Politics

Oyebanji freezes Ekiti accounts after inauguration

Published

2 years ago

October 17, 2022

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji

Governor appoints Adubiaro as SSG, retains Oyebode as CPS
Tinubu urges state to vote massively for ruling party in 2023

Few hours after taking the oath of office, Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji yesterday froze all operational accounts of the state government with immediate effect.

The new helmsman said all financial officers in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) must comply with the directive on the freezing of the accounts.

At the swearing-in of the governor, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinibu, seven governors of the party, and other dignitaries attended the ceremony in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

Kebbi State governor and Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (NGF), Atiku Bagudu, led the governors.

Other party chieftains and members from various walks of life also attended the event.

Also present were former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande, Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Adegboyega Oyetola (Osun), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa) and Simon Lalong (Plateau).

Oyetola was represented by his deputy, Bendict Alabi; while Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki; the Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Otunba Niyi Adebayo; outgoing Ekiti State Deputy Governor Bisi Egbeyemi; the Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Funminiyi Afuye; former Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonsakin, were also present.

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Others are: ex-Governor Ayodele Fayose; former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Azubike Iherijika; Senators Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), Michael Bamidele, Musiliu Obanikoro, as well as the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, traditional rulers, amongst other, were also at the event.

The 10,000 capacity pavilion was filled to the brim with admirers who adorned different aso abi (family ceremonial uniforms) for the inauguration.

Oyebanji was sworn in alongside the deputy, Chief Monisade Afuye, as the fifth democratically elected governor of Ekiti State by the Chief Judge, Justice Oyewole Adeyeye.

He took the oath of office and allegiance before the CJ at 12:52 p.m before the ecstatic crowd and thereafter signed required documents empowering him as the state’s new helmsman.

Afuye had taken the oath of office and allegiance at 12:42 p.m before Justice Adeyeye and signed the necessary documents empowering as the second citizen of the state.

Hitherto, former Governor Kayode Fayemi had handed over the Pen of Authority to Oyebanji, which was the first time in the state’s political history.

In his inaugural speech, Oyebaji promised to run an all-inclusive government that would be just, equitable and fair to all, irrespective of religious and political inclinations.

The governor said his administration would focus on human capital development, good governance, agriculture and rural development, Arts, Culture and Tourism, infrastructure and industrialisation to transform the state to microcosm of development.

He hailed Fayemi for attracting development to the state, promising to consolidate the gains of the last administration.

Oyebanji also promised to take Ekiti to higher pedestals through socio-economic development.

“Ekiti Kete! Today is a great day for us, and we should all be proud. Today, we are observing history being made, and a new chapter of our story being written.

“It was in this spirit of oneness that they bound together as a united Ekiti confederacy and emerged victorious against external forces that sought to subjugate us in our own land. In unity of purpose, they fought and contained attempts to dominate us at different epochs in our history.

“This same spirit of unity has been passed down generations, and guided the founding fathers and mothers who built on efforts made since the Second Republic, and led the successful struggle for the creation of our own Ekiti State.

“This was a struggle led by our revered traditional rulers and prominent citizens which resulted in Ekiti becoming the only entirely homogeneous state in Nigeria,” Oyebanji said.

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Speaking on his plans for the state, he said: “My vision is for Ekiti State to be a land of prosperity, opportunity, peace and progress; a land in which transformed people and communities can reap the fruits of their labour in dignity, good health and safety; a land of honour where integrity matters.

“For this vision to be actualised, we need to focus on a roadmap to get there.”

The new governor promised to execute the recently unveiled Vision 2050 economic roadmap initiated by Fayemi to make Ekiti a model.

In his speech, Asiwaju Tinubu hailed Ekiti electorate for voting massively for the APC during the June 18, 2022 governorship election.

The APC presidential candidate promised that Oyebanji would not betray the confidence reposed in him.

“Ekiti Kete! I commend you for voting Biodun Oyebanji in the governorship election. Some termites came in the name of politics to steal your votes, but you resisted them.”

