The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) on Wednesday “conditionally” suspended its strike, ending a protracted industrial action that started since March 2020.
ASUU National President, Biodun Ogunyemi made the announcement during a briefing of the union in Abuja, explaining that the development followed consultations with its National Executive Council (NEC).
Details later…
*Tasks security agencies to be ruthless with cultists
*Pledges total support to security agencies
*Appeals to residents to support security with information on cultist’s hideouts
*Seeks speedy passage of Plateau anti cultism law
A peace advocacy and human rights group in Plateau State has decried the unabated criminal activities associated with cultism in the state,calling on Governor Simon Lalong to urgently declare a state of emergency on the menace.
This was as it tasked the Plateau State House of Assembly to immediately prioritize the treatment of the state anti cultism law by working towards its immediate passage for effective and efficient treatment of cultism related cases in the state.
On the other hand,the group under the aegis of Coalition of Plateau State Civil Society for Peace and Human right tasked security agencies to be ruthless with cultists in the state,saying the change of approach had become imperative to end the ugly development.
In a press statement,Thursday,signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Pam Pwajok and National Secretary, Mrs Hannah Golu respectively,the peace advocacy and human rights group said its positions followed its emergency meeting on the 18/11/2020 where it deliberated extensively on cult activities in the state.
The group, according to the statement,”condemned in the most strongest terms the barbaric senseless and inhuman killings of over 10 young men in a renewed activities of cultism within Jos Metropolis by rival cults within the space of one week.”
“This action is reprehensible and must not be allowed any place in the state,” it said.
“We call on the Executive Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Simon Bako Lalong,to as a matter urgency, declare a state of emergency on cultism in Plateau,” it said,adding:” We appeal to Plateau State House of Assembly to speedily pass the anti cultism law for the state.”
The group further said:”While we task the governor to liaise with all security agencies to clamp down on this miscreants with every vigor, we urge the security agencies on the other hand to wield a very big stick on cultism with a view to defeating the menace once and for all.”
While commending security outfits in the state especially Operation Safe Haven for routing crimes and criminality,most especially the inglorious herders/farmers conflicts that once enveloped the state,it tasked the security agencies to be ruthless with cultists henceforth,saying it was the best approach to ending the menace just as it expressed confidence on them.
“We have confidence in the security agencies operating on the Plateau,especially Operation Safe Haven to deliver on this urgent and important task. We urge them to rise to the occasion the very way they handled the once incessant farmers/herdsmen conflicts and other heinous crimes within their mandate,” it said.
It added:”We kindly appeal to all the security agencies to collaborate and rescue Plateau citizens from this menace that is threatening the security and peace of the entire state.
“The activities of these cultists have gone out of hand in recent time and must be stopped by using maximum force if we want to achieve meaningful results.”
According to the group, ” For some obvious reasons, our judicial system is incapacitated and unable to give these criminals maximum punishment due to lack of sufficient evidence or adequate law to prosecute them hence security agencies need to rise up to this singular challenge of cultism bedeviling the state.”
It regretted that:”The activities of these cultists have led to the death of several productive young men from rival groups and even innocent persons who were caught in cross fire.”
“Available information to us indicate that these groups of cultists perpetuate all the dangerous crimes ranging from armed robbery, kidnapping and extortion while hiding under this deadly and evil association called cultism hence must be stopped once,” it claimed.
” We in the civil society and human rights organizations wish to pledge our total support and maximum cooperation to our security agencies in this fight to enable them sanitize our dear state before it becomes ungovernable.
“We stand by them and will provide valid information that will help them in prosecuting this war against cultism,” the group declared in the statement.
It tasked the governor to provide necessary support to all the security agencies in the state to enable them prosecute the war against all criminal activities in the state.
” We therefore want to finally appeal to Governor Simon Bako Lalong to provide the necessary support to all the security agencies to enable them defeat this crime once and for all,”it said.
The former minister polled 104 votes from 164 member countries to defeat her South Korea’s trade minister opponent, at the final stage of the race.
She has broken many records, including becoming the first African to occupy win that office at the WTO.
The State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi.
According to a statement released by the party on Friday, the governor was suspended due to “his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC Constitution.”
The party claimed that five days before the Edo Election, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani- Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekiti and planned a coup against Edo APC.
Another allegation leveled against Governor Fayemi by the party was that he played a role in the gubernatorial election in Oyo State and supported the PDP candidate to defeat the APC candidate.
The State Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has suspended Governor Kayode Fayemi.
According to a statement released by the party on Friday, the governor was suspended due to “his numerous anti-party activities, especially his role in the recently concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC Constitution.”
READ ALSO: ‘It Was Key’: Wike Attributes Edo Election Success To Visa Ban On Riggers
The party claimed that five days before the Edo Election, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani- Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekiti and planned a coup against Edo APC.
