From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Osun state, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, has described a call by Governor Ademola Adeleke that Britain should impose economic sanctions and visa ban on the big wigs of the APC in the state over fabricated accusations of promotion of political violence as spurious, unfounded and a joke of the century

Oyebamiji made the statement while playing host to the British delegation, in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

He maintained that if any political party had any reason to make such a request, it would more logically have been his party not the ruling Accord in the state as evident in the alleged unruly activities credited to the incumbent government and its functionaries.

Oyebamiji recalled the alleged gruesome killings of several loyalists of his party prior to the 2022 governorship election and 2023 presidential election in the state, saying the killings in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire, Ede and several other communities were duly reported to the Nigeria Police Force.

“Permit me to also address recent media reports alleging that foreign missions, including the British High Commission, were urged to deny entry visas to members of our party. I regard such reports as entirely unfounded and frankly, the joke of the century” he added.

“If any political party had any reason to make such a request, it would more logically have been our party, the APC.

“You will recall that, prior to the current administration taking office in the state, many of our members were painfully killed during the 2022 election period.

“The incidents in Ilesa, Ile-Ife, Osogbo, Ikirun, Ikire, Ede and several other communities were duly reported to the Nigeria Police Force.

“Although we were the governing party at the time, we neither sought to politicise the incidents nor level baseless accusations.

Instead, we cooperate fully with the security agencies, allowing them to carry out their constitutional responsibilities. Today, several of those cases are before the courts.

“Sadly, in the last two years, a number of our members have also lost their lives under tragic situations.

“In my own Irewole Local Government; Council Area, the Executive Chairman, Hon. Remi Abbas, was killed within the premises of the local government secretariat.

“That unfortunate incident is only one among several others that have been well documented.

“Our approach has remained consistent. We believe in allowing the law enforcement agencies to investigate such matters professionally rather than attempting to mislead the public or the international community with unsubstantiated allegations.

“In this regard, I wish to commend the Inspector-General of Police and the officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force for their professionalism and restraint in the face of provocation and misinformation.

“We will continue to support and co-operate with all the security agencies in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities because peace and security remain indispensable to the democratic process”, Oyebamiji added.

AMBO reaffirmed his confidence in the electoral umpire saying “as a political party, we also have confidence in the ability of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a credible, free, fair and peaceful governorship election on the 15th of August, 2026.

“Our only appeal is that the commission should continue to provide a level playing field for all the political parties, thereby allowing the electorate to freely determine the outcome of the election”.

Oyebamiji acknowledged the longstanding bilateral relationship between Nigeria and Britain, adding that “over the years, our bilateral relationship has remained mutually beneficial, fostering co-operation in democracy, governance, trade, education, security and development.

“Without presuming to speak on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, I wish, as a proud Nigerian, to acknowledge your role and respectfully solicit your continued support and co-operation with our administration when, by the grace of God and the will of the people, it is inaugurated in November this year”, Oyebamiji affirmed.

The British delegation led by the Senior Political Advisor, Wale Adebajo, said the meeting was on  peace-building ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

By Julius Tambaya, Abuja

 The presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party (YPP), Peter Agada, has pledged to usher in a fresh era of transparent, technology-driven governance if elected President of Nigeria in the 2027 general elections.

Agada, a former Director of Finance for the Obidient Movement in the 2023 elections, voiced strong optimism about defeating his political rivals.

He made the commitment while unveiling his bold policy roadmap tagged “Labour Direct” , a people-centered agenda designed to tackle Nigeria’s most pressing challenges head-on.

The YPP presidential flag bearer who, spoke in an exclusive interview with DAILY ASSET, stated that his administration would be anchored on an “open-network governance” model, emphasizing total inclusivity, accountability, and direct citizen engagement through the ‘Labour Direct’ framework.

He further stressed the urgent need to align skills development with current market demands. He further called for a complete overhaul of the public service, advocating for a merit-based recruitment system to replace favoritism and mediocrity.

“As an accomplished professional architect with vast international experience, I will approach national security through a smart blend of community-based intelligence and cutting-edge technology,” Agada noted.

He also highlighted massive job creation plans, with a strategic focus on agricultural industrialization and the solid minerals sector—two areas he believes hold the structural key to absorbing Nigeria’s teeming youthful population

On the alleged politicization of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the current administration, Agada revealed ongoing, high-level international collaborations aimed at restoring public confidence in the nation’s electoral process.

“We are already working with corporate development partners and the governments of the United States and China to build and deploy a robust, technology-based system,” Agada declared. “This will ensure prompt, transparent, and tamper-proof transmission of election results.”

Positioning himself as a bridge between competence and compassion, the YPP candidate promised a government that works for every citizen, irrespective of tribe, religion, or political affiliation.

African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed the claims by a rival group of uploading presidential nomination details to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) portal, describing it as false.

Consequently, the party has urged INEC to investigate what it described as forgery and unauthorised use of documents it purportedly issued.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, in a statement issued on Monday in Abuja, said it was not true that a group, led by Nafiu Bala, uploaded names of presidential and other candidates into the INEC nomination portal.

According to him, INEC cannot issue nomination portal access or nomination codes to a leadership it does not officially recognise under the Electoral Act.

He said that the commission would not issue separate nomination portal codes to different groups claiming leadership of the same registered political party.

“The claim is a blatant lie. INEC does not issue nomination portal access or nomination codes to a leadership it does not recognise,” Abdullahi said.

He challenged those making the allegation to provide credible evidence showing that an unrecognised group successfully accessed and uploaded nominations on the commission’s portal.

The spokesman said the party had formally notified INEC of what it considered apparent forgery and unauthorised use of documents bearing the commission’s identity.

“We trust that the commission will investigate this matter and take necessary steps to correct this blatant misrepresentation,” he said.

Abdullahi declared that ADC was not factionalised, insisting that INEC recognised only one leadership which had completed its nomination process lawfully.

He said the party had already uploaded details of its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, on the INEC portal.

“Our focus remains firmly on presenting Nigerians with a credible alternative that can restore security, revive the economy and create jobs in 2027,” he said.

The spokesman urged party members, supporters, the media and the public to disregard contrary claims and rely only on official communications issued through authorised ADC channels.