The Nigeria’s former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and Ambassador, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd), on Tuesday expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration will surmount the new security challenges facing the country and called on Nigerians to exercise patience.
Besides subsiding terrorists attacks in the North East, banditry, kidnapping, and terrorism have led other criminal activities in other parts of the country.
Speaking in Abuja when Security Watch Africa (SWA) Team led by its President/C.E.O., Mr. Patrick Agbambu, paid him a courtesy visit, Amb. Buratai, pointed out that President Buhari brought the rampant activities of terrorists in the North East before his tenure under control when he assumed office in 2015.
He said “But a new challenge has emerged in other parts of the country which is a fall out of what happened in the North East.
“But I believe government is concerned and is not sitting idle, its not resting.
“Things are being done and I believe the current state of fear, the sense of despair in some quarters will soon be resolved,” he stated.
Recalling the situation in the country before President Buhari assumed office in 2015, he said “The security situation continued to deteriorate. But we give glory to God for the change in 2015.
“We contributed our little quota to stop the drift into anarchy. People tend to forget where we were.
“When we were in the office, we responded immediately there was any attack and we were always ahead of them.
“I believe we have done our country proud as members of the Armed Forces and we are still doing our best,” he added.
With so much conviction, the former COAS concludes, “The situation now will soon be tackled just like we did with the Boko Haram issue. President Buhari has the will and requisite capacity to surmount these challenges.”
Timawus Mathias, a Veteran broadcaster at the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Yola, Adamawa State, has regained consciousness after five weeks of being in coma.
He broke the news on Monday evening on Facebook.
The 73-year-old who retired as a manager before going into private practice, stated:
“This has miraculously restored itself and I hope and pray it remains so. I came under the weather and was in coma for 5 weeks. When I came round I found I had been spun out of this cyclone of social media. I will tell my story in due course. For now help me sing Halelluiah, glory to God. “
After his retirement, he
started his own media firm, Quest Media.
CBA FOUNDATION TAKES INTERVENTION AMONG UNDERPRIVILEGED WIDOWS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, WITH THEIR SOCIAL ENTERPRISE INITIATIVE
If indications from two separate but related events that were held few months ago are anything to go by, then one of Nigeria’s most vulnerable groups may be on the verge of experiencing better times. The events, hosted in two separate states/regions and split by a 20-day interval, held at a time when self-splurging by many young Nigerians was at octane levels, and saw young men and women behind an NGO that caters to the welfare of underprivileged widows and their vulnerable children, passionately putting the widows’ needs above their wants.
The NGO, CBA Foundation, its dedicated and passionate staff, some supporters and donors came out in their numbers on two dedicated days to give widows in selected communities in Lagos and Anambra a treat. The Lagos outreach benefitted, in a unique way, widows in six communities in Ibeju-Lekki, namely: Badore, Iberekodo, Museyo, Magbon Alade, Okunola Ilado and Magbon Iga.
CBA Foundation seized the opportunity of the outreach to launch a new initiative it tagged Social Enterprise Initiative. The Initiative, which is aimed at ensuring the long-term sustainability of all efforts to protect and promote the welfare of widows as well as their children, is to cater to the financial, mental and physical health needs of beneficiaries. The Initiative is designed to provide comprehensive support, including health interventions, skill acquisition, business set-up, food and drinks, clothes and shoes.It also includes general support for all affected widows.
The Founder/CEO of CBA Foundation, Mrs Chinwe Bode-Akinwande explained the reason for the Foundation’s shift to the new Initiative: “We have been doing outreaches and it has been non-stop, but the essence of this Social Enterprise Initiative is for the widows to have something that will sustain them even for a longer period, something that will give them hope, knowing that they have a sustainable source of livelihood and activities that remind them that they need to keep going.”
Continuing, she reveals when the idea for the new initiative began: “When the lockdown came during the peak of covid 19, we realised that there was a need again to have something sustainable for these women. With the Social Enterprise Initiative, we identify the skills they need to possess, and what they are passionate about, we also empower them with the necessary training and then set them up with all they need for the business. At the end of the day, they won’t have to wait daily for the CBA Foundation to give them food or clothing.”
