Politics

Resolve Ondo Political Crisis, Afenifere Tells Tinubu

Published

2 years ago

November 24, 2023

The leader of the Pan Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, has asked President Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to urgently intervene in the current political logjam in Ondo State.
Pa Fasoranti, in a letter to President Bola Tinubu and the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Umar Ganduje, said that their intervention would end the present constitutional crisis in the State.
The Afenifere leader who convened a meeting of Ondo State Elders and Leaders on the current political logjam in the State, added that their intervention would “ avoid the looming breakdown of law and order, following the prolonged absence of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu due to his unabating health challenges”.
A communique signed by Pa Fasoranti and Dr Bakita, said that the “misinformation about the governor and lack of communication between the governor and his deputy, have resulted in the inability of the deputy governor to perform constitutional duties on behalf of the governor, for the good governance of the State”.
In attendance at the emergency meeting included traditional, religious and professional leaders, market women, the academia and other notable stakeholders in the State.
Pa Fasoranti lamented the “ Failure of the National Ruling Party and the Executive Arm of Government to nip the matter in the bud before its escalation”.
He observed the “ apparent confusion and helplessness of civil/public servants in the State in the absence of appropriate and delineated directives;
“Feeling of hopelessness of the citizens of Ondo State in not enjoying continually, the expected dividends of democracy and good governance;
“Current utter disrespect for the rule of law in Ondo State whereby self-serving persons have taken over the government without due regard to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Absence and non-active participation of Ondo State in national affairs due to the lingering crisis;
“Foreseeable problems of late preparation of the 2024 Budget by the executive arm for the customary timely presentation to the State House of Assembly.”
Pa Fasoranti however, called for prayers for the improved health of the governor, noting that without doubt, his absence has caused a lack of sustained good governance in the state.
He said “All unelected persons should allow the three arms of government to find lasting solutions to the current crisis.
“The rule of law should be followed by all stakeholders as enshrined in Nigeria’s Constitution.”
Pa Fasoranti, also called on the state and national leaderships of the All Progressives Congress, to provide the required guide to those in government as well as ensure discipline amongst their fold.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State has advised political gladiators and stakeholders to be circumspect in their utterances and actions as regards the political development in the State.
A statement by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaye, said that the “ faceoff between the executive and legislative arms of the state government is being critically examined by the combined teams of national and state leaderships of the party.”

Politics

INEC Denies Registering New Political Parties

Published

4 days ago

June 20, 2025

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has not registered any new political parties.

The commission gave the clarification in a statement on its X (formerly Twitter) handle last Wednesday.

It described the purported report circulated by some online social media platforms on the registration of two new political parties by INEC as fake.

“The attention of INEC has been drawn to a fake report making the rounds about the registration of two new political parties, namely “Independent Democrats (ID)” and “Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM)”.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the commission has not yet registered any new party. The current number of registered political parties in Nigeria is 19 and nothing has been added,” it stated.

The commission recalled that both ID and PDM were registered as political parties in August 2013.

INEC further recalled that the two were deregistered in February 2020 in accordance with Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The commission, therefore, urged the public to disregard the said report.

Politics

You Weren’t Elected To Bury People, Tinubu Tells Alia

Published

4 days ago

June 20, 2025

The Tide

President Bola Tinubu has asked Governor Hyacinth Alia to work more for peace and development of Benue State, saying he was elected to govern, not to bury people.

The President said this while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Markudi, last Wednesday.

He also called on the governor to set up a peace committee to address some of the issues in the state.

The meeting included the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, traditional rulers, and former governors of the state.

The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa states also attended the meeting.

“Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity,” he said.

President Tinubu urged Governor Alia to allocate land for ranching and directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up.

“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity, not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development.

“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people”, he stressed.

He charged Governor Alia on working with the Federal Government to restore peace.

“Governor Alia, you were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us”, he said.

In his remarks, Governor Alia appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by repeated violent attacks across the state.

“Your Excellency, while we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue State,” he said.

Governor Alia said the fund would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the restoration of livelihoods, especially for farmers.

He reiterated his support for establishing state police as a lasting solution to insecurity.

The governor pledged his administration’s full commitment to building a safe, stable, prosperous Benue State.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Rulers Council, Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh, Prof. James Ayatse, praised President Tinubu for being the first sitting President to personally visit victims in the hospital in the wake of such a tragedy.

He thanked the President for appointing notable Benue indigenes into key positions, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, while expressing hope that more appointments would follow.

Politics

Gowon Explains Why Aburi Accord Failed

Published

4 days ago

June 20, 2025

The Tide

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon (ret’d), says the Aburi accord collapsed because Chukwuemeka Ojukwu wanted regional governors to control military zones.

Gen. Gowon was Nigeria’s military ruler from 1966 until 1975 when he was deposed in a bloodless coup while Ojukwu was military governor of the then Eastern Region in that span.

In a live television interview recently, Gen. Gowon narrated what transpired after the agreement was reached in Aburi, a town in Ghana.

The meeting that led to the accord took place from January 4 to 5, 1967, with delegates from both sides of the divide making inputs.

The goal was to resolve the political impasse threatening the country’s unity.

The point of the agreement was that each region should be responsible for its own affairs.

During the meeting, delegates arrived at certain resolutions on control and structure of the military. However, the exact agreement reached was the subject of controversy.

The failure of the Aburi accord culminated in Nigeria’s civil war, which lasted from July 6, 1967, to January 15, 1970.

Speaking on what transpired after the agreement, Gen. Gowon said the resolutions should have been discussed further and finalised.

The ex-military leader said he took ill after arriving in Nigeria from Aburi and that Ojukwu went on to make unauthorised statements about the accord.

Gen. Gowon said he did not know where Ojukwu got his version of the agreement from.

“We just went there (Aburi), as far as we were concerned, to meet as officers and then agree to get back home and resolve the problem at home. That was my understanding. But that was not his (Ojukwu) understanding,” he said.

Gen. Gowon said Ojukwu declined the invitation, citing safety concerns.

“I don’t know what accord he (Ojukwu) was reading because he came to the meeting with prepared papers of things he wanted. And, of course, we discussed them one by one, greed on some and disagreed on some.

“For example, to give one of the major issues, we said that the military would be zoned, but the control… He wanted those zones to be commanded by the governor.

“When you have a military zone in the north, it would be commanded by the governor of the military in the north, the military zone in the east would be commanded by him. Of course, we did not agree with that one”, Gen. Gowon added.

Ojukwu died on November 26, 2011 at the age of 78.