that the domestic debts figures of the 36 states of the federation and the FCT have continued to grow since 2015 under the present administration.

From about N2.503 trillion in 2015, the NBS data showed the figure rose to N2.959 trillion in 2016 before reaching the latest point of N3.001 trillion in 2017.

According to the statistics agency, out of the total N14.017 trillion national debt stock, the Federal Government accounts for about N11.058 trillion, or 78.66 per cent, against about N2.959 trillion, or 21.34 per cent by all the states and the FCT.

Further breakdown of the Federal Government domestic debt stock by instruments show that about N7.56 trillion, or 68.41 per cent were in bonds; N3.28 trillion, or 29.64 per cent in treasury bills, while N215.99 million, or 1.95 per cent went into treasury bonds.

Although the NBS did not provide the Federal Government domestic debt figures for 2015, figures obtained from the Debt Management Office, DMO, website on Tuesday showed that total domestic debt by instruments as at December 2015 stood at N8.836 trillion.

This consisted Federal Government bonds N5.808 trillion, or 65.73 per cent; Nigerian treasury bills N2.773 trillion, or 31.38 per cent, and treasury bonds of N255.99 billion, or 2.90 per cent.

Among the 36 states and the FCT, Lagos recorded the highest foreign debt profile, accounting for about 37 per cent of the states’ foreign debts, followed by Kaduna (six per cent), Edo (five percent), Cross River (four percent) and Ogun (three percent).

On the domestic front, Lagos State again took the lead, with the highest domestic debt profile among its colleagues and the FCT, accounting for about 10.39 per cent of the total figure, followed by Delta (8.04 per cent), Awa Ibom (5,18 per cent), FCT (5.09 per cent) and Osun (4.90 per cent).


https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/243644-nigerias-foreign-debt-40-buhari-nbs.html

Ballmer:
Like it was not PDP that ate Nigeria Airways mumu

As usual the nursery rhymes of APC zombies blame PDP for your follies

Ballmer:
and PDP lacks this piece of information for 16 good years they were in power ? What word do Nigerians have for the foolish PDP ?

Pls note I asked Nigerians not Ipob or Igbos.
Abeg O !



You must be new to dealing with this PDP paid bigot from the mud enclave.

Whoever turns you into this must be wicked. NigeriaAir is in the news already can you discuss that

But these ugly useless APC Stalwarts are enjoying the "One Man Show" in Lagos from Bourdillion Street since 1999.

objobj:
You made a technical insight into the issue and crowned it with political master piece

I was alighning with your points untill you made another turn.
Smh

Sorry my APC friend, I thought you will pick the lesson painted in my piece and look away the political undertone but you choose to concentrate on the political tone

Austindark:
I just don't think Atiku can beat saraki in the PDP primaries.
Just hope you will support the winner of the primaries to unseat the "lifeless one "

Atiku will beat him hands down

Just so you know

Those tall pylons you see along the expressways bearing electricity cables, are the Transmission Lines for electric power. The combined total of those 330kVa Transmission Lines and the substations, is called the Transmission Network or National Grid. When the Transmission Network is robust and connected, power reliability is made efficient.

The total length of the National Grid of Nigeria is 7000km. It cannot wheel 5000mW of electricity even if we could produce that.

The total length of the combined 4 regional grids in the USA is 576,000km. It can wheel 3 million mW.

Despite these glaring facts, Fashola and APC said they would provide steady electricity for Nigeria within 6 months. One word for them, please.. Now you know please share with friends.

So sad

Nigeria's Non-Oil Exports since 2010:

Year Non-Oil Export ($m)

2010 4,773.30

2011 5,988.06

2012 5,630.58

2013 7,243.54

2014 6,070.80

2015 3,444.35

2016 2,674.86

2017 3,520.63

(Nairametrics)


https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157072686522841&id=595332840

fykes:
You can't say a governor in Nigeria has no structures.
The Man is just playing a humility card until negotiations are over, then when u think he is boxed in and has no options, you will see him fight. I don't see him stepping down. There are people who will stand by him as long as he has the money and powers as an incumbent.
Forget mandate group, a governor who wants to fight with only one month allocation will have Lagos on lock down for himself. And I believe Ambode is such a man. Just wait and see

You are a deep thinker my bro just like I reason too, those APC and Tinubu guys here keep talking about one structure and Tinubu's Mandate group or one mumu Justice Forum but this is human nature in discussion here, Ambode a sitting governor had just been messed up before the full glare of the spotlight and you think he is caged. Ambode will go for the spoiler and this will only dent APC and Tinubu's image more

Mynd44:
Yeah. Eleka will also win Ekiti Elections

For sure I still stand on that......you will crawl back here to acknowledge that please be man enough

Afam4eva:
If begging was all he could do, Tinubu would have forgiven him considering the number of people thatt have begged on Ambode's behalf. Even Ambode himself has done enough begging to last a lifetime. His slavey disposition at Jim Ovia's book launch was nauseating at best.