Mrs Bode-Akinwande noted that the Initiative had been informed by a rigorous analysis of the data in their database, gathered over the years on widows whom they have reached out to and the support they have been receiving from both individual and corporate donors. She said that they had dimensioned all the critical issues from widows with critical needs, where the Foundation needed to begin its interventions, to widows who needed to be set up in business and to several widows’ children who needed to be reinstated back in school.
She also remarked that plans were underway at the Foundation to take the skills acquisition training further, beginning with adire-making (tie and dye). She announced that the Foundation would have a line of products that would be its adire pattern, displaying its unique signature. When sold, the net proceeds would be ploughed back into the Foundation as a constant stream of income.
The idea, the Foundation’s CEO stressed, would inspire the widows who show a keen interest in adire-making as they would be involved and exposed to its value chain which is essential to optimising their execution after their training. So, the adire-making training followed with tutorials on the step-by-step processes involved in it, materials needed and how to identify them, necessary safety precautions, various tie and dye techniques, packaging and distribution and how to make a living from adire-making.
For widows with impaired vision at the event, they were able to have free consultations with an ophthalmologist, get free eye tests and free reading glasses, courtesy of a partnership between FirstBank and Vision Spring. What followed when beneficiaries had the free reading glasses fitted and could see clearly were scenes similar to ones where people had experienced supernatural miracles. The ecstatic joy was palpable.
Take 59-year-old Hassanat Oyewunmi, for example. Tears of joy rolled freely from her eyes as she remarked that her farsightedness challenge had been addressed. She confessed excitedly that she felt “better, much better now with the glasses, and I can even see everyone clearly. It is good to know that we are not forgotten.”
Olabode Sadiat, 62, could not contain her joy as she wore her glasses and pointed in the distance, while indicating that she could see everything in her line of sight. She had suffered from a blurry vision that made reading her Bible difficult. “Nothing is more painful than not being able to read your Bible,” she had noted following the medical intervention.
The widows also received food, drinks, clothing and other materials that were distributed during the outreach. They were also given a final charge by Mrs Bode-Akinwande in which she reminded them that they were not alone and could always count on the support of the CBA Foundation.
In all, 165 widows across the six communities of Ibeju-Lekki benefitted when the Lagos outreach was held. The Anambra outreach, on the other hand, benefitted 75 widows from four communities in the Nnewi area of the state.
Food items and financial empowerment constituted the bulk of the support CBA Foundation gave the Anambra widows to celebrate the festive season. The Anambra initiative has enjoyed tremendous support from a donor who has been consistent over the past four years. The Founder of the Foundation expressed gratitude to the donor while remarking that the outreach is a source of enablement for the underprivileged widows and their children.
She continues: “We give hope to the hopeless. We are driven to support underprivileged widows to have a positive outlook on life despite the problems they experience by losing their loved one, mostly the breadwinner of the family.”
Both Lagos and Anambra outreaches were in some sense CBA Foundation’s way of giving underprivileged widows a “December to Remember” treat annually. Of course, that treat would at best be modest compared to how people who were not in any known vulnerable categories took care of themselves and themselves alone. Even with the best of intentions, CBA Foundation could only work with donations received from donors and supporters at a time of the year when most (young) people were dedicating more resources to the self-splurging that December has come to represent.
While it may not be in one’s place to dictate to others how they should spend the money they have worked so hard to make, one cannot help but try to point them to ways they could better dispense their hard-earned cash that would be in their enlightened self-interest. Or what sense is there in spending on oneself so lavishly and ostentatiously as though spending was going to go out of fashion at any moment only to provoke the have-nots to make one the target of their misdirected anger in a society that is largely dysfunctional?
A similar question should be addressed to the government and public officials: What sense is there in expending huge public resources on projects that have no direct bearing on the welfare of vulnerable groups when it only widens the gap between the haves (including public officials) and have-nots and exacerbates the conditions that heighten security concerns among the haves? At what point will the government, public officials and the privileged class start acting in their enlightened self-interest by committing genuine efforts to narrow the gap between those who have and those who can only wish?
It is high time public officials and the privileged began building strong coalitions and partnerships with groups and organisations that have been working to protect and support as well as advocate for the vulnerable for years now. They must begin to key into and support the organisations’ laudable initiatives that show great potential in helping to narrow the frightening gap.