Another allegation leveled against Governor Fayemi by the party was that he played a role in the gubernatorial election in Oyo State and supported the PDP candidate to defeat the APC candidate.
See Full Statement by the party below…
RE: DR. KAYODE FAYEMI ANTI – PARTY ACTIVITIES.
After painstakingly reviewing the activities of some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, we the authentic members of the Party in the State and Members of State Executive Committee per Section 12.8 of APC Constitution being duly constituted members of the National Convention of the Party, rose from its meeting of the 23rd September 2020 and resolved as follows:
2. That the body currently masquerading as the elected members of the SEC or as the State Working Committee or appendages is unknown to us (as due statutory members of SEC) since no Ward Congress has taken place in Ekiti State APC since inception. All the SEC members listed in Section 12.8 of our constitution, (i) to (xxvii) as such are open positions since only duly officiated Ward congresses with INEC observation can fill these positions.
3. As such, only the duly elected members of the APC in the state serving as Governor, Deputy Governor, Speaker & Deputy Speaker as well as Principal Officers of the House and Members of the National Convention which includes all present and past National Assembly members today constitute the State SEC of our great party.
4. To this end, in the absence of a properly organized body and meeting, and the continued insistence of the Governor to neglect his duty to initiate Ward Congresses or call a meeting of the SEC to deliberate upon pertinent issues, we as loyal members of our party and members of the State Executive Committee met to rescue our party from continued denigration and abuse, and resolved thus:
a.That Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State is hereby suspended from the Party in view of his numerous anti-party activities especially his role in the recent concluded governorship election in Edo State which is contrary to the provisions of Article 21 (A) (ii) of the APC Constitution.
For five days prior to the Edo elections, Gov Fayemi hosted PDP big wig Mr. Femi Fani- Kayode in the government house in Ado Ekiti in the run-up to the Edo elections. It was here they perfected the coup against our party in Edo State. This is the same Fani-Kayode who daily abuses President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the APC as a party as well a vital section of our country. We have evidence of that meeting.
Fani-Kayode specifically said he has gone on his tour as part of an effort between him and Fayemi to build a cross-party alliance and few hours after leaving Ekiti he fired a shot at Asiwaju Tinubu.
1 (a) We also have evidence of celebration by his aides in the Ekiti government house and on social media.
1(b) We also recall his role in the gubernatorial election in Oyo State where he supported the PDP candidate to defeat the APC candidate. A second tranche of money he sent to Gov Makinde in the election was intercepted by soldiers. The courier Mr Ayo Adegbite, his Chief Protocol Officer was arrested and he immediately disowned and announced his sack. Mr. Adegbite remains his aide till date.
1(c) We also recall the support he provided a PDP candidate who challenged an APC Senator Prince Dayo Adeyeye in the Tribunal. He moved the judges to Kaduna to deliver judgement when he knew what he planned against his party was unpopular in Ekiti. We have more to tell on this betrayal and traitorous act of his. APC Senator is out of the Senate today and PDP is in. The relationship between Fayemi and Senator Olujimi of PDP, the beneficiary of his treachery is known to all in Ekiti State.
We also recall his resort to court when the majority of party members nominated late Senator Abiola Ajimobi for Deputy National Chairman of the party. He fought Ajimobi till death.
1(d) His fraternisation with the PDP in continuation of his bid for Vice Presidential candidate under the party ( if his bid for Presidential candidate in APC fails ) was masked by the commissioning of projects in Rivers State, a smokescreen for his consultation to woo the support of Governor Nyesom Wike last year.
2.That the Paul Omotosho led faction of APC Executive in the State is hereby declared illegal and suspended from the Party for failure to emerge in accordance to the Constitution of the Party.
3.That Paul Omotoso and his co-travellers’ refusal to respect court proceedings in which they are not only joined but appeared in court through the proceedings but defiantly disrespected the court contrary to the hallowed decision of the Supreme Court in OJUKWU vs GOVERNOR OF LAGOS STATE
4.That Paul Omotosho faction of the executive should desist from parading themselves as the Executive Members of the Party in the State and that the Nigerian Police and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the general public should take note.
5.That Senator Tony Adeniyi, as a statutory member of the SEC going by our party’s constitution, was elected by all members attending as the Acting Chairman of the State Executive Committee in the absence of direction or directive from the National Body. He is as such the only one thus capable to call the SEC meeting as duly required by the constitution from henceforth.
6.The committee seating also agreed to begin bridge-building across our members, statewide and nationally and set up a special intervention committee, APC Majeobaje Working Group, to be led by Prince Bamgboye Adegoroye, and six other individuals from across our great state. That working group will henceforth do the hard work of rebuilding APC in Ekiti state and prevent the oncoming annihilation of our party if we take no action at the upcoming polls.
