Politics

Atiku Hails Adeleke For Defying FG, Proceeding With LG Poll

Published

8 months ago

February 22, 2025

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has commended the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, for going ahead to conduct the local government election in the state.

In a post via his official X handle on Saturday, Atiku called for a peaceful and hitch-free election and urged security agencies and electoral officials to perform their duties with the highest sense of responsibility to the public.

He wrote, “As residents in Osun State go out to the polls today to elect council chairpersons, I once again urge for a peaceful and hitch-free exercise.

“The local council election is the heartbeat of a democratic system, given that its outcome impacts closely on the lives of the citizens.

“I commend Governor Ademola Adeleke for going ahead with the exercise and urge security agencies and polling officials to perform their duties with the highest sense of responsibility to the public.”

The Federal Government, through the Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, and the Nigeria Police, had called for the suspension of the election in the state based on credible intelligence obtained.

In a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, the police said the credible intelligence indicates a high likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned council election be held in the state.

However, the Osun State Government rejected the security advice from the Nigeria Police Force, which called for the suspension of the election.

In a statement signed late Friday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the state government stated that the grounds for rejecting the advice were based on the rule of law and aversion to police partisanship.

The state government also accused the police of pursuing partisan interests rather than obeying court orders and working against the rule of law.

An Osun State High Court sitting in Ilesa on Friday held that vacancies existed in all the 30 LGAs in the state and mandated the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission to fill the offices.

Justice Adeyinka Aderibigbe, while ruling on a motion on notice filed by the Peoples Democratic Party in a suit number HIL/M/.192025 against the Osun State Electoral Commission and Hashim Abioye, the OSSIEC chairman, also directed law enforcement agencies to provide security during and after the local government election.

Aderibigbe held that vacancies exist in Osun LGAs after the election conducted by OSSIEC on October 15 2022, was invalidated by the Federal High Court in a judgement delivered on November 30, 2022.

He also said the judgement of the Federal High Court was confirmed by the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on January 13, 2025.

Related Topics:ADELEKE Atiku Osun LG Crisis Osun LG poll

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Politics

Trump’s Threat: You’re Responsible For Nigeria’s Rising Insecurity – ADC Slams Tinubu

Published

2 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Editor

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has blasted President Bola Tinubu, blaming him for the escalating insecurity in Nigeria and the tagging of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern by US President Donald Trump.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on Monday, the ADC said the action by Trump again highlights the urgency and scale of Nigeria’s security collapse.

The party said that the US President’s designation underlines the global expectation that governments must protect the lives of citizens living within their borders.

“We are guided by the painful reality that what is really at stake on this issue are the thousands of human lives that have been lost to insecurity in Nigeria, irrespective of their tribe, religion, or region.

“The statement by President Trump reminds us of the greater global concern about the sanctity of human life, and the cardinal responsibility of national governments to protect the lives of people who live within their borders.

“The characterisation of Nigeria as religiously intolerant does not reflect our national reality, nor does it take into consideration the consistent and sincere efforts of the government to safeguard freedom of religion and beliefs for all Nigerians,” he stated.

Beyond the security failures, the ADC decried Nigeria’s weakened international standing, linking it to what it called the administration’s diplomatic negligence.

It questioned the continued absence of ambassadors in key countries more than two years into the government’s term, asking: “How can a government that has been boasting of unprecedented revenue success continue to give lack of funds as an excuse for not appointing ambassadors?”

“Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has declined both as a continental and a regional leader.”

Politics

How Obama Plotted My 2015 Election Defeat – Jonathan

Published

2 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Editor

Former President Goodluck Jonathan, has alleged that ex-US President, Barack Obama, plotted his defeat in 2015.

Jonathan made this allegation in his new book, ‘My Transition Hours’ due to launch on Tuesday.

He said Obama displayed an unusual level of bias during the 2015 elections, describing him as overbearing and ‘condescending’ in his message to Nigerians ahead of the 2015 general election.

According to Jonathan, “On March 23, 2015, President Obama himself took the unusual step of releasing a video message directly to Nigerians all but telling them how to vote.”

Giving the details in the book, Jonathan said, “In that video, Obama urged Nigerians to open the ‘next chapter’ by their votes.

“Those who understood subliminal language deciphered that he was prodding the electorate to vote for the opposition to form a new government.”

According to Premium Times, which obtained a copy of the book hours before its unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday, Jonathan had kept the book secret in order to avoid excerpts of it being published ahead of its formal launch.

Recall that Jonathan lost the 2015 elections to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, marking the first time an incumbent president would lose reelection.

He assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Yar’Adua, getting his own mandate of four years at the 2011 presidential election.

“The message was so condescending, it was as if Nigerians did not know what to do and needed an Obama to direct them,” Jonathan said of the video message.

He lampooned Obama, who was American president from 2009 until 2017, for saying all Nigerians must be able to cast their votes without intimidation or fear, but was reluctant to allow the Nigerian security forces drive Boko Haram insurgents away from the Nigerian territories they had been occupying in order to free Nigerian citizens there ahead of elections.

Jonathan also took a harsh aim at former US Secretary of State, John Kerry, saying the diplomat was nonchalant in his attitude towards his government, despite all efforts to make him understand that the decision to postpone election was in the overall interest of Nigeria.

“How can the U.S. Secretary of State know what is more important for Nigeria than Nigeria’s own government? How could they have expected us to conduct elections when Boko Haram controlled part of the North East and were killing and maiming Nigerians?

“Not even the assurance of the sanctity of May 29, 2015 handover date could calm them down. In Nigeria, the Constitution is very clear: No President can extend his tenure by one day,” Jonathan said.

Politics

Protest Rocks PDP National Secretariat As Wike-led Faction Takes Over

Published

8 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Editor

A protest erupted on Monday at the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wadata Plaza in Abuja, as supporters of the factional acting National Chairman of the party, Mohammed Abdulrahman, stormed the premises.

The group, chanting solidarity songs, demanded that the National Working Committee, led by Umar Damagum, vacate the headquarters immediately.

Abdulrahman was named the acting national chairman of the party last week as the leadership crisis threatening the soul of the party worsened with the suspension of the party’s National Secretary, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, and the Legal Adviser, Kamaldeen Ajibade, for a period of one month.

In a dramatic twist, the faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, had converged at a separate venue in Abuja and announced the suspension of the Damagum-led NWC.

The protesters, who accused the Damagum-led leadership of mismanaging party affairs, vowed to reclaim control of the secretariat for the Abdulrahman-led faction.

Security operatives have been deployed to the area to prevent a breakdown of law and order as both factions struggle for control of the party’s edifice.

However, the faction of the party’s NWC led by Abdulrahman has taken control of the party’s National Chairman’s office.

Speaking to journalists at the office, Abdulrahman promised to unite and reposition the party in preparation for the next general election.

He also assured members of his commitment to work diligently for the party’s progress.

“We are ready to work in the interest of our dear party,” he said.