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OPINION: Backstory of Osun Poll, and What’s Next for Adeleke

By
The Source
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Azu Ishiekwene
Mr Azu Ishiekwene

By Azu Ishiekwene

 

The money that politicians didn’t spend in Osun during the August 15 governorship election was the money they didn’t have and couldn’t steal. All kinds of figures have been bandied about, in hundreds of millions and billions. It’s difficult to say if these are over- or underestimations. But damn, it was some cash!

Credible sources suggest that the main opposition, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), may have spent nearly N40 billion (Davido told News Central it was N110 billion), mainly through contributions from the 20 governors and at least 50 members of the National Assembly, who descended on the state for four days.

Shelling out the money

The Accord Party and its supporters were also determined not to be outspent. Apart from matching APC’s offer of N50,000 per willing voter, two sources told me that Afrobeats icon Davido (projected by Forbes to earn about $20 million in 2023 alone from royalties, tours, and endorsements) allegedly supported his uncle directly with N10 billion.

For every social media video of voters singing triumphantly about rejecting money from one group or the other, there were hundreds of equally enthusiastic people up and down the state, from Osogbo to Ede and from Ejigbo to Ilesa and Ife, who collected their share silently and looked on.

For a state that gets an average of N20.4 billion monthly from its mainstay, the Federation account, and one that is also famously the Southwest’s capital of contented civil servants, it’s a surprise that the local economy has not yet drowned in the deluge of money.

Apart from the role of money in Saturday’s poll in Osun, I’ve also been curious to know the role of civil servants, the backbone of government; the impact of the defectors and/or withdrawal of support by leading People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members in Osun; and why reelected Governor Ademola Adeleke insists on backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for reelection in January 2027 general elections.

Not exactly saintly

Osun civil service is not as pristine – or if you like, innocent – as it’s often presented in the common folklore. Sure, there are exceptions. But the ups and downs the system has endured since 1999 have damaged it far more than the public imagination is willing to admit. The scar, which is a growing malignancy, was visible on Saturday.

Under Governor Bisi Akande, between 1999 and 2003, the government sacked at least 3,000 civil servants, sparking deep resentment amongst the unions. That experience was largely responsible for the swing from the “progressive” Alliance for Democracy to the PDP in 2003.

Then came Governors Rauf Aregbesola and Gboyega Oyetola of the APC, whose austerity measures included paying civil servants half salaries irregularly and defaulting for months on paying pensions and gratuity.

Whatever these governors’ intentions were, and regardless of any excuses they may have had, this adversity pushed civil servants to the brink of temptation. They overcame mainly by yielding. Traumatised, they not only rejected Governor Oyetola after his first term in 2022 and embraced Adeleke, but also resorted to foul means to fend for themselves.

In other words, the Osun civil service has become part of the state’s larger problem. Yet many mistake this emerging demon for militancy and freedom, which it is not.

Rub my back…

Multiple sources told me last week that what came across in the governorship poll as a ringing endorsement of Adeleke, especially by civil servants, was actually a defence of group self-interest under a government unwilling or incapable of curbing corruption in the civil service.

“It was a game of rub-my-back-and-I-rub-yours,” a source said, “by a governor desperate for reelection and civil servants desperate to enjoy their booming ungoverned side hustle.” Is this civil service still fit for purpose? What will happen after Adeleke is blowing in the wind.

Backfire

Why did the opposition collapse? How did what looked like a formidable group, comprising Hon. Oluwole Oke (APC Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency), defector-in-sham Senator Francis Fadahunsi, and the Olagunsoye Oyinlola-led PDP, and the Governor Hope Uzodimma horde that promised to bring Adeleke’s head on a platter to the President, disappear in the dead of night?

Possibly three things happened. Oyetola overplayed his hand of presidential proximity when teamplay and prudence were required. The result was that he and the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, ended up in the hole dug for Adeleke.

But that overreach was not a peculiarly Oyetola malaise. The bug also spread to the Edo State Governor, Okpebholo, whose insults not a few Osun voters took personal. They repaid him with an unsolicited display of his adorable school certificate result on social media, plus a wee-hour one-way ticket out of Osogbo.

Second, there was infighting, too; partly as a result of Oyetola’s overbearing role, and partly borne out of suspicion by long-standing APC members that the Fadahunsis and other late joiners had only come to cash out.

