Tag: Olusola Oke

Ondo APC Group Rejects State’s Ambassadorial Nominee

Ondo APC Group Rejects State's Ambassadorial NomineeThe nomination of Mr Igbekele Daudu as non-career ambassador from Ondo State has been rejected by a group within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

The group, Movement Against Imposition (MAI) alleged that Igbekele Daudu worked for the Alliance for Democracy in the last governorship election.

The Coordinator of the group in the State, Austin Pelemo, while addressing a press briefing in Akure, the state capital said President Mohammadu Buhari, party leader, Bola Tinubu and other leaders of the party must intervene in the issue.

Pelemo said: “A man that is known across the state to be a member of Alliance for Democracy can never be allowed to take a position that is meant for members of the APC.

“It is an act that must be resisted by all members of the APC in the state.

“A name came up yesterday as an ambassadorial designate from Ondo state, Jacobs Daudu. We later got to know that he is the same Igbekele Daudu, as we speak , Mr. Igbekele Daudu is not a member of the APC in the state” Pelemo said.

A leader of the group, Saka Yusuf Ogunleye alleged that Igbekele was involved in anti–party activities during the last governorship election in the state.

Yusuf said: “I am a member of the State Executive Committee of this party, Jacobs Daudu joined our great party one week to the presidential election, after serving six years in Governor Olusegun Mimiko administration.

“After the party primary, the man left for the AD, when President Buhari came here to canvass for vote for our governor–elect, Igbekele Daudu was with Olusola Oke canvassing for votes for him.

“We realized that there must be discipline in our party and that Jacob Daudu must be disciplined for anti-party activities and not that he should be compensated.

“In APC, we want to demonstrate to the whole world that we have discipline and that is why we will not allow this Igbekele’s nomination to stand.

“We are now appealing to the President, a man of discipline and high integrity, a leader of the party Muhammadu Buhari. We are also appealing to the National Chairman of our party, John Odigie Oyegun, National Leader of our party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the three Senators from Ondo State not to encourage indiscipline in our party”.

AD Candidate, Olusola Oke Decries Monetization Of Ondo Election

AD Candidate, Olusola Oke Decries Monetization Of Ondo ElectionThe governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Ondo State, Mr Olusola Oke has decried the heavy monetization of the election process which produced Mr Rotimi Akeredolu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor-elect.

Oke who addressed the Press in Akure on Monday, congratulated Mr Rotimi Akeredolu on his victory and commended both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agents deployed to the state for being fair in the handling of their duties.

He, however, regretted that the open and free use of money to purchase votes during the election by the ruling party remains a sad commentary on the nation’s electoral process.

This development, according to him, required the urgent intervention by government if the much publicized anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government must have meaning to Nigerians.

He said: “In the last seven years, the policy direction of the government of the day (in Ondo State) has resulted in the growth and circulation of poverty to our people.

“The resultant effect is the debilitating poverty that had made the people so vulnerable. Therefore, trading away dignity in the face of excruciating hunger during electioneering process requires little or no considerations for morals and values that defined us as a people.

“The open and free use of money to purchase votes, during the election by the ruling parties remains a sad commentary on our electoral process. This requires urgent intervention by government if the much publicized anti-corruption agenda of the Federal Government must have meaning to Nigerians.

“Offer of money for votes is worse than looting the government treasury. Apart from compromising the dignity of the people, it provides a fertile training ground for future looters of government treasury.

“The consequence of it is to render the anti-corruption fight a farce. There may be no economic matter more urgent, difficult to unravel and more sensitive to the pursuit of the average person in Ondo State than the current indignity foisted on the people by poverty, orchestrated by maladministration and priority misplacement by the current administration.

“We hope the incoming administration will address the problem of poverty so that the integrity of our electoral process will be restored.”

He noted that from the observation of the people of Ondo State, they appear confused and unsure of what would follow the immediate satisfaction from the naira handout received in consideration of the votes cast.

“They appear wondering whether the votes they delivered yesterday would restore light, revive dead industries, complete the uncompleted ones, give hundreds of thousands of unemployed graduates employment, pay arrears of salary to workers and guarantee regular payment of salary; whether their votes will make water to flow again in their unused and rusted water pipes, reduce dust on our roads, revive our education and health sectors and so on,” he stated.

Big Challenge

Oke, who recalled the event leading to his and his followers’ movement to the AD, said that the movement was necessitated by the need for “us as democrats and conscience of the people to shun the in-built perfidy and organized deception in APC as revealed during its primary election.

