Politics
‘Ilaka is a serial loser, has no political value’ – Abioye berates Oyo’s ex CoS
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency in the 2019 general elections, Hon. Abioye Mathew Adegboyega has faulted the claim by the immediate past Chief of Staff to Oyo State Governor, Chief Luqman Oyebisi Ilaka that he lost his senatorial election to Senator Teslim Folarin by virtue of the influence of APC candidates in Ogo Oluwa/Surulere and Egbeda/Ona Ara Federal constituencies that pushed up the votes for the winner of the said Senatorial election.
Abioye, punctured the claim in his reaction to the statement made by Chief Ilaka while featuring on Fresh FM political circuit programme yesterday on his preparation to re-contest for the Oyo Central Senatorial election in 2023.
The PDP chieftain noted that what Ilaka was trying to prove was that candidates for the PDP in the said two federal constituencies were not popular and that their unpopularity was what affected his own election.
Abioye, in a statement made available to Mega Icon Magazine on Sunday said contrary to his assertion on the said radio programme, the ex-Chief of Staff was the architect of his own failure because he was never on ground to meet the electorates and canvass for their votes during the campaigns.
According to him, “I want to challenge Ilaka to come out and tell the public how many times he visited the Ogo Oluwa/Surulere Federal Constituency to meet our people and canvass them to give him their votes. Similarly, he should come out and tell the people the amount he spent before and during the said election.
“Ilaka was never on ground to canvass the people’s vote throughout the electioneering campaign at all. Now he was trying to attribute his failure to the popularity of candidates of opposition party but I am not surprised that he’s doing so. He was doing so because of the fact that they are already in talk with Hon. Dokun Odebunmi (Bunvic) to woo him to join the PDP with the aim that if Bunvic joins the PDP, it will help him to realize his ambition come 2023.
“But, I’m absolutely not perturbed by his permutation and what he said. Ilaka is a serial failure. He has tried three times in 2011, 2015 and 2019 and has failed. If you present yourself for an election first, second and third time and lost, what new things do you intend to bring?
“He is somebody who has no leadership quality and it is even worse for him now because the governor had given him platform by making him his Chief of Staff, an opportunity which he should have used to demonstrate his administrative capability and efficiency but he has failed. He has never added any political value to the people in the Senatorial district he is aspiring to represent”, the ex-lawmaker added.
On why he lost his own House of Representatives election, Hon. Abioye disclosed that the people in his constituency gave him a protest vote to express their displeasure over his support for Engr Seyi Makinde against their kinsman, Senator Ayo Adeseun during the party gubernatorial primary election between the duo in 2018.
“I lost the election because my people accused me of abandoning my own kinsman, Senator Ayo Adeseun for somebody they termed as a stranger, Engr Seyi Makinde, during the PDP gubernatorial election which was held at Liberty stadium in 2018. They were not happy that I gave all the 129 delegates from my federal constituency to Engr Makinde but they didn’t understand the reason why I supported him then.
“It is very disheartening that all the people that worked against the PDP in 2019 are now the friends of the present administration. They are the ones that are reaping bountifully where they did not sow at the expense of we that laboured for it.
“The fact that I was not compensated by the government we laboured for is now a blessing for me because it has made me more wiser and more experienced. I am an active politician, grassroot mobilizer with a track record and experience having served as a two term lawmaker in the Oyo State House of Assembly. Can such experience be ruled out”, the statement continued.
House of Representatives member and Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has fulfilled his pledge to support the welfare of the All Progressives Congress (APC) staff in Oyo State.
In a gesture highlighting his commitment, the lawmaker personally funded the salaries of staff at the APC’s Oke Ado Secretariat in Ibadan, reinforcing his dedication to the smooth operation of the party’s activities in the state.
Representing the Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Oseni recently visited the secretariat, where he expressed gratitude to party leaders and members for their contributions.
As a further commitment to the smooth operation of the party’s activities, the lawmaker generously donated ten million naira (N10,000,000) as an allowance to enhance the secretariat’s functions.
In a statement released Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker extended appreciation to the secretariat staff, whom he described as the backbone of the party’s daily functions.
He lauded their dedication, noting their essential role in advancing the party’s goals.