And third, like I wrote last week, the cumulative effect of the longstanding disenchantment with the APC in Osun, not to mention the malicious loyalty of APC chieftain Iyiola Omisore, gave Adeleke the harvest he badly needed.

Adeleke in Tinubu’s corner

Why does Adeleke insist on supporting Tinubu, despite opposition by many of his supporters, including his nephew, Davido, who cite the governor’s raw deal at the hands of the ADC? It’s a matter of strategic loyalty. Osun has 12 seats in the National Assembly, out of which the Accord Party currently controls seven.

If Adeleke were to defect to the APC now, he would be risking his advantage. The trade-off of party seats for 2027 might disfavour him or weaken his bargaining power. Carrying the momentum into next year, however, would likely strengthen his hold of National Assembly seats from the current seven to perhaps nine or more, and also secure a comfortable majority in the state assembly.

If, on the contrary, he begins now to antagonise Tinubu, and the President wins reelection in January, Adeleke risks a resurgence of brutal federal might that could not only weaken his control over federal legislators but also install a hostile state assembly that could impeach him.

Seductive reverence

The technology deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday worked relatively well, despite a few reported hitches. There was also a significant security deployment, while concentrated voter and public vigilance helped keep many on their toes.

Adeleke knows, however, that next year’s general election will stretch all these factors to their limits, making states of particular federal interest more vulnerable. In a contest with such a highly uncertain outcome, the governor may well be better off in Tinubu’s corner.

Seductive reverence for Abuja ensures he keeps the APC hawks at bay, despite his supporters’ displeasure.

Political math, the footwork

Fortunately for Adeleke, the various opposition groups ranged against him on August 15 – from the divided house of the APC, to the spoilsport PDP, and the smouldering remains of the ADC – have turned on themselves, eating their own entrails. Yet the thing about politics, especially the Nigerian variety, is how quickly alliances can change, and old foes reemerge in new forms.

In Harrysong-speak, a language that Adeleke is very conversant with, it doesn’t take much for this reggae of victory to turn to blues of adversity. He must watch his back and strive, this time, to leave a legacy beyond footwork.

 

Ishiekwene is the Editor-In-Chief of LEADERSHIP and author of the book, Writing for Media and Monetising It.

Presidency: Atiku Unveils Plan To Return Fuel Subsidy If Elected

By
James Orji
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Atiku Abubakar
The 2027 African Democratic Congress, ADC, candidate Atiku Abubakar has promised to return the fuel subsidy if he becomes president next year.
The ADC presidential hopeful spoke during a Facebook Live session while addressing questions about the removal of the subsidy and its impact on the citizens.
“If I win the presidential election,” fuel subsidy will be restored immediately, the presidential candidate said during the social media broadcast yesterday.
Abubakar is contesting the presidential election with other candidates, including the incumbent Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who at his inauguration on May 29, 2023 ended the subsidy regime fir petrol and diesel.
The removal has put severe economic pressure on many Nigerian families, with not a few wondering whether the policy was necessary, particularly after it emerged that savings from the subsidy removal has not been well managed, essentially at the sub-national level, with many state governors allegedly diverting funds for personal use.
Abubakar who had initially supported the removal, has now changed his mind, saying there’s no need to retain the policy, citing the fact that the savings are being frittered away.
As President and Commander in chief, the former vice president said his first action will be the restoration of fuel subsidy in the country.
“I initially did not oppose the removal of the fuel subsidy. But now that it has been removed, where is the money? Where has the subsidy money gone? Has it been used to improve healthcare, education or security?
“If I win the presidential election, I will restore the subsidy. And anyone who stole Nigeria’s subsidy funds must return the money,” he said.
According to the Tinubu’s administration, one of the major gains of subsidy removal is that it has freed up more resources at the state and national level to be used to develop critical sectors of the economy, such as health, education, regular payment of salary and pensions for workers, government commitments that were difficult to fund pre- removal period because of paucity of funds.

Liberia Arrests, Detains Former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, Links Her To Drug Cartel

By
Ayodele Oni
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Jewel Howard-Taylor

By Ayodele Oni

 

Liberian authorities have vowed to prosecute a​ former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor with drug trafficking, money laundering ‌and other offences, following her arrest while ​attempting to leave the country at Roberts International Airport.

 

Reuters reports that the arrest is part of an investigation of a transnational narcotics network, currently being undertaken by the country.

