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PDP Upsets APC In Osun Senatorial Bye-Election …Nigerians Have Awakened To APC Deceit – PDP …APC Put To Shame – Fani-Kayode
In a major setback for the ruling All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Peoples Democratic Party won the Osun West senatorial bye-election held last Saturday by the Independent National Electoral Commission. In the final result announced by INEC in the early hours of yesterday, the PDP candidate, Otunba Ademola Adeleke, the younger brother of the late Senator Isiaka Adeleke for whose replacement the election was held, won with 97, 480 votes. He beat the APC candidate, Senator Mudashir Hussein, who scored 66,116 votes to place second.
PDP also won in nine of the 10 local government areas in Osun West Senatorial District. According to the results released by INEC, PDP won in Iwo Local Government Area with 12,547 votes, against APC’s 12,205 votes; Ola Oluwa local government with 5, 618 votes, to APC’s 5316 votes; and Ayedire local government with 5, 789 votes, to 5, 360 votes scored by APC. PDP also in Irewole local government with 9, 096 votes, against APC’s 8,952 votes; Ede North local government with 18, 559 votes, against 2,784 votes polled by APC; Ede South local government with 13, 406 votes, to APC’s 2,096 votes; and Ayedaade local government with 9,061 votes, to 7,179 votes scored by APC.
PDP won Egbedore Local Government Area with 7,142 votes, against APC’s 4,768 votes; and Isokan local government with 6,539 votes, to 5,227 votes scored by APC.
APC won in only Ejigbo local government with 12,229 votes, to PDP’s 9,723 votes.
PDP had posted wins in many of the early results announced at the polling units across the 10 local government areas of Osun West senatorial district.
The u-turn in the senatorial district, which was hitherto dominated by APC under Senator Adeleke, was widely seen as a protest against the party for failing to nominate the aspirant from the Adeleke family, who was deemed a perfect choice to continue on the seat of his late brother. The majority of the people, our correspondent learnt, wanted some kind of compensation for the family for the good works of the APC senator for Osun West, whose death on April 23 at the age of 62 had shaken the area to its foundation, leading to protests and tension.
APC’s unwillingness to field Ademola Adeleke had caused him to defect to PDP soon after the death of his brother. He then emerged PDP’s senatorial candidate few weeks to the bye-election.
The defeat of Hussein, who was the choice candidate of Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, was also seen as a verdict against the APC administration in the state. Aregbesola’s tenure has been marred by economic tensions occasioned by his government’s inability to pay workers’ salaries and meet other financial obligations, resulting in several months of unpaid remunerations. There has also been rising religious tension owing to government-instigated rivalry between Moslems and Christians, who had previously lived cordially.
The bye-election was largely peaceful. But the Osun State Police Command said it arrested some hoodlums who were trying to cause commotion at Igbokiti Unit, Ward 10, Okinni, Egbedore local government council.
Our correspondent was informed that the thugs invaded the polling unit with dangerous weapons and attacked voters and some ad hoc electoral officers. Voters waiting to cast their votes were allegedly attacked with machetes, causing them to run for their lives and prompting many others to stay away from the polling booths to avoid being caught up in the violence.
However, Ademola Adeleke, has described his victory as a new dawn for democracy.
Adeleke said, at a news conference on Sunday in Ede, that his electoral victory was “a pointer that PDP will be victorious in the 2018 governorship election in the state’’.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that Mr. Adeleke scored 97,480 votes and won in nine of the 10 local government areas where the election was held.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Mudashiru Husain, polled 66,116 votes and won in only one local government area.
The late Isiaka Adeleke, the first Executive Governor of Osun, was occupying the senatorial seat until his death on April 23.
His younger brother, Ademola, who initially was contesting on the ticket of APC, defected to PDP, a day before the party’s primary, when APC leadership denied him the ticket.
He subsequently defected to PDP and was given the party’s ticket to be its candidate in the election.
The senatorial district comprises 10 local government areas.
He said: “We are working hard to ensure that the 2018 governorship election in Osun is won by PDP.
“My victory is a new dawn in the history of our democracy.
“Our democracy is growing where an incumbent will be there and opposition will defeat the incumbent.
“This is a rare gem and this shows that our democracy is improving.
“We want to make sure that there is nothing like rigging anymore, no matter how you try, we want our democracy to grow.”
Adeleke, however, commended the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security operatives for ensuring that the election was free and fair.
He commended the people in the senatorial district for coming out en masse to vote for him.
Mr. Adeleke also commended journalists for their sense of professionalism in the coverage of the election.
“I can assure you that I will continue from where my late brother left it and that is where I tag my campaign continuity,” he said.
However, the police were able to arrest three of the suspected political thugs.
The Commissioner of Police, Mr Fimihan Adeoye, confirmed the incident. Adeoye said, “it is true we arrested three suspected thugs in Egbedore and their case is currently under investigation.”
Meanwhile, the Senator Ahmed Makarfi led Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the Party’s victory at the just concluded Osun West by-election reflects the re-awaken Nigerians to the sham and deceit of the All Progressive Congress (APC), led administration at all levels of governance.
This was stated yesterday in a statement signed by the Publicity Secretary of the Party’s National Caretaker Committee (NCC), Dayo Adeyeye.
According to the Party, the PDP remains the party to beat in all elections in Nigeria without the interference of the APC in its current leadership issues.
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While congratulating the people of Osun West Senatorial District for coming out enmass to vote for the PDP and its candidate, the Party expressed confidence in the abilities of Ademola Adeleke to deliver on his promises to the people.
Also former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has mocked Governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola, after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the Osun West senatorial by-election conducted on Saturday.
