The candidate of the All Progressives Congress in the Osun State governorship election, Gboyega Oyetola, on Monday said there was no rift between him and the state Governor Rauf Aregbesola over the Saturday’s election which was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
A rerun of the election will hold on Thursday. In a statement signed by Osun East Campaign Director-General, Ajibola Famurewa, Oyetola said that the people of Osun demonstrated a high level of democratic culture in the most keenly-contested election in Nigeria. He also described the report as irrational and imagination of detractors who wanted to create disaffection within the APC camp ahead of the Thursday’s governorship rerun.
Oyetola said the Osun governor could be likened to a model of the governorship project and a dogged driver of good governance and continuity. The governorship candidate urged the people of the state to ignore such rumour of rift, while also describing it as satanic. He said he would have ignored the rumour but because of the sensitivity of the Thursday election, it was important for him to react swiftly.
The statement said,
“The Oyetola Campaign Organization commends the steadfastness of the people despite the commoditization of votes by the Peoples Democratic Party. We are aware of the votes buying and selling strategy of the PDP. We are proud that the people are resisting the provocation and temptation to sell their conscience.
“We appeal to the people to be vigilant and ready to jealously guard their votes on Thursday as the PDP have commenced massive commodification of peoples mandate through the massive purchase of voter cards.”
The candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), Gboyega Oyetola, has emerged as the winner of Boripe Local Government Area where he hails from.
Mr. Oyetola was announced as the winner of the LG by Afolabi Atanda, a professor at about midnight on Saturday, having polled 11, 655 votes, while his closest rival, Ademola Adeleke of the People Democratic Party (PDP), got 6, 892 votes.
Below is the collation of results for the 11 wards in Boripe Local Government as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) collation officer, Afolabi Atanda.
Ward 3 (Iragbiji):
Total Registered Voters – 8930
Accredited – 4204
ADC – 28
ADP – 134
APC – 2734
PDP – 824
SDP – 129
Total Valid Votes cast – 3962
Rejected – 242
Ward 8 Ada Unit ( 8 units):
Total Reg: 4,387
Accredited: 2,031
Total Valid: 1881
APC – 721
PDP – 717
ADC – 5
ADP – 83
SDP – 296
Ward 7, Ada 1:
Total Reg – 3967
Accredited – 1767
Total Valid – 1558
ADC – 7
PDP 594
APC – 568
ADP – 129
SDP – 214
Ward 6, Ororuwo:
TOtal Register – 2850
Accredited – 1431
APC – 477
ADP – 80
ADC – 5
PDP – 488
SDP – 222
Total Valid Vote – 1314
Ward 5, Ada:
Total Register: 4599
Accredited: 2303
ADP – 171
ADC – 32
PDP – 699
SDP – 314
APC – 805
Total Valid Vote – 2091
Ward 1, Iragbiji:
Total Register – 6831
Accredited – 3117
ADC – 16
APC – 1860
ADP – 115
PDP – 693
SDP – 87
Total Valid Votes – 2876
Ward 11 Iree:
Total Registered – 4450
Accredited – 1724
ADP – 106
APC – 460
ADC – 7
PDP – 525
SDP – 449
Total Valid Votes – 1,580
REJECTED: 144
Ward 10, Oke Isa (Iree):
Total Registered votes – 5307
Accredited – 1865
APC – 541
PDP – 705
ADC – 6
ADP – 73
SDP – 399
Total Valid Votes – 1775
Ward 9 – Iree:
Total Registered – 6251
Accredited – 1877
ADC – 11
ADP – 87
APC – 479
PDP – 713
SDP – 432
Total Valid Votes – 1756
Ward 2 (Oja Oba):
Registered Voters – 4900
Accredited – 2315
ADP – 107
ADC – 10
APC – 1545
PDP – 395
SDP – 101
Total Valid Votes – 2208
Rejected – 107
Vote Cast – 2315
Ward 4:
Total Registered voters – 4927
Accredited – 2411
ADC – 10
ADP – 52
APC – 1465
PDP – 529
SDP – 95
Total Valid Votes – 2224
Rejected – 167
Vote Cast – 2391
TOTAL RESULT AT BORIPE LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Total Registered Voters – 57, 397
Accredited: 25, 045
Parties Total Votes:
ADC – 137
ADP – 1137
APC – 11, 655
PDP – 6, 892
SDP – 2730
Senator Ademola Adeleke the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party in the ongoing Osun election, has said that he would win the contest in a landslide if the process is free and fair.