 

The West African nation’s attorney general said in a statement declared “There will be no selective justice, political protection, sacred cows or compromise ​with organized criminality.

 

“Every person against whom credible and admissible evidence is established will be investigated and prosecuted without fear, favor or political consideration.”

 

According to Reuters, the arrest of Howard-Taylor, ex-wife of ​convicted war criminal Charles Taylor, comes less than a month after ​Liberian authorities announced that they had seized around $317 million worth of ⁠cocaine that was bound for Europe, highlighting the country’s growing role in the global ​drug trade.

 

Howard-Taylor has already been taken to national ​police headquarters, according to the statement.

 

The charges against her also include unlicensed importation of a ‌controlled ⁠substance, criminal solicitation and criminal conspiracy, the statement said.

 

Howard-Taylor’s lawyer, Kabineh M. Ja’neh, told Reuters that he had met with his client earlier and authorities informed him that they intended to charge her, though he had ​not seen the indictment.

 

“She ​is in the ⁠custody of the Liberia National Police tonight. She will sleep there.

 

“We would be able to proceed with ​the matter once we get the formal charge.”

 

Authorities have also ​charged in ⁠absentia three alleged members of the network — two Croatian nationals and a Ukrainian national — and the statement said that the government would seek their arrest through ⁠domestic and ​international legal channels.

 

Howard-Taylor served as vice ​president under former President George Weah from January 2018 to January 2024.

Nigerians Eager To Vote Out Tinubu Early On Election Day – Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

By
Suleiman Anyalewechi
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Hakeem Baba-Ahmed
Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

 

If the election is free , fair and credible , President Bola Tinubu will be roundly defeated before 4.pm on that day , according to Hakeem Baba-Ahmed ,the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP.

 

On a Channels Television interview on Wednesday , Baba-Ahmed said that frustrated and suffering Nigerians ,who live without hope ,and ravaged by multiple challenges are eager to shove the President aside should the polls be held in a free and fair atmosphere.

 

He emphasized that the Northern region is in  a complete state of devastation and ruins, with poverty hitting the rooftop even as the President pats his administration on the back based on empty and worthless economic figures and statistics.

 

“There is no sense in the manner in which people live ,the poverty level is alarming, and the country’s economy is in tatters.

 

” I come from the Northern part of the country and there is no industry, including agricultural establishments”, he stated .

 

The PRP National Chairman expressed serious regret that in the face of the excruciating economic situation facing the people, rather than being pragmatic in ameliorating the suffering of the people, the President has chosen, instead, to be romancing with economic figures and data.

 

According to him, President Tinubu’s consistent and disturbing denial of the harsh economic realities on the ground is an eloquent testimony to the unfortunate fact that he is completely detached from the people he is claiming to be governing.

 

Baba-Ahmed insisted that glossy economic figures as often reeled out by the Government cannot cover the suffocating economic hardship being faced by the people, especially in the Northern region of the country.

 

“President Tinubu is detached from the realities of Nigerians, and I don’t think that he has got his figures, indices and statistics right l, because they can be manufactured.

 

“The best way to verify the figures and statistics is to juxtapose them with the realities on the ground, with a view to determining if they have positively impacted people’s lives.

 

“Based on the harsh economic realities in the country, if the election is free, fair and credible, President Tinubu will lose may be before 4.00pm”, Baba-Ahmed stated.

 

He, also, condemned  the President’s penchant for always coming to the defence of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

He emphasized that it is patently wrong for the President to be mounting public defence of the Electoral Umpire when he is a stakeholder in the electoral process being midwifed .

 

“Just two weeks ago, President Tinubu was defending INEC; the President should not defend INEC in public .

 

” Nobody should praise INEC for conducting an election in which the President is a contestant. It is wrong, unbecoming, and all it does is that it is creating this idea that the president is courting the goodwill of INEC which is wrong”,the PRP National Chairman cautioned.

 

Baba-Ahmed’s position is coming on the heels of claims by former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung that President Tinubu will not escape a humiliating defeat at the polls, even if his son and any member of his immediate family is to head the INEC.

Davido Target Of Shooting At Osun Governor Adeleke’s Convoy – Police, Confirms Fatality

By
Ayodele Oni
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David Adelek - Davido

By Ayodele Oni

 

Osun state police command and Afrobeats superstar, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, have clarified the alleged attack on the convoy of Governor Ademola Adeleke on Wednesday.

