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Edo APC Stakeholders Meet, Oshiomhole Preaches Unity

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A former National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress and two terms governor of Edo State, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has urged members of the party in the state to put their differences aside and work for the success of the party in the forthcoming 2023 general elections and the 2024 governorship election in the state.

Oshiomhole who made the plea in Benin on Friday at the state APC stakeholders meeting, said the purpose of the conversation was to make sure every aggrieved member of the party unite, warning that a house against itself cannot stand.

He asked the aggrieved members of the party to learn from his act of political tolerance when he was ousted out of office as the national chairman of the party.

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Oshiomhole said he had the opportunity to have gone to court to challenge his right when he was removed from office as the national chairman of the party, but he did not despite the pressure and persuasion from friends and political associates.

READ ALSO: 2023 Presidency: Sen. Adeyeye Speaks On Afenifere Being Divided Over Tinubu

“Now I am an example. You know I was National Chairman, and you know how I was removed, did I go to court? If I had gone to court, you think I wouldn’t have had a chance? But some people said it is your right and you are sleeping on your right, but I said no, and I am still sleeping on that my right, I am snoring, and I am enjoying it for a better future, and that future is here.

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“If I had gone to court and APC could not do their convention, what would I gain? Take an example from my own life”, he said.

The former national chairman of the party said President Muhammadu Buhari has also given a matching order to all aggrieved members of the party across the states to withdraw all cases from the courts, work together and form a formidable force in winning the forthcoming elections.

Speaking on Edo governorship election in 2024 and the rumour being made in some quarters that he has chosen a candidate, Oshiomhole said he has not endorsed anybody as his preferred governorship candidate, just as he pointed out that, he is yet to recover from his past mistake and that he has learnt from it.

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“God blesses us with victory, the rewarding system will change. If you cannot deliver your unit, your ward and your local government, you don’t expect the same thing as the person that won his unit, ward.

“For me, I will not anoint or appoint anybody. Because I can’t be doing the same thing and expect different result.

“All those that are saying Oshiomhole is supporting XYZ, they are liars. The one I support, what has he gotten us?

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“So, I have not endorse anybody. Neither did I imposed any candidate. The only person I asked to step down was my younger brother, this is because two Oshiomhole cannot be on the ballot.

“In the past, when I asked people to step down, they step down and never forgive me. I have learn my lesson, ” he said.

While speaking on the Muslim -Muslim ticket as championed by the APC, he urged Nigerians not to be deceived by what other presidential candidates from other parties are saying, just as he said that the presidential candidate of the party got married to a Christian wife and has not converted her to islam.

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READ ALSO: BREAKING: After Obasanjo, Atiku Meets Wike, Others In London

“The last thing I think we should explain to people, there has been deliberate misinformation , unknown issue, where people spend so much time talking about Muslim Muslim ticket, Christian Christian ticket.”

Earlier, the party chairman in the state, Col. David Muse (Rtd.) urged members the party to put their grievances aside and work as one for the success of the party at the presidential election and the 2024 governorship election in the state.

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Imuse who boasted that Edo APC gave 70% of her votes to Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the party’s presidential primary, added that the party is fully prepare for local government for local government election in the state.

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Makinde Calls Out Umahi Over Coastal Highway Cost Analysis

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Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has weighed in on the cost of the controversial Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project that was approved by President Bola Tinubu.

Makinde, who spoke at an event in a viral video on Friday, said there was no need for the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to be “dancing around the cost” of the project.

The governor was reacting to a heated exchange that unfolded live on television between Umahi and Arise TV presenter Rufai Oseni on Tuesday.

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Oseni had requested the minister to analyse the cost of the project, kilometre by kilometre.

READ ALSO:Umahi Terminates Benin–Warri Road Contract, Seeks Refund

The request didn’t sit well with Umahi, who declared himself “professor” of practice in engineering while elaborating that the costs of the road in kilometres are not the same and would be too complicated for the journalist to understand.

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He said, “These are elementary questions. And it makes no sense (sic). A process is ongoing, payment has been made, and you are saying, ‘how has this money been utilised?. The money is meant for the project, and it will be paid according to the work done.

