My Hajj Experience - A Spiritual Travelogue P. 6
Suspend Consumption Of Osun River, Stakeholders Tell Devotees, Others
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POLICE, VIGILANTE, OPC ROAR AS KIDNAPPING RESURFACES IN OSUN
•Security Expert Warns Against Large Scale Violence Ismaeel Uthman
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opera ves in the State of Osun have roared against resurfaced kidnapping ac vi es in Ijesa axis of the State. The security opera ves, it was learnt, have rejigged themselves and opera ons to avoid a repeat of the kidnapping incident that happened on Friday, August 29, 2022. A gold miner, Musibau Adepoju and his driver were kidnapped last Friday by some gunmen along Ilesa-Osogbo road. The kidnappers, who had earlier demanded a N100m ransom, had reduced it to N50m, according to the Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola. OSUN DEFENDER noted that Osun had had a relief from kidnapping ac vi es for quite some me in the state. But the recent kidnapping of the gold miner is troubling the minds of some residents of the state who are afraid that the kidnappers might have resumed their criminal ac vi es. However, the police have allayed the fear of the people of the state, assuring them that •Continued on Page 2
•The Osun Osogbo traditional lamp (Atupa Olojumerindinlogun).
Editorial: Time For Famodun To Go!
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Police, Vigilante, OPC Roar As Kidnapping Resurfaces In Osun •Continued from Page 1 Osun will not be a safe place for kidnappers and other criminals. Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone interview on Wednesday, Opalola, the spokesperson of the police, said efforts were in place to rescue the kidnapped gold miner and his driver. According to her, there was a combined effort of the police and local security opera ves to rescue the vicms and for fy the mining areas in the state. She said, “The police are disturbed by the kidnapping of the miner and his driver. It has been long we had such occurrence but I assure you that they would be rescued alive and unhurt. The kidnappers had earlier demanded N100m ransom but they have reduced it to N50m now. Notwithstanding, the police and local security people are working round the clock to rescue the vic ms.” Speaking on the ac vies of the police to nip the kidnapping in the bud, Opalola said, “If you observe, the kidnaping is happening in the area where mining is taking place. “One major problem in that area is that there are lots of private security opera ves there. Some miners engaged the services of private security men without the consent of the police. “If we challenge anybody with arms or other things in our regular patrol, they would tell us that they are private security employed by the miners. This has been making it difficult for the police to isolate criminals and
sure our people that there will not be reoccurrence of kidnapping in Osun again.”
Security Expert Warns Against Large Scale Violence
•Members of APC in the State of Osun, on Tuesday during a protest to call for the restructuring of the party in the State. Photo: Shola Aderinto suspects. That is why the kidnappers had their ways there. “Notwithstanding, we have intensified efforts in securing the en re state and especially Ijesaland where mining ac vi es are taking place.” Opalola urged gold miners to always relate with the state command of the police on security issues. In a telephone interview with OSUN DEFENDER, the Commander General of the Harmonized Vigilante Group in the State of Osun, Alhaji Ridwan Hussein, corroborated Opalola’s claim on engagement of private security opera ves by the miners. According to Hussein who is popularly known as Yaa Salam, there are many unknown private security
opera ves in all the mining areas, lamen ng that the miners and their sponsors have not been rela ng with local security opera ves that know the terrain. Hussein also cau oned farmers against arbitrary release of their land to miners, saying kidnapers have infiltrated the mining communi es. He said, “The last me we had issue of kidnapping was last year in Ibokun. Ever since, Osun has been at peace. But the last week kidnapping bu resses a fact that mining ac vi es in Ijesaland is a threat to the security of the state. All the kidnapping cases we have always been in the mining areas. “Big miners and their sponsors are the targets of
the kidnappers. And these targets are vulnerable because the informants of the kidnappers are close to them; and they themselves engaged the services of private security opera ves who do not know the terrain. “We have to warn our farmers from releasing their farmlands to miners arbitrarily; it is evident that the kidnappers have infiltrated these mining communi es. But we will make sure we for fy those communi es and secure our people. Osun will not return to the notorious era of kidnaping.” Hussein dismissed the insinua on that Fulanis were responsible for kidnapping ac vi es in the state. He said, “I want to urge our people to desist from giving diversionary informa-
Injustice, The Root Cause Of Insecurity In Nigeria - Uni. Don Ismaeel Uthman
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HE ravaging insecurity in Nigeria has been a ributed to injus ce that has for long pervaded every stratum of government in the country. A lecturer at the Department of Arabic & Islamic Studies of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Abdulfa ah Makinde, said the only holis c approach to addressing insecurity in Nigeria is delivery of jus ce. Makinde stated this at the weekend while delivering lecture at the Hijrah 1444AH ceremony organised by the Osun State Muslim Community. Delivering a lecture tled: “Islam & Poli cs in a Mul -Religious Se ng”, Makinde urged poli cal office holders to be fair, just and selfless in the
discharge of their civic du es. He said, “Leadership is natural. Where there’s no leadership, there won’t be orderliness. Muslims are to organise the society with piety, to ins ll discipline and forbid bad things. “Muslims going to poli cs and leadership posi ons must acquaint themselves with teachings of Islam. A Muslim must not discriminate. He must see everybody as one. The prophet ruled by Medinat cons tu on, instead of Quran because the people of Medinat didn’t know the holy book. “A Muslim must see himself as representa ve of God. He must know that he’s accountable to the people and if he refuses to be accountable, he will account for his deeds before God.
