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The National Vice Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a gubernatorial aspirant in Ondo State, Dr. Eddy Olafeso has reiterated that he is prepared for governance. He spoke when he met members of his steering committee at his campaign headquarters, Akure on Tuesday.

“We understand governance is not child’s play and should not be left in the hands of persons not prepared for it. It’s a very serious business. With our experience in the public and private sectors, as well as party administration, I can tell you all that we are prepared for it.” he said.

“We have a onerous task ahead of us, and that is to make Ondo’s sun shine again. We must all be steadfast and committed to this ordained project of getting our State to move forward. Generations unborn won’t forgive us if we don’t get it right this time around as we are at the threshold of total collapse.” he added.

“We can’t all be comfortable with the appalling state of our infrastructure in this State. Our schools are in bad shape with students starved of teachers and a curriculum that’s archaic. We can not be satisfied with our hospitals having no doctors and almost empty as they lack basic equipments. We should be concerned that Ondo State till now is still dependent on federal allocations despite how richly God has blessed us.” he said.

The steering committee comprises of grassrooted politicians who serve as mobilisers for the campaign organization in their respective local governments. The event was attended by several leaders of the party across the state, several former house of assembly members, delegates and party faithfuls.

The embattled President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is a pride to the Yoruba Nation. Speaking through Oladipo Gbeminiyi Seyi, the National Publicity Secretary of the foremost Yoruba Socio-Cultural Youth Group, the Alliance of Yoruba Youths Council Worldwide (AYYCW) has condemned in strong terms the spurious and unfounded sixteen allegations of impropriety and fraud leveled against the person of Adesina by the United States Government.

According to the release jointly signed by the National President, Dr. Akande Kazeem and National Secretary, Ogbeni Adegunju Omotayo. The group stated that the move by the US to boot out Adesina, perhaps at all cost is linked to his reelection bid and not as a result of any fraudulent action on his part. Everyone can attest to the fact that Adesina has taken the bank to a greater height since he became the President five years ago. He has actively positioned the African Development Bank as an effective global institution, ranked fourth globally in terms of transparency among forty five multilateral and bilateral institutions.

We hereby condemn the call by the United States Government through the United States Treasury Secretary for an independent investigation after the ethics committee of the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank had already exonerated him of any wrongdoing.

This is not only vicious and ridiculous, but completely outside the rules, laws, procedures and governance system of the bank.

We use this medium to appreciate former President Olusegun Obasanjo for speaking out in clear terms his displeasure and condemnation of the obnoxious act of the US. We as a group will always stand up to defend and protect the right of all Yoruba sons and daughters wherever they are and will not fold our arms whenever anyone of us is being discredited. The statement reads…

The embattled President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is a pride to the Yoruba Nation. Speaking through Oladipo Gbeminiyi Seyi, the National Publicity Secretary of the foremost Yoruba Socio-Cultural Youth Group, the Alliance of Yoruba Youths Council Worldwide (AYYCW) has condemned in strong terms the spurious and unfounded sixteen allegations of impropriety and fraud leveled against the person of Adesina by the United States Government.

According to the release jointly signed by the National President, Dr. Akande Kazeem and National Secretary, Ogbeni Adegunju Omotayo. The group stated that the move by the US to boot out Adesina, perhaps at all cost is linked to his reelection bid and not as a result of any fraudulent action on his part. Everyone can attest to the fact that Adesina has taken the bank to a greater height since he became the President five years ago. He has actively positioned the African Development Bank as an effective global institution, ranked fourth globally in terms of transparency among forty five multilateral and bilateral institutions.

We hereby condemn the call by the United States Government through the United States Treasury Secretary for an independent investigation after the ethics committee of the Board of Directors and the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Bank had already exonerated him of any wrongdoing.

This is not only vicious and ridiculous, but completely outside the rules, laws, procedures and governance system of the bank.

We use this medium to appreciate former President Olusegun Obasanjo for speaking out in clear terms his displeasure and condemnation of the obnoxious act of the US. We as a group will always stand up to defend and protect the right of all Yoruba sons and daughters wherever they are and will not fold our arms whenever anyone of us is being discredited. The statement reads…

The Premier League is set to restart on 17 June with Aston Villa against Sheffield United and Manchester City at home to Arsenal, according to multiple media reports.

The matches are the two games in hand and would take all clubs in the league up to 29 matches.

A full fixture list would then be played on the weekend of 19-21 June.

Premier League clubs were discussing the plans at a meeting today, but have reportedly agreed in principle to the planned restart.

The Premier League hopes to complete the season by the weekend of 1-2 August, the Telegraph reported.

Yesterday, the Premier League said four players tested positive for coronavirus in its latest batch of tests.