“When a certificate is generated, and it is approved through a process in the Ministry of Works, it will then be given to the funders, who will, in turn, check if the works were done. How can you be asking for cost of kilometre? The prices are different. The next kilometre is different from the next kilometre.

“Keep quiet and stop saying what you don’t know. I’m a professor in this field. You don’t understand anything. I understand engineering very well. You have no knowledge of what you ask. You have no knowledge of what you’re asking.”

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Oseni, who also refused to back down, responded, “Minister, it’s alright, keep dignifying yourself, and let the world know who you truly are.”

However, justifying the journalist’s question to the minister, Makinde said, “They asked a minister how much is the coastal road is, and then you (Umahi) are dancing around and going to say that no, the next kilometre is different from the next kilometres. Then what is the average cost?

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“When we did the Oyo to Iseyin road then, it was about N9.99 billion, almost N10 billion. About 34 or 35 kilometres, average cost is about N238 million per kilometre.

“But when we did Iseyin to Ogbomoso, that was 76 kilometres, it was about N43 billion, average cost is about N500 million per kilometre. And we had two bridges, one over the Ogun river and then one at Ogbomoso end.”

READ ALSO:Falana Slams South-West Governors, Criticises Makinde’s N63bn Renovation

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The PUNCH reports that last year, the Federal Government announced the commencement of construction work on the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, which spans nine states and includes two spurs leading to the northern states.

Umahi made the announcement during the official handover of the first phase of the project, made up of 47.47 kilometers of dual carriageway, to Hitech Construction Company Limited, and which is to be constructed in concrete pavement.

This was contained in a statement issued by his Special Adviser (Media), Uchenna Orji.

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According to him, the Minister who was in company with the Federal Ministry of Works’ Controller in charge of Lagos State, Mrs O. I. Kesha, emphasised the need for all contractors handling Federal Government’s road projects to deliver within a record time, noting that the government would not allow variation arising from delays or slow pace of work once mobilisation had been done.

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2027: Oyo Gov, Makinde Speaks On Successor

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Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has said that the choice of who would succeed him in 2027 rests solely with the people of the state, not with political godfathers or entitlement claims.

Makinde said this on Thursday in Ibadan while flagging off the zonal stakeholders’ consultative forum and engagement meeting on the 2026 Budget.

According to the governor, the decision of who becomes the next governor of Oyo state rests on all eligible voters in the state.

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“Oyo State has gone beyond the era of politics based on entitlement or propaganda.

“Rather, the people of the state are now more politically enlightened and they will only support leaders who present credible plans and demonstrate capacity for development,” he said.

READ ALSO:I’m Not Ready To Go Into The Gutters With Anyone – Makinde

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Makinde, while reflecting on his own experience before coming into office in 2019, noted that leadership must be about accountability, not entitlement.

He recalled that many people doubted his capability when he first sought the governorship position, because he had not held any political office.

“In 2018, when I was consulting to become governor, there was no yardstick to measure me. I had never been a councillor or a local government chairman, but I asked the people to trust me and judge me by my actions,” he said.

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The governor urged political leaders to focus on policies and projects that directly impact the lives of citizens rather than engaging in political theatrics.

READ ALSO:Senate Fives FG Ultimatum To Submit Budget Performance Report

He said his administration’s approach to challenges has been to present a clear roadmap for Oyo State’s development, “one that people can read, evaluate, and hold us accountable to.”

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Makinde expressed optimism that the people of the state would continue to support leaders who prioritise progress, inclusivity, and the well-being of citizens over personal ambition.

Speaking at the 7th Stakeholders Consultative Forum, the governor said that his administration would continue to consult and engage with residents of the state on the making of the state’s annual budgets, with a view to knowing their aspirations and prioritising their needs.

He maintained that the stakeholders’ engagement was to enable his government to serve the residents of the state better through a bottom-up approach to development, noting that his administration began the tradition in 2019.

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READ ALSO:Makinde, Wife Installed As Aare Omoluabi, Yeye Aare Omoluabi Of Akure Kingdom

According to him, his government first separated the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning from the Ministry of Finance in order to ensure better management of the state’s resources and to avoid discrepancies.