Sen Adeleke who voted at exactly 8:05am at Sagba Abogunde, ward 2, unit 9, in Ede North Local Government said the process has been orderly without hitches.
Speaking with newsmen after exercising his civic responsibility, he stressed that election in Osun should not have gone otherwise because of the deep interest of the international community in the process.
“This election must remain a reference point for any election in Nigeria, the position of the international community is that the process must be free, fair and credible.
“Although there are pockets of skirmish before today, we are resolute in our mission to rescue the state from looters; we can not be intimidated in any way,” he said.
Adeleke, however, accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, of trying to manipulate the process electronically though compromised devices.
Speaking on the impact of his family pedigree as leverage in the contest, Adeleke said his family history of integrity and humanitarian service would work for him.
He described his late brother, Isiaka as a master in the game of politics, whom he claimed he learned a lot from in terms of governance and leadership.
The Osun State Government has paid workers’ salaries, leave bonuses and pensions with the N16.6 billion Paris Club refund released to the state by the Federal Government.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, who said this at a press conference in Osogbo on Thursday added that the state government added N3 billion generated from other sources to make it a total of N19.8 billion which was used to pay the August salaries, four months salary arrears, pensions and leave bonuses to the workers.
The commissioner said it was not the first time Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s administration would commit such a huge amount received from the Federal Government to salaries and pensions.
Oyebamiji said,
“The latest Paris Club refund released to the state by the Federal Government is N16.623,296,402.82 while Mr Governor has approved the disbursement of N19,801,328,271.22 to clear four months of salary arrears, pension arrears and leave bonus with adequate provision for full salaries.
“For the second month, we have now paid full salaries to all our workers. It is my hope and prayers that this will be sustained, and we will never have cause to modulate workers’ salaries in Osun again.
“Therefore, on behalf of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, I will like to commend and thank all the workers in Osun for their sacrifice, resilience and unflinching support to the government and dedication to duty, even in the midst of daunting challenges.
I have no doubt that workers, in their demonstrable good nature and Omoluabi spirit, will reciprocate this good gesture from the government.”
Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the September 22 gubernatorial election in Osun State, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola, has promised to continue with the legacies of the outgoing governor, Rauf Aregbesola, if he emerges as the governor after the poll.
Oyetola stressed that his administration would be anchored on the philosophy of continuity with a view to ensuring all round development which pace Aregbesola had set during his administration.
He gave the assurance at the weekend while addressing the members of a socio-political group in the state, the Osun Positive Force (OPF), during their ‘Thank You’ rally, in Osogbo, the state capital, to appreciate their full support, leading to his (Oyetola) victory during the primary election.
Oyetola, who doubles as the Chief of Staff to Governor Aregbesola reiterated, said he would consolidate on his achievements if given the opportunity to succeed the incumbent.
The APC flag-bearer, who thumbed up the efforts of the OPF members, leaders and the entire members of APC during the primary, said he would not disappoint them in living up to his promises and making them proud of their support if he became the governor.
Oyetola declared that he was in the best position to continue and sustain the giant strides of the current administration in the state, especially in the area of infrastructural and education development.
Ilerioluwa as Oyetola is fondly called pointed out that his governorship ambition was God’s project.
He, therefore, called on the members of the group, his party members and the people of the state to give him total support and vote for him to be able to position the state on a ladder of sociopolitical and economic development.
He assured that apart from consolidating on Aregbesola’s legacies, guaranteeing the dividends of democracy to the people would be the priority of his administration.
He promised to bring his wealth of experience in politics and administration to bear in running a government that has a human face.
Oyetola who commended Aregbesola for transforming the state to a development entity also expressed fulfillment in working with him.
He described him as an enigma and most resourceful, consummate and creative governor in the history of the state.
While appealing to the member of OPF, party faithful and stakeholders to support him to clinch the governor’s seat in November, Oyetola assured that he would not betray the confidence of the people of the state.
“I seek your hand in partnership as the flag bearer of our party. I want to build on the giant strides already made by the current administration of Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola,” he said.
“Having been a privileged member of the team that has brought the current transformation that our state has witnessed in the past seven and a half years, I know what the issues are.
“I know that what our people need is an agenda of continuity and revitalization that will deepen the current gains in infrastructural development,” Oyetola added.
He thereafter urged members of the OPF who have yet to collect their Permanent Voters Cards to do so and sensitize other people in their immediate environments to do same.
He reminded them that the PVC was the only tool they could use to vote for the continuity he had assured the people.
The founder of the group who also doubles as the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Ajibola Basiru, gave thanks to God for giving the party a competent candidate as flag bearer for the September poll.
