Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, says that with Edo State now a PDP state, the South-south zone will now speak with one voice, and address frontally issues concerning the Niger Delta.
Wike spoke when he returned to Rivers State as a victorious warlord from the battlefield, with spoils of war.
The mammoth crowd that besieged the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, to welcome him was overwhelming.
He triumphantly walked into the waiting arms of the enthusiastic Rivers people who thronged the airport in appreciation of his role in the victory, in Edo State, of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
Obaseki was re-elected as the governor of the State for another term in office.
In his address, Wike commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police over their conduct during the Edo Governorship Election.
Wike is the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Campaign Council.
The Governor also commended the people of Edo State for ending godfatherism with the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki.
“With the re-election of Governor Obaseki, the entire South-South Region is now completely PDP.
“What this means is that the entire South-South can now speak with one voice on issues concerning us,” he stated.
Wike had earlier said the electoral victory of Obaseki has ended godfatherism in Edo State.
Governor Wike made the assertion at a press conference in Benin City shortly after the declaration of Governor Obaseki as the winner of Edo Governorship Election.
He, however, acknowledged that Edo people spoke vehemently with their votes by re-electing Obaseki.
He noted that with the outcome of the election, Edo people would no longer put their fate in the hands of one man.
“If for nothing, we have made the point that there is nothing called godfatherism again in Edo State politics.
“I thank Governor Obaseki for volunteering to be used to fight for the interest of Edo State,” he said.
Shortly after Governor Godwin Obaseki, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the September 19, 2020, election was declared re-elected, a top notch of the All Progre ssives Congress, APC, who spoke to The source in August concerning the Edo election put a call across to the magazine again.His message was succinct: “I told you we would not allow Oshiohmole and Tinubu have their way in Edo.We have done just that”
The “we” here is the anti-Bola Tinubu/Adam Oshiohmole faction of the APC.
He had, last month, vowed that his faction of APC would do everything possible to ensure that Ize Iyamu was defeated because “his victory means Tinubu/ Oshiohmole victory.
His words back in August: “Having succeeded in stopping Oshiohmole on his track, it will be bad politics to support anything or anybody capable of giving him a lifeline, politically.
“Its a common knowledge that Ize-Iyamu is his candidate, his victory, therefore, means Oshiohmole’s victory; it will also be Tinubu’s victory.Edo in the kitty of the Tinubu/Oshiohmole alliance could alter the 2023 calculations as regards our party’s presidential ticket and we won’t allow this happen.And we will be ready to sacrifice Edo to stop it
“The internal APC forces against Oshiohmole and Tinubu are, also, by extension against the victory of Ize- Iyamu. Therefore, we won’t mind Obaseki’s victory in order to thwart Tinubu/ Oshiohmole ascendancy.
Ize-Iyamu: Vanquished
Essentially, following the internecine intra-party crisis that climaxed with easing out of Oshiohmole as APC’s National Chairman few months back, in its August 15, 2020 Edition captioned “Intrigues that May Undo Ize-Iyamu Afoot”, The Source had unearthed a grand plan by the above mentioned faction of the party to work for governor Obaseki’s re-election rather than the election of the candidate of the party, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu anointed by the then National Chairman and handed the party’s Edo gubernatorial ticket in the place of Obaseki.
Obaseki would later defect to the PDP in June where he effortlessly picked the party’s ticket.
Notedly, Ize-Iyamu’s crushing defeat brings to a head, the debilitating cracks on APC’s walls. Reacting to the the party’s loss at the polls, a chieftain from Edo told The Source thus: “APC simply defeated APC. Denial of Obaseki of our party’s ticket was the height of Oshiohmole’s shameless rascality.It was a costly mistake that should have been avoided. Why would you deny a performing governor a return ticket to continue with his good works?
Oshiohmole: Diminished godfather
“I can tell you that many highly placed APC members secretly worked for Obaseki in protest of the ill-advised treatment Oshiohmole meted to him”.
Impeccable party sources told this magazine that shortly after the Oshiohmole-led APC’s National Working Committee, NWC announced the disqualification of Obaseki thus shutting him out from the APC gubernatorial primary, some governors of the party opposed to him and Tinubu’s rumoured presidential ambition reached out to the governor and urged him to move to the PDP, pledging to fund his campaign.