I think it's over for Ambode as far as Tinubu and APC are concerned. The only thing left for him is to the fight by using anothe rplatform but he doesn;t even come across to me as a fighter. Fashola stood a better chance if he found himself in this quagmire.

Make no mistake about his submissive mien at Jim Ovia's book launch, it is normal just wait for the drama that is about to unfold. To the Op you raised fantastic observations that really got my attention but I can.assure you that Ambode has more sinister move at hand that will shock Tinubu. The truth is, Ambode will defect to another party to contest at the right time and he will split APC further. Ambode has his own well built but not loud structure already in Lagos.......watch out

Fantastic piece explorer

THE EMERGENCE OF AMBODE

Like a thunder strike sounds in the midst of fun seekers, most Lagosians were shocked to their marrow when sometime in early 2014, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akinolu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, declared that Akinwumi Ambode, a certified Chattered Accountant from Epe would succeed the then Governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN.

“The Eleko of Eko is joking, who is he to tell us who would be the candidate of our party?”, Sikiru Olorunwa, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ajeromi Ifeolodun Local Government Area of the state told this writer at a function while reacting to the endorsement of Ambode by Akinolu.
As a reporter who has been in the political cycle of Lagos for over two decades, i knew Akinolu was speaking on behalf of Tinubu, his man-Friday but many people took the endorsement of Ambode, a totally unknown character in the political firmament of the state as a normal error of judgment from the former police officer.
Day by day, the name Ambode began to ring bell. Those who could read the game well began to align. Two weeks after Akinolu’s declaration, Ambode declared his ambition. Fashola, considering the egghead of politicians interested in his seat, never took Ambode serious.

After many twist and turns, Tinubu, the man who own the political machinery of Lagos, in July 2014 formally informed Fashola of his intention to back Ambode in the presence of Oba Akinolu. The dumb-folded Fashola, according to reliable sources, was said to have left the meeting without uttering a word.
“Ambode is from Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, he can’t be Governor of Lagos”, Fashola’s men in the media fired back through invincible proxies, but the story failed to have effect.
“Why Ambode, the man sacked for multibillion naira fraud by Fashola in 2012” Fashola’s men queried in disappointment but they lacked the charisma to confront Tinubu, the man whose through structure they all rode to political stardom.
After the intra-party opposition against Ambode collapsed, the competition from the popular and acceptable candidate of the then Nigeria’s ruling party, Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was not enough to stop the emergence of Ambode as the 5rd democratically elected Governor of the state on May 29th 2015.

A LOYAL AND DUTIFUL GODSON

Since his day of inauguration till few weeks ago, Ambode, like Fashola, takes instructions on every developmental policy from Tinubu. All the 40-member state executive council were singlehandedly handpicked by Tinubu and handed to Ambode to swear in. The 57 council chairmen, board members of commissions and parastatals, including permanent secretaries and directors were appointed by Tinubu for Ambode.
All major contracts approved by the state executive council were drafted by consultants working for Tinubu for Ambode to sign. I can say very expressly that no road is awarded in Lagos State without the blessing of Tinubu.

THE OB VAN SCAM....THE BEGINING

And many times without number, the Governor emeritus with his house situated at 1, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, had overruled several contracts awarded by Ambode without his blessing among them is the procurement of an OB VAN worth N1.5billion and Cameras worth N900million for Lagos State owned Television, LTV aimed towards improving its services and coverage.
However, when Tinubu got the hint of the contract through a top Director in LTV (name withheld), he was said to have put a phone call to Ambode that the contract be suspended the pending further instruction from him but Ambode, backed by a cabal led by his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, who is now in-charge of Ministry of Art and Tourism, urged the governor to ignore Tinubu, a decision which he (Ambode) indeed took and proceeded to award the contract against the instruction of his godfather.

