The Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola on Saturday defeated the anointed candidate of the minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Moshood Adeoti, to emerge winner of the All Progressives Congress election in the state.
The ruling party declared Oyetola as its candidate in the forthcoming election in the state.
It was earlier reported that three aspirants contested in the electoral process alongside the state Governor.
The aspirants included former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff and a former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti.
The APC Primary Election Committee led by the Governor of Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq while announcing the result in the early hours of Sunday at the State’s APC secretariat in Osogbo, noted that 247,207 voters were accredited, while the total votes cast was 235,550.
The incumbent governor of the state defeated the candidate of the former Governor of the state with a wide margin of 222,169 votes to 12921, while Lasun polled 460 votes.
The chairman of the state chapter of the party, Gboyega Famodun while speaking lauded the Primary Election Committee for conducting credible polls.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has described the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Osun State as a sham.
The ruling party held its primary election with Governor Gboyega Oyetola reportedly leading at the polls.
Moshood Adeoti, a former Secretary to the State Government, is backed by Aregbesola to get the party’s ticket.
Former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf, is also contesting for the ticket.
Reacting in a statement by his media adviser, Sola Fasure, on Saturday evening, Aregbesola listed some shortcomings of the election.
While disclosing that he would take legal steps to address the issues, the former Osun Governor urged his supporters to remain calm.
He accused the organisers of removing his supporters name from the list, adding that more reports are being collected from members of his factions across the state.
The statement reads: “On behalf of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to thank you most sincerely for heeding the call earlier this morning to participate in our party’s governorship primary and conduct yourselves most peacefully. You adopted a non-violent posture, even in the face of sore provocation.
“You have demonstrated your loyalty to the party and democratic ideals. You have comported yourselves as Omoluabi in the true essence.
“We have received and continue to receive the reports of the shenanigans of the officials who conducted the sham of an election. We have been inundated with reports state-wide of how your names were expunged from the party’s voters register, which was not made available until this morning, contrary to the convention of making the list available to the candidates before the election.
“We have heard of how party registration cards were being hawked this morning to the supporters of the state governor.
“We have also received reports of how accreditation was not done at all in many wards and how people without party identification just participated and queued behind the governor in many polling units.
“We have received the report from our members and independent observers, how government officials and notable supporters of the governor officiated in the election, how votes were farcically counted in favour of the governor and how the votes recorded for him were more than the number of voters accredited ab initio in many units.
“We have heard of the absence of result sheets and other vital documents for recording results and vital data. We note also the absence of INEC officials in most wards, casting serious doubt on the credibility of the election.
“We note with shame and much regret the consternation of local and international observers on what they regard as a travesty of an election.
“I will urge you to maintain your cool and calm. Be not downcast, be not agitated. Hold your head high. We are still receiving and studying all these reports and will take a definitive position on them.
“You are urged not to take laws into your hands. Please leave the rest to the Almighty God and let us explore all peaceful and legal means for addressing the matter in order to obtain justice.
“Please remain committed to peace and the rule of law. Be unflinching in your commitment to the democratic ideals. Democracy is for the long haul. As you all know, we never tire and we never give up on the cause we believe in. Be rest assured that victory is ours.”
Joe Igbokwe, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday pledged his unalloyed loyalty to Bola Tinubu, National Leader of the ruling party.
According to Igbokwe, Tinubu “made me”.
Igbokwe, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State on drainage and water resources, hailed the 2023 presidential aspirant as the colossus of Lagos politics.
“Nobody ever passes through Asiwaju BAT’S leadership trainings and ever remains the same again. I have been a lucky man. I am a living witness. Asiwaju made me. I am a proud product of ASIWAJU’S University of BOURDILON. I am not an ingrate, I am not a foolish entity, I am not a betrayer, I have conscience. I will sink or float with Asiwaju, come rains, come sunshine. Please know this and have inner peace. Amen,” Igbokwe wrote on his known Facebook page.
Tinubu has gone on to play an important role in the present administration of Muhammadu Buhari, supporting government policies and holding onto the internal party reins, in lieu of his long-held presidential aspiration. In 2019, he supported Buhari’s re-election campaign defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flagbearer, Atiku Abubakar.
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has opened up and revealed more details about the ongoing fight between him and the incumbent Osun State Governor, Gboyega Oyetola.
According to the Minister, Oyetola is on a vengeance mission because he (Aregesola) didn’t support his gubernatorial political ambition in 2018.
Aregbesola revealed further that when he noticed Gov.Oyetola was hell-bent on destroying his legacies in Osun State as a former Governor, he sent people to him and continued begging for two years but all his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The Minister made the revelation while speaking on Friday during a political meeting with supporters and stakeholders at Isale Abata in Ikire, Osun State.
“I begged Oyetola for two years. I sent people to help me beg him that he should not destroy my legacies and policies. He refused the pleas.