Four players tested positive for coronavirus in the latest batch of tests conducted by the English Premier League and announced on Wednesday.

“The Premier League can today confirm that on Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May, 1008 players and club staff were tested for covid-19. Of these, four have tested positive from three clubs,” the league said in a statement.

“Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.”

Since players returned to limited group training on Tuesday, 12 positive tests for the virus have been confirmed at England’s top-flight clubs.

No matches have been played in the Premier League since March, but the government has given the go-ahead for elite sport to resume from 1 June.

Engr. Ife Oyedele, Executive Director (Engineering and Technical Services), Niger Delta Power Holding Company Limited and a frontline governorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, has felicitated with muslim faithful in Ondo State and across the country on the successful completion of the 2020 holy month of Ramadan.

Oyedele in a statement through his media aide, Yomi Adebayo, said Ramadan, being a month of utmost discipline and prayers offers Muslim faithful another rare opportunity to intercede for Nigeria and the world.

He said he believes the annual spiritual exercise which is a core part of Islam had been used to offer supplication to Almighty Allah at this period when the world is battling an unseen enemy which has affected the usual way of gathering together to worship God as well as socio-economic activities.

“The prophet (SAW) made it known that whatever is prayed for at the time of breaking the fast is granted and never refused. It is my believe that whatever good that has been asked concerning our country, Nigeria and Ondo State in the holy month has been granted and will surely come to frution,” Oyedele said.

“It is only a peaceful and healthy society that can engender and sustain individual and collective development. The effect of COVID-19 has brought the world to its knees and the entire world is seriously seeking the formula that will ensure survival. For me, the only unfailing formula is God. We must seek Him to heal the land and make it work in our favour again”. Oyedele said

The governorship hopeful enjoined Muslims to continue to live by the lessons learnt in the holy month and pray for the peace of Ondo State as it prepares for election to choose a new leader this year.

The National Vice Chairman (South West) of the Peoples Democratic Party and a gubernatorial aspirant in Ondo State, Dr. Eddy Olafeso felicitates with the Muslim ummah in Ondo State, the South West zone and all members of the PDP on the end of the Ramadan fast.

Speaking in Akure, the Ondo state capital, Olafeso, congratulated the Muslim faithfuls on the successful end of the fast which is one of the five pillars of Islam. “As you have abstained from sins and earnestly sought the face of Allah as prescribed by Prophet Muhammad (SAW) during Ramadan, may Allah answer our supplications of peace to the world and the end of the COVID-19 pandemic that has ravaged our planet.”

Urging the Muslim ummah to continue to live in piety, he said “It is only worthy that we sustain our pious state of mind and abstain from sins. It is then that we would have done what Allah asks of us.”

The gubernatorial aspirant also enjoined the Muslim ummah in Ondo State to continue to pray for the State. “As we edge closer to the date of the Ondo gubernatorial poll, I urge our Muslims to continue to seek the face of God for a peaceful exercise that will usher in a government that will make Ondo State’s sun shine again.”

An interest Group within the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, APC Youths Assembly, has slammed the immediate past National Chairman of the Party, Ch. John Odigie Oyegun, over his recent comment on the forthcoming governorship election in the State, saying he lacks the moral responsiblity to advise the Party on how to conduct its primaries due to his ignominious role in the 2016 governorship primary that polarised the party in Ondo state.

The group alleged that Mr Oyegun conducted the most controversial primary election in the history of the APC, especially in Ondo State, saying the State chapter of the Party is still faced with the ripples from the complications of the role he played in the last governorship primary in 2016. It also accused him as the mastermind of the the division rocking the APC in the State today, calling him “a saboteur of the goodwill of the people”.

The former Chairman had on Thursday, in a press statement, solicited for the duo of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State to be returned unopposed in the coming primaries of the Party in the two States.

“Oyegun should leave us alone and not interfere in the affairs of our State. We have not totally overcome the effect of his handiwork in 2016. He must be enjoying how badly that has crumbled the unity of the Party in Ondo State,” the group said.

Reacting to Oyegun’s statement, Comr. Adifala Ologun, the leader of the group in a statement issued in Akure on Friday, said, Ch. Oyegun’s regime as the National Chairman of the APC was characterized with corruption and anti-party activities, “his leadership had brought no good but harm to the Party in Ondo State”.

Ologun said the divison within the Party today is the aftermath of the 2016 primary elections and has left the party struggling to hold its family together ever since.

“We are too cultured here to engage an elder in a war of words but this has to do with the future of the Party in Ondo State and ourselves as individuals. It is a new threat to the One-APC family we are rebuilding and we cannot afford the repeat of the past. Maybe things would have been done differently if we had raised our voice in 2016”. Adifala said.

