June 12: Buhari Approves Honours For More Nigerians

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Tuesday disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved of some other Nigerians to be conferred with national honours for their contributions to democracy.
Mustapha spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja venue of the post-humous investiture of Chief Moshood Abiola as Grand Commander of the Federal Republic; his running mate, Babagana Kingibe as Grand Commander of the Order of Niger and later human rights activist, Gani Fawehinmi, also as GCON.
Mustapha said the conferment of honours on Abiola and others was to further establish the fundamental principles of the Buhari administration.
“Nation building requires the sacrifice of all citizens, we must therefore imbibe the moral rectitude to embrace our past,” he said.
“We must, therefore, recognise the heroes of our democracy.
“Further announcement on this will be made shortly,” Mustapha said in his welcome address at the ceremony attended by dignitaries across the country.
“June 12, more than any other events in Nigeria’s history symbolises strong democratic principles and experience,” he said, adding that the president has placed history in the right perspective by recognising declaring June 12 as a Democracy Day and recognising its key figures.
Kola Abiola, first son of M.K.O., and Abba Kyari, the chief of staff to the president, are amongst those present taking seats at the front row.
Ganiyat Fawehinmi, wife of the late rights activist, will be receiving the national honours on behalf of the family, coming nearly nine years after his death.

Fayemi Appoints Bamidele As DG of Campaign Office

Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti, on Sunday appointed Mr Opeyemi Bamidele as the Director-General of his campaign office.

Fayemi‎ made the declaration at the inauguration of his mobilisation and campaign committees in Ado-Ekiti.

Fayemi said the former lawmaker, who was recently shot at the APC secretariat in Ado-Ekiti during a rally, was recovering fast and would assist him during his electioneering campaign.

He also debunked reports published in some newspapers that the former lawmaker had been flown to the United Kingdom for treatment.

”By the special grace of God, I have appointed‎ my good friend, Mr Bamidele Opeyemi, as the Director General of my campaign.

 “I equally also want to thank God for sparing his life. I was with him till 1.am this morning and he is recovering well and he can also sit and discuss with me.

”I wish to inform all journalists in Ekiti that my friend, Mr Bamidele Opeyemi, is in good condition, he is still in Nigeria contrary to the stories that was published in some of the newspapers that he has travelled abroad.

”He is healthy and ready to work with me to ensure that our party wins the July 14 gubernatorial election in Ekiti,” he said.

The APC candidate also assured party members and journalists that the ugly incident which occurred during the flag off of the campaign on June 1 would not repeat itself.

He said the security agencies had assured him that the lives of the supporters, party members and journalists would be secured during his campaign rallies which would commence fully this week.

The former Minister of Mine and Steel Development also thanked other APC aspirants who donated vehicles and customised T-shirt‎s and caps to support his campaign.

A total of 11 committees made up of 87 party members were inaugurated by Fayemi.

The committees include Media and Communication headed by Mr Taiwo Olatunbosun ; Policies and Strategy headed by Mr Biodun Omoleye ; Welfare and Protocol headed by Mrs Wumi Ogunlola and Finance headed by Mr Niyi Adebayo .

Others are Legal committee headed by Biodun Fasakin ; Special Purpose headed by Chief Jide Awe; Contact Committee headed by Mr Alaba Abejide; Mobilisation Committee headed by Mr Femi Bamisile; Health Committee headed by Dr Bayo Orire ; Security ‎Committee headed by Ropo Ayegbusi and Women Committee headed by Mrs Bisi Fayemi.

While congratulating the members, Fayemi charged them to discharge their duties effectively to ensure that he wins the gubernatorial election.

He assured them that all the necessary financial support would be given to the various committees to enable them reach out to the people across the nooks and crannies of the state.

