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Osama Bin Laden’s Successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri killed in US drone Strike

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The US has killed the leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in a drone strike in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden has confirmed. He was killed in a counter-terrorism operation carried out by the CIA in the Afghan capital Kabul on Sunday.

He and Osama Bin Laden plotted the 9/11 attacks together, and he was one of America’s most wanted terrorists. Mr Biden said al-Zawahiri had “carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens”.

“From hiding, he co-ordinated al-Qaeda’s branches and all around the world, including setting priorities for providing operational guidance and calling for and inspired attacks against US targets,” the president said in a live television address from the White House.

“Now justice has been delivered and this terrorist leader is no more,” he added. The FBI updated its Most Wanted Terrorist poster on Monday with Zawahiri’s status: “Deceased.”

The 71-year-old Egyptian doctor took over al-Qaeda after the death of Bin Laden in 2011. Mr Biden said he had given the final approval for the “precision strike” after months of planning.

Officials said Zawahiri was on the balcony of a safe house – where he reportedly often sat for hours – when the drone fired two missiles at him. Other family members were present, but they were unharmed and only Zawahiri was killed in the attack, they added.

Mr Biden said Zawahiri’s killing will bring closure to families of the nearly 3,000 victims of the 2001 attacks in which hijackers crashed passenger jets into landmark buildings in New York and Washington – including two skyscrapers in Manhattan.

Some 344 firefighters were also killed. Andrew Ansbro, president of the New York Firefighters Association thanked Mr Biden for “helping to bring another level of closure to all impacted by these attacks”.

Mr Biden said that Zawahiri had also masterminded other acts of violence, including the suicide bombing of the USS Cole naval destroyer in Aden in October 2000 which killed 17 US sailors, and the 1998 attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, in which 223 people died.

Douglas Sidialo lost his sight in the Kenyan attack, and told BBC Newsday that while he never condones violence, news of Zawahiri’s death is welcome.

“It’s good that it has happened – that they’re bringing down those who were behind these heinous and barbaric acts of cowardice around the world,” Mr Sidialo said.

The attack in Kabul early Sunday morning rocked the centre of the capital – we heard it on our street nearby

Since then, speculation has swirled about who or what hit this “empty house” in the Sherpur neighbourhood known for its gaudy multi-storied villas.

Hours after President Biden announced news of Zawahiri’s death, workers in buildings nearby told us no one lived in the villa whose balconies are now covered with plastic sheeting. Adjacent shops were told by the Taliban to close their rooftops.

Taliban guards pushed journalists, sometimes forcefully, away from the scene.

The streets are quiet – this news is explosive. It again highlights the weaknesses of the 2020 US-Taliban deal.

The Taliban say they agreed Afghanistan would never again be a base to launch attacks against the United States. But they never agreed to sever all links to groups like al-Qaeda including their long-time brother-in-arms, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

A Taliban spokesman described the US operation as a clear violation of international principles – but did not mention Zawahiri. US officials maintained that the operation had had a legal basis.

Under a peace deal struck in 2020, the Taliban agreed not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in areas under their control.

However, the Taliban and al-Qaeda are long-time allies and US officials said the Taliban were aware of Zawahiri’s presence in Kabul, and he lived freely and in the open in the Afghan capital.

Zawahiri’s killing comes nearly a year after Mr Biden withdrew US troops from Afghanistan, bringing an end to a 20-year military presence there, and allowing the Taliban to retake control of the country by force.

In background briefings, US intelligence officers accused Taliban affiliates of going to the safe house after the strike to try to cover up evidence of Zawahiri’s presence there.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that by hosting and sheltering Zawahiri in Kabul, the Taliban had “grossly violated” the peace agreement.

The drone strike is the first known US intervention inside Afghanistan since the military pullout last August and, despite the withdrawal, the decades-old “war on terror” grinds on, the BBC’s North America Correspondent John Sudworth observes.

Days before the withdrawal, a miscalculated US drone strike killed 10 innocent people in Kabul, including an aid worker and seven children. The US said it had been a “tragic mistake” and had been aiming to target a local branch of the so-called Islamic State jihadist group.