“We are happy because God answered our prayer. The last time we met here about two weeks ago, all of us collectively resolved to work together and support the emergence of Gboyega Oyetola as flag bearer of our great party, APC, God assisted us to perform excellently well such that the margin between our aspirant and other aspirants is so wide than the distance between the East and the West. We give thanks to God,” Basiru said.
“We also give thanks to God for helping us to play our part in the direct primary. All the logistics problems were surmounted and without any security incident in all the 332 wards. This is also commendable for our party and for the members and leaders of the Osun Positive Force (OPF)
“We also thank God that of all the aspirants, a majority of them have come back to accept the verdict of the party and they have pledged their supports for the party.
“We thank all the aspirants and we pray that God will be with them as they continue to support the efforts of our party.
He urged members of OPF to start canvassing support for Oyetola to ensure that he emerges the winner in the gubernatorial poll.
The situation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) might look gloomy to many of its members following the gale of the defection of its members in the National Assembly, last week, but not so to the top hierarchy of the party. The National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, made frantic efforts to stop the defection of some of the party’s lawmakers to the PDP, but he discovered that most of them had made up their minds to leave long before he assumed office.
Just like Senator Shehu Sani said in an interview that Oshiomhole inherited “a divided party”, that was the situation when he came in as National Chairman of the ruling party. Meanwhile, the former labour leader went to work, held marathon meetings with all the aggrieved persons, with a view to addressing their grievances. Whatever the situation might look, barely one month and five days after taking office, Oshiomhole led his party to victory in the Ekiti governorship election and held a successful direct governorship primary in Osun State. So it is too early for the PDP to celebrate because, after the on-going reforms being carried out in the APC, winning the general elections in 2019 will be a mirage for the PDP.
Oshiomhole, who met with the APC caucus in the House of Representatives, led by the leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, on Thursday at the APC Secretariat in Abuja, shared his experience with the lawmakers and stressed that those who had the party were mercenaries that could not be taken seriously. He urged the caucus member to be calm and remain resolute on the ideals of the APC just as he expressed optimism that the party will emerge victorious at the end.
“I want to thank you for keeping faith even in moments of temptation. In some of my interviews at the time I declared my intention to contest for this job, my conviction is that we should go beyond political parties functioning merely as platforms for elections. And if they are no platforms for elections, we will not be better than a public taxi which you hired when your car breaks down.
If you get to your destination, if you are a kind passenger, you will pay the driver; if you not a kind passenger, you might not pay the driver. If we are going to deepen democracy in our country and sustain multi-party democracy, the Nigerian people must be able to see what distinguishes one party from the other. We must consciously build a political party that is bonded together on the basis of ideas or a clear ideology”, he told the lawmakers.
“My understanding of forming the APC, all those who are progressive elements, this party is their home. And we need to understand that to be progressive is to be pro-people, pro-Nigeria, pro-poor, people-driven, people-oriented and people-centered.
And that we need each and every one of us who is in this progressive party to internalize these core values of progressive politics. And that it is contradictory for us to have in a progressive party, from the far right and even fascist being on the same party along those from the far left. For all of us to be on the same platform is not sustainable. Therefore, we must choose who is admissible to the platform of a progressive party. And I believe that there are just two forces within the Nigeria political class.
The progressive forces which we represent and the reactionary and conservative forces which the other forces, as led by the PDP, represent. Those who are happy with the Nigeria paradox of a country that is so weak and its people are getting poorer. More and more people are having private jets just as more and more people are becoming homeless.
Those who are happy with this they belong to the far right and they should remain in the PDP and any other party that offers them a tattered umbrella. But if you are concerned about putting to an end a situation whereby a country prides itself as the richest and most powerful in Africa, we must stop lamenting, form a party of change, change the economic policies, change the social policies, educational policies, change the health care policies that explain this paradox.
“Therefore, if you are going to eliminate poverty within the ranks of the Nigerian people, we must start by showing that we work consciously to deal practical expression to our commitment to universal basic education. And for those who said they are moving to PDP, that is where they belong.
If you left there because you thought that the culture of sharing the money will be deepened in APC, and you have found that share the money is not part of it and you choose to return, good luck. But you must know that the access to CBN has been cut off, the access to NNPC has been cut off, the access to defence funds has been cut off.
PDP blackmailing lawmakers
“I am excited that even in a moment like this, we have men and women of honour in the House of Representatives who recognize that there are values that are more important than dangling automatic tickets, dangling dollars without asking questions about the source of the dollars.
