Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

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VOL. 9. NO.106 N 50 50 50 50 50 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 www.osundefender.org THE 5TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA PEOPLE FIRST Front Page Comment - Pg 2 •(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; National President, Nasrul-Lahi-Fathi Society (NASFAT), Alhaji Sherrif Yussuf; President, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Remi Bello; Managing Director, Osun State Investment Company Limited, Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji and Mr. Kabir Aregbesola during a thanksgiving prayer over his victory as the Governor-elect in the 2014 Governorship Election in the State of Osun at Nasrul -Lahi-Fathi Society (NASFAT) Prayer Ground, Mowe, Ogun State, last Sunday. - See Story On Page 11 - Pg 4 - See Story On Page 2 Why Osun PDP Approached Tribunal On Gov Poll •It Is Necessary To Keep Our Members Intact And Give Them Hope - PDP Iresi Chief Petitions Police Over Assault - Pg 3 How Ex- APC Leader Was Cajoled To Join PDP Osun People Applauded Over Election Outcome The Untold Story Of Aregbesola’s Victory The victory of the All Progressives Congress, APC in last Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Osun State reinforces the opposition against a seemingly rampaging political train of President Goodluck Jonathan It was a welcome relief to the na- tional leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Those who saw him yesterday morning asthe result of the Osun State governorship Osun and 2015: The game changer poll was declared said they saw a man greatly relieved but reinforced for the battle ahead.Besides being an elixir to the opposition that was badly traumatized by defeat in Ekiti a month ago, the Osunvictory acts as a spring for the opposition towards the 2015 presidential prize that was being considered a fore- gone booty of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. The message yesterday was that 2015 is stillwithin play. Despite earlier claims by the APC that the presidency was determined to rig the election in favour of the PDP’s Senator Iyiola Omisore, the outcome of the election showed the limit to which President Goodluck Jonathan would go in forcing his will on the Continue on pg4

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Why Osun PDP Approached Tribunal On Gov Poll . It Is Necessary To Keep Our Members Intact And Give Them Hope . The Untold Story Of Aregbesola's Victory

Transcript of Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

Page 1: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

VOL. 9. NO.106 NNNNN 505 05 05 05 0THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

www.osundefender.org THE 5TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

PEOPLE FIRST

Front Page Comment

- Pg 2

•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; National President, Nasrul-Lahi-Fathi Society (NASFAT), Alhaji SherrifYussuf; President, Lagos Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Alhaji Remi Bello; Managing Director, Osun State Investment CompanyLimited, Alhaji Bola Oyebamiji and Mr. Kabir Aregbesola during a thanksgiving prayer over his victory as the Governor-elect in the2014 Governorship Election in the State of Osun at Nasrul -Lahi-Fathi Society (NASFAT) Prayer Ground, Mowe, Ogun State, lastSunday.

- See StoryOn Page 11

- Pg 4

- See StoryOn Page 2

Why Osun PDP ApproachedTribunal On Gov Poll

•It Is Necessary To Keep Our Members Intact And Give Them Hope - PDP

Iresi ChiefPetitionsPolice OverAssault

- Pg 3

How Ex-APC LeaderWas CajoledTo Join PDP

Osun PeopleApplaudedOver ElectionOutcome

The Untold Story OfAregbesola’s Victory

The victory of theAll ProgressivesCongress, APC inlast Saturday’sgubernatorialelection in OsunState reinforcesthe oppositionagainst a seeminglyrampaging politicaltrain of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan

It was a welcomerelief to the na-tional leader of theAPC, AsiwajuBola AhmedTinubu.Those who sawhim yesterdaymorning astheresult of the OsunState governorship

Osun and 2015: Thegame changerpoll was declared saidthey saw a man greatlyrelieved but reinforcedfor the battleahead.Besides being anelixir to the oppositionthat was badly

traumatized by defeatin Ekiti a month ago,the Osunvictory actsas a spring for theopposition towardsthe 2015

presidential prizethat was beingconsidered a fore-gone booty of theruling PeoplesDemocratic Party,PDP. The messageyesterday was that2015 is stillwithinplay. Despite earlierclaims by the

APC that thepresidency wasdetermined to rig theelection in favour ofthe PDP’s SenatorIyiola Omisore, theoutcome of theelection showed thelimit to whichPresident GoodluckJonathan would go inforcing his will on the

Continue on pg4

Page 2: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

2 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014

If you have a story or advert for us, contact 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897, 08023191891.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right), with the Founder, Zumuratul Soliheena Institute ofArabic and Islamic Research, Sheikh Abdul Wahab Baani-Afonta, during the 35th year Anniversary award ceremonyand Launching of 200 million naira Ultra-modern School Complex of the institute, at Nelson Mandela FreedomPark, Osogbo, State of Osun, last Saturday.

News

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

Osu Agog For Aregbesola’sVictory Celebration

By SHINA ABUBAKAR

Why Osun PDP Approached Tribunal On Gov Poll

FRESH facts have emerged on the basic reason whythe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidatein the August 9 governorship election in the State of

Osun, Senator Iyiola Omisore, approached the stateGovernorship Election Petition Tribunal for thenullification of the election result.

A reliable source within thePDP leadership in the staterevealed that the petitionfiled before the tribunal wasaimed at ensuring thatmembers do not leave theparty, having lost theelection.

The incumbent governorand the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) candidateat the election, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, defeatedOmisore with 387,257 votesto 285,925 votes, as theformer won in 22 local

government council areas,while the latter won in onlyeight council areas.

It was gathered that at thepost-election meeting of thePDP leaders, there was adivision, as some of the partyleaders suggested that theyshould approach the tribunalfor redress, while somecountered the suggestion onthe basis that there was nojustification for it.

One of the party leaders atthe meeting reportedlyconceded that Aregbesola

defeated their candidategallantly and there was noreason to go to courtbecause there would be noevidence to back such caseup.

He suggested that insteadof wasting time in the court,the party should go back tothe drawing board to preparefor 2015 general elections,and plan on how it wouldhave a certain percentage ofPDP members in the Houseof Assembly that would befrustrating Aregbesola.

Another party leaderhowever, disagreed and saidthat if something urgent wasnot done to boost the moraleof members, the party mightlose a very large percentageof its members, especially tothe APC.

He reportedly said: “Don’tforget that we have assuredour followers that we wouldwin this election by all meansand if something urgent isnot done, nobody wouldbelieve us again.

“There is nothing wrongin going to court, even if wedon’t have a case, at least,to tie our members down bygiving them hope thatsomething is in the offing”,

he said.At the end, it was

unanimously agreed that theparty and its candidateshould file a petition beforethe tribunal against theelection to tie the membersdown.

It was also agreed that theleadership of the partyshould go further by findingways of compromising somestaff of the IndependentNational ElectoralCommission (INEC) who arein charge of the electionmaterials used for theelection.

This officials would assistthem to void some of thevotes of APC and add moreto the PDP, with a view tomisleading the tribunal toarrrive at a decision thatwould favour the PDP.

French Editor Tasks Journalists On Accountability

CORRUPTION and professional ethics decline injournalism has been identified as a major threat tothe survival of democracy in Nigeria.

International NewsEditor, All News WorkFrance 24, Mr Eduardo Cue,said this in Osogbo lastTuesday during a one-dayworkshop organised by theUS Consulate, Lagos incollaboration with theNigeria Union ofJournalists, State of OsunCouncil.

Eduardo, who was theGuest Speaker at theworkshop, said any society,where media is gagged ornot independent, poses aserious danger to theexistence of that society.

According to him, thepower to mould the futureof the society is in the handsof journalists and fordemocracy to exist, avibrant media is inevitable.

Eduardo, who discussedthe role of the media in ademocracy, said media, asthe fourth estate of the realm,has the responsibility tohold people in position ofauthority accountable at alltimes.

He said: “Three majorroles assigned to the mediain a democracy arewatchdog role, informationtool and forum for

discussion, as a peace andconsensus builders, toensure that all citizensparticipate in a democraticprocess.”

“The media must alsoexpose unjust practices,especially during election,by exposing vote rigging,while intimidation,harassment and other formsof violence must beexposed and shamed andannounced the result in amanner that will not lead tocivil unrest.”

Edurado howeverchallenged journalist tostay away corruption toenable them carry out theirjob.

“It is the responsibilityof the media to checkcorruption but the mediahas also to check itself fromcorruption. We know thechallenges facing media inNigeria and other parts ofthe world, but it must notbe an excuse forcorruption.”

He however commendedthe Nigerian journalists forthe coverage of the electionand deadly terrorist attacks.

Declaring the workshopopen, the State

Commissioner forInformation and Strategy, MrSunday Akere, said the stategovernment would continueto create enablingenvironment for journalistsin the state to do their job.

The commissionercommended the journalistsin the state for balance andobjective reportage of thegovernment activities andassure them of the state

government support at alltimes.

State Chairman of NUJ,Abiodun Olalere, said in thestate, the council in the lastone year, had organisedtraining for over 200journalists and called forcontinuous collaboration ofprivate sectors, governmentand NGOs to improve theskills of journalists in thestate.

THE ancient town of Osu, the headquarters ofAtakumosa West Local Government Council Area ofthe State of Osun, was agog last Saturday when the

people of the town trooped out en masse to celebrate thevictory of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in the August 9, 2014governorship poll.

It was a great opportunityfor the teeming populace of thecommunity to thank God forthe peaceful conduct of thepoll, as opposition membershad vowed to make the towninhabitable for known APCmembers, should the party loseat the poll.

Speaking at the event, Mr.Gbenga Adebusuyi, theDeputy Chief of Staff to theGovernor and the host of theevent, attributed the victory ofOgbeni Aregbesola to God’swill and the determination ofthe people of the state to electa governor of their choice, evenin the face of intimidation andharassment.

The governor’s aide opinedthat Ogbeni Aregbesola’sadministration has touched thelife of every citizen in the statethrough his landmarkachievements in education,health, agriculture, commerce,security and job creationamong others.

He assured the people of thestate that more people-orientedprogrammes would be thefocus of the administration inits second term in office.

Also speaking on theoccasion, the stateCommissioner for Agriculture

and Food Security, Mr. WaleAdedoyin, eulogised thepeople for their determinationat ensuring the re-election ofGovernor Aregbesola in spiteof widespread terror created bysome overzealous securityagents drafted to the state forthe purpose of the election.

He also assured the peopleof more dividends of democracyin Governor Aregbesola’ssecond term, saying if not fortheir tenacity to defend goodgovernance, agent of darknesshad wanted to conduct acivilian coup d’état in the state.

Dignitaries on the occasionincluded the Senior SpecialAssistant to the Governor onEducation Performance andResearch, Professor FrancisOludare Olakalu, Dr. BiodunOgunbeku, an industrialist anda prominent son of the town,Dr. Bolaji Bolarinwa, partychairmen and ward leaders inthe community, as well asnumerous well-wishers.

Highlight of the occasionwas offering of special prayersfor the governor’s success inhis second term in office,sustainable peace anddevelopment in the state, afterwhich the people wined anddined together.

How Ex-APC Leader Was Cajoled To Join PDP

FRESH fact have now emerged on how a former leaderof All Progressives Congress (APC) and strongsupporter of Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Ikire Federal

Constituency was deceived to join the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) ahead of the August 9 governorship election,with a promise that he would be appointed a MilitaryAdministrator should there be any necesity for PresidentGoodluck Jonathan to declare a state of emergency in thestate.

It was gathered that when theformer APC leader was beingwooed by the PDPgovernorship candidate, SenatorIyiola Omisore, he wasconvinced that nothing wouldchange the victory, as allarrangements had beenconcluded to take over the statefrom Aregbesola by all means.

According to a reliablesource, Omisore allegedlypromised the defector, who is aretired Colonel that if he couldwork for his success, he wouldforce the party leaders to

compensate him with asenatorial ticket under theplatform of the PDP.

The retired colonel wasmade to understand that hisdefection or otherwise wouldnot change the original plan ofthe Presidency to take over thestate for the PDP, but it wasonly aimed at creating animpression before the entireworld that the party waspopular in all parts of the stateto the extent that bigwigs of theAPC were joining it.

In case his fraudulentdeclaration as winner of the poll

failed as expected, the PDPcandidate allegedly boastedthat he would use his influenceto mandate President GoodluckJonathan to declare a state ofemergency, as all arrangementsto that effect had beenconcluded.

Once the emergency rule isdeclared, he also allegedlyboasted that he would use hisinfluence to arm-twist thepresident into appointing theretired colonel as the MilitaryAdministrator, who accordingto him, would rule the statefor a minimum of six months.

