Adeleke won Osun West bye-election

Adeleke

Mr. Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won nine out of the 10 local government areas in osun west senatorial by-election to defeat of All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Mudashiru Hussain,

Official result of the election in Iwo Local Government showed that Adeleke had 12,547votes as against Hussain’s 12,205.

In Iwo Local Government Area, Adeleke had 12,547 votes as against Hussain’s 12,205. While in Ejigbo Local Government Area, Hussain’s stronghold, the PDP candidate with 9,723 votes trailed his opponent who polled 12,229 votes.

Again, the former APC member, led with 9,096 votes with Hussain having 8952 votes in Irewole Local Government Area.

In Ayedire Local Government Area, Adeleke had 5,789 votes while Hussain trailed him with 5,360 votes.

It was a similar result in Olaoluwa Local Government Area as Adeleke led with 5,618 votes to Hussain’s 5,316.

The PDP candidate with 18,559 votes, led by a wide margin in Ede North Local Government Area as the APC candidate polled 2,784 votes.

It was a similar result in Ede South Local Government as Adeleke polled 13,406 votes while his opponent had 2,096 votes.

Mudashiru Hussain

In Ayedaade Local Government Area, PDP had 9,061 votes while APC polled 7,179.

Hussain, who polled 4,768 votes in Egbedore Local Government Area, lost to Adeleke who had 7,142; while in Isokan Local Government Area, the PDP candidate led with 6,539 votes, with his APC counterpart polling 5,227.

The two leading candidates –Mudasiru Hussein of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) – hailed the election as fair and peaceful although the police arrested three suspected thugs for allegedly interfering with the voting process at Okinni in Egbedore Local Government area .

The day began with a drizzle but that did not stop voters from heading to the various polling units in the 10 local government areas that make up the senatorial zone as early as 8am.

Security was tight and voters had little complaints about the supply of voting materials, especially card readers.

 Restriction was placed on vehicular movement across the state, except the Ibadan/Ife/Ilesa/Akure expressway, that links Oyo, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti States.

The election was preceded by a curfew in the district from 6pm on Friday to 6am yesterday.

Hussain  after casting his vote at Ward 3, Unit 1, Beulah Baptist Primary School, Ejigbo, at about 9.30am expressed satisfaction ‘so far’ with the election, who eventually lost the election had also said he was confident of winning.

He commended both the INEC and voters for their maturity, saying that "if elections are conducted like this it means democracy has reached an advanced level."

Adeleke who is the younger brother of the late  Isiaka Adeleke, whose death created the  vacancy voted at Saagba Abogunde compound in Ede North at 8.34 am.

He said he was “100 percent confident of victory.”

Aregbesola

“As you can see, it rained this morning before the voting exercise commenced. This is a signal to the fact that I will carry the day. With this large turnout also, its unarguable that I will beat Hussein hands down by God's grace," he added.

 The police said they arrested three suspected thugs for allegedly unleashing mayhem at Igbokiti Unit, Ward 10, Okinni in Egbedore Local Government council.

 The thugs reportedly attacked  voters and INEC adhoc officers at the polling unit.

 Some voters waiting to cast their votes were allegedly matcheted and injured.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fimihan Adeoye, in a telephone chat, confirmed the arrest.

He said the suspects were undergoing interrogation.
"With our vigilance and commitment to ensure peaceful conduct of the exercise, we are very happy that there is peace and there is no significant case of violence,” he said.
 “We are determined to sustain peace and effective security till the end and even after the entire electoral process."

PHOTO NEWS: POLICE ARREST 100 OF BADO BOYS IN IKORODU

Osun West bye-election: CNPP endorses AdelekeAdemola

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties in Osun State has endorsed  the younger brother of late Isiaka Adeleke, Ademola, a candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, for the July 8 Osun West  Senatorial bye-election.

Adeleke

The parties, including the All Progressive Grand Alliance, (APGA) Action Alliance (AA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Green Party of Nigeria (GPN), Alliance for Democracy (AD), Democratic People's Party (DPP), Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN), People's Party of Nigeria (PPN), People's Democratic Movement (PDM) among others, at a press conference in Ede, also cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against postponing the election.

The CNPP Secretary, Gbade Adelakun, speaking on behalf of the conference unanimously endorsed the Ademola Adeleke as their candidate for the  bye-election.

According to him, members of the political parties comprising the CNPP should come out en masses and cast their votes for Adeleke come July 8.

