Former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, has explained his decision to support the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, over Governor Ademola Adeleke in Saturday’s election.

Oyinlola said he had no regrets about backing Oyebamiji, citing the Peoples Democratic Party’s national crisis and what he described as a lack of consultation by Adeleke before leaving the party for the Accord Party.

He also accused Adeleke’s administration of concentrating major government projects in Ede, the governor’s hometown.

The former Osun State governor spoke on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme on Thursday.

He said, “First, when the political party (Peoples Democratic Party) was hit by serious turbulence at the national level, we foresaw that it would eventually affect us at the state level. So, we thought of a way out. And that was why we were thinking of an alternate platform for our candidate to run with.

“Though we started the discussion with … and the governor with the agreement that when they return from Atlanta, we will have a stakeholders’ meeting. Surprisingly, that did not come up. We only just saw on the social media that Mr Governor had resigned from our party and he had ported to the Accord Party.

“If you have to go back in history, the policy thrust of the founding fathers of Osun State was that there should be even and equal development of the state all around. What we have witnessed under the regime of Governor Adeleke is different.

“As of today, government has executed about 20 major projects around the senatorial districts. Out of the N362 billion spent altogether, N260.5 billion was spent in Ede. When you skew things in preference to your own area it does not augur well.”

On Adeleke’s claim that he bought him a car, Oyinlola said the vehicle was provided by the Osun State Government under an existing law.

“That is far from the truth. It is a sad development that the governor will continue to tell lies. The Osun State House of Assembly enacted a law whereby some … will accrue to whosoever has governed the state. One of the things that should accrue to a former governor is that for every four years, his vehicle should be changed.

“I have been out of Osun State government in the last three years. It wasn’t Ademola that gave me the vehicle. It was the Osun State government. It is a law of the state enacted by the House of Assembly. For him to misinform is a sad development for the chief executive of the state. There are other things like my security that should be taken care of. The police attached to me should be paid for, the cook should be taken care of and the drivers.

“By the grace of God, I started buying a car when I was 21. When I was going to Government House, I went with my entire convoy. Why will he paint it like I went to beg? It is a very sad development. He should say it the way it is, and that it is a law, it is my entitlement and he still owes me three more vehicles.”

Oyinlola also cited what he described as the weakening of the PDP’s structure in Osun State as another reason for withdrawing his support for Adeleke.

He said, “As the party, the engine oil that services a political party is a constant meeting. Today, anything pertaining to the party, you have to head to Ede. Our party headquarters in Osogbo has never for a long while held any meeting. And that is the arena through which politicians will rub their minds.”

Oyinlola said his decision to support Oyebamiji did not contradict his political philosophy, recalling that he had previously supported former Governor Rauf Aregbesola shortly before an election after falling out with the PDP.

“Let us get the facts right: it was because of what PDP did to me that made me support former Governor Rauf Aregbesola four days to the then election. That was the fact that changed the time of things. The PDP never kept to the agreement. As an officer who served for 30 solid years in the Nigerian army, we do not jump into conclusions. You do appreciation and you draw up your conclusion that will lead you to a positive end. I think I have done that. I have no regrets whatsoever.”

Source: punchng.com

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The presidential candidate of the Allied People’s Movement and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Thursday announced former Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde announced this at the elective national convention of the APM held at the Rilwanu Adamu Square, Government House, Bauchi.

Lawal replaces Ibrahim Bala, who was earlier announced as Makinde’s running mate, but was intended to be a placeholder.

The former DSS DG joined the APM a few days ago after resigning from the African Democratic Congress after losing the Katsina ADC governorship ticket.

Speaking on Daura’s choice, Makinde disclosed that he was deliberately chosen to solve the security situation of the country.

At the convention, Yusuf Dantalle was re-elected as the national chairman of the APM.

Speaking at the convention, Makinde declared that the task before the opposition ahead of the 2027 general election was bigger than merely winning power.