This plot, the retired colonelwas convinced, wouldeventually guarantee thesuccess of Omisore’sgovernorship ambition.

It was gathered that theretired colonel was soconvinced that he could notresist the offer, as heimmediately started preparing

ground for his defection to thePDP and eventually joined theparty few weeks to the August9, 2014 election.

Subsequently, all thebillboards he had earlier erectedto support Aregbesola startedchanging faces, as the retiredcolonel directed that theyshould be repainted to supportOmisore.

It would be recalled that itwas reported in some of theprevious editions of thismedium that the PDP leader,having realized that they couldnot win the poll, plotted tocause mayhem in the state,with a view to prompting adeclaration of state ofemergency.

This, according to thereported plan, would mandatethe President to appoint aMilitary Administrator, whowould be in the saddle whenthe election is eventuallyconducted to guarantee victoryfor the PDP.

•It Is Necessary To Keep Our Members Intact And Give Them Hope - PDP

Page 3: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (centre); Chairman, Osun Fulani Communities, Alhaji SulaimanOluwatoyin (4th right); Personal Assistant to the Governor on Arewa Matters, Imam Mohammed Bashir (2nd left);Seriki Fulani, Iwo Local Government, Adamu Muhammadu (4th left); Seriki Fulani, Ayedaade Local GovernmentCouncil Area, Alhaji Yero Saliu (3rd right); Seriki Fulani in Odo-Otin Local Government Council Area, Alhaji JimohMuhammadu (3rd left) and others, during a congratulatory and courtesy visit to Governor Aregbesola by the FulaniCommunities in Osun at Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun, recently.

Election Petition: Omisore, PDP ‘ll Shoot Themselves In The Leg - LawyerBy ISMAEEL UTHMAN

A legal practitioner, Mr Biodun Olaide, has said thatthe Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and itsgovernorship candidate in the August 9, 2014

governorship election in the state, Senator Iyiola Omisore,would end up shooting themselves in the leg on theirpetition against the declaration of Governor RaufAregbesola by the Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) as the winner of the election.

Olaide, who spoke withOSUN DEFENDER in atelephone interview onMonday said Omisore andhis party do not have anygenuine ground to protestthe results of thegubernatorial election,which was widely-adjudgedfree and fair.

“Though, the PDP andOmisore are exercising theirconstitutional rights ofappeal, but they have nogood case at hand and theywould end up exposing theirown atrocities theycommitted during theelection,” Olaide declared.

According to Olaide, the

PDP and Omisore know thatthey have a bad case butthey believe they couldinfluence and compromisethe judiciary and some staffof the Independent NationalElectoral Commission(INEC) to do some illicitthings.

Olaide said: “PDP are evil-minded. They do not havea credible case but theybelieve they could makeunthinkable things tohappen. If you see the kindof lawyers they haveengaged for the petition,you would know that theythemselves know thatapproaching the election

petition tribunal to challengeAregbesola’s victory is awaste of time.

“Some of their witnesseshave decamped to the AllProgressives Congress(APC). The PDP State LegalAdviser, Prince AbidoyeBolarinwa, who was theparty agent for the PDP inBoripe Local GovernmentCouncil Area during theelection, has joined the APC.Some of the PDP witnesseswould still come becausethey know that nothingwould come out of thetribunal’s Nazareth.

“What the PDP plans todo by approaching the

tribunal is to compromisethe judiciary and INEC. ThePDP may want tocompromise INEC officialsto falsify some of the ballotpapers used for the electionfor the tribunal to cancel theelection.

“The PDP had done thatwhen Wole Oke challengedthe result of the NationalAssembly election forHouse of Representativesin 2011. Oke challenged thevictory of NathanielAgunbiade, who won theelection. The PDPcompromised INEC staffand they falsified someballot papers. The tribunalhowever, discovered thatthe falsified ballot papers

were different from thoseused for the election.

“The PDP may still wantto do that for this tribunal.In fact, that is their plan, butwe would give them closewatch. Governor RaufAregbesola has also warnedINEC not to tamper with theelection materials used forthe governorship election. Ialso warned INEC not tocompromise, as the tribunalactivities go on.”

Olaide maintained thatthe results of thegovernorship electionreflected the feelings of thepeople, adding that noJupiter would upturnAregbesola’s victory on theelection.

Iresi Chief Petitions Police Over AssaultBy SHINA ABUBAKAR

THE Obaala of Iresi in Boluwaduro Local GovernmentCouncil Area of State of Osun, High Chief AdewaleAjiboye, has petitioned the Commissioner of Police

in the state against members of the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP) in the community for assaulting him.

According to the petitionsigned by the chief datedSeptember 1, 2014 anddelivered to both thecommissioner of police and acopy sent to the AreaCommander, the chief allegedthat some members of the PDPattacked him in front of hisshop located at Isale-Isedo areaof the community.

He disclosed that someoneinformed him of an imminentattack on him by some people,who had earlier attacked him,but he dismissed it as a mererumour, coupled with the factthat he is a high chief andsecond-in-command to themonarch of the town.

However, at about 5:30 pmlast Sunday, one Dejo Ilori leda man popularly called Labuleand one Taye (Pantan) on amotorcycle in front of his shopand started assaulting himphysically, alluding it to thefailure of the PDP in the August9, 2014 governorship poll inthe state.

He narrated: “On SundayAugust 31, 2014, someoneinformed me of an imminentattack on my person by somePDP members, but I waved itoff that no one would dareattack me as a high chief andsecond-in-command to themonarch.

“But surprisingly, at about5:30 pm, Dejo Ilori, Labule andone Taye (Pantan) suddenly

appeared on a motorcycle infront of my shop and startedassaulting me physically andin the process, a cash sum ofN200,000 in my pocketsspread on the floor and I couldonly retrieve N90,500, whileN109,500 was missing.

“I reported the matter to theDivisional Police Officer(DPO) at Otan-Ayegbaju, butI was told he could not takeany action on the matter. Oneof the APC members, JimohOkunade, who was at thescene, was also attacked bySeun Oyebiyi and MichaelOgun, who tore his clothes.”

He disclosed that he wassurprised when he reported thematter to the DPO of Otan-Ayegbaju Division of theincident, only to be told thathe could not send anyone torescue him until the followingday.

He alleged the DPO of takingsides in matters relating toparty issues in the community,warning that should the trendcontinues, the people of thearea would be at the mercy ofthe party thugs in the area.

The petition reads further:“It is inimical that the DPOcould be taking sides in suchmatter, particularly in a matterthat is capable of escalating intoviolence, if the members of theAPC decide to avenge theattack sponsored by the PDPbigwigs in the community.

“I am seriously pained by

the action of the DPO and seekinvestigation into the matter,with a view to bringing theculprits to justice to serve as adeterrent ahead of the 2015elections in the state. If theiraction is allowed to gounpunished, they are likely tounleash mayhem on the peopleof the community and boast ofthe influence of their

godfathers.“I am looking forward to

your office to correct theinjustice perpetrated andcontinuously being perpetratedin the community without fearor favour and in the interest ofpeace to reign, failure to do sowould encourage others to takejustice into their hands,” theAjiboye concluded.

New DPO Sues For Co-operationBy MURTALA AGBOOLA

THE new Divisional Police Officer (DPO) attached toAtaoja Estate, Police Station, Osogbo has solicitedthe support and co-operation of members of the

Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) at ameeting held at the premises of the station recently.

The DPO, Mr LedumQuadem, made the chargeat his inaugural meeting ofthe executive and membersof the association.

He implored all themembers to work with thepolice to ensure that thelevel of criminality in hisarea of jurisdiction isbrought to the lowest level.

Quadem appreciated theinvaluable role of the PCRC,stating that the body hasbeen his backbonewherever he has worked.

He stressed the fact thatas human beings nobody isperfect, but membersshould not hesitate to gethim informed on any issueof criminality in thecommunity hesuperintends.

The new policehelmsman said he isapproachable hence heshould be consultedwithout delay on any issueat the appropriate time.

He emphasized the factthat the co-operation ofeverybody is needed tosuppress the level of crimein the area.

Quadem was impressed

with the low level of crimerate in the area butacknowledged the incidenceof a burglary within the fourweeks of his resumption.

The incidence has to dowith robbers using aduplicate key in a house toopen the gate afteraccessing the house andmaking away with the SportUtility Vehicle (SUV) of thelandlord.

In view of this, hecounseled residents in thearea particularly car ownersto be careful how they keeptheir valuables including carkeys, documents and gatekeys.

He was particular aboutSundays whenunscrupulous people takeadvantage of quiteenvironment to perpetratetheir nefarious activitieswhen most people musthave gone to church.

The chairman of PCRC,Chief Gbadebo Adeyemo, onbehalf of the committeewelcomed the new DPO andpledged the support of thePCRC materially and morallyto the station

Kwara Pledges Support For SWAN Games

THE Kwara State Government has pledged its supportto the successful hosting of the 2014 Sports Writers’Association of Nigeria (SWAN) Media Games billed

for next month in Ilorin.The State Commissioner for

Information and Sports, PrinceTunji Moronfoye, who statedthis while meeting members ofthe committee for the games,praised the organizers of thegames for their commitment tothe development of sports inthe state.

Prince Moronfoye, who hadrepresented the state inathletics championship,restated governmentcommitment to provideconducive environment formedia practitioners to practisetheir profession in the state.

Similarly, the State Directorof Information, Mr. SolomonOdeyemi, praised SWANmembers for their brilliantperformance and urged thebody to sustain the tempo.

Odeyemi, who pledged thatthe State Ministry ofInformation Chapel of theNigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ) would participate in the

games, stressed the need tomake it an annual event.

Earlier, the Chairman of theKwara SWAN Media Games,

Alhaji Tunde Akanbi, who wasrepresented by BunmiAdedoyin, said the gameswould hold from the 16th tothe 18th of September withover 300 participants drawnfrom the eleven NUJ chapelsin the state.

Akanbi noted that the

unveiling of the games’ logowould be performed by theSpeaker of the State House ofAssembly, Barrister RasaqAtunwa, on Wednesday.

The chairman called forparticipation from the variouschapels to ensure the sustenanceand physical well-being ofmembers.

By SOLA JACOBS

•The Late Chief (Mrs)OYEDIRAN

Oyediran Family Buries Matriarch In September

THE Oyediran family of Osogbo has announced thepassing away of their matriarch, Chief (Mrs.)Deborah Mofolasere Oyediran.

Before her demise, shewas a renowned kolanutmerchant, community leaderand Matron of YoungWomen ChristianAssociation of All SaintsCathedral, Balogun Agoro,Osogbo.

She passed on at the ripeage of 98 on the 12th of July,2014.

According to the burialplan released by the familyand signed by ProfessorGbade Oyediran, her finalburial ceremony will come

Church, Balogun Agoro,Osogbo and reception wouldfollow immediately atGovernment TechnicalCollege, Osogbo.

The deceased is survivedby Chief (Mrs.) VictoriaAjayi, Mrs. Susan A.Olagunju, Engr. TimothyO.Oyediran, Prof. Gbade O.Oyediran (LAUTECH,Osogbo), Dr. (Mrs.)Funmilayo Owolabi, Mr.Lekan Olagunju, Mrs. ToluLagbenro, Mrs. OluwatosinOyetunji, Mayowa andDamilola Oyediran amongchildren, grand children andgreat grand children.

on 12th of September, 2014at All Saints Cathedral

Page 4: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 20144 News

•(L-R) Honourable Idowu Korede and State of Osun Commissioner for Agriculture, Prince Wale Adedoyin during thecelebration of the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola on August 9 2014 governorship election in the state organisedby Honourable Babatunde Ayeni at Ido-Ijesa, Ilesa, last Sunday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

By FRANCIS EZEDIUNO

Osogbo NSE Elects Kilomodemo As Chairman

AS the air of democracy flows through the State ofOsun, another electoral victory has been added tothe ever-increasing testimonial of free and fair

choice of the people.This time around, the

electoral victory wasobtained not in the publicpolitical sphere, but in aprofessional one.

The atmosphere was theelection of the StateExecutive Committee thatwould run the affairs of the

Nigerian Society ofEngineers (NSE) for the nexttwo years; 2014 through2016 and the outcome was avictory for Engr. AdeniranFelix Ibitoye (akaKilomodemo).