BBC News

Sanwo-Olu, Media Chiefs for Corporate Governance Workshop in Lagos

By
Akinwale Kasali
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Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, will on Thursday declare open a two-day workshop on Good Corporate Governance in the media, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

The workshop, which would be attended by managing directors, publishers and editors of national media outlets, including print, broadcast and online holds at the De Rembrandt Hotel, Alausa, Ikeja and has “Journalism and Digitalisation: The Imperative of Good Corporate Governance” as its theme.

According to a statement by the President, Mr. Mustapha Isah, and the General-Secretary, Mr. Iyobosa Uwugiaren, the workshop is aimed at exploring the impact of digitalisation on journalism and the media industry, and prescribe practicable responses to its disruptions.

“Digitalisation has changed the face and the practice of journalism, eroding its space,” the NGE said, adding, “For the profession to thrive, it needs more efficient management models.”

It said a lecturer at the School of Media and Communication,

Pan Atlantic University Lagos, Dr. Pius Onobhayedo, will deliver the keynote address on the theme, while the former Managing Director of Guardian Press Limited, Mr. Emeka Izeze, would speak on the sub-theme: “Striking the Balance among Commercialism, Proprietary Right and Professionalism.”

The NGE added that the former Managing Director, The Sun Publishing Limited, Dr. Tony Onyima, and the former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of The Punch, Mr. Gbemiga Ogunleye, would deliver papers on “Surviving the Digital Onslaught,” and “Journalism and the Law: Who Watches the Watchdog?”

The workshop, which is supported by the Lagos State government, would attract 50 participants spread across Lagos, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Oyo, Edo and Delta States.

Ohanaeze Calls For Impeachment Of Buhari, Osinbajo Over Insecurity In The Country

By
Akinwale Kasali
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President Buhari

By Akinwale Kasali

The officially unrecognised faction of the Igbo Socio-Political Organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has urged the National Assembly to fast track the impeachment process of President Muhammadu Buhari and his Vice, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

This is as a result of the worrisome insecurity situation bedeviling the nation, which has escalated these past days.

Ohanaeze said the All Progressives Congress, APC, President Buhari’s administration, has failed in their primary responsibility of protecting Nigerians. Their inability to protect Nigerians shows failure of leadership in governance.

This other day, the Senators had threatened to serve an impeachment notice on Buhari over his inability to tackle insecurity in the country, forcing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senate Minority Caucus to stage a walkout. The walk-out  followed  the refusal of Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, to give audience to Senator Phillip Aduda’s stance on insecurity.

The Senate minority caucus, however, gave President  Buhari a six-week ultimatum to tackle insecurity in the country.

Reacting, the body said Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, stands to benefit if Osinbajo is exempted from the impeachment process.

In a statement the Secretary-General of the officially not recognised Ohaneze faction  Okechukwu Isiguzoro, warned the National Assembly that “if the impeachment threats served to President Buhari should be taken seriously, Vice President Yemi Osibanjo must be part of the impeachment process, as both of them have failed Nigerians.

“The exemption of the Vice President, from the impeachment threats, shows that APC Presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu stands to be a major beneficiary.”

Ohanaeze said Osinbajo may create loopholes that would favour Tinubu in the 2023 election if he becomes president.

“Ndigbo reminds the National Assembly that attempts to initiate the impeachment process against President Buhari without Vice President Osibanjo are an incomplete process and will create windows and loopholes for the Vice President to play an ethnic card for the West.

“Irrespective of running against Tinubu in the APC primaries, he will use the power of incumbency in favour of Bola Tinubu’s victory which is a contradiction with the body language of the Mr. President, who is likely reluctant to influence the 2023 elections for anyone but whoever Nigerians want at the polls.

“If Buhari should be impeached, then Osibanjo must go with him, both of them should be blamed for the rising insecurity challenges in the country.”

State Assembly Speakers Seek Protective Law Against Impeachment

By
Ayodele Oni
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Court
The Law

By Ayodele Oni

State Houses of Assembly in the country are working on uniform rules and order to guide their operations.

To this end, a technical meeting on harmonizing standing orders of state parliaments is ongoing on Abuja, the Federal Capital.

Chairman of the Conference of Speakers of State Houses of Assembly of Nigeria,  Abubakar Sulaiman, disclosed at the venue of the conference that such uniform legislation would guide against the indiscriminate removal of Speakers.

