A governorship aspirant on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has vowed to challenge the results declared by the party in the January 27 primary in the court of law.
The Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary,Human Rights and Legal Matters, said that the alleged abrasion of democracy and brazen abridgement of the Electoral Act in the election would be subjected to legal scrutiny via the party’s constitution and the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Though, Bamidele and six others had withdrawn from the race, but going by the results declared by Governor Abubakar Mohammed Badaru -led APC Primary Election Committee, he garnered a total of 706 to emerge third, while the former  Secretary to the State Government , Biodun Oyebanji got 101, 703, to become the party’s flagbearer.In a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, Bamidele said he would take all the necessary actions to correct the alleged electoral perfidy perpetrated during the primary to deepen democracy and entrench the rule of law in the system .The Chairman, Southern Senators’ Forum, insisted that no election was held on January 27, saying figures reeled out by the Committee were allegedly fabricated  to suit a certain sinister purpose.”We are of course taking immediate steps within  the confines of our party constitution and  the law to seek redress for this blatant abuse of trust and  due process by the State actors.”
So whilst on this quest to seek an amicable resolution to this impasse, I urge all to remain calm and prayerful that justice and truth will prevail for the benefit of the people of Ekiti”.Bamidele added that it was  unfortunate and regrettable that the process of conducting the primary  was “hijacked, truncated, compromised and bastardised by those at the helm of affairs in Ekiti”, which he said was tantamount to a complete abuse of trust and leadership.”It is public knowledge that no primary  election took place on Thursday, 27th January, 2022 but yet,  rather disappointedly, results were announced based on concocted and fictitious vote counts.”
The underlining level of  impunity, desperation and perfidy which characterized the entire rigging process was so much and thought beclouding that I was alloted 700 plus votes in a State-wide gubernatorial primary election in a State where I had scored over 90,000 votes in just one out of three Senatorial Districts to emerge as a Senator.
”More specifically, the breakdown of the votes alloted to me indicated that I got 150 votes in Ado Ekiti, my beloved second home where I had recorded Twenty Eight Thousand votes out of the 42,000 votes that gave me the House of Representatives mandate way back in year 2011 to represent Ado / Irepodun-Ifelodun Federal Constituency.
”But we will remain resolute, strong, focused and faithful in the face of this impunity, total lack of regard for the electoral due process and executive rascality by a chosen few who were elected to represent the interests of Ekiti people”.Bamidele applauded the  party at the National, State, Local Government and Ward structures for their continued support  and in ensuring the tenets of democracy were continuously entrenched in the political entities and governance of Ekiti State .
”I have fought quite a number of battles in my life based on my sense of indignation to injustice; but I had never been this resolved to stand up and challenge principalities and powers in utmost determination to defeat darkness and make the lights of Ekiti and her people shine again.”A’Ibom Gov Names Preferred Successor (3rd lead, page 12, Wednesday, February 2, 20Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has named the Commissioner for Lands, Pastor Umo Eno, as his preferred successor in 2023.Pastor Eno was presented Sunday evening at a well-attended PDP Stakeholders’ Meeting which took place at the Governor’s Lodge, in Uyo.
Former Governor, Obong Victor Attah, made the formal presentation of the governor’s preferred successor to the stakeholders, which comprised major and leading political chieftains from the three senatorial districts, who all applauded the choice and pledged to work towards his emergence as the governor of the state come 2023.
Speaking after his presentation, Eno narrated how he grew up in the police barracks and how challenging those days were, but he summoned hope to overcome those difficulties.He said he was grateful to God and Emmanuel for finding him worthy of the onerous task to lead the people of the state and continue the people-focused and developmental strides.Bishop Uma Ukpai and the Prelate Emeritus of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Mbang, prayed for his success, a prayer that was re-echoed by the Oku Ibom Ibibio and Chairman of State Council of Chiefs, Ntenyin Solomon Etuk.
Among those who attended the event, were the Deputy Governor, Mr. Moses Ekpo; Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Bassey; Senators Akon Eyakenyi, Effiong Bob, Ibok Essien, Aloysius Etok, former Deputy Governor, Etim Okpoyo; member representing Etinan Federal Constituency at the National Assembly, Onofiok Luke; PDP chairman, Elder Aniekan Akpan; Barr Emmanuel Enoidem; the National Coordinator of the Maintain Peace Movement, Pat Ifon; member representing Eket Federal Constituency at the National Assembly and Member, PDP BOT, Chief Nduese Essien; a former Minister of Housing, Ambassador Assam Assam; Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Russia, Fathers of Faith, and other leading members of the state’s political class.APC Is Not Sellable – Senator (5th lead, page 12, Wednesday, February 2, 2022).
The Senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District at the National Assembly, Nicholas Tofowomo, has declared that the ruling All Progressive Congress is not sellable ahead of the 2023 election.Tofowomo said this at Ile Oluji area of the state during the training, empowerment of youths on ICT and distribution of laptops in his  senatorial district.
He said that pressures were being mounted on him to defect, stressing that he would rather quit politics permanently instead of decamping to APC.According to him, “Since the coming on board of APC in 2015, it has been sordid and sad tales of events for Nigerians.”Armed robbery and banditry are now an integral part of Nigeria. Nobody is safe, it is as bad as that. So, APC has failed the nation. APC doesn’t have an agenda.
”Than to go to APC, I’ll leave politics because APC is a dead party in Nigeria. They have wrecked the economy of this country. So, it is over my dead body, I can never decamp.”For me, it’s PDP in the morning, afternoon and at night. And if I leave PDP, I’m going back home. If you look at APC, it has ruined Nigeria’s economy, they have scored zero in that aspect.”Look at the Nigeria Police, they have continued to allow them to work in terrible workplaces. The police stations ought to have been refurbished. When you talk about Nigeria Army, the Boko Haram crisis is there.
”When they took power, a bag of rice was N6000, now it is about N35,000. So it is a party that is not sellable. People are decamping from APC to PDP daily. So everybody knows that APC has failed the nation.
”Tofowomo, while rating the APC administration in Ondo State with 25 per cent performance said it deserved commendation in the area of road construction but failed woefully in the aspect of unemployment among youths in the state.”As regards APC in Ondo State, there some areas they have done well and some areas they have failed. In terms of employment, they have failed because they are no jobs.”In terms of road construction, they are trying their best but in total submission, they have failed the state because I will only give them 25 per cent.”He said he decided to distribute laptops to youths and train them on ICT, because ICT was the way to go on the global stage.
”Laptop is an equipment that can refine your life. When I got to England in 1984 laptop was not very meaningful then but in the early 90s, the laptop was everywhere and it was not very common in Nigeria.”In England, when you are inside the train you will see people with their laptops and they will be putting up their programs”.