“We moved to AD less than six weeks before the gubernatorial election. We knew it was a big challenge and the greatest challenge was time. But we were determined in the pursuit of our dream.

“We know how bad the situation is and we are aware that the art of governance is difficult and complex, especially during trying times. The steep reduction in global oil prices from over 120 dollars per barrel to roughly 30 dollars and the huge debt profile of Ondo State present a hard challenge that requires a prepared mind and experienced hands in the saddle. We are convinced that we can no longer afford past practices.

“That was the compelling re-occurring issue that defined our struggle. We thank the people of Ondo State who believed in the struggle of Alliance for Democracy and its candidate, Chief Olusola Oke.”

He went on to give recommendations to the incoming administration: “Ondo State requires economic re-engineering, creative reform, materially changing the substance of its economic policy as well as the objectives of that policy in a way that the economic well-being of the people will be restored again.

“Therein lies the essence of progressive democratic governance and that is what our party, the Alliance for Democracy stands for.

“The incoming government therefore must urgently address the issue of ravaging poverty in the state through: Industrialization; Job/Wealth Creation; Rural Integration; Infrastructural Development; Security.”

He gave the assurance that as members of the opposition, the AD shall continue to contribute to the process of governance and would not hesitate to point, in a civilized manner, the attention of the incoming government to any area where the masses seem not to have been considered in the policy framework of governance.

“We shall voice our opinion whenever we believe any member of the incoming government strayed from the progressive calling required of the administration,” he posited.

He congratulated the governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu, and wished him success, praying to God to guide him as he directs the affairs of Ondo state.

Ondo Election: PDP Passes Vote Of No Confidence On INEC

Ondo Election: PDP Passes Vote Of No Confidence On INECBarely 24 hours to the Saturday, November 26 governorship elections in Ondo state, the Ahmed Makarfi-led caretaker committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says it has no confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducting free and fair elections in the state.

Spokesperson to the party, Mr Dayo Adeyeye, told journalists in Abuja that the party lost its confidence in the electoral body after it substituted the name of Mr Eyitayo Jegede before it was reinstated by the Appeal Court on Wednesday.

He insisted that the electoral body had no reason not to postpone the elections to another date so as to compensate their candidate for the time lost in his campaign while the court cases lasted.

“As far as am concerned, under this circumstances, INEC is no longer independent. Its name should now be called partial national electoral commission – PNEC.

“It’s no longer independent because it seems to me that there is a cabal dictating to them everything they want to do.

“The national commissioners that are deployed to Ondo state, we have no confidence in them. They are the same people sent to Edo state to rig the elections. They rigged the elections in Edo state. So we don’t have confidence in them going to Ondo state.

“The other issue is the Ondo elections. We called on INEC severally to postpone the elections because they are part of the problem that we are facing. If they had not substituted Jegede’s name illegally, we would not have had this problem.

“I say they substituted the name illegally because they monitored the primary, the name was submitted, you accepted it and you published the name as the candidate of PDP. Then suddenly the court order came and you have two court orders. You choose the one you obey.

“And you know INEC has a panel of legal advisers who work for them; legal consultants made up of SANs. They normally refer these matters to them and they give them advice. And to the best of my knowledge, that panel gave them advice to retain Jegede’s name.”

Jegede Demands Postponement 

Ondo state governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Eyitayo Jegede, on Thursday called for a postponement of the election.

Mr Jegede said that he had been left with no chance of campaigning as the campaigns ended at midnight on Thursday and it was time for INEC to prove that it was indeed interested in giving all candidates equal opportunity.

Alongside the leadership of the party in Ondo state, Mr Eyitayo Jegede, on Friday stormed the INEC office to press home his demand but INEC said that it would go ahead as planned.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Segun Agbaje, insisted: “We have passed that stage. No postponement. We are going ahead on Saturday.”

The PDP man expressed disappointment: “We are asking you to give us the same opportunity and now you say it is expensive. We say give us a level playing ground, you say it is expensive.”

Speaking later on Channels TV’s Politics Today, Mr Jegede argued that by the Electoral Act, INEC ought to display the names of candidates for 30 days.

Therefore, with his name “unlawfully removed” on October 27 and later reinstated to be displayed for only two days, it would be unfair to proceed with the election which saw other candidates’ names duly displayed for 30 days.