“A leader must be just, fair and ensure jus ce. Nigeria is in problem because there’s no jus ce. Absence of jus ce is responsible for insecurity in Nigeria.” In his address, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola iden fied intensified prayers and good deeds by all Nigerians as solu on to the security, economic and social challenges bedeviling the country. Oyetola, who was represented by his Commissioner for Regional Integra on and Special Du es, Olalekan Badmus, while addressing Muslim faithful at the event, urged for peaceful coexistence among all religious adherents in the state. He called for intensified prayers for peace in the country and urged Muslim faithful to reflect on the significance of Hi-
jrah. The Governor said, “I charge you to rededicate yourselves to the peace, unity, progress and security of Osun and Nigeria at large. Maintain peaceful coexistence among the people of various faiths and peace must not be compromised. “Islam means peace. Any Muslim that promotes violence and hate doesn’t preach Islamic ethics. Con nue to offer prayers for the peace of Osun and Nigeria. Let’s reflect on the significance of the celebra on and abandon your bad habits and rededicate yourselves to the service of Allah.” The President of the Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustafa Olawuyi, urged poli cal office holders to be fair, just and sincere in their acts and deeds.
on. How do I mean? Our people are found of saying Fulanis do this, Fulanis do that when kidnapping takes place. When that happens, the security opera ves will be looking for Fulanis, whereas Yorubas are the real suspects. From experience, we have observed that there Yorubas in the kidnapping gangs. People should be factual and give accurate informa on to security operaves.” In his in comment, the Chairman of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), Gani Adams’s fac on in the State of Osun, Chief Deji Aladesawe, accused the South-West Governors of paying lip services to the security of lives and property of the people of the region. According to Aladesawe, it is unfortunate that kidnapping took place in Osun few days a er the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, raised the alarm that forests in the South-Wests have been infiltrated by Fulanis. He pointed out that Osun, like any other states in the region, is vulnerable to any form of a ack, including kidnapping, going by Adams’s report. However, Aladesawe said the OPC is ready to flush out criminals in Yorubaland if the Governors would support them. He said, “If you observe, kidnapping is happening in the area where we have mining ac vi es in Osun. That place is an abode of every dick-tom-and harry. There are lots of steps that OPC would have taken but we don’t have power to do that. “Our forests need to be for fied. We are ready to combat the criminal. All we need is the support of the government. I want to as-
Reviewing the security situa on, a security expert, Mr. Jackson Lekan Ojo, warns that the last Friday kidnapping might be a pointer to a more serious security threats, saying all hands must be on deck to secure the state. Ojo who called for state and community policing to nip in the bud the security threat, said the police are already overwhelmed and have li le to do in combating crime and criminal acvi es. According to Ojo, it is high me the state government started funding local security opera ves like hunters, Agbekoya, Oodua Peoples Congress, among others. He said: “It is a pity that we handle security issues with levity in Nigeria. Insecurity is a global phenomenon but we must be prepared to prevent it in our various locali es. “The criminal ac vi es in the northern part of the country is gradually creeping into the South-West. It is already happening in Ondo and there is now a flash of that in Osun. We should know that what happened in Ondo might happen in other South-West states. “If this issue of kidnapping is not nipped in the bud, it will spread like wildfire. Osun people should wake up and secure their state. There is threat on ground.” Asking ques on on what to be done, Ojo said, “To me, we have only one police in Nigeria. That is the Nigeria Police Force and when you look at the ac vi es of terrorists and bandits in Nigeria, I think the police and the army are already overwhelmed. “People have been clamouring for state police. The state police can be there without uniform. What do I mean? The hunters, agbekoya and others should be empowered. The state government should start funding them. “They said every criminality is local. People need to be sensi sed seriously in Osun state. The government should bring all the hunters in each of the villages and communi es together. The governor should have mee ng with them with military and the paramilitaries. They should work together. Even if what they will do is to give intelligence report alone to the government security forces, I think it will be enough. Police can never be sufficient in Osun state.”
PEOPLE FIRST
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OPINION
BY SODIQ YUSUF Time For Famodun To Go! Improving Participation Of IMPLE me honoured logic “Rebuilding work must Women In Osun Politics really and it should not be
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observed in the breach. Performance benchmarks are indispensable in any form of organisa on. For example, when a football team is relegated, quesons will be asked about the management capacity of the coach. Relega on comes with a huge cost and if not properly managed, it could be the beginning of a process leading to bankruptcy. The same principle applies to the performance benchmarks set for private and publicly quoted companies. The reac on to an underperforming company is inevitably a swi dissolu on of the board of directors and the ‘stepping aside’ of the Chief Execu ve Officer - pre y rou ne in order to avoid insolvency. The performance criteria for a poli cal party cannot be different. In the case of the Osun State All Progressives Congress (APC), any data-driven analysis over the last two electoral cycles presents a glaring example of managerial inep tude. The party, having just about to be scrapped through a governorship elec on with a conten ous narrowest of margins, should have rebooted and brought in fresh managers. It did not do so with predictably disastrous consequences. In effect, the governorship of the State of Osun was given to the opposi on. A change is inevitable and those whose managerial inep tude squandered a whole state and snatched defeat from the jaws of victory must accept responsibility and resign. This is not just the honourable thing to do, it is the only way in which to refreshing and rebuilding the party from the base upwards. The state party chairman of the APC, Prince Adegboyega Famodun, demonstrably lacks the
commence with “the fierce urgency of now”. This cannot be done with Famodun and his crew constituting a debilitating impediment. He has to go and go now!”
managerial skills and the poli cal astute to lead any poli cal party to victory. A er the debacle of 2018, his response was unfathomable. Under him, the necessary post mortem to learn from the lessons of a squeaky victory was not carried out. On the contrary, there was misguided triumphalism. The inability for reflec on as well as matured introspec on has now led to another electoral disaster. Famodun should not have been given the luxury of a second chance. He should have been sacked in 2018. He should to go now! The Osun State APC is the end product of years of con nuous struggle. It cannot and must not be held hostage to retrogressive forces whose lack of foresight, planning and tac cal astuteness is so glaring. Rebuilding work must commence with “the fierce urgency of now”. This cannot be done with Famodun and his crew cons tuting a debilita ng impediment. He has to go and go now! The State of Osun has to go back to the custodians of its antecedents and ins tu onal memory. The party must be rebuilt from the grassroots as the voice of the voiceless promo ng “life of abundance” for the overwhelming majority and their families. For this reason, progressive impediments such as Famodun and co must be shoved aside. Enough is enough!
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OMEN are essen al ingredients of poli cs. They are of key, ac ve and immense need; and are a cogent part that drive the major components and game of poli cs. With the dictum, women are the salt of life where they add spice to everything in life, so is their unequalled role in poli cs. Although, they are not holding most top offices in the Nigerian poli cal space, those of the women folk with their God-given abili es contribute in no small measure to the success of both poli cal par es and their gladiators. Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in his remarks about the role of women in poli cs opined that, “Women are key components of governance, they are of immense importance. They are the instruments with which poli cal ba les are fought and won. Women are more loyal than their male counterparts. They are most mes more reliable than men.” These asser ons by the former helmsman of Osun speaks volume of the crucial a ributes embedded in women if they parcipate ac vely in the poli cs of their immediate and external environment. Also worthy of men on was the spirit of courage, dexterity and performance with which the former Minister for Informa on, Late (Prof.) Dora Akunyili served the na on diligently as a member of the Federal Government’s cabinet and the Director General of NAFDAC and other women who have disnguished themselves in public and private service. With their important contribu ons to na on building and all round development of the society, women are s ll lagging behind in par cipa ng ac vely in the poli cs of their locality. In the State of Osun created three decades ago, there has not been a definite large number of women in poli cs. Aside being depu es, commissioners and local government poli cal heads, there has not been a sizeable number of them in po-
“Impunity is however not the best of the administrative techniques. Women are essential components of the society and must be given their own pride of place in the scheme of things”
li cal posts except at the local level. Since crea on, only five women have been elected to be members of the Osun State House of Assembly. They are incumbent Hon. Mulikat Abiola represen ng Ifelodun state cons tuency and Hon. Elibazeth Abioye from Ifedayo state cons tuency, Hon. Mrs Idia Babalola who represented Ede South State Cons tuency between 2007 and 2011 and Hon. Nike Omoworare who represented Ife Central state cons tuency in the aborted 1991 civilian government. Hon. Funmilayo Mustapha won elec on to represent Ifedayo state cons tuency in 1996, but her victory could not hold water because of the 1996 turmoil in the country. Neither has any woman been the head of poli cal par es. Aside holding poli cal posi ons, women are also key to the smooth running of the poli cal process as to being members of poli cal par es and vo ng during elec ons. According to a report by the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) on 2015 elec on, about 18 local governments had a low turnout of women par cipa on in their electoral process based on their Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC) collecon and their vo ng strength. There is reported low turnout of women in electoral process or in poli cs in Olorunda, Irepodun, Ifelodun, Ila, Ifedayo, OdoO n, Iwo, Ola-Oluwa, Ejigbo, Egbedore, Irewole and Ayedaade Ife East, Ife central, Ife South, Ilesa East, Atakunmosa East and Oriade of the State of Publisher – Moremi Publishing Osun. House Ltd. The most interes ng Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman part I understand about these areas is that they Produc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa have a great deal of women Reporter – Yusuf Oketola who have collected their Reporter – Kazeem Badmus PVCs but do turn out to be Photo Journalist – Olushola Aderinto the part of Voter Apathy on Computer Graphics – Zainab Olalere Elec on Day. OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing With poli cal par es House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite and their strategists finding Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, ways of pushing women to State of Osun poli cal par cipa on, esISSN : 0794-8050 pecially in the 2023 general Telephone : 0809-301-9152 elec on, serious par es Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php must see the need in ate-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com trac ng more of the women osundefenderbank@gmail.com folk to their fold. All correspondence to the above email addresses. Read full content on www. osundefender.com
OSUN DEFENDER
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Osun Poll: Electoral Defeat Sparks Protest In APC, Members Call For Restructuring Ismaeel Uthman
party united and formidable. Owoeye said: “I want to assure you of a fact that every necessary step to be taken for our party to be united and formidable to con nue to rule and win future elec ons would be taken.”
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electoral defeat suffered by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun has sparked a fresh crisis in the party. It would be recalled that Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of the APC lost the July 16 governorship elec on to Senator Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democra c Party. OSUN DEFENDER noted that Oyetola, the leadership and members of the APC who had believed they would win the gubernatorial elec on, were shocked by Adeleke’s victory. Angered by the electoral defeat, members of the APC who described the party’s loss at the poll avoidable, have waged war against the leadership of the party, par cularly, the Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun. Thousands of members of the APC on Tuesday held a protest rally to call for the restructuring of the party and the removal of its State Chairman, Prince Gboyega Famodun. The APC members accused Famodun of mismanagement of the party and culpability in its electoral defeat. According to the APC members who converged in Osogbo from across the 30 local governments of the State, the party under Famodun is a ‘vehicle with flat tyres’, saying it could not deliver victory in the 2023 general elec ons. The APC members were armed with placards with inscrip on like: “Osun APC Needs Restructuring, Famodun Must Go, Save Osun APC From Total Collapse, Sack Famodun, Aregbesola Is The Soul Of APC/Progressive Poli cs In Osun, There Is No Life In Osun APC Again!, 2023: Asiwaju May
You Don’t Have Moral Right To Call For Restructuring - Famodun
• Speaker, State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Timothy Owoeye, addressing the protesters. Photo: Shola Aderinto. Lose Osun With Famodun As APC Chairman, among others. Chan ng various poli cal songs, the APC members walked through Odi-Olowo, Olaiya, Ogo-Oluwa, among heavily armed security opera ves, to deliver a le er to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye. It was observed that some armed poli cal hoodlums were sta oned inside the APC state secretariat, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, whose gate was under lock, a situa on that prevented the protes ng party members from going into the place to meet available party officials. Addressing newsmen and members of the public at different loca ons, a prominent member of the APC, Comrade Abosede Oluwaseun, said the party needs to be restructured from unit, ward, local government and state level for it to be united and formidable ahead of the coming general elec ons. Oluwaseun said: “With
conscious, sincere and objec ve analysis of the outcome of the governorship elec on, we discovered that the electoral loss is not only self-induced by the party’s administrators, it also reflects party issues which had been raised by concerned minds in the recent past. “The party issues, which are una ended to ll the present moment, regrettably cost our party the electoral victory and as concerned progressives, we felt the necessity to inform you that it is not safe to approach the 2023 general elec ons with same paperger party under the leadership of Prince Gboyega Famodun, the State Chairman of the APC in Osun State. “The issues, to summarise them, boil down on glaring mismanagement of the party by Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the Party Chairman, Gboyega Famodun. The Chairman has totally demonstrated lack of capacity to manage
the party and this reflects in the result of the July16 governorship elec on. “Under the leadership of both Governor Oyetola and Famodun, the APC degenerated and assumed the dangerous trend of having fac ons which later caused catastrophe and grief. Governor Oyetola, right at incep on, embarked on a divisive move which transmuted the party into two parts. “As a Chairman of a ruling party going for elec on, Famodun didn’t consider it essen al to resolve disputes and crises that do ed all the local governments in the state. Before the governorship elec on and ll now, there is no understanding, coopera on, unity and cohesion in the party.” Speaking further, Oluwaseun said: “In order to address this emergent clear and present danger, we unequivocally make the following demands: The dissolu on of all party structures from the unit to the state level.
