Isiaka Accuses Amosun of Attacking PDP supportersNews 3
The Campaign Organisation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka has condemned serial attacks on his supporters by the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta.
The organisation, specifically called on security agents to call on security agents to be alive to their responsibilities and safe its members from the desperation of Amosun-led government.
The spokesperson of the campaign organisation, Comrade Ifekayode Akinbode disclosed that four of PDP members attacked in Ijebu Ode and Abeokuta are in critical conditions at an undisclosed hospital.
He blamed the ruling APC backed by the state government for the attack of PDP members at Ijebu Ode on Wednesday which he described as unfortunate and uncalled for.
Akinbode disclosed that about 60 members of the PDP members were attacked with dangerous weapons by APC thugs after the PDP had an impressive road show at Ogun East Senatorial District on Wednesday.
He also disclosed that billboards and posters of Isiaka were removed at night by APC thugs who went on rampage on Wednesday evening beating anybody wearing PDP T-shirt or face cap.
Akinbode also said the PDP had also uncovered plot by Governor Ibikunle Amosun to use State Government vehicles and security personnel attached to him to hijack voting materials in the rural communities and urged the electorates to be vigilant and ready to defend their votes.
According to him, “Amosun is now very desperate because he has seen the hand writings on the wall but he should know that he would be held responsible for any attempt to truncate the will of the people.
“If he is not afraid of the PDP why did he send thugs after them at Ijebu Ode and Shagamu. But surprisingly he would be the one to cry out and accuse opposition of what he was planning to do.
“We dare say that hundreds of his thugs and cultists he brought from Lagos and let loose cannot subvert the will of the people”.
Akinbode, however appealed to the INEC to provide a level playing field for the contest and ready to account for over 400,000 PVCs that were not collected.
He said, “On Monday, we addressed a press conference to reveal our findings that the 400,000 uncollected PVCs are already in the possession of the APC and INEC has not given satisfactory response to clear our fears. We want INEC to display those cards or show us documents that the PVCs had been returned to Abuja”.
Arigbe-Osula, former Reps member dumps PDP
By Titus Akhigbe, Benin
Former Deputy Minority Whip of the House of Representatives and one-time Governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in Edo State, Hon Emma Arigbe-Osula, yesterday led thousands of his supporters to the All Progressives Congress .
Also, a factional President of the Edo State Drivers Welfare Association, Comrade Adams Ehigiamusoe (Shaba) led his supporters to dump the PDP for the APC.
Speaking at the decamping ceremony, Hon. Arigbe-Osula said “the fact that I am coming out today to openly say I am joining the APC is a mere formality because your superior position in the upliftment of this state more than any one has done in recent history has earned you the total support of all Edo people.
“We can say today that you have done a true transformation in the real sense of it, not just transformation in words. Edo State was left totally shattered after 8 years of PDP maladministration, in fact, you are a miracle worker.
“In 2012, I came out to say that Edo State must re-elect you and we did. Now I am coming out to say having elected the President in which you have a hand, indeed it was your project and I want to say thank you for bringing development to our state. I know you are a great fighter, victorious in many fights but I never knew you have the ability to raise the dead because Edo State was almost totally dead before you took over the state.”
Hon. Arigbe-Osula said, “the infrastructural facilities put in place is second to none in the region, you have prospered our state.”
He urged Edo people to come out en masse on Saturday April 11, to elect all APC candidates for the State House of Assembly maintaining that he has come fully to join the APC and to fully support the Comrade Governor in his bold policies to move Edo forward as change is sweeping across the entire country.
In the same vein, the factional President, Edo State Drivers Welfare Association, Comrade Adams Ehigiamusoe said “I and my association and the entire youths in particular have decided to join you to move Edo State from this level to another level. With the crowd you are seeing today, let me assure you that election into the State House of Assembly in Edo South is ‘carry go’.”
Continuing he said, “Let me assure you that the machineries we used on the other side (PDP) are still fully intact and we are ready as you formally receive us to put them into full action for the desired victory come Saturday April 11, 2015 in the state.”
While welcoming the defectors on behalf of the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari; the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and the State APC Chairman, Barr. Anselm Ojezua, Governor Oshiomhole said, “let me welcome all of you particularly my brother Hon. Emma Arigbe-Osula and authentic Comrade Sunny Oviawe aka Akubisi, Chairman of Chairmen, Okada East Ward, Ovia North East for this reunion into the APC family.
“This is a familiar territory and you are all seasoned politicians so I am really excited to be able to work openly with these two young men who have come to join us and I assure you we will work closely as we have done with all others.”
He said, “APC has been trying to maintain the culture of openness, one of assimilation and politics of inclusion rather than exclusion and helping to generate a new political leadership for our great state. I thank God that He is using us to bring about this very fundamental change in the politics of our state and I am sure that our people will be the better for it.