“It is one of the issues that we are targeting to avoid this overnight impeachment of Speakers among the elected representatives, the Speakers of the State Assemblies are the most vulnerable.

“Certain members of the House if they dislike you for one reason or the other they will just come and say we’ve come out with a number of members and we are removing you.

“This development unlike what is happening in the South East and the South West, you cannot just do that in that place.

“You have to grant the Speaker the fair hearing, you have to give him the chance to defend himself. If you have reasons to impeach him, then come and tell him the reasons then you give him the benefit of fair hearing to answer.

“Then if you’re not okay, he can be impeached. So, it’s aimed at sanitizing our Assemblies on the issue of impeachment.”

The leader of the Speakers also spoke on the ongoing amendments of the 1999 Constitution transmitted by the National Assembly, saying it would be concluded this month.

Sulaiman explained that the ongoing ‘Technical meeting on harmonising Standing Orders of State Houses of Assembly’ is at the instance of the National Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS) and State Accountability and Voice Initiative (SAVI).

“It’s in the process. As of now, I think we have five or six States that have already passed it and other States are still on course.

“You know when this draft was sent to the State Houses of Assembly, there were so many issues that stopped us from going on, like State primary elections, recess and so on and so forth.

“But I assure you, this month of August we will definitely do something about it.”

Eight Die in Cross River State Trailer Mishap

By
The Source
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Trailer Accident in Cross Rivers State

By Stanley Ekpenyong, Calabar

Eight passengers have been confirmed dead in Cross River in an early morning fatal road accident involving a trailer and a Sienna bus.

The tragic accident happened along the Calabar- Ikom-Ogoja highway in Biase local area of the state.

The trailer, fuly loaded with cement and with registration number, Lagos FST 135 XW, fell on a Siena bus at Ibiae in Biase local government area.

All eight passengers on board and driver died on the spot.

According to an eyewitness, the driver, one Bassey Loways, and all the passengers are from Ekori in the neighbouring Yakurr local government area, where the Siena loaded.

FBN Holdings Remains Profit Resilient; N66bn PBT

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The Group Managing Director, GMD of First Bank Holdings Nnamdi Okonkwo, says the oldest commercial bank in the country has shown through its half year 2022 results that the challenging business environment will not stop its strategic goals of improving earnings and making profit for its teeming shareholders.

Okonkwo spoke on the back of the release of the bank’s unaudited results for the half year ended June 30, 2022, which indicates a spike in its profit before tax, PBT by 45 per cent to N66 billion. He said the bank remained focused in its strategic focus to continue to provide opportunities, increase revenue and profitability for its investors.

“This is a good showing by the  Okonkwo-led group considering the economic headwinds since the beginning of the year. The result is an indication that the bank has consolidated its position as the leading lender in the country,” an analyst said.

Speaking Okonkwo said the bank has demonstrated, “resilient performance despite the challenging operating environment with an impressive improvement in revenue and profitability.

“For the half year 2022, gross earnings and profit before tax grew by 22 per cent y-o-y and 45 per cent y-o-y to N359.2bn and N65.7bn respectively. Furthermore, we continue to see good progress across our performance metrics, which remain in line with our focus on driving sustainable growth.

“The Group remains committed in its transformation drive, which has resulted in stronger balance sheet and better asset quality with non-performing loans closing at 5.4 per cent at H1 2022. Similarly, risk management capability remains robust across the Group supporting the drive for enhanced earnings for sustainable capital accretion.

“During the period, cost to income ratio remained flat y-o-y despite the inflationary and currency pressure, as we continue to focus on optimising overall efficiency. Our strategic intent remains unchanged in optimising opportunities that drive growth in revenue, profitability, capital accretion and overall operational efficiency that delivers sustainable value to our stakeholders.”

Anambra Targets N250bn For Infrastructure

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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Soludo had, on July 5, written to the lawmakers seeking approval to secure N100 billion Global Limit Multiple Term Loan facility from CBN, for the construction and refurbishment of key infrastructure in the state.

The Governor Charles Soludo-led Anambra state government, has disclosed that it would require N250 billion yearly to plug the holes of infrastructure left by previous administration in the state.

