Connect with us

Politics

Officials Signing Documents In Akeredolu’s Name, SAN Alleges

Published

on

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kayode Ajulo, on Monday, alleged that some officials in the administration of the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu were signing documents on behalf of the ailing governor.

Ajulo, who is the Principal Partner of Kayode Ajulo & Co. Castle of Law, said this on Arise Television’s Morning Show programme.

According to him, the deputy governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, cannot take over from the governor since power has not been transferred to him constitutionally, making way for the hijack of state governance by the cabal.

Advertisement

He said, “I have it on good authority as a lawyer. Some of the commissioners, about five of them, sent memos to the governor, and they all returned with approval.

READ ALSO: How Tinubu Ask Ondo Deputy Gov, Aiyedatiwa, To Sign Undated Resignation Letter

“Going through the approval compared to what the governor had approved when he was hale (sic) and hearty, there are notable disparities in them.

“The Police and Administration of Justice Act has made it clear that there can be private investigators into the issue as such, and they have been contacted, but their results after the investigation are so damning.

Advertisement

“The purported signature is not from the governor. It is so apparent.”

The lawyer maintained that the doctrine of necessity, which allowed the deputy governor to take over the reign of power till the governor resumes should be embraced.

Ajulo noted that there is a presumption that the governor is incapacitated, adding that the only way to counter that is to present him (Akeredolu).

“Why are some people sitting on the provisional constitutions? It is obvious that some people are holding the state by the jugular and using the present situation to loot the state’s wealth.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Ondo Crisis Worsens, Assembly Demands Aiyedatiwa’s Resignation

“DSS recently has been going around. Other security agencies should embrace the same. Questions bordering on the missing N7.5 billion in the state should be asked, and who gave the approval should not be left out.

“The governor owes it a duty to speak with his people if he can since his health status is being funded with the same taxpayers’ money, or he should do the necessary constitutional duties, which is to delegate power to his deputy.

“His deputy was selected by him and possibly his party members before he ran for office. I don’t think he would have selected someone he had no trust in,” he added.

Advertisement

On November 25, The PUNCH reported that the months-long leadership crisis in the state might have ended as President Bola Tinubu waded into the matter and asked opposing factions to embrace peace and maintain the status quo.

READ ALSO: Impeachment: Court Strikes Out Ondo Deputy Gov, Aiyedatiwa’s Suit

This was as the Deputy Governor pledged to carry all commissioners and officials along in handling the state’s affairs, and the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Oladiji Olamide, resolved to halt all impeachment moves against Aiyedatiwa.

Tinubu had met with the state officials, including members of the All Progressives Congress.

Advertisement

Aiyedatiwa, who declared his decision to maintain the status quo and unite all the warring factions, said, “I want to say that I pledge to all of you that I embrace every one of you. I put behind all that has happened before now. I’ve let go and also let God, just as the President has advised us.

“And I want to say that no offence, no guile in my mind whatsoever. All that has happened is politics. Impeachment is part of politics. If you survive it, it is also politics. It has come. I’ve survived it and every other thing in his past.”

Advertisement

Politics

Poll: APC Has No Sellable Candidate, Nothing To Campaign On – Edo Govt

Published

on

The Edo State Government claimed on Monday that the All Progressives Congress, APC, has no credible candidate for the September 21 governorship election.

This was an assertion made by the Edo State Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare, at a press conference in Benin City.

Nehikhare also alleged that the party is using lies and propaganda as its campaign strategy.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Edo Poll: Reason Ex-Speaker Resigns From PDP Revealed

According to him: “The only APC strategy for the governorship election is to resort to lies and propaganda. When a party takes lies and propaganda as an election strategy, it means it has nothing to offer the people. The party lacks people with character, capacity, and intellect.”

The commissioner who took journalists through a screened shot WhatsApp chat said: “What we have here is the official APC WhatsApp platform, their own people screenshot their discussion. One of them who has a conscience asks, is this the only thing we have?”

Nehikhare, who said APC is ashamed to campaign for its candidate, noted that, as of today, nobody had heard of what the party has for the state.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Edo: Man Arrested For Posting Obscene Photos Of 4-year-old Daughter Online

All we heard is how they are going to help their paymaster, lies and propaganda that will not help the state,” he added.

He opined that lies and propaganda are not strategies the opposition party, like APC, can use to win the September 21 governorship election.

The commissioner, who warned against misinformation and fake news ahead of the governorship election, urged media practitioners to be neutral in matters concerning lies and propaganda.

Advertisement

He, however, noted that Governor Godwin Obaseki’s administration has a lot of achievements to market and sell its candidate for the election.