He warned the INEC against postponing the already scheduled bye-election, saying, "the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties CNPP in Osun State  oppose vehemently the planned supposedly postponement of the bye-election of Osun West Senatorial District slated for 8th, July 2017.

"Such postponement will amount to unnecessary tension among the political parties. Adding that "Moral burden is on the INEC not to shift the date of election."

He accused the APC and Governor Rauf  Aregbesola of conniving with the INEC officials to subvert the process of the election.

Adelekun said: "We have it on good authority that primary and secondary school students are being used for data capturing and thumb printing, what for and why?"

He also alleged that the APC and Aregbesola had concluded plan to rig the election in rural areas of the state with the connivance of the "State Boys."

In attendance at the briefing were some chieftains of the All Progressives Congress, including former Secretary of Ede South Local Government, Alhaji Lukman Afolabi,  and former APC leader, Ede South Local government area,  Hon. Ademola Oyebode.

Crisis in Catholic Church

The Priests and Laity of the Catholic Diocese of Ahiara in Imo State are not amused by the soon to expire ultimatum given them by Pope Francis to accept Dr. Peter Okpalaeke as Bishop of the Diocese.

They insisted yesterday that there is no going back on their rejection of the bishop.

The prossesion of Catholic Laity of the Ahiara Diocese to reject the appointment of Okpalaeke as Bishop

The Pope’s ultimatum expires on June 12 and the sanction is suspension.

Hundreds of protesting Catholic faithful from the 163 parishes in the diocese yesterday stormed the Ahiara Cathedral and the Bishop’s Court to push their case for the replacement of Okpalaeke.

They vowed that the bishop will never be welcomed in the diocese.

The protesters who wore mainly black dresses and native attires got to the cathedral yesterday only to find it locked, and the entrance blocked by armed policemen.

This sparked a flurry of phone calls and consultations by elders of the church.

After several hours, the policemen opened the gates for the protesters.

But there was no violence.

The procession over, President of the Ahiara Diocesan Catholic Men Organization, Chief Gerald Anyanwu, told reporters that  the Diocese was not rebelling against the Pope.

Their demand, he said, was only justice and equity.

Anyanwu said the Pope was not beyond making administrative mistakes “as is the case of the appointment of Okpalaeke from Anambra as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.”

 “We are not questioning the decision of the Pope but we will not accept Okpalaeke as Bishop,” he said.

“The process of his appointment did not follow laid down procedures for the appointment of Bishops. Our Priests have written the apology demanded by the Pope to show that we are not disregarding the Pope but nobody can impose a Bishop on the people.

“That is not what the Christian faith is all about.”

 Another member of the Laity, Sir Sebastian Eke said: “we are not disputing the authority of the Pope as the supreme head of the Catholic Church but we want to communicate our position to him as regards the appointment of Okpalaeke.

“We don’t see any reason why somebody from this Diocese or any other Diocese from Imo State cannot be appointed as the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.

 “All we are saying is that we don’t want Okpalaeke and trying to force him on his on us is not justice.”

 The Vice President of the Catholic Women Organization (CWO) in the Diocese, Dr Liona Ohanu, who spoke on behalf of the women, appealed to the Vatican to listen to the voice of the people, saying: “we respect the Pope and cannot disobey his directive as our Supreme Head but the issue of Okpalaeke is an exemption and we will not welcome him as the Bishop of this Diocese. Let the Pope appoint any other person from anywhere we will accept but not Okpalaeke.”

Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State later visited the Cathedral in company of security chiefs, and went into a closed door meeting with the Priests in the Diocese, who had stayed away from the protesting Laity apparently to avoid incurring the wrath of the Pope.

 At the end of the meeting that lasted for over two hours, the Governor, appealed to the Priests and Laity to accept the directive of the Pope on the choice of the Bishop.

 He said: “I have listened to your pains and complaints but there is no alternative to peace. Your matter has attracted the attention of the Pope and you know better than me that the position of the Pope is final.

“I pray and I plead with you that you allow the directive of the Pope to stand in the interest of the image of the Diocese and the state. This is not the end of the Church. It will not be good for us to be known as the people that fight the Pope.”

 Responding to the Governor’s plea on behalf of the priests, Rev Father Joseph Ezeji said that the church hierarchy in Nigeria misled the Pope that the Ahiara Diocese crisis stemmed from ethnic sentiments.

