Obasanjo, Yar’adua, Jonathan Ruined Power Sector – Osinbajo

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday attributed the deplorable power situation in the country to dubious awards of contracts by previous administrations. Various contracts for power projects were awarded by the administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan over the last 16 years.

Under Obasanjo, a probe of the power sector by the House of Representatives ended on a controversial note. Osinbajo, who made the declaration in Abeokuta, said large-scale corrupt practices in the contract awards for power generation, distribution and transmission were responsible for the collapse of the sector. He said these while delivering a lecture titled, ‘Nigerian economy and the future’ at the 10th anniversary of Crescent University, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The Vice-President, who stated that several billions of dollars had been invested in Nigeria’s power sector over the years, declared that the sector needs total overhauling to stabilise and boost the nation’s dwindling economy.

According to him, Nigeria needs more than 10,000 megawatts to stabilise economic growth but the current capacity of power transmission lines cannot distribute more than 5,000 megawatts. Osinbajo said, “Unfaithfulness to awards of contracts and execution of contracts being awarded are the major challenges. Several contracts in that regards have been awarded several years back but have not been completed.

“What is being produced now is less than 3,000 MW. Our transmission grid today can only transmit 5,000 MW and we need to improve on transmission capacity to transmit enough power needed to stabilise economy.
That is why private investors have to increase capital investment in power sector.” He said the 10 per cent Gross Domestic Product promised by President Muhammadu Buhari during the campaign can only be realised with significant improvement in the power sector.

The vice-president noted that the non-availability of gas had adversely affected power supply but assured that the Federal Government would ensure the completion of gas pipelines that had been abandoned for years. Osinbajo, who said the current power sector privatisation covers only the distribution aspect, noted that the All Progressives Congress-led administration would consider the privatisation of power transmission which is still under the control of the Federal Government.

He assured that government would ensure maximum protection of pipelines in order to improve the power situation in the country, adding that transparency would be the Buhari-led administration’s watchword. He, however, hinted that some tough decisions would have to be taken to put the country back on track in line with the APC’s manifestos.
He said, “Insurgency and instability of government are major setbacks, especially in the agricultural sector. Agriculture contributes 24 per cent to Nigeria GDP but the 24 percent is under threat because of the insurgency in the North- East.

“The militancy in the south has also reduced oil production significantly and that is why any form of extremism must be put down not only because of the economy but for the unity and peace of the country and that is why all the recent initiatives are important because we must deal with the question of economy. “In the petroleum sector, vandalism also contributes in no small measure to the drop in the output of the sector. 400, 000 barrels are stolen on daily basis while countries like Ghana only survive on less than 150, 000 barrels.

Ondo kidnappers who sell human parts

Sometime, three years ago, the  head of Ago Oyinbo Community in Okitipupa area of Ondo State, Chief Moyebbi Okeowo, met about 15 persons  under the guise that they were movie producers looking for a remote community to shoot a  film.

The village head volunteered a place for them and even personally spoke with the owner of one of the abandoned mud houses to allow the supposed producers carry out their film shooting.

After six months, the visitors came back to the village head to show him some film  scenes supposedly  done while in the community.

*Chief Okeowo

Okeowo  bought their story, hook, line and sinker.

However, the visitors  had an ulterior motive and the actual reason they chose the community was because it was remotely located and would not  attract attention to them.

For three years, they had a field day carrying out their activities.

The cat was reportedly let out of the bag when some youths discovered stench.

It was gathered that the youths, still not suspecting    any foul play, thought some villagers might have defecated  to warrant the offensive odour.

However, some days later, a report was lodged by a  youth that when he came out of his house at about 2am one particular day, he saw some elderly persons dragging a man into the building used by the supposed movie producers

He was reported to have claimed  that when he saw the people struggling to drag  the man into the building, he thought it was part of the said film they were in the community to shoot.

According to a police source, the youth  became curious when he did not see anybody carrying a camera and t hat it was still dark and that the person was blindfolded.

The following day, villages youths mobilised  and invaded the building.