“After superintending over an election that was a glaring rape of democracy and subversion of the goodwill of Ondo State people, Pa Oyegun lacks every sense of responsibility to advise on Party primary or any election with what played out in 2016. The 2016 primary election in Ondo State that largely polarised the APC family was due to his imposition of an unpopular candidate on the Party through rigging and against the overall interest of the entire members of the Party”.

The group stated further that, “The same Chief Oyegun that acted contrary to the recommendations of the National Working Committee, NWC and bypassed the decision of the Appeal Committee in 2016 cannot teach morals, and equally has no justification to advise on how to conduct a free, fair and credible election anywhere in the world.

“Since Ch. Oyegun had also failed to offer his piece of advice to the candidate he imposed on the Party when he resulted into anti party activities, sponsoring candidates of an opposition party AA against the APC that brought him to power during the 2019 National Assembly election, he can as well keep his advice to himself on the forthcoming election. That singular act of his backdoor product cost the Party 2 Senatorial seats, 4 Representatives seats and lost the presidential election to the opposition Party in the State,” the group stated.

The group said the Party is committed to correcting the mistake of the past in the coming primary election in order to return the Party to its winning ways in Ondo State, saying it is convinced beyond any doubt that the July 20 primary election under the leadership of the present National Chairman of the Party, Comr. Adams Oshiomole will be free, fair and credible compared to what was conducted by the Oyegun regime in 2016.

“Oyegun should respect himself and behave like a respected elder stateman. He should stop causing commotion within the party and allow the performing National Chairman, Comr. Adams Oshiomole to continue to do his good works of rebuilding the Party. Those who are not comfortable with him are the indisciplined ones who are not happy to see sanity and respect for Party supremacy returned to the APC,” the group said.

“Power tends to corrupt, absolute power corrupts absolutely. ”

Lord Acton, who made this famous quote definitely had ‘Hon.’ Hakeem Jamiu, the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly in mind when he made that statement. So apt!

As it stands, we can only pray Hakeem Jamiu would never become the Governor of Ekiti State or the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria lest he tries to make all citizens live in awe of him due to his power-drunk tendencies in recent times.

For since he became the Deputy Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, he has been trying to intimidate, threaten and blackmail all those he perceived as enemies-real and imagined, but they are mostly imagined-to submission.

I had the misfortune of knowing this fiend during the run ups to Governor John Kayode Fayemi’s reelection in 2018. Knowing him for what he is, I had deliberately avoided him until I unavoidably had to meet him just one and last time.

I executed some construction projects along the Itaji-Ayede road. After the inauguration of HE Kayode Fayemi, I was reliably told that Jamiu said that I shall never get the money for the contract paid. This was borne out of no logical reason but his inborn guile! For me, this is water off a duck’s back and pedestrian because if the incumbent government refused to pay, successive governments shall definitely pay for a job well done. I shrugged this off even when I had spent vast personal resources at all levels of campaign to ensure the success of HE Kayode Fayemi. In spite of these, Jamiu swore that he would not live to see me anywhere near the government or the Government House. These held no water since I have personal businesses and interests to pursue.

And then came the bombshell: Jamiu alleged that I wanted to rape him!

How would I want to rape any man? Even if I had wanted to do that, would it be with the psychotic and clearly demented Jamiu with bad oral hygiene?! Graciously for me and unfortunately for him, he was reprimanded at all circles where he tried to spin his fallacious tales.

Jamiu, using his office also went as far as wanting to have a Bench Warrant issued against me. I had a running battle against the Fayose government over my house on one hand and the Ekiti State Traffic Management Authority on the other hand and both were subjects of litigation in court. The creepy Jamiu, conscious of this wanted to use both cases to his own vainglorious ‘advantage’ seeking to get me behind bars and out of circulation! Is this the legislative assignment his constituency elected him to do?

When all his evilly antics wouldn’t work, Jamiu went as far as contacting organizations that I had worked with over the years, some spanning over a decade to bring me into disrepute. The good thing nevertheless is that none of them fell for his tricks as I have never failed to live up to expectations with all organizations I worked with!

Not done, Jamiu asked the police to arrest me for insulting and calling him out on social media. What impudence! He went as far as recruiting thugs and miscreants for the Abimbola Project aimed at ensuring I am taken out of circulation. I ask, is Jamiu an Emperor or Absolute Monarch? While I am not afraid of him or his hoodlums, it is imperative to let people know of this latent killer disguised and cloaked in the garments of an honourable member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

I wouldn’t have taken Jamiu’s antics and juvenile ways seriously but it is pertinent to let the world know that we have a new Emperor in Ekiti who could go all out to attack, maim or even kill those who are in his wrong books. Ekiti is a land of valour and honour and nobody must be allowed to dip such values into the mud!

