Politics

Voting begins in Ekiti gov poll, row over blind woman seeking support

Published

4 years ago

June 18, 2022

Residents of Ekiti State are beginning to file out in trickles to exercise their franchise as voting has commenced in many parts of the state in the governorship poll.

The people of state are set to elect a brand new governor today that will succeed the incumbent, Dr Kayode Fayemi, and pilot the affairs of the state for the next four years.

The election will be conducted across 2,445 polling units in the 16 local government areas in the state.

Sixteen candidates are participating in the poll, which will be decided by 988,923 registered voters, out of which 51 per cent are women and 38.56 per cent youths (18-34).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said only 749,065 voters collected their permanent voters cards for the election. However, a total of 403,451 votes were cast in the 2018 election, won by Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who recorded 197,462 votes against his main challenger, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP’s) Kolapo Olushola, who had 177,927 votes. Thirty-three other candidates had 9,205 votes, while 18,857 votes were declared invalid.

On Saturday morning, the request for help by an elderly, visually impaired electorate, who could not identify the logo of her preferred party led to a shouting march among agents of political parties participating in the governorship poll at Fajuyi House, Polling 007, Ado Ekiti.

The voter had told the INEC’s ad-hoc electoral officer at the polling unit that she could not see the logo of the party she wanted to vote for.

Even though all the party agents present agreed the woman should be assisted, the choice of who would assist her almost led to a brawl among them, as they rejected those that volunteered to assist the voter.

While the matter was being resolved, voting was temporarily put on hold.

Son to the voter, simply identified as Yemi later showed up and was allowed to assist her to cast her vote.

A report by Punch stated that at a newly created polling unit, Unit 45, Ward 9, Ado Ekiti, INEC Adhoc officer on duty, who refused to disclose his name, said only four voters were on the list.

He said one voter had cast his vote, while the other three were being expected.

But at the next polling unit to it, Polling Unit 44, Ward 9, there were several people in the queue waiting to cast their vote.

One of the voters, simply identified as Olatunde, in a chat with our correspondent said “many people were unaware of the existence of the newly created polling Unit 45.

“Whenever the opportunity to transfer registration is created for us by INEC, I will prefer to move my registration to the new polling unit.”

The 2022 election is expected to be a tight race between the candidates of the ruling APC, Abiodun Oyebanji and a former governor of the state, Segun Oni, an engineer, who is the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The candidate of the PDP, Bisi Kolawole, is also expected to mount a challenge for the coveted position.

Oyebanji, who is backed by the incumbent governor, resigned as secretary to the state government to contest the poll.

The Ikogosi Ekiti-born technocrat served as the secretary of the group that lobbied the late General Sani Abacha for the creation of Ekiti State in 1996.

He also served as special assistant on legislative matters to the first civilian governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, before ending up as his chief of staff.

During Fayemi’s first term, he served as commissioner for integration before he was deployed to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Oni of the SDP will be going to the poll with the integrity of the profile he demonstrated when he was the governor of the state. However, he is not expected to have enough financial backing to challenge the two main parties – APC and PDP – in an election that analysts said might be decided by what locals call ‘Dibo sibe ko sebe’ (a form of vote-buying slogan).

Meanwhile, Oni has accused security operatives of arresting his supporters to demoralise them ahead of the election.

He specifically warned the chief security officer to Governor Fayemi not to allow himself to be used to set the state on fire.

Oni, who spoke at the party’s secretariat in Ado-Ekiti, said his supporters were arrested and detained by the chief security officer to the governor.

However, Mr Yinka Oyebode, the chief press secretary to Fayemi, dismissed the claim, describing it as ‘a lie from the pit of hell.’ He argued that the chief security officer had no influence over the security architecture for the election, which he noted was even beyond the commissioner of police in the state.

He claimed that security operatives were picking up any identified threat irrespective of political parties or affiliations.

The Nigeria Police Force says it will deal with any electoral offenders during the conduct of the governorship election holding today (Saturday).

