Ondo State
#RevolutionNow: Appeal court strikes out Omoyele Sowore’s appeal
The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Wednesday, struck out the notice of appeal that convener of the 2019 #RevolutionNow protest, Mr. Omoyele Sowore, filed to challenge his bail conditions. Sowore, who was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the last general election and publisher of an online news outlet, Sahara Reporters, is facing treasonable felony charge the Federal Government preferred against him before the Federal High Court in Abuja. Though he was initially arraigned alongside his co-defendant Olawole Bakare (A.K.A. Mandate) on September 30, 2019, on a seven-count charge that bordered on conspiracy, money laundering, cyber-stalking and for allegedly insulting President Muhammadu Buhari, the prosecution subsequently reduced the charge to two counts. Meanw...
Ondo election: IGP promises hitch-free guber poll
The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has assured Nigerians especially the people of Ondo State, of the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to build upon the gains recorded during the Edo governorship election. He said the force was preparing hard for the October 10 election in the state. The force spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, said this in a statement titled, ‘Ahead of Ondo Gov election: IGP meets with the Nigeria Civil Society Room,’ in Abuja, on Monday. He quoted the IG as giving this assurance when the Convener and Co-convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo and Esther Uzoma, led other representatives of civil society organisations on a courtesy call to the IGP at the Force Headquarters, Abuja. The delegation was at the Force Headquarters to congratulat...
Ondo election: Governor Akeredolu warns Nyesom Wike to steer clear
The Ondo State Governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has warned his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike, to steer clear of the October 10 governorship election in the state. Wike had on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Friday declared that Eyitayo Jegede of the Peoples Democratic Party will win the Ondo Governorship election. The Rivers governor claimed that the All Progressives Congress was putting INEC under pressure to win the poll for Akeredolu, having lost in Edo State. However, Akeredolu, who spoke through the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Donald Ojogor, said there would not be any room for Wike to influence the process of the October 10 election. He said, “In all aspects, Governor Wike deserves respect not just as governor but as a critical stakeholder in the dem...
Edo election: US expresses concern over vote-buying, intimidation of voters
The United States Government Wednesday said it is concerned over recorded cases of vote-buying and intimidation of voters and observers during last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State. The US government in a statement by the United States Mission in Nigeria, also applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Nigerian security services on the positive role they played in the election. According to the statement posted on its verified twitter handle, @USinNigeria, said the US government also recognizes the critical role that Governor Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, during the exercise. The statement reads: “Congratulations to the people of Edo State on a credible and pea...
Edo election: FCT residents commend INEC innovations, performance
Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on its performance at the just concluded Sept. 19, governorship election in Edo state. Some of the residents who spoke with newsmen, in Abuja expressed their joy that the election was relatively peaceful and that INEC deserved commendation for its innovations. A businessman, Mr Christopher Chidi, said although there were logistics challenges in few places, INEC’s performance was an improvement over previous elections. Chidi said that one of the innovations that made the election success was the introduction of the election “Result Viewing Portal” recently launched by INEC. “The portal has made it difficult for politicians to alter election results at the collation war...
Ondo election: Agboola Ajayi best candidate for good governance – Segun Mimiko
Dr Olusegun Mimiko, National Leader of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), has described Agboola Ajayi, the party’s governorship candidate, who is also the incumbent deputy governor of Ondo State, as the best candidate to deliver good governance to the people of the state. Newsmen report that Ondo State governorship election comes up on Oct. 10. Mimiko, who is the immediate past governor of the state, spoke on Saturday in Ore, headquarters of Odigbo Local Government area of the state, during the party’s launch of campaign for its candidate in the forthcoming governorship election. Mimiko also urged the electorate to collect the “stolen money” that some party had promised them and still vote for ZLP that would bring back good governance. The former governor urged the electorate not to fear or be...
Governor Tambuwal: Rigging Edo election is ‘coup’ against the people
The Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, has said any electoral victory obtained through means other than the legitimate votes of the people was nothing short of a coup d’état. Tambuwal said the Edo State Governorship Election scheduled to hold on Saturday as well as the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for October 10, were test cases of our preparedness for a rule-based and consent-enabled governance. He said this in a statement titled “Tambuwal: Rigging is coup d’état,” which he signed and issued to commemorate the 2020 edition of United Nations International Day of Democracy, on Tuesday. The United Nations General Assembly in 2017 resolved to observe 15 September of every year as the International Day of Democracy — with the purpose of promoting and upholding the principl...
PDP: Edo people will resist attempt to tamper with scheduled date of election
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Sunday said that the people of Edo state would resist any attempt by anybody to tamper with the state governorship election schedule for Sept. 19. PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja alleged that there were plots by certain interests to use frivolous lawsuits to scuttle the scheduled date. “The PDP revealed that the said interests masquerading through certain political groups were seeking to blackmail the judiciary and stampede the court to violate the clear provisions of the Electoral Act and illegally halt the Edo election. “Nigerians are already aware that section 87(10) (11) of the Electoral Act, clearly prohibits the courts from restraining the conduct of party primaries and general elec...
INEC: Fire incident won’t affect Ondo election
Ahead of the October 10 gubernatorial election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Friday in Abuja said despite the fire incident that destroyed Card Readers meant for the election, the governorship poll will still go ahead as planned. The commission has also said it is not contemplating postponing the September 19 Edo election. INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, stated this in Abuja during an interactive session with stakeholders and Civil Society Organizations, convened by the National Peace Committee. He said the 5100 Card Readers programmed for use for the election were razed in the inferno that on Thursday night, adding that investigation is on to unravel the cause of the fire. Yakubu said: “we received the sad news last night of fire inc...
Ondo INEC fire: l suspect foul play, our fate in God’s hand – PDP candidate
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede, says he suspected foul play in the mysterious fire that gutted the state office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Over 5,100 card readers meant for the October 10 governorship election stored in a container were burnt in the inferno on Thursday night. In a statement by his campaign organization in Akure, Jegede said; “We cannot rule out a foul play in the mystery fire that completely razed down the state INEC office; now, our fate is in the hands of God. The Head, Media Research for the organisation, Mr Samuel Fasua, in the statement said, “For a while now, our main rival in this race has been in the eye of the storm over accusation that it was using loan assistance decoy to collect the pin code...
Ondo governor visits INEC office, describes fire incident unfortunate, shocking
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State Friday visited the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gutted by fire and described the incident as unfortunate and shocking. The fire incident, which gutted the office at about 8:30 pm burnt over 5,114 card readers meant for the October 10 governorship election in the state. Akeredolu who paid an unscheduled visit to the Alagbaka office of the commission in Akure said it was not only an unfortunate incident but equally shocking especially when the governorship election in the state is at the corner. He charged the commission to unravel the cause of the fire incident. Akeredolu, however, commended the determination of the commission to still conduct the forthcoming governorship despite the ugly incident and assu...
Ondo guber: Governor Akeredolu notorious for having loose tongue – deputy
Deputy Governor of Ondo State and governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has lambasted Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for describing him as a betrayal, neophyte and a nincompoop. Ajayi while responding to Akeredolua in a statement by his Media Adviser, Allen Sowore, in Akure said governor Akeredolu ”reckless gaffe is a continuation of his fruitless and sterile efforts to demean the constitutionally established office of the Deputy Governor and his person. “The Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, is not surprised at this latest castigation of his person by Mr Governor. “This has been the favourite tactics of Akeredolu and now that he’s frustrated by the people’s obvious rejection of his reelection bid, it’s expected that he would not desist on the road to infamy and pe...