He said the central challenge was to give Nigerians a genuine choice about the future of the country and demonstrate, with measurable plans and records, how an alternative government would improve their lives.

“As we approach 2027, therefore, I believe the task before all of us is bigger than winning an election. It is to give Nigerians a real choice about the future of their country,” Makinde said.

Congratulating the new national officers elected at the convention, Makinde said the APM had, within a short period, emerged as an opposition party to reckon with.

He urged the new leadership of the party to work with other opposition political parties towards presenting a credible alternative to Nigerians in 2027, stressing that a viable opposition remained indispensable to the survival of democracy.

“As I said during the Ibadan Declaration in April this year, the presence of credible opposition is what sustains democracy.

“So, our new leaders must be ready to work with other opposition parties to ensure that we give Nigerians a credible alternative in the 2027 general election,” he said.

Makinde said the coming campaign season would inevitably feature political slogans, promises and declarations by candidates but argued that Nigerians should demand more from those seeking to lead them.

According to him, the 2027 election should be about measurable outcomes rather than government announcements, policies and promises that do not translate into improvements in the lives of citizens.

“The 2027 election must be an election about outcomes. For too long, we have measured governance by announcements. We are presented with policy after policy, rather than evidence of whether those policies have made people’s lives better,” he said.

Using the experiences of ordinary Nigerians to illustrate his point, Makinde said economic policies should ultimately be measured by citizens’ purchasing power rather than official statistics.

“When our mothers go to the market, they don’t experience economic policy as a statistic. They experience it in what their money can buy. How much rice, beans and gari they can take home,” he said.

He added that young Nigerians would judge employment policies by their ability to secure productive work and build independent lives, just as farmers would assess agricultural policies by their productivity, access to markets and whether farming had improved their economic condition.

On security, Makinde said the effectiveness of government should not be determined by the number of security meetings held by officials but by whether Nigerians could live and pursue their livelihoods without fear.

“Families do not judge security by the number of meetings government has held. They judge it by whether they can travel, farm, work and sleep with their two eyes closed,” he said.

The APM candidate said the defining question of the 2027 election should therefore shift from what government claimed to have done to what had actually changed in the lives of Nigerians.

“The question before Nigeria in 2027 should not simply be: What has government done? It should be: What has changed for Nigerians?” he said.

He added that opposition candidates must equally subject themselves to scrutiny by explaining what they would do differently and the measurable improvements Nigerians should expect if they were elected.

Makinde said his administration had applied the same principle in Oyo State by focusing not merely on projects announced by government but on their impact on the people.

He identified poverty reduction, job creation, education, healthcare and security as some of the major issues that should dominate the 2027 political conversation.

“We must talk about an economy that moves over 140 million Nigerians currently living in poverty towards prosperity.

“We must talk about creating productive jobs and opportunities for our young people in a country where over 60 per cent of the population is young.

“We must talk about education that prepares our children for the economy they will inherit. Healthcare that people can access. And security that protects Nigerians wherever they live,” he said.

Makinde also called for a restructuring of the Nigerian federation to bring more powers, decisions and resources closer to the people.

According to him, the country could not realise its full potential under an arrangement in which decisions that ought to be taken at state and local levels had to wait for Abuja.

“Nigeria cannot achieve its full potential when decisions that should be taken in Osun, Kano, Cross River or Enugu must first wait for Abuja.

“We need a federation in which more decisions and resources are brought closer to the people, accompanied by greater accountability for results,” he said.

The governor also identified the erosion of trust between citizens and their leaders as a major challenge confronting the country’s democracy, saying Nigerians must be able to believe that commitments made by political leaders mean something.

He advocated a different political culture in which disagreements would not turn political opponents into enemies and opposition would go beyond the desire to remove incumbents from office.

“A politics where disagreement does not make us enemies. A politics where opposition is not merely about removing those in power, but about presenting a credible and demonstrably better alternative.