“Leadership is about service, and service begins with supporting those who make the party function from within,” Oseni remarked.
“I am proud to honour this commitment to our staff, as they play a crucial role in making our political structures work effectively. This is my way of showing appreciation for their unwavering dedication”, he added.
Engr. Aderemi Oseni, representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency of Oyo State in the House of Representatives, has paid tribute to former Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin, on his 61st birthday, celebrating his decades of dedicated service and contributions to Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, in Ibadan, Oseni, who also serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), lauded Folarin’s unwavering commitment to leadership and the well-being of the people.
Highlighting the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial nominee in the 2023 elections for three terms in the Senate, the lawmaker noted that Folarin’s legacy of service continues to be a guiding light for emerging leaders and a source of inspiration for countless individuals across the state.
“Senator Folarin has built an admirable legacy through years of selfless public service, consistently advocating for progress and unity,” remarked Oseni.
Reflecting on Folarin’s role as the Ikolaba Olubadan of Ibadanland, the lawmaker commended his leadership approach, which has bridged divides, fostered coalitions, and promoted initiatives aimed at stabilising democracy.
“Senator Folarin’s career is an example of visionary leadership,” he added, “and his commitment to public service will leave a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
As Senator Folarin marks this milestone, Oseni extended warm wishes for his continued health and success, expressing hope that his exemplary life of service will keep inspiring positive change across the nation.
In a historic ruling, a Ugandan court on Friday sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in prison.
This landmark decision, marking the first time a member of the notorious LRA has faced trial for war crimes in a Ugandan court, follows the group’s brutal two-decade insurgency against the Ugandan government.
Kwoyelo, who was convicted in August on 44 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, faced charges including murder, rape, torture, pillaging, abduction, and the destruction of settlements for internally displaced people.
(FILES) Thomas Kwoyelo a commander of the Lord’s Resistance Army rebellion blamed for brutal civilian murders during a 20-year war in the north of the country is brought into a courthouse in the northern Ugandan town of Gulu on July 25, 2011. – A Ugandan court on October 25, 2024 sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in prison after a landmark war crimes trial over his role in the group’s two-decade reign of terror. The sentence against Kwoyelo, who was convicted on 44 counts of crimes against humanity in August, was announced by Michael Elubu, the lead judge in the case at the court in the northern city of Gulu. (Photo by MICHELE SIBOLINI / AFP)
Michael Elubu, lead judge of the case at the International Crimes Division (ICD) of Uganda’s High Court, delivered the sentence in the northern city of Gulu, underscoring a rare moment of accountability in the decades-long history of the LRA’s violence.
Judge Elubu stated that Kwoyelo retains the right to appeal both his conviction and sentence within 14 days.
Kwoyelo, who was abducted by the LRA at the age of 12 and later rose to a low-level command position within the organization, denied all charges brought against him.
(FILES) Suspected LRA (Lords Resistance Army) member Thomas Kwoyelo is pictured during a pre-trial session at the High Court in Kampala on Februay 1, 2017. – A Ugandan court on October 25, 2024 sentenced former Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) commander Thomas Kwoyelo to 40 years in prison after a landmark war crimes trial over his role in the group’s two-decade reign of terror. The sentence against Kwoyelo, who was convicted on 44 counts of crimes against humanity in August, was announced by Michael Elubu, the lead judge in the case at the court in the northern city of Gulu. (Photo by GAEL GRILHOT / AFP)
The Lord’s Resistance Army, founded by Joseph Kony in the 1980s, sought to establish a regime based on the Ten Commandments. Under Kony’s leadership, the group unleashed widespread terror across Uganda and neighboring regions, resulting in over 100,000 deaths and the abduction of 60,000 children.
The violence eventually spread to Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Central African Republic.
-
Politics1 week agoOyo Rep, Oseni Pays APC Secretariat Staff Salaries, Donates N10m to Boost Party Operations
-
News1 week ago
Rep Oseni Rallies Support for Ikogosi Development Projects, Calls for Resilience, Unity
-
Health4 days ago
Oyo: Oseni to Launch Mobile Clinic Initiative to Revitalize Rural Healthcare
-
News1 day ago
Half of Shortlisted Directors Fail Federal Permanent Secretary Exam