The APC governors, the magazine was told, not only funded his campaign, but were regularly giving him tips on how to out-wit and manoeuvre Oshiohmole.
Disinterested in the Ize-Iyamu candidacy by most of the party’s governors and top party stalwarts, it was learnt, accounted for the cancellation of the grand finale of the APC gubernatorial campaign billed for Benin on Wednesday, 16th October, 2020.
“The final campaign rally was aborted when it became clear that those that matter in the party, including governors, will boycott it”, our source confirmed.
Apart from internal APC wranglings, other factors that contributed to the defeat of Ize-Iyamu, the magazine’s findings reveal, include:
Tinubu: His “broadcast” angered the people, fuelled Edo no bi Lagos movement.
Fear of Further US Hammer:
The APC rigging machine, sources claim, was swiftly deactivated following Visa restrictions imposed on top members of the party, including some of its governors, by the United States for rigging past elections.
“Many party members with heavy war chest, before the US harmer fell, were ready to go the extra mile to install Iyamu but they developed cold feet because of fear of US.Many of them have properties and families in the US and can not risk visa ban or confiscation of their properties”, a party insider said.
Tinubu’s “Broadcast:
Few days to the election, Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor and the APC National Leader released a five minutes video asking Edo people to reject governor Obaseki who he dubbed a dictator and vote for Ize-Iyamu.
The video sparked outrage in Edo with many people in the state vowing to demonstrate to the former Lagos state governor who is the undisputed political godfather in Lagos that Edo is not Lagos where he reigns supreme and singlehandedly instals political office holders, including governors at will, unchallenged.
This resolute determination to prove a point to the APC National Leader would immediately culminate in the pro-Obaseki “Edo No Bi Lagos movement which grew like wild fire and aggressively aroused the political consciousness of the people and fired their resolve to disgrace Oshiohmole, Tinubu and punish Ize-Iyamu with their votes.
“The Tinubu video portrayed him before Edo people as an emperor frantically desirous of expanding his empire.
“The people were indeed fed up with the APC and Tinubu added salt to injury with his video thus leaving a broad spectrum of Edo people with the impression that the video was a clear and unapologetic comfirmation of his plot to annex our state and add it to his political empire”, Odion Frank, a 24 year old job seeker who confessed he had sympathy for APC as party but voted for Obaseki, told the magazine.
Aso Rock Cabal and the 2023 Permutations: It has also been posited that Obaseki won just because the cabal in Aso Rock adamantly refused to authorize the unleashing of federal might on Edo to swing victory to Ize-Iyamu.
Buhari: Instructed Security agents, INEC to be neutral
An insider told The Source: “Oshiohmole and his gang knew quite alright that in a free and fair contest, Ize-Iyamu stood no chance against Obaseki but they nonetheless were upbeat, believing that things will be sorted out via ballot snatching, mass thumb printing of ballot papers, intimidation of PDP agents and other forms of rigging.
“In fact, they were misled into believing that the powers that be in Aso Rock will deploy federal might or use INEC to rig the election for their candidate but they miscalculated.It was mid way into the election that they realised they had been fantasizing.
“A statement attributed to President Muhammadu Buhari two days to the election instructing security agencies and INEC to play by the rules was enough to send an unsettling message to Oshiohmole, but he was so blinded by the anticipation of federal might.
“The absence of federal might in the Edo election, of course has the imprimatur of 2023 calculations as it concerns the APC presidential ticket.
“The Aso Rock cabal opposed to Tinubu simply sent him a warming signal via the Edo election”
A presidential source claims that Aso Rock cabal, aware that Obaseki was sure-footed for victory, gave security forces stern order not to do anything to aid the victory of the APC candidate.
His words: “Soldiers were posted at the fringes of Edo, and were issued orders not to allow any rigging.
“The soldiers effectively ensured that political thugs from Kogi that were procured to aid in rigging the election never made it to Edo”
The PDP Governors’ Forum hereby congratulates His Excellency, Mr Godwin Obaseki, as the Governor-elect of Edo State.
Your victory, in the just concluded governorship election, is a testament to the triumph of justice, hardwork, resilience, grit, forward planning, clinical execution and reward for improving the lot of the people of Edo State.
As the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the election, you validated the well-known fact that Edo State is truly a PDP dominated State. It is a resounding endorsement by Edo people of your performance in the last four years. It is an absolute rejection by Edolites of Godfatherism and imposition of their leaders by forces from outside the State.