“And a politics where parties that may not agree on everything can nevertheless agree that Nigeria must work better for its people,” Makinde said.

He challenged candidates seeking Nigerians’ votes in 2027 to submit their records and proposals to public scrutiny and make the election a contest of ideas and measurable plans.

“Let the coming campaign be a contest of ideas. Let us debate the evidence. Let us compare records. Let us present measurable plans.

“And above all, let every one of us who seeks the trust of Nigerians answer one simple question: How will the lives of Nigerians be better because you were given the opportunity to lead?” he said.

Makinde maintained that making that question the defining issue of the 2027 election would strengthen the country’s democracy irrespective of the political platforms on which the candidates contest.

In his remarks, Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who was inaugurated as the national leader of the party, expressed confidence in Makinde and Daura’s presidential ticket.

Mohammed described Makinde as the best presidential candidate for Nigeria, while expressing optimism that the party would provide an all-inclusive government if elected.

He said the recognition given to him as national leader came with enormous responsibility, promising that the party’s leadership would not disappoint its members and supporters.

“The recognition you have given us is going to give us a lot of challenges. It is for us to do more for you. By the grace of God, we will not disappoint you,” Mohammed said.

He added that Makinde’s engineering background would be an advantage in addressing the country’s development challenges, while the party’s administrators would support his leadership.

“We are putting square pegs in square holes. Our presidential candidate is an engineer by profession. He knows how to manufacture, develop and draw a plan, and we as administrators are behind him,” he said.

Mohammed also promised that the APM would work towards accommodating Nigerians across different backgrounds and provide inclusive leadership.

Speaking after his re-election, Dantalle said Nigeria had the resources and potential to become a prosperous nation but had been hindered by leadership challenges.

He called on Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones, ethnic and religious divides, to identify with the APM and support its ambition of building a stronger and more prosperous country.

He said, “We have everything we need. Nigerians are not supposed to be slaves in their own country. God has given this country the greatness that we require.

“We call on all Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones, across ethnic, religious and cultural divides, to identify with the Allied People’s Movement because our party is committed to building a stronger, more prosperous and more united Nigeria.”

Dantalle said the APM was determined to emerge as a formidable national political movement capable of producing leaders Nigerians could trust.

He urged members and supporters of the party to take its message of hope, unity, development and democratic renewal to every local government, state and community.

He said, “Let us take our message of hope, unity, development and democratic renewal to everyone, every local government, state and community.

“That is what I earlier referred to as ‘Operation Talk to Somebody, Talk to Somebody, Talk to Somebody’ until somebody gets to know that APM is a party to take you.”

The national chairman expressed confidence that the party would succeed in the 2027 elections, saying its unity of purpose, clear vision and commitment to Nigerians would position it for victory.

Source: punchng.com

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The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday said as many as 30 Commissioners of Police would be on duty during the Osun State governorship election, which holds across the state on Saturday.

This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, while addressing journalists in Osogbo, Osun State, on Friday on the police preparations for the governorship poll.

Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Alliance and the African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam lead the race for the state’s top job.

Iniedu, who said the police commenced the deployment of its personnel three weeks before the poll, said a Deputy Inspector-General of Police would coordinate security activities during the poll.

According to him, over 15,000 police operatives would be on duty during the poll, noting that a police helicopter and drone unit had arrived in the state to conduct area surveillance.

He further said two units of the Mobile Police Force, each comprising over 60 personnel, had been deployed to the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo, the state capital.

Similarly, he said each Local Government Area in the state would have a unit of the Police Mobile Force.

“We have deployed armed mobile policemen to every local government area in the state. So, we have 30 units across 30 local government areas. A unit is about 60 policemen.

“We also have two units of armed mobile policemen attached to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Osogbo here. The men who stay at the local government areas are being coordinated by a Commissioner of Police. There is a Commissioner of Police in each Local Government Area.

“We also have a Deputy Commissioner of Police in each Local Government Area, as well as a Mobile Police Commander and a PMF commander with the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police in each Local Government Area.