In his acceptance speechafter his election as the NSE

Chairman for Osogbobranch at a keenlycontested poll, which tookplace last Thursday at theNSE Permanent Secretariat,Osogbo, titled: “Service ToThe Engineers And TheSociety Is The Best Work OfLife”, Engineer Ibitoye, whoequally doubles as theSenior Special Assistant tothe Governor on Works andEngineering Matters,appealed to all politicalactors and other aspirants

to put the past behind themand co-operate with him inmoving the society forwardand beyond any humanexpectation.

Kilomodemo called on allengineers to eschewantagonism, as suchexercise would always comeand go but the people wouldalways be together.

He cautioned thatdamaging the currentharmony that the NSE isenjoying as one family

would have direconsequences on everymember, adding that itwould amount to thegreatest disservice anyonecould do to the state and thecountry.

Ibitoye appreciated theimmediate past chairman ofthe branch; EngineerAdemola Zakariyahu, forthe warm receptionaccorded him as a memberand also EngineerKamarudeen Babalola, theChairman, ElectionCommittee, for ensuring thatthe exercise was done undera free and fair atmospherewithout rancour.

He revealed that it wasthe will to serve that wasresponsible for his interestin coming to serve his NSE,Osogbo branch, which washis immediate constituency.

The chairman-electthanked the past chairmenof the branch, all elders,senior and all othercolleagues, who at one timeor the other, encouraged himto contest and also gave himtheir votes.

Kilomodemo alsorevealed that his preparationfor the challenge ahead ofhim was made possible dueto his exposure in the StateHouse of Assembly, whenhe was the member,representing Odo-Otin StateConstituency between 2003and 2007.

He revealed that that hehad been a member of NSE,Osogbo branch since 2003and got registered with the

national body in 2004 withan MNSE.

The newly-elected NSEhelmsman in Osogbo, inoutlying his plans for thenext two years, revealed thathe intended to take thesociety to a higher ground.

He stated that it wasgoing to operate along sidethe ethics and privileges ofthe society, adding that hewould improve on theavailability of publiclectures, seminars,workshops, trainings andother professionalprogrammes that wouldassist and address theprofessional aspect of themembers, connect andengage with otherprofessional bodies andstakeholders and promoteactivities that would bringthe engineering and sciencefamily together.

He outlined that he wouldensure that Osogbomembers of the NSE enjoybenefits that were acrued tothem from the national bodyas and at when due.

The chairman promisedto establish a relationshipbetween NSE and the StateGovernment of Osun andalso to project his image asa good ambassador of thelocal branch at the nationallevel.

He therefore, called on allthe blocs in the society;Association of ProfessionalWomen Engineers, NigerianInstitution of MechanicalEngineers, NigerianInstitution of CivilEngineers and NigerianInstitution of Electrical andElectronics Engineer tocontinue to functioneffectively and to rally roundhim and the newly-electedexecutive committee to takeNSE Osogbo branch to agreater height.

Ibitoye promised to makemembership drive a toppriority to encourage newmembers to join the branch,making the branch to beamong the top 10 in thenation, raising the profile ofOsogbo branch so as togenerate support,commitment andsponsorship for itsprogrammes and activities.

Other plan he has for thesociety is to complete theNSE permanent secretariatin Osogbo.

Staff Training ‘ll Be A Pride Of Place In Osun – HOSBy ABOSEDE AKINPELU

THE Head of Service of the State of Osun, Mr.Sunday Owoeye, has hinted that training andre-training of public servants in the state

would be given a pride of place.The Head of Service

disclosed this whiledeclaring open a two-dayworkshop on PublicService Ethics andInformation Managementorganised by themanagement of Osun StateIndependent ElectoralCommission (OSSIEC)for its workforce.

Owoeye stressed thattraining and re-training are ways of equipping and re-vitalising the publicservice, adding that it is asine qua non for humandevelopment.

He expressed hishappiness for themanagement of thecommission to train itsworkforce, whileacknowledging that theenormity of the workbefore the commissionrequires the constantupgrading of its staff.

Owoeye furtherstressed the need for in-house training programmeto be carried out from timeto time in the entire publicservice of the state, whileurging them to put into usethe skills they had garneredfrom the training, as theywould benefitmagnificently from theprogramme.

Owoeye then implored

them to be good

ambassadors of thecommission and the Stateof Osun.

Earlier, the Chairman ofthe Commission had statedthat the workshop wasorganised by the

commission to equipmembers of staff withrelevant skills required inthe discharge of theirduties and prepare them forthe conduct of referendumand local government

election in the state.He then charged

members of staff of thecommission to alwaysstrive to be above board inwhatever they are doing byimproving on their abilities.

Osun People Applauded Over Election Outcome

THE people of Osun have been described as goodwillambassadors of tax payers, who through their votes,demonstrated their passionate interests in all the

developmental projects that taxes have been spent on.

Mr. ‘Dayo Oyebanji, theacting Chairman/CEO,Internal Revenue Service,dropped this hint whilereceiving some newsmen inhis office.

As shown in their votingpattern, evident by therecently-concluded electionthat returned Governor RaufAregbesola into office, henoted that the courageousefforts exhibited by thepeople overshadowed themilitarization process of theelection.

According to him, it wasa clear testimony of thepeople’s interest on howtheir taxes are beingjudiciously utilized,especially on educationsubsector, where well-befitting contemporarybuilding structures, withcomplete learningapparatus, were provided inboth primary and secondaryschools in the state.

The achievements alsoinclude road rehabilitationthat can stand the test oftime in all towns and villagesin Osun, employmentcreation and many more

conspicuous achievementsthat key into Aregbesola’ssix-point integral actionplan.

He then urged the peopleof Osun to continue in thisgesture towards fulfillingtheir own obligatory portionas regards their tax payment,as many goodies would stillbe unfolded through theirtax money.

He however, assuredthem of the continuousmutual understanding thatwould be devoid of any sortof inconveniencewhatsoever, as relating totax issues.

Oyebanji furtherreiterated that tax collectionin the state wouldhenceforth be done in afriendly and convenientmanner and that OgbeniRauf Aregbesola does nothave any intention ofmaking taxes unbearable forthe people of Osun.

In a related development,Point of Sale Terminalmachines (POS) have beendeployed to Osun StateWater Corporation revenue

offices across the state toenhance their effectiveperformance in revenuegeneration.

While handing the POSTerminal machines over tothe revenue officers at anevent that took place at IRSBoard room recently,Oyebanji stated that the

POS Terminal machineswere deployed not only toincrease InternallyGenerated Revenue (IGR) ofthe state but also to takeinto consideration theconvenience of thecustomers to have easyaccess to transaction evenat their door step.

Court Remands RobberySuspects In Prison

AN Osogbo Magistrate’s Court has remandedtwo suspects, Tajudeen Babalola, 23, andIbrahim Saheed, 28, for alleged armed

robbery and attempted murder.The charge sheet read in

the court alleged that thesuspects conspired withothers believed to becurrently at-large, toattack one Mr FolorunshoShina, contrary to section516 of the state criminallaw 2003.

It disclosed that theaccused personsattempted to rob the victimand in the process shot himin his right hand and leg.

It stated further that thesuspects, in company of

others at large, werearmed with guns, withwhich they shot the saidFolorunsho, an offencecontrary to section 1(2)a&b of the Robbery andFirearms Act of theFederation of Nigeria2004.

According to the chargesheet, the suspectscommitted the offence onMarch 5, 2014, at about9.00pm in Eweta Area ofIkirun in Ifelodun LocalGovernment Council Area.

The suspects’ plea, whowere represented byBarrister Amaechi Ngwu,could not be taken becauseof the nature of theoffence, which was notwithin the court’sjurisdiction.

Police prosecutor,Inspector Mireti Wilson,did not object to the orderof the court.

Magistrate OlusolaAluko, who remanded thesuspect in Ilesa prison,said the file should beforwarded to theDepartment of PublicProsecution forappropriate counsel.

He then urged thedefence counsel to applyfor the accused persons’bail formerly, while headjourned the case tillOctober 3, 2014.

By MARYAM AFOLABI and LATIFAT ADEPOJU

Page 5: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

5 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN

Osun and 2015: The game changer Continued from pg1

Overwhelming presenceThe overwhelming presence of security menin the state in the days ahead of the poll didnot impede the electorate from exercisingtheir will on who governs them. Thatindeed, is a reassuring sign for manyNigerians and the international communitythat the 2015 election could be a free andfair election.Indeed, ahead of the polls last weekend, theAPC and its flag bearer, Aregbesola, had inthe face of the strong presence of securitymen around the state betrayed clear signs ofunease. The APC’s national spokesman,Alhaji Lai Mohammed in statements paintedthe impression of the determination of thepresidency to rig the election in a cleardetermination to reshape the politicalconfiguration of the Southwest ahead of thedecisive 2015 election.Such panic caused the opposition party tosummon all its elected office holders andpolitical appointees from across the countryto show presence in Osun State from lastTuesday as a way of boosting the morale ofits supporters in that state.The PDP’s candidate was also lifted by thepresence of strong detachment of thesecurity forces whose presence helped tosuppress whatever advantages the incum-bency factor would have given toAregbesola.Omisore also had his friends from the Senateincluding Senators Enyininnya Abaribe,Ehigie Uzamere and some others to lift hisheart. But the most decisive factors were the

voters on ground who at the end of voting onSaturday showed their preference for theincumbent.The outcome was, however, not a rout as theAregbesola camp had predicted it would bewithout rigging. That underscored the agitationamong some PDP loyalists who had sought foran alternative candidate. Omisore, a formerdeputy governor of Osun State had before thiselection been on the winning side of all thegubernatorial elections conducted in OsunState. He was deputy governor to Chief BisiAkande, strongly supported the immediatepast governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola in2003 and 2007, but, however, came short indelivering himself into an office he had in thepast helped others to enter.Though a very lively man with soundeducation, the factors against Omisore weremostly fanned by perceptions about himarising from his trial for the murder of ChiefBola Ige, a former attorney general of thefederation. Omisore who was acquitted ofcomplicity in that murder, however, did littleto clear that perception. Besides, his politicalfoes helped to fan the negative perceptionabout him.Oyinlola, the immediate past governor of thestate who himself had a grudge against thePDP rubbed in the Ige wound on the peoplewhen he questioned why President Jonathanhad surrounded himself with all those who werequestioned over the murder of Ige.“The candidate of the PDP was arrested forkilling Ige. He was arrested and detained. “Thenational secretary of the [PDP], ProfessorWale Oladipo, was also detained in connectionwith the killing. The Minister of PoliceAffairs, Jelili Adesiyan, was also detained.“The chairman of the party in this state,Ayobami Olaoluwa, was also arrested. So, why

is everyone who was in detention givenappointment or put in a position of authority?We need to ask the government,” Oyinlola said.Great minusLinking anyone or party with the death of Igewas a great minus especially given the adorationthat Ige continues to draw from most parts ofthe state. The election was also an opportunityfor political enemies in the Southwest to hit athim. Tinubu had by every indication mounted theplatform of political leadership of the Southwestwith the dominance of his party in five of the sixSouthwest states. After the loss of Ekiti, hispolitical empire was trimmed to four states andthe prospect of losing Osun, had in the last weeksof the campaign become an exciting lure forTinubu bashers in the region.Internal dissentIt was especially so, given that Aregbesola wasgenerally considered the closest of the APCgovernors to Tinubu.The internal dissent to Tinubu in the Southwestwas especially fanned by vestiges of Afenifere,the socio-political organization through whichTinubu, himself emerged as governor of LagosState in 1999. But the former governor’s allegedrole in splintering Afenifere after his emergenceas governor helped to create animosity thattoday irks many Yoruba leaders.Even though many Afenifere leaders did notcome out openly to antagonise Tinubu andAregbesola ahead of the election, some of themwere enthusiastically waiting to celebrate thedownfall of the APC in Osun.Celebrating the downfallAPC leaders who learnt from their laxity in Ekitiwere well prepared for Osun and went out of theway to woo known and unknown enemies. PDPon the other hand did not help its candidate withthe clear animosity towards rebels in the party.The treatment of Oyinlola and another former

governor of the state, Senator Isiaka Adelekesubsequently proved to be one of the majorproblems for the PDP on Election Day.Though Oyinlola did not muster enough votesto win his booth, Adeleke’s grip on Ede, one ofthe largest towns in the state helped to firmlydeliver the town to the APC. After being luredinto the PDP gubernatorial contest, theformer governor was allegedly forced out bywhat he claimed to be impediments put on hisway. That was the beginning of his defectionto the APC, a move the PDP would now regretnot to have stopped.One APC source revealed that Adeleke was thecandidate the party feared most could troubleAregbesola. But even after he withdrew, thePDP hierarchy in the state failed to soothehim giving him room to defect. Tinubu, theAPC national leader and the many presidentialaspirants in the party would be very gleefulwith the outcome of the polls. Yesterday, asource said Tinubu was himself very bouncy ashe saw the result as a vindication against theaspiration of his internal foes in the South-west. For the presidential aspirants, theoutcome of the election gives hope that theirpermutations of forging a Southwest andNorthern alliance against the PDP remainsfeasible.For President Jonathan, the permutation mayhave been that whatever loss of support hemay have suffered in the North would begained in the Southwest. Now, it is back tobasics.By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Call For The Erection of Awolowo's Statue OSUN DEFENDERPublisher – Moremi Publishing

House Ltd.