We note that the All Progressives Congress is a party of progressives, and must do things only in line with the law. The APC cannot act against its constitution or the law of the land, hence this intervention became urgently necessary and pertinent before marauders destroy the party permanently.
It must be emphasized that with the increasingly discerning capacity and sophistication of our people we cannot afford to take them for granted. We must be able to sustain the relevance of our party in Ekiti State, hold our members and win new members. We are obligated to ensure that the light of our electoral prospect and fortune is not dimmed or extinguished.
Signed:
For Ekiti State APC State Executive Committee
Mr Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has defeated Mr Osagie Ize-Iyamu, to win a second term as governor of Edo State.
Governor Obaseki was returned elected after polling the highest number of votes in the keenly-contested poll conducted on Saturday.
INEC Returning Officer for the poll declared the governor as the winner on Sunday at the office of the electoral umpire in Benin City, which doubled as the final collation centre.
The governor secured 307,955 of the total votes, 84,336 more votes than his closest rival Ize-Iyamu, who got 223, 619 votes.
A total of 14 political parties fielded candidates to jostle for the office of the governor in the state.
It is the first governorship poll to be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) since the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country.
While it held in some places in line with the COVID-19 protocols of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), the compliance level was very low in other polling areas.
The announcement by the returning officer follows the collation of the results from all the 18 Local Government Areas of Edo where the election was conducted.
Governor Obaseki’s victory comes on the back of a tensed and heated electioneering process that saw him dump the APC after being disqualified from the primaries, join the PDP and overcome stiff opposition and criticism by members of his former party, including former ally and his predecessor Adams Oshiomhole.
It was a dramatic process that saw Obaseki run a governorship race against Ize-Iyamu for a second time in four years.
Both men faced each other in 2016, albeit with Obasek flying the flag of the APC and Ize-Iyamu flying that of the PDP.
A political rift between the governor and Oshiomhole which spiraled beyond the state to national politics, saw both men switch parties and square up against each other on platforms they once criticised.
The campaign, characterised by drama and controversy that did not spare the State House of Assembly, was tempered by the intervention of the Oba of Benin to calm fears that the poll could turn violence heightened.
A peace accord was also signed by all the candidates days before the poll as stakeholders made concerted efforts to ensure a successful poll.
Preliminary reports from some electoral observers have held that it was mostly peaceful and largely free and fair.
EDO INEC FINAL RESULT AT GLANCE
Official results of the Edo state governorship election
1 Igueben LG (as announced by INEC)………
APC – 5199
PDP – 7870
2 Esan North-East (as announced by INEC)
APC – 6,556
PDP – 13,579
3 Esan Central (as announced by INEC)
APC – 6,719
PDP – 10,694
Esan Central
APC 6,719
PDP 10,794
4 Ikpoba Okha (as announced by INEC)
APC – 18,218
PDP – 41,030
5 Uhunmwonde
APC – 5,972
PDP – 10,022
6 Egor
APC – 10,202
PDP – 27,621
7 Owan East
APC – 19,295
PDP – 14,762
8 Owan West
APC – 11,193
PDP – 11,485
9 Ovia North-East
APC – 9,907
PDP – 16,987
10 Etsako West
APC – 26,140
PDP – 17,959
11 Esan South-East
APC – 9,237
PDP – 10,563
12 Oredo
APC – 18,365
PDP – 43,498
13 Esan West
APC – 7,189
PDP – 17,434
14 Akoko Edo
APC 22,963
PDP 20,101
15 Etsako East
APC :17,011
PDP: 10,668
16 Etsako Central
APC – 8,359
PDP – 7,478
17 Orhionmwon
APC – 10,458
PDP – 13,445
The primary election committee chairman, Sen. Mao Ohabunwan declared Daika the winner of the PDP primaries and accordingly returned him elected, having scored the highest number of votes and fulfilled all the requirements of the law.
Meanwhile, prior to the commencement of the election, the committee chairman assured candidates, delegates and supporters of a transparent, free and fair process noting that the PDP is one family. In his address to pressmen shortly after the election commenced, he had hoped that at the end of the day, the best candidate would emerge to face other candidates of other political parties in the secondary election.
Rt. Hon. George Daika, whose political credentials spans through his sojourn to the Plateau state house of assembly rising to the position of speaker, to member representing Shendam, Quan-Pan, Mikang federal constituency in the house of representatives, member ECOWAS parliament, a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the PDP and presently the senior legislative aide to the minority leader of the house of representatives has the academic don turned politician Prof. Nora Ladi Daduut of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the main rival to face in the secondary election.
The Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) on Wednesday “conditionally” suspended its strike, ending a protracted industrial ...