CBA Foundation’s Social Enterprise Initiative represents one of such laudable initiatives. It is a well-thought-out initiative capable of transforming the existing arrangement for care and support of vulnerable groups such as underprivileged widows and their children and taking their welfare to the next level. The Government, individuals as well as corporate organisations must join hands with the Foundation if the Initiative is to have any chance of success.
Through its avowed commitment to “touching lives, giving hope…” not in mere words and empty promises but genuine and visible action on the ground (see ample examples captured on its website: www.cbafoundation.org), CBA Foundation has already demonstrated its readiness to do more with additional support. It has shown that it is living true to its #CareIsAction DNA and can thus be trusted with more support. The Social Enterprise Initiative, therefore, will be delighted to have interested partners (individuals and corporate bodies) to send an email to: cbafoundationng@gmail.com to partner with the Foundation in the drive to take the welfare of underprivileged widows to the next level where its long-term sustainability is guaranteed.
The Nigeria Police Force, Osun State Command, has confirmed the arrest of a notorious serial killer, Rasheed Okoilu.
Okoilu, whose birthname is Rasheed Hamed, is said to have been on the command’s wanted list over involvement in life-taking activities in the state.
Naija News learnt that Okoilu was arrested in the early hours of Sunday, August 7, 2022.
His arrest was confirmed in a statement made available to newsmen in Osogbo yesterday by the command spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola.
The statement explained that the suspect was arrested by a combined team of police officers from Dugbe Police Station and Oke Baale Police Station with support from local hunters.
Opalola said Okoilu was tracked and arrested after he went on a killing spree in Egbatedo, Osogbo, where he killed three people.
She said the suspect had been handed over to the anti-cultism department of the Police Command in the state and was undergoing processing.
Naija News understands that Osun Police Command had sometime in March this year declared Okoilu and one Solomon Adedimeji (Solo Iwara) wanted in connection with offences of murder, arson, ritual killings, armed robbery, rape and kidnapping.
The police had warned that anybody that harboured the suspects would be treated as an accomplice to their crimes.
The command had also promised anyone with useful information that can lead to the arrest of the wanted persons, a handsome reward.
The opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly have said there is no going back on their resolve to impeach the President, Major-General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), if he fails to address the insecurity in the country within six weeks.
The lawmakers in separate interviews with The PUNCH on Sunday, dismissed a report that they had backed down on the plan to remove the President after the expiration of the six-week ultimatum handed down on July 27.
The Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, had come under ferocious assaults by terrorists who launched separate attacks on troops and the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre.
The militant attacked the Presidential Guards Brigade troops at Bwari-Kubwa road, Abuja, killing a captain, lieutenant and six soldiers while others sustained injuries.
They also attacked a checkpoint at Zuma rock, a few kilometers from the nation’s capital.
An attack by the Islamic State West Africa Province terrorists on the Kuje Medium Security Custodial Centre, Abuja, resulted in the release of 69 Boko Haram commanders and hundreds of felons on July 5. This happened 24 hours after suspected terrorists attacked the president’s advance team in Katsina.
Following these developments and the impeachment threat against the President by the opposition lawmakers, the National Assembly leadership expressed fears over the worsening insecurity in the country.
The President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan, thereafter, summoned the security chiefs to a marathon meeting where he described the security situation as frightening.
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The various House Committees on Security similarly met with the security chiefs on the matter.
Speaking to The PUNCH, the People’s Democratic Party Senator representing Osun East senatorial district, Francis Fadahunsi, said it was not true that the opposition were retreating on their move to impeach the President.
According to him, it is a unanimous decision and nothing different has been communicated to them.
When asked if the senators had backtracked on their impeachment plans, he said, “Who said so? Who are the opposition (lawmakers) that met? You did an interview with Senator Gershom Bassey who said that we meant what we said. Those people saying such are not feeling fine.
“Even northern senators are in support of the impeachment; you heard Senator Clifford (Ordia) from Edo, Senator Bulkachuwa (Mohammed) and the rest. So, who are those that told them so?’’
The Osun senator hinted that the lawmakers would remove the Senate President from office in advancement of the moves against Buhari, adding that he had been a victim of the grave insecurity in the country.
Vowing never to back down, Fadahunsi insisted that his voice would not be silenced by anyone.