 

Some suspected hoodlums had engaged in a gun battle with security personnel attached to Adeleke’s convoy at the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji, on Wednesday.

 

This was shortly after Adeleke received his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and visited the palace to celebrate his victory with the traditional ruler.

 

However, in a post on his verified X handle on Wednesday evening, Davido debunked the report. He admitted that there was a fight outside the palace of the monarch they visited.

 

“Lies! It was a fight outside the palace that had nothing to do with us. The people love his excellency,” he tweeted.

 

Governor Adeleke’s nephew, Davido, who was actively involved in the election, alongside his children, accompanied the governor to INEC office and the palace.

 

Some residents of Oja Oba Osogbo said gunshots caused panic for over 15 minutes as the men kept shooting sporadically while the governor’s security detail returned fire.

 

Commenting on the incident, Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, Abiodun Ojelabi, said preliminary investigation revealed that members of Eye Confraternity were after Davido.

 

“One Adebayo Taoreed, popularly known as “Small Rugged”, an ex convict, a suspected notorious thug and a member of eye confraternity allegedly attempted to gain access to Davido, but was resisted by members of his security Team.

 

“The ensuing confrontation reportedly attracted other suspected gang members in the vicinity, who temporarily blocked the entrance to the palace and obstructed the movement of the convoy of the Governor.”

 

Ojelabi confirmed that a 60-year-old man identified as Tajudeen Yusuf was shot dead during the gun duel.

 

“Shortly afterwards, the suspected gang members reportedly departed the vicinity and, however on their way, they allegedly shot Tajudeen Yusuf at Itaolokan area of Osogbo.

 

“Upon receiving the information, the police immediately mobilised a patrol team to the scene, where the victim was found lying in a pool of blood.

 

He was promptly rushed to the University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, for medical attention. Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead by the doctors on duty.

 

“The Command has commenced a full-scale investigation into the incident and intensified efforts to identify, apprehend and bring the fleeing suspects to justice.

 

“The Commissioner of Police (Election), Osun State Command, CP Samuel Etaifo, strongly condemns the dastardly act and assures members of the public that the Command will deploy all available resources to apprehend those responsible.

 

“The Command therefore urges anyone with useful information that could assist the investigation to promptly approach the nearest police station or contact the Command through its official channels.

 

“Members of the public are also advised to remain calm and refrain from taking the law into their own hands.”

 

The PPRO said the Police Command has commenced a full-scale investigation into the shooting incident.

 

Ojelabi said further updates on the incident would be provided as the investigation progresses.

Oyo: Adelabu, Folarin Shun APC Reconciliation

By
James Orji
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Adebayo Adelabu

Key stakeholders in the Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, including two governorship aspirants, Adebayo Adelabu and Teslim Folarin, were on Wednesday absent from a meeting organised by the party’s leadership to reconcile aggrieved members in the state.
At the meeting, which was attended by the APC National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, other governorship aspirants who were absent included Akeem Agbaje, Engr. Hakeem Alao and Rauf Olaniyan.
Sources privy to the meeting said the party had sought to use the presentation of the findings of the state reconciliation committee to the National Chairman as an opportunity to bring aggrieved members of the party in the state, particularly governorship aspirants such as Adelabu and Folarin, together, with a view to convincing them to work for Senator Sarafadeen Ali, the party’s governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Essentially, the absence of the APC bigwigs, the magazine learnt, has left the party uncertain about how to bring the aggrieved members together ahead of next year’s election.
Recall that Sarafadeen emerged as the party’s governorship candidate amid protests from other aspirants, who insisted that the process that led to his emergence was not transparent.
The aggrieved aspirants have, however, vowed not to work for the party’s governorship candidate, according to sources close to them.
Meanwhile, the party’s National Chairman appears not to have given up hope on the issue, saying progress is being made to bring all the aspirants and other key stakeholders together.
Prof. Nentawe, who spoke on the sidelines of the meeting in Ibadan, the state capital, disclosed to journalists that the APC, as a family, would resolve the issue for the benefit of the party. He added that the party would ensure that all the issues raised by aggrieved members were addressed amicably.
He said: “The APC is a family. Whatever is happening in the party is a family issue. It is normal for members of the same family to have challenges, but we are happy that the issues are being addressed as a family.
“Also, from the report that we gathered from the Reconciliation Committee and other stakeholders, the party is stable, and we are good to go.”

