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Why Akure Must Compensate Governor Akeredolu With The Vacant House of Representatives Seat

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Taiwo Joseph

The second term project of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, came to fruition as it occurred in the entire 18 LGAs of the state which participated, vigorously, in voting for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate. This was very important, not only for APC members to continue to enjoy the benefit of belonging to a ruling party, but most importantly, for the governor himself to be able to establish his legacy in every nook and cranny of the state.

The import of the election which gave an overwhelming victory to APC in 15 out of the 18 LGs in the state to Governor Akeredolu is still fresh in the mind of the people. The three LGs lost by Governor Akeredolu to his opponents are the two LGs of Akure North and South, and Ifedore LG.

Greater percentage of Governor Akeredolu’s projects was concentrated in Akure. The Governor believes Akure deserves all necessary infrastructures befitting of a state capital. Akure, being the only state capital in the south west without a teaching hospital, has the State General Hospital converted to one with a massive infrastructural upgrade.Governor Akeredolu dualised most of the single-lane roads in the city to double-lane for ease of traffic within the city. Governor Akeredolu believes that for Akure to live up to its name as a millennium city, it should have all the corresponding requisite infrastructural development in terms of transportation. He upgraded the Akure airport that was; hitherto, a ghost town and he facilitated some airline operators in the country to ply the route from Lagos, the commercial hub of the country and from Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on daily basis. The Airport which services not only Ondo but Ekiti, Osun and part of Edo States no doubt has a positive impact on economic prosperity of the State, particularly Akure.

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Akure sons and daughters have benefited tremendously in large number in terms of political appointment during Governor Akeredolu’s first tenure .

Except for political sentiment, how a man that has touched the lives of the inhabitants of the city, and who is enormously popular among both the indigenes and non Indigenes living in Akure and whose standard of living he has positively changed for better could lose an election in a city he considered his own and has done so much for when compared to anywhere else in the state during his first four years in office, is still a puzzle to be left for political pundits to unravel.

Akure South/North vacant seat

The people living in Akure now have an opportunity to make right the wrong meted to the governor in the last gubernatorial election, by voting massively for his party, the APC in the forthcoming bye election to elect a new MHR as a justification for the love, care and affection Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN has displayed for them.

Now, aspirants have started queuing up for the position of the late MHR. Posters are flooring the city everyday by aspirants vying for the post, while others who have not displayed their posters are busy making political consultations.

What should be paramount to the governor is how to sustain his legacy and emboss his name on the wall of the State’s Hall of Fame. He has done enough in terms of achievements in office to earn it. He still has a litmus test to pass ahead of him by entrusting loyal hands with strategic elective positions to protect his legacy as he leaves office in 2025.

There is the need for caution in picking the man who will compliment his work and deliver on points. The person must be trusted, loyal and must stand on the existing protocols for the governor to continue to be relevant after leaving office.

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In the midst of abundant resources of personalities jostling for the vacant MHR position in the state APC, one aspirant, as his name kept ringing in my mind is Hon. Sunday Olajide, of Akure South constituency 2 in the State House of Assembly. He had once indicated interest in contesting for the same position but was prevailed upon to step down by the party leadership and he gladly obliged.

There is no gain saying that he has the winning formula and capacity due to his vast popularity in Akure.

Even when the progressive party was in opposition during the reign of Dr Olusegun Mimiko, the progressives rallying point in Akure was Hon. Sunday Olajide as the only progressive candidate that won his election in Ondo Central Senatorial district and he represented his people in the state Assembly very well to the admiration of the people.

I am persuaded that Hon. Sunday Olajide is a strong admirer of Governor Akeredolu. In his activities as a ranking member of the state House of Assembly, he has been commended as an erudite and highly resourceful lawmaker who has strong passion to drive all the policies of Governor Akeredolu through the legislative processes and approval of the House to date. He has been quoted to have commended the Governor for the good works of infrastructural development across the state and the beautiful facelift given to the state capital as a thing of pride to his party and the state in general. He has through legislative process supported the governor’s industrialisation drive in no small measure.

