Politics
Osun APC, Assembly Tackle Adeleke Over Executive Orders
The All Progressives Congress and the Osun State House of Assembly have tackled the new Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, over the six Executive Orders he signed on Monday.
They condemned the new governor for reversing some appointments and job recruitments made by his predecessor, Gboyega Oyetola.
In his first official action as governor, Adeleke who was elected under the Peoples Democratic Party platform announced the sacking of alleged 12,000 workers employed by his predecessor.
He also deposed three monarchs and allegedly ordered the withdrawal of the certificate of return of local council chairmen elected under the APC in the October 15 local government elections conducted by the State Independent Electoral Commission.
The decision to withdraw their certificates of return was contained in a statement signed by the OSIEC Executive Secretary, Adedapo Adejumo, in Osogbo on Monday.
It is reported that Justice Nathaniel Ayo-Emmanuel last Friday nullified the council election, citing non-compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act, following a case filed by the PDP against OSIEC, APC and some of its chairmanship candidates.
The court held that the electoral commission did not comply with the provisions of sections 24 of OSIEC Law, 2022 and Section 28 of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandated it to give a notice of 360 days before the conduct of the election.
Furthermore, the governor abolished the ‘State of Osun’ appellation, which was promulgated by one of his predecessors, Rauf Aregbesola, froze the state accounts, reversed the appointment of 30 permanent secretaries by Oyetola, while promising to correct past injustices, corrupt acts, and bad policies of the immediate past administration.
Earlier, the Secretary to the State Government, Tesleem Igbalaye, announced the suspension of the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr. Segun Oladitan, alongside six members of the Commission with immediate effect.
The suspension was said to have been based on several petitions bordering on financial impropriety, dereliction of duty, absenteeism and abuse of office against the said chairman and members of the commission.
The statement read, “The Executive Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke has directed the immediate suspension of the Chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, Mr. Segun Oladitan and the following members of the Commission; Mr. Yusuf Oyeniran; . Alhaja Suibat Adubi; Prince Yinka Ajiboye; Mrs. Abosede Omibeku; Mr. Dosu Gidigbi and Mr. Wahab Adewoyin.
“This suspension is sequel to several petitions bothering on financial impropriety, dereliction of duty, absenteeism and abuse of office against the said chairman and members of the commission.
“Pending the outcome of an investigation into the allegations against the suspended chairman and members of the commission, the Secretary to the commission shall hold forth in running the affairs of the commission.”
APC kicks
But the National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Mr Isaac Kekemeke faulted Adeleke’s actions, noting that his predecessor’s tenure did not end with the new governor’s electoral victory on July 17.
Kekemeke in a statement on Monday admonished Adeleke to exercise authority with sobriety in order to avoid endless litigation and distractions.
He said, “Governor Adeleke shouldn’t be too excited; government is a continuum and is bound by contractual relationships duly entered into by competent authorities.
‘’One thing he, Adeleke has probably and sadly overlooked is that Oyetola’s administration did not end with the announcement of his victory by the Independent National Electoral commission.
“Oyetola and no other person was still governor between July 17th, and November 26th, 2022. The right to continuously review government programmes and activities must be exercised objectively and with sobriety; as to do otherwise will be courting distractions through endless litigation and agitation.
‘’He (Adeleke) was governor-elect between that period, while Oyetola remained governor with unhindered powers to exercise the functions of that office as he deems fit, albeit legally.”
Also taking up the governor on his actions, the Osun State House Assembly said it rejected the contents of the Executive Orders signed by the new helmsman.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Publicity, Moshood Akande.
The assembly insisted that the state anthem, crest and flag were all backed by law, adding that their usage remains a matter of law and not optional.
The statement read, “The State of Osun House of Assembly having reviewed the inaugural speech of the governor and the activities of the inauguration hereby resolves as follows:
“The usage of the state anthem, crest and flag is an enactment of law and as such, its usage is a matter of law and not choice. The enactment ‘State of Osun Anthem, Crest and Flag Law, 2012’ assented to on the 18th of December, 2012 contained in Schedule 1, Il, Ill, IV and V, which carefully details every component of this law is not in ambiguity.
