Osun Defender Online Version of December 24, 2021

Nothing Will Stop Our Monthly Food Support Programme - Oyetola Page 2

Osun Govt Suspends Teacher For Promoting Ex-Speaker On Facebook Page 4

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

Bola Ige Wanted To Resign Before He Was Killed - Akande Page 5

VOL 16 NO 50

Osun 2022:

Fear Grips Oyetola, Loyalists As Lasun, Adeoti, Salaam Join Forces Against Him

•Members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Special Meeting of The Osun Progressives (TOP) on Tuesday at Oranmiyan House, Osogbo, where three governorship aspirants; Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, Rt. Hon. Lasun Yussuff and Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam declared interest in the 2022 gubernatorial race. Inset: Adeoti, Yussuff and Salaam raising up their hands in unison to oust Oyetola.

•Time For Reconciliation Gone – Ex-Speaker, Adeoti •We Need A Collective Leadership – Fmr. Dep. Speaker Controversy Over Queen Silekunola’s Divorce With Ooni Ogunwusi

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

2

News

2022: Fear Grips Oyetola, Loyalists As Lasun, Adeoti, Salaam Join Forces Against Him Our Reporter

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OVERNOR Adegboyega Oyetola of the State of Osun is facing s ffer opposi on in his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his second term ambi on.

Oyetola’s re-elec on is hanging in the balance, following the recue opera on launched by former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representa ves, Hon. Lasun Yussuff, former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam and former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Moshood Adeo , on Tuesday, in Osogbo.

OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the unity of the prominent APC leaders against Oyetola’s ambi on, has sent jilter down the spine of the governor and his supporters.

Members of the Oyetolaled IleriOluwa fac on of the party have also been expressing worries over what they described as ‘poli cal gang up’ against the governor, saying it is a bad signal for the 2022 governorship elec on.

It was learnt that Oyetola sent emissaries to Adeo on Tuesday morning not to join force with Yussuff and Salaam to work against his second term ambi on.

But Adeo , according to sources, told the governor’s

emissaries that Oyetola is a bad product that could not sell in 2022, insis ng that APC must present a new candidate from Osun West Senatorial District.

The trio of Yussuff, Salaam and Adeo are governorship aspirants in the APC for the next year elec on. They also contested the cket of the party with Oyetola in 2018.

Speaking at a special mee ng of The Osun Progressives (TOP) held at the popular Oranmiyan House, Osogbo, the APC leaders expressed their readiness to work together to rescue the party from what they described as imminent collapse and electoral loss.

They jointly declared that APC could not win the 2022

governorship elec on if it fields Oyetola.

The trio lamented that the governor has been playing poli cs of exclusiveness, marginalisa on and disunity since he took over.

In his address, Salaam said it was disheartening that genuine APC members who worked for the emergence of Oyetola, were being margin-

alised and treated as outcast and nonen es by the governor and his people.

According to Salaam, Oyetola was mismanaging the party because he is an opportunist, who got the party’s cket on a pla er of gold.

He said Yussuff, Adeo and himself have resolved to downplay individuals’ po-

• Children unit of The Redeemed Christian Church Of God (RCCG), Christ Life parish, Ofatedo, during their Christmas Carol on Wednesday.

Nothing Will Stop Our Monthly Food Support Programme - Oyetola Ismaeel Uthman

G

OVERNOR of the State of Osun, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola has said that nothing will hamper the distribuon of food items to the needy residents of the state under his administra on’s Food Support

•Oyetola

Scheme.

Oyetola who was represented at the flag-off of the 9th edi on of the scheme by the Secretary to the State Government, Prince Wole Oyebamiji, on Wednesday, noted that over 270,000 households had benefited from the scheme since its com-

mencement nine months ago.

He said no effort would be spared to add value to the ini a ve which has been widely accepted by the people.

The governor said: “You will recall that nine months ago, our government did promise that on a monthly basis, 30,000 households will be fed and this is the ninth edion making 270,000 households that had benefited from the Scheme.

And when we talk of households, it is not an individual that makes up a household, essen ally, the husband, wife, children and dependants.

“So, when we look at the numbers of the beneficiaries, one would not but agree that thousands of residents of the state have benefi ed so far.”

Local rice popularly known as “ofada” was distributed to the beneficiaries in the 9th edi on of the programme.

This is part of efforts to encourage farmers and

boost local produc on of rice in Osun, said Oyetola.

He noted that the ini a ve will not only boost local produc on of rice but also encourage farmers and create ready-made market for their farm produce which will contribute to making Osun hub of the na on’s agricultural produce.

The governor stated that patronizing local rice was to further actualise his plans to genuinely diversify the economy of the state by unraveling the poten al embedded in the cri cal sectors such as agriculture, mining and tourism.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Regional Integra on and Special Du es, Engr. Olalekan Badmus, said the government’s resolve to promote local content had begun to yield posi ve results as evidenced in the successful move to source Ofada rice locally.

Badmus said it gladdened his heart that the 9th edi on was dedicated

to pure local food.

According to him, the ini a ve will enhance produc on capacity and encourage the young ones to go into farming as government is resolute to create enabling environment for ci zens, par cularly farmers to thrive.

He said: “We are doing the 9th edi on of the Food Support Scheme and this one is spectacular because we have gone out of our way to meet our local rice farmers to ensure that we are ge ng enough rice for distribuon.

“This ini a ve is to ensure that we source the food contents directly from the farmers for distribu on as part of efforts to boost the local producons and strengthen the produc on capacity in our State.

“As it is, our farmers will enjoy direct purchase from the government and this will also go a long way to encourage our farmers to grow rice and other staple foods.”

li cal interest, accept and work with whoever emerges among them as the candidate of the party in 2022.

Salam said: “I was at the forefront of Osun West agenda in 2018 as a governorship aspirant. They pacified me to support Oyetola’s candidature. Aregbesola compelled me to be the Campaign Manager of Oyetola for Osun West Senatorial District. I agreed because of the love for the party and Aregbesola.

“In spite of that, those ingrates maliciously claim that I was compromised with huge amount of money to drop my governorship ambion for Oyetola. The person you claimed gave me money is s ll alive. I challenge him and the people saying that to come out and say it to my face. On that, I leave you to God. “Ninety per cent of us that worked for this government are now suffering. The suffering varies, but everyone of us is being maltreated by this government. We had waited for long, hoping that things will change for good. But it is not. It is ge ng worse.

