Politics

Edo Election: LP Blames Obi, Akpata For Defeat

Published

1 year ago

September 24, 2024

The Julius Abure led Labour Party (LP) has blamed the party’s candidate in the just concluded governorship election in Edo State, Barr. Olumide Akpata and Mr. Peter Obi for the party’s abysmal performance.

The party also congratulated the Edo State Governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo, and the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the victory, saying that the victory was a well deserved one.

The party, while congratulating the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for a job well done, described the election as one of the fairest, freest and most peaceful elections in the country.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Abayomi Arabambi, who said these in a statement signed and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, said those who accused INEC of being partial and fraud in the election, are part of Nigerians who failed to learn from history.

He said, “whatever INEC does was correct. The problem with Nigerians and their leaders is that if anything doesn’t favour us, that thing is wrong, but if it favour us even when it’s wrong, we described it as the right thing”.

The party noted “just last week, Mr. Peter Obi and Alex Otti were clapping for INEC who alleged that the tenure of Abure has expired. When they knew that we had a national convention in Nnewi, where INEC was invited, Alex Otti sponsored the convention, his Deputy represented him at the convention, all his commissioners were present, and yet because they wanted to forcefully and illegally take over the party, they said INEC was correct to say Abure’s tenure has expired when they themselves know that INEC was not truthful, but acting illegally. Today because they failed in Edo, INEC has done the wrong thing”.

The party noted that Peter Obi and Gov Alex Oti’s high handedness, deceit, love for power grabbing, brash, abrasive approach and betrayal of National Working Committee of the party, under Abure and the Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Umar Ibrahim, sowed the seeds of failures and contributed in many ways to LP’s loss in the governorship election.

“Another reason that led to the defeat of LP was that Olumide Akpata is from the same local government (Oredo) and the same Senatorial District, with Governor Godwin Obaseki, who will soon complete his eight-years term.”

He added that “people of Edo wanted the next governor to emerge from Edo Central which explains why APC and PDP took their candidates from there”.

He described a statement credited to Obi that the damage INEC caused in the Edo governorship election will inevitably take revenge on those responsible and affect their children in the future as an insult to the generality of Edo people who wanted equity and justice for Edo Central Senatorial District, but which Obi decided to work against.

The party also berated its governorship candidate for alleging that the election was for the highest bidder, saying that Akpata lacks moral right to say that.

“Olumide Akpata has no reason to complain about the election and buying of votes. Akpata bought all the Labour Party delegates during the primary to get the Labour Party ticket. He bought over the party structure, gave them vehicles. He even called police to harass those who pointed out the abnormality. He bought the National Working Committee over, and took the ticket”, Arabambi said.

The party then called on Edo people to rally round the newly elected governor, saying that Labour Party under the leadership of Abure will continue to work in tandem with the constitution of the party.

Politics

Agege LG Chairman Resigns

Published

5 days ago

November 5, 2025

Editor

Agege Local Government
Mr. Tunde Azeez Disco has stepped down as the Executive Chairman of Agege Local Government, citing persistent health challenges as the reason for his resignation.

The former chairman submitted his resignation letter to the Agege Local Government Legislative Arm.

He noted that his health status had significantly impacted his ability to effectively discharge his official duties.

The legislative house, while acknowledging Azeez Disco’s dedication to public service, quickly accepted the decision. Following a thorough deliberation, a unanimous resolution was passed, accepting the resignation with immediate effect.

The council wished the outgoing chairman well in his future endeavours, with the event underlining the necessity for public officials to prioritise personal health and well-being.

Ganiyu Obasa, son of the Speaker, Lagos State Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, is the Vice chairman of Agege Local Government.

In May, residents of Agege, under the banner of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the local government election in Agege.

They claimed that Obasa allegedly plans to foist his surrogates as candidates in the local government and councillorship elections.

In a meeting held in response to the announcement of candidates for the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the Agege Local Government and Orile-Agege Local Council Development Area (LCDA), the aggrieved residents alleged that those shortlisted as candidates to represent the area were handpicked by Obasa.

They said the process was void of internal democracy and collective participation.

Addressing the media, Kamardeen Sabitu, chairman of the PCC for Agege and Orile-Agege, alleged that Obasa did everything possible to manipulate the political structure in the area for personal gain.