But I can tell you, if people have not learnt from the recent past, then they will go the same way of the recent past. We must remain focused and I am glad that we have men and women who have refused to defect. Somebody asked me, are we going to counter the PDP by offering automatic tickets? I said, did we serve anybody a departure ticket?
If we did not give you a departure ticket, how does the issue of return ticket arise? I am clear; we need every legislator who has value, every legislator who is at home with his people, not with the god fathers. That legislator is a value to our party and this party will do everything possible to retain him.
“It cannot be argued that experience can be discarded. I was a governor for eight years and I don’t have any problem with any National Assembly member on account of the fact that he did not come to say good morning or goodnight to me before I go to bed.
Because I was clear about my job and what determined their tenure is to the extent to which they have bonded with their people and whatever arrangement they have in their domestic constituencies. I think that is the way to go. I understand now, after we carried out investigations, that certain persons simply played on the fears of some people who were completely innocent.
My finding from interactions I have from the caucus of the House of Reps and that of the Senate is that there are a number of our congressmen and senators who have some issues with local forces in their respective states. Those issues did not arise at the federal level, they are local and because every politics is local, every solution to political problem necessarily must be local.
If there are issues between any one of our members or our leaders with local forces across the 36 states, we have a duty to try to ensure that that problem is nipped in the bud so that it does not spread.
“In Osun state we have tried to prove that it is possible for those who have invested too heavily on few individuals who may not be accountable to the party members that we can transfer power back to the owners of the party which is our card carrying members. We will talk to those who have genuine grievances but we will not negotiate with political mercenaries”.
The Peoples’ Democratic Party in the South-West has denied insinuations that it favored Senator Ademola Adeleke to emerge as its governorship candidate in Osun State during its last Saturday’s primary election in the state.
The Chairman of the PDP in the zone, Dr. Eddy Olafeso, said that every contestant at the governorship primary was treated fairly and that Adeleke emerged after amassing the highest number of votes from delegates.
According to him, the exercise took place under live television coverage and that votes were counted more than once just to be sure that there was no form of injustice.
Addressing journalists in Lagos on Friday, Olafeso said,
“The Osun PDP primaries election was one of the most transparent in recent political history. The entire electoral activity was televised live and counting was done in the presence of agents of all contesting aspirants.
The main challenger requested for a recount and this was done twice. No process can be more open than this.”
Senator Ademola Adeleke has dismissed all allegations leveled against him by one of the aggrieved aspirants. He said the allegations that the primary election was manipulated and that he lacked the requisite qualification was baseless.
Mr. Rasheed Olabayo and Oluwaseun Idowu had approached an Osun State High Court claiming that Senator Adeleke did not possess a certificate as required by Section 177 (d) of the 1999 constitution and told the court to set aside the July 21, 2018 primary election which produced him as the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state.
The High Court sitting in Osogbo, the state capital, thursday, ruled that Senator Ademola Adeleke, be given the opportunity to present his certificate before the court by Wednesday, August 1, 2018.
While ruling on the ex-parte application filed by the duo, the Judge explained that granting the leave to restrain the PDP from presenting Adeleke as its governorship candidate over his inability to present his certificate may subject the court to mockery if the Senator thereafter presents the certificate.
Justice David Oladimeji noted that
“It will be inequitable not to allow the respondent to come and show his certificate if he has any but if given the opportunity to present his side of the case, the balance which is necessary for interlocutory injunction would be adequately considered.”
Justice Oladimeji stressed that the ex-parte injunction as only seven days lifespan and that there are still window left open till August 8 according to the affidavits sworn to by the applicants.
The presiding judge added that
“being an election matter, it is my conviction that the public will not be uninterested in the proceedings of this court”, explaining that the importance of the matter would make the court not to grant the injunction and warned that, “once a matter is before a court any party cannot take a further step without the express permission of the court”.
Justice Oladimeji thereafter adjourned the motion on notice till Wednesday, August 1, 2018, for definite hearing, adding that no form of excuse from the litigants would be tolerated by the court.
The PDP’s candidate, however, expressed confidence over the chances of the party to clinch victory at the polls.
Addressing a press conference at the National Secretariat of the PDP in Abuja, Spokesman of the Adeleke Campaign Organisation, Rasheed Olawale, said “It is open to the public that the Osun PDP primaries election was one of the most transparent in recent Political history.
“The entire electoral activity was televised live and the counting was done in the open. The challenger requested for recount and this was done twice.
“No process can be more open than what the Governor Seriake Dickson election committee did in Osun last Saturday,” he said.