“However, the three of us: Adeo , Yussuff and I have come together to rescue the party from sinking. We now have a common front; and we are united to unseat this people. We are the real policians. We own the party and we own the people.

“The reason why the governor is behaving in such destruc ve and vindic ve manner is that he never struggled for the posi on. He is an opportunist, who got the cket of the party on a pla er of gold. Had it been he had laboured for the cket of the party, he would not be mismanaging the party.”

The former Speaker urged party members to work in unison to realise the dreams of the majority in a bid to salvage the party and the state.

Speaking in the same vein, Yussuff, the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representa ves, said it was painful that the APC in the state is in the hands of an impostor, sta ng that the party is in disarray and needed to be restructured.

Yussuff said he decided to join hands with other leaders of the party in The Osun Progressives because of his love for progressives, his rela onship with the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the need to take the party back to the genuine progressives in the state.

According to him, APC ran into problem in 2018 because its leaders refused to allow collec ve leadership to play out, accusing them of imposing Oyetola on the APC members.

•Continued on Page 7

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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Review & Outlook

BY BINZAK AZEEZ A New Year Ahead

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OMPLIMENTS of the season to our esteemed readers. We thank you all for the patronage and steadfastness.

When we resume in the new year a er a well-earned break, we will be entering into what promises to be a momentous year.

The year 2022 will test loyalty, trust and courage. We must not back down in the face of an expected onslaught on principles in which truth inevitably becomes the first casualty. Principles to the original founda on must not be sacrificed on the altar of expediency. It will mean foregoing the immediate comforts obtainable immediately for greater benefits for succeeding generaons. India’s first post-independence Prime Minister, Jawarlal Pandit Nehru, a long me ago sensibly stated that, “a poli cian thinks about the next elec on, a statesman about the next seven genera ons.” People like Nehru,

“The year 2022 will test loyalty, trust and courage. We must not back down in the face of an expected onslaught on principles in which truth inevitably becomes the first casualty Awolowo and company made a difference because of the ability to defer immediate gra fica on and think in the long - term. For this their memories con nue to guard, guide and remain blessed.

We believe that our teeming followership too will accompany us on the journey of steadfastness and principled stands in the year ahead. Wishing all a very fulfilled Christmas and a prosperous 2022.

A Season Of Witch-hunts?

P

ARANOIA appears to be on the rise in what should be the season of goodwill to all. The Governor Adegboyega Oyetola’s administra on is obviously hos le and ready to crush opposing poli cal opinions. This is evident in many attacks on members of the party who are not in the same camp with Mr. Governor.

The latest of the Oyetola administra on’s hos lity to opposing poli cal view is the suspension of Mr. Philip Akinyemi, a Physics teacher in Masifa Community Grammar School, Masifa, State of Osun. Mr. Akinyemi was suspended for promo ng the governorship ambion of the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam.

Suspending a teacher for exercising his freedom of expression is a foretaste of the gulag to

come. Ironically, the suspended teacher had been a key witness on the side of the Governor in the Elec on Pe on Tribunal.

Would the teacher be suspended for promo ng Oyetola’s second term ambi on? No! in this same administra on, other civil servants have been openly involved themselves in par san poli cs. But because it is in the favour of the Governor, the concerned authori es are okay with it. This shows how selec vely cruel some memories can be.

The process leading to the “indefinite suspension” (echoes of military authoritarianism here) on scru ny defies the tenour of natural jus ce, fairness and due process. It should be reversed.

No one should condone witchhunts and selec ve jus ce, “for we must never seek to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee”. Everyone has been put on no ce.

The Need to Support Northerners’ Agitations

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RIOR to the emergent #NorthisBleeding protests, the popular no on among the Southern Nigerians was the infallibility of Buhari administra ve policy in the eyes of the Northerners. An average Southerner had the concep on that the Northern region would rather endure unfavourable and harsh poli cal, economic and social programmes of the Buhari-led administra on than cas ga ng or portraying it bad in the public domain.

The straw that broke the camel’s back on the already North/South strained relaonship and mutual distrust was the condemna on of the #EndSARS protests which was popularly accepted in the North as a conspiracy by the South to overthrow the Buhari-led administra on. The pro-SARS movements’ rallies organized in some Northern states par cularly seemed to have given more credence to the unalloyed loyalty of the Northerners towards the incumbent naonal government.

As the #NorthisBleeding protests were being staged across some Northern states, many Southern Nigerians perceived the insecurity outcry as an avenue to pay back the North in their own coins. They therefore, trivialised the protest by throwing their weight behind the Buhari-led administra on in a bid to spite the Northern protesters.

A couple of Southern youths even went on social media to express their joyful mood towards the recent murder of 23 travellers by bandits on a road in the Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State and the gruesome murder of 18 worshippers in a mosque in Niger State.

Whatever argument pushed in jus ficaon of the Northerners’ stance on #EndSARS movement and other previous ac ons in solidarity with the incumbent government should not be a bone of conten on at this period. Likewise, the Southern people should not be cas gated for mockery of Northern

“The continuous apportion of blame would only serve the interest of the political elite, and not the common man in both regions. Rather, keen attention be paid at the degree both the Northern and Southern masses enjoyed the dividends of good governance under the incumbent administration”

states’ insecurity menace.

The con nuous appor on of blame would only serve the interest of the poli cal elite, and not the common man in both regions.

Rather, keen a en on be paid at the degree both the Northern and Southern masses enjoyed the dividends of good governance under the incumbent administra on.

Be it South or North, the agenda of the upper echelons of Nigeria’s poli cal power structure is mutual; the mo ve to capture and retain poli cal power. Nigeria, being a mul -ethnic and culturally diverse society, is a fer le ground to breed the seed of ethnoreligious hos li es.

This same en ty is full of poten ali es if its ethno-religious pluralism is managed and harnessed to na onal integra on. Unfortunately, the country’s poli cal elite have chosen the constant playing of ethnic cards to retain poli cal power ahead of na onbuilding.

Nigeria is bedeviled with numerous obstacles which mostly affect the masses. The Nigerian masses would con nue to be on the receiving end un l the recogni on of social iden ty by ethnicity and religion is uprooted.

The ethnic tension between North and South is a well cra ed script by the elite to divert the common man atPublisher – Moremi Publishing ten on from per nent issues House Ltd. related to their wellbeing Deputy Editor – Ismaeel Uthman and survival.

