Politics

Edo Poll: PDP Aspirant Guber Chides Homegrown Mantra, Says It’s About Capacity

Published

2 years ago

December 28, 2023

An aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the forthcoming Edo State governorship election, Osaro Onaiwu has chided those calling themselves homegrown.

He said they (politicans) are doing this for the purpose of gaining cheap popularity in the name of election.

He argued that position of the governor should about capacity to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people of the state and not mere sloganeering of homegrown.

He expressed his views while speaking with newsmen in Benin ahead of the party’s primary.

Onaiwu said that there is nobody that is more homegrown than himself if that is what they should go by.

He boasted that he once represented the state in a competition when it was still Bendel State, adding that he had equally served the founders of the state which none of those chorusing homegrown has done.

“Nobody is more homegrown than me because my wife is Edo. Majority of the aspirants’ wives are not Edo.

“So, as governor-to-be, my wife understands the values and culture of the women and which is key.

“I served the two major people that built Edo. Samuel Ogbemudia, was the maker of Edo, then the man who created the state, Augustus Aikhomo, so I served him.

“So, when they say homegrown, there has to be a definition of homegrown.

“I have also participated in sports festival. I played handball for Bendel state.

“So who could be more homegrown than me? Let any of the aspirants come out, put a medal on the table to say this is what I did for Bendel state when he was young.

“This is not the time for us to talk about who is homegrown and who is not homegrown. We are looking at capacity, we are looking at those who are ready to serve.

“In Igboland, there is what we call the apprentice system. When you have finished serving, they will set you free. I, therefore, challenge all of them to come and tell me who they have served that they now want to serve Edo people.

“When you have not served somebody, you can’t serve the people. Service is about passion, service is about humility, service is about care.

“We don’t want people who say that they are coming to serve us. Are they coming to serve us or they are coming to loot our common wealth? No. Homegrown issue should not even come to play because if they want to talk about the homegrown, I am the original homegrown because my wife is Edo,” he added.

On the issue of zoning, the aspirant said those who are advocating for it have forgotten the political history so soon.

He added that politics is a game of numbers, therefore those who are seeking for elective position should be prepared to canvass for votes and stop playing up sentiment.

“On the issue of zoning, we have never zoned in Edo. It is clear. People are just trying to bring sentiment and emotion.

“Emotion and sentiment don’t win election. Election is about consensus; election is about talking to people. We have never zoned. If you check from 1999 till date, every other areas in the state have always participated in elections.

“So why the emotion? why the sentiment? When Osunbor was the governor, was it zoned? He contested against Julius Ihonvbere.

“It was not zoned. So, why are they now talking about zoning? Have we forgotten our history? Some people that are talking of zoning, did they participate in the electoral process in Edo State from 1999?.”

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

7 hours ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Adebayo Olugbenga Adedamola, popularly known as FRYO, has emerged as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the August 8, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The primary election took place in Osogbo on Tuesday amid heavy security presence.

Announcing the result, chairman of the primary election committee, Humphrey Abba, stated that Adebayo secured 919 votes out of 957 accredited ballots, giving him a clear victory in the contest.

Explaining that there were 20 void votes following the withdrawal of one of the candidates, believed to be Governor Ademola Adeleke, Abba added, “The candidate that got the remaining votes is Adebayo Adedamola with 919 votes and he stands elected and returned.”

DAILY POST reports that despite announcing his resignation from the party, Adeleke’s name appeared on the ballot paper for the PDP governorship primary.

Party officials said the exercise was conducted in accordance with established guidelines, with accredited delegates participating in the voting process.

Adeleke announced his resignation in a letter dated November 4, 2025, and addressed to the PDP leadership at his ward.

On Monday, Osun PDP chairman, Sunday Bisi, had announced that the governorship primary slated for Tuesday, December 2, 2025, has been postponed due to leadership crisis at the national level.

But a faction of the party went ahead with the exercise in Osogbo on Tuesday.

Politics

Gov Adeleke Resigns From PDP

Published

17 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.