He added, “Bulkachuwa had earlier moved the motion but the Senate President shot him down because we were not around. Very soon, we will push him out of the place instead of dying one after the other and keeping silent.
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‘Lawyer kidnapped twice’
“My lawyer was kidnapped twice on Kogi road; his wife was just released from the hospital after she got shot. Before then, I was also attacked twice, so why will I allow anyone to shut me down from expressing my grievances.
“I have not heard such communication that we are backing down on the impeachment move and, I won’t back down.
Corroborating his colleague, the All Progressives Grand Alliance lawmaker representing Abia South, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, also debunked the claims that the opposition senators had jettisoned their decision to remove Buhari.
Abaribe stated that he was not aware of such a decision as the plenary was adjourned on the same day they moved to impeach the president.
He said, “No such thing. We went on break that same day.”
The Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial District, Senator Orker Jev, also dismissed the insinuation that the opposition senators had stepped down the impeachment move.
“I’m not aware of any such development. Most likely untrue,’’ he stated.
The Deputy Minority Leader of the House, Toby Okechukwu, also debunked the report that the impeachment threat had died.
Faulting the media report on the plan, he said, “Who did they quote? They quoted an anonymous source. How can the Senators back down and there is no name (of those interviewed)?”
Like her colleagues, the Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Abiodun Olujimi, said the reports that the senators were aborting the impeachment were untrue.
She said, “I am not aware of such a decision, it was a settled issue that we have all agreed on the impeachment of the President if the insecurity state of the nation was not addressed.
“We haven’t held any meetings since then; at least to the best of my knowledge. So, things remain as they are.”
The Senator representing Southern Kaduna and Deputy Minority Whip, Senator Danjuma La’ah said the opposition senators had yet to jettison the impeachment threat.
The lawmaker also disclosed to one of our correspondents on the telephone on Sunday night in Kaduna.
When asked if the opposition senators had dropped the impeachment process on the President, La’ah said, “No. We are still on the process” adding that the ultimatum still stands.”
Also, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District of Ondo State, Nicholas Tofowomo, said he was not aware of the withdrawal of the threat.
The senator also said such did not happen and if it happened, the minority leader would had informed all the senators concerned about the matter.
He said, “ I am not aware of anything of such. Although we are currently on recess, if there is anything of such it is the responsibility of the minority leader to inform all the opposition senators before any decision would be taken in that regard.” Continue reading
British rapper and singer, Stephanie Victoria Allen, popularly known as Stefflon Don, has revealed the major reasons she broke up with Nigerian Grammy award-winning singer, Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy.
Naija News recalls that the former love birds parted ways late last year over speculations of alleged cheating.
However, Stefflon Don in a post shared on her Instagram story on Sunday 7th August shed more light on why their relationship crashed.
According to the singer, she broke up with Burna Boy because of his ego, stressing that the ‘Twice as Tall’ crooner always sees his colleague, Wizkid as competition.
Stefflon Don added that Burna Boy can’t satisfy her in bed and bullied her the last time she spoke about the issue.
She wrote: “I broke up with Burna Boy because he has a fragile ego. He sees his friend Wizkid as a competition, despite knowing Wizkid is bigger than he is. He can’t even satisfy me in bed. SMH. He bullied me the last time I wanted to talk, but not anymore.”
Former Inspector-General of Police, Mr Tafa Balogun, was buried in his country home of Ila-Orangun, Osun, on Saturday.
Balogun was appointed Nigeria’s 21st Inspector-General of Police on March 6, 2002. He left the office in 2005.
He passed on in Lagos on Thursday, four days to his 75th birthday.
The funeral prayer was observed in accordance with Islamic rites at the Ila-Orangun Central Eid Praying Ground.
Chief Imam of Ila-Orangun, Dr Abdulhammed Salahudeen, presided over the burial prayers where he preached the need for humans to discharge good deeds as death is inevitable.
Former Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, who spoke with newsmen at the side-line of the burial, described Balogun as one of the greatest gentle police officers Nigeria has ever produced.
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Arase described the departed IG-P as a mentor and a father who impacted a lot of police officers intellectually.
“He was an operational icon, intellectual to the core; a cerebral officer. Even in death he remains my mentor and benefactor.
“He was like a big father when it comes to policing difficult issues. You can always go to him for advice and we will miss him for that,’’ Arase lamented.