(0805-121-2204) Both average NorthernProduc on Editor – Petkola Taiwo Ibitowa ers and Southerners have Reporter – Yusuf Oketola con nued to benefit li le or Reporter – Kazeem Badmus nothing from successive govPhoto Journalist – Olushola Aderinto ernments. The unity, solidarComputer Graphics – Zainab Olalere ity, consciousness and proacOSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing veness of this oppressed House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), Gbogan Road Osogbo, class is the panacea for their collec ve survival against State of Osun socio-poli cal, economic and ISSN : 0794-8050 security challenges.

Telephone : 0805-121-2204 Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php •Binzak Azeez writes e-mail : osundefender@yahoo.com from the faculty of Law, osundefenderbank@gmail.com Obafemi Awolowo UniverAll correspondence to the above email addresses. sity, Ile Ife.

OSUN DEFENDER

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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News

Osun Govt Suspends Teacher For Promoting Ex-Speaker On Facebook Ismaeel Uthman

A

teacher with Masifa Community Grammar School, Masifa, Ejigbo Local Government of the State of Osun, Mr. Philip Akinyemi, has been suspended by the state government for promo ng the governorship ambi on of former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salaam, Akinyemi is one of the last two witnesses who tes fied in favour of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola during the elec on pe on tribunal in 2019.

The Court of Appeal and Supreme Court, according to Barr. Kolapo Alimi, who was one of the lawyers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Oyetola, based their judgment on Akinyemi’s statement, which awarded victory to Oyetola.

In a query issued by Osun West District Office on December 8, 2021, Akinyemi was accused of disrespec ng the state government and Governor Adegboyega Oyetola through his posts on social media.

Signed by the Tutor General, Mr E.O Onatola, reads: “Your pos ngs and comments on social media for some me have been inci ng and has shown that you have derailed from what you were employed to do as a teacher. You are more focused on par san polics than your duty as a teacher and commitment to the State Government as a Civil Servant in Osun State.

“Your comments and pos ngs have shown a great disrespect to state Government and the Governor that is commi ed

•Oke-fia roundabout decorated by the state government in the spirit of the festive season to a regular payment of wages and salaries.

“Inves ga on shows that several people have warned you against such provoca ve and controversial pos ngs, including your colleagues and Principal but you turned a deaf ear to their warnings.

“The office is fully aware of your fundamental human right and en tlement to your opinion on social media but it is wrong for you, in fact an act of betrayal to post provoca ve comments against the State Governor and his Government.

“Your unpatrio c behavior, abusive and provoca ve pos ngs and comments are against the Civil Service rule. Therefore, you are to explain upon receipt of this query why disciplinary ac on(s) should not be taken against you.”

Inves ga ons by OSUN

DEFENDER revealed that Akinyemi’s posts are majorly promo ng Najeem Salaam for the 2022 governorship elec on.

In his response to the query, Akinyemi said: “I was employed as a physics teacher presently at Masifa Community Grammar School, Masifa, where

T

HE Ibadan Electricity Distribu on Company (IBEDC) Plc has re-launched the Meter Asset Provider Scheme (MAPS) as part of efforts to ensure meter roll out across its franchise.

IBEDC, in a statement by its Chief Opera ng Officer (COO), Engr. John Ayodele, said the meter roll-out will commence immediately, following the direc ve given by

the Na onal Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) to give customers the choice to purchase meters.

According to the COO, “We are officially announcing the restoraon of the Meter Asset Provider Scheme for customers who are in urgent need of meters and are willing to pay for them”.

Ayodele said customers can register for MAP meters online via msms. ibedc.com or visit any

ity of Mr. Governor and his government. In fact, in January, 2019 during the court case between Mr. Governor and Senator Nurudeen Ademola Adeleke a er the elecon at elec on pe on tribunal, Abuja, I was one of 14 witnesses that were randomly selected across

Outburst Over Govt’s Statement on Teacher’s Recruitment Yusuf Oketola

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EACTIONS have been trailing a statement made by the government of the State of Osun on the controversial recruitment of 1,000 teachers in the state.

In the said statement signed by the Commissioner for Informa on and Civic Orienta on, Mrs. Funke Egbemode,

IBEDC Re-Launches Maps, Says Customers Have A Choice To Pay For Meters Kazeem Badmus

I always discharged my statutory obliga ons as expected, ranging from teaching of students as schedules on the me table and all statutory records are updated from me to me and well kept.

“I have never, and will never insult the personal-

IBEDC Office, a er which a unique ID will be generated for a technical evalua on of the customer’s premises.

“Once the technical evalua on is successful, payment can be made at any bank branch and the customer will be metered within ten working days a er payment”, said Ayodele.

He further explained that the prices of the meters are as s pulated and approved by NERC.

the government defended itself on the recruitment process but failed to address the issue of nondisclosure of the names of the newly recruitment teachers.

Residents of the state, par cularly, those who applied to be employed in the teachers’ recruitment exercise, have been bashing the state government for refusing to publish the names of the 1,000 teachers it claimed it has employed.

Reac ng to the statement, some social media commentators took on Egbemode on her Facebook page, describing the statement as fallacious and unprofessional.

One of the commentators, Ms. Feranmi Damilola said: “The applicants are not demanding for interview scores but the list or names of the successful applicants for the cri cal subjects.”

Another commentator, Engr. Victor Oludayo said: “Who you help with this your unprofessional write up which is full of

professional lies? This is a government that is busy deceiving the innocent masses. Why are you covering things? It is obvious that the underlined recruitment process is just a scam.”

Oluwabukunmi Oyebode said: “This is fraud on the part of government. Other states give out employment forms free but you sold yours for N3,000, knowing well that these people will not be considered. Jamboree recruitment.”

Abdulrosheed Adebayo wrote: “If not that you have hidden agenda, why not publishing the names of the successful candidates and specified those you want to employ for now?”.

In her comment, Abidemi Jejelomo said: “Stop defending your kangaroo recruitment. It is the applicants that are complaining and not poli cians. If you are true and serious with yourself publish the name of the teachers recruited.

Scam government, 2022 is not far.”

the state then.

“The duo of Hon. Oladejo Kazeem and my humble self were the last two witnesses who gave evidences in favour of Mr. Governor before the tribunal at Federal High Court, Apo-Abuja. The said Hon. Oladejo Kazeem is the current chairman, Orolu LCDA. We were conveyed to Abuja then, during the said court case under the watch of Chief Wole Olaonipekun (SAN), Barr. Kolapo Alimi, Wallu Salimon, myself and Hon. Oladejo Kazeem witnessed in favour of Mr. Governor then.

“Despite my fundamental human right and en tlement to my opinion on social media, none of my pos ngs and comments are neither abusive nor provoca ve against state Government and Mr. Governor.