During the protest, demonstrators carried placards reading “Red Card, Obasa O to ge, (it is enough). They also chanted songs such as “Enough is Enough, this suffering is enough, Tinubu, rescue us.”

Politics

JUST IN: Reps In Rowdy Session, Reject Key Motions

Published

6 days ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

The plenary session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday turned rowdy after members voted against some motions of urgent public importance, which bordered on the protection of lives and key government assets.

With the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, presiding, the session became rowdy, as members dissolved into a closed-door session to restore order.

It all started when the member representing Somolu Federal Constituency, Lagos State, Ademorin Kuye, drew the attention of his colleagues to what he called the illegal allocation of lands within the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex and prayed the House to refer the matter to the Committee on Public Assets for investigation.

Kuye, a member of the All Progressives Congress is the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Assets.

Proposing an amendment to the prayers, Delta lawmaker and Chairman, House Committee on Rules and Business, Francis Waive, argued that though the matter brought before the Green Chamber is urgent enough, the Committee on Commerce, not Public Assets, should be in charge of the investigation.

Waive was supported by Akwa Ibom lawmaker, Mark Esset, who argued that “It is the Committee on Commerce that should take responsibility on this matter.”

On the other hand, Yusuf Gagdi representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Plateau State, supported Kuye, stating that the Public Assets Committee should be allowed to take charge of investigating the allegation of illegal land sale and submit a report to the House.

With no end to the back-and-forth argument in sight, Gbefwi Gaza (SDP, Nasarawa) on the advice of Kalu, proposed the constitution of an Ad-hoc Committee comprising members of both Committees (Public Assets and Commerce) to conduct the probe.

When subjected to a voice vote, almost an equal number of lawmakers voted in support and against the motion.

Not sure whose voices were louder, Kalu gave it to the nays, sparking unrest in the chamber.

Next on the order of urgent motions was Mohammed Bio representing Baruten/Kaima Federal Constituency, Kwara State.

Bio who lamented the worsening security situation in his constituency, prayed the House to urge the military to establish a base in the crisis-prone areas to stem the tides of attacks.

This time, more lawmakers voted against the motion, to the surprise of Kalu and the Kwara lawmaker.

It became clear to Kalu that members had resolved to frustrate the day’s session owing to the rejection of Kuye’s motion.

So, when again voices thundered against Ayodeji Alao-Akala’s motion which drew members’ attention to the need to address Nigeria’s description as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States President, Mr Donald Trump; Kalu allowed the motion to pass, forcing members to openly oppose the decision.

Voices of dissent rent the chambers and the plenary was suspended for a closed-door session.

…Details later

Politics

Obaseki’s Media Aide Tackles Edo Information Commissioner Over Alleged ₦600bn Debt

Published

6 days ago

November 4, 2025

Editor

A former Governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has denied leaving a debt of N600bn, urging the Monday Okpehbolo-led administration to crosscheck from the Debt Management Office (DMO) before “spewing lies.”

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Prince Kassim Afegbua, had on Monday in Benin claimed that the immediate past administration in the state left a whooping ₦600bn debt.

Reacting to Afegbua’s claim via video call on Tuesday, Obaseki’s Media Adviser, Crusoe Osagie, challenged the current administration in the state to visit the DMO to see whether Edo drew such debt.

Crusoe, who said no government at whatever level has capacity to draw loans or enter into any debt arrangement without the knowledge and approval of the DMO, said lies being spewed by the Okpebholo’s administration is giving the country a bad image.

He said information of such gives the impression that the state is being governed by people who don’t understand what it means to run a government.

Crusoe described the claim as false and outrightly out of place.

On the planned probe of Mosium of West Africa Arts (MOWA), Crusoe noted that MOWA remained an international brand that entered into a business agreement with Edo State with all T’s crossed and all I’s dotted.

He insisted that every record about the transaction between Radisson Hotel and the Edo State government was contained in the transition report.

He said: “MOWA is an international investment drawing funds from the German government, the United Kingdom’s government, and the French government for its development. You think such an investment will be put on a land that was not ceded to that organization by the state.

“These people just come out there and toss all kinds of irresponsible information out there. At the end of the day what happens is that all of these turn around to form the intelligence that gathered out of Nigeria by the international community.

“It makes these countries think that the country is a failed state and the place is not being governed.”