“Schedule I is the State Anthem, Schedule I has to do with the state Crest, Schedule III is the symbolic significance of the symbolic significance of the element in the flag. Lastly, while we are aware of a court judgment in effect recognizing “Osun State”, the Assembly, pending the determination and exhaustion of all legal means would not be drawn into this matter.
“However, the state shall and will continue to be described as the State of the Virtuous (Ipinle Omoluabi).”
Adeleke Defends Actions
Explaining further the content of the Executive Order, signed on Monday by Adeleke, his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed in a statement said the six orders assented to by the governor covered the appointment of workers, monarchs, among others.
He also said four committees had been instituted to review and audit appointments/promotions: state assets inventory and recovery committee, contractors, MoUs/agreements review committee, chieftaincy matters/appointment of traditional rulers review committee.
According to him, the governor has also reversed all appointments in the service of Osun State government made into any capacity in all the ministries, departments, agencies, commissions, boards and parastatals after July 17.
He also stated that all appointments of traditional rulers made by the immediate past administration after July 17 would be reviewed.
The governor specifically asked the Aree of Iree, Akinrun of Ikirun and Owa of Igbajo to vacate their palaces.
The statement noted, “Executive Governor of Osun state, Senator Ademola Adeleke has issued six executive orders to take immediate effect. The orders signed this morning by His Excellency covered chieftaincy matters, appointments issues, setting up of review panel, staff audit and employment matters.’’
PDP Backs Governor
However, the PDP has thrown its weight behind the governor, stating that all his decisions were in order.
Speaking with journalists, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Debo Ologunagba said Adeleke, having prioritized his programmes, chose to correct the “illegalities” perpetrated by the previous administration.
He said, “We don’t want to elevate his (Kekemeke’s) comments to a point of national discourse. When a government comes on, it has its priority and part of the obligation of PDP government from our mission statement is that we want to rescue and rebuild Nigeria.
“Osun state was in the jugular of reckless and irresponsible government for eight years. A new government is now in place and it is settling down to correct the mistakes of old. If there are illegalities, they should be corrected.
“One of such is the irresponsible and reckless renaming of Osun state as State of Osun which is completely unconstitutional because we are conscious of the constitutionality of our process.
“For us, we are a rule of law party, we follow the process and if there are actions that have been taken that are unconstitutional, any responsible governor which Senator Adeleke represents must reverse that.’’
“Another thing is the unconstitutional conduct of elections to the local government. They were advised but because the APC is run by people who are not interested in the rule of law and believe in impunity; they went ahead to conduct an illegal election which of a court of competent jurisdiction has set aside,” he said
Ologunagba argued further that the governor simply obeyed the court order by dissolving the elected council executives.
He added, “When the APC makes a comment from afar, you disregard it because it is not worth it. So the governor has obeyed the court order by dissolving that charade.
‘’The people are happy with his decision because of the madness of this APC in the last eight years. No tangible project was established but corruption and recklessness were the order of the day.’’
LG Chairmen React
But reacting to the withdrawal of Certificates of Return issued to the elected council officials, the Chairman of Irepodun Local Government, Adegoke Ogunsola, said having studied the decision, the affected officials have valid grounds to approach the court for redress.
Ogunsola, a lawyer, explained that after the court judgment last Friday, the affected parties filed a notice of appeal and duly served the PDP, a development which ought to have put to rest all issues concerning local government elections until the relevant court decides the matter.
Besides, Ogunsola said the OSIEC secretary, a career civil servant, could not be used to withdraw the certificates issued to them by the commission, except the court ruled that it should be withdrawn.
He stated, “There are so many issues. They got a judgment against us on Friday on the procedures of the elections. Immediately after the judgment was delivered, we filed a notice of appeal and stay of execution.
“The All Progressive Congress and some of us who are parties to the case and we served them (the PDP). That is why he (Adeleke) could not pronounce on it in his inaugural address.