“I am highly commi ed to what I am employed for as a physics teacher and I vow to discharge my best to promote sound educaon in the state.”

Akinyemi was eventually suspended indefinitely on Monday, December 20, 2021.

A copy of the le er obtained by OSUN DEFENDER yesterday reads: “I am directed to inform you that as a result of your ac ons of professional misconduct and abuse of Office, your ac ons created: public assault to the authority concerned, abuse of power as a teacher, disobedience to your school principal and in par cular to the State Government of Osun.

“The Ministry of Educa on/Osun West Educaon District Office came up with the following decisions: It is a fact that you Mr. Akinyemi PhiliP a teacher of Masifa Community Grammar School, Ejigbo. You are more focused on par san poli cs than your duty as a teacher and commitment to the State Government as a civil servant in Osun State.

“Your unpatrio c behaviour, abusive and provoca ve pos ngs and comments on social media are against the civil service rule. Unless contacted before, you are not permi ed to enter the school premises.

“You are hereby suspended indefinitely from Osun State Civil Service.

Please ensure strict compliance with the dictate(s) of this le er.”

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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News

Bola Ige Wanted To Resign Before He Was Killed - Akande Ismaeel Uthman

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ORMER Minister of Jus ce and A orney General of the Federa on, Chief Ajibola Ige wanted to resign his appointment before he was assassinated in his Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001.

This was disclosed by the former governor of the State of Osun, Chief Adebisi Akande, in his autobiography, My Par cipa ons.

According to Akande, Ige had wri en his resignaon le er and informed him of his plan to resign when it became clear that forces in the President Olusegun Obasanjo government felt threatened that Ige had the grip of South West poli cs.

Yesterday, December 23, marked the 20th anniversary of Ige’s death.

Recalling the last moment of the Cicero of EsaOke, Akande said: “Bola Ige had returned from Lagos in prepara on for his annual Christmas feast in his hometown, Esa-Oke when gunmen invaded his Ibadan residence on December 23, 2001 and terminated his life.

“I had fears that Uncle Bola was in danger but he seemed oblivious of it. On the day he was killed, we had spoken on phone in the morning and I confirmed to him that I would be arriving that day. Since I travelled, we had been speaking every day. He kept saying there were a lot of things to discuss.

“He said he was going to submit his le er of resignaon to Obasanjo because he was not happy with the way the country was going.

He said he would come and see me in Osogbo once I arrived in town. I told him, ‘Not in your life!’ I said he should stop travelling in the night. I promised I would be with him on the morning of December 24 at Esa-Oke. “A week earlier, Chief Ige had joined other guests at the palace of the Ooni of Ife where Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, Wife of the President, was being honoured with a chie aincy tle. I was not normally a ending ceremonies at the Ooni’s place because I recognised the place as an enemy territory.

I was abroad and was given full briefing later about the sad event of that day which presaged the assassina on.

“On the same day of Stella Obasanjo’s chie aincy ceremony, I was told that Omisore had led a group of thugs to the Ooni’s Palace.

He was dressed casually and he was with many of his top boys, including several who were veterans of the Modakeke crisis. Uncle Bola sat by the le of the Ooni in the front while Omisore and his boys were at the back of the encampment where they were singing abusive songs against Uncle Bola. Despite remonstra ons from the Ooni, Omisore and his team would not relent.

“At the end of the ceremony, the dignitaries were led into the inner palace where they would be entertained. Uncle Bola was s ll gree ng some of the guests when the said thugs surrounded him, seized his cap and subjected him to a series of humilia ons. For a Yoruba elder, removing his cap was the unkindest cut of all.

“Omisore presided with glee over that episode. It took the security details of Chief Bode George, the Naonal Vice-Chairman of the then ruling PDP, to rescue Uncle Bola from these miscreants and chaperon him into the inner palace.

“Tragically, Uncle Bola had come to Ile-Ife without the usual security details of a serving Minister. He came with only his State Security Service (SSS) detail who was helpless in the face of the wild dogs unleashed by Omisore. Uncle’s cap was later released to him a er the Ooni threatened to invoke tradi onal curses on the perpetrators.

“In the evening of the same day when Uncle Bola was assaulted, Hon. Olagbaju, who was represen ng Ife at the House of Assembly, was also killed by some hoodlums at a drinking joint in Ile-Ife. I understood that Olagbaju was set up for the kill. He was accused of holding onto the money meant for the boys who removed Bola Ige’s cap.”

Akande spoke further: “Uncle Bola’s main ambion in his last days was to resign from Obasanjo’s government and come to help us reorganise Afenifere. He believed Afenifere should be separated from the AD. He wanted a properly restructured Afenifere where the States, including Kogi and Kwara, would have representa on in the leadership instead of the clique that surrounded Baba Adesanya.

“A er he was assaulted in Ife by the renegade group led by Omisore, he became more resolved to return home and help us. He was also thinking of taking a

• Deputy Governor of the State of Osun, Mr. Benedict Alabi, in a warm handshake with The General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye during the yearly program Let’ go fishing at Baptist Primary School, Igbajo, State of Osun, while Speaker State of Osun House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Timothy Owoeye watches. part- me interna onal appointment with the United Na ons. A er he was assassinated, a copy of his le er of resigna on was found in his bedroom in Abuja.

“There was enough evidence that the government of President Obasanjo was reluctant to find the killers of Bola Ige. A day a er the assassina on, I was with Governor Lam Adesina and

other governors at the Government House, Ibadan, when I received a phone call from Major-General Abdullahi Mohammed, the Chief of Staff to the President.

“Mohammed, a former military governor, was also former head of the Nigerian Security Organisa on (NSO), the precursor of the SSS and later Directorate of State Services, (DSS). He was

regarded as a strong pillar of the Obasanjo presidency.

He invited me to come and talk to the President and that a plane had been dispatched to the airport in Ibadan to fly me to Abuja. I said I was not interested in talking to the President.

“But Governors Adesina and Osoba felt I should go and meet the President.

Therefore, I told General

Fear Grips Oyetola, Supporters...

•Continued from page 2 He submi ed that this me around, the leaders of the party are ready to embrace collec ve leadership which will start from presenting a candidate from their camp against Oyetola during the primaries of the party.

Yussuff said: “What happened in 2018 was because the leaders of the people did not accommodate collec ve leadership and reasoning.

When they manipulated the governorship primaries in favour of this governor, I told them that there would be consequence and there was.