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He withstood the intense pressure and overtures to join the ruling party of Dr Mimiko as a demonstration of his loyalty to the progressive’s ideas.

Olajide’s regular comments on Aketi’s giant stride in politics, visibly sustainable administrative achievements, and his indefatigable nature as a man of refreshing candor lend credence to his undying love for Mr Governor. The principle he continues to exhibit as a ranking member of the legislative body also proves his unflinching loyalty and support for the Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

While other aspirants are now uttering whatever inanities would get them the party’s ticket as they embark on their political consultations and horse trading, very few of the likes of Olajide are, actually, protecting the sanctity and the integrity of the party by not openly showing interest in the position yet until the position was officially declared vacant

Sunday Olajide represents part of the governor’s most fervent and trusted loyalists and support base in Akure. This, along with his
Akeredolu must show interest

The ultimate decision lies with the party and people but the enormity of Governor’s support cannot be overemphasised in the overall process of choosing the party’s flag bearer from the aspirants that abound in our party.

The MHR election in Akure North/South is a litmus test for you to support an aspirant that is worth your while, must be a keen loyalist of yours with a high sense of integrity and who will watch after you with absolute honesty and commitment as you cement your good work and legacy in the state for posterity.

Joseph, is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State and a Public Affairs commentator, writes from Akure.

 

 

 

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Opinion

Desperate Aiyedatiwa bares fangs inside Govt House chapel

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  • Appoints Self General Overseer
    Installs Indian Marabouts As Clergymen
    Stops Pastors from Wearing Cassocks

Nebuchadnezzar, infamous figure immortalized in the Bible, commands recognition as the Babylonian monarch whose relentless conquests laid waste to the temple of Jerusalem, seizing its sacred relics as spoils of war.

Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a great tree that shelters the whole world. But an angelic “watcher” appears and decrees that the tree must be cut down and that for seven years, he will have his human mind taken away and will eat grass like an ox.

 

The holy Bible generously describes and expounds a Chapel or Temple as the hallowed sanctuary of the Almighty. It is reserved for the reverential observance of sacred rites and solemn covenants deemed too divine for mundane settings. In all Chapels or Temples all over the world, these consecrated edifices are sanctuaries apart, shielded from the profane clamor of the secular world.

 

But an archetype of Nebuchadnezzar may have surreptitiously crept into Ondo without anyone noticing. While asking questions on what motivated the biblical Nebuchadnezzar to desecrate the holy Chapel or Temple of God, we are compelled to confront the actions of His Excellency (Hon.) Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa vis-à-vis the recent happenings inside the Government House Chapel.

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In a bold and audacious move that is only comparable to that of Nebuchadnezzar, Governor Aiyedatiwa decreed that ordained priests, including Rev. Babalola of the Anglican Communion and Canon Enoch Adeleke of the Methodist Church, discard their traditional vestments, known as Casoc, in favor of resplendent native attire—Agbada & Sokoto—during sacred ceremonies.

 

This sweeping directive challenges the entrenched doctrines upheld by Orthodox Churches, igniting a maelstrom of doubt and apprehension. Many ponder whether this decree signals a bid to sideline and subjugate Christians within the precincts of the Ondo State Government House, potentially paving the way for the infiltration of unfamiliar beliefs.

 

It is important to note that the Government House Chapel predates Governor Aiyedatiwa’s tenure. It is equally worthy of note to state that none of his predecessor, be it an Executive Governor or Military Administrator, had dared to enact such a seismic shift from the norm.

 

The questions presently agitating the minds of Christians within and outside Ondo state is if the Governor would have dared to wield such authority within a Mosque?

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In response to this seismic upheaval, Christians across Ondo State and beyond are implored to maintain vigilance. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) must rise up against what is perceived as a grievous affront to the tenets of Christianity.

