29092020 - Anger as labour leaders abort strike, mass protest

Sanwo-Olu storms Ondo, rallies monarchs for
Akeredolu of votes
By Dayo Johnson
LAGOS State Gover
nor and Chairman,
All Progressives Congress,
APC, National Campaign
Council for Ondo State
Governorship Election,
Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has
solicited support for the
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu,
in the October 10 poll.
Sanwo- Olu said this at a
meeting with traditional
rulers in lkale areas of the
state during a campaign
tour with Akeredolu, the
APC standard bearer.
While drumming support
for the party and its candidate,
the Lagos governor
said “he is very optimistic
that APC will win the poll
convincingly following the
achievement of Akeredolu
during his first term in office.’’
“There is no gain saying
that our candidate has
done well in his first term
as governor of Ondo State.
Without sounding immodest,
Governor Akeredolu
will defeat his closest rival
by more than 30 per cent
of the ballots.
“The people of Ondo
know our party and I dare
say that we are the only
party they trust to deliver
the goods to them. That’s
exactly what the government
of Rotimi Akeredolu
has been doing in the last
three and half years.
“When they commissioned
the Ore flyover I
wasn’t there but when I got
there recently I was surprised.
Lagos State people
and APC governors in the
Southwest are solidly behind
Governor Akeredolu,
I have come here to campaign
for my brother based
on the good work he has
been doing and we see that
he deserves another four
years.”
Governor Akeredolu
while addressing the traditional
rulers said God gave
him the ability to work in
the last three years for the
good people of Ondo.
Vanguard TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020 — 9
*Says Akeredolu will beat his closest rival with more than 30 per cent
On the perennial blackout
in the Southern senatorial
district, Governor
Akeredolu promised that
his administration would
not relent until electricity
return fully to the area.
Speaking on behalf of
the traditional rulers in
the area, the Abodi of
Ikale land, Oba George
Faduyile, assured that
Governor Akeredolu has
no problem as far as people
of Ikale are concerned
saying “Come October 10
our votes are for you”.
Oba Faduyile said that
the Akeredolu led government
has done well in the
last three years and should
be re-elected.
Ondo seaport project is
enough to re-elect Akeredolu
— House of Rep
member
Meanwhile, a member of
the House of Representatives,
Hon Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo
has said that the reelection
of Akeredolu will
lead to approval and take
off of a sea port that will
give the state economic
emancipation.
Tunji-Ojo who is representing
Akoko North-East/
North-West federal constituency
of the state said this
in Akure.
The Chairman, House of
Representatives Committee
on NDDC pointed out
that the project would also
secure a brighter future for
future generations in the
state.
The lawmaker said his
constituents would not forget
the efforts of the Akeredolu
administration
with the construction of
Oke Alabojuto and ongoing
dualisation of Ikare-
Akoko township road.
He explained that the
October 10 2020 governorship
election is not all
about just re-electing Akeredolu
but to enhance the
smooth approval of life
impacting projects by the
federal government.
SECURITY: Ondo will be better than Edo — IGP
*Meets with Civil Society Situation Room
By Clifford Ndujihe
THE Inspector-Gener
al of Police, IGP Mohammed
Adamu, has assured
the nation, and the
people of Ondo State in
particular of a peaceful
governorship election on
October 10, promising
that the Police would replicate
and advance the
gains recorded by the
Force and other security
agencies during the recent
Edo governorship poll
The IGP gave the assurance,
yesterday, when the
Convener and Co-convener,
Nigeria Civil Society
Situation Room, Mr.
Clement Nwankwo and
Barr. Esther Uzoma respectively,
led other representatives
of Civil Society
Organizations in Nigeria
on a courtesy call on him
at the Force Headquarters,
We’ve not foreclosed alliance with Mimiko
— PDP leader * Says Ajayi, a minor irritant on
By Dayo Johnson
THE Peoples Democrat
ic Party PDP has not
foreclosed an alliance with
the immediate past governor
of Ondo State , Dr Olusegun
Mimiko of the Zenith
Labour Party, ZLP, ahead of
the October 10 governorship
election.
A former spokesperson of
the Atiku Campaign Organisation,
Segun Sowunmi
said this during an interview
with newsmen in
Akure.
Sowunmi also lashed the
governorship candidate of
the ZLP, Hon Agboola Ajayi
describing him as “a minor
irritant on the ballot.
He said leaders of the party
are still mounting pressure
on Mimiko to collapse
the ZLP structure into PDP
to dislodge Governor Rotimi
Akeredolu of the ruling
*Gov Sanwo-Olu
the ballot
All Progressives Congress,
APC, in the state.