Managing Editor – Kola Olabisi(0803-392-7286)

Editor – Kayode Agbaje (0803-388-0205)

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing HouseLimited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust BankGTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.All correspondence to the above mail address.ISSN: 0794-8050Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205Website: www.osundefender.com/index.phpe-mail: [email protected]

MY choice of your medium forairing these opinions of mine ishinged on your progressive

stance, evidenced in your view on issuesof societal significance. I trust thatwhatever view I communicate shall beaccorded a space in your highly reputableand widely-read newspaper.

Permit me a little time and space tocomment briefly on your auspicious roleplayed in making frantic efforts atcorrecting the numerous and multifariousills, odds and malaise plaguing ourexistence and collectivity.

I urge you to forge ahead in your roleaimed at bettering the lots of the societyand its residents; most especially, makinga better place for the upcominggeneration. The patriots are solidlybehind you and by the grace of God, youruntiring efforts shall fruitionize intransforming the society into the enviablestatus of a free, just and egalitarian societyof the dreams of our forebears. I wishgreater grace to your elbows.

The efforts of the incumbentadministration at improving the status,quality and pedigree of infrastructure ofthe State of Osun in its entirety since itsassumption of office have caught myattention. Most especially in this regard,the infrastructural rebirth ongoing withinthe metropolis of Osogbo, the statecapital under the aegis of the State of OsunUrban Renewal Project is worthy ofcommendation. The project has comeunder serious appraisal by well-meaning

indigenes and residents as well as visitorsand passers-by who spared no means todrum support and accolades for thedevelopment which have been adjudgedunprecedented in the annals of the state.

Prior to the creation of the State of Osunin 1991, much effort had been made to changethe outlook and rating of Osogbo among itsequals in Nigeria and yonder. Unfortunately,much of these efforts and attempts wereeither too spurious or superficial, hence, theylacked the necessary will-power to get themthrough, As a matter of fact, none of theefforts made so far had been as proactive

and resolute as those made by the incumbentadministration.

Following the demise in 1987 of ourpolitical giant, father and legend, ChiefJeremiah Oyeniyi Obafemi Awolowo, thestretch of main road entering the city fromIkirun axis at Stadium / Omo West end,through the Onisekere / Ayetoro Junctionto somewhere at Boorepo / Igbonna area wasnamed as Obafemi Awolowo Way as markof honour to immortalize the name and legacyof the social avatar. Thank God that in spiteof various bouts of socio-political stormsand billows which the state has witnessed

within the space of its almost twenty-threeyears of existence, nothing has occurred toalter this arrangement. As far as our statecapital is concerned, the sage lives on. Thenaming of that stretch of our major road wasso effected in those days of our existence aspart of the old Oyo State by the militaryadministration of the time. This was againstthe backdrop that military regimes werenotorious for their anti-democratic postures!As a people, we shall forever remain gratefulfor that right step taken in the right direction.

Deserving of greater measures of gratitudeis the recent development beingwitnessed on that entire expanseof road which is currentlyundergoing total reconstructiontowards its Ikirun / Ila-Odo / Erin-Ile / Kwara State Boundary andthe Old Garage / City Centre ofthe metropolis. Thereconstruction initiative, among

other things include widening of the road,its dualization, the building of elaboratestreet divide, defining of set-backs asstatutorily appropriate and provision ofstreet lights. Other measures includeprovision of well-defined drainage channels,construction of junction links and traffic-friendly U-turn points, clear markings forthe road and proper and adequate provisionsfor pedestrians on the road.

•LANRE SIYANBOLA, Oja Timi Area,Ede, State of Osun.

Page 6: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 20146 FEATURE

The Ajagungbade Of YorubalandAS I ruminate over the fortunes,

misfortunes and wars foughtby

Ogbeni Rauf AdesojiAregbesola as a politician, I surmisethat I do not envy him. His politicalstruggles, trials and triumphs trulyqualify him in the mould of our latesage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. He isalso a very qualified candidate for thestool and title of Ajagungbade ofYorubaland, if various political wars hehas fought and won are to be giventrue value. Why do I say this? I havehad very scanty information regardinghis antecedent career as a politicaloffice holder in Lagos State, when hewas Commissioner for Works andInfrastructure, but somebody told methat Rauf would always be on his seatoffice till 3.00am in the morning. AndGod bless you if you were his visitor inthe office, because it is only at thisrather odd hour that he would attendto you. And I was also told he was arallying point of political maneuvers,such that his Alimosho constituency, aswell as the whole of Lagos Stateprogressive population rely on hisideas and inputs in matters of greatpolitical import. Under CommissionerAregbesola, Lagos roads had it sogood. They were not only quantitativein terms of kilometers, but alsoqualitative in beauty and durability. Butas a loyal party man and office holder,Ogbeni remained at the background,of course, not to outshine the ultimateboss. What a strategist.

I have also heard fables of himbeing a major determinant of theemergence of a prominent governor inthe South West. The fable adds thatthe Oracle himself seeks his advice inmatters of importance as they concernthe party and whom to put where.These fables are not surprising, as thelate sage himself, whom Aregbesolahas as personal hero and mentor ofsorts, had fables surrounding hispersonality. A very well-lovedpolitician, Chief Jeremiah OyeniyiObafemi Awolowo, would be “seen”inside the bright evening moon with histrade mark smile, staring at usinnocent youths destined to believeany fable; we were often told by thevillage elders how Awo holds the keysto Nigeria’s treasure trove. If notelected, then the nation is doomed!

It was only when the opportunitypresented itself in 2007 for a strongcontender, who could wrestle powerfrom an incumbent with a militarybackground that this man stood to becounted. And it was only then thatmost watchers got to know his state oforigin. This was because he servedLagos with all his heart. Of course,not many distant observers took himserious liking him to some other “I toocontested” individuals. He was under-rated as a feeble framed ‘mere’commissioner, with little means. And,of course, many saw a disadvantage inhis been a ‘foreigner’ of sorts fromLagos, coming home to wrestle powerfrom the home-boys. And in fact, thiswas used as a campaign toy by hisopponents. Well, he won the partyprimary and the battle-royale began.

As a candidate with activistbackground, Rauf did not find itdifficult to mobilise. He knew theimportance of market women,

workers, students and even civilservants in electoral success.Oranmiyan is the tactical tool for hispopular movement. He was able toconsult widely to get to know thevoters’ true aspirations and demands.He went to town to sell his manifesto,which contains these aspirations anddemands and even more.

The Oranmiyan title: OranmiyanOmoluabi, King of the Yoruba, alsoknown as Oranmiyan, wasa Yoruba king from the kingdomof Ile-Ife and heir to Oduduwa.According to Yoruba history, hefounded Oyo as its first Alaafin ataround the year 1170, and one of hischildren, Eweka I, went on to becomethe first Oba of the Benin Empire.Choosing this rather historical title wastactical in the sense that all Yoruba,not only Osun indigenes, wouldinvariably identify with this name, andit pays off in the end.

Rauf’s Oranmiyan would later betransformed into a movement that drawsinspiration from this great forebear inthe quest for the renaissance of the greatYoruba political past. The group’ssymbol relates to this great historicalfigure and draws his inspirationtherefrom among others.

Oranmiyan as a name, stripped of itshisto-political link with legendaryancestor, is an affirmative statementacknowledging to God’s favours.Alhamdulillah, All praises to God.This is the Islamic rendition of praises

to the Almighty.“Oran Mi Yan” in the deep Yoruba

self appraisal means “My Issues havebeen resolved”. Oro Gbogbo Wa Lo MaYan O. May all our issues be resolved.Amen.

As a socialist in inclination, thegrassroots is Aregbe’s realconstituency. Aregbe became hisbrand name like Awo, IBB, Zik, etc.He chose Oranmiyan as his group’spolitical name, a smart politician. Notrue Yoruba son who will not identifywith Oranmiyan, the name which hispolitical group tactically chose.

The battle was fierce, indeed. Hewas dealing with an incumbentwarlord, whose pedigree and tauntedqualification was being a past militarygovernor of a cosmopolitan Lagos.How dare a ‘mere’ commissioner inthe same Lagos challenge him to afight over the throne he has beensitting on for the past four years?, wasthe query.

The 2007 election was held anddespite the popularity enjoyed byAregbesola among the voters, whoseemed to be fed up with theincumbent rival, he was declareddefeated. The battle line was drawnand the struggle commenced. Thisbattle raged for three and a half yearsduring which his supporters weremaimed, murdered and propertiesbelonging to his supporters wererazed. His mother was evenreportedly harassed. He himself wascharged for various trumped-upoffences by the police and was almost

murdered. Sherifat, his beautiful wife,was even quoted as crying to highheavens, weeping and asking why Godwould allow her lovely husband to toethis dangerous and seemingly shakypath. But Aregbe would not let go. Hefought for and won his mandate. Itwas a rare victory.

Aregbesola mounted the throne, soto say, on the 10th of November, 2010.But he had a terrific task ahead ofhim. This task partially was to justifyhis years of struggle before thepopulace of Osun. It was no meantask. This was because he needed toprove a point; a point to his teemingsupporters, who voted him into officebut whose votes were not allowed tocount in the very first place, if not forthe struggle. He also needed to alsoprove a point to his opponents, whodidn’t want him to be their governor,or who believed not in his capability.The need to prove the former rightand the other wrong was probablyresponsible for the superlativeperformance. The Osun people arethe better for it in all sense andramifications. The performance in hisfirst term was so acknowledged byfriends and foes alike, such that onewould have thought that Aregbe maynot need too rigorous campaigns for asecond term ticket. But we werewrong. Even if this was truly so, therecent Ekiti experience would notallow him a good confidence.Governor Kayode Fayemi haddelivered all known dividends ofdemocracy to Ekiti people, or so hethought. But other extraneous factors,which are today subjects of intellectualand beer parlour conjectures werebrought to bear, robbing Fayemi of hiswell-deserved victory in his secondterm bid. This was what gave theOsun progressives very sleeplessnights in the days and weekspreceding the August 9, 2014gubernatorial election in the state. Theneed not to be over-confident and tonot give any chance made Aregbe andhis team to take the battle with allseriousness it deserved. And the battlewas over-fought. It almost turned tokilling an ant with a sharp cutlass. Hehimself confessed that he campaignedand prepared, as if he was not anincumbent. You may not have to blamethe All Progressives Congress and thegovernor’s team if the reportedinvasion of the state by hooded men ofthe Department of State Security,DSS, was anything to consider.

The election held and despite thereported victory, which was viral in thesocial and traditional media, theumpires were reportedly dilly-dallyingwith the announcements. But whenOsun agitated voters were reportedlyready for a showdown, should the willof the people be thrown to the gutters,the umpires had no choice than torespect the popular wishes anddeclared the true winner, Ogbeni RaufAdesoji Aregbesola, the Oranmiyan ofour time. Who says Aregbe is not awarrior, an Ajagungbade ofYorubaland!

•Akinola is a social and politicalcommentator.

By AYO AKINOLA

•AREGBESOLA

Page 7: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014 7PHOTOTALKOngoing Construction Of Ayegbaju Ultra-modern International Market In Osogbo,Under The Administration Of The State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, As Captured By Our Cameraman,GBENGA ADENIYI, Last Tuesday.

•Complexes and offices in the market.

•Another section of stalls within the market.

•Another section of stalls and complexes in the market.

Page 8: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

8 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014PHOTOTALKA Congratulatory Visit To The Governor, State Of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, ByIsokan Muslims, Iwoland At Government House, Osogbo, Recently.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (centre); Chairman, Assembly of Muslim Organisations (Isokan Musulumi), Iwoland, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Mogaji (3rdleft); Vice Chairman of the organisation, Alhaji Abdul Rasaq Iyanda (right); National Vice President, Supreme Council for Sharia, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Hadiyatullah (2ndleft); Representative, Chief Imam of Iwoland, Alhaji Tajudeen Olowe (right) and others in a group photograph.