NAN reports that the Commissioner of Police in Osun, Mr Olawale Olokode represented the current Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Alkali Baba at the burial.
Mr Ismail Omipidan, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Gboyega Oyetola of Osun, and the Osun Finance Commissioner, Bola Oyebamiji, both represented the state government at the funeral heavily attended by police personnel. (NAN)
Court Grants Access Bank Power to Take-Over Sonny Odogwu Estate over N26bn Debt
Justice Daniel Osiagor of the Federal High Court, Lagos today upheld the N26 billion debt claim by Access Bank PlC against the estate of the late Ide Ahaba of Asaba, Chief Sonny Odogwu.
Osiagor upheld the bank’s claim after dismissing the preliminary objection filed by the estate of the late Chief Sonny Odogwu challenging the claim of the bank adding that a consent judgement had earlier been entered in which parties to the debt agreed on the payment of N12 billion as full and final payment.
The defendants in the preliminary objection added that having taking benefit of the consent judgement, the plaintiff can’t turn around and ask the court to set aside same.
However, Access Bank it it’s claim before the court said the said judgement was floored in that it was delivered by a court that lacked jurisdiction to entertain it at the time it was entered as consent judgement.
The bank through it’s counsel, Kemi Balogun, SAN said the matter having been placed at the bossom of the Court of Appeal , the lower court which entered the consent judgement as the judgement of the court is Functus Officio ( lacked jurisdiction) and that the only court that has the power to adjudicate on such matter at that level is the appellate court.
Justice Osiagor while dismissing the objection of the defendants nullified the consent judgement entered by Justice Rilwan Aikawa which sanctioned the consent judgement on the ground that it lacked jurisdiction to grant such order as it is functus officio of the matter as at the time he granted the order.
The judge then affirmed the earlier judgement of justice Saliu Saidu which ordered the defendants to pay it’s outstanding indebtedness of N26 billion.
Justice Osiagor however ruled that the payment must be less all amount earleir paid to the judgement creditor
The court also award a cost of N200,000 against the defendants’.
It would be recalled that Access Bank Plc and the late Ide Ahaba of Asaba, Chief Sonny Odogwu, entered into a N26 billion loan agreement when he was alive. The late businessman wanted to use the facility to build luxury apartments to be known as Le Meridien Grand Towers in highbrow Ikoyi, Lagos.
In line with global best practices, the bank demanded for collateral security.
Thus Odogwu mortgaged prime properties in Lagos, Abuja, Dubai, and Los Angeles to Access Bank in return for the facility. After the death of the businessman, the mortgaged properties eventually become a subject of litigation
Trouble started when the estate of the late Chief Odogwu, reacted angrily to a move by Access Bank to take over the uncompleted property due to the non performance of the loan.
The defendants’ went to town with a statement that the property was not part of the consent agreement reached by both parties, and registered as a judgment of Federal High Court, Lagos. The release signed by the estate lawyer, Chief Anthony Idigbe SAN was published by various media platforms on Tuesday.
Reacting to the statement, Access Bank said that the Ikoyi property was not the only one that fell within the purview of the November 3, 2015 Federal High Court judgment that ordered the bank to take over the properties used it as collateral in lieu of the N26 billion loan facility.
Other properties include Berendo Property located in Los Angeles, State of California, United States of America, Unit No: FN428, The Fairmont Palm Residence (North), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Asokoro Shopping weMall, Abuja, 1 Happy Home Street, Kirikiri, Lagos, properties located at Kingsway and Lawrence Roads, Ikoyi Lagos.
Access bank also stated that it is is the successor in title to Diamond Bank Plc following its merger with Diamond Bank Plc.2
The crux of the matter was that former Diamond Bank PlC granted facilities to the Judgment Debtors for the construction of a property to be known as Le Meridien Grand Towers located and lying at 31-35 Ikoyi Crescent, Lagos and registered as No. 17 at page 17 in volume 100 at the Federal Lands Registry, Ikoyi, Lagos. The property is mortgaged to the bank as collateral for the facilities.
