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APC primaries: Oyo guber aspirant, Owolabi urges delegates to vote according to conscience

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DR Owolabi Babalola, a gubernatorial aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State on Thursday called on party delegates to vote according to their conscience in the forthcoming primary election ahead of the 2019 general elections billed for Saturday.

Babalola, who made the call during his familiarization visit to the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC), also expressed his readiness to run the affairs of the state, stressing that he aims to pursue an agenda to bring people out of poverty.

While expressing confidence that he will get the support needed to do what is best for the state, the guber hopeful added, “with all sense of humility, I bring to the table over a quarter of a century contemplation and rigorous intellectual involvement in development. Having also been at the critical juncture of policy formulation and integration, I think over time, I have been primed for this position.

“I am more than convinced that I will get the support that is necessary to push further, an agenda that is pro-poor for the collective good of our citizens in Oyo state.”

Speaking further, the University of Jos-trained-medical doctor described members of the party who will be taking part in the process at the delegates conference as people of very strong conviction, but, urged them to bare in mind that the average man on the street is now more politically conscious and more aware of the powers of his voting right.

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“I am persuaded that our party leadership is well aware of that, and they are going to vote accordingly, not to the dictate of individuals but of course, according to that which they hold as sacrosanct values of the APC”, he said.

He commended the Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Chief Akin Oke for enduring when Nigeria was under despotic military control, just as he noted that he was not thinking of reinventing the wheel. “We hope every home will be able to put food on the table, we will work to ensure that every worker has a living wage. We will attend to infrastructural deficit, we will continue the transformation that no road of any lesser standard will be constructed anymore, I assure you that I crave for one additional thing, that is your support”.

When asked what he would do if he failed to clinch the governorship ticket, the aspirant submitted, “all well and good, I am assured that we have all subscribed to the process that will dovetail into the emergence of a single candidate. And I am sure, whoever that candidate is, will be the very best among us that will fly the flag to ensure that the APC continues to remain the party to beat in Oyo state and in the Southwest of Nigeria.”

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Babalola also informed that during his time as Commissioner for Health under the Adebayo Alao-Akala administration, he went beyond achievements in health to development programmes and post conflict reconstruction. He hinted that his cabinet experience makes him more aware of the challenges, the strength and the low hanging fruits, that could become great opportunities to bring democratic dividends to the people.

He, also recalled his accomplishments in the state’s health sector, revealing that he was first to introduce the state social health insurance scheme to the whole of the federation.

He said, “I was a critical part of national strategic framework for health and its implementation.

“And for the very first time in the history of Oyo state, we have the most advanced health care information management system that I evolved, arguably the best in sub Sahara Africa, attested to by the multilateral instruments of global governance, such as UNICEF, WHO, and the likes.

Responding, Chief Oke, who declared that only one candidate would emerge at the primaries, welcomed him on behalf of the party and wished him the very best.

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Auxiliary: Oyo APC wants NSA, IGP to investigate alleged cover-up by state govt

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A fresh twist has been introduced to the travails of the former boss of the Park Management System (PMS) in Oyo state, Mr. Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, as the All Progressives Congress has called on the National Special Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbedokun, to carry out thorough investigation on the various allegations against the suspect to unravel his sponsors and other accomplices.

Lamidi popularly known as Auxiliary was paraded on Thursday at the Eleyele, Ibadan headquarters of the Oyo State Police Command following his arrest by the officials of the Department of State Security last week. The State Commissioner of Police, Adebola Hamzat, told pressmen during the parade that Lamidi would soon be arraigned in court on several charges which included; the murder of one Rahmon which happened in Ibadan in 2021, possession of a large cache of arms and ammunition among other crimes.

In a statement issued today and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC cautioned against selective justice “as could not have committed the heinous crimes all alone and without the sponsorship or support of the powers-that-be in the state in view of the fact that he was not only a chieftain of the ruling party but also an associate of the PDP governor.

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“Arrest and prosecution of Lamidi was long overdue in view of the fact he has always been a thorn in the flesh of the residents of Oyo state and the good people of Ibadanland in particular. It is on this note that we commend the officials of the DSS who eventually got him arrested following a long time of distress calls from his numerous victims. Until recently when the bubble burst between him and Gov. Seyi Makinde, the same man (Lamidi) was untouchable as he got the full backing of the Agodi Government House landlords to run a separate government in the state.

