Tag: South-West

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Accord’s Adeleke wins Osun Governorship Election, returns for second term

The Bola Ige House has a familiar occupant: Ademola Adeleke! The Osun State governor has won a fresh four-year term to lead the South-West state after defeating his closest rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Returning Officer for the Osun governorship election, Joshua Ogunwole, who announced the results at the INEC Collation Centre in Osogbo early Sunday, said Governor Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to emerge as the winner of the keenly contested exercise.

Oyebamiji of the APC came second with a total vote count of 444,815. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was a distant third, having gotten 17,180 votes.

“For that, Adeleke Ademola Jackson of the Accord Party, having satisfied the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is hereby returned elected,” he said on Sunday morning at the collation centre in Osogbo.

According to Ogunwole, 1,005,800 votes were cast in the election, which was held across the 30 local government areas of Osun State, while 985,079 valid votes were recorded. The Returning Officer said 1,010,684 voters were accredited for the poll.

Adeleke’s victory was particularly significant as he contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party, having left the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), under which he won his first term, in December.

“We opted for the Accord Party because its mission of welfarism aligns with our passionate focus on citizens’ and workers’ welfare. Since I joined, I have been fascinated by the philosophy of this great party,” the governor said while announcing his defection from the PDP, one of Nigeria’s main opposition parties. “The primary essence of a government is the welfare and well-being of the people.”

The declaration ended months of campaigning in the South-West state, with 15 political parties participating in the election.

The period leading to Saturday’s exercise was marked by accusations and counter-accusations, with security heightened across the state.

Both the ruling party and the APC traded blame, accusing each other of being behind killings and the destruction of property.

Police authorities, in the wake of the heightened tensions, deployed 15,000 personnel across the state alongside 30 commissioners of police as part of preparations for a hitch-free election.

Force Public Relations Officer Anietie Iniedu also said a police helicopter and a drone unit were deployed to the state to conduct aerial surveillance.

To ensure a hitch-free exercise, President Bola Tinubu mandated the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and other heads of security agencies to provide adequate security at polling units in Osun to forestall any disruption of the process.

“I have charged the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security outfits taking part in the election to provide maximum security at polling units. No room should be allowed for troublemakers to disrupt the process,” the President said, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the “orderly conduct of the election”.

“The election must be transparent, free and fair. I urge INEC to ensure the integrity of the process,” Tinubu said in the statement a day before the exercise contested by 15 political parties.

Days before the election, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) froze an account belonging to the Osun State Government, a move which raised concerns and questions among Nigerians.

But President Tinubu intervened, directing the anti-graft agency to unfreeze the account, saying the timing of EFCC’s action was embarrassing.

The race for the governorship election also took another twist days before the poll when a court ordered the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the contest, creating fresh logistical challenges for INEC.

SDP’s inclusion meant the electoral umpire had to make adjustments to its preparations, including the production and distribution of election materials for the election and other logistical arrangements.

“In spite of the fact that the thing came late, we were able to print all ballot papers, millions, within 36 hours, because hours had no meaning to us anymore. Days had no meaning to us anymore,” INEC’s National Commissioner supervising Osun State, Kunle Ajayi, said on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“We were working day and night as if it were day. So, we were able to complete the printing, and we moved all the materials, all the sensitive materials, ballots, everything, to the Central Bank yesterday, late last night.”

“In spite of the late judgment, which came very late after we had printed all the sensitive materials and moved them to the appropriate quarters, the judgment just came on a Friday, and we had only Saturday, Sunday and Monday,” he said. (Channels)

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2027: APC group warns against fielding weak candidates in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun

A political advocacy group within the All Progressives Congress on Friday urged the national leadership of the party to exercise caution in selecting governorship candidates for the 2027 general elections, warning that poor choices could threaten the party’s fortunes in the South-West and potentially undermine the re-election prospects of President Bola Tinubu in the region.

The Oyo APC Youth League particularly cautioned against two prominent politicians who had previously failed in their attempts to clinch the governorship tickets in their respective states but are reportedly preparing to contest again in 2027.

In a statement issued in Abuja, the group’s spokesman, Taorid Olawale, said the party must place a premium on integrity, credibility and grassroots appeal in choosing candidates across key South-West states.

He said, “We urge the party to prioritise integrity, credibility, and grassroots acceptance in selecting candidates for key states in the South-west, particularly Oyo, Ogun, and Lagos states.

“In Yorubaland, personal history and public reputation of political aspirants remain critical factors in determining electoral support.”

According to him, voters in the region expect candidates whose lives reflect honesty, public service and a genuine connection to the grassroots.

Olawale warned that presenting aspirants with questionable records or widespread public distrust could damage the credibility of the ruling party and weaken its electoral chances in the South-West, particularly in Oyo State.

He further argued that such decisions could also negatively affect President Tinubu’s anticipated bid for re-election in 2027.

The youth league also highlighted the political significance of Ibadan and referenced the counsel of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Rasheed Ladoja, describing him as a respected technocrat, former senator and former governor whose voice still carries weight among the people.

Olawale emphasised that the royal father’s experience in governance and deep grassroots connection make his perspective valuable in guiding both the President and the APC in identifying credible candidates, especially in Oyo State.

He said, “In politics, sins are not forgiven; they are merely kept until the right time for reckoning,” warning that allowing controversial figures to secure party tickets through internal political manoeuvring could have far-reaching consequences for the party across the region.

“The stakes are high, and history will not forgive a misstep. In this regard, an opinion poll has truly indicated that the APC as a party may have a deficit of victory in the next governorship election in Oyo state if it fields any of its old candidates.

“The APC can rob itself of victory if its leadership turns defiant against public expectation of picking a young, fresh, virtuous and modest candidate to represent the party in the 2027 governorship election.”

The spokesman concluded by warning that the decisions taken by the party in selecting candidates for Oyo, Ogun and Lagos states would play a decisive role in determining whether the APC retains its dominance in the South-West or faces rejection by the electorate. (Punch)

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Insecurity: Sanwo-Olu, other South-West Govs meet in Ibadan

Governors of the South-West states on Monday held a closed-door meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The meeting was attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who is also the Chairman of the regional forum.

Others included Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), and the host governor, Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Channels Television reports that the venue of the meeting is the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, where Makinde’s office is situated.

Although it is unclear why the emergency meeting was called, it may, however, not be unconnected with the security situation in the country where bandits have abducted some schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states, as well as some worshippers in a church in Kwara State.

Sources said the governors would deliberate on the security threats, fast-track infrastructural development, and strengthen regional integration under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN).

They are also expected to review ongoing collaborative security initiatives, including the operations of the Amotekun Corps, with a view to enhancing its capacity amid emerging challenges. (Channels)