Irked by what they saw, the youths pulled down the  mud building while six suspects were  later arrested.

Hell was let loose  as the youths went wild and protested even to neighbouring communities looking for some of the people living in the building who had escaped.

The youths reportedly dragged the community head and other elders to the scene.

It was later learnt that the mud house had been converted to a kidnappers’ den by the fake movie producers.

*The demolished ‘shrine’

*Items recovered from the ‘shrine’

It turned out that those who came to see Okeowo three years ago belonged to a syndicate which kidnapped people and butchered them  to sell  the  parts to buyers.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that  their mode of operation was that when a victim is kidnapped, he is brought to the den. A source familiar with the case said if  negotiation with the family of the abducted person turned unsatisfactory, the victim would be slaughtered and the parts sold  to buyers.

Items reportedly found at the site, located few kilometres from Benin-Ore-Ijebu-Ode Expressway, included cow horns, different types of clothes reportedly belonging to victims of the alleged kidnappers, palm fronds, bottles of gin, calabashes, and, ‘Ghana must go’ bags.

The community head of the Ago Oyinbo, Okeowo, while speaking with Sunday Vanguard,  said that the den came to being in 2012 when the suspects came to him to beg for space in the village which they wanted to use as location to shoot film.

On the request, the community head said he instructed somebody to take the people to the owner of the land.

Okeowo said: “When they came to me to beg for a piece of land to shoot their film, I told them I was not the owner of the land and I took them to the brother of the landlord of the land who then took them to the wife of the landlord in Akure.

“ So I learnt they were authorised by the wife of the landlord.

“When I did not know what they were using the land for, I told their leader to go and report their activities to the police and he later informed me

that he had done so.”

The community head stated that he was unaware of the nefarious activities of the suspects until he got the information that they were using human beings for sacrifice on the land.

Sunday Vanguard gathered that two security guards of a secondary school in the area were arrested by the police for conspiracy.

The Principal of Community Grammar

School, Kajola , Mr Joseph Edosama, confirmed that two of his security guards had been arrested for conspiring with the suspected kidnappers .

Ondo State police authorities frowned at the activities of the suspects in the community for three years. The police spokesperson in the state, DSP Wole Ogodo, said the authorities were informed by the Duty Officer at Aiyetoro that some youths arrested six suspected kidnappers/ ritualists.

The police spokesman gave the name of the arrested suspects as Omotayo Kayode, Stephen Adeyoki, Morokole Kolawole, Fasola Salami, Adeboye Olutemi and Ayelabola Mariam.  Ogodo said the suspects had been moved to the police headquarters in Akure, the state capital,  because of the sensitive nature of the crime while investigation had commenced.

‘I have forgiven those who attempted to kill me’

IT was joy unspeakable as family members, church members and colleague from the Labour confraternity converged at the St. Joseph’s Chosen Church of God, SJCCG, Cardoso Street, Kirikiri Town last Sunday for Vanguard’s Assistant Labour Editor, Mr. Victor Ahiuma-Young’s thanksgiving service.

Factional president of the Nigeriia Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, Comrade Issa Aremu, Labour writers, members of the Vanguard family, Pastor Victor Munzuni who representated the Spiritual leader, Apostle Hayford Alile were all held spellbound when Mr. Ahima-Young narrated his ordeal at the hands of two hoodlums who almost snuffed life out of him in Lagos.

Ahiuma-Young was attacked by gunmen shortly after leaving a bank at Sadiku Bus Stop along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway where he had gone to withdraw some money. Church members heartily sang melodious choruses and danced to appreciate God who spared the life of their harvest committee chairman.

Extending his sincere gratitude to all church who stood by him during the trying period, Ahiuma-Young prayed Almighty God not to reward them all for their labour of love, saying: “Continue to pray with us and I know that the Almighty God will surely perfect that which He has started in my family’s life.”

My Story

“Brothers and sisters, you are seeing a living miracle. For those who have been looking for miracle, I am one. God is good and nothing happens without His knowledge. Sometimes certain things happen in our life to teach us a lesson.