On the issue of school certificate, Olawale said Section 177[c] of the Nigerian constitution and section 317 were explicit on educational requirements for the office of the governor, adding that Senator Adeleke is eminently eligible and qualified to seek the office of a governor.
While expressing concern over the dimension in which the dispute over the governorship ticket has taken, Adeleke’s spokesman said there seems to be a grand design by the fifth columnist to scuttle the chances of the party in the election.
“A grand design appears to be under execution to discredit and weaken the party and denigrate the candidate. The actions and conduct of the challenging camp now border on a deliberate plot to pull down the party as evidenced by court action launched even before the appeal panel of the party could sit as well as the barrage of media attacks.
“The MOU was explicit enough on the need for unity and common front after the primaries. Like all other aspirants, Senator Adeleke signed the MOU and his challenger also did the same.
“While accepting the rights of any aggrieved aspirant to seek redress, the recent developments raise discomforting questions about the real motive of the challenging camp. The situation is taking a new dimension bordering on destructive anti-party activities,” he said.
At the beginning, the road was so tough and difficult as a result of the zoning agitations by the leaders and members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from Osun West Senatorial District who believed that it was their turn to produce the next governor of the state.
Against all odds, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, Chief of Statff to Governor Rauf Aregbesola defeated 17 other aspirants with 127,017 votes, even gladiators from the West fell by the way side, including the incumbent Chairman of the Local Government Service Commission, Elder Peter Babalola, Hon. Gafar Amere, a member of the House of Representatives, Mr. Adenrele Oriolowo, former Permanent Secretary, and RAMP Project Coordinator, among others.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Lasun Yusuf came second with 21,975 votes while the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam came a distant third with 17,958 votes.
Oyetola’s candidature was believed to be favored by some APC leaders for his sophistication in public administration and financing. Before joining Aregbesola’s cabinet in 2010, he had acquired more than 30 years experience in the private sector as a captain of industry. This background served him well, coupled with his close relationship with the APC National Leader, Senator Bola Hammed Tinubu.
Oyetola was considered as the most influential cabinet member in the administration of Aregbesola. For the past five years, he interfaced with labour unions, contractors, foreign partners and other policy makers to stabilise the administration. At a stage, the labour unions appeared more comfortable negotiating with him. No doubt he understood the running of the administration than any other cabinet member.
The argument of many party faithful who supported Oyetola was that he is cool, clam and collected and has vast experience to stabilise the state economy and increase the revenue profile. However, many politicians within the APC were not too confortable with him. They considered him too meticulous to sustain Aregbesola’s political influence.
It was clear to many watchers of the goings-on in Osun State that he was the anointed candidate of Aregbesola, although the governor denied this assumption many times. During the primary election, 32 out his 40 cabinet members worked for Oyetola and most of the strategy were coordinated from Government House by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr, Nashir Ajibola.
The state party chairman and all the local government executive secretaries also rallied support for Oyetola to emerge as the party gubernatorial candidate.
Though he did not make his choice public, many were eager to know which candidate gained the favour of former Governor Adebisi Akande. Majority concluded that Akande’s choice could not be different from Tinubu and Aregbesola. One thing was clear, Oyetola was not given a nod by a good number of the party elders forum called Agba Osun, who were of the view that the post must be zoned to Osun West. The adoption of direct primary watered down their influence.
The capacity of Oyetola to sustain and consolidate Aregbesola’s giant stride is not in question considering the prominent role he is playing in the present administration especially managing the state’s huge debt profile. His biggest headache may be local politicians who do not see him as one of them.
One of the 17 governorship aspirants, Barrister Kunle Adegoke ‘K-Rad’ alleged that plans had been concluded to impose Oyetola as the party’s candidate in the primary election.
He vowed to fight the process which he described has “a game without rules”, saying the action of the party was an “advance notice of an imminent chaos.
Adegoke who spoke at a press conference in Osogbo said the argument of the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, on the direct primary was sound, but was dogged by certain constitutional, legal, political and moral challenges which simply exposed the leadership of the party as not as law-abiding as expected.
According to Adegoke, “it is certain that INEC cannot mobilise at least 332 personnel to monitor the direct primary election in the 332 wards in the state.
“If the election would be conducted through and supervised by the compromised officials of government who are already prominent campaigners for the state-anointed aspirant, Oyetola, then, military dictatorship cannot be less democratic as the determination of the present government in determining its successor is more than glaring.
“Less than 24 hours to the novel direct primary election, no guideline have been issued by the National Working Committee with the approval of the National Executive Committee to guide all aspirants and voters. It is clear that there are no rules in form of guidelines to even govern the election. It is a game without rules, which is an advance notice of an imminent chaos.