“There is no denying the facts that Lamidi and his vicious gang have violated many innocent people’s rights since May 29, 2019, when Gov. Makinde came into power. Also, it is an established fact that he had in his possession a cache of arms and ammunition which no security agency in the state could boast of. He displayed these weapons at will just like he did on several occasions when he went on political functions and campaigns in the company of Gov. Makinde. There are even claims from certain quarters that weapons meant for the Amotekun Corps in Oyo state ended up in the hands of Lamidi and his gang members.

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“Apart from the 2021 incident in which one Rahmon was killed, Lamidi followed the entourage of the governor to Kogi state, Osogbo in Osun state, Ekiti state, Igangan in Oyo state, and many other places where he used the stockpiled arms and ammunition brazenly since he was under the state cover. The question on the lips of the people is; “why did Gov. Makinde keep Auxiliary so close to the seat of power for four good years only to part ways with him immediately he got his second term mandate?

“Many members and leaders of our great Party (APC) have fallen victims to Mukaila Lamidi’s reign of terror in the past but this cannot make us support selective justice. Both the NSA and IGP should wade into the matter and ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out to unmask those who sponsored or backed Lamidi’s criminal acts in the state. With thorough and unbiased investigation, a lot would be revealed and all those responsible for political violence, thuggery, and brigandage in the state over the last five years would be made to face justice.” Oyo APC stated.

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Insider Claims: Ex-minister Shittu reveals manipulations, fraudulent approvals under Buhari

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Former Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, has made startling claims regarding alleged manipulations and fraudulent activities during the previous administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

Despite serving as a minister under Buhari’s government, Shittu has voiced concerns over what he perceives as individuals close to the former Nigerian president exploiting their positions for personal gain, resulting in adverse effects on the country’s economy.

In an interview on Tuesday’s edition of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, monitored by Mega Icon Magazine, the ex-minister asserted, “Let me tell you, there were a lot of manipulations and we even heard that a lot of the so-called approvals did not emanate from President Buhari.”

He addressed allegations circulating about the previous government resorting to printing money to sustain the economy, stating, “There were a lot of manipulations and fraudulent approvals which did not emanate from the President.”

Shittu remained resolute in his claims, emphasising, “I am telling you confidently that a lot of it did not get his attention.”

He further alleged, “There were a lot of people around the President who exploited their relationship with the President and conspired with the then-CBN governor.”

 

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Putin sworn in for unprecedented fifth presidential term

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In this pool photograph distributed by Russian state agency Sputnik, Russian president-elect Vladimir Putin takes the oath of office during a ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow on May 7, 2024. (Photo by Alexander KAZAKOV / POOL / AFP)

Russian President Vladimir Putin was Tuesday sworn into office at a lavish Kremlin ceremony for a record-breaking fifth term with more power than ever before.

The 71-year-old has ruled Russia since the turn of the century, securing a fresh six-year mandate in March after winning presidential elections devoid of all opposition.

In his inauguration speech, Putin said that Russia would emerge from the current “difficult” period victorious and stronger, as he took power for a record fifth presidential term.

“We will pass through this difficult, decisive period with dignity and become even stronger,” Putin said at his inauguration ceremony at the Kremlin, attended by an AFP journalist.

“We are a united and great nation,” Putin said in an upbeat speech, to applause from an audience of around 2,500 people including officials and military top brass.

“Together we will overcome all obstacles, achieve everything we have planned, and together we will win,” he said.

He said after being sworn into office that he viewed the presidency as a “huge honour, responsibility and sacred duty”.

The Russian leader vowed to ensure “sustained and stable development, unity and independence of the country”.

Putin thanked soldiers taking part in what Russia calls a “special military operation” in Ukraine, more than two years after it began on February 24, 2022, at a ceremony attended by some of those fighting.

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“We are looking forward confidently,” Putin stressed in his speech, which was aired on national television.

Evoking the country’s “thousand-year history” as he spoke in the Kremlin’s gilded St Andrew’s Hall, the president said that present-day Russians owed a debt to previous generations who achieved “such triumphs that inspire us today”.

He said Russians shared a “firm conviction that we ourselves alone will determine the fate of Russia for the sake of present and future generations”.

Russia is “not refusing dialogue with western states” and is ready to talk about “questions of security and strategic stability”, Putin said, “but only on equal terms, respecting the interests of each other”.

 

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