Ondo AD Warns Against Manipulation Of Governorship Election Result

Ondo AD Warns Against Manipulation Of Governorship Election ResultThe Alliance for Democracy (AD) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies against manipulating the results of the Ondo governorship election in favour of any party, especially the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

AD’s warning comes less than 24 hours into the election which would see the people of Ondo State go to the polls to elect their governor for the next four years.

According to the statement issued in Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Director General of Olusola Oke Campaign Organization, Bola Ilori, said any attempt to manipulate the result of the election will be resisted by the good people of Ondo State.

He added that the people of the state should be allowed to choose who rules them.

The statement reads: “While we as a party are prepared for the election, we will support anything that will aid the peaceful conduct of election.

“However, we will not fold our ‎arms and allow our destinies to be determined by people who are not only political invaders but people who have subjected our people to untold hardship.

“Also, the security agencies should make sure they don’t take side. They should deal with anybody who forments trouble. Just like we have told our people, they should not allow anybody to dictate what they will do to them but make sure they keep vigil and defend their votes.

“We are also aware of plans to cause trouble in Akoko Land, Ondo South senatorial district and other areas considered to be strongholds of AD.

“If President Muhammadu Buhari cannot deliver the dividends of democracy he promised the people, he should not cause chaos in the state. He should warn INEC and security agencies against enacting a replica of 1983 political crisis in the state.”

Ondo Election: AD, APC Wrap Up Campaign

Ondo Election: AD, APC Wrap Up Campaign The Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have held their final rally ahead of the Ondo state governorship election holding on Saturday.

The Alliance for Democracy flagbearer, Mr Olusola Oke was in Ondo town where he expressed his gratitude to party members and supporters for their steadfastness throughout the campaign period.

It was a grand entry for the Mr Oke into Ile-Oluji and Oke-Igbo area of Ondo state and the residents rolled out the drums in solidarity with the AD candidate.

However, what started out as a peaceful campaign came under an attack which led to the destruction of a vehicle.

“This is just one of the series of attacks on our members across the state. Only yesterday we were told some of our members were maimed in Owo.

“Security forces must wake up to their responsibilities because all it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to keep quiet.

“I am appealing to my people to remain (peaceful) but there is a limit to which they can listen to me. Someone must be there to call them to order,” he said.

He also asked his supporters and other political parties to shun violence in the run-up to the poll.

For the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Rotimi Akeredolu, victory of his party at the poll come Saturday is assured.

He said this during the rally to wrap up his campaign at his home town in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state.

The campaign train moved through several towns to get to Owo where thousands of supporters were on ground to receive their man.

The APC candidate, again, rolled out his plans for the people. He maintained that his policies would cater for not just the people of Owo but the entire Ondo state.

Other leaders of the party also expressed their confidence that Akeredolu would emerge victorious at the polls.

Ondo Election: AD Candidate, Olusola Oke Starts Campaign in Akure

Ondo Election: AD Candidate, Olusola Oke Starts Campaign in AkureAlliance for Democracy (AD) Candidate in the Ondo State governorship election, Olusola Oke and his deputy, Ganny Dauda, have been presented the flag of the party.

‎The event held at the Democracy Park in Akure, the state capital and was witnessed by leaders of the AD, including its National Leader, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa, the National Chairman, Joseph Avazi and other top officials of the party.

The National Legal Adviser of the party, Kehinde Aworele, who had been in court to challenge the emergence of Oke and his deputy was also present to tell supporters that there was no more crisis in AD.

“There was a court action based on the misunderstanding on the appropriateness of Chief Olusola Oke’s emergence and because his victory is sure we don’t want some people to go to court after his victory to challenge him.

“The fact that I am here addressing this mammoth crowd today shows that there is no more crisis in the party, no cracks within the party, we are one indivisible party.

“There are several means of getting a case out of court; by abandonment, by withdrawal and by discontinuance. There is no more case in court as we have resolved the issues,” he said.

In his address, the National Leader of AD, Senator Mojisoluwa Akinfenwa described Olusola Oke as the inheritor of the Awolowo mores.

He gave the assurance that when Oke is elected and forms his government, Ondo would have set itself on a path to rise again.

“For 13 years, we have been in the wilderness, now it has pleased God to give us a leader that is capable of putting Ondo back on tracks.

“If you look at the PDP, it is full of crises, people deceive people, they are at each other’s throats. The APC too is not faring better, they are an amalgam of strange bed fellows who cannot deliver on their promises.

“But we are happy today that the party of Papa Obafemi Awolowo, that of Papa Adekunle Ajasin and Papa Adebayo Adefarati is here and I want you all to vote for the AD.

