Politics
Fayemi Signs N100.7bn 2022 Budget Into Law
Governor Kayode Fayemi on Friday signed the Ekiti State 2022 Appropriation Bill of N100.7 billion into law, promising to consolidate on the gains of the last three years of his administration
While signing bill tagged: “Budget of Legacy and Consolidation” in Ado-Ekiti, Fayemi said it had a percentage ratio of 60:40 recurrent to capital expenditure.
He said it was designed to achieve the goals of handing over an enduring legacy to the incoming administration.
“It has been designed to ensure we complete most, if not all, of our capital projects, while also ensuring the day-to-day operations of government continue to run smoothly.
“The budget will ensure we complete the projects, including the Ekiti Passenger-Cargo Airport, the Ado-Iworoko section of the Ado-Ifaki Road, renovation of township roads, and finally commence our construction of farms roads across the state.
“It will also ensure we continue to construct and renovate schools, while also providing learning materials for students.
“Also, it will ensure we complete the construction and equipping of our Intensive Care Unit at EKSUTH, as well as various ongoing projects in many of our secondary and primary care hospitals.
“We will continue to focus on the environment, by completing our erosion and watershed management project.
He added that “It will also help in consolidating on our gains in agriculture by investing in more Public-Private Partnerships, to deepen commercial agriculture across the State”.
The governor said his administration would also leverage the budget to lay a solid foundation for long terms transformative projects like the Ekiti Knowledge Zone and the Special Agriculture Processing Zone.
According to him, these two projects will eventually deliver large scale opportunities to thousands of young people.
He said it would give them an opportunity to develop exciting careers without having to migrate from Ekiti.
Fayemi said his administration considered it as a mark of responsibility to build on work done by previous governments and also bequeath a legacy for those coming afterwards.
“This budget has been prepared not just to consolidate on the work we have done in the last three years, but with one eye on the future, to ensure our successor government has a clear blueprint of development to follow, with the minimal burden of unfinished projects.
“We are not just keen to finish well, we are even more focused on providing a launchpad for a worthy successor government to lift Ekiti into a period of sustained prosperity,” he said.
The governor said the administration had been able to restore the Ekiti values, and set the state on the path of sustainable growth.
He said the budgets in the last three years had been tailored and aligned with the government’s five-point agenda.
Fayemi said that the administration had utilised the budgets as instruments to deliver on development objectives.
“Budgets, as you know, are important instruments in delivering on the priorities of the government.
“I am pleased to report today that our five main road projects have all been delivered and inaugurated, with the most recent inauguration of the Ado-Iyin Road, earlier in the week.
“These roads reduce the travel time within the state and improve the productivity of our people.
“I am sure over time, we will see the benefits of improving our infrastructure stock with an increase in commercial activities within Ekiti.
“We have also delivered on our plans to renovate and equip our schools and hospitals in fulfilment of our promise to prioritise human capital development.
“Also, even with the challenging fiscal environment, we continue to fulfil our promises to our workers, and only recently defrayed some of the outstanding obligations owed by our predecessors in office.
“This and the constant investment in our people by completing a number of secretariat blocks and office buildings, show our dedication to our engine room of governance, the civil service,” he said.
The Chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum expressed his profound gratitude to members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, especially the Speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, for passing the 2022 Appropriation Bill in record time.
“I appreciate the commitment of the members of the Fiscal Coordinating Agencies in driving our annual budget preparation and execution.
“In particular, I commend the Honourable Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning and his team in the Ministry for their dedication, hard work and commitment in the preparation of the 2022 draft estimates,” he said.
Rt Hon. Abbas secured the party’s ticket through an affirmation exercise conducted across the 13 electoral wards in the constituency.
The wards involved include Kwarbai A, Kwarbai B, Limancin-Kona, Unguwar Fatika, Unguwar Juma, Dutsen Abba, Gyallesu, Kufena, Dambo, Wuchichiri, Tudun Wada, Tukur-Tukur, and Kaura.
The exercise, which began simultaneously in all wards at about 10 a.m., recorded large turnout of APC members who gathered at various party offices across the constituency.
At Kwarbai B Ward, the Speaker’s ward, the process was conducted peacefully under the supervision of the ward APC Returning Officer, Malam Iliyasu Muhammad Balarabe, in the presence of Rt Hon. Abbas.
According to the ward APC secretary, Nafiu Sabo, the ward has over 10,000 registered members, but 220 members were accredited for the exercise.
Before the affirmation, Mallam Balarabe informed members that Rt Hon Abbas was the only aspirant who purchased nomination forms, underwent screening, and was cleared by the APC national leadership to contest the Zaria Federal Constituency seat.
Following a voice vote by accredited members, the Speaker was affirmed as the party’s candidate in the ward, a process replicated across the remaining 12 wards.
At the constituency collation centre, the APC Returning Officer for the House of Representatives primary in Zaria Federal Constituency, Dr. Hamisu Ibrahim Kubau, announced that 1,376 APC members across the 13 wards endorsed Rt Hon. Abbas as the party’s flag bearer.
He explained that although thousands of party members participated in the exercise, only accredited delegates were allowed to vote.
Dr. Kubau declared: “There are 13 wards in Zaria Federal Constituency, and only one aspirant purchased a form, was screened, and cleared. He is Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen. After due process, we conducted affirmations across all wards.”