He said the APC has no credible membership register and no such register has been publicly displayed or shown to any of the 17 aspirants less than 24 hours to the primary.
Adegoke also alleged that supporters of the “state-anointed aspirant, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola”, have been threatening supporters of other aspirants not to appear at the ballot centres except they are ready to vote for the purported anointed candidate.
“It would be impressive for our ‘democratic’ National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, to deepen democratic ethos in the party by applying direct primaries to all other elections like National Assembly, State Assembly, and governorship in all states so that our members can be more involved in the new-found democratic process of direct primaries.
“Any attempt to change the rule after Osun state gubernatorial election would only expose the National Chairman as less than honest but hypocritical which I want to believe he is not.
He however declared his readiness to participate in the election for legal reasons, insisting that “this primary election is already schemed in favour of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola.
A prominent governorship aspirant, Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti formally withdrew his participation from the Osun State APC governorship primary.
This was contained in a statement issued and signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of Moshood Adeoti Campaign Organisation (MACO) Mr. Kayode Agbaje and made available to newsmen. According to him, Adeoti’s decision to withdraw from the race was hinged on his resolve to abide by a resolution of the Osun West Senatorial District wing of the party dissociating itself from the exercise.
In addition, the frontline governorship aspirant stated that he was not going to allow his participation add credibility to a skewed and jaundiced process already designed to favour an anointed aspirant.
Adeoti however informed his teeming supporters that he was still very much in the race to contest and win the governorship election come September 22, 2018.
With the claims that direct primary will prevent inducement of voters, governorship aspirants stormed voting centres with money. THISDAY checks gathered that each voter went home with not less than N2,000 even with the large turnout.
The money was openly displayed while voters were on queue collecting money shared by representatives of the aspirants.
The election was peaceful with counting of voters, carefully carried out. While the voters’ register was made available in some wards, others were restricted to counting of voters on the queue only.
Security agents were at each ward visited by our correspondent while the counting was done.
However at Union Baptist Government School, Ward 4, Osogbo Local Government, representatives of the aspirants were seen in two groups within the school premises distributing money to their supporters.
All the supporters were given N2,000 in the presence of policemen and Civil Defence Corps members. At Salvation Army School, Alekuwodo, Ward 5, Osogbo, voters were stranded waiting for electoral register till they left in the afternoon.
The leading aspirant, Oyetola, commended the security and electoral officers for a peaceful conduct of the primary.
Another aspirant, Adegoke complained that only one register was brought out of the 10 polling units in his ward at Ward 3, Olorunda Local Government, Osogbo.
He stressed that no voting material was brought to ward 9, 10 and 11 in Boripe Local Government Area of the state where he monitored, adding “at a ward in Olorunda, they didn’t use voters register, they just asked people to queue and they were counting them and in the whole of Boluwaduro Local Government, no accreditation was done.
At the end of the day, it was reported that over 350,000 APC members turned out for the exercise. Late arrival of materials seemed to be a common hindrance in some polling centres.
However, the governorship primary took place in the 332 wards. The whole atmosphere was conducive as there was peace in all the centres.
Our Correspondent visited places like Iwo, Ikire, Olupona, Osogbo and Gbogan. There were no ugly incidents in any of those places. However, the primary election was marred by late arrival of electoral materials and outright absence of electoral officials. The exercise was also threatened by voter apathy as turnover of the electorate remained unimpressive.
The APC Electoral Committee scheduled commencement of voting at 8:00 am in the 30 local governments including the Area Office, Modakeke to elect party’s candidate for the gubernatorial election.
In Ayedaade and Irewole local government areas reported that at 10:20 am, electorate were waiting for materials.
At ward 4, Otun Olufi Secondary School, Gbongan, voters were seeing waiting for electoral materials. This was also the scenario in ward 9, AUD primary School, Atile Ikire
Meanwhile, the APC in the state of Osun has congratulated members of the party and the aspirants who participated in the election that produced Oyetola as the flag bearer of the party in the governorship election scheduled for September 22, 2018.
According to the party, ‘the peaceful and orderly participation of APC members made the event so credible and rancor-free that the party is delighted and proud of everyone who contributed to this remarkable outcome’.
The party was ‘especially impressed and proud of the attitude of the aspirants that exhibited an uncommon spirit of sportsmanship, which was not anticipated by observers and even some supporters of the party’.
The APC also congratulated the winner and every other aspirant, ‘for the zest and positive approach they brought into their campaign’, noting that those who had thought the APC would implode because of the robustness of the campaign ‘were at the worst pleasantly surprised’ that the party members finished the event in one peace.
