Politics

Impeachment: Ondo Deputy Governor Not Ready For Genuine Reconciliation – Speaker

Published

2 years ago

November 3, 2023

The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olamide Oladiji, said this weekend, that the embattled deputy governor of the state, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was not ready for genuine reconciliation to stop his impeachment.

Recall that the assembly had served the deputy governor impeachment notice, for alleged gross misconduct.

But Aiyedatiwa had approached the court to halt the impeachment process just as the national leadership of the party, set up a reconciliation committee to resolve the crisis.

The national leadership of the party, at a peace meeting with the parties in Abuja, directed them to sheath their sword and allow for an amicable settlement of the crisis.

But speaking in Akure, the state capital, on the outcome of the peace meeting in Abuja, with the leadership of the party, the Speaker, Rt Hon Oladiji, said that the deputy governor was not ready for genuine reconciliation.

Oladiji said that during the reconciliation meeting, the assembly members and the deputy governor were asked to withdraw all cases in court.

According to him, ”We met the National Chairman, and he specifically asked me how do we commence reconciliation.

“I told him that the reconciliation process has to start from the deputy governor, the deputy governor has to start the reconciliation. He is the one that took us to court, we cannot be reconciling ourselves when we have cases in the court.

“Let him go to the court, withdraw all these cases, then we would know that we are now in for genuine reconciliation.

“But the deputy governor has not done that as he has appealed some of the rulings of the lower court.

“But in the process where those cases have not been withdrawn from the court, the court cases are still on, and we are telling ourselves that we are doing genuine reconciliation. Is that one genuine?.

“As far as the House of Assembly is concerned, we are not doing anything. The cases are in the court and we would follow due process. We believe in the court, as far as we are concerned, the matter is the court.

“He appealed some cases again, so we are in court, either favorable or unfavorable, then we will know what to do next. As far as we’re concerned now, we are doing nothing, we are following up the cases in the court.”

On the alleged division amongst the assembly members,the speaker said: ”I want to use this opportunity to inform the general public that the House of Assembly is intact. About three days ago, we had our parliamentary meeting here(House 11 legislative quarters, Alagbaka, Akure,) because of the protest of this Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN).

“We had about 23 members in attendance. We did so many things together here, if not because of this strike, which is not peculiar to Ondo State alone, it is nationwide, we would have continued our legislative businesses.

“I have been treating files since morning, and our members have been coming, if you go to the speaker’s lodge now, you would see about 15 members there, we are together.

“At times, when there’s a political tussle like this, there can be insinuations, rumours, but in the House of Assembly, we are together. We told ourselves that it is an institution, and the institution must be protected. So, we are together.

“To the public, most of these bloggers want to feed fat on the issues on ground. They are the one deceiving the public, telling all sort of stories that the House is this, it’s that. As far as I am concerned, we are together.”

Oladiji, also, dismissed the allegation that the state has shut down and nothing is functioning as a result of the absence of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in the state.

He said staffers of the state government are being paid their salaries and the workers are going about their duties unhindered.

“As far as I am concerned, I will not subscribe to that because, if you are telling the public that the state is stagnant, yesterday people just received their salary. The impress would be coming any moment from now.

“It is not a new thing for head of Administration to man a local government, most especially when the state government is planning to conduct an election. Instead of bringing in another set of people, what they do is that, they instruct the head of Administration to take over the government, pending the time we would conduct our election.

“So, it is not a new thing. the state is not stagnant, if you go to most of our construction sites, the Ministry of Works, they are working. All our commissioners are working, they are distributing Palliatives in the 18 Local Governments, we are doing well.

“I don’t know where they get that from, there can be political tussle somewhere, that does not destroy the operation of governance, that does not hinder governance, people are getting their salary, they are getting their impress and the civil servants are doing their work,” he said.

The Speaker denied that the impeachment of the deputy governor was initiated by him and members of the assembly.

“Some people are now tracing the impeachment thing to House of Assembly, Mr. Speaker, honorable.

“It did not originate from the House of Assembly, the letter must come from the executive to the House of Assembly. By the time it comes to the House of Assembly, then we ask ourselves, what does the Constitution say? And that’s what we are doing.

“If we are setting up any panel, it would have to come from the executive. If they can get the 2/3 of the members of the executive, fine, and they would write us.”

He said that: “By the time they write us, it is then we can now start working on it. Just like the one we did, as far as that of Deputy Governor is concerned, the executive wrote us, and we acted on that letter that they wrote us.”

Politics

JUST IN: El-Rufai Formally Joins ADC

Published

3 hours ago

November 27, 2025

Editor

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has formally joined the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

El-Rufai, a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, left the party earlier this year for the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

In his resignation letter from the SDP, dated November 26, 2025, the former governor stated that his focus is on contributing to the strengthening of a unified democratic platform that can offer a credible political alternative to the people of Nigeria.

“I wish to notify that I have resigned my membership of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, effective 26 November, 2025,” he said.

Politics

Wike Bloc Asks Court To Nullify PDP Convention

Published

1 day ago

November 26, 2025

Editor

The faction of the Peoples Democratic Party aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order nullifying the party’s convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State on November 15 and 16 by the faction aligned with the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde.

The suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/250/2025, has as plaintiffs the PDP, its Acting National Chairman, Mohammed Abdulrahman, and National Secretary, Samuel Anyanwu.

They are asking the court to declare the convention and all resolutions “null, void and of no effect.”

They want the court to restrain the Independent National Electoral Commission from recognising the convention.

The move follows earlier legal actions by aggrieved PDP members who argued that proceeding with the convention violated the party’s internal rules, the Electoral Act, and other statutory provisions.