Your election has rekindled the hope of Nigerians that a free and fair election is still possible in Nigeria.
We single out INEC, the electoral umpire, for special commendation as it didn’t allow itself as an institution to be manipulated into subverting the clearly expressed will and wishes of the people of Edo State.
We applaud the Security Agencies for their fairness and relative neutrality in the conduct of the elections.
In all these, special thanks must go to the President, Commander-in- Chief, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, for keeping his word not to, unduly, interfere in the elections by using state machinery.
We, in the PDP Governors’ Forum, wish to place on record our appreciation of the hardwork, dedication and commitment exhibited by the National Chairman of the PDP, the PDP National Working Committee, the leadership and members of the Edo State Chapter of the party and in particular the Edo PDP Campaign Council led by His Excellency, Governor Nyesom Wike and other Governors of the PDP.
We also thank our party stalwarts in Edo State and other PDP leaders and stakeholders for working together to deliver Edo State to PDP.
It now behoves on the governor – elect, Mr Obaseki, to reciprocate the support of the people by doubling his effort to sustain good governance and accountability to the people of Edo State who have invested their trust and confidence in him.
Even as a PDP governor -elect , we trust that you will govern with fairness to all Edolites, irrespective of party affiliation or support for you. The Edo people have spoken, and democracy has triumphed. It is indeed the will of God.
Its morning again in Edo.
Tambuwal, CFR, is Chairman, PDP Governors’ Forum/ the Governor of Edo State.
A founding member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha, has declared the Party dead. He said that only respect for President Muhammadu Buhari is all that is left of the APC, and that the crisis rocking the party was part of consequences for relegating the founding members.
Okorocha spoke whilr addressing some journalists on Sunday in Abuja.He said that there is no more APC.
According to him, the party that is smarting from internal crisis, after the 2019 general elections, died the day the leadership abandoned the progressive and democratic ideals on which it was founded.
Okorocha, who is also the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, said that apart from President Buhari, the other leaders of the political blocks that merged to form the party in 2015, were practically schemed out by forces that later joined the party.
“Permit me to give you the inside of APC, this word APC was formed by four major political parties that had governors, one was the CPC led by President Muhammadu Buhari, ACN led by Ahmed Tinubu, ANPP led by Ogbonnaya Onu who all brought their structure, APGA led by me brought in our structure. Every other person fell into this structure. The PDP group came in and joined us. I gave the name APC. I designed that logo and that was the beginning of the party and we had understanding.
“That is the party you call APC and unless we go back to where it all started, APC can never see the light of the day and that was how we started and that was what brought President Muhammadu Buhari to office.
You cannot rule out the role of these four key people, then CPC has only one governor in Nasarawa, APGA had only one governor, ACN came with the chunk of the governors and ANPP had a few. And we shared the first positions equally among these four parties. Now the founding fathers of the part are relegated to the backgrounds and people are coming with different interests making us play the same kind of politics that PDP played,” Okorocha said.
He added, “There is no more APC, what we have is the respect for President Muhammadu Buhari, that is what is keeping us together. What we have is our respect for the person of President Buhari and we still believe that something can be done.
“That trust and respect is (sic) what we still call APC. Outside that, respect for President Buhari and the trust and belief that he could wake up one day and correct all these injustices and make it fine. That is the only thing that is keeping the APC, if not that, I don’t think there is anything like APC because people are beginning to get fed up. Again, PDP is not even better; the party has its own challenges.
After committing over N4 billion to various Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR projects in its host communities in ogun state, Dangote Cement Plc said it’s poised to do more as long as the people allow a peaceful atmosphere for its business to thrive.
The company disclosed this in a statement signed by its Media and Community Relations Manager, Francis Awowole-Browne, on Sunday.
The cement firm stated that it has provided life touching projects such as road construction, building of schools, health care facilities and much more for the 14 host communities.
Dangote said “Since the inception of Dangote Cement in Ibese, in the last eight years of creation in Ogun, we have focused on construction and repairs of roads, the building of blocks of classrooms, construction and repairs of healthcare facilities. “We have also provided boreholes, some electricity transformers, among others.”
The life transforming projects include 40 classrooms, three health centres, 22 boreholes, three transformers totalling N4.1bn.
The company lists other ongoing projects as 18 classrooms, four roads, one borehole, one health centre and five transformers estimated at over N278 million.
Azad Nawabuddin, Dangote Cement Company Plant Director, said the company will continue to spend more on CSR to compensate for the peaceful conducts of the host communities. This includes training for youths of its host communities, under the aegis of the Host Community Youths Skills Acquisition and Empowerment Programme, HCYSAEP, he said because of the importance of education.
He said “Education is power, skill is power, and Dangote cement places a premium on education and skills acquisition; that is why we are encouraging our people to be educated,”
He alsostated that 635 youths from the communities in various institutions across the country had benefitted from the company’s annual scholarship award while 20 youths had been sent to Dangote Academy, Obajana for various training.
He added that Dangote Industries had begun rice outgrower programme in Ibese to improve youth employment, create wealth and support the government in its quest to attain food security.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Youths and Sports Dr Oluwadare Kehinde has commended Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group for transforming lives.
“We need to commend Alhaji Aliko Dangote for all these economic interventions. “It is crystal clear that government cannot do it alone, hence, we need a partnership for good governance,” Kehinde said.
The wife of Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state, Anna Ishaku has commended Fidelity Bank Plc for providing free medical assistance to 829 Internally Displaced Persons , IDPs in Kona community of the state.
The Taraba helmsman’s wife stated this at the three-day outreach organised by Hope Afresh Foundation in collaboration with the bank’s employees as part of Fidelity Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR initiatives.
The bank disclosed this in a statement where the managing director and chief executive officer of Fidelity Bank, Nnamdi Okonkwo, who was represented at the occasion by Chris Nnakwe, Head, CSR & Sustainability, said that the outreach was one of the bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility, CSR.
Fidelity Bank and the foundation, the statement said are driven purely by altruistic values and an innate desire to make the world a better place, and have decided to pull resources together to offer free qualitative healthcare to the people.
The governors’s wife, on her part, praised the bank for identifying healthcare as an integral part of its CSR strategy, especially, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ishaku also advised the beneficiaries of the outreach to always go for regular medical checkups in order to reduce cases of diabetes, cancer, hepatitis, and high blood pressure, urging other well meaning Nigerians and corporate organizations to emulate the Fidelity Bank in its quest to make the society a better place.
She said “I urge other corporate bodies, non-governmental and governmental organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to emulate the bank by giving back to the society,” she said.
Okonkwo also stated that the bank is making the world a better place through its various CRS initiatives “At Fidelity Bank, we understand that good health and well-being are fundamentals to sustainable development.
The bank’s CEO said “As much as the world has made significant progress in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, basic access to healthcare remains a challenge in Nigeria,” he added.
The traditional chief of Kona, Augustine Njenmang Vengkani , expressed gratitude to the bank and the foundation for the kind gesture.
“By collaborating with Hope Afresh Foundation, the bank provided a variety of medical tests and prescribed drugs that will help promote the general health and well-being of IDPs in Kona community of the state,” the bank further said in the statement.
Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has said “the people of Edo State has demonstrated exceptional resilience and stood out as champions of democracy by standing against obvious intimidation to not only vote, but also to ensure that their votes counted.”
While Congratulating Governor Godwin Obaseki on his victory in the Saturday’s governorship election in the state, the CNPP noted that the people of Edo State have given Nigerians the needed tonic to kill godfatherism everywhere in the country.
The umbrella body of all registered political parties and political associations in Nigeria stated these in a statement signed by its Secretary General, Chief Willy Ezugwu, adding that “the visa ban slammed on some politicians who upturned the will of the people in previous elections may have also contributed in reducing the degree of compromise by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo State.
“The people of Edo State are the real winners in the September 18, 2020 governorship election for coming out enmasse, standing against obvious intimidation, and ensuring that their votes counted.
“Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is indeed a popular candidate in the state by all standards, but we see every vote against him and his party as a vote against godfatherism in the country.
“The Edo people have again demonstrated that if voters turn out in large numbers to vote and stand to protect their votes, it will go a long way in bringing sanity to the electoral system and ensure the sanctity of the ballox box is upheld for democracy to thrive in the country.
“Godfatherism and nepotism are the two major killers of the Nigerian democracy. So, we urge Nigerians to emulate the Edo people and united to retire all godfathers from politics everywhere in the country.