The former Lagos State governor urged Ekiti electorate to continually support the ruling party in all elections, especially in 2023, saying Nigerians will not regret voting for the broom party.

He said: “In 2023, shine your eyes and prevent vote riggers from stealing your votes. Vote APC. It is the only party that can give you good governance.”

Also, the new governor has appointed Dr. Habitat Adubiaro as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and retained Mr. Yinka Oyebode as the Chief Press Secretary.

Dr. Adubiaro, who hails from Ado-Ekiti, was a senior lecturer at the Department of Industrial Chemistry of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE).

She attended L. A. Primary School at Ikereku in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital; Igboora High School, Igboora, Oyo State, for her secondary education; the defunct Oyo State College of Arts and Science at Ile-Ife for her Higher School Certificate (HSC) between 1985 and 1987.

Dr. Adubiaro later attended the University of Ibadan (UI) in Oyo State where she bagged a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1994; a Masters and doctorate in Food Chemistry at Ekiti State University in 2004 and 2010.

Oyebode was the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Dr. Fayemi during his first term, the Special Adviser on Media when he was the Minister of Solid Minerals and CPS during his second term as Ekiti State governor.

The appointment, Oyebanji is with immediate effect, according to a statement by the Head of Service (HoS), Mr. Bamidele Agbede.

The Nation

Politics

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Published

2 days ago

December 21, 2024

Trends Admin

Umar Iliya Damagum, Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Two former Presidents of the Senate, Chief David Mark and Dr Bukola Saraki are leading a fresh charge aimed at removing Amb. Umar Damagum as the Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The push by Mark and Saraki has received the backing of prominent stakeholders, including the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang and other political office holders elected on the platform of the PDP.

Similarly, former governors from the Northcentral zone who served on the party’s platform have also aligned forces with the group.

Rising from a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Thursday night, the party chieftains resolved to produce a candidate from the zone early 2025 to replace Damagum.

According to them, the move to replace Damagum with a substantive chairman from the Northcentral, has received the endorsement of key party stakeholders from the Northwest and the Northeast zones.

Among those being projected as potential candidates to take Damagum’s seat include Mark; a former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam; and a former House of Representatives member from Nasarawa State, David
David Ombugadu.

A communique issued after the meeting, said the stakeholders
reviewed the festering crisis in the party following the exit of the erstwhile National Chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

Ayu lost his seat to the crisis triggered by disagreements over the emergency of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as the presidential candidate of the PDP in the 2023 general election.

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The crisis has continued to deepen with the apparent overbearing influence of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike on the Damagum-led national leadership.

The Northcentral stakeholders argued that Damagum’s continued occupation of the office breached provisions of the PDP constitution.

The communique states in part, “The PDP’s constitution clearly states that succession of offices in the party at all levels is largely to the extent that any vacant position can be replaced by appointment from the zone, as per Section 47 (6) of the party.

“The party is guided by its constitution at all times. Therefore, the leadership of the party needs to rise up to the occasion to restore goodwill and cohesion in the party by making necessary sacrifices and compromises to restore confidence and cohesion in the party.

“It is in the light of this that the stakeholders of the Northcentral Zone appeal to the conscience and goodwill of our compatriots in other zones of the Northern region to restore the seat of the chairmanship of the party back to the Northcentral Zone to serve out its tenure.

“That the stakeholders must strive to build consensus to get the buy-in to the position of Northcentral zone.

“The Northcentral is united and will strive to preserve the PDP as a veritable platform for good governance in Nigeria.”

The meeting, which was attended by Governor Muftwang, also had former Governors Jonah Jang (Plateau), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara) and Idris Wada (Kogi) in attendance.

Others at the meeting included the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro; incumbent PDP National Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade (SAN); and a former Information Minister, Prof Jerry Gana.