“After that, he directed the most senior career officers to take over from us which is illegal in the sense that once you file a notice of appeal and stay of execution and you serve your opponent who wants to execute the judgment, you are not supposed to do anything on the matter any longer. You have to respect that until the court gives its ruling.
“Furthermore, this afternoon, the OSIEC executive secretary made a release that they will not appeal the judgment and that our certificate should be withdrawn. We are still studying the situation to know what next to do because he doesn’t have that power. It is the court that can withdraw the certificate that has been issued.’’
“The party has taken a position. The secretary of the party called and asked me to study the relevant laws and get back to him and I told him that the next thing is to challenge the decision of the executive secretary of OSIEC in court,” Ogunsola concluded.
One of the monarchs affected by the executive order, the Akinrun of Ikirun, Oba Olalekan Akadiri, said he had directed his chiefs to vacate the palace.
He said, “I don’t have issue with the fact that the government wants to set up a committee to review the process that produced me as monarch. The process that made me a monarch is perfect and I don’t think I have engaged in any manipulation. I have ordered the chiefs to move out of the palace to allow the government do its job.”
Meanwhile, the reversal of appointments into the civil service ordered by the governor may affect thousands of the workers recruited after Oyetola had lost his re-election.
Findings indicate that about 3,000 new teachers were recruited into various public primary schools in the state between mid-July and November.
It was also learnt that last Wednesday, 100 letters of appointment were taken to Osun State Polytechnic, Iree for distribution to those newly employed.
Over 1,000 workers were also reportedly employed through the State Hospital Management Development Board between July and November, while about 61 freelance staff that have worked with Osun State Broadcasting Corporation for many years were also absorbed into full-time service of the station.
Sources also said 1,500 teachers were recruited to secondary schools across the state after the July 16 elections.
But Oyetola’s spokesperson, Ismail Omipidan, dismissed as false the reports that his principal employed 12, 000 into the civil service.
He challenged the government to publish the list of the purported 12, 000 workers, asking, “What is the entire workforce of the state?”
PUNCH
Politics
ACF Pledges Support For Northern Presidential Candidates Ahead Of 2027 Elections
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has announced its decision to back Northern candidates in the 2027 general elections, citing the urgent need to address the worsening socio-economic and security challenges facing the region.
In a communique issued after its National Executive Council meeting in Kaduna on Wednesday, the forum expressed deep concern over the economic state of Northern Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, attributing the region’s struggles to flawed governance and poor policy decisions.
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The ACF criticized the Federal Government’s economic policies, describing them as detrimental to the livelihoods of Northern citizens.
According to the communique, signed by the forum’s National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, the policies have compounded the already dire economic conditions in the region.
The statement reads, “Arewa people remain at a great disadvantage, being already worse off economically compared to other parts of Nigeria. While economic reforms are indeed desirable, they should not impoverish the same people they are meant to serve. Policies must have a human face.”
The forum noted that the North faces chronic food insecurity, limited educational and vocational opportunities for youth, and a heavy reliance on small-scale economic activities.
“Livelihoods are currently dependent on micro activities. The region faces acute and chronic food insecurity; its youths lack education and skills training. Daunting as these may be, they can be reversed. The time to think big is now,” the communique emphasized.
The ACF also addressed the pervasive insecurity in the North, warning that the situation has begun to erode public confidence in the government.
“Security is an irreducible minimum of human existence. In this regard, insecurity in its various manifestations remains the most worrisome challenge of Arewa people, that has even started to corrosively undermine the authority of government,” the forum stated.
It condemned the government’s response to the crisis, arguing that the Federal Government has failed to meet its primary duty of safeguarding lives and property.
“That those whose responsibility it is to provide security will be saying they are doing their best is unacceptable,” the communique said. “The minimum duty of government is to safeguard life and property, and doing anything less is a failure.”
The ACF faulted what it described as the “flawed leadership selection process” under the Tinubu administration, claiming it has elevated individuals without the requisite competence or experience to key positions.
