Politics
2023: Why I’m running for senate – Faozey
Engr. Faozey Oladotun, Oyo central senatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), in the last general elections, on Tuesday, ended speculations about his re-run bid, saying that he was back in the race to fulfill his vision for the development of the state by possessing legal authority to engage in the formulation of public policy, as well as to create a sustainable development platform for his constituents , particularly the youths; in order to harness their full potentials .
Oladotun, noted that their energy has not been totally harnessed for productive use, assuring that the platform will renew the hope of the people.
He, specifically tasked the youths to tap into the opportunity of this generation by taking advantage of the fourth industrial revolution driven by digital technology.
“To be realistic and fair to ourselves, this generation belongs to the youths . The present occupant of Oyo Central senatorial district, Oloye Teslim Folarin, became a senator of the federal republic of Nigeria at the age of 39 years.
“Even, in developed countries, most of the richest people are the youths, including Facebook C.E.O, Mark Zuckerberg, whose fortune made him the sixth richest in the world. He’s just 37 years old. The ideology, I want to sell is about tapping the opportunity of this generation, that’s my vision, that’s what I want to bring on board because; we own this generation”, he said.
The APC chieftain, who disclosed this while addressing a press conference in Ibadan , the Oyo state capital, also revealed that he has learnt some lessons from the previous political process that would be crucial to making decisions about his future aspirations.
According to him, “initially, I didn’t plan to embark on politics, even in those days, I usually tell people that I will never participate in politics. I came back to Oyo in 2018 for different purpose. There is a non- governmental organization in Italy, its role is to bring in innovative road construction products. I came in and we wrote FERMA, informing the agency about the concept, unfortunately, we were unable to get the approval to execute the project, even up til now; because they wanted something. So, because of this delay in approval process , one of my brothers in Oyo town, who is also a politician, later advised me to contest for the National Assembly seat so that I can be able to facilitate these developments for my people; with less stress. That was when my journey into politics started. We sat together and drafted some plans as to how to go about it.
“Also, in Nigeria, we have almost 2 billion minutes international calls coming in monthly, and from that 2 billion calls, government is not making a cent. So, we introduced international sort out to the federal government which will pass through Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Telecommunications, but they didn’t see the light in it, because they wanted immediate gains, the proposal did not fly. If, we calculate 2 billion minutes calls, even if the government only introduces N5 as tax, its a huge revenue which is billions of naira monthly into the covers of the government. But, up till now, that policy has not been implemented in Nigeria.
“So, the political process started due to gallant of approvals that we were unable to secure for these projects. My people would have benefited from these projects , so, in terms of policy making, I want to get involved actively ”, he declared.
Speaking further , the successful ICT guru, also announced his readiness to establish the first Oyo Incubation and Innovation Tech hub in Oyo town. He explained that the hub will assist in research and development, adding that anyone with innovative idea would be mentored, empowered with start up fund among others.
The Oyo – born politician, also revealed that he is planning to launch the first electric vehicles with charging stations in his town.
He said, “We are trying to set up the first Oyo Incubation and Innovation Tech hub which is going to be situated in Oyo town. The purpose of setting up this hub is that anything that relates to research and development would be coming out from there and anyone with an innovative idea can come down, we will give mentorship , start up fund and some other things that are related. For example, we planned to launch the first electric vehicles and set up charging stations for at least 10 electric vehicles. I want to create platforms for people, particularly the youths to be self-reliance.
“Because, we have created the platform, a lot of investors will come in that in the whole of Oyo state, in Oyo town that’s where we have electric cars , it’s going to be reflected on google, thus placing the town on the map. That’s what we are trying to do.
Oladotun, however, assured that Oyo town, as one of the hubs in Nigeria, would be used for the upcoming Internet Governance Forum (IGF) meeting which is billed for Poland before the end of this year, saying “it is even going to be the first in the Southwest , we don’t even have it in Lagos presently.
“We are using our Oyo Tech Hub to host Internet Governance Forum meeting which is a global thing. A lot of people will participate at a global level. This will surely attract huge development not only to the town, but the state in general”, he added.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, winner of Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, announced the result at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, saying Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals and secure a second term in office.
