Politics

2024 Poll: Edo-born Canadian Police officer, LP Guber Aspirant, Promises Security Dragnet

Published

2 years ago

December 14, 2023

An Edo-born Canadian Police officer and a Labour Party (LP) govenorship aspirant in the 2024 Edo State governoship election, Ogbemudia Bassey Osagie, has promised to build a security dragnet around the state with a view to attracting and creating an enabling environment for industries.

He said being an Edo son with experience of over 24 years in the Toronto police, he has what it takes to secure the state and make sure investors are attracted to invest in the state.

Osagie, who stated this in Benin on Thursday during a chat with Journalists, lamented that many Edo sons and daughters who have big companies in the US, Canada, UK, etc are willing to come to the state to invest but due to insecurity they are scared of coming.

The govenorship aspirant who noted that after many years of experience in a foreign land he decided to come to his state to bring to bear his wealth of experience, said: “I have had the privilege to serve the people of Toronto. That same ethical value, that accountability, that transparency, that mindset that you need to do something good for your people is what I have brought to Edo State.

“What I am going to do as Edo State governor, is to bring Toronto to Edo State so that we can start to see progress. Our people need change.

“Our major priority is security. Without security, there cannot be a success. There cannot be economic development unless you have an efficient and effective law enforcement agency to keep people in check. These are my vision for Edo State.

“All our people I consulted in the US, Canada and UK claim they cannot come and set up their factories because the state is not secured. We have many of our people who own big pharmaceutical companies and others, but they said they can’t come home because our state is not secured.

“So, as an international security expert, I will build a security dragnet around Edo State so that our people in diaspora will start coming home to invest. Trust me, I have served in the whitman security for years, but the white will not come and fix our security for us. We will fix it. We are going to persuade our people to come and invest.

“We will create the enabling environment for industries to flourish in Edo State. We have mineral resources, but we have no industries. What I am going to do is to build factories, industries, so that we can be able to produce instead of consumption,” he said.

While promising to build the youths of Edo by making sure they acquire modern technologies, the governoship aspirant also promised to give farmers soft loan so that there can be food security.

“We need to go back not only to secure our farmland but farming. We will give our farmers some fundings. There are a lot of young men who want to go into farming, we need to give them loan. That way, we will reduce food insecurity in Edo State and in Nigeria in general,” he added.

He also promised to fix all roads in the state and give 24 hours electricity.

He said: “During my tenure as governor God willing, there will be no federal road. Any road that my people drive belongs to us, and we will not leave it to collapse.”

He added: “No country can develop without electricity. You can’t have factory without electricity. What I am going to do as governor is to look into the power problem and solve it. We plan to provide 24 hours electricity to our people. It is not a rocket science. If the companies we have in Nigeria cannot do it, I will bring Canadian Hydro to look into our power structure and fix the electricity challenge.”

Politics

INEC Has Not Confirmed ADC State Leaders – Party

Published

3 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Editor

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has dismissed a report claiming that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed a list of its state chairmen across Nigeria.

In a statement on Sunday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the circulating report titled “Coalition Update: INEC Confirms ADC State Chairmen Nationwide” as “fake news” aimed at creating confusion within the party.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission, to the best of our knowledge and verification, has issued no such confirmation, neither officially nor unofficially,” Abdullahi said.

He explained that choosing and approving state leaders is the party’s internal responsibility, not INEC’s.

“The process of constituting and ratifying state leadership within any political party lies squarely within the party’s constitutional prerogative. INEC only recognizes what the party submits through the appropriate channels after due process,” he added.

Abdullahi urged ADC members and the public to ignore the fake list and wait for official communication.

“We therefore urge our members and stakeholders to remain calm, vigilant, and guided by official communication from the national leadership of the ADC,” he said.

He reassured supporters that the ADC remains committed to discipline, structure, and internal democracy, adding that any genuine updates on party leadership will be shared through verified platforms.

