Politics

IG Squads Occupy Secretariats As Osun LG Poll Crisis Rages

Published

7 months ago

February 24, 2025

Editor

As the political crisis in Osun State over the control of local government continues to rage, the tactical squad deployed by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, will remain at the LG secretariats, The PUNCH has gathered.

An impeccable source in the police, who spoke anonymously for lack of authorisation, said the tactical team had the IG’s mandate to man the secretariats for two months.

The political crisis deepened on Sunday as the All Progressives Congress vowed to take measures to prevent newly sworn-in local government chairmen of the Peoples Democractic Party from accessing council funds.

This comes after Governor Ademola Adeleke swore in the chairmen and councillors elected in Saturday’s local government election.

In the Saturday election, candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party won in all the Osun local government, the APC having withdrawn from the exercise.

The APC had cited a recent Court of Appeal judgment, reportedly reinstating the APC LG chairmen elected and sacked in 2022.

The APC LG chairmen had last week taken over the LG secretariat, insisting that they had been reinstated.

Though the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) and the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, warned against the conduct of a fresh LG poll, referencing the appeal court judgment, reinstating the APC LG chairmen, Governor Adeleke went on to conduct the fresh LG poll on Saturday.

At the swearing-in on Sunday, Adeleke directed the new PDP LG chairmen and councillors not to resume yet at their various council areas, to prevent clashes with “those whom the police had aided to forcefully occupy the local government secretariats.”

Meanwhile, a leader of the APC in Osun confided in The PUNCH that they would write to the banks to freeze the accounts of the local government, so that the new PDP LG chairmen would not have access to funds.

Speaking on the steps the APC will take against the new PDP LG chairmen, a former Special Adviser on Education to ex-Governor Gboyega Oyetola, Mr Jamiu Olawumi, told The PUNCH that the reinstated chairmen and their councillors would move to stop the PDP chairmen from accessing the funds of the councils.

He also said the chairmen would issue a directive for council workers to resume duty under the leadership of APC-elected chairmen, who were declared winners in the October 15, 2022, election.

“We will continue to go to the office. We will write to all the regional managers of banks in Osun to tell them that there has been a change of leadership in the local governments.

“We want to notify them that very soon, we will approach them to effect a change of signatories to the accounts of councils,” Olawumi stated.

He warned banks against recognising the PDP chairmen, describing them as “persona non grata,” and cautioned that any financial institution that took sides with them did so at its risk.

“We also implore regional managers of banks in Osun State not to join them in any game that can cause them imprisonment because power has changed in the local government, enforced by the Federal Government as a result of the Court of Appeal judgment.

“They should not deal with ward congress men of the PDP. They are persona non-grata. They don’t have any access to the local governments. So, any regional manager who sides with them is doing it at the risk of his bank and his job.

“We are ready to fight for this as we have always done. The appeal to the general public is to continue to transact with the local governments.

“Chairmen and secretaries are there to attend to you in a peaceful atmosphere that has been provided by the law of Nigeria and the Federal Government,” Olawumi said.

Olawumi also said the chairmen would recall local government staff who had since Monday stayed away from their duty posts to avoid being caught in the web of the political crisis in the state.

“We will also place a public service announcement that all local government officials should resume work.

“We are aware of the instruction of Governor Ademola Adeleke to his ward congress election winners that they are calling chairmen of local government that they should not go to office tomorrow (Monday) until there is peace.

“There is peace already because the Court of Appeal has given us peace in Osun. It is only the government of Osun under his leadership that is rupturing the peace.

“Also, they can’t come to the council because there is no vacancy in the local governments. Our appeal to the career leadership of the local governments is to call their colleagues who are staff of local governments to resume.

“The Federal Government has provided enough security and it’s adequate for us,” he said.

Responding, the Osun PDP Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed APC’s plans as mere wishes.

He said, “We don’t think that they would be so unreasonable. There are litigations here and there unless they want to start another controversy. If they do anything contrary to what is on the ground, we will now see what to do.