Tinubu Orders Transfer Of N248bn Recovered Funds To NELFUND

By
James Orji
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0
President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa has announced federal government’s decision to use looted funds recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to strengthen the operations of the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND.

The minister made the revelation on Wednesday in Abuja, the nation’s capital at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, saying the decision was reached after the meeting.

According to him, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also directed that funds in the Unclaimed Dividends Trust Fund and the Dormant Accounts Trust Fund be mobilised for the Students Loan scheme.

Dr Alausa stressed that the directive only covers  concern funds that have been legally recovered and are no longer subject to any litigation, adding that the EFCC and the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation and other relevant agencies have been directed to work out the modalities on how to move the funds to NELFUND to strengthen its operations.

“The President was very clear: not seized properties, all recovered looted funds, liquid funds recovered by the EFCC will now be transferred to NELFUND.

“Every single fund that is still subject to a legal challenge will not be part of the money that will be transferred to NELFUND,” Alausa said.

Checks revealed that the EFCC has recovered over ₦248 billion and $105 million in cash, under its ongoing anti-corruption drive.

2027: Credibility Of Polls Non Negotiable – ADC

By
Ayodele Oni
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David Mark - ADC Chairman
David Mark

By Ayodele Oni

 

National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has declared that the credibility of the 2027 elections must be non-negotiable.

 

“We expect the electoral process to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from manipulation, intimidation and the abuse of state institutions,” he declared.

 

Mark stated that the party will accept the outcome of the 2027 general elections only if the process is free, fair, credible and transparent.

 

Mark made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja, while receiving a delegation of the International Republican Institute (IRI), led by former United States Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Jendayi Frazier, on a Pre-Election Assessment Mission ahead of the 2027 polls.

 

The ADC chairman expressed concern over what he described as the abuse of the electoral process by governments in power and, increasingly, by non-state actors.

 

He also condemned the violence and intimidation allegedly witnessed during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, saying reports that no fewer than 30 people lost their lives were “reprehensible and condemnable.”

 

“Elections should not be treated as war or a do-or-die affair. They should be a democratic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders and advance their aspirations for development and a better quality of life.”

 

He stressed that the ADC was committed to contesting elections in a secure environment where voters could freely exercise their franchise and where every vote would count.

 

“As a political party, we want to contest elections in a secure environment that guarantees free, fair, transparent and credible elections, where every vote counts and every legitimate mandate is respected.”

 

Mark said credible assessments by organisations such as IRI could help identify emerging challenges and strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

 

He welcomed the IRI’s engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders, assuring the delegation that the ADC was prepared to share its experiences and concerns openly.

 

The ADC chairman also commended IRI for its continued commitment to democracy, credible elections and good governance in Nigeria since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.

 

He described the Pre-Election Assessment Mission as particularly important given the need to address concerns surrounding the 2027 general elections.

 

Responding, Frazier said the IRI delegation was in Nigeria to assess the preparedness of political parties and other stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

She said the mission would engage relevant stakeholders as part of efforts to understand the political and electoral environment ahead of the polls.

Wike To Senator Kingibe: “People Have Made Up Their Minds That You’ve Failed”

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Nyesom Wike and Ireti Heebah Kingibe

By Ayodele Oni

 

There is no end to the frosty relationship between the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Senator representing Abuja, Ireti Kingibe as cab seen by the recent altercation between them over the flooding of the federal capital.

 

Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, Kingibe said she had repeatedly raised concerns over flooding and blocked drainage channels in Abuja before the latest deluge, but her concerns were ignored by the Minister.

 

On Saturday, residents of the FCT were left stranded after heavy rainfall triggered flooding that submerged vehicles

 

The Senator pointed out that she had always advocated cooperation between elected officials and Ministers regardless of political affiliations.

 

Reacting to the Senator’s Comments during a news conference in Abuja, Wike faulted her,  and accused her of failing to address the problems of the FCT through effective representation in the National Assembly.

 

Wike, told  Kingibe, that no amount of television appearances would make him work with her.

 

The FCT Minister told the Senator to stop lamenting her lack of access to him or any Governor, and said he was not appointed to work with a single individual.

 

“She is the one who makes the law. The National Assembly is her own House of Assembly. I am not appointed to work with only one particular person. I work with everybody.

 

“I’m not going to work with her. There is nothing to work with because, you see, when you have laid a bad foundation, it is difficult to turn things around. It’s very difficult.