“The se ng up of an independent caretaker commi ee to oversee the restructuring of the party and turn it into an elec on winning machine again. “Composi on of an allinclusive party execu ve structures from wards to state level within 90 days; and “The redistribu on of the state and federal legisla ve ckets in an all-inclusive manner to reflect true membership structure and tendencies. “This in our humble opinion is the way forward from the logjam we found ourselves in the APC and unless we urgently take these steps, we stand the grave risk of suffering worse consequences in the coming elec ons.” Addressing the protesters, the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye, assured the party members of necessary steps to make the
Ooni To Unveil NGO For Civic Orientation, Inclusive Governance Yusuf Oketola of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has concluded plans to unveil a nongovernmental organisa on with the name; Ooni Ojaja Development Inia ve. The Ooni Ojaja Development Ini a ve is a project structured to address the gap between government and the governed, enhance more youth and women’s par cipa on in processes leading to governance and make the government more acceptable to the masses among others. This was contained in a press release issued by the Director of Media and Public Affairs of the monarch, Otunba Moses Olafare on Wednesday. According to Olafare, the NGO which has been
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•The mammoth crowd of the protesters.
Condemning the protest, Famodun said the protes ng APC members do not have the moral right to call for restructuring of the party which they abandoned for over three years. Famodun who spoke through his Media Adviser, Kola Olabisi, described the protest as shameful, callous, primi ve, selfish, wicked, misplaced and inconsiderate. He said the protesters are supporters of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, the Minister of Interior who worked against the party at the poll. The Chairman said: “When I heard that the supporters of the immediate past governor of our state, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, were protes ng, I thought my memory was playing me false as they cannot insulate themselves from whatever might be the current plight of the APC in Osun State. “Assuming but not conceding that there are challenges within the party, protesters should be told that they lack moral right to either suggest or effect any likely solu on as it is on record that they massively and collec vely worked against Oyetola, the APC governorship candidate in the just-concluded elec on in line with the series of their threat.”
registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission is commi ed to enhancing local communi es and Nigerians through safe and inclusive civic par cipaon, advocacy campaigns, evidence-based research, capacity building and stakeholder engagements. Olafare said the organisa on is prepared to achieve the du es by enhancing Nigerians access to informa on, providing enabling structures and implemen ng sustainable ini a ves. The spokesperson said Oba Adeyeye has appointed Dr. Olushola Aluko as the Director General to head the NGO. Aluko, is a veteran newscaster and ex-worker of AIT Network Service.
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Suspend Consumption Of Osun River, Stakeholders Tell Devotees, Others Ismaeel Uthman
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TAKEHOLDERS in Osun Grove and River have jointly called for the suspension of consump on of Osun river as herb ll the issue of pollu on is resolved. This is coming amidst the annual Osun Osogbo fes val which kicked off on Monday, August 1 with its usual first ac vity, ‘Iwopopo’, the tradi onal cleansing of Osogbo.
The fes val is an annual event that is usually celebrated in August at the Osun sacred grove, to worship the goddess of fer lity. The fes val is usually a ended by tourists from all over the world, as well as Osun worshippers. Other events for the fes val include the lighting of the 500-year-old ‘Atupa oloju merindinlogun’ which was done yesterday, and ‘Bibo Ade
•As Osun Osogbo Festival Holds Oba Osogbo’ (honouring past kings of Osogbo) which will hold on Monday August 8, 2022.
Also, on Thursday, August 11, there will be ‘Dida Ifa arugba’, where a young virgin woman
(arugba) of a royal lineage, offers sacrifices to the deity. The fes val will climax on Friday, August 12. During the celebra-
Osun Govt. Not Cooperating With Us, Adeleke’s Transition Committee Yusuf Oketola
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HE Transi on Commi ee set up by the Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, has accused Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on of none readiness to corporate with it. According to the commi ee, Oyetola’s administraon has not shown any sign of readiness to cons tute its transi on commi ee. Speaking through its Spokesperson, Mallam Abdulrasheed Olawale, the commi ee noted that Oyetola and the All Progressives Congress (APC) were yet to overcome the shock of the July 16 governorship elecon defeat. It would be recalled that Adeleke inaugurated a 37member transi on committee charged with interfacing with the outgoing administra on of Oyetola on a smooth transi on of power on Thursday, July 28, 2022. In an interview with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, Olawale said: “As at now, the feelers we are ge ng is that there is no sign the outgoing government want to cooperate with us. “l think the electoral shock is s ll within the government system and people are yet to forget that elecon is over. All of us have to work for Osun people both governor Oyetola, our gov-
•Oyetola.
ernor-elect and we leaders that is government in waiting. “This is the me for us to come together and ensure seamless transi on. They give us informa on on what is happening and we also engage them, so that the people of Osun state at the end of the day will be happy for it. “This is the me for the outgoing governor to direct his aids and commissioner and those that work with him to actually collaborate and work with the transi on commi ee of the governorelect. “As to whether we are ge ng the required coopera on from the outgoing governor and government, you are aware of a bill that is in the state house of Assembly “The transi on bill”, what we have first done on that is to seek for public hearing. “We have wri en to the speaker on that, to ensure that the bill that will regulate transi on from one government to the other is a product of mul par on contribu ons so that it won’t be the APC government alone trying to pull up a bill that will regulate transi on from one government to the others. “That is part of the coopera on and we are extending very strong hand of fellowship and rela onship to the legislature.”
•Adeleke.
•Osun devotees during the 2021 Osun Osogbo festival.
Adeleke Warns Against Recruitment Of 75,000 OYES Cadets Yusuf Oketola
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Governor-elect of the State of Osun, Senator Ademola Adeleke has warned against alleged plan by outgoing Governor Adegboyega Oyetola to recruit recently interviewed 75,000 Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) volunteers into the state civil service. Adeleke, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Spokesperson, Mallam Abdulrasheed Olawale, described the alleged recruitment plan by Oyetola as a calculated a empt to further financially cripple the state. He accused Oyetola of using the OYES cadets for elec on purpose, no ng that the recruitment came few weeks to the July 16 governorship elec on. The statement reads in part: “Our a en on has been drawn to a diabolical move by the outgoing Osun state government to issue le ers of appointment to about 75,000 OYes volunteers. We remind the public that the state government had shortlisted the volunteers for elec on purpose few days before the last elec on. “The APC government even went overboard by collec ng and registering the voter’s cards of OYES applicants all in its desperate bid to win the governorship poll. When all scheming and plo ng
failed, the state governor has now embarked on his Plan B which is to further wreck the state by deepening her current bankruptcy and indebtedness. “There is nothing, except deep hatred for Osun people, that will make a government struggling to pay salaries and pensions to want to illegally recruit 75,000 new staff. There is no jus fica on except a desire to impoverish and punish people for exercising their rights to vote out an insensi ve, lying government. “We use this medium to call on Governor Oyetola to toe the path of honour and responsibility by not destroying the state further through his many vindic ve post-elec on ac-
ons and plans. The Governor should be reminded that his hos le post-elecon ac ons are further eroding what remains of his goodwill. Reac ng to the allegaon, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor, Mr. Ismail Omipidan noted that the current administra on in the state will not succumb to any cheap blackmail from the PDP. Omipidan stated this while appearing on a private radio sta on in Osogbo on Tuesday. He said the O-yes recruitment process, as known to the people of the state, started before the July 16 governorship elec on. He submi ed that he could not confirm or deny whether the shortlisted OYES cadets will be absorbed into the civil service or not.
on, some devotees, tourists and other people usually consume the Osun River, either by drinking or using it to bath. The Osun river has for over three years been polluted by mining acvi es in Ijesaland. Worried by the pollu on, stakeholders, in a communique issued at the end of a ‘Mini Stakeholders Mee ng’ held at the Mukadam area of Osun Sacred Grove on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, recommended that “consump on of Osun river as Agbo should be suspended for a while ll the issue of pollu on is resolved.” The stakeholders acknowledged the significant change of colour of the river. The team lead of a nongovernmental organiza on, Urban Alert, Mr. Anthony Adejuwon, who a ended the mee ng confirmed the communique to OSUN DEFENDER yesterday. Urban Alert has over the years been calling for the clean-up of the contaminated 213km Osun River. The organisa on has been making fran c efforts to seek the commitment of stakeholders to get the river back to its normal self. According to Urban Alert, the harmful contamina on of the river, due to mining ac vi es, has put over 2m people living in more than 20 communi es of Osun State in danger, due to the importance of the river which serves as source of water for cultural, domes c, agricultural and industrial purposes.
Osun Guber: We’re Going To Tribunal, APC Chair Declares Kazeem Badmus
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HE All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, yesterday, declared that it had concluded plans to drag the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC), the People’s Democra c Party (PDP) and the Governor-elect, Sen. Ademola Adeleke before Elec on Pe on Tribunal. State Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun, made the disclosure at a press
conference, held at the party Secretariat, Osogbo. Famodun said the party’s lawyers who were inspec ng elecon materials used for the July 16 elec on have told the party that it has good case. He said: “We are going to the Tribunal and our lawyers have let us know that we have good case and we believe we will win at the court”. INEC had declared Adeleke as winer of the elec on a er polling 403, 371 votes to
defeat the incumbent governor, Adeboyega Oyetola, who recorded 375,027 votes. Famodun who told the party members to remain calm said there was no cause for alarm, saying the party is going to reclaim its mandate through legal means. According to Famodun, the party and Oyetola’s legal counsels have told them they have a very good case at the tribunal, expressing op mism that the will of the people on the elec on shall prevail.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 05 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022
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t is a real privilege to be part of the 2022 Hajj pilgrimage. By every standard, 2022 Hajj is most expensive. The price paid was higher than all the previous ones. Don’t forget that there was no Hajj in the last two years (2020 and 2021) because of COVID-19 pandemic. On a whole, I am very grateful to Almighty Allah for coun ng me worthy to be part of 2022 Hajj. In fact, it is even interes ng to note that I went along with my spouse. Two of us were part of the Lagos team for 2022 Hajj. In Lagos this year, there were some complica ons with respect to visas not dropping which affected some people and as a result, they were unable to perform the Hajj. Hajj involves two things: before you perform Hajj, you must be a Muslim and then have the financial capacity. Two, you must be healthy to perform Hajj. Some people were able to muster the financial resource but were unable to go, either for health reason