“If you vote for Olusola Oke, he will replicate all those good programmes of old, he will revamp our education, bring back the revival of our agricultural sector, education shall also be brought back to reckoning,” the AD leader assured.

Earlier in his short remarks, the AD National Chairman, Joseph Avazi said that the AD was poised to form the next government given the spontaneous show of love for a party that merely came into reckoning in barely two months.

According to him, a new dawn is now breaking in Ondo State and AD is set to bring back the lost glory of the Sunshine State. We have ruled this state before, this is our second coming and we shall not disappoint you.

In his acceptance speech, Olusola Oke promised that under his watch, Ondo State would be better and the people would thrive under his administration.

“Some people have been out on campaigns of calumny against me that I will abandon most of the projects I will meet on ground. I want to assure you all that we are not out to destroy whatever we meet but to build on whatever we meet on ground.”‎

“The priority of my government shall be the good of the people of Ondo State. I greet our mothers, we shall ensure we give you life abundance, we shall give you money to trade. Our workers shall receive their salaries and other entitlements as and when due.

“Our youths shall be gainfully employed as we shall wake up all our dead industries and make them functional again.

“I will be in a hurry to deliver good governance, all our dead industries will be completed in a hurry. We shall all laugh and be glad that we voted the best party, the Alliance for Democracy, into power on November 26, 2016, “Olusola Oke assured the cheering crowd.

While further affirming that he would be dedicated to the people’s  welfare, be accountable to them at all times, he pleaded with the people to ensure that they all come out on November 26, 2016 to vote for the Alliance for Democracy.

AD Suspends Three National Officers For Alleged Anti-Party Activities

alliance-for-democracy-adThe leadership of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) has suspended its National Deputy Chairman, North, Mr Shehu Musa and two others for alleged anti-party activities.

The other suspended officers are the party’s National Legal Adviser, Mr Kehinde Aworele and the National Organising Secretary, Mr Abdallah Ibrahim.

AD National Chairman, Mr Joseph Avazi, made the announcement at the end of a National Working Committee meeting of the party in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.

He said that the principal officers were suspended for convening an illegal meeting in Ondo State, with the aim of undermining the chances of the party in the November 26 governorship election.

In a communique read after the meeting, the AD mandated its National Secretary, Zonal Chairman (Northeast) and the Deputy Chairman (South) to take stock of states due to hold their congress with the aim of notifying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The party’s leadership has affirmed that Mr Olusola Oke remains its authentic flag bearer for the forthcoming election and INEC has since recognised Mr Oke as the candidate for the polls.

The electoral umpire also listed Mr Jimoh Ibrahim as the PDP candidate and Oluwarotimi Akeredolu as the APC flag bearer.

Ondo Election: AD Says Olusola Oke Remains Its Candidate

Olusola Oke, AD, Ondo ElectionThe Alliance for Democracy (AD) has affirmed that Mr Olusola Oke remains the authentic candidate of the party for the November 26 Ondo governorship poll.

The National Vice Chairman, North-east, of the party, Magaji Kwairanga, stated this at a news conference in Akure, Ondo State capital.

This is contrary to a Friday communique in which leading party members had denounced Oke’s candidacy.

Kwairanga said: “It is a known fact that Dr. Akin Olowokere handed over the gubernatorial ticket of AD voluntarily to Oke. It is also a truism that the state chapter of AD, our great party, was involved and also consented to the candidature of Oke.

“Therefore, the national chairman and secretary of the party are constitutionally empowered to forward the name of Oke to INEC considering the constraint of time.

“Let us also state that the NEC has no issue and if there are issues relating to NEC meeting, which is internal affairs of the party, the issues will be handled internally. As we speak here, Oke’s name has been duly submitted to INEC as the candidate of our party.”

The news conference was also attended by the National Vice Chairman, North-west, Alhaji Sulaiman Aliyu; the Deputy National Treasurer, Sagir Ahmed Ali; the National Organising Secretary, Abdulahi Ibrahim; a National Ex Officio member, Saadatu Bello, seven states chairmen and other national officers.

Oke, who contested in the September 3 primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dumped the party for the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to actualise his ambition.

Mr Oke announced this decision to his political associates and supporters from across the 18 local government areas of the state at his residence in Akure the State capital.

Oke, who was candidate of the PDP in the 2012 governorship election in the state, lamented that some undemocratic forces had hijacked the APC at the federal level.

He commended all the leaders of APC who have condemned the primary election and said that he decided to step aside in order to actualize the aspiration of the people of Ondo State.

