Politics

‘Aregbesola And The Hard-Earned Victory’

Published

12 years ago

August 11, 2014

Despite the heavy pres
ence of security personnel put at about 75,000 including soldiers, policemen, members of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps and even sniff dogs to Osun State, which the All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as attempt to intimidate its members and the electorate, the much talked about governorship election in the state went on smoothly last Saturday.
The contest which centred mainly around two major contenders, the incumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf A. Aregbesola of the APC and Senator Iyiola Omisore of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) witnessed massive turn-out of voters who trooped to the accreditation centres as early as 6.30 am.
At last, Aregbesola beat his main rival, Omisore to a distant second. While Aregbesola polled 394,684, Omisore scored 292,747 votes.
Meanwhile, Aregbesola’s victory which was greeted with wild jubilation in Osun State has also elicited reactions from some eminent personalities in the country, including President Goodluck Jonathan, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade and Chief of Staff Government House Port Harcourt, Sir Tony Okocha.
President Jonathan
The President’s congratulatory message to Aregbesola was contained in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati. The statement reads in parts:
“President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan congratulates Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State on his victory in Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
“The President commends the Independent National Electoral Commission and National Security agencies for ensuring that the elections were free, fair, credible and peaceful in keeping with the avowed commitment of his administration.
“As Governor Aregbesola prepares to begin a second term in office, President Jonathan looks forward to continuing to work with him and other state governors to further improve the living conditions of Nigerians in Osun and other States of the country.
Governor Oshiomhole
“ I have seen a new lease of life for the people of the state of Osun over the past three and half years due to the radical improvements in the quality of governance you introduced. It is gratifying to note that you have restored a people-driven governance, reminiscent of the Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige eras, thus placing you firmly in the pantheon of the greats to have come from that part of the country.
“The wide margin of the votes you recorded in your re-election victory over your closet rival is a clear testimony of your doggedness and the confidence reposed in you by the good people of the state in your ability to move the State of Osun forward and position it among the best in the country.
“Above all, your victory has strengthened the progressive movement nationally and further enhanced its capacity to positively affect the direction of the nation’s polity.
“I salute the people of the State of Osun for choosing to the path of positive progressivism and lasting legacies over the politics of stomach infrastructure which the other party has introduced into the nation’s political lexicon.
“As you settle down to the business of governance in your second term, I wish you greater and quality achievements in your efforts to reposition the State of Osun. I assure you of the continued solidarity of the people and Government of Edo State”.
Sir Tony Okocha
In Port Harcourt, a victory dance reportedly broke out immediately Governor Aregbesola’s victory was confirmed. Leading the celebration was the Chief of Staff to Governor Amaechi, Chief Tony Okocha, an APC chieftain, who reportedly threw the gates of his palatial mansion situated at the old GRA, wide open to all comers for good music, as well as assorted food and drinks.
According to Chief Okocha, “Today is the happiest day of my life as the Osun result declares the immediate demise of PDP, whose presence in Nigeria has become a curse and bad luck to Nigeria and Nigerians. Things have gotten so bad that no family in Nigeria can be sure of seeing tomorrow as their lives are no longer secured, apart from the few operating this government that is doomed to be chased out by the Nigerian masses in 2015. Let Nigerians celebrate as their freedom from a visionless, clueless and misguided government is at hand. The Lord is good. It’s confidence restored. Congratulations to all agents and adherents of change.
“We salute the great people of Osun State for giving us hope that together, we shall in 2015 free Nigerians from an inept government and enthrone a people-oriented government that will utilise our God-given resources for the development of our nation instead of the few currently oppressing and looting our common patrimony with impunity.
“ I sincerely salute Governor Amaechi for the great role he played to ensure that Osun State did not fall into the hands of PDP, whose mission was to wreck the State and take it back to the days of darkness. My commendation also goes to the People’s Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who has proved that he is truly a lion, a great mobilizer, a political bulldozer, a man of the people and most importantly that he is on ground. I am happy to award the Governor the title of Tiger of our democracy”.
The Man Rauf Aregbesola
Rauf Aregbesola was born on May 25, 1957. He graduated from The Polytechnic, Ibadan where he studied Mechanical Engineering.
He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Management, Nigerian Society of Engineers, Nigerian Association of Technological Engineers and Certified Marketing Communications Institute of Nigeria.
He was on April 12 this year endorsed as the governorship candidate of the APC. The emergence of Aregbesola was preceded by congresses. The governor, who had no opponents, was endorsed as the flag- bearer of the party.
The Nasir el-Rufai-led committee supervised the primary election in which Aregbesola was endorsed. While giving him the certificate of return, el Rufai said 269,631 members of the party voted for the governor for a second term out of 355,390 members who registered in 332 wards across the state.
Before becoming the state governor in 2010, Aregbesola had served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure for eight years under Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, then governor of Lagos State. He left Lagos State Government to contest the governorship election in Osun in 2007, on the platform of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
At the end of the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) under Prof. Maurice Iwu declared Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the PDP, the winner of the election. The former commissioner and his party contested the result, taking Oyinlola and the INEC to court.
In May 2008, Aregbesola called over 100 witnesses and tendered 168 exhibits in his petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal, alleging violence and ballot boxes stuffing in the election.
The case was moved from the election tribunal to the Federal Appeal Court in Ibadan.
After several dramatic exchanges in the courtroom, which lasted for three-and-half years, Justices of the Appeal Court finally declared Aregbesola the winner of the 2007 election, ordering that he should be sworn in as governor by noon on November 27, 2010.
Upon assumption of office as governor of Osun State, the former Lagos State commissioner outlined what he called his ‘Six Point Integral Action Plan’ which focused on agriculture, economic and youth development, health, education and security.
The six points are to banish poverty, hunger, unemployment; restore healthy living; promote functional education; and enhance communal peace and progress. These, the governor said, would seek “to ensure that the fruits of economic development positively impact as many lives as possible” in Osun.
Aregbesola’s interest in politics dated back to his undergraduate days, when he served as the Speaker of the Students’ Union Parliament at The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
His First Official Reaction To His Re-Election
In his first official reaction to the outcome of the governorship election held on Saturday, Governor Aregbesola described his victory as a call to increased service.
In a broadcast to the people of Osun State, he pledged to leave no stone unturned to continue in transforming the state, saying “we shall work even more”.
His words, “On behalf of my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), we are delighted to claim this hard won victory against all odds.
“I salute the courage of the people; I salute your courage, loyalty, your integrity and your desire to nurture our nascent democracy. The trust reposed in me and the confidence you have in me shall not be taken for granted, the outcome of this election shows that you people are interested in the growth of democracy.
“From now on, every vote must not only be counted, every vote must count.
“This victory is for the people and it is a call for increased service”.

