POLITICS
Osun Election: Abduallahi, Tinubu, Lawan, others Campaign for Oyetola
Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, the party’s Presidential candidate and the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, have urged people of Osun to re-elect Gov. Gboyega Oyetola, during Saturday’s governorship election.
Also, Gov.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun and Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, were among the APC governors present at the party’s mega rally on Tuesday at the Osogbo City Stadium to support Oyetola’s re-election.In his remarks, Lawan commended Oyetola for his prudence and efficiency in managing the state’s meagre resources.
The Senate President called on the electorate to look beyond political sentiments in their choice of who to elect, urging them to vote massively for Oyetola.
“I bring solidarity from the National Assembly. We are believers of this party and its candidate, because Osun has witnessed serious and massive transformation in the last three and a half years.
“We have a governor who is prudent and efficient in the face of very meagre resources.
“Today, Osun has witnessed so much infrastructure development, political stability and peace.
“We believe that we have everything we need for development with this our governor,” he said.
Also, the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi, appealed to members of the party to come out en masse and vote for Oyetola.
He said that the victory recorded by the party in Ekiti governorship election must be repeated in the state.
“This is a mega rally to promote our candidate. We are taking no chances with the affairs of Osun, because the state deserves a leader like Oyetola in its quest for development.
“This is why we have come in full strength to support him in a bid to ensure his re-election.
“Those who have a fair mind will testify that he has done so much since he became the governor in 2018.
“We are here, not only to testify to what he has done, but to appeal to you to turn out in large numbers to vote for him.
“We are anticipating a better outcome than what we had in Ekiti and by the grace of God, we are sure of victory.
“I want you to be the APC ambassadors, telling those who are not here what you have seen.
“Continue to spread the good works of this government in the nooks and crannies of the state,” he said.
Commenting, Tinubu appealed to members of the party to vote massively for Oyetola to be re-elected.
He also urged them to be vigilant on the election day and safeguard their votes.
“On Saturday come out en masse and vote for APC and not any mushroom party; support our candidate, support APC and you will not in any way regret it.
“We have come to ask that you vote massively on Saturday for APC, not as a mark of entitlement, but because of the future of your children.
“Before you make your decision, think of the future. We are a party that guarantees your future, because we are known for fulfilling our promises.
“Let us entrust the affairs of our state into the hands of those who mean business, not mushroom parties,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Bagudu, the Chairman, the Nigeria Progressives Governors’ Forum, said that Oyetola has the backing of all APC governors in the coming election.
He lauded the tremendous and landmark developments, which Osun had recorded across sectors since Oyetola’s emergence in the state.
“We are pleased to be here today; we are proud to hear about the numerous progress that this administration in Osun has recorded.
“We are confident that the love and admiration of people of Osun are with you, because of your great achievements.
“Today, we are here for this grand rally and honoured to be here to throw our supports behind you.
“We did it about four years ago and you were elected based on what you can do.
“Now, we are here again to show solidarity based on what you have done.
“We are assuring the citizens of Osun that this gentleman governor will continue to do what is healthy for our democracy.
“He did not disappoint in the first term, he won’t disappoint in the second term,” he added.
Also, Sanwo-Olu, who is the APC National Campaign Council Chairman for the election, said Oyetola deserved to be re-elected based on his personal encounters with people of the state.
According to him, indeed, it is a huge honour that we stand here today, because this is a worthy assignment and we have a sellable candidate.
He said: “It is a job that is gratifying, because Oyetola has indeed performed excellently well.
“I have been on campaign trail with him and I have witnessed the overwhelming supports of the people for him.
“People of Osun, do not be deceived by those who are trying to say otherwise.
“Let us vote massively for Oyetola to continue doing his great works for every sector of the population. This is a man that is an embodiment of good governance.”
Oyetola, in his remarks, appreciated the party members for their support for his re-election.
He said his achievements in the areas of health, education, empowerment, prompt payment of workers’ salaries and pension, among others, would speak for his re-election.
Oyetola said Osun was on the path of consolidating on the gains of the last three and a half years.
He urged the people of Osun, especially workers, to shun political traducers, who were peddling falsehood that his administration would renege in its commitment to their welfare, if re-elected.
News men reports that other APC stalwarts at the rally were the party National Secretary, Sen. Iyiola Omisore; Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo; his Ekiti counterpart, Kayode Fayemi; the party’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Kassim Shettima, among others.(NAN)
The Abia Chapter of the INEC Staff Welfare Association (ISWA) has warned its members to uphold the integrity of the commission and guard against the culture of manipulating election results.
The Abia Chairman of the association, Mr Collins Eze, gave the advice at the group’s general meeting and end-of-year party in Umuahia.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen on the sideline of the ceremony, Eze said that the staff members were adequately aware of their enormous responsibility and should ensure free, fair and credible elections.