APC Issues Stern Warning To Governor Rochas Okorocha Over Libellous Attacks On Party

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern warning to Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, over what it described as libellous attacks the Party by the Governor and his agents.
In a statement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, APC National Publicity Secretary, the party urged Okorocha to tread the path of caution and reconciliation and to work with the duly elected Party executives in the state for the good of the Party.
It added that would no longer tolerate his constant assault on the Party, either directly or through proxies as it debunked some of the allegations the Governor has made against the party.
Read the statement below:
In recent weeks, the Imo State Governor, H.E. Rochas Okorocha, has made libellous attacks on our Party and its leaders a daily occurrence. Hardly a day passes by without Governor Okorocha verbally assaulting our National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun and other Party leaders over the recently concluded Congresses in Imo State.
In an advertorial published in the Daily TrustNewspaper of June 11, 2018 and titled in part:“Let The Truth Speak For Itself” which was signed by a known associate of Governor Okorocha, one Hon. Ireagwu Obioma, who styles himself as ‘Acting Secretary, Imo APC’, a number of false claims were made against the Party.
The import of the allegations was that the Party was aware of a court order preventing it from conducting the Imo State Congress following receipt of a copy of the so-called court injunction which directed it to maintain status quo.
But nothing can be further from the truth. Even the published documents in the advertorial do not support this position and in fact gave a lie to the governor’s version of events, that the Party was duly served and prevented from going ahead with the Congress in Imo state.
A cursory look at the published court papers revealed that the Party was served the so-called court rulings on May 18, 2018, while the Ward and Local Government Congresses which produced the recently inaugurated Party executives from the state was held on May 5th and 14th, 2018 respectively, four days before the court ruling was issued.
In fact, we strongly believe that the court ruling being paraded as injunction does not serve Governor Okorocha’s interest. At the time of the ruling a new set of Party executives had been validly elected, consequently the court ruling directing that the status quo is maintained, actually means that no one should interfere with the newly elected APC party executives in the state.
Also in the advertorial, a so-called internal Party memo was published, which purportedly showed that we were aware of the pendency of the legal issues involving the congresses in Imo and Abia States. The published ‘memo’ by the agents of the Imo State Governor is fake. No such memo was generated by our Party. A casual look will reveal the inconsistency of the published document.
The memo, according to the published advertorial, was generated by the Chief of Staff to the APC National Chairman, Edwin Ikhinmwin but was signed by the Party’s Legal Adviser, Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN). It is impossible for such an incoherent document to have emerged from our Party, or any sane organisation – for one person to generate a memo and another person to sign it!
Indeed Banire, our Party’s Legal Adviser and the Chief of Staff, have denounced the document as fake, stating clearly that they neither originated nor signed such memo. This is therefore, a clear case of forgery borne out of desperation. We are currently seeking legal advice on how to proceed with the matter to ensure that those culpable are identified and duly punished.
The sensible thing to do when you find yourself in a ditch is to stop digging. We therefore, once again urge Governor Okorocha to tread the path of caution and reconciliation and to work with the duly elected Party executives in the state for the good of the Party. We shall however not tolerate his constant assault on the Party, either directly or through proxies.

I Would Have Arrested Obasanjo If I Were President – Oshiomhole

Adams Oshiomhole, former Edo state governor, has stated that he would arrest ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo if were Nigeria’s president.
According to THISDAY, the former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) made the comment on Tuesday at an event held in honour of late MKO Abiola’s family and urged President Muhammadu Buhari to probe and arrest Obasanjo “if he has committed any offence”.
“He should be arrested if he has committed any offence. He arrested many of us. So, if we are celebrating Chief Gani Fawehinmi, we have compelling reasons to do so. In all of these, we didn’t pay any money to Gani or Falana. They defended us pro bono.
“Gani is not here today, but his spirit is here. Falana is here and today, I am standing. Even the president who was in charge then, he is now complaining that they want to harass him. He was harassing me and he got me arrested.
“He thought he himself would not be arrested? If I were the president I would arrest him. We are all Nigerians. I remember one day I told him, I said ‘President Obasanjo, we made you president. You did not make me a Nigerian.
“’You are our creation; I am not your creation. You must listen’. But he thought he would be in power forever and he tried to take us on the way to Zimbabwe.
“He was a reluctant Head of State, became president for two terms and he wanted to do a third term because a cockroach licking palm oil would never lick enough,” he said.

Ekiti 2018: Fayose’s Ex-Commissioner Dumps PDP For APC

The immediate past Ekiti State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, has defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement of his defection ended his 20-year relationship with Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Ajayi addressed newsmen recently to say he had formally quit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join forces with the candidate of the APC in the July 14th election, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to win the election.
Ajayi said: “I have decided from today 11th June 2018 to withdraw my membership of PDP and join APC forthwith to be able to actualise my political dream.”
He said he had weighed all the other aspirants and decided to pitch his tent with Fayemi to win the election, saying APC will win the coming election.