•(R-L) The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; Founder of the institute, Sheikh Abdul Wahab Baani-Afonta; Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Civil andPublic Matters, Comrade Waheed Lawal; Islamic Preacher, Alhaji Yusuf Babatunde Yusuf and Baba Adeen of the Institute, Alhaji Mahroof Adewale.

•(L-R) Chairman, Assembly of Muslim Organisations (Isokan Musulumi), Iwoland, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Mogaji; Governor Rauf Aregbesola and National Vice President,Supreme Council for Sharia, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed Hadiyatullah, during the visit.

35th Year Anniversary, Award Ceremony And Launching Of 200 million Naira Ultra-Modern School Complex Of Zumuratul Soliheena Institute Of Arabic And IslamicResearch, At Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, State Of Osun, Last Saturday.

Page 9: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

9OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•(L-R) Deacon John Jaye-Oba; Pastor Folorunso Olayinka and Comrade OyebayoRawlargs during the programme.

•A cross section of APC members on the occasion.

Celebration Of The Victory Of Governor Rauf Aregbesola On August 9, 2014Governorship Election In The State, Organised By Honourable Babatunde Ayeni AtAyeni Event Centre, Ido-Ijesa, Ilesa, Last Sunday. Photo: GBENGA ADENIYI.

•(L-R) Honourable Lawrence Babatunde Ayeni; Mrs Ogundare Ronke; Mrs Idowu Petuje and Honourable Julius Jolayemi at the event.

•A cross section of Hip-Hop artistes on the occasion.

Page 10: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

10 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014

Some Of The Completed Roads In The State Of Osun Under The Administration OfGovernor Rauf Aregbesola, As Captured By Our Cameraman, GBENGAADENIYI, Recently.

PHOTOTALK

•Another completed road at Oke-Opo, Ilesa under the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

•Newly-completed asphalted road project along Obada area of Ede, State of Osun, under the administration of Governor Aregbesola.

•Another commissioned road at LAMECO Area, Osogbo.

Page 11: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

11 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014FEATURE

The Untold Story Of Aregbesola’s Victory

THE governor of the State of Osun,Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola’stestimonies at NASFAT, Mowe in

Ogun State on how God dismantled andannulled all the schemes andconspiracy of the Federal Government,PDP, and other adversaries that wantedto disgrace him out of office during theAugust 9, 2014 governorship election,moved the Muslim faithful so high tothe extent that no heart was nottouched by the chilling stories of the atrocities committed by the coercivepower of the Federal Governmentduring the election. “If any man claimsthat he was the one sustaining hisgovernment in office, that man is lying.

“No man can rubbish the HolyQuran,” said the governor. The build-up to the election was fearful andthoughtful. The PDP candidate, IyiolaOmisore, had gone all over the state,threatening to win in all the 30 localgovernment council areas. He alsoboasted that he would defeat theincumbent Governor Aregbesola, evenin his ward. It was on record that thePDP candidate threatened to dragsoldiers that would not be able tocommunicate in Yoruba to the state,two weeks before the election and trueto his words, two weeks before theelection, the PDP-controlled FederalGovernment deployed 73,000 securityagents, including 15,000 soldiers,30,000 policemen, 8,000 operatives ofthe Department of State Services,20,000 men and officers of NigerianSecurity and Civil defence Corps and100 specially-trained dogs to fortifytheir plan to win or rig the election atall cost.

As the security agents entered thestate, they were shooting into the air tocreate fear in the hearts of the people.Surprisingly, it was the “women thatstarted singing in response to thesecurity agents’ shootings saying:“Aregbe la wa ba lo o e ba yin bon soke, e ba yin bon sile, Aregbe la wa fe (Weare going with Aregbesola come fire,come rain).” When Aregbesola sangthis song before the Muslim faithful atthe NASFAT Camp, the wholecongregation chorused: “ AllahuAkbar”.

Aregbesola further told the people atthe meeting, that should any man limitthe efficacy of prayer, tell the man that“Quran cannot be rubbished.”. “Whatcould I or others without any securitydo to over 90,000 security agents?How could we have defeated thosewho own soldiers, police, and DSS? Ifany man tells you that we were theones that defeated these powers ofmen, tell that man that it was God.”

Governor Aregbesola quoted fromQuran 35 vs 34 that says: “And theywill say: All praises and thanks be toAllah, Who has removed from us (all)grief. Verily, our Lord is indeed Oft-Forgiving” Most ready to appreciate(good deeds and to recompense).

Aregbesola went further to tell theMuslim faithful that God spoke throughchildren to the security men that laidsiege against the state. The childrendefiled their threats by singing: “E di bofun Aregbesola, Aregbesola e di bo funAregbesola gomina Osun.” This song provoked another tumultuous shouting:“Allah Akbar”. My case and myelection were those of God,” said thegovernor.

The Osun election was war inanother dimension. The chargedpolitical atmosphere in the state wasmore than that of a war zone. Theelectorate had earlier been admonishednot to fear the presence of the securityagents. They complied and by 7.00pmon D-day of election, the news hasgone round that APC’s candidate, RaufAregbesola, had emerged the overallwinner. However, an order came fromAbuja that Iyiola Omisore of PDP mustbe announced as the winner. One of themen sent from Abuja, a notorioustrouble maker from Anambra State,called the Resident ElectoralCommissioner (REC), OlusegunAgbaje, to announce Omisore as thewinner with promisory reward, but theman declined.

As at this time, the over 90,000security agents had shrunk to about5,000, on realising that the people’s willcould not be cowed.

STALEMATEThe election was almost stalemated

by the power that be from Abuja,which insisted that it was eitherOmisore or nothing. The army officersent from Abuja by the “order fromabove” threatened the incumbentGovernor Aregbesola, roaring: “You,you want to fight the oga at the top.Oga said that is the man he wants to bedeclared winner, yet you areconfronting that order. You will see.”That was the scenario. It was at thispoint that the governor mobilised thepeople to the state INEC office.

The masked gunmen were asked to chase away the people, but the crowdwas adamant, ready to die, than allowtheir wishes to be thwarted. The topINEC officers were advised to vacatethe venue of the announcement, asthe security agents were on instructionto shoot the stubborn electorate, butthe noble INEC officers were notready to allow their effort to bethwarted over the said election at theeleventh hour. Those who were not atthe INEC office were praying for asuccessful completion of the election. Acleric phoned Muiz Banire, an APCchieftain to find out the outcome of theelection. On hearing that the electionwas inconclusive, he prayed: “O Allah,I pray that this Aregbesola’s election besuccessful, but in case it will not, letmy life be taken for it.” That was thelevel of the people’s commitment to theelection of the incumbent.

OMISORE’S VOWThe PDP candidate, Iyiola Omisore,

had earlier told his followers that therewere two things he had neverexperienced in life. One, he had neverbeen a governor, and two, he had neverdied and that one of the two mustcome to pass. Consequent upon thisvow, money and materials weremassively distributed to persuade theelectorate to vote for Omisore. Threehelicopters were sent to the state,which were suspected to have ferriedcash to the PDP candidate. The fall-outof the election, after the result went inthe way of APC, caused the PDP to befighting themselves over money that

were given out to party stalwarts, butwere allegedly embezzled.

The declaration of PresidentGoodluck Jonathan in the United Statesof America, that he had alwaysguaranteed free and fair electionsnegated what happened in Osun onAugust 9, 2014. The situation whereMusliu Obanikoro, Chris Uba fromAnambra State, Ayodele Fayose, NigerDelta militants like Asari Dokubo andTompolo were in the state during theelection walking freely with theirsecurity outfit, while members of APCin the state were being hounded intopolice cells without any offence made amockery of our democracy. The likesof the first Executive Governor of thestate, Senator Isiaka Adeleke; WaleAfolabi, the State Attorney General andCommissioner for Justice; WaleAdedoyin, Commissioner forAgriculture and Food Security; SikiruAyedun, Commissioner for Tourismand 700 others, further exposed thePDP and their candidate, IyiolaOmisore as desperados, who wanted tosteal the mandate of the incumbent in2007 and wanted to steal it again in2014, a reflection that they aresuffering from kleptomania disease,that made Sanni Abacha to stealuncontrollably, might have infectedOmisore and his party.

Only those who are not in thiscountry would not have heard how ayoung man, who was going for Post-UTME was horse-whipped for puttingon a hand band with Aregbesola’sname, until he became unconscious andif not for his brother that calledmembers of his family to come andsave him, he would have probably died.To those who were justifying themilitarization of election, they shouldwait until the misfortune of power fallson them.

Marylin Ogar’s justification of hercolleagues’ misdemeanour in the stateand the N200 million the State SecurityService collected from the presidency,she ought to cover her face in shame,if she had ever watched elections in theUS, UK and even in Ghana, as well asin South Africa, whose independencewe jointly fought for.

By YOMI OBADITAN

•(L-R) National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ambassador Muhammed Wali; Secretary of the Commission, Mr Oladapo Oladipo;Acting Director, Legal, Mr. Ibrahim Bawa; Governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori, at the presentation ofCertificate of Return to Governor Aregbesola and his deputy at INEC headquarters, Osogbo, State of Osun, recently.

Page 12: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 201412 INTERVIEW

Jonathan Will Lose In 2015 - AdekilekunPharmacist Musiludeen Adekilekun Tijani is the Convener of SMATCO, a political campaign organization and

an aspirant for the seat of Ede Federal Constituency in the Federal House of Representatives on the platform of AllProgressives Congress (APC). He discussed key issues that determined the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola inthe August 9, 2014 governorship election and the chances of APC in future elections in this interview withKEHINDE AYANTUNJI Excerpts:OSDF: There were intrigues before and

during the just-concluded August 9, 2014governorship election. Holistically, what

is your take on the election?TIJANI: Most importantly, we give glory to

God in Osun that the election was reasonablypeaceful, contrary to the expectations of somepeople, who were calling for bloodbath. We thankGod that the election was conducted without lossof life. I also commend the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) for doing a verygood job. The election materials arrived on time,the security agent were also up and doing,especially the Nigeria Army and the Police,contrary to what we experienced in Ekiti andAnambra states, where there were serious securitylapses. To a large extent, the process allowed thewish of the people to prevail. The result of theelection testified to the fact that Governor RaufAregbesola is popular with the number of voteshe scored at the poll. Ordinarily, we expectedmore than this figure, but at the same time,someone cannot completely agree with the resultsturned in from Ife Zone by PDP. There werereports of voters’ harassment, intimidation andmassive rigging in Ife, which gave them theadvantage they recorded during the poll.

I am however very proud that our party wonin 22 local government council areas, which iseven more than the 25 percent of the 2/3 in the 30local government council areas required by theConstitution to become a governor. That alone isa vindication of Aregbesola’s popularity. I amalso very surprised that PDP said they are goingto court, but we are very confident of our victoryand not in any way scared of the election tribunal.I thank the people of the state for standing firmdespite humiliation and provocation from PDP. Iam very confident that the governor will notdisappoint them. In no distant time, people wouldbe coming from within and outside Nigeria to seewonders in Osun like Dubai, as the governoralways say.

OSDF: As you are complaining about theresult from Ile–Ife, PDP are also criticizing theresults from Osogbo and Ede, where your partywon massively. How do you justify the results?

TIJANI: I am very happy that in Ede,Osogbo, Ilesa and other cities where we won, itwas so clear and transparent. All their partyagents in these areas attested to that fact. Theobservers, both local and international, alsoacknowledged the transparency of the results,including the media; you will recall that acrossthe globe, media attention was shifted to Osun.The votes were counted and supervised byeverybody. You will recall that after 7.00pm, theywere still awaiting the results from Ile-Ife, whileresults from other local government council areashad been counted and collated by that time. Thequestion is: What happened to the results fromIfe as at that period? I am not in any wayconvinced with the results from Ife. The votesfrom Ife did not justify our popularity in thatarea. I can comfortably say that nothing tamperedwith the votes we got in Osogbo, Ede, Ila, Ilesaand Iwo axis. In Ile-Ife, our party structure wasso solid and the majority of the people aresupporting our party. It is very important toreally diagnose what really happened in Ife. Iaccept the fact that the candidate of PDP is fromIfe, but if you look at what happened in otherparts of the state like Ilesa, APC led, but thevotes were balanced, even in Iwo, which is ourtraditional stronghold, the figure is still balanced,so where they did they get such unimaginablefigure in Ife compared with the general turnout ofvoters across the state ?

OSDF: What do you observe in the securityarrangement and INEC preparation before theelection day?

