Author: Lekan Adeyeye

THE Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday adjourned further hearing in the trial of a former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, and his company, Spotless Investment Limited, over an alleged N6.9bn fraud, till May 8, 2023. Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke adjourned proceedings after listening to the testimony of the 12th prosecution witness, a former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro. In his testimony, Obanikoro told the court that he had no document showing that he withdrew the sum of N1.2 billion which he allegedly gave Fayose. During cross-examination by counsel to the second defendant, Olakekan…

LAGOS State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has increased the salaries of workers in the state by 20 per cent, shortly after he secured a second term in office. In a circular by the Head of Service, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, the governor reiterated his administration’s determination to improve the welfare and well-being of public servants in Lagos State. Those affected by the increment were officers in the mainstream public service, local governments and local council development areas, and the State Universal Basic Education Board by 20 percent with effect from January 1, 2023. “Furthermore, kindly note that the arrears for the month of…

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been re-elected in Lagos State. He polled a total of 762,134 votes, defeating Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party who scored 312,329 votes, followed by Abdul-Azeez Adediran aka Jandor with 62,449 votes. Sanwo-Olu was declared the winner at 1:15 am on Monday morning, almost 48 hours after the electoral exercise commenced. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the results at the commission’s state collation centre, but not without the LP collation agent condemning the exercise.

THE Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) has declared Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of Saturday’s governorship poll in Ogun State. The Returning Officer, Prof Kayode Adebowale announced him the winner after collation of results from all the 20 LGs in the state. Abiodun polled 276,298 to defeat Ladi Adebutu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who had 262,383 votes. Biyi Otegbeye of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came distant third.

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde winner of the governorship election in the state. Makinde polled a total of 563,617 votes while his closest rival, Sen. Teslim Folarin scored 251,230. Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord came a distant third polling 38,757. Makinde is the last of the PDP G5 or Integrity Group with an election. Already, Governors Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu) and Samuel Ortom (Benue), who have been in office for eight years each, all lost their senatorial bid while Nyesom Wike (Rivers) who is also completing his second term…

GOVERNOR Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is leading by a wide margin in the governorship election held in the state on Saturday. Sanwo-Olu has won 18 out of the 19 LGAs declared so far while Labour Party’s Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour won only one. Only the results from the remaining local government, Eti-Osa, are being awaited. Election held in 10 polling units in the LG today while the results are still being collated. So far, Sanwo-Olu has won in all the LGs except Amuwo-Odofin claimed by the LP candidate. The LGs won by the…

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has won 23 seats in the Ekiti State House of Assembly election held on Saturday. Social Democratic Party (SDP) won two seats in Ekiti East 1 and Ise/Orin constituency, while the seat in Ido/Osi 1 is inconclusive. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not won any seat according to the results released by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday. The results were released by Mr. Temitope Akanmu, the Head of Voters Education and Publicity on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Ayobami Salami. INEC said the Ido/Osi state constituency 1 is inconclusive…

OGUN State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Saturday governorship election, Dapo Abiodun has won eight of fifteen Local Government results so far announced at the collation center in Abeokuta. He’s closely followed by Ladi Adebutu, candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, who has won in seven Local Government Areas. Abiodun defeated Adebutu in Odeda, Ewekoro, Egbado North, Egbado South, Ipokia, Abeokuta North, Ijebu North and Ijebu Ode. Adebutu won in Ikenne, Abeokuta South, Remo North, Odogbolu, Ogun Waterside, Ijebu North East, and Ijebu East.

THE People Democratic Party (PDP) has won 25 out of the 26 seats in the Osun State House of Assembly, which was under the control of the All Progressives Congress (APC). According to the official results released by Independent National Electoral Commission, APC won in only Boripe Boluwaduro state constituency. While members and leaders of PDP were celebrating the victory, APC members and leaders have continued trading blame over the party’s misfortune in the election. PDP has defeated APC in three consecutive elections, including the July 2022 Governorship poll, the February Presidential and National Assembly elections and last Saturday’s state…

THE Oyo State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Seyi Makinde, is leading his closest rival, Senator Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a wide margin in the governorship election results. In the results from 16 local government areas of the state announced so far, Makinde won in 15 LGAs, while APC won in one local government. The PDP is leading with 281,522 votes, ahead of APC’s 128,971 votes. The collation of results will resume shortly for the announcement of the remaining 17 LGAs.

