Politics

Ondo Poll: APC Group Backs SDP Candidate, Rejects Aiyedatiwa

Published

1 year ago

November 9, 2024

Ahead of the upcoming Ondo State governorship election, a group within the All Progressives Congress in the state has thrown its weight behind Benson Akingboye of the Social Democratic Party, rejecting the party’s candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The group criticised Aiyedatiwa’s emergence as the party’s flag-bearer, citing concerns over alleged irregularities and their disenchantment with the leadership’s handling of the primaries.

This was revealed in a petition written to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Ganduje, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Saturday.

This comes barely a week before the Ondo governorship poll.

Aiyedatiwa was declared the winner by Governor Usman Ododo-led Primary Election Committee following a poll conducted in all 18 local government areas of the state.

However, the result was contested over allegations of irregularities and violence in some polling units.

Consequently, the senator representing Ondo South Senatorial District, Jimoh Ibrahim, and five other aspirants filed petitions challenging Aiyedatiwa’s victory.

The other aspirants were Olusola Oke, Folakemi Omogoroye, Olugbenga Edema, Jimi Odimayo, and Wale Akinterinwa.

In response, the APC national chairman summoned all the aspirants to the party secretariat in Abuja and urged them to bury the hatchet and work with Aiyedatiwa.

Trouble flared again in the APC camp on Saturday with the declaration of this APC group.

In a fresh petition signed by the Coordinator of Ondo Patriots, Dele Oyewo, the party leaders vowed to shun Aiyedatiwa and support the Social Democratic Party candidate, Otunba Benson Akingboye.

The letter partly read: “Following the position our dear party in Abuja has taken, supporting Governor Aiyedatiwa’s questionable emergence at the shadow primaries conducted in April 2024, the leadership of our various organising groups within the party structure hereby reiterates that it will be almost impossible to work with the governor in the November 16 gubernatorial election.

“This is not unconnected to the fact that our kindness and loyalty have repeatedly been taken for granted, not only in Ondo state but across the country. We also discovered that the party leadership in Abuja is not in any way concerned about the well-being of the citizens of Ondo State.

READ ALSO: Ondo Poll: PDP, APC Trade Words Over Violence

“Rather, they prefer their own choice of settlement over any resulting consequences. The voices of Ondo APC hereby condemn what it describes as gross misconduct against party ethics in the choice of Aiyedatiwa, if we are truly different from the PDP and what we preached before the 2015 general elections.

“Having reviewed the credentials of all the major contenders for the forthcoming governorship election in our state, we, the major APC groups in Ondo, have decided to support Otunba Benson Akingboye of the Social Democratic Party as our choice. We cannot continue to suffer in silence.”

Efforts to reach the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, for a response were unsuccessful.

As of the time of filing this report, Morka had neither returned the calls nor replied to the messages sent for clarification.

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.”