Abimbola writes from Ekiti

Secretary of the 7-man screening committee of the Unity Forum, a factional group with the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Prof. Sola Ehindero has insisted that the purported report released by the chairman of the forum, Alhaji Alli Olanusi, naming Chief Olushola Oke as consensus aspirant is fake and not the true reflection of the committee over two weeks engagement.

Ehindero, who was reacting to the statement credited to the former deputy governor, and chairman of the Unity Forum on the screening committee report, said the forum leader overshot his boundary by naming one of the ten aspirants, Olushola One the forum consensus aspirant.

“As the duly elected secretary of the Screening Committee of the Unity Forum set up to select a consensus candidate  for the APC in the next governorship elections has been drawn to a fake report from an unauthorised person.The said  fake report now in the social media, purportedly named one Chief Olusola Oke(SAN) as the Committee’s elected “consensus candidate”.

“As secretary to the Committee  and custodian of all its delineations and records of the committee, I wish to call the attention of all members of the Forum in particular and the public at large  to the following; Ali Olanusi is NOT  appropriately qualified and moraly empowerd to issue any report on the committee’s deliberations mainly because he is currently a principal suspect in a bribery  allegation related to the integrity and credibility of the report of the screening committee.

“No input has been made into the report by other members of the parent body which originally set up the screening committee,i.e. the report is yet to be brought the the general meeting of the Unity Forum for consideration, and as of today(12.5.20), no consensus candidate has been elected by the committee for which i am Secretary.”

The university don’t expressed regretted that the report that “has been fraudulently released by Ali Olanusi neither emanates from the accredited secretary’s office nor does it reflect the true deliberations and conclusion of the members of the screening Committee.

“Rather, the fake report is inspired, sponsored and programmed by known and disguised enemies of both the Unity Forum and the APC in the Ondo state and it is designed to tactically distract the attention and focus of our collective efforts and determination to rescue Ondo state from the grips of the present administration.

“The report is in essence a sponsored, compromised and fraudulent negotiated document to weaken the Unity Forum and pave the way for a weak candidate who can colaborate with the present administration in the state to  tactically facilitate the resuscitation and emergency of the PDP preparatory to the surrender of the APC administration to the PDP in Ondo state through a previously negotiated agreement,” Ehindero Stated.

Ehindero, who is the immediate past Vice-Chancellor of Atiba University, Oyo in Oyo State,  urged all loyal and dedicated members of the Unity Forum and the APC in the State to ignore “Ali Olanusi’s home grown  and compromised  report.”

He then appealed to the National Leaders of APC, especially Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Senator representing Ondo North Senatorial District, Prof. Senator Ajayi Boroffice to distance themselves from  the fraudulent report.

He said further; “In reality, the report represents a coded and very poisonous political pill with the potency and deadlines to destabilse majority of our loyal Unity Forum members and destroy our dear party.

“For now, as the authentic leadership of the party are holding consultations with all the loyal aspirants and the party leadership in Abuja and Lagos to select a consensus candidate, I urge you all to continue to ignore and distance  yourselves  from Ali Olanusi’s fake report which is not only cancerous but which  in addition, is already plagued by  dishonesty, deceit, inconsistency and fraud.”

The National Vice Chairman (South West) of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a leading gubernatorial aspirant of the Party in Ondo State, Dr. Eddy Eniola Olafeso has said he will run a collegiate leadership style when elected to govern the State. He spoke at a meeting he had with selected leaders of the PDP in Ikare when he paid them a visit.

“We will not act like an emperor when elected as your Governor. We will run a collegiate leadership where we will all sit and take decisions that will be binding on us all. No one is an island of knowledge, we will consult you every now and then to get the best out of our people.” He said.

While further eulogizing PDP stakeholders in Ondo State, he told them “There is nothing to share in failure. We must all do all we can to make sure we stay strong and united to ease out these wolves in sheep’s clothing that have eaten deep into our commonwealth at the detriment of us all.”

“Our lands are lying fallow untilled as we have a largely ineffective government in place. We will make agriculture attractive and that will take thousands of our youths off the street.” he added when he informed the leaders of the party.

Chief Sanya Orungbemi, responding on behalf of the Akoko north east PDP stakeholders thanked Olafeso for holding fort since the exit of Dr. Agagu and told him to make sure that the PDP make sure they get it right. “I have decided to return to the PDP to ensure we return to government. We must stay united and strong. It is the only option we have. I will plead with all stakeholders to find a consensus as regards the state Congress.”

Olafeso have been on a tour of the state meeting selected stakeholders in a regularised setting to accommodate the NCDC instructions on the COVID-19 pandemic.