Like a usual African godfather, Tinubu wasn’t pleased that his ordered was rebuffed but he overlooked the contract which he had thought would be executed by an Ondo man who served him when he was Governor.
However, month after months and after two years the contract was awarded, the OB VAN, is yet to be delivered while the Cameras, though delivered, falls below expectation and failed due process and quality and assurance control integrity test.

STEVE AYORINDE’S CONNECTION WITH THE FRAUD

The contractor, a Lebanese hired to supply the OB VAN by the Steve Ayorinde led Cabal of the information unit of the state government, according to reliable sources, was paid 50% upfront to purchase the OB VAN, Cameras and other gadgets from a British Firm called Excellence Transmission Inc Limited based in Manchester, United Kingdom with an agreement to complete the payment within six months after payment of first instalment.
The OB VAN, according to the agreement paper signed between Excellence Transmission Inc Limited and LTV, was expected to be released upon completion of payment by Lagos State Government. Out of Two Billion Four Hundred Million Naira (N2.4billion), a sum of One Billion, two hundred million naira (N1.2billion) which was 50% of the contract sum was released on the order of Ambode.
However, while 50% of the Cameras were released, the OB VAN was not released until full payment is made as agreed. Meanwhile, the cameras, upon delivery were confirmed to be substandard and fell below standard, contradicting the sole purpose which the cameras were bought.

The existing cameras of the station were said to be of higher quality than the ones supplied from England. Two Directors from the station, backed by Tinubu were said to have refused to sign the due process paper confirming that the cameras were delivered as agreed in the contract paper.
The refusal of these two Directors of LTV, whose name was concealed by this writer, was said to have angered the governor who ordered their transfer out of LTV. New Directors were posted to LTV to sign the due process paper for the cameras which are currently rusting away at the station situated along Agindigbi road, Ikeja.
Three months after the resumption of the two directors posted to cover the fraud at LTV, another set of senior staff jointly wrote a memo to Steve Ayorinde, asking for the where-about of the remaining cameras and when the OB VAN would be delivered.
Ayorinde, according to insiders, rushed to the governor to show him the memo containing some scratching remarks which goes as thus “Sir, the rest of the cameras were ought to have been delivered two months ago with our OB VAN but despite several letters written, no response from Mr. Delkash Farez, the Lebanese hired by your office to purchase the gadgets on behalf of our station”, a paragraph in the memo from five top staff of LTV sighted by this writer to Ayorinde, reads.

“What an effrontery”! Ambode said upon reading the memo, wondering who gave the memo-writing LTV staff the audacity to question his action. But upon investigation by Ambode, the LTV staff were said to enjoy the support of Tinubu which prompted the governor to again, transfer them out of the station.
When the hues refused to die down as rumours against Ayorinde led cabal continued to boom like wave of ocean within Alausa, Governor Ambode redeployed his image maker to Art and Tourism Ministry. As expected, the hullabaloo about the OB VAN and camera contract scam reduced but failed to die down as envisaged by the Governor.

N1.2BILLION WENT DOWN THE DRAIN

N1.2billion deposit out of N2.4billion was paid to Delkash Farez, a Lebanese to procure an OB VAN, 25 Cameras and other transmission gadgets for Lagos Television from Excellence Transmission Inc Limited based in Manchester, United Kingdom. However, while cameras and transmission equipments not worth more than N50million were supplied, the OB VAN, over two years after 50% deposit were made, has not been delivered.
Over One Billion Naira of Tax Payers’ Money went down the drain, Tinubu queried but the interest of the masses may not be the cause of Tinubu’s anger if not for the fact that the contract was awarded against his wish yet, OB VAN was not supplied and substandard cameras were delivered.

TINUBU TO AMBODE: PROVIDE OB VAN OR FORGET SECOND TERM

Acting on a petition secretly forwarded to him by some concerned staff of LTV recently, Ambode was told by Tinubu to explain the situation of the OB VAN which he had planned to use at his (Tinubu) owned private broadcast station, Television Continental (TVC) for LIVE transmission of political rallies for commercial purpose ahead of 2019 general elections.
An angry Tinubu, without mincing word, was said to have listed several blunders and steps Ambode had taken to undermine his authority such as the termination of refuse collector contract to party chieftains to hire the obviously in-efficient VisionScape Concept to the LTV contract scam, Tinubu warned the governor to provide the OB VAN before July 2018 or forget his 2019 second term ambition.