 He said: “the Church hierarchy in Nigeria lied to the Pope that we are rejecting Okpalaeke because of ethnic sentiments. But the truth is that the process of his selection was not transparent.

“We are still wondering how his name from another state entirely, not even from a Diocese within Imo State was appointed the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese.

 “We are not disobeying the Pope, we have all written the apology letter as he directed, but we want to make it clear that the appointment of the Bishop was a fraud and we are saying that another Bishop should be appointed from any other Diocese from the state, if not from Ahiara.

 “For instance, the nine Bishops in the nine Dioceses in Anambra were appointed from this same Anambra, so why is it that the Bishop of Ahiara Diocese cannot be appointed from the Diocese.”

Okpalaeke who hails from Awka Diocese in Anambra State was appointed Bishop four years ago following the death of Bishop Victor Chikwe.

Okpalaeke was however rejected by the Priests and Laity in the Ahiara Diocese, resulting in a stalemate.

Pope Francis last month gave officials of the diocese a 30-day ultimatum to obey him by accepting the nomination of Okpalaeke or face being suspended from office.

During talks with a delegation from Nigeria at the Vatican, the pope demanded that priests and church members in Ahiara write to him personally to "ask his forgiveness", the Holy See said in a statement.

"In the letter, one must clearly manifest total obedience to the pope, and whoever writes must be willing to accept the bishop whom the pope sends and has appointed," said the statement.

It gave the faithful a 30-day deadline for sending such letters, which ends on July 9.

"Whoever does not do this will be ipso facto suspended a divinis and will lose his current office," it warned.

Following the initial rejection of Okpalaeke in 2012, the Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan was appointed the apostolic administrator of the diocese.

During his talks with the Nigerian delegation at the Vatican last month, at which both Okpaleke and Onaiyekan were present, the pope denounced the situation as "unacceptable", saying he was "deeply saddened."

Kwara Hostility: Gov. Ahmed imposes curfew

Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew on Iloffa and Odo Owa communities in Oke-Ero local government area of Kwara State following outbreak of hostilities.

 The communal clash, which occurred last Thursday, allegedly claimed four lives.

Gov. Ahamed

The bloody fracas was said have been caused by a disagreement over who has the right to first sell yams harvested from the farm of the traditional rulers of the two communities.

The clash was the second in two years between the two communities.

The two communities, it was gathered, have a common market located to serve as border between them.

One of those reportedly killed was a young graduate who escorted his wife to the market.

Several houses were also razed during the clash while many residents fled the area into neighbouring communities.

Ahmed imposed the curfew on both communities between 6pm and 6am immediately.

Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Isiaka Gold, in a statement barred all human and vehicular traffics in Iloffa and Odo-Owa during the curfew.

The government also ordered suspension of any activities related to the yam festival in Oke Ero Local Government Area.

Gunmen abduct principal's wife, demand N3m ransom

Gunmen at the weekend abducted Mrs. Edith, the wife of Mr. Moron Pereowei, the Principal of Gbanrainowei Grammar School, Okolobiri, Bayelsa State.

It was gathered the woman was abducted at about 2.03am on Friday at their residence in Azikoro Village, Yenagoa Local Government Area of the state.

The hoodlums, said to be numbering 12, gained access into the house of their victim by smashing the window of the building.

The kidnappers were said to have first gained access into the room of Edith's younger brother who they held at gunpoint and used to lure the couple out of their room.

The hoodlums were said to have shot at the house repeatedly after luring the couple out of their room.

They were said to have shot their victim on the leg before whisking her away to an unknown place.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said two of the gunmen went inside for the operation while 10 others were outside.

He said the abductors ransacked the house and made away with money and other valuables before whisking their victim to an unknown destination.

He said: ''The hoodlums came in early in the morning on Friday. They broke in through the window as they could not gain access to the rooms because of the security of the doors.

“They used his wife's brother to make them come out. At a gun point, they (husband and wife) opened their doors and gate and came out.

''The bullet fired at the house touched the wife on the leg. They took the wife and left the husband.

“About 12 of them came for the operation. Ten persons were outside, while two were in the house.''

He said the family established contact with the kidnappers, who demanded N3m ransom for the victim's release.

The source added: ''The family of the victim (Edith) has been discussing with them.

“The abductors said they should come with N3m. The family even talked to the Principal's wife.''

The source said the matter was reported to police, adding that the victim was in her 40s and hailed from Sampou in Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA of the state.