TIJANI: The police and the militarydischarged their duties professionally, but the menand officers of the DSS disappointed the peopleof Nigeria with their conduct. In the first instance,I don’t know what they are doing with civilmatters. I don’t know what officers and men ofthe Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Customswere doing with election matters. I will say andrepeat that the police did very well, comparedwith DSS, who were harassing the electorate. Thatis why I will recommend that they must not beallowed in any election again. We have beenconducting elections in this state and Nigeria atlarge. No government has introduced hoodedsecurity agents. Nigerians have the right to knowthe security agents that will protect them and Idon’t know when the hood or mask became partof the security dress. Apart from this, it is evennot wise to have deployed such securityapparatus for the election. When you deployed70,000 Customs, Immigration and soldiers forelection in one state out of 36, what then happensto our boundaries and other areas, where we arehaving security challenges, especially in thenorthern part of the country. It means those areas

will be at serious security risk and the lives of thepeople would be in danger.

OSDF: It seems your party and DSS were atlogger-heads even before the election, why?

TIJANI: DSS have been so partisan andconducted themselves in a manner that representsthe security wing of PDP. If you listen to theirspokesperson, Marilyn Ogar, after the election,you will see clearly through her utterances thatthey were working for PDP. She even alleged thata political party offered them bribe, but as asecurity agency, it only shot herself at the foot. Iftruly they were offered money, why did they notmark the money, arrest the suspect and prosecutesuch person, but as at today, she failed to mentionthe name of the person, who offered the bribe.These are ridiculous issues that the DSS as abody is taking against us and as a party, whichbelieve in democracy and the wish of the people,we cannot accept such conduct. That is the basisof our grouse with DSS. If they do their job asexpected in accordance with the law of the land,we are going to commend and support them, butas long as they conduct themselves in a mannerthat violates the fundamental rights of the people,we may continue to have problems with them.We started this democracy since 1999, it is nomore nascent and it will be an insult for anysecurity agency to undermine the principle ofdemocracy and its dictates. DSS officials did avery bad job in Osun in the just-concludedgovernorship election.

OSDF: With the result of the election, PDPfought a serious battle, don’t you see that as aserious challenge for future elections?

TIJANI: I will not agree that PDP can poseany serious challenge to APC in Osun in futureelections. The just-concluded election wasAregbesola versus Presidency. Many thingsplayed out and you cannot use that as a yardstickto rate their performance. It was reliably gatheredthat the presidency raised about N18 billion forPDP to prosecute the election. The money playeda key role, as they cashed-in on the current levelof poverty in the land . In my own polling unit inEde for instance, PDP members were distributingN2,500 to induce each of the voters. This is thefourth election we are conducting since 1999,people are still selling their votes. It is regrettable,what PDP is doing is carrot approach; youabandon the people and when it is election period,you give them food and money. It is reallyshameful. All these factors assisted PDP, but onething that is certain is that the people of this stateare with APC.

OSDF: The opposition also alleged that yourparty distributed rice and money?

TIJANI: That is not true, I will not like tojoin issues with PDP gubernatorial candidate’s“APC rices” (laugh). Our party never inducedvoters at all with rice. It is quite unfortunate thatthe election coincided with Ramadan festival. Ourgovernment has been celebrating every festivalwith our people, perhaps that was the reasonthey said we were distributing rice. Distributingrice or any item to induce voters is not true andnot in our culture at all.

OSDF: Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s re-

election is a new responsibility, what are theareas you think the governor should focus more?

TIJANI: Well, Yoruba will say yinni yinni keni se mi, the governor has done a lot in the stateand the level of progress so far could not in anyway be quantified, but the most important thingis that the governor must work hard to completeall ongoing projects. The road networks, thegigantic schools in all the local government councilareas, complete the renovation and building ofnew heath centers. Also most importantly, thegovernor should strive hard not to stop the welfarepackage of the aged people, continue to paybursary to the students in higher institutions,school feeding among others. The governor hasbeen performing and I will urge him to double hiseffort in transforming the state. You hardly thinkof any other thing that he has not done. The onlything is to complete the projects. Thetransformation trough O’YES, O’YES-TECH,O’REAP among others will boost and improveour economy.

OSDF: In the last two years the shot-fall inthe federal allocation to the state has been aserious challenge to Osun government, how doyou think the government can survive thefinancial challenge?

TIJANI: I agree with you, it is a headache forsome of us, who are friends of development inOsun and other parts of the country. I will saythis is the worst Federal Government we arehaving since independence, when there is astanding agreement that from the federal purse,certain amount should be given to a state onmonthly basis and because a governor of a statebelongs to the opposition party, you deny himwhat statutorily belongs to him. Which type ofdemocracy are we practicing? BecauseAregbesola is an APC governor, you decided topunish the teachers, civil servants, school childrenamong others. Because of politics, you groundevery other sector at the detriment of the survivalof the people. That is very bad from the FederalGovernment. The Federal Government up tilldate has not been able to do anything about thebillions of Naira stolen in NNPC, which accordingto them is responsible for the shot-fall in thefederal revenue allocation. This is worrisome andgrossly unfair, but by God’s grace, we are goingto survive it. It will not deter the governmentfrom doing whatever it is doing. The mostimportant thing is that everybody mustunderstand the challenges we are facing now. Forinstance, before the election, Senator IyiolaOmisore gathered some pensioners together,telling them that they would not get their pension,boasting that he was the one behind the delay. Hetold them that he knew how the allocation wasincreased as the Chairman, Senate Committee onAppropriation and he was also behind thereduction in the allocation to ground the stategovernment. Although it is a lie, but if that isOmisore’s thinking, are they saying there is nopensioner in his immediate family or what? Orno pensioner in Ile-Ife. These are issues theydon’t think about. If you intend to sabotage aworking government, by extension, you aresabotaging the people, but that insensitivity

reflected in their character. If you look at theirmanifesto, there is nothing serious rather thangba lowo e, ko mo lo, all sort of rubbish. Is thatwhat he is going to do for the people. It is totalrubbish. I am sure and convinced that Aregbesolawill survive the threat and want to assure thepeople that the governor would not stop anyongoing project in Osun, that is why we areadvocating for true federalism; to spend ourresources to satisfy the yearnings and aspirationsof our people. Already, the allocation coming toOsun is not enough and you are now reducing themoney that is not enough. It is grossly unfair andI know my party is working to stabilise thesystem. If Balyesa is getting its money, why mustOsun not get its own as and when due. The poweris over-concentrated at the federal level and thoseat the helms of affairs are abusing it.

OSDF: Apart from the federal allocation,where do you think the state government canderive more revenue?

TIJANI: It is important for the governmentto sustain and improve its commitment onagriculture and food production. The major areato generate fund is agriculture. We are endowedwith natural fertile land. Even without fertilizer,if you plant corn, you will see something comingout. What we need to do is to harmonise ourprogrammes on food production and it willimprove the revenue of the state. Also, there is afree trade zone, where people can sell withoutgovernment taxes. As at today, Lagos can survivewithout federal allocation. They did not start in aday. We are also going to get there soonest withthe visionary leadership of Aregbesola.

OSDF: With the current political trend inNigeria, what are the chances of your party in2015 the presidential election?

TIJANI: I wish to congratulate my party, theAll Progressives Congress (APC), for winningthe election. I am confident to say that Jonathanwill lose next year’s presidential election. By nextyear, it would be recorded in Nigeria history thatPDP is the first ruling party to hand over to ademocratically-elected candidate from theopposition party. I don’t know what Jonathanwill use to campaign in the South West or anyother part of Nigeria. You will remember that inEkiti, Jonathan said: “Vote Fayose and I willdevelop Ekiti.” We are looking for thatdevelopment. He also said the same thing in Osunthat if the people of Osun voted for Omisore, hewould develop Osun. That is an insult to thepeople, that because the people of a federatedunit in a republic presided over by electedpresident did not vote for his party, they don’tdeserve the attention of the federal government.Maybe he has forgotten that he is the Presidentof Federal Republic of Nigeria and not Presidentof PDP. Another pertinent question is that whathas he done in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Ondo amongothers, where he was voted? He has done nothing,and that was why I said he would lose if thevotes of the people count in next year’spresidential election. Coming back to State Houseof Assembly and the National Assembly election,APC will win convincingly. The representativesof our party, especially the governor, hasrepresented us well and you cannot diverge APCfrom this success. Aregbesola and otherscontested on a platform and that platform is APC,which has secured the confidence and trust of thepeople. That trust, confidence and performanceof the governor will surely give us headway inany election.

OSDF: What are the strategies you are puttingin place to stabilise your party ahead of nextyear’s general election?

TIJANI: We have to commend our partyleaders across the state. They are not relentingeven after we have won the governorship election.They have continued to mobilise electorate andparty members for the challenges ahead. On ourown part in Ede Federal Constituency, we have acampaign organization called SMATCO, whichfocuses mainly on empowerment andmobilisation. The motto of the organisation is:“It is possible” the focus as I said isempowerment through education, empowermentthrough job creation that will make life moreabundant for the people and to offer best of theseservices is by winning election. As the convenerof the organisation, I am aspiring as a member ofthe Federal House of Representatives from thisfederal constituency. we also have those aspiringfor the House of Assembly among others. it is anorganisation of like minds, who believe in progressand development. We are so formidable, weunderstand the politics and challenges of ourpeople in the four local governments and webelieve that with such opportunities, we are goingto offer our best by ensuring that APC winselection and our party representatives at all levelsdeliver to the expectations of the people.

•TIJANI

Page 13: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

13 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014

Job Vacancies In Nigeria

You can subscribe to Job Vacancies in Nigeria, Jobs in Nigeria via your e-mail: www.recentnigerianjobs.com

Kaymu.com.ng Job in Port Harcourt for an Operations & Logistics LeadKaymu Nigeria is the best online marketplace where buyers and sellers can meet and makeawesome deals thanks to the fixed or auction pricing system.

Kaymu is recruiting to fill the below position:

Job Title: Operations & Logistics LeadLocation: Port HarcourtJob DescriptionThe Operations & Logistics Lead role is a unique opportunity to help drive quality andefficiency through optimization of our logistics partners in their respective cities. This is acritical role as it directly correlates to continually improving the buying and selling experienceon Kaymu through a lower delivery time and cost, and an optimal customer service. This rolecalls for a combination of strong analytical thinking, bias for decision-making & execution, andinterpersonal skills to manage partnerships.

This is an aggressive business startup role, and this person will work with the OperationsManager based in Lagos along with the Africa COO.

What You’ll Do:Payments. Identify and address challenges posed by various payment methods (existing andunder development) to make sure customers and sellers are satisfied.Develop and optimize existing Processes. Scale them up quickly but diligently, so they withstandgrowing volumesAnalytics. Heavy analysis of logistics KPIs to properly track delivery company performanceand ensure high-quality buying and selling experiences on Kaymu.Hustle. Take ownership of Kaymu Port Harcourt logistics operations and do whatever it takesto get the job done!Partner Relations. Manage logistics partner relationships, identify & address problematicareas, and monitor their day-to-day operations.Develop new processes to help logistics partners operate efficiently and ensure correct on-time deliveriesRequirementWhat You Need to Know/Have:Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business or similar fieldData driven decision making mentality and sound business judgment through strong analyticalthinkingAbility to take initiative in a constantly-changing work environmentA minimum of one years’ experience within a logistics or supply chain functionSolid understanding of an online marketplace operations and logistics setupAdvanced knowledge of ExcelFlexibility, resilience and desire to learnHow To ApplyIf you want to join the team that’s in the process of building some of the fastest growingcompanies in the world, please send your resume with subject as “APPLICATION FOR PortHarcourt Operations & Logistics Lead – KAYMU” to: [email protected]

Application Deadline 14th September, 2014.

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Kaymu.com.ng Job Vacancy for an Operations & Logistics Lead in AbujaKaymu Nigeria is the best online marketplace where buyers and sellers can meet and makeawesome deals thanks to the fixed or auction pricing system. Kaymu is recruiting to fill thebelow position:

Job Title: Operations & Logistics Lead

Location: Abuja

Job DescriptionThe Operations & Logistics Lead role is a unique opportunity to help drive quality andefficiency through optimization of our logistics partners in their respective cities. This is acritical role as it directly correlates to continually improving the buying and selling experienceon Kaymu through a lower delivery time and cost, and an optimal customer service. This rolecalls for a combination of strong analytical thinking, bias for decision-making & execution, andinterpersonal skills to manage partnerships.This is an aggressive business startup role, and this person will work with the OperationsManager based in Lagos along with the Africa COO.