Continue Reading

Politics

Defection: Edo Govt, Ex-PDP BoT Member, Idahosa In Verbal War

Published

on

Edo State government and a former member of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Board of Trustees, Charles Idahosa, on Monday traded words over the latter defection to the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Recall that Idahosa resigned
formally resigned who had last month resigned from PDP, rejoined the APC on Monday in Benin City.

Speaking during his formal presentation to the APC in Benin City, he noted that he left the party four years ago due to internal crisis.

Advertisement

Idahosa added that he dumped the PDP because of what he described as the “damning deeds of the Obaseki-led administration in the last four years”.

READ ALSO: Edo Guber: Ex-PDP BoT Member Joins APC, Says ‘I Regret Supporting Obaseki

He took a swipe at Obaseki for saying that PDP would win the forthcoming September governorship election with 80 per cent of votes.

I thank God, four years later we all are wiser now. Like the Secretary said, I was a founding member of ACD, ACN and APC. The damage we did four years ago, the APC never remained the same.

Advertisement

“But I am glad we are back to the family. I was nominated to the Board of the Railway when I was in the APC. When I moved to the PDP, I wrote to resign my membership but it was rejected and showed my wide acceptance.

“At 71, I am not here to contest position with anybody, I am here to work. I want to urge APC to keep their eyes on the ball. It is not over until it is over.”

READ ALSO: Labour Party Crisis: Edo Deputy Gov Tackles Akpata

While lambasting Governor Obaseki for his comment that those leaving PDP have been given money, he noted that his greatest regret was not allowing the governor to resign after his first four years in office.

Advertisement

“When he came to beg me like a weather beaten chicken, how much did he give to me? Anytime he goes religious gathering he would say those leaving PDP have been given money.

“He came to me three times in my house to say he wants to resign, that he was tired of being governor but I appealed to him, telling him it was not about him but Benin interest.”

But in a swift reaction, the state Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Chris Nehikhare alleged that Idahosa was never a PDP member.

READ ALSO: Obasanjo To Adeleke: Keep The Dancing Spirit, Deliver On Infrastructure

Advertisement

Nehikhare noted that Idahosa was also never a BOT member of the party, because the party in the state rejected his nomination.

He alleged that it was as a result of the rejection that he found his way back to APC.

I heard that he claimed to be a member of BOT of PDP but I want to challenge him to tell us when he was sworn in as a member of PDP BOT. He was not a fit and proper person. Even though he was nominated he was shunned by the party.

“It was this that drove him back to APC which he never left in the first place. He was holding on to the board appointment which was offered him while in APC prior to 2020 governorship election.

Advertisement

“He has reached the end of his political career. He has nothing to offer any political party or any group he joins because he believes in bread and butter politics,” Nehikhare said.

 

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Politics

Edo Guber: Ex-PDP BoT Member Joins APC, Says ‘I Regret Supporting Obaseki

Published

on

A former member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo State, Charles Idahosa on Monday defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying he regretted supporting Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki four-year ago.

Idahosa said his greatest regret is stopping Governor Godwin Obaseki from resigning in 2020 after he was frustrated out of the APC in his bid to seek reelection on the party’s platform.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after his declaration for the APC at his residence in Benin City, with leaders of the APC in attendance, Idahosa said his return to the APC is homecoming.

Advertisement

The former Information Commissioner in Edo State said in 2020, the governor had cried to him over the ill -treatment meted on him by his predecessor and National chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole and was considering resigning.

Idahosa noted that Obaseki was at the verge of giving up to allow the APC to pick another governorship candidate, but he (Idahosa) encouraged him to keep hope alive and he personally fought the battle for the governor to win his reelection .

Idahosa, however, lamented that Obaseki utterances during the inauguration of the PDP Campaign Council for the 2024 election was heartless and uncomplimentary when he accused the defectors from PDP as having received huge sums of money before their defection.

The former BoT member of the PDP, while urging the Edo APC leadership to work in synergy ahead of the governorship election, said that the greatest misfortune to befall the APC is for Godwin Obaseki to install a successor.

Advertisement

Idahosa who pledged his support for the governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Monday Okphebholo, said street survival instinct not doctoral degrees (PhD) or big grammar is needed as a criteria for the next governor that will succeed Obaseki.

He urged Edo people and the APC to put the damning deeds of the Obaseki-led government of 4 years ago in the past and unite to stop the governor and the PDP governorship candidate from taking over the governance of the state in the September 21st governorship election.

He said, “Four years later, we are all wiser. I am back to the APC, which is my family. It is homecoming for me and I am very comfortable. At 71 , I am not going to be a threat to anybody. I am joing the APC to work. Nobody should be afraid or scared that Charles Idahosa is joining the APC because I won’t be contesting any position. “

Earlier, the APC state secretary, Lawrence Okah, while receiving Idahosa into the party, said the former member of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Charles Idahosa is a man of honour and a foundation member of the APC.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending