By Oluwakemi Ishola 

The Management of Ibadan Electricity Distribution Plc (IBEDC) hereby apologizes to its esteemed customers at Mowe, Ibafo and Magboro over the poor supply of electricity in the area.

The Chief Operating Officer (C00), Engr. John Ayodele said that the dismal power situation being experienced in those communities is a shared challenge between IBEDC and the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN). He explained that the three communities get their supply from Oke-Aro 132KV/33KV Transmission station, and allocation by TCN for that area is 13 MW, whereas the communities require about 40 MW.

Engr. Ayodele said because the TCN cannot allocate the energy required to serve all the customers at the communities, the only option at this time is to deploy intensive load management thereby ensuring that customers have equal hours of daily supply.

“Another major challenge is that the 33KV which is a straight network is solely under the control of the TCN. Whenever there is a fault, the normal routine is that our Engineers must get an approval from the TCN before repairs can commence and this process is a bit challenging. Also depending on the nature of the fault and the terrain of the network affected the process becomes more cumbersome” Engr. Ayodele added.

He further explained that IBEDC is working on the reconstruction of the old Owode-Egba network to enable some of the communities’ benefit from the newly commissioned Abeokuta Transmission Station at Kobape.

“We are also appealing to our unmetered customers in this locality to take advantage of the Meter Asset Provider Scheme (MAP) to get metered. Our staff are on strict schedules to ensure that customers issues are promptly addressed”.

By Oluwakemi Ishola 

A member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Adedeji Stanley Olajide on Monday donated two sports utility vehicles to his campaign coordinators for Ibadan South and Ibadan North West federal constituency. 

Olajide popularly known as Odidiomo, described the beneficiaries as ‘great politicians who worked round the clock with other people of the constituency, to ensure the success of his aspiration.

The lawmaker who praised God for the opportunity he has to fulfil the promise he made to the beneficiaries assured other constituent members of better dividends of democracy before long.

According to him, “I hold my people’s support for my aspiration in trust; to always meet their yearnings and deliver on our set mandates to be the best lawmaker ever elected in the constituency.

In a tweet via his Facebook account, the lawmaker stated, “glory be to Allah promise made and promise kept. Today I presented car gifts to ‘OdidiOmo coordinators’ in Ibadan Northwest/Southwest Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Alhaji Sulaiman Adediran and Alfa Rahman Salam respectively.

“Assisted by my honorable colleague Yemi Taiwo. Congratultions to the beneficiaries,” Olajide said.

By Oluwakemi Ishola 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo state has faulted the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Seyi Makinde over claims that they had defeated godfatherism in the politics of the state saying the statement was not only a diversionary but an height of insincerity and hypocrisy.

Oyo PDP said, in a statement on Monday while reacting to the declaration of Gov. Godwin Obaseki as the winner of last Saturday gubernatorial poll in Edo state, that the reelected governor had copied Makinde in defeating godfathers and entrenching himself as the de facto political leader in the state.

In a statement issued on Monday and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Prince Ayobami Adejumo, Oyo APC expressed worries over what it described as Oyo PDP and Gov. Makinde’s penchant for pettiness and misplaced priorities to the detriment of the people of the state who desire good governance and seriousness on the part of those at the helm of affairs.

“As much as we refrain from commenting on what transpired in Edo state last Saturday which, of course, is still being reviewed by the national leadership of our great Party, we feel highly concerned about a governor from a state which is several hundreds of kilometers away from the South South geopolitical zone asking his lackeys at home to gloat over the purported victory of another man who only joined the PDP to contest the election for some reasons.

“Although, discerning minds are aware of the fact that Gov. Makinde’s frequent claims of conquering godfathers could not be farfetched from his desire to do away with all the forces that helped him to office in 2019 even as we do not want to comment on the current battle for the soul of PDP in the South West between Gov. Makinde and a former PDP governor from Ekiti state. We still find it uncharitable for the PDP governor to prioritize all attempts aimed at denigrating his benefactors so soon without minding the consequences.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the whole world cannot forget in a hurry what happened in the state between 2003 and 2011 when the same PDP hijacked governance from the then AD government only for the Senator Ladoja to start up serious warfare with his godfathers and thus set the state on ceaseless fire for more than four years. If anything, the incumbent governor’s ultimate desire is to turn himself an emperor of the South West through his party.