What You’ll Do:Payments. Identify and address challenges posed by various payment methods (existing andunder development) to make sure customers and sellers are satisfied.Partner Relations. Manage logistics partner relationships, identify & address problematicareas, and monitor their day-to-day operations.Analytics. Heavy analysis of logistics KPIs to properly track delivery company performanceand ensure high-quality buying and selling experiences on Kaymu.Hustle. Take ownership of Kaymu Abuja logistics operations and do whatever it takes to getthe job done!Develop new processes to help logistics partners operate efficiently and ensure correct on-time deliveriesDevelop and optimize existing Processes. Scale them up quickly but diligently, so they withstandgrowing volumesRequirementWhat You Need To Know/Have:Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business or similar fieldData driven decision making mentality and sound business judgment through strong analyticalthinkingAbility to take initiative in a constantly-changing work environmentFlexibility, resilience and desire to learnA minimum of one years’ experience within a logistics or supply chain functionSolid understanding of an online marketplace operations and logistics setupAdvanced knowledge of Excel

How To ApplyIf you want to join the team that’s in the process of building some of the fastest growingcompanies in the world, please send your resume with subject as “APPLICATION FOR AbujaOperations & Logistics Lead – KAYMU” to: [email protected]

Application Deadline 14th September, 2014.————————————————————Current Job Vacancy in a Leading Telecom Tower Operator Company for an ExperiencedFinance Investment AnalystFosad Consulting Limited - We are a business support services firm with offerings in HumanResource Management, Immigrations and Real Estate Consulting. We leverage our expertiseand strategic alliances to support businesses.The role of our staff is to set the organisation’s strategic direction, ensuring delivery andupholding values that drives the organisation towards it set goals. We currently seek to recruitinto our workforce a smart, intelligent and enthusiastic individual that can align his/her goalswith that of the organisation.

Our client, one of Africa’s leading telecom tower operator is seeking to fill position of:

Job Title: Finance Investment Analyst

Location: Lagos, NigeriaJob Description

Finance Investment Analyst who will be responsible for the analyses of financial performance,budgeting, planning and forecasting, project analysis, and investment appraisals for theorganisation.ResponsibilitiesAnalyze the financial details of past, present, and expected operations in order to identifydevelopment opportunities and areas where improvement is needed.Draw up long term and short term Investment/financial plans for the businessResponsible for preparation of monthly Financial Outlook forecastProject analysis, appraisal of investment and new business opportunities, structuring of projectfinance transactions and development of business plans and models.Provide periodic reporting and analysis of sales, competition and key performance indicators.Manage entire budget process, planning and cash forecasting.Working in conjunction with CFO on capital raising - debt and equityInvestors’ relation - manage and attend to investors’ queries.Sound verbal and writing communication skill to relate with investors and stakeholders.Overall oversight on tax issues.Analyze and make recommendations regarding investment that will help in achieving thecompany’s financial goals.Define possible risks and potential returns for investments.Asses the company’s financial/business needs and strategies.Review potential acquisition, joint ventures, merges, projections and sales.Assess business operations, financial structure & business capability/potential, market scenariosand company situation.QualificationsB.Sc./HND in AccountingMembership of ICAN/ANAN/ACCA /CIMAA minimum of 8 years works experience.Excellent organizational and time management skillsAbility to work with minimal supervisionAttention to work under tight timelinesAbility to interact with investorsAttention to detailVery strong analytic skillsInvestment Banking ExperienceAdvanced Excel, Spreadsheet skills. Able to do macros, develop complex business models onExcelVery strong PowerPoint and presentation skillsAdditional InformationApplicants who do not meet with the above criteria need not apply as only successful candidateswill be contacted.How to ApplyInterested and qualified candidates should:h t t p s : / / w w w. s m a r t r e c r u i t e r s . c o m / c g i - b i n / We b O b j e c t s / j o b m a r k e t . w o a / w a /jobMarketPublicationMobileHomePage?fp11=FosadConsulting&fp6=78833398

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FMC Technologies Jobs in Onne, Nigeria for a Training Assistant/AdministratorFMC Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: FTI) is a leading global provider of technology solutions forthe energy industry. Named by Forbes® Magazine as one of the World’s Most InnovativeCompanies in 2013, the Company has approximately 19,500 employees and operates 30production facilities in 17 countries.FMC Technologies designs, manufactures and services technologically sophisticated systemsand products such as subsea production and processing systems, surface wellhead systems,high pressure fluid control equipment, measurement solutions, and marine loading systems forthe oil and gas industry.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position of:

Job Title: Training Assistant/Administrator

Location: Onne, NigeriaRequisition ID:#51062576

ResponsibilitiesSupports training department to achieve required level of training compliance of all staff and toensure that learning and development goals are met through adequate planning, communication,documentations and facilitation of training for the Subsea and surface Engineering Organizations.This position will support the Technical Training Department.

Main TasksDisseminate information on available training coursesUtilizing the competency matrix to coordinate and analyze trainee level of competencies duringOJT. Liaise with WCS and monitor trainees during OJT in the shop to determine competencyPerform administrative support and also assist in facilitating / coordinating during trainingsections.Liaise with SMEs and give minimum notice of 3 days if SME is required to teach a classImplement the use of instructors’ qualification record and ensure all SME upload their recordson SharePoint.Performs all duties in a safe manner and keeps all employees aware of dangers in work area andpractices good housekeeping in work area.Accurately prepare ITF training approval document for specific trainings, ensures documentare submitted in line with ITF deadline requirement for in-country and oversea training.Compute and update individual training records via train Caster after each training section. Runtrain Caster training compliance report on monthly basisCoordinate and Liaise with sectional heads for timely completion of training effectivenessevaluation form for persons working in their section. Ensure adequate documentation of formsreceivedKicking-off training sessions at onsite and offsite facilities.Perform any other role that may be assigned to this position depending on operations.RequirementsBachelor’s Degree / Higher National Diploma in Engineering or a related field. Minimum ofFour years’ industrial experience in training activities with strong facilitation skills. Shouldhave knowledge of departmental function, terminology and procedures as well as generalunderstanding of functions of other departments.Communication Skills: Experience in communicating with management, field personnel and alllevels of staff. Good technical vocabulary, grammatical proficiency and ability to pay attentionto detail.Personal Skills: Customer service driven, self-motivated with a professional demeanor, strongin inter personal relationship building.Training: Having a train-the-trainer certificate may be an added advantageComputer Experience: Excellent computer experience with emphasis on database management,presentation, file management, multi-media computer applications. PC skills includingproficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Method of ApplicationInterested and qualified candidates shouldhttp://careers.fmctechnologies.com/JobPosting/51062576

Application Deadline 12th September, 2014

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Page 14: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

14 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014

The People’s Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, has been re-elected to carry on for another term of fouryears.

Ogbeni Aregbesola recorded a resounding success in the just-concluded election.

The election shows that the Governor is well embraced by all thepeople of the State of the Virtuous.

In view of this, your popular grassroots tabloid, OSUN DEFENDERnewspaper, is doing a supplement to congratulate the People’sGovernor.

Individuals, corporate bodies, institutions and well-wishers can availthemselves with the pocket-friendly advert rate of OSUNDEFENDER newspaper.

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Congratulations

Any of these phone lines can be contacted: 08033927286, 08033880205, 08061197897 and 08023191891

HEALTH

Worst Ever Ebola Outbreak Occurring In West AfricaTHE largest Ebola outbreak since the

discovery of the virus in 1976 iscurrently occurring in Western Africa.

So far this outbreak has spread to 390 peoplein Guinea, 158 in Sierra Leone, and 58 inLiberia. Collectively, 338 of these patientshave died from the disease, and this numbercontinues to grow. The spread of the Ebolavirus in this region has quickly outpacedany previous outbreaks, the worst of whichoccurred in Uganda from 2000-01, where 425cases were reported with a fatality rate of53%.

On March 21, the Guinea Ministry ofHealth reported an illness among 49

individuals characterized by flu-likesymptoms. Ebola was confirmed in thesepatients by specimens given to a laboratoryin France. By March 30, the disease hadbeen reported in neighbouring Liberia, andSierra Leone in May. In late April it appearedthat the outbreak was slowing, but it had aresurgence in late May.

Ebola is an aggressive viral disease withsymptoms that mimic the flu, makingmisdiagnoses common. The symptoms,such as nausea, fever, headaches, andmuscle pain can occur 2-21 days after beingexposed to the virus. Some outbreaks havereached a fatality rate of up to 90%.

Outbreaks occur when the virus has beenintroduced to human beings throughcontact with the blood or secretions ofanimals in Africa such as infected fruit bats,monkeys, or forest antelopes. Onceinfected, human to human transmissionoccurs through contact with blood or otherbodily fluids. People who have recoveredfrom the disease can still transmit the virusfor up to 7 weeks after recovery.

Ebola is classified as a Risk Group 4Pathogen, which requires research of thevirus be done in a Biosafety Level 4laboratory to prevent exposure toresearchers and the environmentsurrounding the facility. This is the highest

level of protection, and only a handful offacilities worldwide meet the criteria.Unfortunately, this means research of thedisease is very limited.

No vaccines, treatments, or drugtherapies are available for Ebola. Supportivecare can be provided to sick patients, butthe only way to reduce human infection anddeath from the disease is to raise awarenessof symptoms and infection controlmethods.

WHO released awareness poster on howto stem the spread of Ebola.

This is the first time that Ebola has brokenout in West Africa, and a lack ofunderstanding of the disease is contributingto suspicion of health care facilities. Also,traditional funerals are still heavily practiced,where the body is laid out for an extendedperiod of time and mourners oftenphysically touch the deceased. This putsattendees at great risk of contracting andspreading the virus. The general lack ofknowledge and mistrust of westernmedicine has contributed highly to thisoutbreak.

To combat the spread of the disease, theWHO recommends that educational publichealth messages should focus on reducingcontact with infected animals, not eatingraw meat, avoiding direct or close contactwith ebola patients, and informing the publicabout the importance of prompt burial ofthe dead.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) hasstated that the situation in Western Africais “out of control”, and that the organizationhas reached its limits in its ability to helpfight the spread of disease. The GlobalOutbreak Alert and Response Network isrequesting additional support to helpprevent transmission. Regional andInternational cooperation is required tocoordinate infection control measures. Nocurrent trade or travel restrictions arerecommended for the affected countries atthis time.

Page 15: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

15 OSUN DEFENDER Thursday, September 4, 2014 POLITICS

Osun: Suspense As PDP,APC Re-ignite Fireworks

THE battle over the outcome of theAugust 9, 2014 governorship poll inOsun seems far from being over as

the two major political parties: the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) and the AllProgressives Congress (APC) shift theirpower tussle to the Osun StateGovernorship Election Petition Tribunal.Many had thought that the declaration ofGovernor Rauf Aregbesola, the standardbearer of the APC in the poll, as the winnerof the August 9, 2014 poll by the ReturningOfficer, Professor Bamitale Omole, wouldfinally lay to rest all contentious matters.However, the PDP made good its threat tohead for the tribunal, when it filed a morethan 815-page petition, challenging theresult.

Aregbesola had polled 394,684 votes todefeat the standard bearer of the PDP,Senator Iyiola Omisore, who garnered292,747 votes, while the candidate of theLabour Party (LP) trailed behind with over8,000 votes.

The filing of the petition by the PDPcame 20 days after the conduct of the poll,fueling initial speculations that theopposition lacked the evidence to back upits allegations that the election was marredby fraud and irregularities.

Indication that the party may reject theresults emerged in the early hours ofAugust 10, 2014, when the PDP’s agentat the !NEC final collation centre, who isalso the Publicity Secretary of the party,Prince Bola Ajao withheld his assent to thefinal result sheet, citing alleged flaws andirregularities for his action.

Some observers are of the view that thenew twist to the post-election matters maythrow up some fresh issues, whenproceedings being at the tribunal, especiallyon the conduct of the poll.

One of the major issues that will besubjected to scrutiny before the ElectionPetition Tribunal, headed by Justice I.MBako, is the allegation of massive riggingraised by the PDP in its petition. Apart from

accusing the INEC of allegedly colludingwith the APC to use members of theOsun Youth Empowerment Scheme(OYES) as adhoc staff for the poll, thePDP claimed that massive rigging wereperpetrated in 17 local governmentcouncils to shore up the victory of theAPC.

