Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has denied entering into any agreement with the All Progressives Congress to share legislative or local government positions in the state.

Adeleke, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Wednesday, said the clarification became necessary following social media reports alleging that a deal with the Presidency ahead of the 2027 general elections included the sharing of political positions.

According to the reports, local government positions, as well as Senate, House of Representatives and state House of Assembly seats to be contested in 2027, had been shared between the Osun Accord and the state APC.

The governor, who reaffirmed his commitment to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, said negotiations to resolve the local government crisis were aimed at protecting the interests of both APC chairmen and elected Peoples Democratic Party chairmen and councillors.

He described reports of a position-sharing arrangement as “mere fabrication and fake news.”

The statement read, “As the governor of all Osun indigenes and residents, we are working to resolve the local government matter by ensuring that all interests are protected and cared for.

“As of now, all stakeholders agree that restoring grassroots governance is a condition for our successful campaign ahead of the 2027 elections.”

Adeleke assured that the local government crisis would be resolved before the end of the year, stressing that he had not entered into any agreement to share legislative seats with the Osun APC.

“What unites the coalition partners is only the presidential election.

“As I said while inaugurating the Presidential Campaign Council, the coalition is targeted at the presidential election. Partners agreed to join hands to ensure our dear President is re-elected.

“All other legislative positions are open for competition. I will work and campaign for Accord candidates for Senate, House of Representatives and the state House of Assembly.

“I urge all political parties to campaign for their candidates as I will do for Accord candidates. We have no deal on the National Assembly and the state Assembly elections. All our candidates will face the electorate, who have the final say,” he said.

On Thursday, the governor insisted that the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ championed by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to garner votes for Tinubu would not cause confusion among Osun voters in the 2027 general elections.

Speaking in Ede while inaugurating the campaign committee for the re-election of the Osun West Senatorial candidate of the Accord, Lere Oyewumi, Adeleke, represented by the Deputy Governor, Kola Adewusi, described Oyewumi, who currently serves as the Deputy Minority Leader in the Senate, as a quality representative with enviable records of service.

He added that the lawmaker had made the state proud, saying his re-election had been made easy by his track record of effective representation and performance since his election into the National Assembly.

He appealed to members of the committee to work with total commitment to ensure victory for the party in the poll.

The governor said, “On the rumour going around in town about ‘Rainbow Coalition,’ don’t let that give us any headache. Let me state again that we are only going to vote for the All Progressives Congress in the presidential election only.

“The National and State Assembly elections will be for the Accord. There should be no confusion among the voters.

“I want to appeal to the members of the campaign committee to work hard and ensure the victory of Senator Lere Oyewumi. There is nothing like 99.9 per cent loyalty. Your loyalty should be 100 per cent.”

Oyewumi attributed the growing acceptability of Accord in Osun to the leadership and performance of Adeleke.

The lawmaker said his senatorial ambition was long planned, adding that his experience in the Senate had better equipped him for service.

“Adeleke is a pathfinder, and his re-election has shown that Osun people love him, and that love will translate to victory for all Accord candidates in the general election.

“In my three and a half years in the Red Chamber, I have learned a lot. What I thought was not possible has been proven to me to be possible. So I am more prepared, more equipped and more determined to give my best to every community in Osun West Senatorial District,” Oyewumi said.

He promised more infrastructural and social development, adding, “For the people of Osun West, more development is coming – better roads, improved schools and hospitals, clean water, and solar streetlights that will light up every corner of the district.”

Highlighting some of the achievements of the senator since assuming office, the Director-General of the campaign committee, Adesoye Oyetunde, said, “Oyewumi has not disappointed us. Out of the 10 local governments we have in this senatorial district, the senator tarred roads in eight of them. In the remaining two, he has already flagged off construction.

“There is no local government in Osun West where Oyewumi has not built classrooms. In terms of healthcare, farm inputs and other interventions, the senator has done a lot for his people, and I know he will do more.”

The PUNCH earlier reported that Adeleke was appointed by Tinubu as campaign coordinator for the presidential campaign in Osun.

At the inauguration of the 344-member campaign council in the state, however, some prominent APC leaders were absent as Adeleke tasked the team with coordinating Tinubu’s re-election campaign in the state ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Former governor, Chief Adegboyega Oyetola; the APC candidate in the governorship election, Bola Oyebamiji; the lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Oluwole Oke, among others, were absent.

Former Osun State Governor, Chief Bisi Akande, however, led other APC chieftains to the event, where Adeleke inaugurated the council.

Those present included the APC National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru; a former National Secretary of the party, Iyiola Omisore; two former deputy governors of Osun State, Titi Laoye-Ponle and Lekan Adewoyin; Babajide Omoworare; and Chief Shuaib Oyedokun.

Other attendees included the Osun Central Senatorial Leader of the APC, Adeoye Adelakun; former members of the House of Representatives, Ajibola Famurewa and Bukola Oyewo; former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Wale Afolabi; and former Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, Prof. Olu Aina, among others.

Source: punchng.com

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Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, on Thursday alleged that President Bola Tinubu spent over 260 days out of the country but cannot spend 36 days to go round the states of the federation to campaign for next year’s general election.

Tinubu had said that he may not campaign in all 36 states for the 2027 election because governance requires his attention.

But Obi, who declared himself the leading presidential candidate for the 2027 election, said the President did not have the energy and competence to run the country and therefore should pack up and leave Aso Rock, go home and rest.

He stated this in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, during a political summit.

“I want President Tinubu to come to Abakaliki to tell the people what he has done in the past three years. I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell you what he used the money he has been borrowing to do for the past three years.

“I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell Nigerians what he has used their money to do. He said he will not come for a campaign.