“We have been made to see how he does not recognise the leadership of the PDP in the state as most of the founding fathers of the party have been relegated to the background. We have equally witnessed how he outplayed most of his strong backers with the formation of a spineless Government Advisory Council (GAC) and what happened to the eggheads of the unholy coalition with which he made it to the Agodi Government House. We can only wish him good luck if he and his hangers-on feel treachery and betrayals are what it takes to establish political hegemony.” Adejumo stated.

In the same vein, Oyo APC has warned Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the APC in Ondo state to watch well and reject the moves by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from using card readers from Oyo state office for the conduct of the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election in the Sunshine state. APC based its warning on the alleged culpability of the INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo state in its ouster from office in 2019.

“We are still working on some facts which support the involvement of the REC in Oyo state in the conspiracy which made us lose the last gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly elections and we do not want similar fate to befall our Party in Ondo. Arrangement by INEC in Ondo state to make use of card readers from Oyo state office must not be allowed unless we are prepared to allow the PDP rig our party out again. Oyo is not even a neighbour to Ondo state and Ondo INEC should be made to look elsewhere for any support or assistance on the conduct of October 10 poll.” APC submitted.

Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai on Monday lamented the loss of the All Progressive Congress (APC) at the Edo State Governorship Election held on last week Saturday.

The Governor said three weeks to the election, polls indicated that the APC was set to win.

However, on Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared incumbent Godwin Obaseki of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election and Governor of the state for the next four years.

“We would have loved to win,” El-Rufai said, during an interview on Sunrise Daily. “Quite frankly I was optimistic.

“Up to three weeks ago, the polls indicated that we were going to win. I don’t know what happened in the last two, three weeks of the campaign.

“As you know, a large number of voters make up their minds in the last two weeks of election. Many voters decide, no matter what happens, this is how I am voting. But most people want to wait and watch and make up their minds in the last two weeks.

“Three weeks ago, the polls clearly showed that APC was going to win, but the results came out differently from what we expected.”

However, El-Rufai commended how the election played out and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his policy of non-interference in elections.

“The election was reasonably decent,” he said. “We were all worried about violence; there was very little violence or none at all. So Obaseki has won, that’s it. You can’t go into an election without adverting your mind to the possibility of losing.

“And one thing President Muhammadu Buhari’s government has always done is to say that there must be free and fair election and the people’s choice must prevail.

“And the President has never used what is called Federal Might that other governments have used in the past to steal elections. We always insist that everyone should go and pitch to the people and may the best man win. And we can live with it.”

Obaseki, you are what God says you are, You are a winner, You no be looser, You are what God says you are. Iyamu, you are what God says you are, by your records, you are what God says you are, by your stealing, you are what God says you are, you a looser you no be winner you are what God says you are (Adams Oshiomole, 2016).

The political funeral of erstwhile chairman of the broom party, Adams Oshiomole was coordinated by his estranged political son , Godwin, ‘the merciless’ Obaseki who engaged the services of the best event managers in Edo state to organise a befitting political defeat to bury alive an overbearing godfather. To do the burial, Godwin had to mobilise 307, 955 permanent voter cards of his umbrella wielding loyalists against 223, 619 gathered by the trounced broom flagbearer, Pastor Ize Iyamu whose intention was to save the drowning godfather. With a difference of 84, 333 powerful voters, the political coffin of Adams was nailed by people-favoured Obaseki. The Edo gubernatorial election of 19 September 2020 has opened new political power corridor while the boastful two-time governor is allowed to mourn his loss. Paid back in his coin, Oshiomole joins the league of political gladiators in the state who have suffered similar political dethronement. The loss of Iyamu is a big blow to the Lion of Bourdillon who in a broadcast had urged Edo electorates to reject Obaseki on a flimsy accusation that Obaseki did not contribute to the democracy Nigeria is enjoying.

And for that reason, it was in the wisdom of the Bourdillon general that someone proclaimed as unfit and corrupt four years ago by overbearing Adams when Iyamu contested on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party should now be imposed on Edo people because he has switched camp to the broom party where all sins are forgiven. OshoBourdillon forgot an African proverb which says if you damage the character of another you damage your own. With a twist of fate, Adams who has eaten the forbidden apple found himself in a tight corner to erase the character assassination of Ize Iyamu he superintended four years ago.

