Politics

How Tinubu’s Naira Rain Tears Apart Ondo Monarchs

Published

4 years ago

March 6, 2022

The axiom that money is the root of all evils, was put to litmus test on Friday, March 05 2022, when a frontline leader and presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu paid courtesy calls on traditional rulers in the three Senatorial Districts of Ondo State and rained cash gifts on the Obas, which led to a rat race of sorts.

The huge political largesse, as at today, has created a wide gulf between the minority Class A kings and the majority 130 Crowns in the Sunshine State, who belong to the B and C grades.

According to an impeccable source, the presidential aspirant and former governor of Lagos State famous for keeping cash in bullion vans, Asiwaju Tinubu brought sacks of Naira as homage to the royal fathers in their domains.

His entourage’s first point of call was Ondo South Senatorial District, where they met the Obas at an Events Centre in Okitipupa.

After exchanges of pleasantries and declaration of his intention to contest the 2023 Presidential Election, Tinubu’s aides were said to have rolled in millions of Naira notes stacked in Ghana-Must-Go bags, for the kings to share.

A source alleged that N30m was allocated to each of the three political zones.

Whereas things went according to plan under the supervision of HRM Olugbo, what obtained in Central and North Senatorial Districts were outright row and chaos. A cold war indeed!

In Akure, 18 Monarchs met Tinubu in the Palace of the Deji of Akure, but only 3 of them are Grade A while 15 are in B and C categories.

Surprisingly, it was learnt from insiders that only a meagre N5m was doled out to the 15 rulers to share while the chunk was kept by the few three.

To worsen the situation, no information on the actual largesse was said to be given to the second class Obas.

Rage, however, set in and the N5m offered, by a popular politician in Ondo State, was reportedly dumped at the doorstep of the Paramount ruler of Akure land.

The protesting royals later staged a walk out without collecting the money.

Similar ugly incident happened in North Senatorial District meeting held in Owo, where Monarchs converged on the Palace of the new Olowo of Owo. The 7 Grade A Obas present were said to have outsmarted the 26 B and C kings, whom were blocked from knowing what transpired between the August visitor and the royals.

At the end of the day, after Team Tinubu had left, a paltry sum of N5.7m was dished out by the coordinating Grade A Oba Olowo, to the 26 representatives of the lower cadre royals.

Having failed to disclose the total monetary gift from the Lagos frontline politician; anger took the best of the cheated Grade B and C Obas, who politely declined collecting their own ‘share’ of the ‘Tinubu’s cake.’

As at press time and insider said frantic efforts were being made by mediators to settle the matter equitably and fairly, in order to keep the issue off public notice.

The aggrieved Obas, who control majority of communities in the state, were said to be waiting patiently to do the damage to the electoral interest of the ‘chosen candidate’ of the First Class Obas, at the polls.

However, analysts see the visitations by Tinubu to Yoruba Obas in all the states, with huge kolanuts, as a political strategy to mark the South West territorial zone, as a safe haven for himself, in case any other aspirant wants to venture into the presidential race from the region.

Politics

PDP Issues Certificate Of Expulsion To Wike, Fayose, Anyanwu, Others

Published

2 days ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it has issued certificate of expulsion from the party to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other 10 members earlier expelled from the party.

The party National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen after the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.

The other members, according to him, include the embattled National Secretary, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, the Legal Adviser, Kamarudeen Ajibade, former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose.

They also included Sen. Mao Ohuabunwa, Austin Nwachukwu, Abraham Amah Nnanna, George Turna and Chief Dan Orbih, expelled during the party National convention in Lagos.

Turaki said that the original copies of the certificate had been dispatched to the owners through a courier service to serve as proof that they were expelled from the PDP.

“We have taken note of the fact that Nigerian law frowns on dual membership of political parties, and so we have sought to make it easy for them.

“Now that they are no longer members of our party, and now that the National Convention, which is the highest decision-making organ of our party, has expelled them, we have decided to issue them certificates of expulsion.

“So, when they go to register with other political parties in Nigeria, they will show these certificates as proof that they are no longer members of the PDP.

“By that, those parties will not accuse them of trying to belong to more than one political party,” he said.

He called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, and other government agencies, to take note.

“Very soon, members of the society will be informed via proper disclaimers that any person henceforth who decides to do business with them, any or all of them, does so at his or her own risk.

“They are no longer members of the PDP. They have been expelled,” he added.

He added that the NWC also reviewed some of the cases filed against the party and lawsuits instituted by the party, particularly the one that related to the “unlawful and illegal” closure of the party’s national Secretariat, the Legacy House, and the Wadata Plaza.

“The brief we received from our lawyers is that we are on sound ground, and that very soon, the law will take its course,” he said.

Turaki said the NWC was prepared to be saddled with the responsibility of performing its functions as the leading opposition party in Nigeria.

“We are going to provide a credible alternative to Nigerians. We are going to provide credible leadership to Nigerians by the special grace of God from 2027,” he said.

Politics

Adebayo Adedamola Wins Osun PDP Governorship Primary

Published

3 days 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

4 days 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.”