Politics

Three APC Members Arrested Over Gov’s Xmas Rice, Lawyer Seeks N10m Damages

Published

4 years ago

January 8, 2022

Three members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ijebu North Local Government Area of Ogun State have been arrested by the police over Governor Dapo Abiodun’s Christmas rice.

DAILY POST learnt those arrested are Morufu Idowu, Adebayo Rabiu and Wasiu Raji. They were nabbed between Sunday and Monday after being accused of diverting some bags of rice meant for distribution.

But, a legal practitioner, A.D. Sosanwo, has demanded N10 million in damages from the Nigeria Police Force, Ijebu-Ode Area Command “for unlawfully detaining” the trio, whom he described as his clients.

Sosanwo had, in a petition written to the Ijebu Ode Area Command and copied to the Inspector-General of Police and the Ogun State Commissioner of Police explained that his clients were arrested and being detained beyond the specific constitutional period.

According to him, the three APC members “were arrested on the order of the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Tokunbo Talabi.”

In the petition, Sosanwo said they were arrested by police officers in Ago-Iwoye and transferred to Ijebu-Ode Area Command.

The lawyer explained that the Area Commander had demanded that the bags of rice be returned for the matter to be resolved amicably between the complainant and the arrested persons.

It was, however, alleged that rather than releasing those arrested or charging them to court, the police had requested to see the former Deputy Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly from Ijebu North II State Constituency, Hon Dare Kadiri, before the arrested could be released.

When contacted on phone, the former Deputy Speaker explained that the rift started when the SSG reportedly hoarded the bags of rice for his group in the local government, sidelining other groups.

Kadiri further accused the SSG of allegedly withholding till date, a sum of N11 million given to party members for the 2020 Christmas and Ileya Celebration; adding that the bags of rice given to him were not distributed until after six months when the grains were already getting spoilt.

The lawmaker explained that when the rice and money were released from the State this time, the SSG gave the same to a fractional Chairman, who he claimed had been excluding many party members from the largesse.

He further revealed that some youths came to him in protest and he called the man in whose custody the bags of rice were to take same to the Chairman of the APC in the local government for even distribution.

Kadiri explained how he drove to the factional Chairman’s house to retrieve 10 bags of rice meant for his ward, adding that he handed the rice over to the APC Ward Chairman when the custodian of the items refused to listen to the complaints of the youths.

His words: “The governor gave the party members 10 bags of rice and N500,000 as a Christmas gift, only for the SSG to hand them over to his group, leaving our own group.

“They took the rice to a fractional chairman who has been sharing rice to only people in their group. The youths came to me, I called the man to instruct him to take the rice from the State to the Local Government party Chairman, but he refused.

“I drove down there and removed only the 10 bags of rice given to my ward. I drove to the Local Government party chairman’s house and dropped the 10 bags there. Only for the SSG to order their arrest.”

DAILY POST reports that the duo of the SSG and the erstwhile Deputy Speaker has been up in arms with each other over the control of the APC in Ijebu North.

Meanwhile, the Ogun State police spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said he was yet to be briefed about the case, promising to find out from the DPO of Ijebu-Igbo.

Also, the SSG neither picked nor returned calls put across to his mobile number, even as he did not respond to a text message sent to his number.

Related Topics:APC Dapo Abiodun Xmas rice

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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

3 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.”