However, litigation that ensued over the inability of company, Robert Dyson & Diket Limited to liquidate the facility, Access Bank secured a Judgment in the sum of N26,229,943,035.22 consequent upon a Federal High Court judgment in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1633/2014 delivered on 3rd November 2015 against Robert Dyson & Diket Limited & 2 Ors (the Judgment Debtors) in relation to the Project Finance for development of a seven-star hotel and residences (“the Project”).
Following the Judgment, Robert Dyson entered an Appeal against the said judgment and a motion staying the execution of same in APPEAL NO: CA/L/1151/2015 – ROBERT DYSON & DIKET LIMITED & 2 ORS. V. DIAMOND BANK PLC & 3 ORS.
The Judgment Debtors also filed a Counter-Claim against the Access Bank in the State High Court: SUIT NO: LD/1666CMW/2016 – LEADWAY CAPITAL & TRUSTS LIMITED V. DIAMOND BANK PLC & 2 ORS.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo has accused the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of being unrealistic with their demands.
He stated on Friday that the government can’t borrow money to pay the striking members of ASUU amidst cash shortages when other sectors of the economy also need attention.
According to Keyamo, ASUU should be begged to shelf their strike so the members can return to work, students can resume studies and the nation’s public universities can be re-opened.
Naija News reports he made the call on during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
In his words, “Should we go and borrow to pay N1.2 trillion yearly?
“You cannot allow one sector of the economy to hold you by the jugular and then blackmail you to go and borrow N1.2 trillion for overheads when our total income would be about N6.1 trillion. And you have roads to build, health centres to build, other sectors to take care of.”
The Minister said all concerned persons should appeal to ASUU to in the spirit of national interest, reconsider their stand.
“Like the President said the other time, those who know them, appeal to their sense of patriotism,” he said.
They Are Not The Only One In Nigeria
“Let them go back to classes. They are not the only one in Nigeria. They are not the only ones feeding from the federal purse. The nation cannot grind to a halt because we want to take care of the demands of ASUU.”
Naija News reports ASUU has been on strike since February 14, 2022, and has vowed not to resume until the federal government meets their demands.
Some of their demands include improved welfare for lecturers, revitalisation fund for public universities, implementation of the 2009 agreement, and dropping the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State on Friday submitted a petition at the Election Petition Tribunal in Osogbo to challenge the outcome of the July 16 governorship election, which produced Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the governor-elect of the state.
It was gathered that Oyetola was accompanied by his wife, Kafayat, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman in the state, Prince Gboyega Famodun, and some members of the state executive council.
According to reports, the Governor and the party submitted documents challenging 749 polling units across ten local government areas of the state for various electoral malpractice, especially overvoting.
Oyetola, through the petition, claimed that the Osun gubernatorial election was fraught with certain irregularities, adding that Senator Adeleke was not qualified to have contested the election in the first place, having allegedly submitted a forged certificate to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Speaking to The PUNCH, counsel to Oyetola, Kunle Adegoke (SAN), listed 13 grounds on which premises Adeleke should be disqualified.
Adegoke said, “We have nothing less than 50 lawyers, including 10 SANs that we cannot list all of them, so we have listed about 20 lawyers in the petition. We have 13 reliefs. What we are contesting is that the election is fraught with certain irregularities by which the person declared winner ought not to have been declared, and the petitioner, Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola ought to have been declared the winner on the ground that Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke was not qualified to have contested the election in the first place, having submitted a forged certificate to INEC.
“The second is that the election in 749 polling units was fraught with irregularities, and the election in those units ought to have been nullified. All the polling units mentioned are in 10 Local Governments out of 30.
“So, if the election in those units is nullified and the votes are canceled, then Alhaji Isiaka Gboyega Oyetola will have comfortable requirements of the constitution to be declared winner of the election.”
On his part, the Chairman, Media Management Team of Osun PDP, Prince Diran Odeyemi, dismissed the petition of the APC.
He said: “It is so unfortunate that APC did not believe in the spirit of sportsmanship. We would have expected them to congratulate Adeleke. Many of them, who are championing the cause of tribunal, lost in their polling units and their wards.
“We wonder what they want to take to the Tribunal now. We are not afraid or losing sleep, Oyetola can’t win. We will meet them at the tribunal. Regarding the allegation of forged certificate, there is nothing like that. They are only looking for an avenue to come back to government through the backdoor. PDP is thorough political party that look at all the certificates presented by the candidates.”
