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Ondo Guber Race: Hold Makinde responsible if poll is marred – Oyo APC group says
As electorate in Ondo state prepare to cast their ballots this Saturday in the scheduled gubernatorial poll in the state, a media group within the All Progressives Congress in Oyo state,Communication and Strategy Frontier (CSF), on Tuesday alerted the public that Governor Seyi Makinde should be held responsible for any development which might mar the smooth conduct of the exercise stating that he (Makinde) appeared too desperate to emerge a regional champion of his party.
The Peoples Democratic Party at the national level had appointed Gov. Makinde as the Chairman, Campaign Committee for its candidate in the said election, Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, and this, according to Oyo APC, was to enable the PDP prosecute its Ondo project with the financial resources of the Pacesetter state.
In a statement issued in Ibadan and made available to the press by its Director-General, Mr. Wale Olanrewaju, and Director of Organization, Alhaji Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC-CSF faulted the PDP and Gov. Makinde over their alleged desperate moves to truncate the desire of the people of Ondo state to have a peaceful and hitch-free election this Saturday stating that he (Makinde) lacked all it takes to lead the PDP to any electoral victory.
“Both as the controversial gubernatorial candidate of the Oyo PDP in 2019 and the governor of Oyo state since May 29, 2019, Engr. Seyi Makinde has never convinced political pundits and critical stakeholders that he has any outstanding credentials to win elections for himself or any other person as he is lacking in capacity to either sell party manifesto or convince voters to his side. Also, Gov. Makinde lacks evidence of good governance with which he could tell Ondo people that his party candidate would replicate if elected.
“In the Sunshine state today, all the PDP governor in Oyo state does is to finance dirty deals with some mushroom parties and their clownish candidates who are being bought over to support the same Mr. Jegede who was roundly defeated by Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN) in 2016. We also have it on good authority that Gov. Makinde is spearheading the plot to flood polling booths across Ondo state with heavy sums of money on Saturday as it was done in Edo last month.
“Now that the Agodi Government House has literally moved to Ondo state for the Saturday poll, one may want to ask why the Oyo state governor deems it necessary to abandon governance in his own state for an electoral contest in another state but the simple answer to this is obtainable from the fallout of the ongoing altercation between Gov. Makinde and some powerful PDP south west leaders who he seeks to dislodge with a view to positioning himself as the new leaders ahead of the 2023 general elections.
“Only yesterday, a close aide of Gov. Makinde fired another salvo to the former Governor of Ekiti state, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, in apparent continuation of the supremacy battle over who leads the PDP in the South West. Most Nigerians who were fooled by the pretentious mien of Makinde in the build-up to the election that produced him as governor and those who could not have the detailed account of his inglorious role in the last gubernatorial election in Kogi state could now see him in his true colour while he engages more gladiators in needless battle of attrition.
“We are now using this opportunity to appeal to Gov. Makinde to have a rethink on his clandestine plan to use the Ondo election to win a perceived test of confidence by trying to sponsor various activities capable of compromising INEC’s quest to deliver a free, fair and acceptable election this Saturday. We know how the same PDP candidate (Jegede) prosecuted his campaign in 2016 with minimum patronage of political thugs and we are now seeing the turn of event when Gov. Makinde is being made to influence things within the PDP and it is on this note that we are putting the whole world on notice that the governor of Oyo state should be held responsible for any security breach in Ondo before, during and after the Saturday election.” The Group submitted.
The Kano State House of Assembly has initiated impeachment proceedings against Deputy Governor Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo over allegations of gross misconduct, abuse of office, and breach of public trust.
The notice was presented yesterday during plenary by the Majority Leader, Lawan Hussaini Dala, who said the action follows Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Dala said the allegations stem from Abdussalam’s tenure as Commissioner for Local Government (2023–2024) and his current role as deputy governor. He accused the deputy governor of diverting funds meant for the 44 local government councils.
According to the majority leader, Abdussalam allegedly received N1.5 million monthly from each council between June 2023 and January 2024, totaling N462 million. Between February and July 2024, he allegedly collected N3.255 million monthly from each council under the guise of special assignments, amounting to N726 million.
Dala also accused the deputy governor of abuse of office, claiming he facilitated payments of N10 million from each council to NovoMed Pharmaceuticals Limited, totaling N440 million, in violation of state procurement laws.
“The misuse of official capacity to confer undue advantage constitutes abuse of power and undermines public trust,” Dala told lawmakers, adding that the allegations amount to gross misconduct under the Constitution.
The impeachment notice was reportedly endorsed by 38 lawmakers, meeting the constitutional threshold to proceed. The Speaker has acknowledged receipt, and the House is expected to serve the allegations on the deputy governor.
If approved, a panel may be constituted by the state Chief Judge to investigate the claims.
As of filing, Abdussalam had yet to respond publicly to the allegations.
The Senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, on Thursday announced his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), declaring that he had joined the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, made the announcement during a media briefing in Abuja, attributing his decision to what he described as irreconcilable differences within the PDP.
The lawmaker said the emergence of the NDC would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by providing a credible opposition platform.
According to him, the party recently received its certificate of registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He said, “Last week INEC issued a certificate of registration and we now have the newest party in Nigeria known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress and our symbol is victory, the victory sign.
“So, my dear Nigerians, you now have a credible alternative opposition party known as the Nigeria Democratic Congress.”
Dickson noted that although the party’s registration took longer than expected, its eventual approval was a welcome development for the country’s democratic landscape.
“Yes, it is coming at this time. We would have wished it started some years or months back. We don’t control INEC and their processes; they delayed. We don’t also control the judiciary, but thank God it has finally arrived,” he said.
The senator also stressed that Nigeria’s democracy must not slide into a one-party system, insisting that political diversity remained vital for national stability.
“This nation cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria cannot be a one-party state. Nigeria is not designed to be a one-party state.
“We are a very diverse nation culturally, religiously and politically and that is the beauty of our country.
“So anyone or any party promoting one-party rule in Nigeria is mistaken. We build political parties and get involved in movements to access power for the good of the people, not for our personal benefit,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission recently announced the registration of two new political parties.
The parties are the Democratic Leadership Alliance and the Nigeria Democratic Congress, bringing the total number of registered political parties in Nigeria to 21.
The announcement was made by the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, during the commission’s first quarterly consultative meeting with political party stakeholders for 2026.
According to him, the Democratic Leadership Alliance completed the required verification process, while the Nigeria Democratic Congress was registered in compliance with a Federal High Court order.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
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