Efforts to get the reaction of the spokesman for the Bayelsa State Police Command, Asinim Butswat, proved abortive.

Glo concert: Tuface, Flavour others ready for show

A-list musicians Tuface, PSquare, Flavour and Timaya will entertain guests at the Glo mega music nationwide tour billed for today.

The tour sponsored by telecommunications giant, Globacom, holds at 10 Degrees Event Centre Oregun by 4pm.

Tu face

Other musicians slated for performance are Runtown, Reekado Banks and Katch.

A statement by Globacom said: "The show will be anchored by the duo of Juliet Ibrahim from Ghana and Nigeria’s Ebube Nwagbo, while DJ Neptune will supply music from the turntable".

Flavour

Nollywood stars Patience Ozokwor, popularly called Mama G and Odunlade Adekola, would be celebrity guests at the event. 

Mercy Aigbe Marriage Saga: Gentry begs Mercy Aigbe

Lanre Gentry, popular hotelier and estranged husband of Nollywood actress, Mercy Aigbe, has declared he still loves the actress despite their lingering matrimonial problems.

Gentry apologised to his wife, saying he’s tired of the lingering social media war of words between them.

Genry and Mercy when the going was good

Their rift, which has landed the couple in court, started when Mercy Aigbe moved out of her matrimonial home.

She accused her estranged husband of domestically abusing her for several years.

Despite the domestic abuse case being in court, the pair has traded series of accusations and counter-accusations on social media for the past couple of months.

Their hot exchange reached its climax during the week when the actress started reacting to all the claims made by her estranged husband.

But Gentry made a u-turn and publicly apologised to his wife on his Instagram page, saying he still loves the actress.

“Despite all that’s been happening; I don’t love you less. I still see you as the mother of my children and I want to give you the respect to that regard.

“Thanks to each and every one who’s preached peace; may God perfect all that is yours.

“God bless you and God will grant all your heart desires. Also to my family members and my children thanks for the unending love and support. God bless us all!!!! Amen,” he wrote.

Mercy Aigbe had claimed Gentry was begging her in private but “forming saint in public”.

She said: “Mr. Gentry keep denying because you need more lies. I have more than enough evidence, witnesses and your fate will be determined in the law court.

“Now you suddenly remember the kids? Now you suddenly remember you have a family name?

“When you were busy telling all those hideous lies against me, you forgot we have kids!

“When you were busy punching me, hitting me and almost killed me that day you forgot we had kids?

“In fact if you infuriate me any further I will put everything online including the undertaking you signed three years ago at the police station so the whole world sees you for who you are.

“I have protected you for too long. Keep it coming I am so ready for you. Never knew I was married to my enemy.”

Prior to that, she had posted a picture of her swollen eye, claiming it was from her estranged husband’s beatings.

Gentry, who is determined to mend fences with Aigbe, has reportedly met with family members of his estranged wife to end the feud between them and convince her (Mercy) to drop battery charges against him.

Five dead, many injured in Auchi/Benin accident

Five persons died and many others were injured when two trailers rammed into three commercial vehicles on Auchi/Benin road on Saturday. 

Eyewitnesses said axes were reportedly used to cut the trapped buses, one of which was said to belong to Big Joe Transport Company.

The drivers of the two trucks reportedly fled the scene of the accident.

The scene of the accident

The accident reportedly happened around 9am, effectively halting traffic on the busy highway for almost eight hours.

Eyewitnesses said the trailers were trying to negotiate a steep bend from opposite directions but lost control and jammed the commercial vehicles in between crushing almost all the passengers to instant death.

The spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Bisi Kazeem, confirmed the incident.

He said at least six vehicles were involved in the crash, three of them without registration numbers.

Kazeem stated five male survivors and three females were rushed to Hope Hospital, Auchi one male to Irrua hospital and two females to Agbede hospital. 

Team, Sharp Shooter Agbadowins, 1st runner up of 1st Taiwo Afolabi U-17 Football CUP

L-R: PRO, Lagos State Grassroots Soccer Association, Mr Taofeek Ganiyu; Team, Sharp Shooter Agbado, Captain, Apesin Babatunde; Coach, Joseph Azuka and Executive Director, Sifax Group, Barrister Ajewole Ezekiel presenting star prize to the 1^st runner up of the 1^st Taiwo Afolabi U-17 Football CUP, held at the campus mini stadium in Lagos… recently.