Former Ogun State Governor, Olusegun Osoba, has acknowledged being a political godfather but said he does not interfere in the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun by imposing people on him for government appointments.

Osoba made the disclosure during an interview on The Reuben and Kike Abati Podcast, where he spoke with the media couple, Dr Reuben Abati and Kikelomo Atanda-Owo. A video of the conversation was shared on Sunday.

Responding to questions about godfatherism and calls for influential political figures to withdraw from politics, Osoba said he hardly interfered in Abiodun’s administration, despite offering him advice.

“And I can tell you one thing that is working for me in Ogun State is because I hardly interfere. Governor Dapo Abiodun, I counsel and advise him; I’ve never nominated one person into his government,” he said.

Explaining his decision, Osoba said recommending one person for an appointment could offend the many others around him who might also expect to be considered.

“I have so many people around me. If I pick one, I will offend the other. If there are 100, I pick one, 99 offended,” he said.

He added that anyone he recommended could also be viewed with suspicion by other members of the administration.

“Anybody I put in there will be a suspect. I will advise him, this, this, my advice to him; they don’t have to take it,” Osoba said.

The former governor said his advice to governors was to compensate and involve political associates who supported their campaigns, while leaving the final decisions on appointments to them.

He also acknowledged his influence in the state’s politics, saying he would not deny being a godfather and identifying Senator Solomon Adeola as his preferred candidate.

“I agree, I’m a godfather. I won’t lie to you, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola is my candidate,” he said, citing Adeola’s experience in the Lagos State House of Assembly, House of Representatives and Senate.

“He’s been in the House of Assembly in Lagos. He’s been in the House of Reps. He’s been in the Senate. He’s an accountant. He’s been in appropriation. I give advice, but I will not insist,” he said.

Osoba maintained that while political elders could have a say in the process of selecting candidates, they should not dictate how elected officials run their administrations.

Osoba governed Ogun State from 1992 to 1993 and again from 1999 to 2003. Abiodun became governor in 2019, succeeding Ibikunle Amosun.

Source: punchng.com

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The Obi-Kwankwaso Movement and the senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, have renewed their disagreement over the lawmaker’s distribution of millions of naira to constituents, with the group insisting that the exercise raises questions about electoral integrity.

The latest exchange followed Akpoti-Uduaghan’s criticism of the movement for calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate her cash empowerment programme, which she said was funded through a Federal Government budgetary provision.

The senator had also maintained that she would honour any invitation from the anti-graft agency and explain the circumstances surrounding the distribution.

However, in a fresh interview with The PUNCH, the Director-General of OK Movement, John Ughulu, said the senator’s position did not address the concerns raised by the group.

Ughulu argued that elected public officials should be subjected to continuous orientation on their constitutional responsibilities, ethical standards and accountability.

The politician said the circumstances surrounding the public distribution of money to constituents raised questions about the possible abuse of public office and the integrity of the electoral process.

He said, “What Nigerians witnessed in the widely discussed money distribution incident raises serious questions about the abuse of public office and the integrity of our electoral process.

“If the circumstances establish that the money was distributed to influence voters ahead of an election, the matter could amount to advance vote buying and should be investigated under the relevant provisions of Nigerian electoral law.”

Ughulu challenged the senator to explain whether similar cash distributions featured in her electoral campaigns, insisting that the circumstances surrounding her emergence into the National Assembly also deserved scrutiny.

“The election that brought Senator Natasha into the National Assembly was decided by the people. Therefore, an important question must be asked: Was the same practice of distributing money to influence voters involved in securing her electoral victory?

“That question deserves a factual answer, not an emotional reaction,” he said.

The movement also dismissed suggestions that its criticism was politically motivated, saying its position on electoral accountability would apply to candidates across party lines, including those of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.

“We cannot condemn alleged electoral malpractice under the present administration while appearing to tolerate similar conduct from individuals within our own political space. The same standards of integrity, transparency and accountability must apply to everyone.

“The OK Movement will not make exceptions for anyone. This applies equally to NDC candidates and candidates of every other political party. Anyone involved in electoral manipulation, vote buying, result falsification or any attempt to undermine the will of the electorate should expect lawful scrutiny and accountability,” he stated.

Ughulu further warned that the group would explore lawful means of seeking accountability if the EFCC or other relevant agencies failed to investigate credible allegations.

He said the 2027 elections should be determined by voters at polling units, adding that the movement was committed to transparency, proper documentation of results and protection of voters’ rights.

The latest exchange comes days after Akpoti-Uduaghan defended her cash empowerment programme in a video circulating on social media.

The senator insisted that the money was provided through a Federal Government budgetary allocation and that she personally brought it before beneficiaries to ensure transparency.

She said, “Well, I have not been invited by the EFCC. But, of course, if I’m invited, I will turn up and explain the following things. Number one, the cash empowerment was money from the Federal Government. It’s budgeted by the Federal Government, okay? And I, in my typical fashion, do things transparently.

“I brought the money personally before the people. The money was all placed on a platform. There was no money abuse. And you saw the hall was full to its brim. We had about 600 beneficiaries.

