Politics
Fayemi Challenges Fayose To Public Debate
Governor Kayode Fayemi of
Ekiti State and gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the June 21 election has challenged his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Mr Ayodele Fayose, to a public debate.
Fayemi, who threw the challenge in Ikoro-Ekiti, said he would want the debate to focus on the state of education since he assumed office four years ago.
He said the debate would enable him to put the records straight on the allegation made by Fayose that education had not improved in the state beyond the point where Fayose stopped as governor.
He said contrary to Fayose’s claim that the state was now poorer in WAEC ranking; his administration had improved the level of students’ performances in external examinations, adding that his administration had also improved upon the welfare of teachers.
Fayemi reminded his political rival that he did not pick his Doctor of Philosophy degree on the street, saying he knew the value of education, having studied hard to acquire his.
He stressed that he came from educational background, studied hard and defended his thesis before earning the PhD.
“I did not pick it on the streets. “So, there is a difference between what I can tell about education and what someone who doesn’t know the essence of education will tell you.
“Go to the West African Examinations Council’s office and check the trajectory. Go and see the records we have achieved in the last three years. Ekiti has produced good results consistently. I don’t deal with opinions, I deal with facts because facts are sacred, opinions are free; anybody can say what he/she likes.
“I challenge my good brother, Mr Ayo Fayose to a debate on the academic records when he was the governor and what obtains now that I am governor.
“You can check out the entire parameters. When he was governor, teachers were earning N7,500 minimum wage. There was no rural teachers’ allowance. No core subjects allowance. No capacity building programme as we are doing presently,” Fayemi said.
The governor said that under his administration, the state had moved from the position of 217 on the web metric ranking to17 in the entire country.
Addressing a rally in Ikere Ekiti on Monday, Fayose had said the state was ranked 8th in WAEC before he left office in 2006.
He expressed regrets that the standard had declined, saying the state now occupied 35th out of the 36 states of the federation under the Fayemi-led administration.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
-
Editorial4 days agoThat Oshiomhole’s Call On FG’s Road Projects
-
Education4 days ago
Environmental Education Remains Critical Tool To Address Environmental Challenges Says Experts
-
Education4 days ago
UNIPORT VC Receives Probe Report on Student Union Crisis
-
City Crime4 days agoTinubu Appoints Ex-Tide Staff Registrar Of Chartered Chemists
-
Sports4 days agoRivers-born Chess Player Clinches Third Position At World Amateur Rapid Chess Championship
-
Oil & Energy4 days ago
NCDMB, BOI Unveil $100m Nigerian Content Equity Fund …Set To Invest $5m In Oil Firms
-
News4 days ago
RIFF 2026: RIFF Takes Film Tourism To Bonny Island
-
Business4 days ago
PTDF Committed To Tinubu’s Development Plan – CEO