“What the victory of General Buhari has shown is that never say it is impossible when it is time for change because, as they say, when the righteous rule the people rejoice but when the wicked rule the people suffer and when the people are suffering and they call on God, He answers them in ways that they themselves cannot predict.
“In the last election, I saw a very interesting development. In some families, everybody say things are rough, people are protesting they don’t have light and are being asked to pay fixed charges without light. But when it is time to change the driver, they say no he is our brother. When your brother puts you in the dark and keeps extorting money from you, you change him.”
He said, “Buhari’s victory is a new dawn for Nigeria and as you can see, the naira is already appreciating just by the fact that people now have more confidence in our country, the world again is celebrating Nigeria.”
Governor Oshiomhole also assured the youths that with General Buhari on board, the problem of unemployment will be a thing of the past stressing that Edo State Government will restrategise to absorb unemployed youths into the State Youth Empowerment Programme and called on the members of Edo State Drivers’ Welfare Association and its entire executive to vote for the APC candidates in the House of Assembly elections.
ELECTION: RESIST FINANCIAL INDUCEMENT,CORP MEMBERs ADVISED
By Daniel Jolly, Bauchi
The National Youth Service Corps scheme have charged Corps Members serving in Bauchi state who are going to conduct the Saturday’s governorship and state houses of assembly elections in the country
to remain neutral and resist financial inducement during the exercise in order to prevent themselves from potential attacks and molestations.
The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps [NYSC] Brigadier General Johnson B. Olawumi represented by the director certification of the scheme Alhaji Aminu Hudu Taura gave this charge while addressing serving corps members in Bauchi during his official visit to the state.
He explained that the visit was aimed at meeting with the security chiefs in the state that include the Nigerian Army, Nigerian police force, state security service [SSS], Nigerian security and civil defense corps and other stake holders with a view to discussing on the security and safety of the corps members who will serve as ad-hoc staff in the elections.
Olawumi who lamented on the killing of some corps members in the state during the last 2011 post election violence appealed to the security agents to protect them in all the polling units they have been posted to even as he called on the Independent National Electoral Commission [INEC] not to deploy the youths to flash points so as to avert the recurrence of such obnoxious incident.
The NYSC DG also advised his corps members to submit all sensitive materials to the INEC Officials immediately after the completion of the election for their own safety and to carry foods and water to their duty posts to avoid hunger and thirsty throughout the hours of the exercise.
PDP thrown into mourning as Mysterious leg injury kill Bayelsa Assembly member
Akam James, Yenagoa
The Bayelsa State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the people of Ogbia Local Government Area were yesterday thrown into mourning with the mysterious death of a serving member of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Obedient Emoto.
Obidient Emoto, a loyalist of President Goodluck Jonathan, died on Tuesday at about3.30pm at the Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, following a leg injury sustained in a controversial circumstance with wife.
While some members of his constituent and associates told Dailytimes that the deceased House of Assembly member died from a leg injury sustained during a domestic scuffle with his wife over alleged drunkenness and late night movement.
Our correspondent gathered that attempt by his wife to dissuade the late Assembly member from going out late in the night after receiving a strange telephone call and his insistence on going out by jumping over his fence resulted in the terminal leg injury.
But when contacted, the Information Officer to the deceased Assembly member, Mr. Majesty Naigba, confirmed the demise of his boss and simply said “he died of complications from leg injury and his body has been deposited at the Morgue of the Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital in Rivers State”.
Reacting to the development, the former acting Governor of the state, Chief Nestor Binabo, confirmed the development describing his death as tragic and devastating.
The late lawmaker who was elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost a second term ticket in controversial circumstances last year.
Some of his constituents described him as a selfless and honest lawmaker while others referred to him as a man of outstanding integrity.
Oke-Ode Honours Ex-Police Boss, 14 Others Over Community Development In Kwara
Ola Yekeen, Ilorin
Oke-Ode Community in Ifelodun LGA, Kwara State on Wednesday rewarded
a former Police Boss, Alhaji Salaudeen Aliyu-Ndako with distinguished
merit award for his immense contributions to the development of the
town.
14 others who were also indigenes of the community at home and in the
Diaspora and from different callings across all facets of human
endeavours were also honoured.
Speaking at the occasion, National President of the Community Development
Association, Alhaji Nasirudeen Salaudeen, said the Awardees had used
their influence in various capacities to facilitate a numberof
projects to Oke-Ode.
Salaudeen said, “As the immediate past Chairman of Oke-Ode community
between 2005 and 2013, the Ex-Police officer recorded many developmental
achievements during his tenure”.
He said as a trained ‘Development’ Police Officer Salaudeen-Ndako has
brought the wealth of his experience to positive impact on many
communities around Oke-Ode and in Ifelodun LGA.
The Community National President told our Correspondent that the
recognition was extended to both the living and the dead for the young
ones and others to emulate their good deeds and virtues.
Those who bagged post humor awards included Alhaji Mohammed Opeloyeru,
Pa John Ekunrin, Alhaji Sunmonu Akande, Alhaji Ahmed Ayinde and Alhaji
Audu Alade.