He stated that the stakeholders’ engagement had resulted in better budget performances and economic development of the state.

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Makinde reiterated that his government would continue to serve the interests of the people of the state by putting in place institutions that would ensure that the environment was safe and ready to attract investments.

He added that the state was growing rapidly and that this development had stopped rural-urban migration with the construction of Moniya-Iseyin Road, Iseyin-Ogbomoso Road, Oyo-Iseyin Road, among other infrastructural projects, which have opened rural communities.

READ ALSO:Falana Slams South-West Governors, Criticises Makinde’s N63bn Renovation

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Makinde is currently serving as governor for the second time.

The governor, whose term ends in 2027, had earlier this month advocated a single term of five or six years for elected political office holders across all levels of government in Nigeria, against the current double term of four years each.

He said a single term of five or six years is enough for any government to focus and serve the people and deliver on its mandate.

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(NAN)

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Court Extends Freezing Order On Osun LGs’ Bank Accounts

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An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, presided over by Justice Ladiran Akintola, on Thursday, extended its earlier order, restraining the United Bank for Africa, Plc, from paying, releasing, or tampering with funds belonging to the 30 Local Governments in Osun State.

Akintola, who gave the order during the sitting in Ibadan, the state capital, said it would remain in force until tomorrow, Friday, October 10, 2025, when the case is scheduled for further hearing.

He explained that the extension became necessary to ensure that all parties in the case were granted the right to a fair hearing in line with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

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In his ruling, the judge said, “The case is adjourned till Friday, October 10, 2025, for further hearing, while the interim injunction shall continue to subsist.”

READ ALSO:Osun LG Crisis: INEC To Relocate CVR Centres, Releases Gov Poll Timetable

Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Musibau Adetunmbi, told the Court that the Peoples Democratic Party had filed an application seeking to be joined in the suit.

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He, however, disclosed that his team would oppose the application.

“Even though the PDP has a constitutional right to a fair hearing under Section 36, we shall oppose their application for joinder. The case is narrow and straightforward; there is no need for multiple parties.”

The SAN also noted that Kasim Gbadamosi (SAN), who holds the brief of Kunle Adegoke (SAN), for the All Progressive Congress ex-council chairmen, had filed a fresh application in addition to an earlier one on the same matter of joinder.

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READ ALSO:Protest Rocks Abuja Over Osun LG Polls

Responding, Gbadamosi said he intended to withdraw the new application, arguing that the issue of jurisdiction did not require a formal application.

“I will withdraw the application. The issue before the court is jurisdictional, and as such, it doesn’t require a formal application.”

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He further argued that the case before the High Court amounted to an abuse of judicial process since a similar matter was already pending before the Supreme Court.

The matter is premised on a case already before the Supreme Court and should therefore be struck out,” he stated.

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Also, the counsel to UBA Plc, Mutalib Ojo (SAN), aligned with the argument, urging the Court to adjourn the case sine die (indefinitely) pending the determination of the matter at the apex court.

We observe that this suit is predicated upon a case already before the Supreme Court. Consequently, it should be adjourned sine die until the determination of that matter. UBA is not a party to the Supreme Court case; we are merely a neutral party in this process,” he submitted.

After hearing all arguments, Akintola adjourned the case till tomorrow, Friday, for ruling.

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READ ALSO:IG Squads Occupy Secretariats As Osun LG Poll Crisis Rages

Recall that the court had earlier granted the following interim orders as sought by the claimants: An order of interim injunction restraining UBA from paying, releasing, disbursing, or tampering with funds in the disputed local government accounts.

An order of mandatory injunction directing UBA to place a “Post No Debit” restriction on all affected accounts pending the hearing of the substantive motion on notice.

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The affected accounts include those of the 30 Local Governments in Osun State, from Atakumosa East to Osogbo, each identified by name and account number with UBA.

The suit, filed as Suit No. 1/1167/2025 before Court No. 5 of the Ibadan Judicial Division, is being handled by Olalekan Adeoye, Esq., on behalf of the claimants.

A second case on the same matter filed by the local government chairmen elected under the PDP was also adjourned for hearing tomorrow.
(PUNCH)

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