AMBODE: HOW WE WERE SCAMMED BY LEBANESE’ DELKASH FAREZ

But Ambode, in his response to Tinubu explained that the Lebanese hired to represent LTV before the British Company manufacturing the OB VAN has disappeared to the thin of air and all efforts made thus far through the Lebanese embassy in Lagos and Abuja to locate him have proven impossible, an excuse that failed to convince Tinubu.
Ambode, on the advice of his think-tank group led by Ayorinde, in a move to outsmart their godfather, concluded to push Tinubu into defence, hence the recent petition written by a former ally of Tinubu, Mr. Tunji Apara to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the activities of a tax consulting firm, Alpha Beta, said to be owned by the former Lagos State Governor in the state since 2003.

OB VAN AND THE INVICIBLE DELKASH FAREZ

Nonetheless the rebuttal of Ambode, this writer gathered from very reliable sources that the OB VAN was purposely designed to fail by the governor and his boys. The Lebanese was instructed by Steve Ayorinde to disappear from Nigeria until the dust is settled.
According to the contract paper between LTV and Excellence Transmission Inc Limited, the payment must be completed within six months, failure which the company would entertain offers from other interested buyers.

And 15 months after 50% payment (65% higher than the value price) was released by government and money transferred to UK, LTV failed to pay the balance.
But the UK firm, when lobbied by some staff of LTV said the market price of the OB VAN compared to when Lagos State Government paid 50% had gone higher, thus, government would have to pay more to get a VAN equivalent to the one initially ordered for as the original van paid for has been sold to a Television Station in Malaysia when Lagos State Government failed to pay the balance as agreed in the contract paper.
A check at the 2017 appropriation of Lagos state however showed that the balance of the OB VAN whose initial deposit was captured in 2016 budget, has been released clandestinely without following due process. And to cover up the fraud, 11 staff of LTV have either been redeployed or retired from the service of Lagos State Government.
I therefore ask, will the LTV OB VAN ever return? Only God, the creator of Time, a creature that changes day to a night with an amazing ease, can tell!!!

The Steve Ayorinde; Lebanese contractor, Delkash Farez and UK Firm Connections!

Our Senior Correspondent, Olalekan Smart, in this eye-opening investigative piece, writes on the crisis of confidence currently plaguing the bond between the man referred to as Governor Emeritus of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the incumbent Governor of the state, Akinwumi Ambode, stressing that unknown to many, the hullaballoo in their associations might not be unconnected to a multi-billion naira contract for the procurement of OB Van and numerous transmission gadgets for Lagos State Television (LTV) and other sundry issues;

THE EMERGENCE OF AMBODE

Like a thunder strike sounds in the midst of fun seekers, most Lagosians were shocked to their marrow when sometime in early 2014, the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akinolu, a retired Assistant Inspector General of Police, declared that Akinwumi Ambode, a certified Chattered Accountant from Epe would succeed the then Governor of the state, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN.
“The Eleko of Eko is joking, who is he to tell us who would be the candidate of our party?”, Sikiru Olorunwa, a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) from Ajeromi Ifeolodun Local Government Area of the state told this writer at a function while reacting to the endorsement of Ambode by Akinolu.

As a reporter who has been in the political cycle of Lagos for over two decades, i knew Akinolu was speaking on behalf of Tinubu, his man-Friday but many people took the endorsement of Ambode, a totally unknown character in the political firmament of the state as a normal error of judgment from the former police officer.
Day by day, the name Ambode began to ring bell. Those who could read the game well began to align. Two weeks after Akinolu’s declaration, Ambode declared his ambition. Fashola, considering the egghead of politicians interested in his seat, never took Ambode serious.

After many twist and turns, Tinubu, the man who own the political machinery of Lagos, in July 2014 formally informed Fashola of his intention to back Ambode in the presence of Oba Akinolu. The dumb-folded Fashola, according to reliable sources, was said to have left the meeting without uttering a word.
“Ambode is from Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, he can’t be Governor of Lagos”, Fashola’s men in the media fired back through invincible proxies, but the story failed to have effect.

“Why Ambode, the man sacked for multibillion naira fraud by Fashola in 2012” Fashola’s men queried in disappointment but they lacked the charisma to confront Tinubu, the man whose through structure they all rode to political stardom.
After the intra-party opposition against Ambode collapsed, the competition from the popular and acceptable candidate of the then Nigeria’s ruling party, Jimi Agbaje of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) was not enough to stop the emergence of Ambode as the 5rd democratically elected Governor of the state on May 29th 2015.