or visa dropping complica ons but we were very lucky to make it. The arrangement in Lagos was such that local governments were arranged in alphabe cal order such as Apapa, Amuwo odofin, Agege and so on were supposed to be the first batch to be airli ed. Unfortunately, because some visas did not drop, we from Ikeja and Ikorodu local governments were called upon to fill the void. Hence, we were part of the first batch of pilgrims that le Lagos on Tuesday, 14th of June 2022. We boarded Flynas aircra for Medina. The aircra took 436 Lagos pilgrims. We le Muritala Mohammed airport at 11:45 pm on Tuesday and arrived at Medina a er five hours none stop journey at 5:30 am the following day (Saudi Arabia me). The journey was very interes ng and we enjoyed it. Ac vi es On The Pilgrimage The first segment of Hajj is the spiritual rejuvena on and the second is the social aspects. The spiritual exercise is known as Ibadah while the social aspects is known as the Ziyarah. In the spiritual aspects, you perform ablu on, observe solat (obligatory and supererogatory). That is the ibadah side. Talking about the Ziyara, that is when you visit some places in Saudi Arabia. There are some places we visited in Madina and Mecca. Medina was our first point of call where we spent exactly a week. This is where Prophet (SAW) mosque is located where we performed our obligatory prayers as well as the nawafils, the supererogatory prayers. Apart from that, there is a place where the Prophet (SAW) was buried which was very close to the Minbar (the podium on which he delivers His sermon). I also went there to observe some nawafil. We visited the first central mosque in Islam located in Medina. The mosque is known as Zuba mosque. We also visited Mount Uhud, where some followers of the Prophet (SAW) lost their lives and were interred. Therea er, we le for Mecca and were there ll the end of our program. There, we have the Kaaba popularly known as Haram. That is where to do the Tawaaf. (We went round the Moccamo Ibraheem). It is believed, in Islam, that when you Tawaaf round the Kaaba, Allah will grant all your prayer requests.
Religion My Hajj Experience
Hajj is the fi h pillar of Islam. It is a pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, which every capable Muslim must make at least once in his or her life me. In this piece, a 2022 Hajj returnee, Alhaji Muritala Agboola, shares his experience on his trip to the holy land.
•Alhaji and Alhaja Murtala Agboola at the 2022 Hajj. A er Tawaf, we observed some Rakat from there we went to perform the Safar and Marwa. In both Medina and Mecca, you have the Zemzem water which I took with me while returning home. Besides these obligatory prayers, there were other places we visited. We visited Jabar Nuhur (mount Hira) where the Prophet (SAW) first got the message of his messangerhood. We le there for Jabar Tar (the cave where the Prophet and his close confidants hid). A er some days in Mecca, we le for Munna. Munna is a se lement of camps. It is where different people from countries around the world have their camps. From Munna, we went for Arafat which is the largest congrega on of human beings on earth, where Muslims of all denomina ons converged. Note that anybody who goes on pilgrimage and does not perform Arafat is not an Alhaji or Alhaja. Arafat is mandatory in Hajj performance.
•Celebrating a worthwhile spiritual sojourn: Former Administrative Manager, OSUN DEFENDER Newspaper, Alhaji Murtala Agboola, his wife, and members of the family during a special thanksgiving to celebrate his return, after performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, recently. Photo: Shola Aderinto
A er the Arafat, we performed the Zuhr and Ashri prayers but we could not go beyond that. We must not observe the Mogrib and Ishai prayers there. We moved to Musdalifa a er the prayers. This is a place where everybody was equal, irrespec ve of your status. No one is more important than the other. We all converged there to pick our pebbles which we threw at Satan. We took 49 pebbles. A er picking the pebbles, we went back to Munna where we headed to Jamra to throw the stones at the Satan. I spent a month and three days in Saudi Arabia and there was nothing like power outage. In fact, electricity didn’t blink for a second. Power supply was regular. Even though Saudi is located in a desert land, water was flowing 24/7; streets were wide and well tarred. In Mecca and Medina, you can walk around any me. You see people going to Haram to perform Nawafil around 2:00am. Government is properly run there and things are neatly organised. Lessons Of Hajj The biggest lessons I learnt on my Hajj trip is that this world is so simple; it has no meaning and we should be good and truthful to ourselves because one day, we will all leave this world whether we like it or not. At Harafat, everybody was equal. You can’t wear any other thing, apart from the cloth of Iram, the two white unsewn cloths. So, we were all equal. In the sight of Allah, we are all equal, irrespec ve of your race or status. You cannot brag when you get to Musdalifa no ma er how big you are. Be you are a president, vice president, etc, nobody reckons with that. You all sleep in the open space under bridges. The essence and lessons of Hajj is humility; that all men are born equal. That I am in a privileged posi on now does not make me special. We should humble ourselves, we should know that all powers belong to Allah and that our life will be taken one day. The essence of Hajj is humility. My prayer is that May Almighty Allah provide good health and financial resources to the Muslims who yearn and are eager to go for Hajj. One interes ng thing about Mecca or Hajj is that when you go there, you would wish that you could always go every year. But when you tell people outside, they will begin to wonder “what is wrong”? When you go, you will want to go again. It’s my desire that in all places I have any contact or rela on, God uses me as a point to draw people from my family, community and my religious group to go there. You see, it’s not something you can describe. No ma er how comfortable you are on a journey or outside your shore, you will have to return home. We le Mecca on 14th of June, 2022 and landed at Muritala Mohammed airport on Sunday 17th July, 2022. Alhamdulilah.