 

Adding to the intrigue, Aiyedatiwa proclaimed one fateful morning that he had been anointed by God to assume the mantle of General Overseer (GO) of the chapel. His subsequent participation in conducting last week’s Sunday service casts doubt upon his jurisdiction in matters of faith, casting a pall of uncertainty over Orthodox Churches.

 

But beyond this, the governor is said to have imported some strange-looking Marabouts to form part of the. An inside source disclosed that the men were indeed imported from India as part of a larger team of prayer warriors ahead of the governorship primary election of the All Progressives Congress.

 

An elder in the chapel, who pleaded not to be named, said the governor has become paranoid about how church matters are are run in the chapel.

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“It is surprising what is driving the governor recently. He is carrying out changes that are aliens to the order of service in the chapel. Recently, some strange people were brought into the chapel. Some people said they were part of of his prayer warriors. It was later that we gathered that they were from India. We have never seen anything like this before,” the elder said.

 

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Opinion

Ondo 2024: Aiyedatiwa gets desperate, dangles Port Ondo contract before prominent Yoruba monarch for presidency support

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  • Promise of 25% equity stake
    Desperate to meet Tinubu and Southwest governors for support.
    Top Ondo Obas frowns at the idea

Ondo State governor, Lucky Ayedatiwa has become hyper desperate ahead of the the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in April.

Inside sources have revealed that the governor, as part of his desperate search for the party’s ticket, has made the contract for the construction of Port Ondo as a bargaining chip to the Oni of Ife, his Imperial Majesty, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, to help secure the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and the South West Governors.

 

The deal, according to impeccable sources, was brokered by the two prominent Yoruba politicians (names withheld) who had stood with Ayedatiwa in his recent political battle against his former boss and benefactor, late Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON.

 

Reports have it that, Aiyedatiwa became desperate after several failed attempts to get the President’s attention over his ambition. He reportedly ran to a former governor of Ondo State, who according to information, has become his godfather and Chief Strategist.

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The former governor was said to have secured the assistance of an Osun State-born former Secretary of the APC. At the meeting, which was held at the private quarters of the Oni of Ife, he was asked to provide an opportunity for Aiyedatiwa to meet President Tinubu and the governors of the South West.

 

Among the issues discussed at the meeting was how to overlook Aiyedatiwa’s alleged ‘sins’ to Akeredolu, during and after his death.

 

However, as at the time of filing this report, some prominent monarchs in Ondo State are said to have gotten wind of the plan and are said to be spoiling for a fight.

 

A source, who did not want to be metioned, said the action of the governor is already causing a lot of anger and bad blood among the monarchs in the Sunshine State.

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Opinion

OF OTA-FRIENDS AND ORE-NEMIES OF AKETI- END OF THE EMERGENCY BEARD OF LUCKY AYEDATIWA

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By Sola Ajisafe, Esq

” The worth of a man is not in the vastness of his estate or the fatness of his vault but in the totality of his character and serenity of his inner being” – Anonymous

 

Last week, I called out our Governor about the whereabouts of his wife, our First Lady and why the “Oza room” had been empty. Nothing of note came out from him or his aides that tends to answer the relevant question. This is a common practice in the media orgy coupled together currently around the Governor. They will “leave ete to be treating lapalapa”.

 

Just like the ridiculous Press Statement about the clownish violence perpetrated on his other contestants during the President’s visit or the anti- Aketi executive poorly put together by Lucky. Wetin be my own? Today, my attention is to ask Mr. Governor ” Where is your Aketi beard?

 

The disappearance of Lucky’s beards is a significant pointer to how fake, unreliable and fluid our Governor is as a person. The open celebration and association with Aketi arch enemies, betrayers and discredited individuals in his newly inaugurated Executive is a pointer to what to expect in that government. Aside from a few individuals, that teal lack character and content. Anyway, (10) months no be anybody’s friend. E no dey play o.