“In every organisa on, a successor will be naturally known to the people through his conducts and character.

It is only a person like Aregbesola that can do what he did to us, and we will s ll be rela ng with him sincerely.

“Aregbesola is a man of honour, a great man who led the ba le for the actualisa on of progressive government in Osun from the front. He is not just who this people will rubbish. Where were they when we were in the struggle? We have laboured for this party.

Aregbesola and I know what

we have done for this party to be what it is now.

“Since 2018, I stood aloof for a while, observing the situa on in the party. But I decided to join hand with likeminds, people like Adeo and Salaam to embark on rescue mission role for this party.

“I want to assure all APC members that it is from among us that the candidate of the party will emerge in 2022. And there will not be any quarrel among us. We are ready to allow collec ve leadership.”

In his address, Adeo , the governorship candidate of the Ac on Democra c Party (ADP) in 2018, said it was surprising that a governor that won with just 482 votes would be chasing away quality APC members and leaders.

Adeo said it was hypocri cal and unfair for Oyetola to be dissocia ng himself from policies, programmes and projects of Aregbesola’s administra on, disclosing that he was ac vely involved in every decision of the government as a Chief of Staff to the governor.

The former SSG accused elders of the APC of nonchalant a tude to se lement of

misunderstanding in the party before it snowballed into full crisis.

He specifically accused the former Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun of being a party to the crisis, saying that the former Chairman of the APC was also not willing to relate with anybody that has rela onship with Aregbesola.

The Iwo born poli cian said: “I le this party before the 2018 governorship primaries of the APC because of the injus ce meted out to me.

“The secretary of the party then, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, who is now the Chairman of the party, was always mounting pressure on me to return to the party. A er him was Kunle Ige, who facilitated my discussion with Aregbesola.

Aregbesola was moun ng pressure on me to return to the party.

“When we returned to the party, we did not need anything than to be integrated into the party. I met Chief Bisi Akande and talked to him in that regard and he promised to facilitate mee ng. He never did that ll now.

•Continued on page 7

Abdullahi that I would only come on the condi on that they would not make me sit with Omisore and that nobody should ask me to make a statement. I said if the President intended to talk, I was prepared to listen Then, I went to the airport and boarded the presiden al jet.

“As if I knew, what they intended doing was to call me and Omisore into a sort of court. By the me I got to the airport, Omisore was already lurking around. Obasanjo just talked generally in the same vein he had spoken to me on phone the previous night. He said he was sad and devastated by the assassina on, and that he would do his best to bring the killers to jus ce.

“When I was about to board the aircra on my return trip to Ibadan, I saw Omisore. The jet had gone ahead to bring Omisore from Ibadan. What they told him I did not know. So, why try to bring us together for a chat?

All this created a suspicion in my mind that a cover-up was ac vely in the offing.

That was why I came to the conclusion that the Federal Government was complicit in the assassina on of Uncle Bola lge.

“There was no doubt, too, that there were other fronts against Bola Ige. Many months before the assassina on, Omisore had been mee ng with top leaders of Afenifere who were opposed to Ige. He had been admi ed into their inner caucus. In this conspiracy, Senator Adesanya was not involved.”

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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News

Controversy Over Queen Silekunola’s Divorce With Ooni Ogunwusi Sodiq Yusuf

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ONTROVERSY has been trailing a social media post of Queen Silekunola Naomi, wife of the Ooni of Ile-Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II. Naomi had said in the post that she should not be addressed as a wife to Ooni any longer.

The queen had taken to her verified Facebook page and Instagram handle to announce her exit from the three-year-old marriage, yesterday.

She adduced the monarch’s public identy being at variance with “his true self” as the major reason she le a er trying to make the union work.

The ex-queen wrote, “I did my best to endure and make it work; many mes, I smiled through the struggle, but I have finally realised I had just one as-

OSPOLY Suspends SUG Over Election Violence Yusuf Oketola

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HE management of Osun State Polytechnic, Iree has announced the indefinite suspension of the Students’ Union Government of the ins tu on.

The suspension came up as a result of violence that characterised the unsuccessful SUG elecon held on November 24, 2021 which led to pockets of violence.

According to an Internal Memo signed by the registrar of the school, Busari Salawu, the school approved the setup of Caretaker Commi ee which will be saddled with the responsibility of students affairs un l the suspension on the SUG is called off.

signment, my son, and when God is done, He is done. He chose Saul to be king, and when He was done, He told Prophet Samuel I have moved on.

“Religion was never an issue between us; please refer to my interview on News Central TV. Instead, His Majesty has a picture he would love the world to see and perceive him as and another one which is his true self.”

She declared: “Today, I announce the beginning of a new dawn and the close of a chapter. Today, I am a mother to God’s unique gi . I am no longer a slave to my thoughts of perfec on. I, at this moment, announce that I shall no longer be referred to as wife to the Ooni of Ife or as Queen of Ile-Ife but as the Queen of the people and mother of my adorable Prince.”

Queen Silekunola said that her decision to move on did not come because his majesty is married to another queen.

She further explained: “As many would love to assume, throughout our life as a couple, I was the only married wife to him.

There were side a racons, but it was never an issue.

“I never approached him with any revela on of any sort, as many believed he contacted me first and made his proposal known several months later.

•Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II and Queen Silekunola Naomi.

“The marriage was not an arranged one, as many have misconstrued. I never knew the prophetess said to have introduced me to him.

Instead, he introduced her to me a er I agreed to marry him. I was only being polite out of respect for him.

“I have never been pregnant all my life be-

fore Tadenikawo; my son is my first ever pregnancy with medical reports to back it up. The girl who is said to be my daughter is my niece.”

However, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER in a telephone interview yesterday, the Director of Press at the Ooni’s palace, Comrade Moses Olafare, said the

news is not true.

Olafare said: “I cannot talk where I am now. But it is not true.”

Ooni had previously suffered a marital breakdown in 2017 when he split from Edoborn Zaynab-O Obanor, whom he married as a monarch on March 16, 2016. Obanor’s marriage to the king

Covid-19: Osun Rolls Out Booster Doses Yusuf Oketola

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HE State Government of Osun has announced its readiness to commence the administra on of booster doses for persons that have completed two doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna, Pfizer

Bio-N-Tech or one dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccina on against the Coronavirus pandemic.

This was disclosed by the Commissioner for Informa on and Civic Orienta on, Mrs Funke Egbemode, on Monday, as part of the decisions of

the State Execu ve Council mee ng.