While the outcome of the election deflated the ego of political paper weights like Adams Oshiomole and his ilk, the broadcast of Bourdillon general partly contributed to the outright rejection of Iyamu by Edo voters. Like Femi Fani-kayode stated that he ‘suffered’ in his ‘stupid question’ drama with Akwa Ibom reporter of Daily Trust, the broom party national leader also claimed he suffered to bring about the democracy Nigeria is enjoying.

While he participated in the NADECO struggle, his suffering is not enduring as his coast has been enlarged so much by democratic dividends to obliterate any traces of suffering. The Bourdillon general should know that Nigerians are still suffering for the type of leadership imposed on them by those claiming to have enthroned democracy. Two decades after the return of democracy, Nigerians are poor but have rich and selfish politicians; there is no functional hospital that can treat the likes of Bourdillon general here unless he jets out to colonial homeland. They have tactically killed public education with perennial underfunding; those who suffered for democracy are happy to rule over the global headquarters of the hoipolloi. Where is the road infrastructure emplaced by those who suffered for democracy?. South African Idol, Nelson Mandela suffered in the real sense of the word for 27 years behind bars for the restoration of democracy. When he had the opportunity to rule, he stuck to one term unlike Nigerian politicians who would sing the song of suffering and would want to rule for life. Mandela retired to play national leadership and advisory role. While South Africa has party supremacy Nigeria has personality supremacy!. The essence of being a leader is to have people who are following you but a leader leading without followers as experienced in Edo is only taking a leisurely walk.

Despite being denied ticket under the broom party, Obaseki confronted his fears to test his popularity at the polls under a different but timely umbrella party. Working with enemies of his estranged political godfather and leveraging on the structure of the umbrella party, the coast was clear for an upset. If not for overbearing godfatherism, how can someone cleared to contest previously by the broom party get disqualified by a law student who has no certificate? The cutting-to-size of Oshiomole is a lesson for other godfathers to see that people make political parties what they are. This is what Godwin, ‘the merciless’ Obaseki has shown namely, that irrespective of party, his people will queue behind him.

The timely pronouncement of VISA ban from colonial homelands on some enemies of democracy in Nigeria also played huge role. United States of America portrays our politicians as immature in upholding the tenets of democracy through the machination of violence and arm-twisting of the instrumentality and organs of the state. Their parasitic nature does not only end at fostering bad leadership on the people, they also deny the people democractic dividends. The tragedy of the Nigerian political system is that the interest of the godfather(s), no matter how unpopular is foisted on the majority with grievous consequences on the Nigerian masses, who now live in abject poverty.

As expected, both parties (broom and umbrella) engaged in commodification of votes also known as vote buying to sway voters to their side. These wicked politicians reportedly purchased votes with N1,000, and above as the voting transactional market opened. The limited violence also indicated that the majority were with the incumbent otherwise, Edo election would have been characterised with violence like those experienced in Bayelsa and Kogi states. INEC and security agencies should also be commended for minimal interference.

The victory of Obaseki against team ‘Oshobourdillon’ shows their dispensability. Yoruba social thought unpacks the consequences of overrated relevance. Eni ti kiki re ko yoni, aiki re kopanilebi roughly translated to mean he whose salutations do not satisfy ones hunger, his lack of salutations do not make one hungry. It shows that these overrated godfathers misread local dynamics of Edo politics and may be banking on federal might to work for them. The defeat of Oshiomole and ‘saint’ Iyamu further affirmed the position of Yoruba when they say the tree which we lean and cannot support us, if it falls on us it cannot kill us (igi ti a fehinti tiko gbani duro, bi o wo luniko le pani). The Yoruba people equally nail it further that if the wild boar behaved like the domestic pig, it would ruin the town; if the slave were king no decent person would be left. These social thoughts unveil the characters of our politicians as egoistic in orientation and with little or no altruistic instinct to help the ruled. This is why they mingle and support similar characters like them.

The outcome of this election teaches us to be mindful of what we say against our opponents today because camps may change and it may become difficult to erase such definitive pronouncements. This message rings loud in the toxic statements made by Oshiomole about Ize Iyamu during the 2015 electioneering round (reproduced in the italicized caption preceding this piece for ease of reference). This is what Oshiomole and his battered candidate endured throughout their campaign. There is a sense in Robert Greene’s law 5 in his 48 Laws of power. It says “reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once it slips, however, you are vulnerable and will be attacked on all sides.”