 

Mr. Governor, it was not news that on your return from your long Abuja trip with your “Abuja activists”, the first thing Ondo State people noticed was that you have changed your looks and the Aketi beard had disappeared. If there was anything to point to the fact that the romance between you and your boss had ended, it was that change of personality. When on the day you addressed a press conference asking for forgiveness it was clear that you were playing with our intelligence as a people.

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I know as of a fact that in Nigeria of today, everything is cruise, just like most politicians in Nigeria are petty traders. They lack originality, political ideology and are bereft of sound intellectual understanding of what it means to be politically straightforward and upright. They are duplicious in their actions and profoundly vague in their thoughts. They are not better than Aba/Onitsha or China ( Chinco) products usually referred to as ” baruf” (fake) during our secondary school days.

When the going was good

I said Nigerian politicians are cruise chasers. The current vogue of wearing Awo or Afenifere cap remains a valid example. At a point in time, every manner of persons adopted it as their passport to enter the progressive palour. As they come in many colours and shapes so are the baboon elements and their virtues. They only take to mind the shapes and the embossed scollopings. They do not come an inch close to what it represents. Many of them and the ” alright sir boys” around Alagbaka government house/office have the same mental attributes except that one give alms while the other takes. All na same.

 

Just like the Awo cap, some elements within the Akeredolu government picked up the tendency of wearing beards immediately Aketi came on board in 2017. Not long after some of them could not maintain the discipline and tenacity that came with having the Fidel Castro or Che Guevara beard. That was what Aketi carried as far back as his days in the University or shortly thereafter. Time and age enveloped it and turned it to a Father Christmas on him.

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Our Governor, Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa was one of those that started the culture of wearing beards like Aketi. He was helped by time and age so he does not have to add anything to make it white. Yet, “abinibi” is quite different from “ability”. While Aketi’s beard was custom made, those of the copy cats were as fake as the products of “Yaba Apa Otun, Katangua or Oshodi under bridge”where tokunbo clothes and materials are sold.

With Aketi’s beards
The story here is not just about wearing a beard to look like your boss. I used to pity these imitators in those early days of the Aketi government. They do not carry those beards because it fits them or that they were comfortable. They carried it to show off their loyalty. I have seen people move from one politically exposed person and one party to another wearing the badge of their loyalty like an insignia of office only to take to flight immediately something happened. I have heard people tell me ” I will read Aketi like a book for eight (8) years, only to take to flight having realized that the man is nearing his end. They divulged his medical history to his ” ota-friends” and ” ore-nemies”.

 

For instance, who would believe that Hon. Lucky Ayedatiwa will so soon return almost clean shaven from his haitus in Abuja without the ” emergency beards” that he wore so much and faithfully when he was stalking Aketi and his family to get political relevance. Immediately he got what he wanted and he learnt from the snitches who report every action of Aketi to him he “dis-beard” himself from Aketi and became the Lucky of the emergency activists both in Abuja and in Ondo State.

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For me, loyalty is not something to be worn like a badge or rendered like a song. Loyalty does not mean you cannot quarrel or disagree on principle. It also does not mean you should be a slave. However, loyalty means “one for all, all for one”. When it’s comfortable or not comfortable.

 

Every leader and influential person must learn something from the life and times of Aketi. Human beings love what they can get from you. They do not care about you so soon you are no longer useful to them or you no longer posses the capacity to do things for them.

 

I call on everyone that still has a dint of humanity in them and felt a hunch for Aketi and decided to stay with him during his trying period and are been persecuted to know that a new dawn is in the offing. And for those who benefitted from Aketi but contributed towards his death by their actions and deeds or are determined to destroy his legacy or are willing to forget the good old days to note that Karma is a bitch and so unforgiven. Just take note of my words.

The disappearance of Lucky’s “Aketi beard” was too sudden. It showed there was no altruism in it in the first place.

 

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