He added that the process was peaceful and monitored by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and party representatives.
Chairman of the APC House of Representatives Primary Elections in Kaduna State, Senator Yakubu Oseni, described the outcome as a reflection of the Speaker’s popularity and acceptance among constituents.
He expressed confidence that Rt Hon Abbas would secure victory in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after his declaration, Rt Hon. Abbas expressed appreciation to APC members for reaffirming their confidence in him.
The incumbent Reps including Emily Inyang and Godwin Offionio, in separate interviews
protested the handling of the primaries conducted by the leadership of the party in the state, saying it was skewed against them.
The aspirants further described the primaries as a charade and an embarrassment to the state.
According to them, the House of Representatives primaries fell short of the provisions of both the Electoral Act as amended in 2026 and the party’s constitution.
They accused the leadership of the party in the state, backed by Governor Bassey Otu, of violating the party’s constitution in the conduct of the House of Representatives primaries across the state on Saturday.
Hon. Godwin Offiono, representing Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, particularly expressed disappointment with the primary that allegedly disenfranchised registered members of the party in his constituency.
Hon. Offiono asserted that having failed to arrive at a consensus, the party leadership opted for a direct primary to decide the candidate for the 2027 election.
“But what I witnessed today was not only alarming, but quite disheartening that our electoral system have not shown any improvement, especially now that we have a man of God in the person of the governor as the leader of the party.
“How do you declare a result by 9:00am even when the electoral materials were yet to arrive at Yala.
“As an aspirant, I couldn’t even vote or see the materials for my own primary at my Okuku ward in Yala Local Government Area, where I come from. But no matter what happens I am still in the race and have not stepped down for anybody.
“The governor had all the time in the world to drive the process of consensus but he never did. As a representative, I cannot even see my governor. I called, no response. I sent text no reply. I am treated as an out cast,” he lamented.
In an emotion laden tone during a telephone interview, Hon. Offiono further said: “I could not believe that first term NASS members like me can be treated in this shoddy manner even when I don’t know my offence.
“I have been a loyal party man. I appeal to the governor to do the right thing, follow the Electoral Act and party constitution in electing representatives.”
Similarly, Hon. Emil Inyang of Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency said he still remained in the race and had not stepped down for anybody.
According to him, “If this shenanigan called primary is allowed to stand, it would affect the party’s fortune in the general elections.
“My appeal to the governor is to allow the people to decide. And if they so voted against me, I will rest and not fight over anything.
“There was no stakeholders meeting held to decide on anything before now, and someone can not be unilaterally imposed on us all in the name of compromised primary,” he stated.
A coalition of support groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) has protested the disqualification of former presidential aspirant, Mr Tein Jack-Rich, from the Rivers West Senatorial race ahead of the party’s primaries for the 2027 general elections.
The groups, in a statement issued on Saturday morning in Abuja, described the action of the party’s screening committee as unjust and capable of worsening internal divisions within the APC in Rivers State.
The statement, signed by the coalition’s National Coordinator, Dr. Bilal Galadima, and General Secretary, Hon. James Ogenyi, accused the party leadership in Rivers State of favouring politicians loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, while sidelining long-standing members of the APC.
The coalition alleged that only aspirants aligned with Chief Wike were cleared to contest for elective positions in the state.
“How can our party allow only one man who is not a member of our party to make decisions or dictate the direction of our party?”, the group queried.
The coalition specifically faulted the exclusion of Mr Jack-Rich, describing him as a loyal party member who had supported the APC for more than 13 years and previously contested the party’s presidential ticket.
It also questioned the alleged clearance of Chief Felix Obua, whom it described as a recent entrant into the party and an ally of Chief Wike.
“How can our party disqualify Jack-Rich, a former presidential aspirant who has been loyal and supported our party for the last 13 years, only for our party to choose Felix Obua, a Wike loyalist who only joined the party three months ago?”, the statement read.
The group warned that failure by the APC leadership and National Working Committee (NWC) to address the matter as it could weaken the party’s structure in Rivers State ahead of the 2027 elections.
It called on party leaders to uphold internal democracy, reward loyalty and ensure a level playing field for all aspirants.
INEC TO BEGIN MEMBERSHIP VERIFICATION AS POLITICAL PARTIES SUBMIT REGISTER
All 22 registered political parties have successfully submitted their membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026, the Commission has said.
In a statement issued on Friday, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Mohammed Haruna, said the submission followed the extension granted by the Commission after political parties raised concerns during a meeting on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, regarding the timeline provided in the Revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2027 general elections.
He said, “The Commission is pleased to note that all registered parties submitted their registers as of 8th May 2026, two days before the extended deadline.”
He recalled that following a meeting with political parties, the Commission, in a statement issued on the 27th of March, 2026, adjusted the deadline for the submission of party registers from 21st April 2026 to 10th May 2026 to align with the provisions of Section 77(4) of the Electoral Act 2026 and the actual dates fixed by political parties for their primaries.
Mr Haruna noted that political parties were accordingly allowed to conduct their primaries within the approved period from 23rd April 2026 to 30th May 2026, while the register of party members was required to be submitted to the Commission not later than 21 days before the conduct of their respective primaries.
He added, “INEC wishes to state that all registered political parties complied with the requirement within the extended timeframe and will subject the submitted registers to the necessary verification processes in line with the law.”
The Commission restated its commitment to the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.
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