According to him, Mimiko
remains a key actor in
ensuring the collapse of the
structures of ZLP into PDP,
saying withdrawing the aspiration
of ZLP candidate
to join hands with PDP candidate,
Eyitayo Jegede,
would help to oust the APC
government in the state
“We are not foreclosing
alliance with Mimiko, in
fact we are still on it and we
have been begging everybody
that has any voice to
help us beg Mimiko. Mimiko
is too precious to PDP. I
am saying this with every
sense of responsibility that
Olusegun Rahman Mimiko
is too precious to PDP as
an individual and we will
continue to beg him to
come and provide leadership
and direction.’’
*Gov Akeredolu
“Mimiko is one of the finest
materials from the
South-West region in terms
of intellectual capability
and I can guarantee you
that whatever little frayed
nerves we need to calm, our
leaders will try hard to calm
them and I believe that at
the thirteenth hour, Mimiko
will sit and choose the
best from the candidates.
“We are talking of two
personalities of Senior Advocates
of Nigeria in the
race, men of quality character,
running neck to neck
and praying that one of
them should win, most
likely we pray Jegede wins,
and you’re talking about a
man who at best there is a
court order that whatever
he is presenting as certificate
is a matter for conjecture.
I believe that every
contraption after this two
great parties is just a minor
irritation on the ballot.’’
Abuja.
Force Public Relations
Officer, DCP Frank Mba,
in a statement said members
of the Nigeria Civil
Society Situation Room
were at the Force Headquarters
to congratulate
the IGP on the recent reforms
and achievements of
the Force, especially the
new Nigeria Police Act,
2020 which repeals the Police
Act Cap. P19, Laws of
the Federation, 2004 and
secondly, the recent commendable
outing in the
September 19 Edo poll
and ‘’called for sustainability
and improvement
on the Police culture in
managing elections as was
evident in Edo State.’’
DCP Mba said ‘’the meeting
availed the Police leadership
ample opportunity
to carry out post-election
analysis and general overview
of the just concluded
Edo State Guber Election,
in addition to getting feedback
especially from the
Civil Society Organizations
(CSOs) and Human
Rights Community on necessary
gains to advance
and observed lapses to correct
in subsequent elections.
The IGP, while appreciating
the CSOs for their
commendable roles in the
electioneering processes
and their invaluable contributions
toward the passage
of the Nigeria Police
Act, 2020, reassured that
the Force will continue to
partner with the Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, and
other critical stakeholders
in election management
towards ensuring free, fair,
peaceful and credible elections,
not only in the Ondo
Election but also in subsequent
elections in the country.’’
APC, PDP, other youth leaders
kick against political violence
By Dayo Johnson
YOUTH leaders of the
17 political parties
participating in the Ondo
governorship election on
October, 10 have been advised
to preach against
acts that could ignite political
violence and bloodbath
in the state.
The appeal was made in
Akure, the Ondo state capital
during a sensitization
workshop put together by
the International Republican
Institute, IRI, to engage
youth party leaders
on the need for peaceful
electoral process
Speaking at the workshop,
the Youth Leader of
the All Progressives Congress,
APC, Olutayo Babalayo,
who lauded the initiative
emphasized that all
will be done to prevent
APC youths from engaging
in violent acts capable
of disrupting the electoral
process.
The workshop was in
partnership with the Independent
National Electoral
Commission, INEC, and
Kimpact Development Initiative,
KDI.
Risk factors that could
generate tension and violence
in the build-up to the
polls were identified as
political thuggery, votebuying,
undue interference
by party agents were identified
during the workshop.
The Youth Leader of the
People’s Democratic Party,
PDP, Folorunso Makinde,
said: “We don’t want our
members to be thugs because
we are the future of
this state and this country.”
Other participants at the
workshop also towed the
same line.
Earlier, the representative
of IRI, Sunday Alao,
and that of KDI, Folashade
Gbamigboye said
that the workshop was
aimed at ensuring parties’
youth leaders and agents
join forces to forestall violence
in the state ahead of
the election.
Folashade said: “We
have seen previous elections
in Ondo State being
marred by violence. In the
last local government election,
we saw ballot boxsnatching,
and thuggery
among others. We have
never had a forum where
youth party agents are
brought together to discuss
and brought together
for peace.
“So, the aim of the workshop
is to discuss and proffer
solution that the stakeholders
will come up with
which will be like a peace
pact among the youth leaders.
I have nothing
to hide over
COVID-19 Fund
–Akeredolu
By Dayo Johnson
GOVERNOR Rotimi
Akeredolu of Ondo
State has denied alleged
diversion of N700million
COVlD-19 intervention
funds received by the state.
Spokesman of the PDP
National Campaign Council
For Ondo Governorship
Election, Mr. Kola
Ologbondiyan had challeneged
Akeredolu to speak
out on the allegation.
Responding via his Twitter
handle, Akeredolu said
whoever wanted to find any
information to reach out
''to @4lowthemoney. We
already gave them the entire
bank statement. We are
not 4th in the World Bank’s
State Fiscal Transparency
Accountability and Sustainability
Index for nothing.
We have nothing to
hide. “