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Babatunde Kokumo, in charge of the Ekiti election, said this when he visited the Ekiti Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rec, Dr Adeniran Rahmon.

Kokumo said the Force had imposed restriction of movement in and out of the state from the hours of 11:59am on Friday, adding that a strong security arrangement had been put in place to ensure a transparent poll in the state.

Already, the police had embarked on an aerial patrol of Ado Ekiti, the state capital, as part of its confidence building measures.

Politics

2027: Atiku Signs $1.2m US Lobbying Deal to Engage Trump

Published

13 hours ago

April 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and US President Donald Trump

2027: Atiku Signs $1.2m US Lobbying Deal to Engage Trump

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has sealed a $1.2 million US lobbying deal as part of efforts to boost his international image and counter narratives linked to the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

Documents filed under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act show that Atiku engaged Washington-based firm Von Batten-Montague-York in an agreement signed in early March 2026. The contract was executed by the firm’s managing partner, Karl Von Batten, alongside Fabiyi Oladimeji, who represented Atiku.

The Atiku US lobbying deal is aimed at strengthening his standing within American political and policy circles while projecting his leadership vision to key stakeholders. A major component of the engagement is to counter Nigerian government lobbying narratives in Washington and reshape perceptions about Nigeria’s opposition politics.

Under the agreement, the lobbying firm will facilitate high-level meetings between Atiku and influential U.S. figures, including members of Congress, congressional aides, and officials within the executive branch. The outreach is also expected to include engagement with Donald Trump and other senior policymakers, underscoring the strategic importance of U.S. political influence.

The contract states that lobbying activities will focus on democratic governance, economic growth, regional stability, and US-Nigeria relations, positioning Atiku as a key voice on issues affecting West Africa. In addition to political access, the firm will provide strategic communication services, including message development, narrative positioning, and reputation management targeted at elite audiences in the United States.

2027: Atiku Signs $1.2m US Lobbying Deal to Engage Trump

Politics

Gov Yusuf Pledges Full Support for Tinubu, Declares APC Unbeatable in Kano

Published

2 days ago

April 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf

Gov Yusuf Pledges Full Support for Tinubu, Declares APC Unbeatable in Kano

Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains the dominant party in Kano State and reaffirmed his unwavering support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Speaking on Saturday to a massive crowd of APC supporters at the Government House in Kano, Yusuf praised the president for his leadership and the delivery of dividends of democracy to Nigerians. He highlighted Tinubu’s efforts to improve the economy, enhance infrastructure across the nation, and ensure the equitable distribution of federal resources despite limited time and funding.

“Mr. President has been doing his best for this country; he has improved the economy of this country,” Yusuf said. He also thanked Tinubu, describing him as a dogged leader committed to ensuring dividends of democracy are provided across Nigeria.

Gov Yusuf Pledges Full Support for Tinubu, Declares APC Unbeatable in Kano

Politics

ADC Crisis Halts Makinde, Bala, Lawmakers’ Defections

Published

2 days ago

April 5, 2026

Trends Admin

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed

ADC Crisis Halts Makinde, Bala, Lawmakers’ Defections

Strong indications have emerged that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed may be reconsidering their planned defection to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) due to escalating internal disputes and regulatory uncertainty. The crisis has also affected several lawmakers who were weighing moves to the party, signaling a setback for opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 elections.

The uncertainty stems from the recent action of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which withdrew recognition of the ADC National Working Committee (NWC) led by Mark, following a ruling by the Court of Appeal on March 12, 2026. INEC directed all parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the outcome of a substantive suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja, aiming to prevent actions that could influence the court’s final judgment.

Despite INEC’s directive, the Mark-led NWC rejected the decision and insisted it would proceed with the party’s April 14 national convention in Abuja, intensifying internal divisions between factions loyal to Mark and those aligned with Nafiu Gombe. The leadership tussle has created doubts among potential defectors about the party’s legal standing and operational stability.