“The first segment of Hajj is the spiritual rejuvenation and the second is the social aspects. The spiritual exercise is known as Ibadah while the social aspects is known as the Ziyarah. In the spiritual aspects, you perform ablution, observe solat (obligatory and supererogatory). That is the ibadah side. ”
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Sports
2022 Commonwealth Games: Ileogbo Congratulates Olarinoye For Winning Gold Medal Kazeem Badmus
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, the headquarters of Ayedire Local Government in the State of Osun, has congratulated an indigene of the community, Adijat Olarinoye, for winning her first Gold Medal at the ongoing 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Olarinwoye, the global weightli er, won Team Nigeria’s first gold medal at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday, August 31. She li ed a total of 203kg to win the gold medal ahead of her Indian challenger, Bindayareni, who li ed 202kg to win the Silver medal in the 55kg category. Commen ng on Olarinoye’s feat, the Olu of Ileogbo, Oba Abeeb Adetoyese Agbaje, said he and other
•Left to Right: the composer of the 2022 Commonwealth Game opening Ceremony Song, Lekan Babalola and Gold Medalist, Adijat Olarinoye. well meaning indigenes and residents of the town are proud of her achievement and fame in her chosen career. Oba Agbaje said:
“This is yet another proud moment for us as Adijat has been proving over the years the unlimited prospect of successes she can a ain,
if provided with the pla orm. The results of this is her consistence emergence in Nigeria, Africa and now on the global stage.
Entertainment My Husband Left Me After Giving Him All Styles – Korra Anuoluwapo Owolabi
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IGERIA born America based dancer, Korra Obidi, has said that she doesn’t think she will ever get married again. This is coming a er her husband divorced her five days a er welcoming their second child. I really tried in my marriage, said she celebrity. She said she cooked all sorts of meals, gave him “doggy style, trampoline style, elephant syle”, bought sexy lin-
geries, and did everything else a wife is expected to do. Obidi added that she gave her all to that “ins tu on” but the ins tu on is not easy. She warned that no man should marry her, explaining that when she was married, she had to tone down her personality and other things out of respect for the man. According to her, she now has her space to herself to do as she likes and she loves the freedom. “I don’t think I’m going to ever marry again,” she said.
Iyabo Ojo Embarks On First Project With RMD Ayomide Kareem
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OLLYWOOD actress, Iyabo Ojo has expressed delight about her first project with veteran actor, Richard Mofe Damijo. The single mother of two took to her Instagram page to express excitement at finally being on set with her idol. Sharing photos of them, she urged her fans to stay in tune with their latest project. “Finally get to be
on set with the king himself @mofedamijo. An cipate. Stay tuned guys”.
“We are proud of her, and the model she is crea ng for our teeming youthful populaon. She is a good role model for the coming genera ons. The happiness has taken over the mind and cloud of Ileogbo. “Success as we all know drives home familiarity from even the people who were antagonis c of the characters. It is with this we admonish Adijat to always remember that familiarity comes a er success. “We encourage her to keep the morale high and not get distracted by the influx of wellwishes, as there are numerous gold medals awai ng you.” In his congratulatory message, a judge at a State High Court in Osun, Jus ce Jide Falola, said: “I earnestly congratulate our beau ful sister on this record breaking event, and for promoting herself to the level of world recogni on. I
Super Eagles To Face Portugal In International Friendlies Kazeem Badmus
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Blessing Okoro Pays Over N3m For Butt Enlargement Tolulope Babatunde
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ONTROVERSIAL rela onship coach, Blessing Okoro, has revealed that she spent over N3m on her liposucon surgery. The self-proclaimed rela onship expert, who recently went under the knife and kept her fans and followers updated throughout the proc-
ess, revealed the cost of her new bu on Franky Speaking podcast. According to her Okoro, she had the liposucon at a facility in Lekki, Lagos state. Speaking on why she was open about the procedure, she stated that she wanted to control the narra ve because if she had kept it a secret, it would have leaked out.
recall her humble beginning, when her story broke on IDF pla orm few years ago. “She is indeed a promising star. Congratula ons, lleogbo, a dis nct se lement created by God. “Similarly, we are proud to associate with the legendary Grammy Award winning ar st, Mr. Lekan Babalola, another indigene of Ileogbo who performed at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Commonwealth events. It’s a double win for Ileogbo. “With the spate in which youths of nowadays derail from the tenet of hardwork, determina on and consistency, we believe Olarinoye and Babalola’s consistent successes are smoking gun to spike the thoughts of reflecve pause for the for youths, especially the females, to commence sincere soul-searching ac vi es so they can equally emerge with sustainable legacies.”
HE Super Eagles of Nigeria will take on former European champions, Portugal in an internaonal friendly match in September. The three- me African champions were earlier scheduled to face the Djurtus of Guinea-Bissau in a 2023 Africa Cup of Naons qualifiers in September, but the double-header has been shi ed to March 2023 by the Confedera on of African Football (CAF). Nigeria Football Federa on (NFF) wants to take advantage of the FIFA window and make sure the Super Eagles were kept busy, following the postponement of the qualifiers. According to the NFF General Secretary, Dr. Muhammad Sanusi, the friendly was ini ated by Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro. An official statement is expected from the NFF and Portugal Football Federa on
(PFF) on the date and venue of the friendly. This is the first me Nigeria and Portugal will be mee ng at senior level. Both countries have met thrice at the U-20 level with Portugal winning all three games.
Ahmed Musa PUBLICATION OMOTOLA PRISCILLA OMOLE That I was formerly known and addressed as OMOTOLA PRISCILLA AROYEHUN. Now wish to be known and addressed as OMOTOLA PRISCILLA OMOLE. All former documents remain valid. General public should take note.