“Now that the people are awake, political parties should begin to compel their elected public officeholders to deliver exceptional dividends of democracy for the good of the people as a prerequisite for reelection.
“We, therefore, commend the international community for the recent visa restrictions placed on identified election riggers in the country.
“The CNPP urges more countries in the international community to help save Nigerian democracy by identifying and bans the issuance of Visas to election riggers in Africa, extending such restrictions to members of their families, judicial officers, as well as all the beneficiaries, including top members of benefiting political parties, ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“INEC is hereby commended for not bowing completely to federal pressure to utterly corrupt the electoral process. It must be noted that if INEC does not want any election to be rigged, no politician can alter the will of the people.
“The only way Nigeria will survive beyond 2023 is to ensure equity, justice and fair play in the next general elections. And the responsibility is placed on INEC and the Nigerian political parties to ensure that the country remains un-dismembered by being fair to all parts of the country.
“It is only in the atmosphere of justice and level playing field that Nigeria can have peace and remain a united indivisible entity”, the CNPP observed.
In his first official reaction to his overwhelming victory over APC’s Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, re-elected Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, thanked, profusely, President Muhammadu Buhari, for standing by democracy and encouraging a free and fair election.
He, also, paid a glowing tribute to INEC and Security Agencies, for playing a patriotic role, without any fear or favour.
He said that by their collective action, they have given Edo people a new lease of life, and helped them kill political godfatherism.
Obaseki profusely thanked his Governor-colleagues for standing by him, all the way, and the PDP, for offering him and his Deputy, Philip Shaibu, umbrellas during a stormy rain.
Commending Edo people for their resilence, and steadfastness, he promised to do nothing else but serve them and the State.
Obaseki roundly defeated Ize-Iyamu, outrightly, winning in 14 out of the state’s 18 LGA’s.
He beat Ize-Iyamu with a margin of over 83 thousand votes.
Air pollution, resulting from carcasses of some cows struck dead by thunder in Ekiti state, is imminent.
15 cows were struck dead at Ikogosi community in Ekiti West Local Government area of Ekiti State, Saturday evening, during a heavy downpour.
A community leader in the town, Chief Ayo Ademilua, described the incident as a natural occurrence, but added it was strange in the town.
According to him, the incident happened at the tourists site, Ikogosi Warm Spring along Ipole – Ekiti road.
He explained that the thunder struck during a torrential downpour between 4:00pm. and 6:02pm. on Saturday.
“The whole town shook when the thunder struck. Later, some commuters, coming into town, and those returning home from their farms, saw the Fulani herdersmen lamenting that it was the thunder that killed their cattle,” he said.
Also commenting on the incident, Onikogosi of Ikogosi Ekiti, Oba Abiodun Olorunnisola, said that the Herders were making spirited efforts to sell the dead cows to residents, saying that this portends health risk to his people.
The Monarch pointed out that he had already reached out to his colleague at Ipole Ekiti, Oba Oladele Babatola, on the need to alert the people against consuming such a desecrated meat.
“The two of us have explained to our subjects that there was an attempt to commence the sale of the cows, and we are making concerted efforts to prevail on intending buyers.”
The Monarch, however, called on government to evacuate the carcasses of the cows to prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the area.
Similar incident was reported in Ondo state, a year ago, when close to 40 cows were struck dead at a sacred hill in Ijare.
President Muhammadu Buhari has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the election process in the Edo State Governorship which led to the re-election of Governor Godwin Obaseki as the winner.
He also commended the People of Edo State for the peaceful manner most of them conducted themselves during the election which held on September 19.
Most important, the President, behaving like a father to all, has congratulated the winner of the election, Obaseki, who roundly defeated the President’s candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu.
Describing himself as an advocate of democracy, he urged Obaseki to show grace and humility in victory.
In a statement signed on the President’s behalf by Garba Shehu, President Buhari’s Senior Special Assistant, the President said :
“My commitment to free and fair elections is firm, because without free and fair elections, the foundation of our political and moral authority will be weak.
“I have consistently advocated for free and fair elections in the country because it is the bedrock of true democratic order.
“Democracy will mean nothing if the votes of the people don’t count or if their mandate is fraudulently tampered with.”
A couple of days to the election, the President had enjoined the INEC and Security Agencies to perform their job without fear or favour. They definitely listened to him, as most people agree that the election, which many had feared would be bloody, was mostly peaceful.