“As of today (Thursday), our helicopters and drone units have arrived in Osogbo, and they will be conducting area surveillance from now, during and immediately after the elections.”

The Force PRO also said the Army would cordon off all the border roads leading into Osun State from 12am on Saturday.

“We will be locking down the state. We will not be allowing any vehicular movement apart from those on essential duty, security duties and those going to cast their franchise,” he said.

He advised parents to warn their children against electoral offences, including intimidation, stalking, vote-buying and ballot-box snatching.

He said a mobile court would be in place to try anyone arrested for involvement in electoral offences.

Asked about the details of the weapons the police had recovered from hoodlums in the state, Iniedu said, “We don’t have specific details about the guns we have mopped up, but I know that in Osun State, so far, we have mopped up about 34 illegal firearms, and investigations are ongoing.”

Several police operatives deployed for Saturday’s governorship poll were observed at the State Police Headquarters, moving to their various areas of operation.

Vote-buying claims

Meanwhile, many residents of Osogbo said they received cash from those who claimed to be canvassers of political parties in the state to get their support.

Traders at Oja Ojude Oga, Ota Efun, Igbona and Alekuwodo markets in Osogbo told our correspondents on Thursday that they received a sum of N10,000 each from canvassers of parties fielding candidates in the poll.

A trader who got the money, said the canvassers had earlier sought their cooperation and assurances that they would vote for their candidates.

“They met us earlier and demanded assurances that we would vote for their candidates. Last week, we got N15,000, but on Wednesday, they returned to us and distributed another N10,000.

“They promised us more on Election Day if we vote. But some people refused to take the money. They brought cash,” he said.

Another resident, identified simply as Silifat, who resides in Alekuwodo, Osogbo, said residents of the area also got cash from representatives of political parties.

She said, “We also got money in Alekuwodo. Representatives of some parties approached us with cash and we collected it. They didn’t request for our PVC but begged us to vote for their candidates.”

When asked if his party was engaging in vote-buying, the spokesperson for the Osun APC, Kola Olabisi, said the party was not involved in such an act.

“Vote-buying? Our party does not need to do that before we win. It is a popular party with a strong candidate. We are not involved, ask those in the other parties,” Olabisi said.

Efforts to reach Oladele Bamiji, the spokesperson for the Accord Party, for comments failed as calls did not go through to his mobile line, while a response to a message sent to him was still being awaited as of the time of filing this report.

Hoodlums arrested

Meanwhile, some hoodlums, who were said said to be traveling in a vehicle branded in APC colours, were reportedly arrested on Thursday in Ifewara, Osun State, by operatives of the Nigerian Navy.

In a video circulating online, the hoodlums, who were about 12 in number, were seen on their knees facing a wall while the Navy personnel asked them questions.

But Olabisi, during a telephone interview with The PUNCH, said he had not seen the video and promised to react after he had studied the said video.

INEC preaches peace

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Thursday urged political parties and their candidates participating in the governorship election to honour the peace accord they signed and commit themselves to a peaceful poll.

The Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC chairman, Adedayo Oketola, made the call on Thursday while speaking on Morning Express on ADBN TV, amid concerns over rising tensions ahead of the election.

Candidates of political parties contesting in the election on July 30 signed a peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee to ensure a non-violent poll in the state.

A total of 14 political parties signed the accord at an event presided over by the NPC convener, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah.

Oketola recalled how the NPC, in collaboration with INEC, facilitated the accord as a public commitment by political actors to maintain peace and abide by the law before, during and after the election.

He said, “The Peace Accord that was put together by the National Peace Committee in collaboration with INEC wasn’t just a jamboree.

“It is important for all of us to understand that it was a public component by political parties with the people of Osun State, that come what may, we will maintain peace and order and ensure that we maintain discipline and do everything by the law on election day.