“President Tinubu has stayed over 260 days out of Nigeria, yet he cannot spend up to 36 days to go round Nigeria to tell the people what he has been doing for the past three years. We will not do that.

“President Tinubu does not have the competence to run Nigeria. He does not have the energy to run Nigeria. He should pack his things, go home and rest,” Obi said

He warned against dividing the South-East and declared that he was seeking votes of the electorate as a Nigerian who is eminently qualified for the presidency.

“Let nobody divide the South East. I don’t want the people of Ebonyi to vote for me because I am from the South East. I don’t want you to vote for me because I am an Igbo person.

“My dear people, I want you to vote for me because I am qualified to be the President of this country. I want you to vote for me because I am the leading candidate,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor said he would declare an emergency on hunger, insecurity, education, corruption, health, power and other challenges confronting the nation and threatened to jail anyone who embezzled public funds if he emerged as President.

“We will declare an emergency on about seven items. Number one is that we must unite Nigeria. We don’t want people to be around Nigeria saying, I am Igbo, I am Yoruba, I am Hausa, I am this, I am that.

“We must unite this country; our pride should not be based on considerations of employment, this or that. We will operate federal character for all the jobs we have. So, we must unite the country.

“We will declare an emergency on the security of lives and property in Nigeria. We will deal with insecurity decisively. Nobody will be in charge; we will be in charge.

“Let me assure you today, if I am President of this country, kids come to school, and somebody takes them into the bush, we will be in the bush with such persons. They will not be there alone; we will be there with those kids. We will defend the country because we are going to equip the security agencies to make sure that our country is safe.

“We will declare an emergency in corruption. I will fight corruption like nobody has fought it before. Public money must be used for public good; nobody will steal our money again. If you do it, you will go to jail, starting with the President.

“We will declare an emergency in the education sector. We have over 18 million children out of school; we must reduce it. We will declare an emergency on hunger. We have vast lands; our farmers must go back to farming, be able to cultivate, give us what we eat and be able to export. We will do that.

“We will declare an emergency in health. We must have functional healthcare in all the political wards of Nigeria. Every ward must have it; we have the resources to do it,” Obi stated.

Source: punchng.com

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The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Oyo State, Sharafadeen Alli, on Thursday assured all categories of workers in the state of prompt payment of salaries, allowances and all other entitlements, if elected in the 2027 election.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Media and Publicity of Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation, Bisi Oladele, in Ibadan, the state capital.

His assurance came on the heels of industrial actions by medical and dental officers in the state employ and lecturers at Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso.

While medical workers’ strike commenced on Monday, members of the LAUTECH branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities started an indefinite strike on Thursday.

The strike has left patients in public hospitals helpless and essential healthcare services unavailable to the people of the state.

Condemning Governor Seyi Makinde for ignoring doctors’ and lecturers’ strike and continuing with his presidential campaign, Alli accused him of insensitivity to the plight of the masses and thousands of students attending the institution.

Alli described the industrial actions as deeply troubling, particularly against the backdrop of persistent complaints about inadequate medical personnel, poor equipment and deteriorating facilities in government-owned hospitals across the state.

Assuring prompt payment of workers’ salaries and entitlements when elected, Alli, according to the statement, questioned how a government that repeatedly proclaims workers’ welfare as its priority could allow disputes involving payment of allowances and implementation of the 2025 FG-ASUU agreement to degenerate into industrial disputes, thus hampering critical healthcare and education service delivery.

The SSACO noted that the demands made by members of the Association of Medical and Dental Officers were not unreasonable as they concerned the payment of outstanding allowances and the restoration of salaries of medical personnel transferred from field assignments to the Ministry of Health.

The organisation said Alli was particularly concerned that the industrial action involved the already overstretched medical workforce in the state, warning that the withdrawal of their services would further worsen healthcare delivery in public hospitals.

“At a time when Oyo State Government hospitals are struggling with shortages of medical personnel, inadequate equipment and other operational challenges, the state can ill-afford the prolonged withdrawal of services by its doctors and dental officers.

“The consequences are borne not by government officials who can afford private medical care, but by ordinary citizens, particularly pregnant women, children, pensioners and low-income families who depend on public healthcare facilities.

“Every additional day of this strike raises serious concerns about access to emergency treatment, continuity of care and the welfare of vulnerable patients.

“Worse still, Governor Makinde has chosen the comfort of a political jamboree in the South East over the urgent responsibility of safeguarding the health and lives of his people and the education of future leaders.

“Rather than remain at his duty post to resolve a crisis that has further crippled an already struggling public healthcare and education system, the governor is busy chasing the mirage of an illusory presidential ambition.

“It is the height of misplaced priorities for a governor who endlessly trumpets his commitment to workers’ welfare. For Makinde, the allure of presidential power appears to have eclipsed the solemn obligations of his present office.

“Oyo deserves a governor focused on governance, not one distracted by the intoxicating but increasingly unrealistic dream of occupying Aso Rock,” the statement said.

The campaign organisation appealed to the striking medical personnel and lecturers to remain open to meaningful dialogue while recognising their right to pursue legitimate employment demands through lawful means.

It further called for immediate contingency arrangements to protect patients requiring emergency and life-saving medical attention for the duration of the industrial action, stressing that the health and lives of Oyo State residents must remain paramount.

“Unlike Makinde, Alli will place the welfare of healthcare professionals, education and the wellbeing of the people at the heart of his administration.

“His government will prioritise prompt payment of salaries and allowances, constructive engagement with medical personnel and the provision of modern equipment and essential facilities in public hospitals,” the statement concluded.

Source: punchng.com

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