Christian Aburime, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor told The Punch that the figure was arrived at based on the government’s calculation and projections.

Recall that Soludo had, on July 5, written to the lawmakers seeking approval to secure N100 billion Global Limit Multiple Term Loan facility from CBN, for the construction and refurbishment of key infrastructure in the state.

“We observed that the N100 billion loan was strictly for the construction of roads, bridges and flyovers across the state.

“It was also observed that the current debt profile of the state at about N107 billion can still accommodate more of such loans considering the expected outcome and impact on the residents of the state.

“However, we recommended that the Commissioners should provide the list of the proposed project descriptions and expected cost of each project for ease of oversight function subsequently; and that was done

“That the loan should be secured at   single-digit interest rate and be used   for feasible infrastructure development alone.

“We also recommend the need for increased internally generated revenue to minimise borrowing to fund Infrastructure development in the state,” Somto Udeze, the chairman of the committee that scrutinized the loan request said.

The Assembly has since approved the loan.

The CPS spoke after the state received over N268 million being its first share of the 13 per cent derivation in her new status as an oil-producing state in Nigeria.

He explained that the derivation funds and the N100 billion loan approved by the state Assembly will go a long way in the Governor Soludo’s quest to provide the badly needed infrastructure

According to the governor’s spokesman, “It is a welcome development that we are now earning 13 per cent derivation fund from the Federal Government. But as it is, it is still a far cry from what the state government needs to put in place the infrastructure it wants to put in place for the people of Anambra State.

“But at least, something has come in to boost the finances of the state.

“It is still not enough, the government still needs to source additional funds, that was the reason we were looking for the N100bn loan to fund the infrastructural project we had earmarked for the 2022/2023 budget.

“Whether the current government was expecting the money or not does not matter, what matters is that Anambra has been designated as an oil-producing state, so, therefore, it means that it is qualified to get the 13 per cent derivation fund and that it came at this time is a welcomed development.

“Before the governor came into office, based on his calculation and projection and to put in place the needed infrastructure, it will cost about N250bn every year to put in those infrastructure required to build that livable homeland.

“So, the N100bn that the governor has asked for will help to begin work on the required infrastructural projects. So, the 13 per cent derivative fund is just like an addition, although, it is still not enough,” Aburime said.

UBA Appoints New GMD; Uzoka Retires

By
Tosin Olatokunbo
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The United Bank for Africa, UBA has appointed Oliver Alabuwa as the new Group Managing Director. GMD. This followed the retirement of Kennedy Uzoka, the former chief executive of the commercial bank.

Tony Elumelu, the chairman of the bank announced the appointment of Alabuwa on Monday, saying the new appointment is subject to the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN approval.

The board of the bank also made other executive appointments which include Muyiwa Akinyemi, as Deputy Managing Director, Caroline Anyanwu as Non-Executive Director, Ms. Sola Yomi-Ajayi, Executive Director, Treasury and International Banking, Ugochukwu Nwagodoh, Executive Director, Finance and Risk Management, amongst others.

‘I am very pleased to announce Oliver Alawuba as the new Group Managing Director of the UBA Group. Oliver has extensive experience in Nigeria and our African network and is well equipped to advance our pan-African and global strategy.

“I have no doubt that Oliver will build on the legacy of Kennedy Uzoka, who has exemplified transformational leadership by championing a customer-first philosophy; launching our twentieth operation in Africa, UBA Mali; acquiring a wholesale banking licence for UBA UK in the United Kingdom; and opening our fourth global operation, UBA Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates,” Elumelu said.

Speaking on his appointment, Alawuba said he’s “grateful for the opportunity to lead this great institution and would like to thank the UBA Group Chairman and the members of the Board of Directors for the confidence they have put in me to deliver the mandate.”

His appointment took effect from August 1, the bank said.

Abati Tells Wike Some “Home Truths”; Calls Him Immature; Asks PDP To Give Him Lollypop To Stop His Tantrums

By
Akinwale Kasali
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0

By Akinwale Kasali.

Not a few people say that Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, looked for trouble. If so, he got it back in full dose.

Dr Reuben Abati, accomplished and celebrated journalist, academic, lawyer, TV personality, was unsparing.