It urged the Federal Government to “review, reassess, reevaluate, and re-order the direction of its economic policies with a view to giving it the needed human face.”
Looking ahead to the next general elections, the ACF pledged its support for Northern politicians who demonstrate a clear commitment to addressing the region’s challenges and fostering national development.
“Notwithstanding the parlous state of Arewa’s glaring economic conditions, the policies of the current Federal Government have continued to make matters much worse,” the communique stated.
Politics
No Room For Abandoned Projects – Ganduje Warns Aiyedatiwa
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has urged Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to prioritize completing ongoing projects and avoid leaving any abandoned during his second term in office.
Ganduje made the call on Wednesday at the APC’s national secretariat in Abuja after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presented Certificates of Return to Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Adelami Olaide.
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s re-election was marked by a sweeping victory in all 18 local government areas of the state during last Saturday’s governorship election.
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Ganduje praised the outcome, describing it as a testament to the people’s confidence in the APC-led administration.
“I am happy about the landslide result. The election is not the effort of the elite and middle class alone; it is also through the effort of the grassroots,” Ganduje said. “Out of 203 wards, APC won 202, losing only one ward. This is a victory embraced by all.”
Ganduje highlighted the importance of continuity and urged the governor to leverage his experience from the previous administration led by the late Rotimi Akeredolu.
“As a deputy, you knew how projects were started by your late governor. You were part of it, also as a governor for 10 months, and now as a re-elected governor. For the next four years, you will continue,” he said.
“You know the terrains, geography, and physical landscape of all 18 local government areas. Use these insights to carve out projects that will improve the lives of the Ondo people.”
Meanwhile, Ondo APC Chairman, Ade Adetimehin, commended Ganduje’s leadership and strategic direction, which he credited for the party’s success in the election.
He also expressed gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his unwavering support for Aiyedatiwa’s candidacy, despite internal opposition from some party stakeholders.
“We have finally killed PDP in Ondo,” Adetimehin declared. “Most of the leaders of that party have defected to the APC. With the landslide victory in this election, it is clear to the whole world that there is no PDP in Ondo.”
He further described Ganduje as a mentor whose leadership had been instrumental in uniting the party and ensuring victory at the polls.
Governor Aiyedatiwa, who succeeded Akeredolu and completed his tenure before securing re-election, has pledged to focus on delivering on his mandate and completing critical projects in his second term.
Politics
INEC Presents Certificates Of Return To Ondo Governor-Elect, Aiyedatiwa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has formally issued certificates of return to Ondo State Governor-elect Lucky Aiyedatiwa and his deputy, Olayide Adelami, following their victory in Saturday’s governorship election.
The presentation ceremony took place on Wednesday at INEC headquarters in Abuja, where the commission’s National Commissioner for Ondo State, Kunle Ajayi, handed over the certificates.
Biztellers reports that Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent governor, emerged victorious in the election, securing 366,781 votes to defeat his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
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The results were announced in Akure on Sunday by the Returning Officer, Professor Olayemi Akinyemi, Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja.
Election observers described the polls as peaceful and credible, commending INEC for improved logistical arrangements.
The event was attended by top APC officials, including the party’s National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, and other party members.
Ganduje hailed the outcome as a triumph for democracy in Nigeria.
“Since 1999, we have been enjoying democracy, and we always fine-tune it to ensure it is fair, free, and decent, so that it is the vote of the people that counts,” Ganduje said.
PDP Rejects Results
Despite widespread praise for the conduct of the election, the PDP has rejected the outcome, describing it as fraudulent. Its candidate, Ajayi, vowed to challenge the results in court.
Aiyedatiwa Pledges Better Leadership
Speaking after receiving his certificate of return, Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to the people of Ondo State for renewing his mandate.
“The mandate you have just renewed via your huge votes across 18 LGAs where we won convincingly has placed a burden on me to serve you better than I did before now,” he said.
Aiyedatiwa initially assumed office in December 2023 following the death of his predecessor, Rotimi Akeredolu.