According to Egbemode, eligibility for the booster dose includes persons who are 18 years and above, those who took the second doses of AstraZeneca, Moderna or Pfizer Bio-N-Tech in the

Yuletide: Traders Decry Low Patronage Kazeem Badmus

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RADERS of food items in Osogbo, capital of the State of Osun, have lamented low sales and patronage from people in the yule de.

This is just as buyers of the food items were also complaining of the skyrocke ng prices of foodstuffs, chickens, turkeys and other materials needed for the celebra on of Christmas and New Year.

Some of the traders and buyers who spoke

lasted for 17 months before the separa on.

He later married Silekunola in 2018 and the marriage produced a son, Tadenikawo.

The 47-year-old monarch also had a daughter with Omolara Olatubosun as a teenager. Olatubosun gave birth to Princess Adeola Ogunwusi.

with OSUN DEFENDER on Thursday, expressed their displeasure with hike in the prices of the food items, blaming the situa on on the economic situa on of the country.

A visit to the popular Igbona, Ota-Efun, Oroki and Sasa markets in the state capital showed that cost of food items and other essen al commodi es are on the high.

A foodstuffs trader at Igbona market, Miss Florence Alabi, complained about

the low turnout of people to buying food items at the market, saying there was no sign that Christmas was approaching.

She said: “The turnout of people to buy foodstuffs is very low as you can see.

The prices of food items are high and it is not our fault. The government should have opened the border.

“The insecurity challenge in the northern part of the country is also a major factor for the high cost

of things as people are afraid to bring commodies down to this side.”

Another trader, Miss Mojisola Lawal, said the high cost of the food items was the cause of the low turnout, saying it has never been this bad.

She said: “The high cost of things is making our customers not to buy our goods and it is really affec ng us, because most of us bought these goods on credit and now, there are no sales.”

last six months and those who took the first dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine in the last two months.

Highligh ng the advantage of the booster shot, Egbemode said: “It strengthens the immune system be er and gives greater protec on against the virus.”

Urging eligible citizens to take advantage of the opportunity being offered, Egbemode said the doses are free to prospec ve recipients and available at the various local government headquarters.

She urged residents and those who are in the state for the Christmas celebra ons to visit healthcare facili es across the state to take their COVID-19 vaccines.

PEOPLE FIRST

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022

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News

Osun Police Command Honours Fallen Heroes, Civilians Yusuf Oketola

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HE Nigeria Police Force, Osun Command, on Wednesday honoured some of its heroes and civilians across all sphere of life in recogni on of their support towards police ac vi es in the state.

The command honoured its officers who lost their lives in the cause of service with a posthumous award while the civilians were given Commissioner’s awards.

Speaking at the event, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Olawale Olokode, appreciated all officers and other ci zens of the state who have been given the police financial and moral support in enhanc-

• Osun CP, Wale Olokode delivering his speech at the event. ing its efficiency and effec veness in the fight against crime in the state.

Olokode said that

the award was organised to show apprecia on for the contribu on of all awardees.

He said: “As we all know, security of a state is closely linked to personal security, and if the security

of a state/society is threatened, definitely personal security is threatened.

“The issue of secu-

Osun 2022: Fear Grips Oyetola, Supporters...

•Continued from page 2 “I also went to meet the Chairman of APC Elders Caucus, Engr. Sola Akinwumi in Ibadan. He said he was happy that I returned to the party.

He also promised to facilitate mee ng to address issues I raised with him. But he has not done that ll today. Are those leaders not contributing to the crisis?

“Some mes ago, I met with the former Chairman of the party, Prince Gboyega Famodun. Surprisingly, Famodun told me that he had nothing against me other than I am close to Aregbesola. Imagine such statement from a chairman of the party!

It was then I gave up on their ma er.

“But because of the love of the progressive, we cannot con nue to fold our arms and watch the party sink. We cannot allow those strangers to destroy the party for us. We are resolute and united this me around.”

Commen ng on Governor Oyetola’s a tude of distancing himself from decisions taken by the Aregbesola’s administra on on projects, programmes and policies, Adeo said: “If there is anybody that should be angry with Aregbesola, I should be the one.

“While in government, Aregbesola said the files of every Ministry, Department and Agency should pass through the Chief of Staff, who is now the governor of the state, Mr. Gboyega Oyetola.

“But I was not taking my files to him because I know the office of the SSG is superior to that of the Chief of Staff. The deputy governor

was taking her files to the Chief of Staff, un l I told her that I was taking my files to the governor directly.

“Aregbesola never imposed any decision on us or the state. Every decision on programmes, projects and policies of the government during the Aregbesola administra on was jointly approved by every cabinet member, including Oyetola.

“It is unfair and hypocri cal for anyone of us to dissociate himself or herself from anything that the Aregbesola’s administra on did.

We are all responsible for the success and failure of that administra on.”

Adeo concluded that the window of reconciliaon has been closed, sta ng that what is needed was to be united to rescue the party from sinking.

All the three governorship aspirants jointly promised to work together, restructure the party and posi on it for victory in 2022.

In his address, the Osun APC Chairman, Hon. Rasaq Salinsile, said it was unfortunate that the party found itself in the current mess, saying that the crisis would have been se led had Oyetola been a genuine progressive and a fair human being.

Salinsile said the party has decided to choose its candidate from Osun West Senatorial District in the 2022 governorship elec on.

He said: “We did not know the governor will be mismanaging the party like this. His poli cs of exclusiveness is second to none. We appealed to our people in Osun West because of him in 2018. But

what did we get in return? It is the same us that Oyetola is accusing of working against his interest.

“It is not too late to change our dancing steps.

We are here with three prominent governorship aspirants – Adeo , Salaam and Yussuff who are ready work together to unseat the ingrate. By the grace of God, the next governor of the State of Osun will come from among the three.”

Exci ng Moment For APC Members

It was an exci ng moment for the APC members who were openly expressing their happiness on the unity among the three poli cal gladiators.

The coming together of Adeo , Yussuff and Salaam rekindled the hope of the APC members that the party would be recused from those they described as impostors and opportunists.

For the period the events lasted, the ever-busy OgoOluwa stretch of the Gbongan-Ibadan road in Osogbo, the state capital was a beehive of ac vi es as thousands of party faithful accompanied Adeo , Yussuff and Salaam to the Oranmiyan House, venue of the weekly mee ng of TOP. From the Total Junc on where Adeo ’s campaign office is located, the three leaders converged in a procession to the event. Singing and dancing, they rallied chan ng solidarity songs.