Also at the meeting were former senators Tunde Ogbeha, Philip Aduda, Suleiman Adokwe, Dino Melaye, Mohammed Onawo and Peter Jiya.

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Similarly, former Ministers, Labaran Maku and Sarah Ochekpe also attended the meeting. Other stakeholders like Simon Mwadkwon, Mrs. Margaret Icheen, Mr. Raymond Dabo, Maika Jiba, and Isa Dobi were also present.

Damagum, who is from Yobe State in the Northeast zone, emerged Acting National Chairman in March 2023 following the exit of Ayu who is from Benue State in the Northcentral zone.

Damagum was the PDP Deputy National Chairman (North) before his appointment as Acting National Chairman.

By virtue of Section 47 (6) of the party’s constitution, he ought to have relinquished the seat for a substantive National Chairman from the Northcentral zone where Ayu hailed from.

The Section reads: “Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.”

Ayu was elected chairman in 2022 for a four-year tenure that should expire in 2026 before his tenure got truncated in 2023.

Several moves by critical organs of the party, including the PDP Governors Forum, the Board of Trustees (BoT) and the National Caucus to replace Damagum have been thwarted by the Acting National Chairman, allegedly with the backing of Wike.

Miffed by the development, the PDP Governors Forum, led by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, had, a few weeks ago, directed the Damagum-led leadership to convene the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting latest by February 2025.

The NEC meeting has suffered four postponements between August and November 2024, as Damagum, who is supposed to convene the meeting has been evasive.

The power to ratify any candidate chosen by the Northcentral zone to replace Damagum is vested only in the NEC.

PDP crisis: Two ex-Senate presidents lead fresh plot to oust Damagum

Politics

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Published

4 days ago

December 19, 2024

Trends Admin

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oguduokwor Ward, Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, has officially expelled Ali Odefa, the suspended National Vice Chairperson of the party in the South-East, following allegations of anti-party activities.

Odefa had been suspended on September 11, 2024, by the ward executives, a move that was later upheld by the Federal High Court in Abakaliki. In its ruling on November 29, 2024, under suit number FHC/AI/CS/182/2024, the court affirmed the legitimacy of his suspension.

On Wednesday, Onyeka Ovuta, the Acting Chairperson of the PDP in Oguduokwor, announced Odefa’s expulsion in a statement. Ovuta explained that the decision followed recommendations from the party’s disciplinary committee, which confirmed the allegations against Odefa.

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The party announced that Mr Odefa by the virtue of his expulsion, “ceases to be a member of the party.”

Reacting, Mr Odefa laughed off the expulsion, stating that those who announced it were “frustrated charlatans”.

He said the expulsion cannot stand because “it did not take place in the ward but in Abuja”. He said those who made the announcement against him were not ward executives of the party.

“Let them come home come and announce it. Or is our ward now located in Abuja?”

PDP expels South-East national vice chairperson over anti-party activities

Politics

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Published

4 days ago

December 18, 2024

Trends Admin

APGA National Chairman, Sylvester Ezeokenwa

INEC recognises Sylvester Ezeokenwa as APGA national chairman

Sylvester Ezeokenwa has been reinstated as the national chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA).

Ezeokenwa was reinstated by the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday, December 17.

According to Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, the commission had been served with the judgement of the Supreme Court.

The apex court judgement with the Appeal No. SC/CV/824/2024 APGA & ANOR vs OYE & ORS was delivered on November 27, 2024.

The court ruled that Ezeokenwa should be recognised as the national chairman of the party.

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“In compliance with the judgement of the apex court, the Commission has restored Barr. Ezeokenwa as the Chairman of APGA and restored his name on our website accordingly,” the INEC commissioner said.

He also stated that the reisnstatmemt of the new chairman would automatically lead to the withdrawal of the recognition of Njoku as the national chairman of the party.

The court also upheld an earlier judgement of the appeal which did not confer any enforceable rights on Njoku.

If also awarded N20 million each against the appellaants.