The thanskgiving service for Mr Victor Ahiuma-Young, Asst Labour Editor Vanguard Newspapers who was shot by gunmen along the Apapa Oshodi Expressway was held at the St Joseph Chosen Church of God, Kirikiri town in Lagos, yesterday.Left Elder Phillips Ogbonna,Father General, Mr Victor Ahiuma-Young, celebrator and Comrade Joe Ajaero, factional President NLC at the occasion. Photo: Biodun Ogunleye

“On April 21, 2015 at about 10.00 am, I went to make some transaction in one of the banks. I left the bank and went to a nearby newspaper stand to buy a copy of the day’s Vanguard Newspaper and suddenly I heard a gunshot. I never knew I was the target and everyone around me started running but I heard a faint voice that said; “Give me that money.”

As I turned to look at the person, he shot my thigh but I did not feel a pain. Immediately he fired the second one, the guy moved and I thought   he wanted to run away because I felt no pain. I picked a stone and hauled it at him and he shot the third time which hit one of my fingers. Then I felt as if rain was falling on me and noticed that my thigh has been soaked with blood and started appealing to those around to take me to a hospital but they all ran. I was bleeding profusely and the people were just looking at me.

“The gunshots were at very close range. Since those around the scene refused to help me, I moved with all the strength in me to a nearby hospital and there the blood was stabilised and my wife and others arranged to remove the pellets from my body. Thirteen pellets were removed.

“I am saying all these for us to know that when God wants to work, anything is possible. It is only those who saw the photograph that can really explain the extent of the gunshot at my back. I had an injury around my testicle and if you put a finger inside it, it will pass through but God was so kind that it did not pass through my body. The injury was so deep that when I saw it, I was scared.

“Two weeks before the incidence, there was crisis in the Nigeria Labour Congress where elections were held and some people wanted to change the will of God and they believe that some of us were working against them. But since the person that attacked me asked for money, that is why I ruled out case of assassin.

“Two weeks after the incidence, someone was shot but he did not survive the gun shot and I now know more that God is good. I did not know why He loves my family. But I can prove to the world that God is real, He is alive and He will continue to dwell in our life. “Also I learnt something from our father-general when he came to visit me. While praying he made a statement that we have forgiven those who shot me but they must repent. However, before then, I used to say that they must die before the end of this year, today, I kneel on this altar to say that I have forgiven those who shot me and I plead and pray that they should repent and if they fail to repent God knows what to do.”

Mr. Ahiuma-Young’s wife, Mrs. Charity Ahiuma-Young narrated how she received revelation concerning the incidence and prayed against its occurrence in the family, saying it was God’s intervention and grace that saved her from becoming a widow.

“When I received the revelation, I immediately prayed against it. I used to hear a voice that was asking me what I would do if I lose my husband and immediately I rebuked the voice saying no, my husband will not die. I thank God that He revealed the plan of the enemies. I am more than grateful.”

Pastor Victor Munzuni who represented the Spiritual leader, Apostle Hayford Alile, had this to say: “May the name of the Lord be blessed for what He did in the life of our brother. Before the incidence, a Christian sister called that we should pray against the devil’s plan to take a member of the church which will make the celebration sour and we got this revelation in Osopa London. We prayed against the evil occurrence and when I received the call, I was shocked. “When I came and he showed me the pictures, what came to my mind was that it was an assassination plot disguised as robbery. We will not relent in praying for him because people perpetrating evil will want to be after the people doing his kind of job since they know that they will expose them.”

Why Buhari Is Yet To Choose Ministers; The Jonathan's Connection — Garba Shehu

Amid public outcry over President Muhammadu Buhari’s delay in announcing his choice of ministers, the Presidency has begged Nigerians to be patient.

Shortly before his May 29 inauguration, Buhari had reportedly rejected plans by governors of the All Progressives Congress the party leadership in the states to submit ministerial nominees to him.

The Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media, Garba Shehu, in an interview with Sahara TV on Saturday, argued against comparing Buhari’s government to such states as Kaduna and Rivers, which have appointed some commissioners.