“So, it is important for political actors to honour that Peace Accord. That is why it will continue to be relevant. If we know that the Peace Accord means nothing, why are we organising it? So, first, the political parties have made a public commitment. We must honour it.”

Oketola said INEC had conducted a comprehensive assessment of the state ahead of the election and engaged political parties, traditional institutions, voting blocs and civil society organisations over concerns about possible violence.

He, however, acknowledged that tensions had escalated since the commission’s stakeholders’ engagement in the state.

“I concede that there have been tensions in Osun in the run up to today (Thursday),” he said.

He, however, added that INEC had deployed a large team led by its chairman and national commissioners to assess the state’s preparedness for the poll.

According to him, the commission is confident that the election will be conducted in a secure environment, noting that the police had announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel to the state.

He said, “Election will be held in Osun in a very secure environment.”

Oketola also disclosed that INEC had completed the deployment of non-sensitive materials to the local government areas, while the deployment of sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to the local government offices begins on Friday (today).

He said the sensitive materials would subsequently be moved to Registration Area Centres, where officials would camp overnight ahead of Election Day.

“By Election Day, I can bet you that all the 3,700 polling units in Osun State should have the presence of RAC officials by 8am, and by 8.30am, voting should start,” he said.

On the commission’s technology, Oketola said INEC had tested its systems through a mock accreditation exercise and was satisfied with the outcome.

He added that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System had been configured and upgraded, while the commission had increased its backup devices from about 600 to more than 1,300 to address possible technical challenges.

“We are putting in a lot of safeguards, and it can’t be bypassed by anyone. So, it’s been configured, and the election will hold,” he said.

Oketola urged voters to disregard misinformation and disinformation, warning against the generalisation of isolated technical incidents as evidence of a failure of the electoral system.

“If there are glitches in one or two polling units, it is not enough for any political actor to come to town and say that BVAs has failed. No, INEC cannot run an election with an outdated version. We are a serious organisation,” he said.

He further disclosed that the electoral umpire would operate situational rooms in Osogbo and Abuja to monitor the election, with systems allowing officials to track developments at polling units and communicate with presiding officers where necessary.

Oketola said more than 2.3 million registered voters were eligible to participate in the election, urging them to obtain credible information through INEC’s verified communication channels.

He also appealed to voters who observe irregularities to remain calm, avoid confrontation and report such incidents through the appropriate channels.

“If you are in a polling unit and you notice irregularities, first, we would encourage such voters to be calm, don’t confront, don’t resort to self-help,” he said.

Oketola identified vote-buying as one of the major threats to the credibility of elections, warning political actors and voters against attempting to circumvent the law through digital transactions.

“Vote-buying is criminal, it’s against the law, it’s against the Electoral Act. The Electoral Act has provided legal liabilities for both the buyers and the sellers,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to participate actively in the election, stressing that credible elections required the collective efforts of INEC, security agencies, political actors and voters.

“You see, in any election whatsoever, INEC does not have a candidate.

“What we all need to do is to come together, further entrench our democracy, and go out on Election Day,” Oketola said.

1.9m PVCs collected

INEC also disclosed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards had been collected by registered voters in Osun State ahead of the election.

The commission noted that the figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state, leaving 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, uncollected.

INEC, in a statement signed by National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, on Thursday, said the uncollected PVCs had been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The commission said, “Out of the total of 2,339,233 registered voters in the State, 1,906,390 PVCs, representing 81.50 per cent, have been collected.

“The remaining 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, have been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in line with the Commission’s established practice.”

The commission also disclosed that 6,101 persons who applied for replacement of damaged, defaced or lost PVCs printed downloadable copies of their cards.

“Similarly, it should be noted that some persons with damaged, defaced, or lost PVCs applied for replacement of their cards. A total of 6,101 among those who applied printed downloadable copies of their PVCs,” the commission stated.

INEC added that a polling-unit-by-polling-unit table of the PVCs collected had been published on its website.

Source: punchng.com

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