THE Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, has been elected for a sixth term to represent Agege 1 constituency in the state assembly. The INEC Returning Officer for Agege constituency election, Dr Lukman Adeniji, made the declaration on Sunday at the Collation Centre in Orile Agege. He said that eight political parties fielded candidates for the election held on Saturday. According to him, Obasa secured 17,214 votes to beat Raheem Alani of the Labour Party who had 3,933, Kafayat Biobaku of the African Democratic Congress with 62 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party got 1,609 votes.…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will begin collation of results for the governorship elections in Lagos and Ogun states on Sunday morning (today). News Point Nigeria reports that collation of results for the Lagos governorship election has been postponed to 11 am on Sunday due to non-arrival of any results from the local government areas (LGAs) the day before. The exercise would be held at the Lagos Collation Centre within the INEC office. Similarly, the Ogun Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Niyi Ijalaye, disclosed that collation of the governorship and house of assembly election results would be suspended…

THE Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says four party agents were intercepted in Ogun with multiple credit cards with the intent to buy votes amid the governorship and state house of assembly elections. The NDLEA, in a tweet on Saturday, noted that its Chairman, Brigadier-General Buba Marwa (rtd.), had ordered that the suspects be handed over to the police. “Operatives of @ndlea_nigeria on election duty stop and search, just intercepted four party agents with hundreds of money credit cards, to buy votes at Ibara housing estate, Ogun state. Each card contains 10k and activated to cash with a code.…

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has postponed Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections in 10 polling units in the Victoria Garden City (VGC) around the Lekki area of the state. INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Segun Agbaje made the announcement when he addressed reporters at the VGC. According to him, corps members deployed as ad hoc staff on Saturday were hesitant to enter the VGC estate as they alleged that they were held hostage in the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections. Agbaje said the commission’s ad hoc staff set up voting materials in front of the estate on…

GBADEBO Rhodes-Vivour, Labour Party governorship candidate in Lagos State, has lost his polling unit in Anifowoshe, Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos Sate to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The incumbent governor who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 29 while Rhodes-Vivour garnered 18. Olajide Adediran of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), came third with two votes. Abiodun Daniel, the Presiding Officer of the unit, announced the result.

THE Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Frank Mba has confirmed the arrest of some persons who tried to manipulate the electoral processes in some locations around the state during Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections. He made the disclosure during an on-the-spot assessment of the elections in the Iperu area of the Ikenne Local Government Area of the state. He commended the professionalism and resilience of the police and other sister security agencies, saying that investigations to determine the culpability or otherwise of those arrested would commence very soon. Meanwhile, the police have also confirmed the arrest of three political…

FORMER President Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday failed to exercise his civic duty in the ongoing governorship and House of Assembly elections in Ogun State. He was absent on election day at his polling unit 22 ward 11, Olusomi compound ,Totoro,Abeokuta North Local Government Area of the State. Obasanjo cast his vote at the same polling unit during the February 25 presidential election, but Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated Peter Obi of Labour Party whom he endorsed. When our correspondent visited the place on Saturday, it was gathered that the former President was not on ground. Obasanjo’s…

SOME polling units in the Ajiran area of Agungi, Lekki, Eti-Osa Local Government Area in Lagos State were on Saturday morning attacked by hoodlums, who snatched ballot boxes. Our correspondent observed that the hoodlums attacked PU 108, PU 007, PU 028 and others in the area. Our correspondent further observed that following the attack, voter turnout in the area dropped rapidly as many people went back to their homes for fear of being attacked. A resident of the area, who was attacked and flogged by the hoodlums with blood dripping down his head said he was intimidated while trying to…

ONCE again, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) takes centre stage, this time around for the conduct of governorship and state house of assembly polls across the country in less than an hour. The polls come three weeks after a dramatic round of presidential and National Assembly elections, which has received mixed reactions from stakeholders at home and abroad. Next up? The state-centred elections. The polls were initially scheduled for March 11. But the fallout of the presidential election set back reconfiguration of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, prompting a one-week delay. Amid hopes of a hitch-free exercise,…

PRESIDENT-ELECT Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured that he would not sacrifice competence on the platter of mediocrity and primordial sentiments. He pledged to put in place an economy of double-digit GDP growth, greater food security and one with a strengthened manufacturing base as well as an active digital economy where young people will have ample space to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. Sounding conciliatory, he called on Nigerians irrespective of their political, religious and ethnic leanings to join hands with him the task of nation-building. He noted: “As your incoming president, I accept the task before me. There has…