“But the Obi-Kwankwaso group, please, I don’t know how authentic you are. But if you are, you have NDC senators in the Senate. And they’re also able to bring these same opportunities to you. So rather than using your efforts to call on EFCC to investigate why I am giving such an amount of money to my constituents, I think you should channel that energy to your senators and tell them to do the same for you.”

The controversy followed the circulation of photographs and videos showing bundles of cash at an empowerment programme organised by the senator to mark her third anniversary in the 10th National Assembly.

Her action attracted criticism on social media, with some Nigerians questioning the propriety of publicly displaying large sums of money during a constituency empowerment programme.

Akpoti-Uduaghan subsequently defended the decision to distribute cash rather than business equipment, explaining through her media aide, Mike Idoko, that previous empowerment exercises showed that some beneficiaries preferred direct financial assistance to equipment because of their immediate business needs.

Source: punchng.com

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The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has vowed to prevent Peter Obi from repeating his 2023 presidential election victory in the state, declaring that the party has learnt from the defeat and is mobilising to secure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

The state APC Chairman, Cornelius Ojelabi, said the outcome of the last presidential election had served as a wake-up call for the ruling party, which is intensifying its mobilisation across states and local government areas ahead of the January 16, 2027 poll.

Ojelabi also backed the rainbow coalition being promoted by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, saying political groups and stakeholders from different backgrounds were united by the goal of returning Tinubu to the Presidency.

Obi, the former Anambra State governor who contested the 2023 election on the platform of the Labour Party, defeated Tinubu in Lagos, his home state and the traditional stronghold of the APC.

Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH, Ojelabi said the party was taking nothing for granted despite being in power, adding that it was reaching out to voters to propagate the achievements of Tinubu’s administration.

He said, “We can see the seriousness the All Progressives Congress attached to the forthcoming general election. You can also see that most of the political activities taking place are centred around the APC. You can see our people moving from one state to another as well as from one local government to another.

“I am sure you can also see the number of support groups from different states and regions coming up to show their solidarity and support to the presidential candidate of the APC.

“For the mere fact that we are the ruling party, we are not taking that for granted. We are reaching out to the electorate and telling them what the Tinubu administration has achieved in the last three and a half years and the need to consolidate that.

“So, as I earlier said, we are not taking anything for granted. Let them (electorate) take ownership of the 2027 general election,” he said.

Asked about the strategies the Lagos APC had put in place to prevent a repeat of the 2023 outcome, Ojelabi expressed confidence that the party would perform better in the next election.

“Definitely, that will not happen again. What happened in the 2023 election only helped to strengthen us in the APC. This is because we know Lagos has remained the only state in the whole country that has been governed by only one political party since 1999.

“So, as I said, what happened in last year’s poll was a wake-up call. Wait and see the wonder that we are going to perform in the forthcoming January 16, 2027 election,” he said.

The APC chairman, however, declined to outline specific measures for stopping Obi, insisting that the party would focus on its performance in government and rely on voters to return Tinubu to office.

“Well, I am not from this political party. I am the chairman of the All Progressives Congress, and I want to concentrate on what our government has done for the good people of Lagos and how to reciprocate. And the only way by which they will reciprocate this is through their votes. So, wait and see what is going to happen,” he said.

On Wike’s Rainbow Coalition, Ojelabi said the APC was less concerned about the political affiliations of those involved than their commitment to Tinubu’s re-election.

“Whether coalition or no coalition, everybody is speaking one language; the language of making sure that President Bola Tinubu return to Aso Rock, irrespective of wherever they are coming from. What is important is for us to consolidate and bring forth the votes required for the President’s re-election in 2027,” he said.

The Rainbow Coalition has featured in political discussions ahead of the 2027 election as politicians and groups consider alliances to influence the presidential contest.

The development comes barely one month after the Nigeria Democratic Congress expressed confidence that its presidential candidate would floor Tinubu in Lagos, predicting a wider margin than the one recorded in 2023.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, stated that Obi’s victory over Tinubu in Lagos during the 2023 presidential poll was not accidental, adding that it reflected the political mood of the state.

Speaking exclusively with our correspondent on the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elections, Director said, “Obi didn’t win Lagos by magic. It was a political reality. The people overwhelmingly rejected APC and their former governor who was the presidential candidate of the party,” he said.

Obi’s 2023 victory in Lagos was one of the biggest surprises of the election, as he overturned expectations in a state where Tinubu and the APC had enjoyed decades of political dominance.

The former Labour Party candidate polled 582,454 votes to defeat Tinubu.

The Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the election, Atiku Abubakar, scored 75,750 votes, while the New Nigeria People’s Party candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, recorded 8,844 votes.

Obi won nine local government areas: Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Amuwo-Odofin, Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Ojo and Alimosho.

Tinubu, however, won 11 local government areas, including Mushin, Agege, Apapa, Badagry, Epe, Ibeju-Lekki, Ifako-Ijaiye, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland and Surulere.

The state recorded 1,271,451 valid votes, 64,278 rejected votes and 1,335,729 total votes cast.

The 2027 contest is expected to test whether the APC can translate its political structures and control of the state into a stronger presidential performance, particularly in the local government areas Obi won in 2023.

Source: punchng.com

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