Politics

2023: Oshiomhole’s Loyalists, Serving Senate’s Aide Exchange Words Over Edo North Ticket

Published

4 years ago

March 2, 2022

The bid to unseat Francis Alimikhena, senator representing Edo North at the National Assembly took a twist Wednesday as loyalists of former Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, vowed to stop his (Alimikhena) third term bid.

The loyalists therefore urged the former Governor to contest for the Edo North Senatorial seat.

The group which met under the Platform of the South South Movement, Edo North chapter, told journalists that the incumbent National Assembly member has not met the aspiration of the people to deserve another shot at the senate.

Led by the former Executive Director, Ministry of Lands and Survey and Deputy Director of the group, Mustapher Buddy; and APC chieftain, Vitalis Eshokene, the group said that most of the projects executed by Alimikhena are merely ‘ceremonial’ in nature and not functional.

Eshokene, who spoke on behalf of the group said, “In my Etsako East Ward 9 and 10, the boreholes are ‘ceremonial’ because they cease to function after inauguration.

“He has boasted that the few individuals he has empowered would take him to the senate for the third term.

“We don’t have a problem with him giving Greek gifts to a few individuals in the name of empowerment. What we are saying is that he has failed to meet the collective interest of our people.

“He (Alimikhena) was a principal member of the Senate in his first term and there was no significant project he attracted to the area with this position. Look at what Prof Julius Ihonvbvere is doing in Owan federal Constituency with laudable people’s oriented projects.

“We are saying this because we hear he is telling people that he will be a principal member if he should be given another opportunity. For us, he has had his chances and failed to use it for the betterment of the district.

“To change this narrative is why we are routing and already mobilising for Oshiomhole to come replicate what he did as the governor in the area.

“People may want to say it is not the same thing being a governor and a senator, but experiences have shown that Oshiomhole sees the people as the center point of his policies.

“We are not just talking, we are already working the talk by mobilising fund both for the campaign and buying of the form for the former governor who has done a lot for not just people of Edo North senatorial district, but the entire State.

“We no longer want a sleeping senator , we want a working senator.”

However, aide to the Senator, Ben Atu, said those accusing the senator are political outsiders.

He said they were paid merchants and jobbers who have no idea of the development profile of the Senator in Edo North.

He said, “These people who are against the Senator are neither from Edo State nor from Edo North. It is only people from Edo North that can speak for the area.

“Those paid merchants from other states who are organising a press conference to abuse the Senator should come for a two-week development tour.

“The Senator is offering to personally take them for a tour. On the issue of boreholes that have stopped functioning, the fact that these critics admit that boreholes exist in the first place means that they are indeed ignorant of their claims.

“They are paid to criticise and they fail on their job by not doing proper research before criticising.”

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Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

4 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2026 gubernatorial primaries of the party.

Adeleke’s resignation letter, dated November 4, 2025, sighted by Tribune Online was addressed to the PDP ward chairman for Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede, Osun State.

According to the letter, the governor’s resignation was based on “the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).”

According to the letter, titled: “Resignation of my membership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)’ read, “Due to the current crisis of the national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), I hereby resign my Membership of the People’s Democratic Party with immediate effect.

“I thank the People’s Democratic Party for the opportunities given to me for my elections as a Senator (Represented Osun West) and as Governor of Osun State under the People’s Democratic Party.”

Politics

Tinubu Sends Ex-INEC Chair, Former Oyo First Lady, 30 Additional Ambassadorial Nominees To Senate

Published

3 days ago

November 29, 2025

Editor

President Bola Tinubu has forwarded 32 additional ambassadorial nominees to the Senate for confirmation, just days after submitting an initial batch of three names.

In two separate letters to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, the President urged the upper chamber to consider and swiftly confirm 15 career diplomats and 17 non-career nominees.

The list includes four women among the career nominees and six women among the non-career nominees.

Prominent names on the non-career list include Barrister Ogbonnaya Kalu from Abia State; former presidential aide, Reno Omokri (Delta); former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmud Yakubu; former Ekiti First Lady, Erelu Angela Adebayo; and former Enugu State Governor, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi.

Others are former Speaker of the Katsina State House of Assembly, Tasiu Musa Maigari; former Plateau State Commissioner, Yakubu N. Gambo; and former Deputy Executive Secretary of UBEC, Yakubu K. Musa.

Also nominated are former Plateau senator, Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut; former Lagos Deputy Governor, Otunba Femi Pedro; former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode; and Barrister Nkechi Linda Ufochukwu from Anambra State.

Additional nominees include former Oyo First Lady, Fatima Florence Ajimobi; former Lagos Commissioner, Lola Akande; former Adamawa senator, Grace Bent; former Abia governor, Victor Okezie Ikpeazu; Senator Jimoh Ibrahim of Ondo State; and former envoy to the Holy See, Ambassador Paul Oga Adikwu (Benue).

The career ambassadorial nominees are Enebechi Monica Okwuchukwu (Abia), Yakubu Nyaku Danladi (Taraba), Miamuna Ibrahim Besto (Adamawa), Musa Musa Abubakar (Kebbi), Syndoph Paebi Endoni (Bayelsa), Chima Geoffrey Lioma David (Ebonyi), and Mopelola Adeola-Ibrahim (Ogun).

Others include Abimbola Samuel Reuben (Ondo), Yvonne Ehinosen Odumah (Edo), Hamza Mohammed Salau (Niger), Ambassador Shehu Barde (Katsina), Ambassador Ahmed Mohammed Monguno (Borno), Ambassador Muhammad Saidu Dahiru (Kaduna), Ambassador Olatunji Ahmed Sulu Gambari (Kwara), and Ambassador Wahab Adekola Akande (Osun).

The new nominees are expected to be deployed to countries with which Nigeria maintains strong and strategic diplomatic relations, including China, India, South Korea, Canada, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Africa, and Kenya, as well as to Permanent Missions such as the United Nations, UNESCO, and the African Union.

Their specific postings will be determined after Senate confirmation.

Recall that President Tinubu, last week, forwarded three ambassadorial nominees, Ambassador Ayodele Oke (Oyo), Ambassador Amin Mohammed Dalhatu (Jigawa), and retired Colonel Lateef Kayode Are (Ogun), who are being considered for postings to the UK, USA, or France.

President Tinubu said additional ambassadorial nominations will be announced in due course.

Politics

Soludo Visits Tinubu, Goes Into Closed Door Session With President

Published

4 days ago

November 28, 2025

Editor

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Charles Soludo, on Thursday, paid a courtesy visit to the President, Bola Tinubu, GCFR at the State House.

Report by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Soludo, Mr Chris Aburime stated that President Tinubu received the Anambra State Governor with excitement, describing him as his long standing friend of over 22 years.

Aburime said, “The President used the occasion to further congratulate Governor Soludo on his landslide victory in the just concluded Anambra gubernatorial election.

“Recall that President Tinubu had earlier issued a congratulatory message to Governor Soludo immediately the governorship election was concluded.”

Governor Soludo was declared winner with 73% of the votes cast by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Other details of the meeting were, however, not disclosed as the press Secretary told DAILY POST that both men went into a closed door meeting after the reception.