18032019 - APC, PDP attack INEC over Bauchi, Adamawa gov polls

VANGUARD, MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2019 — 11
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MATRICULATION: From left; Pro Chancellor and Chairman of Governing council, Precious Cornerstone
University Ibadan, Dr. Omobayo Adegoke; Chancellor, Bishop Francis Wale Oke; Vice Chancellor, Prof. Julius
Oloke; wife of the Chancellor, Mrs Victoria Wale Oke and the maiden lecture guest lecturer, Prof. Benjamin
Ehigie during the maiden matriculation of the University in Ibadan weekend. Photo: Dare Fasube.
Daniel makes U-turn, defects to APC
By Daud Olatunji
A SUPPORTERS BEOKUTA—
of
the former governor of
Ogun State, Otunba
Gbenga Daniel have
prevailed on him to rescind
decision to resign from
partisan politics and join
the All Progressives
Congress, APC.
Daniel, former Director-
General of Atiku Abubakar
Campaign Organisation,
in the just-concluded
Presidential election, had
announced his retirement
from partisan politics in a
letter written to the national
chairman of the People's
Democratic Party, PDP,
Uche Secondus intimating
him of decision to retire from
partisan politics.
The supporters who cut
across the 20 local
My election ordained by God — ABIODUN
By Daud Olatunji
IPERU
REMO—
GOVERNOR-elect of
Ogun State, Mr. Dapo
Abiodun has said he would
not have emerged as
governor-elect if man were
to be God.
Abiodun made the
remark yesterday during a
special Thanksgiving
Service at St. James
Anglican Church, Iperu-
Remo, Ogun State, held to
commemorate his election.
government areas of the
state, converged on his
residence, yesterday, to
express their disapproval of
Daniel's decision to quit
partisan politics.
The supporters who
arrived the former
governor's private resident,
at 'Asoludero' Court in
Sagamu GRA, however,
asked Daniel to lead them
to the All Progressives
Congress instead of
quitting politics.
On their request for him
to lead them to the APC the
supporters based their
demands on the fact that
they had worked towards
the emergence of the
governorship candidate of
APC in the state, Dapo
Abiodun.
Vanguard gathered that
Daniel had convened a
stakeholders’ meeting
The governor-elect, who
spoke after a sermon
delivered by Arch. Bishop,
Ecclesiastical Province of
Lagos and Bishop of Remo,
Rev. Olusina Fape,
described his victory as a
“gift from God.”
Abiodun said despite his
acrimonius experience
during
the
campaign, his absolute
faith in God which he
described as mountainmoving
faith worked for
him. He said: “Even, the
under the umbrella of
“OGD” Political Family to
formally address his
loyalists over his exit from
politics.
Some of those who spoke
at the meeting included;
former Chairman of Ogun/
Osun River Basin, Iyabo
Apampa ; former Director-
Deneral of Ladi Adebutu
campaign Organisation
,Waliu Taiwo, former
Special Assistant to
Daniel on Youth,
Ifekayode Akinbode and
Senatorial candidate of
the People's Democratic
Party, Jelili Amusan
among others.
Earlier, Daniel at the
meeting had informed the
audience that his
assignment in Ogun
politics as well as that of
Nigeria as a whole had
been completed and was
unbelievers believe that
this victory was ordained by
God.
“People asked me, Dapo,
what has been driving you,
how have you held on. And
I told them it is my absolute
faith in the almighty God.”
“I always refer to the
book of Mark 11:23.
Honestly, if man were God
I would not have been
here.
“Today, what I want you
to take home from here is
that we should never give
By Ola Ajayi
IBADAN—IN order to
prevent re-occurrence
of building collapse which
has become rampant across
the country, building
experts have advised
Nigerians to engage
services of relevant experts
before embarking on
construction.
The advice was given by
Engr Sam Adeleke, Chief
Inspection Team, Council
for the Regulation of
Engineering in Nigeria,
ready to quit politics "when
the ovation is loudest."
One of the party stalwarts,
Akinbode led other
members of the OGD
Political Family to prostrate
for Daniel, while women
held his legs, pleading
passionately that he
should not leave politics
instead lead them to APC.
In his reaction after the
meeting, Daniel told
newsmen that his people
have spoken and he has
nothing else to say.
His words: "Basically,
they said I could resign
from PDP. They said I must
lead them to APC and also
said I can not retire from
politics, that is the
summary of what I heard ".
When asked if he is ready
to go to the APC , Daniel
said: "What else can I say?