Notable was the shutdown of the expressway for over an hour while the trio and the party faithful who came in droves moved to the

Ayinke Towers.

The mood around Ayinke Towers was electrifying with the four floors of the building occupied while the compound and the neighbouring buildings were filled up by the people.

It took the interven on of the combined team of officers of the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and officials of the Na onal Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), led by the Chairman, Oroki Branch, Alhaji Kazeem Oyewale, otherwise known as Asiri Eniba to control the heavy traffic occasioned by the influx of the APC members at the Aregbesola area. Obviously, the crowd was massive owing to the personali es who a ended the event.

Other APC leaders at the mee ng included Chairman of The Osun Progressives, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi, former cabinet members in the Aregbesola administraon - Comrade Biyi Odunlade, Mr. Adelani Baderinwa, Barrister Kolapo Alimi. Others included ex-lawmakers in the state like Hon. MuhammadBashir Ibrahim and Hon. Waseeu Adebayo, former Council Chairmen in the state, Women, Youth and Opinion leaders across the local government areas of the State of Osun.

The APC members spoke in one voice on the need to salvage the party and the state from the incumbent, Governor Oyetola.

They unanimously agreed that it is me to rescue Osun from the hands of Oyetola and his cohorts who they

said have grossly disunited the party and alienated those who worked assiduously for his emergence.

The poli cal gladiators, Salaam, Yussuff and Adeo emphasised the need for the restora on of collec ve leadership in the Osun APC as it is the only panacea to save it from electoral loss in the forthcoming polls.

They held that with the support of the APC members who came to the event in their thousands and their colleagues in various local government areas of the state, the party will be rescued from its current gory state and that Osun will return to a leadership driven by collec ve parcipa on and people focused leadership.

The trio eulogised the party echelon in the state led

by Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile and The Osun Progressives TOP Chairman, Reverend Adelowo Adebiyi for resuscita ng the party from the doldrums it has witnessed in the last three years.

Party members who spoke to OSUN DEFENDER expressed op mism that with the turn of events, the APC is be er reposi oned for the task ahead.

All speakers at the event saluted the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who has con nued to show tremendous leadership and courage in the face of provoca on and open maligning by the Oyetola administra on.

They urged their colleagues to remain firm in their pursuit for the return of Osun to the hands of genuine progressives in November, 2022.

rity requires general response as it cannot be adequately addressed and tackled by the government alone. What we are witnessing today is an a esta on or tesmony of your enviable contribu ons in ensuring peace and progress in the state.

“Today’s event is therefore to appreciate God, officers and men, as well as people of your caliber who God has been using to support the police both financially and morally in enhancing our efficiency and effec veness in the fight against crime in the state.

This is to show that your contribu ons are not unno ced.

“The efforts of all officers and in parcular, those who lost their lives in the course of securing and protec ng our dear father-land being recognised and celebrated today are tes monies to further spur them in to do more, and that their efforts are not in vain. Every Police Officer deserves to be honored and so, you are all honored!”

In his welcome address, Chairman of the Awards Commi ee, Prophet (Dr.) Tosin Odeyemi, said nomina on for the award was based on merit to show apprecia on for the awardees’ effort in suppor ng the police in Osun.

Some of the awardees are the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, who received award of Peace, Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede and the State Commissioner for Special Du es and Regional Integra on, Hon. Lekan Badmus.

PUBLICATION OROVARE FUNMI ESTHER That I was formerly known and addressed as OROVARIE ESTHER. Now wish to be known and addressed as OROVARE FUNMI ESTHER. All former documents remain valid.

Banks and General public should take note.

ISSN : 0794 - 8050

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021 - THURSDAY, JANUARY 13, 2022 VOL. 16 NO 50 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

Outburst Over Govt’s Statement on Teacher’s Recruitment Page 4

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N the 13th August, 2021 edi on of Observa on on July 16, 2022 Osun Governorship Elec ons Postula on, it was stated, “Although, as at today, all these stalwarts are fully back to APC, the party is engulfed with crisis and it is ge ng messier as we coast to July 16, 2022 Gubernatorial Elec ons in the state. Instead of working for peaceful co-existence, consulta on and inclusive engagement with all these stakeholders and caucuses within the party, Governor Gboyega Oyetola has chosen the path of aliena on (and hos lity). Apart from his caucus in the party – IleriOluwa – he does not have anything to do with others.” The piece stated further, “If the situa on is not radically addressed on me, either of these two will happen. On the one hand, if Oyetola uses his incumbent execu ve power to manipulate the game and emerge as APC candidate for the 2022 governorship elecon without the support and coopera on of other caucuses in APC, a worse repeat of 2018 clearly means he will lose the governorship elec ons.” It concluded, “I want to be op mis c that the shinning sun is s ll enough to dry the fabric.”

In the run-up to 2014 re-elec on for his second term, governor Rauf Aregbesola did not only pull together members of his party, he brought into his fold and party, stalwarts of PDP opposi on party like Late Isiaka Adetunji Adeleke, the first execu ve governor of the state; Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, the former governor that the Appeal Court sacked in November 26, 2010 for Aregbesola to realise his stolen mandate; Peter Balalola and others to defeat PDP by over 100,000 votes! In the history of Osun, only Aregbesola had a two-term of eight years and handed over to a member of his party as Governor. Instead of heeding advice and follow the pa ern of his predecessor, Governor Oyetola has intensified his poli cs of aliena on, aggression, provoca on and confronta on of party members and stalwarts outside of his cult followers.

December 21, 2021 is a historic day in Osun. The state capital stood s ll for the major players of Osun poli cs, Alhaji Moshood Adeo , a pioneer State Chairman of Ac on Congress (AC), Ac on Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Secretary to the State Government (SSG) 2010-2018; Rt. Hon. Najeem Salaam, former Speaker, State House of Assembly 2011-2019; and Rt. Hon. Lasun Yussuf, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representa ves (2015-2019)- who all struggled to succeed Aregbesola in 2018 - when the trio came together to a end The Osun Progressives (TOP) weekly mee ng. The three poli cal juggernauts, at exactly 1:50 pm, were ushered into the mee ng with thousands of their supporters. They addressed party faithful and openly declared to support anyone of them who emerges as APC candidate in the forthcoming July 16, 2022 gubernatorial elec ons in the state. Their a endance at the TOP weekly mee ng is an open declara on and recogni on of Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile APC State Chairmanship as against Prince Gboyega Famodun IleriOluwa’s fac on. TOP is a caucus of Osun APC that is wagging a relentless struggle to reposi on the party to its progressive lean-

Rescuing The Soul Of Osun APC

Is Game Over For Oyetola? ing towards achieving its goal of massive development of the state and save it from direc on of perdi on it is snowballing. TOP is peopled by mass members of APC at the grassroots. It had had a parallel congress at the Wards, Local and State where Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile emerged as the APC State Chairman. Again, Salinsile leadership is already in court, asking it to declare its leadership as the one with legi mate congress.

