The beautifully decorated Ikot Ekpene Township Stadium assumed the role of a parliamentary session on Saturday as Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon (Obongemem) Ekperikpe Ekpo moved a motion for the adoption of Senator Godswill Akpabio by the people of Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district as sole candidate of all political parties for the 2027 election.

The event was the public reception organised by the Akwa Ibom North West senatorial district for Akpabio as Senate President.

Ekpo’s motion was seconded by Hon Dr. Patrick Umoh, House of Representatives member representing Ikot Ekpene, Essien Udim, Obot Akara federal constituency and was generally agreed through a voice votes on the affirmative.

The Gas Minister who described Akpabio as a father, role model, a man of grace who has served the state and senatorial district meritoriously and deserved to be allowed to run for the 2027 Senate unopposed citing his magnanimous decision to allow Senator Aloysius Etuk run for two terms in the same senatorial district.

“Will we not allow such a man to go for another term? We know that even if you sleep and election is conducted you will win…but the people have mandated me to ask you that come 2027 no body will buy any form to contest that seat from any of the political parties in Ikot Ekpene senatorial district…the people have told me to inform you that,” Ekpo said amid thunderous applause from the crowd.

Ekpo thanked the large crowd that turned up for the event saying the former governor of the state deserved all the honour and felicitations from the people.

The Minister also extolled the peaceful disposition of the Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno to governance, urging the Senate President to partner with Eno for the development of the state.

Ekpo described Eno as a “shepherd that should be celebrated” imploring Akpabio not to listen to those who come to him to blackmail and backbite the governor.

The minister tasked Akpabio “to teach Governor Eno” how to perform and deliver dividends of democracy to Akwa Ibom State just as he did as governor.

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

When people are thinking about what the government can do for them to make their lives bearable as citizens, politicians are thinking about how to win the next election.

In December, former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola whose members of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Osun State chapter believe masterminded the defeat of the party to then opposition party, People Democratic Party, (PDP) during the last governorship election, revealed plans to announce his next political move to the people of the state.

Aregbesola and his political loyalists Omoluabi Progressive Caucus which was launched in 2023 have continued to separate political activities in the state.

The effort of the immediate past Governor and now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola cannot be underestimated to put the party on track of progress ahead of the 2026 governorship election.

In his effort to further strengthen the party Oyetola has successfully wooed Mr Dotun Babayemi and Dr Akin Ogunbiyi, former Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Fatai Akinbade, alongside their supporters to Osun APC.=

Ogunbiyi had contested and lost the 2018 governorship ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party to Senator Ademola Adeleke, who was defeated at the poll by the APC candidate, Adegboyega Oyetola.

In the race for the 2022 governorship ticket of the PDP, Ogunbiyi was among the contenders for the PDP ticket, before he announced his withdrawal, accusing the National Working Committee of the party of bias.

But Babayemi and his supporters held a parallel governorship primary, where he emerged as a PDP factional candidate.

The Supreme Court later held that the incumbent governor, Adeleke was the validly elected candidate of the PDP at the poll, laying to rest the disagreement on the matter.

Babayemi has not formally announced his defection from the PDP.

Also, the party has set up three committees which are reconciliation, appeal and discipline.

The chairman of the Reconciliation Committee, Alhaji Sule Aderemi from Boripe local government council was picked as while the members are Elder J. A. Oni from Atakumosa East local government council;  and Ademola Akeem Adesina from Irepodun local government council.

Other members of the Reconciliation Committee are Dupe Ajayi from Obokun Local Government; Sola Ogunfolaju from Ayedaade Local Government Council Area; Bisi Odewumi from Ife North Local Government Area while Bisi Ogunkale from Ayedire Local Government Council Area will serve as the Secretary of the committee.

Also, a committee headed by former Minister of Health, Dr. Isaac Adewole was set up at the state level to reinvigorate the party.

The chairman of the Appeal Committee is Biodun Awolola from Egbedore Local Government Council Area; Dauda Akinwole from Ife-East Local Government Area (member) and Yele Akintola from Ilesa East Local Government Area (member).

According to a statement by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, the Secretary of the party, Alao Kamoru, disclosed that the date of the inauguration of the three committees would be communicated to the members at a later date.

“Alao also stated that the terms of reference of each of the committees shall be spelt out to the members on the day of the inauguration.

“The state party secretary congratulated the members of the three committees, praying that God would use them for the improvement of the fortune of the APC to accomplish its collective mission,” he said

At the quarterly meeting of Osun Central APC in Osogbo, the National Secretary of the party, Senator Ajibola Basiru, stressed that there is no political party without dissension, but the best way to solve it is by employing internal mechanisms instead of playing moles.