My people have spoken".
up because many times
when we suffer
disappointment, it is just an
avenue to close a window
for a double door to be
opened.”
He however, pledged to
run an equitable and
transparent government
when he assumes office on
May 29.
Abiodun said: “I want to
assure you that, we would
lead an equitable and a
transparent government
which will create a public,
private partnership for all,
so help me God.”
Oyo State while reacting to
the recent collapsed
building at Shogoye, Bode,
Molete area of Ibadan
where eight people were
rescued by a combined
team of security agents.
While
saying
investigations on the causes
of the tragedy continued
yesterday, he warned
people to avoid the
temptations of cutting
corners during building
construction, saying the
consequences far
outweigh the cost they
INEC assures voters of free, fair
supplementary poll in Ekiti
•PDP faults polls, heads for Tribunal
By Rotimi Ojomoyela
AIndependent
DO-EKITI—THE
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, has
expressed readiness to
conduct a free, fair and
credible supplementary
election in Ekiti East
Constituency 1 of the state
on March 23.
Recall, the election was
suspended by INEC on
March 9, when the House
of Assembly and
governorship elections
were held across the
country, with results in other
25 constituencies already
declared.
INEC said the election
will hold in five polling
units in the constituency, in
line with the directive of the
National Chairman of the
commission, Prof.
Mahmoud Yakubu.
The battle will be between
Mr. Juwa Adegbuyi of the
All Progressives Congress
and the incumbent
candidate of the Peoples
Democratic Party, Ojo-Ade
Fajana.
Speaking with journalists
in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, the
Acting Resident Electoral
Commissioner, REC, in the
state, Dr. Muslim Omoleke,
said: “We are prepared for
the election and we won’t
deviate from the practice of
fairness and neutrality to all
political parties.
“We will meet the
security agencies this
week and brief them on
how the conduct will look
like, so they can plan their
own strategies on how to
deliver a free, fair and
credible election on
Saturday.
“We have received
materials from the
headquarters and they are
being kept in the Central
Bank of Nigeria, the
materials are under safe
custody.
“We want to assure our
voters that we won’t let
them down. Let them come
out massively and vote and
we assure that their votes
will count.''
..PDP faults polls
Meanwhile, the PDP in
the state has faulted the
general elections
conducted in the state,
describing it as a “charade,”
and unacceptable to
democratic principles.
PDP State Chairman,
Gboyega Oguntuwase said
the presidential, national
and state assemblies
elections in the state were
characterised with
electoral malfeasance
and barefaced rigging
allegedly perpetrated
by APC
ELECTIONS: Ota community
laments distance to polling booth
THE people of
Olosun in Ado-Odo
Ota Local Government in
Ogun State have cried out
over the distance of a
polling booth to their
community.
They noted that the
distance of the polling booth
in the area to Olosun was
too far which made many
people not to vote at the last
general elections.
Community leader of
Olosun Italaje, Kunle
Bolujoko, said the problem
was not good for
democracy as many people
with Permanent Voters
Card
were
disenfranchised.
He said people of the
community were unable to
exercise their franchise
during the presidential and
governorship elections.
IBADAN BUILDING COLLAPSE: Property owners
urged to engage professionals in built sector
are trying to cut.
Adeleke, urged people to
always engage the services
of qualified engineers who
are licensed by COREN in
the construction of
buildings in order to avoid
similar disaster in the state.
He said: "It is better to
avoid what caused this
building collapse. We can't
tell you yet what actually
caused this until we finish
our investigations. When
an incident like this occurs,
the first question that people
would ask is the engineer.''
Bolujoko said: “We have
written letters to the state
INEC and the units
involved. We have been
told that we have to go to
Abuja. It is bad for the
people
“You have to trek for
one hour fifteen minutes.
We are ready to take the
issue to Abuja because
we cannot continue like
this.”
A 60-year-old resident
Alhaja Tawa Kareem also
said, “We need to trek
for over one hour to get
to the nearest polling
booth and that is too
difficult for us especially
women and old people
too.
“Many did not vote
because of the stress of the
distance and it has been so
in the past eight years of
the two previous elections.”
Olosun itamaje comprises
50 Community
Development Associations
with an average of 300
houses in each of the CDs.
Another community
leader, M. Ogunleye,
said it was sad that the
area, despite closeness to
Lagos was having such
an issue.
“We share border with
Kola, Ikola and Ayobo. In
2007, we requested for it
and all efforts are abortive
up till today. We have met
with notable politicians in
Ogun State, Local
Government Chairman
and INEC officials but
efforts are abortive so far,”
Ogunleye said.