Trouble began when an ARISE Television team, in their popular daily  Morning Show, hosted Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to an interview.

Atiku had beaten Wike, a Presidential aspirant, to the PDP ticket. That shocked Wike who had boasted before the Primary that he was already the candidate. But worse tiding was in  stock for him.

He had expected to be Atiku’s running mate, especially, as he was one of the three shortlisted candidates by a 17-man Committee, set up to screen a possible running mate for the candidate. The Committee, headed by Wike’s close ally, Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, recommended three possibles – Wike, Delta State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa and Akwa Ibom State Governor, Udom Emmanuel.

Even though Ortom said Wike got 14 votes out of 17, Atiku by-passed him and picked Okowa.

Since then, Wike and his camp have been indifferent to the Party’s activities. He has been busy playing host to Presidential candidates and Party big wigs from other Political parties, including the APC, fueling speculations of a possible defection to another party.

On Sunday, he held a meeting with members of his camp, who include four Governors, a couple of former-Governors and some PDP chieftains. Professor Jerry Gana, who spoke on their behalf said the team remained in tact, and would be heard from.

When Atiku appeared before the ARISE TV Team, he was asked why he picked Okowa instead of Wike. His answer was simple. He said it was not like he rejected Wike, but that he picked who he could work with amicably, and who would be a President-in-waiting.

Stung, Wike labeled Atiku a liar, and vowed to expose what he called recent events in the PDP. He said Atiku lied during the ARISE TV interview. Then, he singled Abati out for not asking Atiku the appropriate questions.

In an unprecedented response on Monday during the Morning Show, Abati told Wike what not a few PDP chieftains have been saying of Wike behind him.

According to Abati, the PDP is to be blamed for

“Giving the Party over to one man who developed a sense of delusion, a sense of exaggerated importance, who thought he could lord it over other members of the Party.

“Now they have had a meeting yesterday, Prof. Jerry Gana, who is one of the founding fathers of the Party, says ‘we are one’.

“Well, that contradicts what Nyesom Wike himself pointed out in the interview he granted at the Port Harcourt International Airport when he returned from a trip.

“He said that he will talk more. What is he going to say?  In his 15 minutes of rambling protest, he said Abubakar Atiku lied in an interview he had with ARISE TV.

“Two of the interviewers are here. At the end of the day he did not debunk the lies that he imagined. I am not defending the Atiku camp, it is not my job, I am a journalist.

“Now what did Atiku say that he addressed, concretely, other than to say Atiku lied. Atiku said he was given a short list and he chose from the short list imposed on him and that it was his prerogative to choose his own running mate. How is that a problem?

“You ask the question, what does Wike actually want?

“The other day when we discussed this issue, I said Wike is throwing tantrums. They should give him lolly pop.

“The major take away from that his interview at the Airport is that nobody has brought the lolly pop to him. So what is that lolly pop that he wants? I said when a child is crying you pet him and give him sweets to lick. Give him lolly pop let him lick it.

“However, the most important thing and point I have seen is the statement made by former Jigawa State Governor and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alhaji Sule Lamido, who says the Party is supreme and that Governor Nyesom Wike should follow the example of the likes of former Governor Peter Odili, the examples of Rotimi Amaechi, the example of Vice President of Nigeria today, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and others.

“The Senate President, Dr.Ahmad Lawan who in failing to get the ticket has shown greater maturity.  Then you have an individual in one Political Party just distracting everybody’s attention with his own immaturity. And in that interview, Governor Wike was trying to teach journalism. He even singled me out.

“Well Governor Wike is not in the position to teach Reuben Abati Journalism. He calls it Investigative Journalism, because we went to do an interview.

“I put it to him that we asked all the right questions, and I have been in this media space , and I have been writing for the Nigeria Press since 1985.

“I don’t know where Governor Wike was at that time. And I have been on Television every day  since the year 2000, thanks to Prof. Pat Utomi, former President, Goodluck Jonathan and Prince Nduka Obaigbena.

“Governor Wike does not have the capacity, or the intellect to teach me, Reuben Abati, journalism. If he wants to study my body of work over several  decades behind me, he will spend more than a year just to figure out the amount of work that I have done. But I think it is important for him to moderate his anger and allow Nigerians to focus on serious issues rather than this self-promotion, throwing of  tantrums all over the place. And he should look at the examples of what people are doing in other jurisdictions when they are talking about ideas. We will like to engage him at the level of ideas, not at the level of his emotional choices.