The APC attributed this ‘ground success’ to the decision of the party’s National Working Committee to adopt direct primary which operated the distinctive ‘option A4’, that requires voters to line up behind their choice of candidates and be counted. It was a fool-proof method beyond controversy that hopefully will become universal with the political parties in the country.
‘Now that we have the primary behind us, we urge our members to be actively involve in the intensive war for governorship election so that victory will be ours
However, the APC urged all the contestants who participated in the exercise and those who didn’t, to rally behind the popular choice of our party members, as one united force so that victory will be assured for the APC in September.
Also a group of observers who monitored the governorship primary election have recommended the direct primary system for other political parties and subsequent primaries in the country.
The group, Comrade Ola Oni Centre for Social Research in collaboration with Coalition of Civil Societies in Osun State at a press conference jointly addressed by Comrades Wale Adebisi, Amitolu Shittu and Waheed Lawal.
The group stressed that the direct primary as observed in Osun, reduced manipulation and inducement of voters with money as experienced in the past exercises.
“From all variables and indices available to us on the field, the direct primary is actually the best so as to encourage internal, all inclusive democracy, because every party members is involved.
“It eliminates the emerging trend where aspirants camped delegates and bribe each with huge amount of money. It also eliminates manipulation to a large extent.
“We hereby encourage every other political party to embrace this process of direct party primary so as to improve the Internal democracy of the party politics which will gradually reduce the issue of financial inducement.
“Direct primary election process truly attests to the fact that democracy is truly for the people. Regardless of all shortcomings and drawbacks observed during the exercise, the process is still the best because it is transparent, free and fair.
The leadership of the Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Party (APC) has upbraided some members of the State Working Committee of the party who passed a vote of no confidence on the chairman, Gboyega Famodun, and Secretary, Salinsile Rasaq, and announced their suspension on Monday in Osogbo, the state capital.
Recall that 11 out of 16 members of the committee had, at GMT Hotel in Osogbo, announced the suspension of the duo during a press conference.
In a statement by the spokesperson of the 11, Barrister Goke Ogunsola, the group directed Famodun and Salinsile’s deputies, Isa Adesiji and Rasheed Idera, to take over as acting chairman and Secretary respectively.
The move, Daily Sun gathered, was in protest against the party leadership’s decision to adopt a direct system in the primary election ahead of the governorship poll scheduled for September 22.
The aggrieved members accused the party leadership of using the method to impose the candidate of their choice on the members and went ahead to pass a vote of no confidence on the chairman and the secretary.
In a chat with Daily Sun, the party described them as stray members, adding that they are on their own.
The party’s Director of Information, Research and Strategy, Barrister Kunle Oyatomi, who spoke on behalf of the party, said that the party did not reckon with their decision to suspend the chairman and the secretary because they did not have the prerogative to take such decision.
He said that the move was illegal and inimical to the constitution of the party.
He added that they were disgruntled in making such a move because the party executive was never aware of the decision.
Oyatomi claimed that the members of the State Working Committee who pronounced Famodun and Salinsile suspended are more than 40, insisting that only 11out of them did not form a quorum to sanction any member of the party, let alone the chairman and the secretary.
“The people who addressed the press in a private place in Osogbo on Monday and announced the suspension of the party chairman and the secretary are on their own. They are stray members. The party leadership did not know about it and we can’t reckon with their decision.
They did not represent the interest of the party. That is why they ran somewhere else we don’t know about to do what they did.
“There was no need to go into hiding to organise a press conference if their intention was genuine. None of our chieftains was available there. As a matter of fact, the party didn’t know about their move. They are probably stray members of the party,” the party said.
“The party’s constitution is so clear about indiscipline in the party that you can not just make a statement that is not authorized or approved by the executive of the party. So, we don’t know what they were expressing their anger against. To be very frank, they didn’t represent the interest of the party.
They are not representing the party. They are on their own and what they are on their own for, I don’t know. The anger they are expressing we are yet to know.
The interest they are protecting we are yet to know. You can’t just say you are suspecting the chairman or secretary of a party without the exco knowing about it. “)The constitution determines how you can discipline anybody,” Oyatomi added.
At the press conference where Famodun and Salinsile were pronounced suspended, some thugs believed to be sponsored by one of the APC aspirants invaded the venue and beat up journalists.
But Oyatomi said the party did not know anything about the thugs’ action. He, however, apologised to the journalists. “We are sorry about what happened to you. For what you know nothing about, for an offence you never committed. I feel so disgusted about it. I feel very embarrassed. It is not fair, it is not acceptable to us. We condemn it in totality.”