“I just hope they know what they are doing because the local government does not just stop at the local council alone; there are other layers of governance that deal with local government, and I hope they realise that local government is not just about the chairman alone.

“We have other civil servants that are also signatories to the account. All this gallivanting does not show them as moderate or civilised enough to even know the procedures in the administration of the local government they are trying to administer,” he said.

The PDP spokesman added, “We are ready for everything, and we will be treating every issue as it comes. Where we are is where we are. The election has been held, winners have emerged, and we take things up from there.”

Multiple security sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to The PUNCH said operatives attached to the tactical teams of the Inspector General of Police, who were deployed in the state would remain in Osogbo until further notice.

This, the sources said, was to ensure security at local government secretariats in the state.
(PUNCH)

Related Topics:Osun Osun LG Crisis Osun LG poll

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Politics

90% Of Nigeria’s Elections Since Independence Rigged — Ex-lawmaker

Published

2 hours ago

September 28, 2025

Editor

A lawyer and former member of the National Assembly, Senator Ikechukwu Obiorah, has said that over ninety per cent of all elections so far held in Nigeria, from independence to date, have been brazenly rigged or perverted, thus causing the mass poverty and underdevelopment being experienced in the country.

Senator Obiorah, who represented Anambra South Senatorial District between 2007 and 2011 in the National Assembly, blamed the non-existence of honest, transparent, free and fair elections in Nigeria for the mass poverty and gross underdevelopment in the nation presently.

The lawyer and author stated this in his treatise on “The Philosophy of Elections and Nigeria’s Fake Democracy”, made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday.

Worried by this development, the erstwhile federal lawmaker has proposed a constitutional amendment that will ensure the power to appoint electoral bodies – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) – is taken away from both the President and Governors and vested in a neutral body which would set in motion processes to lift Nigeria out of poverty.

He stated that a proposed bill to that effect had already been sent to both the Senate and the House of Representatives for prompt legislative action.

He pointed out that had the people been allowed to exercise the power to freely elect their leaders since 1960, Nigeria would by now be a fully developed nation by first-world standards and in all ramifications.

According to him, “Since independence, 90 per cent of all elections – Parliamentary, Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, House of Assembly, Local Government Council elections – have been brazenly stolen or rigged or perverted or altogether thwarted or nullified.

“Nigerians have never really and voluntarily chosen their leaders, nor have Nigerians ever been governed with their proper consent and participation. The absence of honest elections makes ours a fake democracy, period. In Nigeria, the simple but painful cause of stealing and rigging of elections is that those vested with power to appoint the electoral bodies and personnel were themselves or their political parties or their preferred candidates, contestants in the same elections. It is just like making a person a judge in his own case.

“Right from independence, the then Prime Minister, and later the President, was always cloaked with the power to appoint the commissioners and senior officers of the electoral bodies responsible for the conduct of all elections in Nigeria.

“However, by virtue of the 1999 Constitution, the power of appointing the state electoral bodies responsible for conducting local government elections was transferred to the State Governors. Consequently, the world has been witnessing the Soviet Union-style results declared from Nigeria’s local government elections, where the Governor’s political party, in most cases, scores a 100 per cent victory.

“The world has also been hearing loud cries and protestations against rigging and seeing the avalanche of court cases that attend all other elections in Nigeria for which the President appoints the electoral bodies and officers,” he noted.

He added that “it is very important to make the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic transmission of results via INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) legally mandatory in the conduct of Nigerian elections.”

Senator Obiorah pointed out that “these systems cannot solve the problem of election rigging without the electoral bodies’ neutrality and integrity because BVAS and IReV are vulnerable to manipulation.”

As a way out of this problem, Senator Obiorah is proposing that the power for the appointment of electoral bodies be taken away from both the Governors and the President and vested in a neutral body which would set in motion processes to lift Nigeria out of poverty.