“So people should not think because they are in the Government and because they have a platform so they have the right to misbehave in the public domain. Because, indeed, there are persons who are now saying: what exactly does Governor Wike wants? And how far does he want go?

If he is tired of the PDP, he has the option of going to another Political Party, doesn’t he? It is within his right to do so.”

Osun APC Faction Fingers Aregbesola In Planned Protest To Discredit Gov Oyetola

By
Ayodele Oni
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0

By Ayodele Oni

Things are yet to be at ease within the rank and file of members of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) in Osun state, despite the poor outing of the ruling party during last month governorship election.

Incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola placed second after Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) in the election.

The defeat of the incumbent has been traced to the unending crisis in the ruling party which has also led to two factions of APC in the state.

Minister of interior and former Governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola is leading one of the factions which is made up of mainly political appointees in his eight years tenure.

Factional chairman of the party, loyal to Governor Oyetola, Gboyega Famodun has accused members loyal to Aregbesola of planning to forment crisis aiming at denigrating Governor Oyetola.

A statement by his media assistant, Kola Olabisi in Osogbo said “self-styled The Osun Progressives (TOP), has fine tuned, funded and concluded a skillfully orchestrated sinister plan to promote a large-scale disturbance in the political firmament of the state.

“It was learnt that a leader of TOP from the West Senatorial District of the state has been saddled with the responsibility of mobilizing the members of the group across the state and some members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with a view to sponsoring series of protests against the state leadership of the APC under the chairmanship of Prince Gboyega Famodun, across the states and at the APC Headquarters in Abuja.

“It would be recalled that TOP members worked in cahoots with the PDP during the last governorship election in Osun State on the directive of their leaders while the said leaders merely flashed their voters cards fraudulently indicating that they voted for Governor Gboyega Oyetola as a smokescreen designed to fake their continuous loyalty to the APC.

“It was observed that all the TOP members across the state openly celebrated the pyrrhic governorship victory of the PDP candidate over that of the APC candidate while the said TOP members were openly denigrating the APC, Oyetola, Famodun and other principal members of the party through verifiable write-ups and recorded  audio messages in the social media.

“It was also gathered that the intention of the said TOP leadership under the self-asserted patronship of the Interior Minister, who was the immediate-past governor of the state, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, is to go for the jugular of the leadership of the APC at all the various levels across the state after they had patently and conscientiously worked for the PDP victory in the governorship election.

“The sing songs of the handlers of TOP have been that they are desirous to reorganize the APC which had successfully held its party primaries at all levels of the party across the state, backed with the statutory tenure in accordance with the relevant provisions of the constitution of the party.

“It is urgently expedient for all the genuine members, leaders, supporters and apologists of our party, the APC, to be at alert and resist any  intention  of any group of disgruntled elements who are PDP members in spirit, but APC in body with the sole motive to bring down the formidable wall of our party for selfish reasons.

“Report further revealed that part of the intentions of TOP is to work towards putting the leadership of the APC under their new political ally in Senator Ademola Adeleke under whose administration they wish to reap their unalloyed support  by way of appointments and patronages during the last governorship election.

“Another targeted intention of the inglorious TOP handlers is to create series of violent protests across the state as a prelude or pre condition for the creation of a state of emergency in the state in order to create a false impression that peace has eluded the perpetually peaceful state under the administration of Governor Oyetola.

“The aim of seeking for the hands of some PDP members in the planned protests in both Osun State and Abuja, is to create a false impression that TOP members are more in number than what they are actually.

“It is for this reason that we are calling the attention of the National Headquarters of our party under the chairmanship of Senator Adamu Abdullahi, to be in the know of the unsavoury development being suspiciously funded, directed and aided by a serving Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“We are also, by this development, imploring the Inspector-General of Police, the Osun State Police Command and other sister statutory security outfits with the local security outfits to be on red alert with a view to nip in the bud any sinister motive of any individual or a group of disgruntled elements to plunge the state into an avoidable anarchic situation under whatever guise.

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