Greene further posits that “make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let the public opinion tang them”. Team Obaseki unleashed this law on team “Oshobourdillon” who struggled in vain to right the wrongs. With this victory, Obaseki seriously needs to get to work for Edo people and learn from the mistakes of erstwhile leaders who have fallen due to overbearing attitude and overrated importance.

Dr Tade, a sociologist wrote via dotad2003@yahoo.com

By Oluwakemi Ishola 

•It is not true – Bako

An Akwa Ibom State indigene, Mr David Victor John, who was last week arrested, tortured and detained by an Assistant Director Security (ADS) in the state command, Ismaila Bako, over alleged  financial transaction with one Blessing Akpan David, a female operative, in the state command, has called on the Director General of the DSS, Yusuf Bichi, to save his life, due to several threats from Bako.

Speaking with Peesreporters, David, gave a graphic detail of how he was illegally arrested, tortured and detained for five days in the office on the orders of Mr Bako, based on a complaint to Bako by his lover, Blessing, that he refused to pay back the lone which he collected from Blessing.

According to David, ”  when I was arrested and brought before Bako, I agreed to pay back the loan instalmentally, I even produced 50,000 on that day, but Bako vehemently rejected the repayment plan, insisting that he wanted all the money paid at once and subsequently ordered my detention for 5 days without any legal backing.”

When asked why Blessing, whom he claimed to be his lover of years, could report what transpired between them to her boss, up to the level of being detained, if they were still together as lovers as he claimed, David stated in the affirmative, ” as we speak, we are still together. I invited her to my house yesterday and came though she did not enter my room. I wanted us to settle the matter. But I think what made her to behave that way, is that she got a call from one of my cousins, who told her that I was not serious about the relationship and was always collecting money from her to take care of another girl. Please sir, I am even scared of my life now because of the threats calls from unknown numbers since this matter came. I am scared. I am planning to relocate outside Akwa Ibom to anywhere that I would be safe.”

When contacted on the allegation of unlawful arrest, torture and detention and collection of debt leveled  against him by David, Bako said, ” It is not true. I don’t even know what you are talking about”.

When further confronted with an allegation that shortly after his discussion with this reporter, that he put up a call to David, charging him never to pick up any call from anybody, but should engage the call and get back to him and also told him to store his number with OGA, Bako retorted, ” Mr Journalist, why are you threatening me? I said I don’t even know the person you are talking about not to talk about having his number”.

Peesreporters is however in possession of the said audio conversation with David. It was further gathered that immediately after this reporter’s conversation with Bako, a threat SMS was sent to David warning him against saying anything to anybody on the matter via this number-07061204277.

In her reaction, via phone number 08063754994, the lady in the center of it all, Blessing, wanted to know the source of the allegation against Bako and when this reporter was not ready to divulge the source, she simply said,” Let me call you back.”

As at the time of going to press, Blessing was yet to call as promised and neither did she respond to further calls.

Similarly, calls to the Spokesperson for DSS, Mr Peter Afanang, on 08033156049 were not picked, neither was any reply given the SMS sent.

It was reliably gathered that Blessing is being pressured by Bako, to Petition the state police command and thereby shift the illegality to the domain of the police, using some highly compromised and pliant officers in the force.

Independent findings also revealed an alleged amorous relationship between Blessing and Bako, and that explained he decided to throw himself into the matter for alleged personal gains.

By Oluwakemi Ishola 

After series of consultation with his political associates, leaders and supporters across the 33 local government of Oyo state, the Ajia Balogun Olubadan, Chief Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke has officially announced his membership of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Adegoke, a Senatorial hopeful made the announcement on Sunday while addressing his teeming supporters who throng to his office to express their fear and concern over a fake news that he is in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While thanking his supporters for their concern over the rumours, Ajia Balogun Olubadan sues for calm, saying there is no cause for alarm as he remains fully a member of APC in the State.

It could be recalled that Adegoke contested for House of Representatives to represent Ibadan South-West/North West Federal constituency under the platform of Accord Party (AP) in 2015.

He was also part of those who worked for the emergence of this present administration under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state.

Recently, he has been sighted at various reconciliation meetings of APC in the state before the fake news filter the ground few days ago.

According to him, “Few days ago there was a fake news story that I, Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke has decided to stay back in the PDP.

“Nothing could be far from the truth. I am in APC 100% and will remain in APC. Please disregard any rumors or fake news. Just be calm, there is no cause for alarm as victory is certain by His Grace”.

His supporters were seen in joyous mood after he addressed them and assuring them of his staying in the APC.