A LOYAL AND DUTIFUL GODSON

Since his day of inauguration till few weeks ago, Ambode, like Fashola, takes instructions on every developmental policy from Tinubu. All the 40-member state executive council were singlehandedly handpicked by Tinubu and handed to Ambode to swear in. The 57 council chairmen, board members of commissions and parastatals, including permanent secretaries and directors were appointed by Tinubu for Ambode.
All major contracts approved by the state executive council were drafted by consultants working for Tinubu for Ambode to sign. I can say very expressly that no road is awarded in Lagos State without the blessing of Tinubu.

THE OB VAN SCAM....THE BEGINING

And many times without number, the Governor emeritus with his house situated at 1, Bourdillion Road, Ikoyi, had overruled several contracts awarded by Ambode without his blessing among them is the procurement of an OB VAN worth N1.5billion and Cameras worth N900million for Lagos State owned Television, LTV aimed towards improving its services and coverage.
However, when Tinubu got the hint of the contract through a top Director in LTV (name withheld), he was said to have put a phone call to Ambode that the contract be suspended the pending further instruction from him but Ambode, backed by a cabal led by his Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, who is now in-charge of Ministry of Art and Tourism, urged the governor to ignore Tinubu, a decision which he (Ambode) indeed took and proceeded to award the contract against the instruction of his godfather.

Like a usual African godfather, Tinubu wasn’t pleased that his ordered was rebuffed but he overlooked the contract which he had thought would be executed by an Ondo man who served him when he was Governor.
However, month after months and after two years the contract was awarded, the OB VAN, is yet to be delivered while the Cameras, though delivered, falls below expectation and failed due process and quality and assurance control integrity test.

STEVE AYORINDE’S CONNECTION WITH THE FRAUD

The contractor, a Lebanese hired to supply the OB VAN by the Steve Ayorinde led Cabal of the information unit of the state government, according to reliable sources, was paid 50% upfront to purchase the OB VAN, Cameras and other gadgets from a British Firm called Excellence Transmission Inc Limited based in Manchester, United Kingdom with an agreement to complete the payment within six months after payment of first instalment.
The OB VAN, according to the agreement paper signed between Excellence Transmission Inc Limited and LTV, was expected to be released upon completion of payment by Lagos State Government. Out of Two Billion Four Hundred Million Naira (N2.4billion), a sum of One Billion, two hundred million naira (N1.2billion) which was 50% of the contract sum was released on the order of Ambode.

However, while 50% of the Cameras were released, the OB VAN was not released until full payment is made as agreed. Meanwhile, the cameras, upon delivery were confirmed to be substandard and fell below standard, contradicting the sole purpose which the cameras were bought. The existing cameras of the station were said to be of higher quality than the ones supplied from England. Two Directors from the station, backed by Tinubu were said to have refused to sign the due process paper confirming that the cameras were delivered as agreed in the contract paper.

The refusal of these two Directors of LTV, whose name was concealed by this writer, was said to have angered the governor who ordered their transfer out of LTV. New Directors were posted to LTV to sign the due process paper for the cameras which are currently rusting away at the station situated along Agindigbi road, Ikeja.
Three months after the resumption of the two directors posted to cover the fraud at LTV, another set of senior staff jointly wrote a memo to Steve Ayorinde, asking for the where-about of the remaining cameras and when the OB VAN would be delivered.
Ayorinde, according to insiders, rushed to the governor to show him the memo containing some scratching remarks which goes as thus “Sir, the rest of the cameras were ought to have been delivered two months ago with our OB VAN but despite several letters written, no response from Mr. Delkash Farez, the Lebanese hired by your office to purchase the gadgets on behalf of our station”, a paragraph in the memo from five top staff of LTV sighted by this writer to Ayorinde, reads.

“What an effrontery”! Ambode said upon reading the memo, wondering who gave the memo-writing LTV staff the audacity to question his action. But upon investigation by Ambode, the LTV staff were said to enjoy the support of Tinubu which prompted the governor to again, transfer them out of the station.
When the hues refused to die down as rumours against Ayorinde led cabal continued to boom like wave of ocean within Alausa, Governor Ambode redeployed his image maker to Art and Tourism Ministry. As expected, the hullabaloo about the OB VAN and camera contract scam reduced but failed to die down as envisaged by the Governor.