According to Oladiji, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Oluwole Oluyede, garnered 40,543 votes, while the African Democratic Congress candidate, Dare Bejide, secured 12,872 votes.
She said 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded. The electoral umpire also announced that 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 382,109.
The declaration capped a governorship poll largely adjudged peaceful by observers and security agencies, despite complaints of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines, delayed commencement of voting in some polling units and allegations of voter intimidation by opposition parties.
INEC said voting was conducted in all the 2,445 polling units across the state’s 16 local government areas, noting that 2,257 units, representing 92.31 per cent, opened before 8.30 a.m., while 188 polling units commenced accreditation and voting before 10.30 a.m. after experiencing minor delays.
The commission also commenced uploading polling unit results to its Results Viewing Portal shortly after the completion of voting and counting in several centres.
The PDP candidate, Oluyede, had expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise at Ugele/Arokun Ward in Ikere Local Government Area, alleging that many prospective voters were disenfranchised due to BVAS-related challenges.
Speaking with journalists after voting at Polling Unit 006, he further alleged cases of harassment and intimidation of voters in the area.
Some elderly voters at the polling unit also lamented difficulties encountered during accreditation and urged INEC to urgently rectify the technical glitches.
The ADC candidate, Bejide, similarly alleged irregularities during the exercise.
However, Oyebanji dismissed the claims, insisting that those making allegations of electoral misconduct should provide credible evidence to support them.
The governor, who voted at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, described the election as satisfactory and urged eligible voters yet to cast their ballots to do so peacefully.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, Abayomi Shogunle, said no case of vote-buying was reported to security agencies throughout the exercise.
Election observers commended the peaceful atmosphere that characterised the poll but raised concerns over procedural inconsistencies.
The First Vice-President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sebastian Anyia, described the process as orderly and peaceful, saying voter turnout was encouraging.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Brenda Anugwom, lauded the resilience of female voters, many of whom remained at polling units for several hours with their children to exercise their franchise.
Yiaga Africa, however, expressed concern over discrepancies involving ballot papers, result sheets and INEC’s published list of candidates, warning that such inconsistencies could create challenges during collation and reconciliation of results.
The election observer group urged INEC to provide further clarification on the final list of participating parties and candidates and issue clear guidance to electoral officials handling result documentation.
Ahead of the poll, INEC and security agencies had repeatedly assured residents of their preparedness to deliver a peaceful, credible and transparent election, deploying personnel and restricting vehicular movement to forestall electoral violence and other offences.
The opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has rejected plans by the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde to conduct another local government election on December 26, 2026, describing the proposed exercise as illegal, premature and a calculated move to retain political influence at the grassroots beyond the governor’s tenure.
The party declared that it would neither participate in the election nor remain silent over what it termed an attempt to squander public resources on a process allegedly designed to install loyalists in the 33 local government councils and 351 wards across the state.
The controversy followed the decision of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) to shift the date earlier fixed for January 2027 to December 26, 2026, after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released the timetable for the 2027 general elections.
The move has continued to generate debate among political observers, many of whom have questioned the urgency of conducting another council poll barely six months before the expiration of the tenure of the incumbent chairmen and councillors elected in the 2024 local government elections.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, the APC said it would not stop at boycotting the election but would also collaborate with “patriots and rational minds” to resist what it called an unnecessary expenditure of taxpayers’ money.
The party accused Governor Makinde of lacking commitment to local government autonomy, alleging that the administration had exercised undue control over council resources for more than seven years.
“The whole world knows that Governor Makinde does not believe in local government autonomy and, when it comes to democracy at the grassroots, he cannot be trusted for anything,” the statement said.
The APC alleged that the proposed poll was aimed at positioning individuals loyal to the governor in local councils before his exit from office on May 29, 2027, arguing that such a move would enable him to sustain political influence after leaving the Agodi Government House.
According to the opposition party, expectations among many residents are centred on ongoing efforts by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen local government autonomy and ensure that councils enjoy direct access to their statutory allocations without interference from state governments.
The APC also linked what it described as poor development outcomes in some rural communities to the operation of the state-local government joint account system. It cited communities such as Ahoro Esiele and Yawota in Oriire Local Government Area, which have reportedly faced security challenges, as examples of areas where local government resources should have translated into visible improvements.