According to him, “I do, most humbly, propose a constitutional amendment to provide for the establishment of a new, truly and literally Independent National Electoral Commission (new INEC), charged with the responsibility of conducting all elections for all elected offices in the three tiers of government – the Federal, State and Local Government.

“I do, also, propose that the new INEC be composed and constituted by thirteen commissioners, six of whom would be elected by the underlisted six Nigerian labour and professional organisations, and six commissioners nominated by the United Nations, and one commissioner-observer nominated by Transparency International, totalling thirteen commissioners.

“The new INEC would have the power to elect and remove its Chairman and hire and fire all staff, including the Chief Executive Officer.

“The election of six commissioners by the underlisted Nigerian labour and professional organisations is arranged in a corresponding alphabetical order as follows:

READ ALS:

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics would elect one commissioner out of its members from the North Central geopolitical zone;

The Academic Staff Union of Universities would elect one commissioner out of its members from the North East geopolitical zone;

The Institute of Chartered Accountants would elect one commissioner out of its members from the North West geopolitical zone;

The Nigerian Bar Association would elect one commissioner out of its members from the South East geopolitical zone;

The Nigerian Medical Association would elect one commissioner out of its members from the South South geopolitical zone;

The Nigerian Union of Journalists would elect one commissioner out of its members from the South West geopolitical zone.

He clarified that nominations from the United Nations and Transparency International would definitely not violate Nigeria’s sovereignty, because those nominations would not be imposed by any sort of force; rather, it is Nigeria as a sovereign nation that would voluntarily request these nominations.

He stated further that the UN and Transparency International would be positively disposed to acceding to Nigeria’s request because, like other development institutions, they rightly regard stealing or rigging of elections as the worst and most destructive kind of all corrupt practices. He noted that the UN, having directly organised the establishment, manning and management of some anti-corruption programmes and institutions in various countries such as Guatemala and El Salvador, would be pleased to participate in such a liberating effort in Nigeria.

Senator Obiorah also recalled that the President of Honduras, Xiomara Castro, not long ago, dispatched a letter to the United Nations requesting the UN’s establishment and management of an International Commission against Corruption and Impunity in Honduras, for which a memorandum of understanding has been signed by both parties in furtherance of that cooperation.

He added that the United Nations and Transparency International would not nominate any Nigerian citizen or any person indigenous to Nigeria, saying that “It would be the job of the President to receive and collate the names and curriculum vitae of the nominees for transmission to the Senate and House of Representatives for confirmation.

According to him, “No nominee or nominee-elect would be rejected or impeached by the National Assembly except by concurrent resolutions supported by at least two-thirds majority of all Senators and Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, respectively, voting individually in person by a secret ballot and televised in real time. Voice vote for this exercise would be prohibited.

“The tenure of office of a commissioner would not exceed four years. It must be made clear that the establishment of the new INEC would not be a setback in the strides for devolution of powers to the States.”

Politics

Probe Natasha’s Allegations Against Akpabio, Afenifere Urges FG

Published

2 days ago

September 26, 2025

Editor

The pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Afenifere, has urged the Federal Government to investigate sexual harassment allegations levelled by Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The call followed the Senate’s decision to lift Akpoti-Uduaghan’s six-month suspension.

This, Afenifere said should not overshadow the need to establish the truth of her claims.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Afenifere’s National Organising Secretary, Kole Omololu, said the senator’s recall reflected commitment to the rule of law.

“We commend the Senate President, His Excellency Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Senate leadership for taking a decision that further reinforces the country’s rule of law,” Omololu said.

The group, however, insisted that Akpoti-Uduaghan’s allegations must not be ignored.

“For over six months, where are the facts and evidence of her grave allegations?” Afenifere asked.

It called on the “Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to carry out a full investigation into the matter.”

Afenifere also recalled Akpoti-Uduaghan’s past false sexual harassment claims against former presidential aide Reno Omokri, which ended in an out-of-court settlement.

“Does this not suggest that, without proof, her allegations against Akpabio are suspicious?” Omololu asked.