He said: “We have also told our colleagues that anywhere they find themselves they should make sure that they do the needful by ensuring transparency in the conduct of elections.
“We have always told them not to allow anybody to induce them with money to manipulate election results.
“I’m happy that they have been building the capacity of our colleagues on election processes.
“So, in the coming years, we won’t have any problem in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections.”
He said that the end-of-year party was special as it afforded them the opportunity “to wine and dine together as well as thank God for sustaining them in 2024”.
Eze said that his leadership had introduced various means of assisting members in dire financial needs by providing platforms to solicit suppory for them.
He expressed gratitude to members for their support and cooperation, describing them as the “secret behind the success of this administration”.
He said that 34 of at least 350 staff members of the commission in the state retired from service in 2024.
According to him, the development has placed a huge financial burden on the association, in terms of their welfare and entitlement as members.
Report says that each member received a carton of tomato paste as Christmas gift from the association. (NAN)
A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Osita Okechukwu, has told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be thankful to God that its 16-year administration was not probed by the successive APC-led governments.Okechukwu stated this on Tuesday in Abuja, while reacting to a statement by PDP congratulating Ghanaians for the conduct of free, fair and transparent general elections.
Report says that PDP had, in a statement, said that the verdict of the people of Ghana in the presidential election was a signal to the APC that its days were numbered. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, had said in the statement that the power of the people in Nigeria, just like in Ghana, would ‘surely prevail and end the APC’s oppressive rule’.This, he said, would “return Nigeria to the path of good governance, security, political stability and economic prosperity on the platform of the PDP in 2027.”However, in his reactions to Ologunagba’s statement, Okechukwu said that the PDP clan should thank God that former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, out of sheer statesmanship, had refused to probe ‘the 16 locus years of PDP administrations’.Okechukwu, a former Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), described the 16 years of PDP administrations as ones full of squandering and lack of plan.He said that Nigeria had yet to recover from the humongous culture of impunity and trust deficit planted by PDP on the Nigerian soil.Okechukwu said corruption was among the culture of impunity, saying it governed the privatisation of Nigeria’s electricity value chain, a key element in the country’s industrialisation drive.“Another is the blatant rigging of the 2007 general elections which the foremost beneficiary, President Umaru Yar’Adua, out of good conscience and noble magnanimity, publicly acknowledged the malfeasance which characterised his victory,” he said.Okechukwu also mentioned what he called conscienceless sale of the legislative and ministerial quarters, the annual rentage of which, he said, was bleeding the country’s treasury.“Another one is the neglect of $23 billion Greenfield Refinery, which could have saved over $70 billion expended on importation of refined petroleum products and which simulated the economic hardship of today,” he said.On why, for nine years, the APC administration could not fix those challenges, he recalled the efforts made by the Buhari administration to reopen talks on the Greenfield Refinery which, according to him, the Chinese regrettably rebuffed.The former VON director-general said that Nigerians were not in a hurry to forget the deliberate breach of the rotational convention of president from the north to the south.He said that the country could not also forget the utter disregard for Section 7 of the PDP’s constitution which expressly mandated zoning.Okechukwu advised the PDP not to insult the sensibilities of Nigerians by assuming that citizens would easily forget how they were put in the harms way.He said that PDP should thank God that Buhari and Tinubu did not want to probe them, adding “that’s why Nigerians cannot decipher the difference between the two political parties.” (NAN)
Sen. Ned Nwoko (PDP-Delta) says that Local Government Administration is central to democracy in Nigeria as it ensures grassroots governance and service delivery at the local level.This is contained in a statement signed by Dr Michael Nwoko, the Chief of Staff to the lawmaker in Abuja on Monday.Nwoko said this on the occasion of the presentation of an award “Icon of Hope” to him by the Association of Local Government Vice Chairmen of Nigeria (ALGOVC).
He was represented by his Chief of Staff. He said that the importance of local government administration in the country could not be overemphasised, as it was the bedrock of democracy.According to him, local governments in Nigeria play key roles in the country’s democracy by promoting participatory democracy, providing services, and representing citizens.“Local Governments help determine local needs and how to meet them. They also act as a link between the centre, state, and local people.“They are created to decentralise power and bring the government closer to the people. They perform both mandatory and concurrent functions.“It is in view of this that I took it upon myself to enhance the viability of local governments through the Paris and London club loan refunds,”he said.Dr Folashade Olabanji-Oba, ALGOVC National Chairman, while presenting the award at its 7th Annual National Conference, said the award was in recognition of the lawmaker’s significant contributions to strengthening local government administration.She highlighted Nwoko’s critical role in ensuring the Paris and London Club loan refunds, a financial breakthrough she said enhanced the capacity of local governments nationwide.(NAN)
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