“It is sad that Governor Makinde appears determined to sustain a system that has left many rural communities vulnerable despite huge allocations accruing to local governments monthly,” the party said.
The opposition further dismissed the local government elections conducted in 2020 and 2024 as lacking credibility, alleging that winners emerged through predetermined outcomes rather than a transparent electoral process.
“The fraud called local government polls in 2020 and 2024 should be the last the people of Oyo State would witness. Governor Makinde and his supporters should bury any thought of staging another charade in which results are announced without genuine voting and public offices become tools for the diversion of public funds,” the statement added.
The APC consequently urged officials of OYSIEC to halt preparations for the proposed December election, warning against actions capable of undermining democratic values and public confidence in the electoral process.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Oyo State Government nor OYSIEC had issued an official response to the allegations raised by the opposition party.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Aderemi Oseni, on Saturday mobilised thousands of artisans and traders across Oyo State in support of President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
Oseni said the support base of the Remi Oseni Committee of Friends (ROCOF), in collaboration with other stakeholders, was intensifying efforts to deliver one million votes for the President in the state.
Oseni, Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said artisans and traders must see themselves as critical stakeholders in President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that the success of the administration depends largely on grassroots participation.
The federal lawmaker spoke in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a stakeholders’ engagement with members of the ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations.
In a symbolic show of political readiness, scores of traders and artisans displayed their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while Oseni urged eligible Nigerians yet to register to obtain their voter cards ahead of the next general election.
He cautioned against vote-buying and vote-selling, warning that such practices threaten the future of democracy and mortgage the destiny of younger generations.
The meeting, according to Oseni, was also convened to deepen economic support for members through empowerment programmes targeted at strengthening businesses and improving livelihoods.
He announced that requests for a N250 million interest-free loan scheme for artisans and traders, construction of an artisans’ village with stable electricity supply, and health insurance support had received approval.
According to him, the loan facility will be administered through a microfinance bank under the Remi Oseni Foundation to ensure transparency, accessibility and sustainability.
He added that road and infrastructure projects across communities would remain a major priority.
Oseni, who is seeking to represent Oyo South Senatorial District in the next election cycle, also used the meeting to explain his decision to pursue a Senate seat instead of his earlier governorship ambition.
He said the move followed consultations with party leaders and supporters.
According to him, supporters deserved clarity on the political direction of the movement.
He said: “We convened this stakeholders’ meeting to review our present position. Before now, our focus was on leading Oyo State through the governorship. That was our clear objective as a movement, but today, it has become evident that God is directing us towards the Senate.
“Our people needed to understand the reasons for this decision, the position of the party and what we have accepted in the overall interest of our political future. It is not enough for leaders to take decisions. We owe our supporters explanations and must carry them along.
“We have encouraged them to embrace this opportunity in good faith and believe that greater opportunities still lie ahead.
“Many of them felt our governorship ambition would have delivered greater benefits, but we have reassured them that the government remains supportive and the future is bright.
“We have equally assured the President that our decision to pursue the Oyo South Senate seat will not affect the one million votes earlier promised him, because ROCOF structures across the 33 local government areas are fully mobilised and committed to his re-election.”
On the crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC), Oseni said efforts were ongoing to reconcile aggrieved members, expressing confidence that outstanding differences would soon be resolved.
He described competing interests within the party as a reflection of the APC’s growing strength and political attractiveness.
Earlier, the Oyo State Coordinator of ROCOF Progressive Workers and Traders’ Associations, Alhaji Munirudeen Adegoke, described Oseni’s empowerment drive as a strategic investment capable of reducing unemployment, youth restiveness and poverty.
Adegoke said meaningful empowerment for artisans and traders must go beyond temporary palliatives.
According to him, sustainable support requires deliberate policies that guarantee access to capital, improved infrastructure and social protection.
-
News5 days agoKola Oyewo’s family to Adeleke, Ooni, Atiku: Your condolences are our pillar of strength
-
Opinion1 week ago
The Silent Thief in Nigeria’s Petrol Stations | By Solomon Oroge
-
Politics7 days ago
Oyo APC rejects Makinde’s planned December LG poll, vows boycott
-
News6 days ago
Govs Back State Police, Power Reform, Nutrition Drive, World Bank Partnership