The working rela onship and spirit of sportsmanship displayed by these astute poli cians is a nail in the coffin of a possible reconcilia on with Governor Oyetola who is scheming for a re-elec on under the 4+4 mantra of a con nuity promise that failed abysmally. I don’t know the magic Mr. Governor has in the offing. Logically, one would have thought that a Governor seeking reelec on would, in earnest, set up a reconcilia on panel and genuinely bring everybody into his fold with sense of belonging.

STRIKER

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Instead, right from the start, Mr. Governor does not want to have anything to do with his predecessor and any of his associates.

While he campaigned on con nuity of his predecessor’s legacies, it has been reversal of the legacies all through. What is the animosity about? Mr. Governor believes Aregbesola did not, at the onset, want him to be Governor but for insistence of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu. Assuming this asseron is correct, how could this be a problem when Aregbesola eventually did everything to make him become the candidate and Governor? What kind of pe y poli cs is that? It is against the principle and rule of bourgeois poli cs to make an enemy of a person who could promote one’s interest, whatever the personal animosity; hence the saying, “no permanent friend or enemy but permanent interest.”

2021 is coming to a close. Thursday 18th February, 2022 is the last day for submis-

“. It is crystal clearer that it won’t be an easy ride for Governor Oyetola to Bola Ige House in Abere. Rather than make amends, we are still sacking a teacher from the civil service (for not being within our cult), who once was a prime witness in our Supreme Court litigation victory!” sion of forms by the governorship aspirants to the APC Na onal Secretariat and primary is slated for 5th March, 2022. The me is too short to salvage the self-inflicted wreck.

It is crystal clearer that it won’t be an easy ride for Governor Oyetola to Bola Ige House in Abere. Rather than make amends, we are s ll sacking a teacher from the civil service (for not being within our cult), who once was a prime witness in our Supreme Court li ga on victory! Again, a direc ve was given to banning OSUN DEFENDER complimentary copies in Government House and the State Secretariat, Abere. Having squandered valuable me and opportuni es for reconcilia on to which it is even s ll hos le, Mr. Governor is staring a clear checkmate in the face. Anyway, a hun ng dog that will go astray never listens to the hunter’s whistle.

Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

Elite Fear Of Democracy

HE ar cle represented below is an ancipa on of what is playing out today between the Na onal Assembly and the Presidency on the simple task of further purifying the electoral system by passing an amended electoral bill that makes the people, more and more, the determinant of who govern them. When those who govern do not owe their posi on to the consent of the governed, the disasters to be managed, which may even lead to the end of the na on, cannot always be equated to the amount, however huge, needed to ensure “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”

As the Na onal Assembly and the Presidency con nue to play ping-pong with the bill, we refresh our memory with the ar cle tled “Perfec ng The Electoral System.”

Democracy is not just about elec ons.

However, elec ons are not only the high points of the democra c process but its mainstay. Whereas, a confirmed free and fair elec on does not guarantee full delivery of the dividends of democracy, a fraud-ridden elec on guarantees that there will be li le or no dividends at all, except a harvest of woes.

That is how key elec on is, to democracy and if perfec on can hardly be a ained on earth, every electoral management system must strive towards excellence – to achieve credible elec ons.

It is widely acknowledged that credible elec ons are characterised by inclusiveness, transparency, accountability and compe veness. Between Nigeria’s Independence in 1960 and the April 21, 2007 elec on that de-

clared Umaru Musa Yar’Adua President of Nigeria, almost all elec ons across board lacked those ingredients, with the June 12, 1993 Presiden al elec ons, won by MKO Abiola but annulled by Gen, Ibrahim Babangida and company, being the only excusable excep on.

Yar’Adua had to admit the u er crookedness of the elec on that made him president and sincerely inaugurated the Jus ce Uwais Electoral Reform Panel, hoping that with the implementa on of the panel’s report, be er days for credible elec ons in Nigeria will be guaranteed.

We have come a long way from the we e elec on characteris cs of the 1960s, which were provoca ve ingredients for coup d’états and civil wars, to the characteris cs of the March 2015 elec on that made displacement of an incumbent president by an opposi on candidate possible. Yet, we have a long way to go in order to purify the electoral processes to an acceptable level of credibility. The big worry today is the iner a, if not resentment, of the biggest beneficiaries of the current level of purifica on achieved through hard struggles - the ruling party.

The short-lived Yar’Adua administra on demonstrated sincerity and commitment to implemen ng almost all the recommenda ons of the 297-page report but the Jonathan administraon was not that generous and we went into the March 2015 general elec ons with only as many changes as it could simply not stall or sabotage due to popular pressure. The clear beneficiaries are the ones we are contending with today - the Na onal Assembly and the Presidency.

We are at a me when elec on credibility has the capacity to simplify some of the bedevilling issues on the na onal front burner, if not fundamentally or fully resolve them. A bill for advancing the electoral reform is before the foot-dragging senate, awai ng transmission to the unenthusias c presidency. How passing the bill and assen ng to it with all speed has now become rocket science is hard to understand, with major elec ons ahead in the first months of 2022, and insecurity and na onali es agitaon baggage to carry along.

Elec on is not a few days’ event; it is a lasting process from one elec on cycle to another.

The rules to govern the en re process need connuous perfec on based on the level of civility and technological advance a ained by society.

Where we are today gives assurance of an infrastructure base and general ci zen awareness that can sustain a credible elec on modus driven by technology, for substan al credibility.

When it is clear that based on strict and open adherence to pre-stated rules the winner is the winner and the loser is the loser, the steam to heat the na onal polity is taken away from poli cal manipulators of primordial, ethnic and religious sen ments.

All required now is the poli cal will and demonstrated sense of responsibility (or lack of it) by the poli cal elite, for which they will be cheered or jeered; and the sense of duty of the people to make mely and informed demands without giving a quarter, knowing that they will be the inevitable recipients of the consequences of acons and inac ons of state actors at the end of the day.

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.

All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, ISMAEEL UTHMAN, Telephone: 0805-121-2204, usmanismail001@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.

Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefemder@yahoo.com