Politics
ALAO : A Heart to Serve, The Passion to Bring Hope
IN the history of every great nation there are always great exceptional few, those whose lives and action shape the destiny of the people, those who have an indomitable spirit to develop and contribute passionately to improve the people’s lives. Among such few is Semiu Oladimeji Alao.
Forty one years ago, the renowned family of Arisekola-Alao of Adigun village via Ajia in Ona -Ara Local Government Area of Oyo state was blessed with a baby boy christened Semiu Oladimeji Alao. He started his success story with a brilliant academic career at Omolewa Nursery&Primary School, Ibadan. He was at various times a willing pupil and student at Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan and Government College, Ibadan where he completed his SSCE/WASSCE. He also had a brief stint at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso, before his parents decided to relocate his studies to the United Kingdom.
Semiu acquired his A’ levels equivalent at the famous Bellerby’s College in Brighton and the zeal to acquire more knowledge motivated him to later proceeded to the prestigious University of Leicester for his Bachelors degree. He bagged his first degree in Business Economics. In search of the golden fleece, this golden fish enrolled at the celebrated Buckingham University in the United kingdom and obtained a postgraduate degree in Computing.
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The fire of learning kept burning for the ambitious Semiu as he obtained a master degree in Information Technology and Management incorporating SAP from Sheffield Hallam University.
After his jubilant sojourn through the world’s ivy league institutions, Semiu began his working career in the United Kingdom where he holds sway as a SAP consultant for companies like Britvic, Cerox and also managed some companies as Business Executive before returning to Nigeria to contribute his quota to the enhancement of his family business group including the Lister Corporation where he was enlisted as Manager and later an Executive Director in the group’s Oil & Gas Division at the Lister Tank Farm, Apapa Lagos.
He is also a non Executive Director in a number of Nigerian based companies and leading business concerns in Nigeria and overseas.
Aside his international exposure, his love for service to humanity and desire to cause a positively remarkable change in his generation and to the unborn generation to come informed his voyage into the Nigerian political clime when in the year 2014 in his native Oyo state and hometown of Ibadan land. He aspired to represent his people at the lower chamber of the Federal House of Representatives, Abuja, having pitched his tent with the then Accord Party (AP) led by Senator Rasheed Ladoja.
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However, his first attempt at picking up with political relevance was overshadowed by intrigues and the overwhelming resistance to his rising popularity by the powers that be, who believed it was too early to bestow such eminent privilege to a relatively inexperienced and politically innocent young man.
Semiu is a welfarist politician whose candid philosophy is immersed in strong human feeling towards the wellbeing of his constituents and the Nigerian masses as a whole. As a matter of his consistent commitment to his astute belief in the general welfare of his people as well as his immediate constituents, Semiu Alao committed massive funding into a welfare empowerment scheme to his constituents in Ibadan North East/ South East Federal Constituency towards the run up of the 2015 general elections in his rare generous bid to galvanise support for his political party at that time. This gesture was one rare feat which till date remains the talk of the town as one act of benefaction very unusual in the political terrain coming from a person who is yet to benefit any returns for whatever reason from the political system of the country or any spoils of office whatsoever even at a time when incumbent holders of same offices and political privileges were at large and at a contemptuous distance to their constituents.
Hence, the gesture earned him the popular accolade bestowed on him by the people of Ibadan land as ‘Omo Oloore’, as his popular political slogan during his campaigns.
Semiu Alao is a young, vibrant and resolute Nigerian politician whose vision for a better Nigerian society is undeterred and unstoppable. He remains focused in his unimpeded bid for the realisation of a better Nigerian nation and religiously committed to the actualisation of a free egalitarian society where Nigerians irrespective of tribe or religious leanings will be able to live to fulfill the full cause of their God’s given potentials.
He has dutifully obliged his People’s calling in his native Oyo state and hometown of Ibadan land to ‘re -present’ his bid to represent his primary political constituency of Ibadan North East/ South East Federal constituency in the House of Representatives, National Assembly, Abuja come 2019 God’s willing.
His political conviction is rested on the dictum of service to humanity and dear fatherland .This is the main crust of his involvement and venture into the hot seat of the Nigerian political stream to bringing his best to bear in rendering the best alternative, in the missing narrative of good leadership which the Nigerian political system has over the years been lacking.
According to him, “our mission like ever is as solid and better reinforced and intact. As well, our commitment to the cause of the common people is unshaken, salient and second to none. The recurring purpose of our mission Is also as clear and ever dynamic.
“My constituents in Ibadan North-East/South East Federal constituency deserves a responsible and responsive representation and a diligently humane leadership. I am inspired to offering myself for service and diligently committed to serving them with all my God’s given strength and resources”, Semiu concluded.
Semiu is contesting under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Market men and women across Oyo South Senatorial District have declared support for the senatorial ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the district, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, and reaffirmed their backing for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The traders said their endorsement was driven by the lawmaker’s sustained grassroots interventions and what they described as his people-centred representation.
The endorsement came on Monday during an interactive engagement in Ibadan with market stakeholders drawn from the nine local government areas of the senatorial district.
At the event, Oseni supported market men and women across the district with N90 million, with each of the nine local government areas receiving N10 million to boost petty trading, expand businesses and stimulate grassroots economic activity.
In a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker said the intervention was part of efforts to improve livelihoods and deepen economic inclusion, particularly among small-scale traders.
Oseni, who represents Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), said empowering market operators remained central to his development agenda.
He said markets remained the heartbeat of local communities, noting that traders’ resilience continues to sustain families and drive local economies.
“This intervention is aimed at strengthening their businesses, easing economic pressure and encouraging enterprise at the grassroots,” he said.
The APC chieftain added that his representation would continue to focus on practical interventions with visible impact.
“Leadership must translate into visible impact. I remain committed to initiatives that support small businesses, create opportunities for growth and complement the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Oseni also canvassed support for President Tinubu among traders in Oyo South, saying stronger alignment between federal, state, senatorial and local government leadership would accelerate development in the state.
He listed the Tinubu administration’s initiatives to include the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND, measures to curb industrial actions in tertiary institutions, tuition-free technical colleges, construction and rehabilitation of major highways, agricultural support programmes and subsidies for cancer treatment, fuel subsidy removal, which he noted has boosted state and local government revenues.
He urged traders to mobilise support for APC candidates in the next general elections, expressing confidence that Tinubu’s re-election would further improve residents’ welfare.
Speaking on behalf of the traders, the Coordinator of Market Men and Women in Oyo South Senatorial District and Babaloja of Omi-Adio and Ido Local Government, Chief Odedele Waheed, commended the turnout and described the engagement as a demonstration of confidence in Oseni’s leadership.
He lauded the lawmaker for sustained grassroots development efforts, noting that the N90 million support would strengthen businesses across the district.
Odedele also commended the leadership of market men and women in Oyo State for granting traders approval to meet and interact with the lawmaker, saying the platform allowed them to express concerns and understand his vision for Oyo South.
The traders pledged to mobilise support across markets in the district in favour of Oseni’s electoral bid and President Tinubu’s re-election.
Those present included the Babaloja of Ibadan North East, Ibrahim Balogun; Babaloja of Ibadan South West, Rafiu Iyo; Babaloja of Ibadan North West, Alhaji Tajudeen Hammed; Alhaji Abdulraman Salawudeen; Asiwaju Oloja of Ibarapa Zone, Chief Okanlawon John Adebisi; Babaloja of Ibadan North, Chief Adewole Basirat; and Iyaloja of Ibarapa Central, Chief Ige Fausat, among others.
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.
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