Boye Salau

Governor Aregbesola of Osun State celebrating his re-election in Osogbo last Saturday. Photo: NAN

Politics

Senate Urges Tinubu To Sack CAC Boss

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

The Senate yesterday urged President Bola Tinubu to remove the Registrar-General of the Corporate Affairs Commission, Hussaini Magaji, over what lawmakers described as a persistent refusal to appear before its Committee on Finance.

The resolution followed a motion raised by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu during a session where members of the President’s economic team were present for engagement with the committee.

Tension rose at the commencement of the meeting when agency heads were introduced and senators observed the absence of the CAC Registrar-General, who had been invited to account for the commission’s activities, particularly on revenue matters.

Moving the motion, Kalu expressed anger over what he termed repeated disregard for legislative oversight, accusing the CAC boss of consistently avoiding invitations to appear before the committee.

He said, “Since I came to the Senate, this CAC man has always given excuses that he is in the Villa or going to London. He is not above the law. This man is not coming to the Senate. Look at the ministers of finance and budget. They are both here. We summoned them and they came.

“But this man thinks he’s bigger than the Senate. We’re not going to take that rubbish again. He had refused on so many occasions to honour our invitation to appear before this committee. We have issues with the reconciliation of the revenue of CAC.

“I move a motion that the man should be reported to Mr President and ask for immediate removal because we cannot continue with him. Is that what we’re doing here? He should come and give us an account of what he had done.”

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Sani Musa, corroborated the concerns, pointing to unresolved discrepancies in the reconciliation of the commission’s revenues.

He noted that despite several invitations, the registrar-general had failed to show up to address the issues raised by senators.

“The registrar-general of the Corporate Affairs Commission has refused on so many occasions to honour the calls, invitations or summons of this most important committee.

“There are only about three committees that are in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Committee of Finance is one of those committees. Sections 88, and 89 have given us these powers.

“And as registrar-general, we have issues with the reconciliation of their revenue. Anytime he is invited, he will give us one reason or another, and he will send junior officers to come and talk to the Senate. That cannot be accepted,” he said.

In a further show of frustration, Senator Adams Oshiomhole proposed that the Senate escalate the matter by withholding approval of the CAC’s 2026 budget pending the registrar-general’s personal appearance before the committee.

Oshiomhole also suggested that the commission be restrained from spending its internally generated revenue without prior approval of the national assembly.

“This senate should decline to appropriate anything in the 2026 budget until we are satisfied that he has accounted for previous money and spending properly.

“And should he spend money that is not appropriated, he should be heading to Kuje prison,” Oshiomhole said.

The motion urging the President to remove the CAC Registrar-General was subsequently put to a voice vote and adopted.

The development underscores renewed assertiveness by the Senate in exercising its constitutional oversight functions, particularly over revenue-generating agencies.

The Corporate Affairs Commission, which regulates companies and business registrations in Nigeria, is a key contributor to non-oil revenue, making accountability and transparency central to its operations.