N1.2BILLION WENT DOWN THE DRAIN

N1.2billion deposit out of N2.4billion was paid to Delkash Farez, a Lebanese to procure an OB VAN, 25 Cameras and other transmission gadgets for Lagos Television from Excellence Transmission Inc Limited based in Manchester, United Kingdom. However, while cameras and transmission equipments not worth more than N50million were supplied, the OB VAN, over two years after 50% deposit were made, has not been delivered.
Over One Billion Naira of Tax Payers’ Money went down the drain, Tinubu queried but the interest of the masses may not be the cause of Tinubu’s anger if not for the fact that the contract was awarded against his wish yet, OB VAN was not supplied and substandard cameras were delivered.

TINUBU TO AMBODE: PROVIDE OB VAN OR FORGET SECOND TERM

Acting on a petition secretly forwarded to him by some concerned staff of LTV recently, Ambode was told by Tinubu to explain the situation of the OB VAN which he had planned to use at his (Tinubu) owned private broadcast station, Television Continental (TVC) for LIVE transmission of political rallies for commercial purpose ahead of 2019 general elections.
An angry Tinubu, without mincing word, was said to have listed several blunders and steps Ambode had taken to undermine his authority such as the termination of refuse collector contract to party chieftains to hire the obviously in-efficient VisionScape Concept to the LTV contract scam, Tinubu warned the governor to provide the OB VAN before July 2018 or forget his 2019 second term ambition.

AMBODE: HOW WE WERE SCAMMED BY LEBANESE’ DELKASH FAREZ

But Ambode, in his response to Tinubu explained that the Lebanese hired to represent LTV before the British Company manufacturing the OB VAN has disappeared to the thin of air and all efforts made thus far through the Lebanese embassy in Lagos and Abuja to locate him have proven impossible, an excuse that failed to convince Tinubu.
Ambode, on the advice of his think-tank group led by Ayorinde, in a move to outsmart their godfather, concluded to push Tinubu into defence, hence the recent petition written by a former ally of Tinubu, Mr. Tunji Apara to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over the activities of a tax consulting firm, Alpha Beta, said to be owned by the former Lagos State Governor in the state since 2003.

OB VAN AND THE INVICIBLE DELKASH FAREZ

Nonetheless the rebuttal of Ambode, this writer gathered from very reliable sources that the OB VAN was purposely designed to fail by the governor and his boys. The Lebanese was instructed by Steve Ayorinde to disappear from Nigeria until the dust is settled.
According to the contract paper between LTV and Excellence Transmission Inc Limited, the payment must be completed within six months, failure which the company would entertain offers from other interested buyers. And 15 months after 50% payment (65% higher than the value price) was released by government and money transferred to UK, LTV failed to pay the balance.

But the UK firm, when lobbied by some staff of LTV said the market price of the OB VAN compared to when Lagos State Government paid 50% had gone higher, thus, government would have to pay more to get a VAN equivalent to the one initially ordered for as the original van paid for has been sold to a Television Station in Malaysia when Lagos State Government failed to pay the balance as agreed in the contract paper.
A check at the 2017 appropriation of Lagos state however showed that the balance of the OB VAN whose initial deposit was captured in 2016 budget, has been released clandestinely without following due process. And to cover up the fraud, 11 staff of LTV have either been redeployed or retired from the service of Lagos State Government.
I therefore ask, will the LTV OB VAN ever return? Only God, the creator of Time, a creature that changes day to a night with an amazing ease, can tell!!!!the Steve Ayorinde; Lebanese contractor, Delkash Farez and UK Firm Connections.

Our Senior Correspondent, Olalekan Smart, in this eye-opening investigative piece, writes on the crisis of confidence currently plaguing the bond between the man referred to as Governor Emeritus of Lagos State, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the incumbent Governor of the state, Akinwumi Ambode, stressing that unknown to many, the hullaballoo in their associations might not be unconnected to a multi-billion naira contract for the procurement of OB Van and numerous transmission gadgets for Lagos State Television (LTV) and other sundry issues;

Johnnyessence:
that's the scene 2 of it. I know that the full video will be out. osun State people are not coward, if they hate your party cos' Apc has failed woefully, they cried to almighty God to fight for them. Abeg please kindly post the video to my whatsapp handle. I want to make it viral again. nairaland politician that doesn't have their pvc will always be on nairaland deceiving themselves and not Nigerians. it's not even Timothy owoeye that's doing the rituals here, alot of Apc politicians are doing it. let me come and be going.

I believe you my bro

I am loving this