“While still condemning the action of the 11 members of the State Working Committee, he added:
“A group of people just stayed somewhere and called a press conference. We didn’t even know where they were having the conference. That is to tell you the kind of agenda they have. We don’t know what they are really interested in. You can’t claim that you are protecting the interest of the people and go into hiding, no matter your status.
APC has leadership.
“If you claim that the party leadership wrote a letter to the national been body to request for a direct system, has the party adopted the system? The answer is no. The Article 20 of the party’s constitution says that the party can elect president, governor, senator or councillor through the direct or indirect system of the primary election. But the decision of choosing rests with the national body, not the state.
So, where did the party chairman, Famodun, go wrong?
“In 2014, we used the direct system. We also used it for the current local government chairmen in the parliamentary election. The constitution allows it. It is not strange. It is about the national body of the party. They are the ones to sit down and look at what they want based on the constitution.
“The party actually recommended the direct system at the weekend when it appealed to the National Working Committee to adopt it.
This was because we felt that it is better for us for several reasons. This was after a full consultation with the members of the party. But if some people said no, does that represent the party’s leadership voice?
When the national body speaks, we will know who has the final say. For instance if the party chairman, Oshiomhole says it is the direct system that will be used, so be it. So, the ‘wahala’ they are trying to introduce is uncalled for.
In other words, what have the party chairman, Famodun and the secretary Salinsile, done wrong to warrant their suspension?
I think their agenda is to impose a candidate, but how can you achieve that in a system that is supposed to be plain and without manipulation?
“While we felt that the direct system is better for us is that, it eliminates corruption. That is to say that the aspirants’ tendency to bribe delegates to vote for them is not possible.
Also, it is less expensive. It is more democratic because all the members of the party have a say in the election of the candidate. Manipulation and money bag will be erased.
“We have foreseen that some candidates want to display good money to buy votes through the indirect system, but we want to disappoint them through the democratic means of the direct system.
“Interestingly, the national body has adopted the direct system as announced by Oshiombole on Monday.”
On whether the members of the State Working Committee that announced the suspension of Famodun and Salinsile would be made to face any disciplinary action by the party, Oyatomi said:
“The leadership of the party will sit down and examine the issue critically to determine the kind of discipline that is supposed to be meted out to them based on the constitution. They have embarrassed the party to a very large extent because everywhere is saturated that there is crisis in the party.”
He, however debunked insinuations that the party is currently embroiled in crisis.
He said:
“There is no fight or division in the party. Famodun and Salinsile have not been removed. Those who said so do not have the constitutional integrity to say so.”
Chief of Staff to Governor Rauf Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola, has promised to sustain the development legacies set by his principal if he takes over from him in November.
The state’s governorship election is scheduled for September 2.
Oyetola, who is aspiring for the governorship seat under the ruling APC, stated this, on Thursday, while rounding off consultations across the state ahead of the party’s primary election tentatively slated for July 28.
The aspirant assured the crowd and the people of the state that he would apply his wealth of experience in politics as well as financial intelligence and prudence to inspire further infrastructure development to continue Aregbesola’s legacies if he gets the people’s mandate.
He urged the electorate to assess candidates with objectivity and on the basis of leadership experience before casting their votes.
He described himself as a ‘critical factor’ in policy formulation and implementation of the Aregbesola’s development programmes to take the state to the next level.
Oyetola said that his years of critical engagements in several developmental policies and state administration by the Aregbesola-led government had added more values to the decades of his private sector experience and exposure which he promised he would apply if he becomes governor.
He stressed that Osun State needed a political stalwart with such administrative savvy and financial intelligence to govern the state.
His words, “I make bold to say that I was a key factor in the formulation and implementation of several developmental projects across the state.
“I have gathered more than enough in terms of management dexterity and administrative skills, having worked with a visionary leader like Governor Rauf Aregbesola coupled with more than 30 years of experience in the private sector.
“I have satisfactory knowledge of the strengths and needs of the state with pragmatic blueprint for policy implementation,” he stressed.
He reiterated his earlier position on party supremacy, adding that members of his party would be treated with dignity and honour.
“In party politics, political party is the engine room of any government. It plays significant roles in policy formulation. I recognise the supremacy of the party and I promise to always hold our members in high esteem.
“We have special plans in which the welfare of party members would be improved upon. It is our duty to take good care of you,” he told party members.
He, however, enjoined the electorate, especially the youths, to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) to enable them decide the choice of their governor in the election.
Reporter - Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
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