The group further criticised Akpoti-Uduaghan for taking her claims to international media, including BBC, CNN, Sky News and Deutsche Welle, saying the move portrayed Nigeria negatively abroad.

It also queried her participation in a session of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in New York.

“If Natasha truly participated in the IPU meeting without due nomination, then it simply revealed her compromise or manipulation of our public institutions for pecuniary ends,” the group said.

In March 2025, Natasha was suspended for six months after a row in plenary and her petition accusing Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment.

She claimed the incident happened in December 2023, but the Senate’s Ethics Committee dismissed her petition on procedural grounds. Despite a court order halting disciplinary action, the Senate went ahead with her suspension, which also froze her pay and barred her from official duties.

Akpoti-Uduaghan challenged the suspension in court, insisting it was tied to her allegations. While the Senate said it acted over misconduct, the case attracted global attention after she granted interviews to international media. The matter remains unsettled, with Afenifere now urging federal authorities to investigate her claims.

Meanwhile, Natasha formally resumed her duties at the National Assembly on October 7, 2025, after her six-month suspension ended – and immediately claimed that Akpabio is a dictator.

And almost immediately, Akpabio’s media aide Kenny Okolugbo debunked the claim.

Politics

2027: Drama As Atiku Disowns Media Consultant Over Statement On Yoruba

Published

3 days ago

September 25, 2025

Editor

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has denied any association with a media consultant named Kola Johnson.

This is as he also rejected statements released by the media consultant on Wednesday that he would protect Yoruba interests if elected as president in 2027.

Atiku, in a statement issued on Thursday by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, alleged that “faceless mercenaries” are behind the false press statement just to discredit him.

He also dismissed the claim as “false and offensive,” describing it as part of a calculated propaganda project to ridicule him in the media.

The statement specifically mentioned one Kola Johnson, described as a “self-styled media consultant,” who allegedly released a publication claiming that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group.

The statement read, “Our findings point directly to the Presidency, which, in its desperation to smear opposition leaders, has resorted to hiring faceless mercenaries to fabricate fake stories and circulate unauthorised statements on Atiku.

“Particularly offensive is the false claim attributed to this individual that an Atiku administration would be dominated by a single ethnic group. This disinformation is part of a calculated propaganda project designed to ridicule Atiku in the media.

“Let it be clear: Atiku Abubakar has never engaged one Kola Johnson as a media consultant, aide, or associate. Any statement issued in that name is fake and should be disregarded. We urge media houses that have published such falsehoods to immediately retract them.”

The statement also clarified that authentic information on the former Vice President is only released through his Media Adviser or Special Assistant on Public Communications.

“Editors and media gatekeepers are strongly advised to verify with the Atiku Media Office before publication,” the statement added.

It was widely reported on Wednesday that Atiku has assured people of the South-West geo-political zone that their interest would remain central to his policy direction if elected President in 2027, noting that his long-standing marital and cultural ties to the region make him family.

The report quoted a statement by one, Kola Johnson, as saying that the former Vice President spoke during an engagement with select stakeholders.

The report said Atiku described the people of the South-West as one of the finest species of the human race, noting that his marriage to a Yoruba woman in the 1970s forged a permanent bond between him and the Yorubas.

He dismissed fears of Hausa/Fulani domination under his leadership as unfounded, insisting that the Yoruba were his larger extended family and in-laws.

The former vice president added that his Yoruba connections extend beyond family, as some of his closest friends and associates were from the region.

“In case you don’t know or have forgotten, I was married to my first wife, Titi, a Yoruba woman, in the 70s, and we have four Yoruba children together. She is now over 75 years old, and we are still together.

“Besides, the Yoruba are so sophisticated and highly educated that you can only toy with them at your peril,” Atiku stated. “My Ijesha-born Yoruba wife is more than a wife to me. Aptly put, she is my Jewel of Inestimable value and anybody who knows about my family, even from a distance, can easily tell you this.”