Previous complainants include Imo PDP Chairman Austin Nwachukwu, Abia PDP Chairman Amah Abraham Nnanna, and South-South PDP Secretary Turnah Alabh George.

On October 31, 2025, Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja restrained INEC from recognising the convention.

In a separate suit, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido successfully challenged his exclusion from purchasing a nomination form to contest for national chairman, with Justice Peter Lifu ordering that the convention should not proceed unless he was allowed to obtain the form.

In contrast, Justice A. L. Akintola of the Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, issued an interim order permitting the PDP to hold the convention as scheduled.

Despite the conflicting rulings, the party went ahead with the Ibadan event under heavy security, during which Anyanwu, Wike, former Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, and eight others were expelled.

In the new suit dated November 21, the plaintiffs listed 18 defendants, including INEC, the Inspector-General of Police, the FCT Commissioner of Police, the State Security Service, and several PDP officials.

They allege the convention was conducted “in flagrant disregard” of three subsisting Federal High Court orders and seek to prevent recognition of the new officers, restore access to party offices at Wadata Plaza and Legacy House, and compel security agencies to enforce the earlier judgments.

The plaintiffs also request judicial determination on whether any authority can lawfully recognise the Ibadan convention in light of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the PDP constitution.

The suit has not yet been assigned to a judge, and no hearing date has been fixed.

Politics

Crack In Edo APC As Group Accuses Party Chieftain Of Acting Opposition’s Script

Published

2 days ago

November 25, 2025

Editor

All seems not well with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as a pro-APC group known as Sustainable Development and Progress accused a chieftain of the party, honourable
Luqman Mohammed of playing the script of the opposition parties to destabilise the APC in Edo North Senatorial District.

This, according to the group, is responsible for the sharp division in Etsako West Local Government Area.

A statement by the spokesman of the group, Peter Mohammed, the body accused Mohammed and “his cohorts of convening a secret meeting at the residence of a top chieftain of the party where it was decided that the destabilization of the APC would begin from Edo North ahead of the 2027 General election.”

The cracks in the APC were sad to become obvious when Mohammed, who they claimed is an ally the immediate past Attorney- General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, (SAN), allegedly led some leaders to suspend Alhaji Shaka Okwilague, the leader of ward 11 in Etsako West Local Government Area (Edo North ) of the state.

This action, according to the group, worsed an already tensed political situation in Edo North APC, and in retaliation, the suspended leader, Okwilague alongside other members moved against those that they claimed are behind the suspension—allegedly led by Mohammed.

The APC group also accused the former Edo State House of Assembly member of being a mole and a willing tool planted by the opposition leaders to destabilise the existing peace in the party.

The group alleged that “Luqman Mohammed attends APC meetings during the day and PDP’s meetings at night,” and vowed to expose and resist his efforts.

The group, while stating that Mohammed’s action amounts to “…working against the interest of the party,” alleged that “his recent outburst against the party was part of PDP and ADC’s plots and called for a thorough investigation of the weighty allegations.”

Meanwhile, a communique issued by the Ward Executive Committee and leaders
Etsako West Local Government Area, a resolutions, part of which is the suspension of some executive officers, and members.

The communique reads: “The ward 11 APC Executive Committee and leaders held a meeting on Monday 10 November, 2025 at 6:00 pm in the party secretariat Jattu-Uzairue Etsako West Edo State.

“The meeting aimed to discuss the following. The purported suspension ‘carryout’ (sic) by the Ward Chairman, Secretary and Youth Leader against Uzairue Leader Alhaji Shaka Okwilague aka Shamac.

“Anti-party activities fractionalizing and creating parallel party disobedience in carrying out lawful directives of the party. The meeting was focused to know if those allegedly suspended ‘violate’ article 21 of APC party constitution.

“It was unanimously agreed to set up a disciplinary committee to investigate and report back to the house which was headed by Comrade Osumah Musa Afuosino.

“According to the disciplinary committee set up which was headed by Comrade Osumah Musa Afuosino, the Ward Chairman Daudu Jafaru Abubuakar, the Ward Secretary Yusuf Bala Bello and Youth, leader Francis Aliu ‘contravene’ and violated the article 21 of APC party constitution thereby recommended immediate suspension for them.

“At the end of the investigation the Ward Executive Committee (WEC) considered the report of the disciplinary committee which was headed by Comrade Osumah Musa Afuosino. Having carefully reviewed the finding and recommendation, the Ward Executive Committee resolved to approve their immediate suspension from the APC in Ward Eleven.

“Their actions had undermined the unity and integrity of the party, warning them against identifying as a member or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity. The LGA, ‘part’, SEC party and NWC party should as a matter of urgency ratify the above ‘mention’ names.

“It was unanimously agreed again that the Vice Chairman Mrs. Josephine Dokpesi should immediately be the Acting Chairman in line with the APC party constitution and oversee the political affairs of the ward pending time lifting of the suspension of the above ‘mention’ names.

“The entire Ward Executive Committee of Ward Eleven passed an implicit and undiluted vote of confidence on our indefatigable leader, the person of Alhaji Shaka Okwilague aka Shamac.”

Reacting, Mohammed denied allegations leveled against him and blamed the crisis on outsiders who have invaded ward 11 where he is the number one leader, to impose their stooges.

The former Deputy Governor of the state, Comrade Philip Shaibu is also from the ward.

While defending himself via a telephone interview, the former Edo House of Assembly member and later Board member of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), frowned at the composition of the panel established by the State Working Committee to investigate the crisis in ward 11, especially the appointment of Mr. Blessing Agbonmere as head and Alhaji Shaka Okwilague, the suspended leader as member of the panel.

Mohammed said Okwilague cannot be a judge in his own case and that Agbonmere is an interloper working to implement a script.