Politics

How Bello Deceitfully Assured Me Of Kogi Guber Ticket For 4 Years — Onoja

Published

13 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

Former deputy governor of Kogi State, Edward David Onoja, has revealed that his former principal, Yahaya Bello, assured him for four years that he would succeed him as governor, only to change his decision a day before the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election.

Onoja made the disclosure during an interview on MIC ON Podcast published on Saturday night, where he recounted his political journey and his relationship with former Governor Bello.

LEADERSHIP recalls that Onoja had served as Chief of State for about four years before becoming deputy governor under Bello until their tenure elapsed.

“For four years before 2023, he (Yahaya Bello) was the one who called me and said, ‘You will succeed me, get prepared.’ And of course, I planned, I worked, and when it was time, he gave all of us the opportunity (to contest),” Onoja said.

According to him, about seven cabinet members at the time, including himself, picked up the All Progressives Congress (APC) nomination forms on Bello’s directive, but in the end, Bello’s support was with the current governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo.

“At the end of the day, his heart and his choice was with the current governor, His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo,” he said.

Onoja revealed that Bello broke the news to him just a day before the party primaries, a decision he respected despite his disappointment.

“When he broke the news to me a day before the primaries, I told him, ‘You are the boss, you are over me, what you see is what I see, so let’s go get the job done, but I hope you are not making a mistake.’ There were no issues, and then we went to the field and did our best for our candidate,” he stated.

Onoja, who is now a board member of the South-East Development Commission (SEDC), emphasised that despite the turn of events, he remained committed to ensuring victory for the party’s eventual candidate and winner of the last Kogi State governorship election, Ododo, who went on to succeed Bello.

Politics

Alleged Infidelity: Soludo’s Wife Issues Senator Ekwunife Ultimatum To Apologize

Published

14 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

Mrs. Nonye Soludo

…dares her for fidelity oath, paternal DNA test challenge

The wife of Anambra State governor, Mrs. Nonye Soludo, has issued Senator Uche Ekwunife 72 hours ultimatum to withdraw claims of Infidelity against her and tender a public apology, or face legal action.

She also challenged the senator for both of them to swear an oath of fidelity before the Blessed Virgin Mary or subject their children to DNA tests.

The challenge followed claims by Ekwunife, deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2025 Anambra governorship election, who alleged that Mrs Soludo was once close to former Governor Chinwoke Mbadinuju.

In a statement issued on Friday, Nonye Soludo accused the former fenale lawmaker of fabricating allegations and dragging her children into political disputes.

She described Ekwunife’s comments as malicious and said: “Since Uche Ekwunife claims to be a converted Catholic, I challenge her for both of us to swear an oath of fidelity and chastity at any cathedral in front of the Blessed Sacrament and the Bible.

“I will swear (with my children) that in my 55 years on earth, I have known only one man—Chukwuma Soludo. On your part, you should also swear (with your children or your political ambitions) that since you got married, you have never cheated on your husband,” she declared.

Soludo’s wife also invited Ekwunife to scientific verification through DNA testing.

“I challenge you, Uche Ekwunife, for us to subject our children to paternity tests in three reputable hospitals in London. I will pay all the expenses, including travel for you and your family. If the results confirm that your husband fathered all your children, I will not only congratulate you but also present a cash award,” she added.

The governor’s wife emphasised her Christian upbringing and marital fidelity.

“I married him as a virgin and my fidelity to him in 33 years of marriage and for life is ironclad,” she said.

Declaring that her life has never depended on government patronage, even as First Lady, Mrs. Soludo vowed to sustain her defence “with decency, character, and grace.”

“My weapons are decency, character, and grace. I am a long-distance runner, and I welcome you to the marathon,” she stated.

The confrontation stemmed from Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s earlier questions over Senator Ekwunife’s academic qualifications. The APC deputy governorship candidate responded with sharp criticisms, prompting the governor’s wife to step into the feud.