ISSN : 0794 - 8050
News
FRIDAY, AUGUST 05 - THURSDAY, AUGUST 11, 2022 VOL. 17 NO 30 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
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write to disagree with the cerebral Prof Jide Osuntokun’s column of Thursday July 21, 2022 tled “The Elec on in Osun: Case of Poisoned Chalice.” The author wrote, among others, that it was the former governor of the state and now Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola’s mis-governance, that cost Governor Gboyega Oyetola re-elec on, ci ng Aregbesola’s antecedents as governor and post-office rela onship with the incumbent. Prof Osuntokun is a father to me and I hold him in a very high regard but I disagree with him on virtually all counts on his narrave on the Osun elec on. I will re-examine some of the points he raised and explain why Governor Oyetola lost the elec on to the PDP. Prof Osuntokun raised the issue of loans that Aregbesola took and the modulated salary structure he introduced to mi gate the shor all in revenue, as partly responsible for Governor Oyetola’s fall. This is not correct. There was a global financial crisis which hit Nigeria circa 2015 and lasted ll 2017. This brought about shor all in revenue as oil price dipped to $25 before rebounding. Osun’s income from all sources (like other states) during this period suffered a catastrophic reduc on and could not have been sufficient to pay salaries, even without the deduc ons for loans. Though the deduc ons exacerbated the situa on, it was not the cause. Prof Osuntokun accused Aregbesola of taking over private mission schools, imposed the wearing of hijab in schools, changed the Gregorian calendar to the Islamic calendar and le with a legacy of covert Islamisa on of the state. These are all false. Aregbesola NEVER TOOK OVER ANY MISSION SCHOOL IN OSUN! The schools were taken over in 1974 for Universal Primary Educa on (UPE) by the then Federal Military Government. Hijab came up in Aregbesola’s first term when some Muslims sued the state government on the need to have their girls in public schools cover their heads according to Islamic demand. The heads of some public schools founded by the missionaries rejected this request on the ground that hijab was not part of their prescribed school uniforms. Before giving judgement, the court had ruled that the status quo ante on hijab be maintained – where hijab had been introduced, they should let it be and where it had not, it should not – un l the determina on of the case. The Muslims eventually won their case in court and the state government was not involved in any way, other
“Governor Oyetola had a whole term to prepare for his re-election, but he spent it fighting his predecessor. He surrounded himself with sycophants and people who enthusiastically joined him in fighting Aregbesola”
Adeleke Warns Against Recruitment Of 75,000 OYES Cadets Pg. 5
PERSPECTIVE BY SOLA FASURE
Hubris, Not Poisoned Chalice, Cost Governor Oyetola Re-election
•Aregbesola handing over Oyetola to Tinubu in 2018. than as a defendant. The Chris ans were not a party and only asked to be joined in the case. Aregbesola DID NOT CHANGE THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR TO THE ISLAMIC CALENDAR in Osun. The state government only granted a public holiday on the 1st day of the Islamic calendar, just as it granted a public holiday for Isese Day, for tradi onal religious worshippers. It will, therefore, be farfetched to argue that gran ng a public holiday to Muslims amounts to rever ng to the Gregorian calendar in their favour. Aregbesola’s administra on during the two terms he enjoyed had more Chris ans than Muslims as cabinet members and poli cal appointees. There was no accusa on of Islamisa on, other than the short-lived hijab brouhaha. Indeed, it was Aregbesola that gave a building to the Chris ans as chapel in the Government House. Till today, the Muslims have no mosque there. Truth be told, APC’s loss on Saturday July 16 did not come as a surprise to anyone involved in the elec on. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presiden al candidate arrived in Osogbo on Monday to campaign for the governor in the Saturday elec on. Given the lukewarm recep on the campaign train received – the use of only half of the Osogbo stadium for the grand finale of their campaign and the absence of an enthusias c crowd to greet them on the streets – what was meant to be a ‘mega rally’ derisively in Osun became a ‘meagre rally.’ I believe Asiwaju, who is a master of
the game, would be under no illusion that Governor Oyetola was in for a swell me at the poll. Governor Oyetola lost the re-elec on bid due to unmi gated hubris and outstanding poli cal naivety, and not Aregbesola. Though, he could have won if his predecessor had openly supported him. You contest for an execu ve posi on on the ground that you will solve the problems you inherited and do be er than your predecessor, not that you will use your predecessor as an excuse for your own failure. A er four years of being in the saddle, you contest for your re-elec on on your own strength, not the weakness of your predecessor. Governor Oyetola had a whole term to prepare for his re-elec on, but he spent it figh ng his predecessor. He surrounded himself with sycophants and people who enthusias cally joined him in figh ng Aregbesola. Then he destroyed his party. He created a ‘for-us’ versus ‘against-us’ dichotomy in APC as the party structures prac cally dissolved into his own Ileri Oluwa and the Aregbesolaleaning TOP caucuses. So, there was no machinery for him to use to campaign and win his re-elec on. He foreswore any need for inclusion, excluding anyone not in his Ileri Oluwa caucus from government and party offices. He capped this division by arres ng and prosecu ng members of the TOP caucus in his own party and sponsoring vicious a acks on their persons and property. A poli cal party is an amalgam of interests and tendencies, some of which are
“Governor Oyetola lost the re-election bid due to unmitigated hubris and outstanding political naivety, and not Aregbesola, though he would have won if his predecessor had supported him” compe ng with each other. But when elecon beckons, a wise incumbent will go on charm offensive, mending fences, unifying his party and go to the polls with a united front. Having a ained this, he will take further steps to recrui ng from opposi on par es to his own. But ll the last moment, the governor refused to reconcile with Aregbesola or his supporters, buoyed by the belief that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his paperweight allies and the power of vote buying would get him a re-elec on. If Aregbesola’s policies had angered Osun people, he would not have been re-elected. But he won his re-elec on in 2014 by more than one hundred thousand votes, which had never happened before or a er, defea ng the federal might of the huge sums of money and security armada unleashed on Osun during the elec on. In 2018, Aregbesola was s ll able to rally APC to win the governorship elec on in spite of the fact that the candidate was from a controversial cons tuency that had dominated, if not monopolised, the guber office for about 12 years to the chagrin of Osun West that only had 18 months shot at the office. This fact polarised the party and cost it the votes in the Iwo stronghold among others. Regre ably, APC’s successive three elecon cycle victory in Osun has come to an end under the governor’s watch. We shall see what the verdict of history would be on this.
“But till the last moment, the governor refused to reconcile with Aregbesola or his supporters, buoyed by the belief that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his paperweight allies and the power of vote buying would get him a re-election”
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarnaty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0809-301-9152 or . ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefemder@yahoo.com