INEC had few days earlier announced the decision of AD to replace the name of its candidate, Akin Olowookere with that of Olusola Oke.

Ondo Election: Olusola Oke Dumps APC For AD

Olusola Oke, AD, Ondo ElectionOne of the governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State who contested in the September 3 primary election of the party, Olusola Oke has dumped the party for the Alliance for Democracy (AD) to actualise his ambition.

Mr Oke announced this decision to his political associates and supporters from across the 18 local government areas of the State at his residence in Akure the State capital.

Oke, who was candidate of the PDP in the 2012 governorship election in the state, lamented that some undemocratic forces have hijacked the APC at the federal level.

He commended all the leaders of APC who have condemned the primary election and said that he decided to step aside in order to actualize the aspiration of the people of Ondo State.

INEC had few days earlier announced the decision of AD to replace the name of its candidate, Akin Olowookere with that of Olusola Oke.

Mr Olusola Oke scored 576 votes to emerge third in the APC primary election which held amid tight security in Akure.

A former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu emerged as the governorship candidate of the party.

Mr Akeredolu polled 669 votes as against his closest rival, Olusegun Abraham who polled 635 votes.

A total of 24 aspirants contested the governorship ticket of the APC for the election scheduled to hold on November 26, 2016.

Ondo APC Primaries: Three Aspirants Condemn Oyegun’s Decision

Three Aspirants Condemn Oyegun's Decision on Ondo APC Primaries:Three aggrieved aspirants in the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Ondo State have condemned the decision of the party’s National Chairman, Mr John Oyegun, on the primaries.

The aspirants decried the alleged rejection of the recommendation of the panel of enquiry set up to investigate the outcome of the election by the National Chairman of the APC.

The panel had recommended that the election result should be cancelled and a fresh primary election conducted.

The three applicants, Senator Ajayi Boroffice, Mr Olusola Oke and Dr. Olusegun Abraham, had petitioned the APC leadership on the result of the election which produced Olurotimi Akeredolu as the party’s flagbearer in the November 2016 governorship election.

They claimed that the election was characterised by fraud, as many non-delegates voted.

However, Mr Oyegun decided to uphold the result of the election.

The aggrieved APC members said the decision prompted them to address a press conference at the press centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Akure, Ondo State’s capital in southwest Nigeria.

Senator Boroffice, who spoke on behalf of the aspirants, criticised the APC National Chairman for ratifying the election result, as against the opinion of other members of the National Executive Committee.


He said that as good citizens of Ondo State, they were ready and willing to abide by the decision of the people of the state, adding that they would make public their next line of actions at the right time.

On his part, Mr Oke dispelled the rumour that he had dumped the APC to contest for the election on the platform of another party.

He equally emphasised that his next move would be as a result of consultations from the people of the state.

However, Dr. Abraham was absent at the conference but his colleagues stated that he sent his apology.

Rotimi Akeredolu Emerges APC Governorship Candidate In Ondo

Rotimi Akeredolu, APC Governorship Candidate,OndoA former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Rotimi Akeredolu has emerged as the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo state.

The Chairman, Primary Election Committee of the party and governor of Jigawa state, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, announced Mr Akeredolu as the winner of the poll, which held amid tight security in Akure, the state capital.

Mr Akeredolu polled 669 votes as against his closest rival, Olusegun Abraham who polled 635 votes. While Former PDP candidate in the 2012 governorship election in the state, Mr Olusola Oke scored 576 votes to emerge third.

A total of 24 aspirants contested the governorship ticket of the APC for the election scheduled to hold on November 26, 2016.

Ondo Gov. Elections: APC Cautions Candidates Against Misconduct

APC, Ondo, ElectionsThe leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State has warned its members against misconduct during elections.

The Chairman of the APC in Ondo State, Mr Isaacs Kekemeke, gave the warning on Monday at the party’s headquarters in Akure the state capital in southwest Nigeria.

Mr Kekemeke was speaking at a meeting between the party’s State Executive Council and its aspirants in the coming governorship election where about 10 contenders were present.

He directed all the aspirants under the platform of the APC to adhere strictly to the guidelines of the elections.

Kekemeke also solicited for unity among the party executives and the contenders.

He challenged them on the guidelines for the conduct of all the governorship aspirants of the party.

Speaking to Channels Television, two of the aspirants, Olusola Oke and Paul Akintelure, expressed their readiness for the primary election, as well as the governorship election.