 

“If you are a Lawmaker and you have identified problems that affect the people you represent, as a Lawmaker, what you do is to tell members of the parliament: this is the problem with my people.

 

“You then go to your Constituents, dialogue with them and discuss with them, not that ‘I want to see the Minister, I want to see the Governor ’. What is that?”

 

The Minister maintained that the Senator had failed in her responsibility, adding that no amount of television appearances would change the minds of FCT residents who have decided to vote her out in the 2027 election.

 

“You have done nothing and the people know you have done nothing.

 

“If you like criticise, as long as this floor is concerned, the people have made up their minds that you’ve failed. So if you like, appear on Channels TV 20 times, appear in Arise 55 times… it would not change the mindset of the people.”

 

Wike advised that instead of using television interviews to “curry favour” ahead of 202, the Senator should focus on providing effective representation for her constituents adding, “I won’t blame her because she has almost lost the election.

 

“All she’s doing now is whether the people can vote her. But go and talk to the people. Tell them what you have done in the national assembly. Tell them the bill you have proposed for the benefit of the residents of Abuja.

 

“If I am a Legislator, for example, I represent the people. They must see you talk on the floor as per their own interest.

 

“They must see you propose a bill that would enable them to survive. It is not that once anything happens, you come to television. You dress in such a way that is not your own tradition just to curry favour.”

 

Kingibe was initially elected on the platform of the Labour Party but has since defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Wike remains a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

 

Wike and Kingibe got off on the wrong foot after she criticised his handling of FCT affairs in 2023.

Adeleke Family Gives Children, Dependants Of Osun Election Violence Victims Full Scholarship To University Level

By
Ayodele Oni
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0
Governor Ademola Adeleke2

By Ayodele Oni

 

Govt Floats N500m Relief Fund For Families Of Election Violence In Osun

 

By Ayodele Oni

 

A Verification and Relief Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, has been put in place to oversee the N500m Election Violence Victims Endowment Fund for verified victims and families affected by pre-election violence in the State.

 

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who announced this also disclosed that his family, through the Springtime Development Foundation, would provide full scholarships up to university level for the children and dependants of those who lost their lives in the violence.

 

The governor made the announcement on Wednesday in a statement issued after receiving his Certificate of Return from the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) following his re-election.

 

He explained that the fund would support verified victims and affected families, while a Verification and Relief Committee, chaired by the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Olumide Egbedun, would oversee the identification of victims and distribution of the support.

 

Adeleke said the intervention would cover victims irrespective of their political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status.

 

“This is not a political intervention. It is a humanitarian responsibility. No eligible victim will be excluded because of political affiliation, religion, ethnicity, gender or social status.

 

“In grief, there is no political party. In our common humanity, we are one people.”

 

The governor also named some of those killed in the violence, including Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass and Kolade Eluyera.

 

“We remember Ezekiel Olapade, Aderogba Ajayi, Remi Abass, Kolade Eluyera, and every other victim of electoral violence.

 

“Regardless of political affiliation, they were first our brothers, sisters and fellow citizens. To their families, your pain is our pain, and your loved ones will never be reduced to mere statistics.”

 

He said the decision to establish the fund followed the loss of lives, injuries, destruction of property and livelihoods recorded during the electoral process.

 

“It is deeply painful that any family should have to bury a loved one because of politics. No election, political office or ambition is worth the life of a single citizen.”

 

Adeleke also called for unity in the state, following the governorship election, assuring residents who voted for other candidates that he remained governor of the entire state.

 

“The election is over. The campaign is over. The contest is over. Now is the time to govern, unite, heal and build.

 

“To those who voted for me, I thank you. To those who voted for another candidate, I thank you for participating in our democracy. I remain Governor to all, and together we must place Osun State above politics.”

 

The governor announced that his administration would continue to focus on infrastructure, healthcare, education, workers’ welfare, youth empowerment and economic development, while strengthening accountability, inclusion and transparency.

 

Adeleke, who described his renewed mandate as a fresh responsibility to serve the people, added “You have given me another opportunity to serve, and I accept this responsibility with humility. I will work harder. I will listen more. I will do more.

 

“Today, we are grateful for victory, but sober in remembrance. Tomorrow, we return to work.”

 

Adeleke was declared winner of the governorship election after polling 511,067 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 409,849 votes.

 

The governor won in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured victory in 11.

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