Salaudeen disclosed that while late Ekunrin touched many lives by
giving education to hundreds of indigent children of the town, Late
Sunmonu pulled his resources together with others to initiate the
establishment of Oke-Ode Grammar School in 1969.
“The late Ahmed Ayinde was one of the big four popular called the
financier backers of the community that risked their businesses,
personal properties, lives and placed their resources at the disposal
of the community for the survival of Oke – Ode Grammar School”, he
said.
Late Audu Alade was not left out of those who stood out as one of the
pillars that prop up the community development and particular mentored
the community’s grammar School to institution of note in Kwara.
Alhaja Oladunni Lawal, the only female among the awardees at the
maiden edition of the scheme was honoured for pioneering the
establishment of Ansarudeen Society in Oke-Ode in 1996 and for other
numerous contribution to the growth of Oke-Ode .
Saturday’s polls: PDP tasks INEC, Security, boasts of winning more states
Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday said that it is poised to win more states on Saturday, notwithstanding the fallout of the Presidential election of March 28 won the rival All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari.
The PDP maintained that it will win more States especially as its governorship and house of assembly candidates are very popular and widely accepted in their respective states and constituencies.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh in Abuja, disclosed that it has fully mobilized its members and supporters across the country ahead of the elections.
The Party vowed that it would not allow a repeat of the irregularities that shaped the outcome of the March 28 elections.
According to the statement by Metuh, “We restate that we are ready for this round of elections and we will do everything humanly possible within the tenets of democracy to protect our votes and resist any form of irregularity including underaged voting and selective malfunctioning of card readers. “We therefore charge security agencies and INEC to be vigilant and make sure that the elections are free, fair and credible.
“Our confidence for victory is derived from the fact that the people are happy with the exemplary performance and verifiable achievements of various PDP governments across the country for which they are desirous and ready to return all our governorship and state assembly candidates into power for continuity”, the party said.
Continuing, it added, “We are also assured that our two returning governors, Ibrahim Dankwambo and Mukhtar Yero of Gombe and Kaduna states respectively will lead other PDP governorship candidates to record overwhelming victory at the polls as their people have expressed strong desire to retain them in power because of their exceptional performance in the last four years.
“Finally, we assure our candidates and supporters across board that we will stand by them all the way to ensure that nobody under any guise whatsoever steals our votes and get away with it”, the PDP pledged.
170 Candidates Of 19 Political Parties ‘ll Participate in Saturday Polls- Ondo REC
‘Tosin Ajuwon, Akure.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Ondo state has said One hundred and seventy candidates would be contesting the Saturday, April 11 House of Assembly election in the state.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Olusegun Agbaje, who said this on Thursday at a briefing with journalists, also disclosed that Nineteen political parties would be participating in the election.
Mr. Agbaje said the commission is fully prepared for a peaceful election and has mapped out strategies towards providing water tight security for the electorates.
“One hundred and seventy candidates Under the banner of 19 political parties would be contesting saturday’s house of assembly elections in Ondo state”.
He noted that the commission is poised to becoming the best election management body in the world adding that all challenges identified in the March 28 presidential and National Assembly polls would be improved upon.
He maintained that there is no going back on the use of the Smart Card Readers (SCRs) for the election adding that adequate arrangement have been made for back up if there is a flop.
The REC also said the commission would not tolerate any act of complacency from its ad hoc staffs and read out riot act to anyone found wanting by the commission.
According to him, all sensitive and non-sensitive materials for the polls have been distributed to all the 18 local government of the state.
Ladoja slams N10b libel suit on Ajimobi
Former governor of Oyo State and governorship candidate of Accord party, Senator Rasheed Ladoja, has slammed a N10 billion claim in general damages on Governor Abiola Ajimobi for libel arising from what he described as ‘a false and malicious publication.’
Ladoja in the suit number I/14/2005 and filed by his lawyer, Biodun Abdu-Raheem, at the state High Court in Ibadan yesterday, is seeking that the court declare publication entitled “N500m Refund by Ladoja: Face of Ladoja, the Serial Liar” in two newspapers in January this year as libelous.
And contrary to a statement credited to the state government that Ladoja chickened out of suing Ajimobi, he blamed the delay in filing the suit to the closure of the court since January, 2015.
Ladoka who spoke through the Director General of his campaign organisation, Hon. Adeolu Adeleke, said the closure was as a result of an industrial dispute between Ajimobi and the judiciary workers over unpaid salaries and allowances, a development which he believed has become the hallmark of the Ajimobi-led government.
He said “no amount of propaganda and deceit” could extend the tenure of Governor Ajimobi beyond May 29, this year, as he would be rejected overwhelmingly by the electorate on Saturday.
Ladoja, in a copy of the concurrent writ of summons made available to journalists in Ibadan by his counsel, is also seeking a perpetual injunction restraining the defendant and any of his agents from publishing anything in connection with the matter.