Addressing a press conferenceshortly after the PDP filed its petitionon Thursday, the head of the legal unitof the party in Osun, Mr S.L. Ojo-Williams alleged that “with theconnivance of INEC officials, the APCin some areas, impersonated agents ofother political parties to perpetrate actsof rigging, undercounting of PDP votes,disenfranchisement and intimidation ofthe electorate.”

He listed local councils, where riggingwere allegedly perpetrated to include,Ilesa East local government, Ilesa Westlocal government, Atakumosa EastLocal Government, Atakumosa WestLocal Government, Ayedaade LocalGovernment, Boripe Local Government,Ede North Local .Government, EdeSouth Local Government, Ejigbo LocalGovernment, Osogbo local government,Olorunda local government, Ila LocalGovernment, Irepodun Local Iwo LocalGovernment, Obokun LocalGovernment, Oriade Local Government.

Similarly, Investigation indicated thatwhen the election tribunal began sittinglast Wednesday, the APC, through its

lead counsel, Mr Kunle Adegoke, also gotthe relief of the panel to inspect electoralmaterials to wit, Forms EC8A, EC8B,EC8C, EC8D; EC8E, EC4oA, EC4oB,EC4oC, EC4oF, EC4oG, EC2S, EC2SB,ECtA, EC60, INEC list and codes of thepolling units, wards Wards and LocalGovernment Areas in Osun State.

The party also secured the reliefs ofthe tribunal to inspect the list of all ad-hoc staff engaged by the INEC and allpolling documents, as well as materialsused for the poll in Atakumosa East LocalGovernment, Atakumosa West LocalGovernment, Ayedaade LocalGovernment, Ayedire Local Government,Boluwaduro Local Government, BoripeLocal Government, Ede North LocalGovernment, Ede South LocalGovernment, Egbedore LocalGovernment.

The other local councils includedEjigbo, Ife Central, Ifedayo, lie East,Ifelodun, Ife North, Ife, Ila, Irepodun,Isokan, Iwo, Obokun, Odo-Otin andOriade Local Government. However, astension and excitement build up ahead thefull proceedings of the election petitiontribunal, pundits submit that the twomajor foes in the contest are in the familiarterrain, having been locked in a long-drawn legal battle in 2007 when JusticeThomas Naron-led panel began sitting onthe fallouts of April 14 governorship pollthat pitched the then governor of Osunstate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola of thePDP, against the incumbent governor,then candidate of the Action Congress,(AC).

The matter; after getting to AppealCourt, Ibadan, when Aregbesola appealedagainst the ruling of the Naron panel thatupheld the re-election of Oyinlola, wasreturned back to the tribunal by JusticeVictor Omage, citing “improper trial” andmost importantly, over the failure ofNaron panel to admit in evidence policereport on the governorship electionpresented by the then Action Congress;Justice Alii Garba re-trial panel constitutedin 2010, again in May that year, ruled infavour of the PDP candidate, declaringhim the winner of the 2007 governorshippoll.

The verdict was again appealed and thematter went to the Court of Appeal,Ibadan Division for the second time, andwas dispensed with by the Justice ClaraOgunbiyi-led panel on November 26,2010, who upturned the verdict of there-trial tribunal and sacked the thenGovernor Oyinlola, declaring Aregbesolaas the validly elected governor in the April2007 election.

But, Omisore has hired seven SeniorAdvocates of Nigeria (SANs), led by MrAfolabi Fashanu, to handle his matterbefore the tribunal concerning the August9 poll.

Reacting to the PDP and Omisore’srecourse to the election tribunal over theresult of the poll, APC’s Director ofPublicity, Research and Strategy, MrKunle Oyatomi, cautioned them againstalleged fabrications and unsubstantiatedclaims. The party, which hailed theresolve of the PDP to approach thetribunal, to seek redress over perceivedirregularities at the poll. In pressstatement, he stated: “We heartilywelcome the decision by the PDP toproceed to the tribunal to seek redressfor its perceived irregularity during theAugust 9 governorship election in whichits candidate, Iyiola Omisore, suffered acomprehensive defeat.

Culled from NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

•AREGBESOLA •OMISORE

“The filing of the petition by the PDP came 20 daysafter the conduct of the poll, fueling initialspeculations that the opposition lacked the evidenceto back up its allegations that the election was marredby fraud and irregularities.”

By OLUWOLE IGE, Osogbo

Page 16: Osun Defender - September 4th, 2014 Edition

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014

www.osundefender.org THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

By GOKE BUTIKAONE Yoruba famousproverb that says, “if athief is not caught

immediately, he may turn aroundto arrest his victim”’ seems tohave concisely captured thedrama of absurd being played outin the State of Osun after thejust-concluded governorshipelection.

Quite interesting, the candidateof the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in the election, Mr. IyiolaOmisore, who was doubly sure that he wouldsend the incumbent governor, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola, back to Lagos State, where heonce served as Commissioner for Works andInfrastructure, in the August 9, 2014governorship election; premising hisconviction on an innuendo that Aregbesola hadno root in Ijesa land, adding that thegovernor’s claim that he is of Ijesa stock wasfalse and that the Ijesas would puncture theclaim for him through the election, is nowpraying the election tribunal to declare him thewinner of the election where he came secondor have the election cancelled for a rerun poll.

It would be recalled that two weeks to theelection, Omisore appeared on ChannelsTelevision on the platform of a programmetagged: POLITICAL UPDATE anchored bySeun Okinbaloye and assured his audience thatAregbesola would be defeated in all pollingunits including his (Aregbesola’s) own,asserting that his party had done itshomework very well and that he would bewaiting for the governor to congratulate himafter his victory at the poll.

However, before he went for the interview,Omisore, while addressing his supporters inIfewara situated in Atakunmosa-East LocalGovernment Council Area said that he wassure that he had already won, becauseaccording to him, all the chieftains of the APC,particularly a member of the House ofAssembly representing the constituency, Mr.Babatunde Komolafe, would be arrested andhave their houses sacked.

Whereas it was a chest beating somemonths before the election by the PDPcandidate that he would not accept anyelection conducted by the then ResidentElectoral Commissioner (REC), AmbassadorRufus Akeju, for Omisore alleged that he had afamiliar relationship with the national leader ofthe APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu andthat soldiers must be deployed to providehim “level play ground”. As a matter of fact,he drew attention of those who cared a hoot towhat obtained in Ekiti State as touching themilitarization of the state, insisted that suchscenario would be doubled up in Osun.

As expected, close to 73,000 securityoperatives from different formations weredeployed in Osun against the 36,000operatives deployed in Ekiti State a weekbefore the election and almost half of the menwore mask, particularly men from Departmentof the State Security (DSS); they weremenacingly parading the streets in the statecapital and other cities and towns with a showof force, while some were wasting bullets intothe air. Instructively, chieftains and supportersof the PDP were happy and jubilating thattheir faithful partners had arrived; while theAPC loyalists responded with broom-wieldingpeaceful resistance and chatting of party’sslogan.

The election was keenly contested, theopposition parties threw up different jokers,they whipped up different sentiments againstAregbesola’s government. Both pretenders andcontenders chose the bandwagon approach;they started with unsubstantiated debt profileof the state, moved against education policyand other spheres of influence, particularlythe delayed payment of salaries caused by theepileptic allocation sharing by the FederalGovernment, it was used sufficiently againstthe government to the extent that thedemographic data of the election reflected the

damage done to the psyche of some civilservants, who vowed to punish the governorfor the salary delay, no matter the adjustment.

As if the election was programmed tofavour the runner-up, the REC, Akeju, wasredeployed, and the man who conducted Ekitielection was brought in alongside two othersto come and oversee the election and on theeve of the election, the security operatives inmask began to deliver on orders from AsoRock men on ground. As the Minister of Statefor Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, was dishingout order to the Army, the Minister of PoliceAffairs, Jelili Adesiyan, was allegedly issuingdirective on the police.

As boasted earlier by Omisore, men of DSSwent full blast at the unholy hour of theelection day, as they arrested over 700 APCmembers and leaders across the 30 localgovernment council areas; some homes ofselected chieftains of the APC were turned tobattlefields, for sporadic shootings raged onfor hours. All in a bid to scare the daylight outof the people, with a view to creating apathy,so that alleged already thumb-printed ballotpapers in favour of the PDP would be usedgenerously for those who chose not to comeout to vote.

Unfortunately, the antics of militarization,brutalization and the ultimate siege visited onthe state turned counterproductive for thePDP, as it welled up anger of the electorate,who defied the siege as people, women in

majority, poured to the polling booths inlegions for accreditation and voting proper.

Reports from the field indicated howmoney and rice were deployed at the pollingbooths by the agents of the PDP withimpunity, while APC agents, who were foundwith money, as much as five thousand nairawere whisked away. For instance, someamateur video clips had shown how the PDPagents were giving promissory notes, whenthe money brought to Isokan LocalGovernment Council Area was exhausted!

Interestingly, subtle violence andintimidation were employed in some villagesof Ife-South Local Government Council Area,as voters were threatened to either vote forOmisore or lose their farm lands, while therewas no election in some densely populatedvillages like Omi Funfun, Mefoworade, GarageOlode, kere and some other villages, becausethe sentiment of “our son must not behumiliated at home” was sold to those whoattempted to raise a finger of protest.

In a related development, Obanikoro, ChrisUba and Adesiyan were moving round in aconvoy during the election, while some NigerDelta warlords like Asari Dokubo, Tompoloand others were in Ile-Ife, allegedly hatching aplot to supplant the process, according to acredible source.

Another interesting dimension to the dramawas that, it was very easy to recognize howvoters voted, for the APC supporters folded

their ballot papers in line withAregbesola’s instruction, while the PDPsupporters folded as instructed too. So,that made the counting and sorting easyfor the presiding officers.

At the dusk, the internet facilitiesthrough social media platform hadobtained and pasted results of the 3,012polling units across the state, thatobviously rattled the PDP camp, whichresponded with a weak fist that those

results on the web were false, but when thereturning officers and electoral officers acrossthe 30 local government council areas began tosubmit their results, they were the same withwhat everyone already had.

At dawn of the following day, PresidentGoodluck Jonathan had congratulatedAregbesola and expressed his desire to workwith him, followed by the Ooni of Ife, ObaOkunade Sijuwade, Musiliu Obanikoro, FemiFani-Kayode and hundreds of others whostormed the state for Omisore. But to thePDP candidate, losing the election was anightmare, quite unthinkable and ego deflating.Thence, the outcome of the election must bechallenged at the election petition tribunal.

Of course, Omisore reserves the right toapproach tribunal after election, if he feels anyinjustice was done during the process, but hismoral ground appears steep, for questionswould be asked: who was meant to benefitfrom 73,000 security operatives deployed tolay siege to the state by the federal powercontrolled by his party? Whose mission wasthe likes of the Minister of State for Defence,Obanikoro and the Minister of Police Affairs,Jelili Adesiyan, Asari Dokubo, Tompolo,Chris Uba and armed masked men, genuineand counterfeit came to champion? Were thePDP polling agents not at the polling booths?Which party lost over 700 supporters andleaders to wanton arrest and humiliation thenight before the election? Who pays the bill ofINEC? Who pays the NYSC members whoserved as presiding officers and clerks? Thesequestions and many others are begging foranswers.

To belabour the obvious, the PDP candidatewas programmed to be the prime beneficiaryof the instrument of intimidation unleashed onOsun, it was just that the people of the statedefied the siege by hugely turning out to votefor their choice and the deployment oftechnological devices made it practicallyimpossible for open manipulation. So, thecontent of the 815-page petition of Omisoreto be prosecuted by seven senior advocatespromises to be dramatic.

Interestingly, the winner had also soughttribunal order to inspect the ballot papers ofthe 23 local government council areas forforensic analysis, first of its kind in thehistory of Nigeria election tribunal, expressinghis readiness to probe the figure appropriatedto the runner-up. Indeed, it promises to be alegal battle royale.

It would be recalled that Aregbesolabrought the ‘stolen mandate’ slogan into thepolitical lexicon in 2007, when he dragged thePDP and the then Governor OlagunsoyeOyinlola to the tribunal after the governorshipelection, where he fought for three and a halfyears before he was declared as the winner oflawful votes and returned the governor in2010. Now, Omisore has bought politicalcoinage, as he claims that his mandate wasstolen, compelling him to approach theelection tribunal. The poser is: Is there anymandate for the runner-up, whose leaders hadcongratulated the winner? The electionpetition tribunal will determine the answer?

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. Allcorrespondence to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 ([email protected]); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:[email protected], [email protected]. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.

Osun 2014 GovernorshipMandate: Genuine Or Stolen?

•AREGBESOLA