PDP’s candidate Ademola Adeleke, was declared winner of the by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for an official State visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister, Dr. Abiy Ahmed.
Upon arrival yesterday, Shettima was received at the airport by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Dr. Gedion Timothewos, and other members of the Ethiopian and Nigerian diplomatic corps.
Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, revealed this in a statement he signed yesterday, titled: “VP Shettima arrives in Ethiopia for official state visit.”
During the visit, Vice President Shettima will participate in the official launch of Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Programme, a flagship environmental initiative.
The programme designed to combat deforestation, enhance biodiversity, and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change targets the planting of 20 billion tree seedlings over a four-year period.
In line with strengthening bilateral ties in agriculture and industrial development, the Vice President will also embark on a strategic tour of key industrial zones and integrated agricultural facilities across selected regions of Ethiopia.
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RSG Tasks Farmers On N4bn Agric Loan ….As RAAMP Takes Sensitization Campaign To Four LGs In Rivers
The Rivers State Government has called on the people of the state especially farmers to access the ?4billion agricultural loans made available by the State and domiciled in the Bank of Industry.
This is as the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP), a World Bank project, took its sensitization campaign to Opobo/Nkoro, Andoni, Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor local government areas.
The campaign was aimed at enlightening community dwellers and other stakeholders in the various local government areas on the RAAMP project implementation and programme activities.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture, Mr Maurice Ogolo, said this at Opobo town, Ngo, Port Harcourt City and Rumuodumanya, headquarters of the four local government areas respectively, during the sensitization campaign.
Ogolo said apart from the ?4billion, the government has also made available fertilizers and other farm inputs to farmers in the various local government areas.
The Permanent Secretary who is the Chairman, State Steering Committee for the project, said RAAMP will construct roads that will connect farms to markets to enable farmers and fishermen sell their farms produce and fishes.
He also said rural roads would be constructed to farms and fishing settlements, and warned against any act that will lead to the cancellation of the projects in the four local government areas.
According to him, the World Bank and Federal Government which are the financiers of the programme will not condone such acts like kidnapping, marching ground and other acts inimical to the successful implementation of the projects in their respective areas.
At PHALGA, Ogolo asserted that the city will benefit in the areas of roads and bridge construction.
He noted that RAAMP was thriving in both the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja; Lagos and other states in the country, stressing that the project should also be given the seriousness it deserves in Rivers State.
Speaking at Opobo town, the headquarters of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, the project coordinator, RAAMP, Mr.Joshua Kpakol, said the programme would reduce poverty in the state.
According to him, both fishermen and farmers will maximally benefit from the programme.
At Ngo which is the headquarters of Andoni Local Government Area, Kpakol said roads will be constructed to all remote fishing settlements.
He said Rivers State is lucky to be among the states implementing the project, and stressed the need for the people to embrace it.
Meanwhile, Kpakol said at PHALGA that RAAMP is a project that will transform the lives of farmers, traders and other stakeholders in the area.
He urged the stakeholders to spread the information to their various communities.
However, some of the stakeholders at Opobo town complained about the destruction of their farms by bulls allegedly owed by traditional rulers in the area, as well as incessant stealing of their canoes at waterfronts.
At Ngo, Archbishop Elkanah Hanson, founder of El-Shaddai Church, commended the World Bank and the Federal Government for bringing the projects to Andoni.
He stressed the need for the construction of roads to fishing settlements in the area.
Also, a former Commissioner for Agriculture in the state and Okan Ama of Ekede, HRH King Gad Harry, noted that storage facilities have become necessary for a successful agricultural programme.
Harry also stressed the need for the programme to be made sustainable.
In their separate speeches, the administrators of Andoni and Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Areas, pledged their readiness to support the programme.
At Port Harcourt City, the Administrator, Dr Arthur Kalagbor, represented by the Head of Local Government Administration, Port Harcourt City, Mr Clifford Paul, said the city would support the implementation of the programme in the area.
Also, the administrator of Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Dr Clifford Ndu Walter, represented by Mr Michael Elenwo, pledged to support the programme in his local government area.
Among dignitaries at the Obio/Akpor stakeholders engagement is the chairman, Rivers State Traditional Rulers Council and paramount ruler of Apara Kingdom, HRM Eze Chike Wodo, amongst others.
John Bibor
President Bola Tinubu has ordered the commencement of personnel audit and skill gap analysis across all cadres of federal civil servants.
The president gave this directive in Abuja, yesterday, while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference, reaffirming his resolve to achieve efficiency and professional service delivery in the civil service.
“I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service,” the president announced.
Tinubu further directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), to prioritise data integrity and sovereignty in national interest.
He called for the capture, protection and strategic publication of public sector data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organisation to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty,” Tinubu added.
President Tinubu hailed the federal civil service as the “engine” driving his Renewed Hope Agenda, and the vehicle for delivering sustainable national development.
He submitted that the roles of civil servants remain indispensable in modern governance, declaring that in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation. An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges.
“It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital” the President said.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack in her welcome address told the President that his presence and strong words of commendation at the conference has renewed the morale and mandate of public servants across the country.
Walson-Jack described Tinubu as the backbone of driving transformation in the Nigerian civil service, and noted that the takeaways from past study tours undertaken to understudy the civil service in Singapore, the UK and US under her leadership, is already yielding multiplier effects.
Walson-Jack assured Tinubu that her office, in collaboration with reform-minded stakeholders, will not relent in accelerating the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, FCSSIP 25.
She affirmed that digitalisation, performance management, and continuous learning remain key pillars in strengthening accountability, transparency, and service delivery across MDAs.
Walson-Jack reaffirmed that the civil service is determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance in the heart of public administration.