“Our hope is in God and the good people of Osun State. Nobody can overcome God. It is not a sin to contest for a position in a democratic government. The constitution of the party stipulates that after four years, we can change our candidate. But if he abides by the tenets of the party, we will support him for another term,” Aregbesola stated.
Speaking further, the Minister said there’s no going back in his total support for the former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti to emerge as the APC flagbearer in the party primary election scheduled for Saturday, 19th February (today) to choose a candidate for the July 16 governorship polls.
“The leaders of the party have agreed that we should go back to where we missed the road in 2018. We have realized our mistake that the person we ought to put in front, we neglected him. We followed an ingrate and a wicked soul,” he told the people of Ayedaade/Isokan/Irewole Federal Constituency who were at the meeting.
The presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party in the 2019 general elections, Kingsley Moghalu, has officially announced to run for 2023 president.
Moghalu, a former deputy governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in a post on Friday on his Twitter account noted that he is not waiting for any fake call before he declares his intention to contest in the 2023 presidential election.
Moghalu further stated that he is running on a vision and not on ethnic identity politics, adding that he is capable like any other candidate contesting in the race.
He wrote “I’m running for President of Nigeria. I’m not waiting for anyone to (fake) “call on me”, or until the presidency is zoned to anywhere.
“I’m running on a vision, not on ethnic identity politics. I’m as good as anyone in Nigeria, north or south, to be President.”
The likes of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, the chief whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu and several others have expressed their intention to contest in the 2023 presidential election.
The Nigerian Government has been told to disengage Ex-Osun state Governor, Rauf Aregbesola as Minister of Interior for reportedly fuelling a party crisis in the State.
Ahead of the Osun State governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scheduled for Saturday, a Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Osun State called on the federal government to sack Aregbesola, for allegedly promoting crisis in the state.
The spokesperson of the coalition, Mr. Wasiu Alli made the call while addressing a press conference on Thursday in Abuja.
The coalition accused Aregbesola of promoting rascality and encouraging his supporters to undermine the state governor, Gboyega Oyetola. The fiery politician trended earlier this week after mocking and insulting his now former ally and leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The coalition pointed out that if the federal government fails to call Aregbesola to order and charge him to focus on his official responsibilities instead of going about causing civil unrest, he will end up inflaming the otherwise peaceful Osun State.
It added: “It is to be stated that the number of jailbreaks in the referenced period is unprecedented in the over 60 years of existence of the country. This speaks about the administrative incompetence of Mr. Aregbesola whose superintendence over the Interior Ministry has seen it degenerate into one that cannot secure its own Correctional Centres.”
“Where Mr. Aregbesola should be seen finding solutions to these now-common jailbreaks; he has been busy promoting unrest in Osun State.”
“Where he cannot be cautioned, we demand his outright sack or redeployment if he cannot act responsibly in line with the dictates of the Office he presently holds. A Public Officer must never be seen acting contrary to the spirit and provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.”
The coalition said where the federal government is unable to act swiftly to caution Aregbesola, the Senate must show capacity by sanctioning his sack and impress it on the President to effect same.
A 102 year old woman has declared her intentions to vie for Nigeria’s top seat in 2023.
Mrs. Nonye Josephine Ezeanyaeche has stated that she has good plans for Nigeria should she be voted in as President.
Ezeanyaeche, who is also called ‘living legend’ or “Mama Africa’, hails from Aguata, Anambra state and is the founder of the ‘Voice for Senior Citizens of Nigeria’ group.
During a recent visit to the Management team of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, she expressed readiness to contest for the position if the younger generation of the country are not ready.
She joins the long list of individuals who have so far declared interest to run for the exalted position.
Supporters of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have been warned against making disparaging comments about other candidates in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election.
Director of Operations for Pro-Osinbajo group, The Progressive Project (TPP), Alhaji Usman Aliyu Usman, gave the warning while receiving some eminent personalities into the support group in Abuja on Thursday.
“Our focus as progressives is on effective strategies towards ensuring the candidature of Prof Yemi Osinbajo and an eventual victory in 2023; no member of our team is allowed to get involved in disparaging any former, present or serving leader who is in APC,” he said.
Eminent personalities received into the Osinbajo fold include former National Secretary of Labour Party Mr, Kayode Ajulo and Mr. Dapo Akinosun (SAN) who is a member of the Chartered institute of Arbitrators UK, American Bar Association and the International Bar Association
Others include former Managing Director of Africa Petroleum Plc, Shettima Abba-Gana and former military administrator of Katsina State, Colonel Joseph Akaagerger who served as Senator from 2007 to 2011.
While welcoming them into the support group, Usman enjoined them to participate in the forthcoming programmes like the New Tribe for Osinbajo’s Uyo rally and the Abuja March being planned by the Osinbajo Grassroots Organisation (OGO).
He reiterating Shettima Abba-Ghana’s view that no matter how good a product is, it must be consistently marketed.
He said “TPP will remain the coordinating body for the efforts of all support groups and we enjoin you to contribute to one another’s success.
