2 dead, many injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Osun – Newstrends
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2 dead, many injured as APC, PDP supporters clash in Osun

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Spokesperson, Osun State Police Command, DSP Yemisi Opalola

Two people have been reported killed and many others injured from a clash between supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikire, Osun State.

At the centre of the clash which occurred on Tuesday were Amidu Tadese, the APC senatorial candidate in Osun West District and his PDP rival, Lere Oyewumi.

Both candidates were reported to have fixed their campaign rallies for Ikire on the same day.

Mr Tadese said Mr Oyewumi led a band of thugs to attack the gathering of his own supporters when they were about to start their rally.

“Our supporters had already erected canopy and assembled at Ward 9, Ikire before the incident occured. We were about to start the meeting when we saw the hoodlums shooting sporadically shortly after someone offered the opening prayers at the meeting,” he said.

“They were more than 30 in number led by Akogun Lere Oyewumi, the PDP Osun West Senatorial Candidate.

“They were shooting from Naira and Kobo area and before we knew it, they were already at the venue attacking people and destroying property, including our vehicles and commercial minibuses and tricycles,” he added.

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But Mr Oyewumi said it was the APC members that attacked and killed two of his supporters.

“The APC thug attacked our members while coming from our rally in the night and they have killed two people now while some of our members are receiving treatment in a hospital presently,” he said.

“They started attacking us as we were running for the safety of our lives.”

Yemisi Opalola, the police spokesperson in the state, confirmed the incident.

Mrs Opalola said one person was confirmed dead while some others were receiving treatment in the hospital.

“There was a fracas between the two parties yesterday and when the police intervened, we settled the crisis amicably for the two parties.

“It was later in the night that they attacked each other again that led to the death of one person and some were injured. The injured have been taken to the hospital,” she said.

“When we interrogated one of the injured victims, he said five people were brought to the hospital and only two of them were seen this morning, so he didn’t know the whereabouts of the remaining three people.”

The police spokesperson said normalcy has been restored in the area in Ikire.

“Normalcy has been restored in the area, people are now going on with their businesses.”

Osun State was run for 12 years by the APC from 2010, until the PDP won the last governorship election in the state on 16 July.

Since the election, many cases of political violence involving the two parties have been reported.

The governorship election petition tribunal will on Friday deliver judgement on a petition filed by the APC against the return of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the election.

(Premium Times)/Platinum

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Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

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Peter Obi and Omoyele Sowore

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently shared his reasons for not forming a coalition with Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s candidate in the same election.

In his appearance on the Honest Bunch podcast, Sowore asserted that, in his view, Obi is similar to other Nigerian politicians, describing him as “better at packaging.”

Sowore explained that his own journey in politics began long before Obi gained national recognition, emphasizing his dedication to advocating for systemic change in Nigeria.

During the podcast, co-hosted by Nedu, Husband Material, Deity Cole, and Ezinne, Sowore highlighted his belief in challenging the status quo, which he feels differs significantly from Obi’s approach.

Sowore said, “Before you discovered Peter Obi, I was already running for president. All these shouts about Peter Obi… He just knows how to package. Anyone can do it.

“If I form a coalition with Peter Obi, I will be going against what I have always stood for, which is that I will never support a Nigerian leader who has held any political office — whether at the federal, state, or local level — if I consider them non-performing.

“It’s the same reason I would never have joined hands with Atiku. And the Peter Obi you’re talking about was a vice-presidential candidate to Atiku when I was a presidential candidate in 2019.

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“So, what are we talking about? There is no lesser evil in my book. If you are evil, you are evil. If you are good, you are good. I have a general disdain for non-performance.”

He added that there is no such thing as “emotional attachment” in his dictionary.

“There was a friend of mine who kept saying, he doesn’t care if Peter Obi is Igbo, but that it is the turn of the Igbos. But it is beyond that; I have a natural disdain for poor performance,” he explained.

Sowore insisted that while many may not know it, he knew Obi before and during his time as governor, and he backed him.

“I had always known and supported him and stood against his removal when (Olusegun) Obasanjo wanted to use Andy Ubah to replace him—the twists and turns then.

“However, when Peter Obi finished his term in Anambra, the question I asked him was whether he could send his child to any university he had built in Anambra—he was mute and could not respond.

“I also asked him if he could enter any hospital he built in Anambra, which he governed for eight years, even if it was for the slightest headache—there was also no response.”

Sowore went on to challenge the four anchors or any other Nigerians, saying, “If they can pack their bags and head to Anambra for a vacation.”

PUNCH Online reports that President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress recorded 8,794,726 votes in the 2023 presidential election, followed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes.

In third place, Labour Party’s Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party secured 1,496,687 votes.

Why I can’t form coalition with Peter Obi – Sowore

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Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

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Goodluck Ebele Jonathan

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

The Arewa Consensus for Jonathan, a political group in the North, has urged former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to enter the 2027 presidential race.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, is widely regarded for his role in fostering democratic growth and his relatively peaceful exit from power after losing the 2015 election.
Despite his exit from politics, his name has remained a focal point in discussions about Nigeria’s future leadership.

The group’s leader, Munir Musa, who made the appeal during a press conference in Bauchi over the weekend, emphasised that Jonathan’s return to office was crucial to addressing Nigeria’s pressing economic and security challenges.

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He argued that Nigeria, grappling with severe economic downturns and rising security threats, needs a leader with Jonathan’s experience and competence to restore stability.

“The nation is at a crossroads, and we believe that Goodluck Jonathan is the right man to steer us out of the current malaise,” Musa told reporters.

He expressed confidence that Jonathan’s leadership could heal the country’s deepening wounds and usher in a new era of progress.

 

Why we want Jonathan to contest 2027 presidency – Northern group

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Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

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Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa

Afenifere, Council of Obas back Aiyedatiwa for Ondo gov

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organization, has endorsed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the November 16 governorship election in Ondo State.

Sehinde Arogbofa, a prominent Afenifere leader, announced the support at the Olubaka of Oka land palace, Oba Yusuf Adebori Adeleye.

Arogbofa expressed confidence in Aiyedatiwa’s leadership and encouraged him to follow the values and legacy of Chief Adekunle Ajasin, Ondo State’s first governor. “Afenifere stands firmly behind your mandate… Strive to make Ondo State great again,” Arogbofa said.

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Oba Adeleye, speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Akoko South West Local Government Area, also endorsed Aiyedatiwa, citing his masses-focused policies and the governor’s initiative to allocate five percent of local government funds to traditional institutions as a demonstration of his commitment to their welfare.

“The Council of Obas has decided that Governor Aiyedatiwa is our candidate,” Oba Adeleye stated, pledging their support for Aiyedatiwa’s election campaign.

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