“I’m happy with our members in Osun Central for not selling their birthrights for a pot of porridge. With contentment and steadfastness, our rank will swell, and we will sweep back to power.”

Basiru also urged the party faithful to steer clear of spreading unfounded information about the leaders of the party, stating that there are hierarchies and processes to get and sieve information about the party and its leaders.

Saying it for the umpteenth time that he and the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola are on good terms, the APC National Secretary harped on the need to mobilize women and youths for APC to be more deeply rooted in the State.

Meanwhile, all things seem not well with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) as some members of the party accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of only appointing those who have Political affiliation with the ‘Adeleke dynasty.’

Some members of the PDP who are loyalists of the former governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola are not part of the current administration and have not been participating in state political functions.

Recently, Barr. Faruq Abass, the Chief of Staff to the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Wale Egbedun, announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Abass tendered his resignation in a document shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle.

In a letter addressed to the PDP Chairman in his Ward, Ejigbo Local Government, Abass cited the hijack of the party by some ‘bootlickers,’ the failure of the ruling party to provide quality and visionary governance to the people of the state since 2022, and the ostracisation of party members who supported the governorship ambition of Prince Dotun Babayemi, among others.

The Speaker’s CoS also said that despite the substantial allocation to the Ejigbo local government, there has not been any meaningful development in the council area.

Abass is one of the loyalists of Babayemi, who has concluded plans to move to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) also put effort into making their voice heard in the state, the Chairman of IPAC, Pastor Victor Akande, told Governor Adeleke that they are not an opposition to the present administration but a partner in progress.

He consequently promised to give necessary support to ensure Governor Adeleke’s success in office, stressing that it is their success too in IPAC.

The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the Spokesperson for Governor Adeleke, Rasheed Olawale of publishing fabricated lies against Omo Oba Dotun Babayemi and Dr Akin Ogunbiyi.

Babayemi was a Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship aspirant in Osun State during the last general elections while Ogunbiyi, before his return to the PDP, was also the governorship candidate of the Accord Party during the elections.

The Office of the Spokesperson for Governor Adeleke had few days ago published story to be published in its last edition of Osun Spring purporting that a chieftain of the APC, whose name wasn’t given, had registered his displeasure that the defection of the duo of Babayemi and Ogunbiyi would disorganize the opposition party.

Commenting on the development, the Osun State chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, today, wondered where Olawale learnt his journalism, adding that one would have thought that Olawale’s current travail with the DSS, where he has become a fugitive like the biblical Cain for causing a defamatory story to be published against some VIPs in the state, would have taught the lying machine some good lessons on how to practise his trade with restraint, decorum and professionalism.

Lawal opined that truly, when the head is rotten, then naturally, the other parts of the body would be at risk.

In the state APC chairman’s words: “There is no gainsaying the fact that Osun State is so unfortunate to have had someone like Ademola Adeleke at the helm of affairs at this point in time. Ordinarily, the media team of a governor plays an important role in burnishing his image when the need arises.”

“Unfortunately for the dancing and singing governor, his Media Office is peopled by half-baked scoundrels who equally need to be micromanaged. This is because they are criminally minded, clever by half and myopic.

“These lots, in their nincompoopery, think our party, the APC, is like their party, the PDP, that resents good idea and independent minded folks.

“Adeleke and his shallow-thinking boys in their self-delusion on Thursday, 2nd May, 2024, published in the rag sheet;

“While we are dancing and clinking glasses that the coming of the two juggernauts with their teeming supporters will further bolster our victory at the 2026 poll, Adeleke and his korope media are there deluding themselves.”

“Since their paymasters, on account of their greed and self-centeredness, have refused to see the value in these people, we have seen it and have so accepted them. The APC is solid. If there’s grumbling or complaints anywhere, it’s in the PDP and that’s why Omooba Dotun Babayemi, Akin Ogunbiyi and thousands of others are leaving the evil assemblage, PDP, for the APC.

“Today, who’s running from pillar to post, begging Babayemi and his supporters not to leave the PDP? Why is Adeleke patronising members of the Late Adagunodo’s camp with letters of appointments and money to discourage them from leaving the PDP?

“APC is a disciplined party that allows for cohesiveness. As such, the presence of Babayemi, Ogunbiyi and others in our great party will further cement our strength rather than divide us.

“We challenge the purveyors of evil and fabled news to mention the name of the said faceless ‘grumbling APC Chieftain’. We advise the distraught PDP to keep their mouth shut and continue to lick their wounds for losing their valuable members to us.

“Rest assured that come 2026, we shall send the figurehead out of the Bola Ige House. This is crystal clear,” Lawal assured.