“Among efforts being undertaken now is the constitution of a few strategic teams or committees to work on well thought-out ideas,” Usman said.
On his part, Mr. Dapo Akinosun noted that the generation that fought the civil war is on its way out, while emphasizing that special strategies and tactics with deep foundations in the nation’s laws are being analyzed to make the collective effort a reality.
Similarly, Kayode Ajulo maintained that one of the areas to be addressed strategically is about the norms or principles regarding the ‘right of first refusal’, adding that in view of his intellect, capacity and experience,”.
According to Ajulo, his recent suggestion that an APC presidential aspirant should step out of the way has led to incessant threats, including unsettling phone calls to his 86 years old mother who lives in one of the southern states.
“For someone to co-pilot a complex country like Nigeria is no joke; that is why some of us are talking about right of first refusal but if there is anyone who stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Professor Yemi Osinbajo on integrity, capacity, experience and other qualities, let us have a good debate,” Ajulo remarked.
In the same vein, Hajia Rabi Dauda who leads the Coalition of Women for Osinbajo said that women are pushing for Osinbajo’s candidature “solely in the interest of a better future for Nigerian children and generations yet unborn.
“This mobilization for Osinbajo is a special project aimed towards positive impact on the history of Nigeria and this time around, ethnicity, moneybag politics and other base things of the past no longer matter to Nigerians who love Osinbajo,” Hajia Dauda stated.
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Segun Oni, has dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Society gazette reports that the former governor of the state made this known during an interview on private radio in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday.
Oni disclosed that his decision to join the SDP was due to the alleged electoral malfeasance and irregularities during the PDP primary on January 26.
The former governor added that he joined the party due to the continued call by the people for him to contest the June 18 governorship election as a third force.
He revealed that some aggrieved aspirants in the APC and PDP are supporting his governorship aspiration in the new political party.
Speaking further, Oni said the necessary paperwork for him to become SDP’s candidate and his running mate would soon be concluded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The former governor, however, opined that the will and aspirations of the people are the most important structure needed to win the upcoming governorship poll.
He said: “I have chosen to advance my ambition in the Social Democratic Party(SDP) because we are looking at the future, not the present.
“The party has been around for years and won elections in this country, it is a well-known party, that is the reason I chose SDP to contest the June 18, 2022 governorship election in Ekiti state.
“We have seen the potential in SDP because we believe it is easier to sell as a third force for Nigerians. The process to make me a candidate is ongoing and will soon be completed.
“I want to say without any forms of contradictions, that we politicians are coming together for this project coupled with the opinions of people in the streets. We are looking at a familiar terrain and a party with potential and also we are getting support from people that are well known in Ekiti’s political terrain.
“Let me say that for those who are in APC, four aggrieved aspirants are working with us. In PDP, the people called repositioning group, majority of them are working with us. Also, we are working with SWAGA members, SWAGA is a strong force in APC with a strong membership base.
“It is going to be a grand collation that will definitely benefit the people of Ekiti. I believe the goodwill of repositioning group, SWAGA and Segun Oni is almost enough to win election in Ekiti”.
Two security units in the country have presented different statements on the reported attack on the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.
This follows the reports that some political thugs attacked the convoy of the Minister and former Osun State governor on Monday.
The shooting was said to have occurred at the Old Garage area to Oke Fia Area of Osogbo, the state capital on Monday.
But as earlier reported, the Osun Police Command has denied reports that the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, was attacked by some political thugs in Osogbo, the state capital.
The state police spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola, in a statement issued on Monday said that there was no such incident in the state as reported by some media platforms.
Opalola disclosed that some of the minister’s security escorts shot into the air without provocation, causing panic in the area and making people scamper for safety.
She stated the investigation into the matter was ongoing and a full report would be made available at the end of the investigation.
The police spokesperson, however, noted that no casualty was recorded during the incident and normalcy has returned to the area and the state in general.
However, in its own reaction, the Osun State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, said hoodlums attacked the Interior Minister but were repelled by his security team.
The NSCDC statement issued by its Osun State Command spokesperson, Olabisi Atanda reads: “unknown hoodlums attacked the convoy of the former Governor of Osun State and Minister, Federal Ministry of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola today at about 1840hrs around Old Garage area in Osogbo, the State Capital.
“However, the security details of the Minister were able to disperse the hoodlums and bring normalcy to the area.
“Commandant Emmanuel Ocheja said Osun State is a peaceful state and the Command will continue to render excellent and all–inclusive security services in the State, in line with the statutory mandates and functions of the Corps. Professionalism and impartiality is the watchword of NSCDC at all times.”
Meanwhile, the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has thrown his weight behind ex-secretary of Osun state government, Moshood Adeoti to become Governor.
The ex-governor media adviser, Sola Fasure on Monday explained in a statement that the governor gave his pledge of allegiance to Adeoti at Ijebu Ijesa while addressing party members and stakeholders in the state ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary on Saturday.
He also urged other party members to show their support for Adeoti in the upcoming elections.