News

Amend Constitution To Accommodate State Police, Tinubu Tells Senators

Published

2 days ago

February 27, 2026

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the leadership of the 10th Senate to amend the constitution to provide a legal framework for the establishment of State Police to tackle insecurity nationwide.

President Tinubu made the appeal during an interfaith breakfast with senators at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, yesterday.

The president said that the creation of State Police has become urgent to address Nigeria’s evolving security challenges, strengthen grassroots policing, and enhance states’ capacity to respond swiftly to threats within their jurisdictions.

He noted that a decentralised policing structure would complement existing federal security architecture and promote intelligence-led, community-focused law enforcement.

“We are facing terrorism, banditry, and insurgency. But we will never fail to make a right response to this cause. What I will ask for tonight is for you (Senators) to start thinking how best to amend the constitution to incorporate the State Police for us to secure our country, take over our forests from marauders, and free our children from fear,” he said.

The president commended the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Senate, saying that unity is needed to defeat terrorism and banditry in the country.

“It is a good thing that we are working in harmony, we are looking forward to a country that evolves, a country that takes care of its citizens and protects all.

Tinubu thanked the Senate for its unflinching support towards achieving various economic reforms of his administration, especially the fuel subsidy removal and tax reform policy.

“I have a lot of credit for bold reforms. Without your collaboration and inspiration, those reforms would not be possible. We are reformists together. What we gave up and what we stopped is monumental corruption in the subsidy system. We don’t want to participate in monumental corruption and arbitrage foreign exchange.

You don’t have to chase me for dollars; you could see what Nigeria is today. You should be proud, and I am glad you are. What we are enjoying is a stable economy, and prosperity is beckoning us. We need to work hard, and this attendance means a lot to me,” the president said.

President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, commended the president for hosting the leadership of the Senate to the Interfaith breaking of fast.

He commended President Tinubu for providing the visionary leadership the nation needs at this critical time, stating that the administration’s bold reforms have now brought more revenue to governors at the sub-national level for the development of critical infrastructure.

The Senate President prayed for the administration, and for the nation’s peace and prosperity.

Politics

FCT COUNCILS’ ELECTIONS: PDP WINS GWAGWALADA CHAIRMANSHIP AS APC SECURES AMAC, BWARI

Published

6 days ago

February 23, 2026

The Tide

Alhaji Mohammed Kasim, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Philip Akpeni, the Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the results on Sunday morning.

Alhaji Kasim polled 22,165 votes to defeat Alhaji Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.

Alhaji Biko Umar of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) scored 1, 687 to come in third place.

“I am the returning officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Gwagwalada chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026,” Akpeni said.

“That Mohammed Kasim of PDP, having certified the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Christopher Maikalangu, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the chairmanship poll with 40,295 votes.

Andrew Abue, the Collation Officer for AMAC, said Hon. Maikalangu, who is the incumbent AMAC chairman, was returned elected having scored the highest number of votes cast.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) came second with 12,109 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 3,398 votes.

According to Abue, the total number of valid votes in the chairmanship poll was 62,861, while the total votes cast stood at 65,197.

He added that the number of registered voters in AMAC was 837,338, while the total number of accredited voters was 65,676.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr. Joshua Ishaku of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the Bwari Area Council Chairmanship election.

Announcing the result on Sunday in Bwari, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Mohammed Nurudeen, stated that Ishaku polled a total of 18,466 votes to emerge victorious in the February 21, 2026 poll.

“I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 FCT Area Council, Bwari chairmanship held on Feb. 21, 2026. That Joshua Ishaku, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Nurudeen said.

According to the results declared, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 4,254 votes, while the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) polled 3,515 votes to place second and third respectively.

The declaration adds to the series of results emerging from the 2026 FCT Area Council elections, as political parties assess their performance ahead of future contests.

INEC UPLOADS 2,602 OF 2,822 FCT CHAIRMANSHIP RESULTS ON IReV

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had uploaded 2,602 out of the 2,822 expected polling unit results from Saturday’s chairmanship elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as at 5:55am on Sunday, data retrieved from its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed.

According to The Tide source, the figure represents an overall upload rate of about 92.2 per cent across the six area councils of the territory.

A council-by-council breakdown indicates that Municipal Area Council recorded the highest number of submissions in absolute terms, with 1,309 of 1,401 polling unit results uploaded, representing 93.43 per cent.

In Gwagwalada Area Council, 330 of the expected 338 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 97.63 per cent — the highest upload rate among the six councils.

In Bwari Area Council, INEC uploaded 463 of 485 polling unit results, translating to 95.46 per cent.

In Abaji Area Council, 129 of 135 polling unit results had been uploaded as at 5:55am, representing 95.56 per cent.

In Kwali Area Council, 164 of the expected 201 polling unit results were available on the portal, representing 81.59 per cent.

In Kuje Area Council, 207 of 262 polling unit results had been uploaded, representing 79.01 per cent — the lowest rate among the six councils as at the time of review.