According to Shehu, following the 2011 elections, many South-West governors took several months to form their governments.

He said, “The President did say he would hit the ground running, but he has not been given the chance to hit the ground running because the administration that he succeeded — the Jonathan administration — did not deliver the handover notes until two or three days to the inauguration, meaning that these handover notes were submitted at a time when everyone had been consumed by (inauguration) activities.

“Unfortunately, there was no time to look at them until after the President had been inaugurated. The President was left in the dark. He had to understand what the situation was and what was on the ground. That was why he set up a different transition committee. It was only this week that the committee, led by Dr. Ahmed Joga, scrutinised the handover notes and handed over the report to him (Buhari).

“To be fair to him, he would have hit the ground running if the previous government had handed over the notes early. However, the Jonathan government did not even permit any minister to interact in any way with the Buhari Transition Committee. Evidently, we had our hands tied behind our backs until we took over. Thus, there is nothing shady about it.”

Shehu explained that the ministerial appointments had yet to be made because the committee needed to conclude its findings first, an 800-page report of which was presented to Buhari on Friday.

On Wednesday, there was speculation that the Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was prevented from attending Buhari’s meeting with the National Security Adviser on the orders of the President.

The Vice-President was reportedly denied security clearance to attend the meeting because of security reasons by the President.

In his response, the SSA said, “That is the creation of someone who just wanted to write something. It was on the same day he travelled to Sudan to represent the President, the government and the people of Nigeria at the inauguration of the president of that country.

“He couldn’t have been present in two places at the same time. Osinbajo is the Vice-President of Nigeria. In the absence of the President, he is the President. So, there cannot be dark corners into which he will not be allowed. It is not true.”

Speaking on the National Assembly crisis, the presidential spokesperson expressed conviction that the party with the majority, the All Progressives Congress, and the opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, would coexist harmoniously.

On Tuesday, against the directive of the APC, Senator Bukola Saraki was elected unopposed as President of the 8th Senate. Fifty-one senators, include the party’s preferred candidate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, were absent. Saraki and Lawan have been engaged in a fierce contest to clinch the Senate top job.

The other senators were at the International Conference Centre, on the invitation of Buhari, who had called the meeting to resolve the National Assembly leadership crisis, at the time Saraki was declared Senate President.

Speculation had trailed Buhari’s absence at a peace meeting, with some arguing that Buhari favoured Saraki.

However, Shehu said, “It is a matter of courtesy that the office of the President would be given that respect. The PDP, which issued a statement saying the delay had embarrassed the country, should be asked: How many times have they suspended the plenary of the National Assembly, either the Senate or the House of Representatives, to go into the PDP caucus?

“A party needs to meet to organise itself and it can’t be taken for granted. Buhari could not have failed in wanting to meet his party members in order to convey an important message to them. And he has not allowed that chance because at the time when he was setting out to go, the National Assembly they had begun voting, hence the mission was aborted.

“The fact that he said he would work with the National Assembly (leadership) is consistent with his position as a principled democrat. It is a body recognised by law that is independent of his control. He cannot control them. They carried out a constitutional process and he will work with them.”

Toke Makinwa's Husband Impregnates Ex Girlfriend

Toke Makinwa's darling husband Maje Ayida has impregnated his ex girlfriend Anita Solomon and Anita is currently in the UK to birth their child.
According to insiders Anita who is Half Lebanese,half Calabar,lawyer and runs a beauty salon in Calabar has been in a relationship with Maje for the past 8years but broke off with her briefly to get married to Toke.

The insiders say that Maje who is the sole sponsor of her multi million salon in Calabar has been making trips to the state to visit her.


READ: Nigerians Drag Annie Idibia into the Toke Makinwa Mess 


I made calls to confirm the status of this story and my informant says

''Stella it's so true!!!!!!!! 100% confirmed. Anita is in UK to have Maje's baby. I visited her Aunty and they confirmed she's pregnant for a married man from Delta,one Maje.They are so disappointed in her because he left her and got married to Toke and came back to side chick her.Family say they dated for about 8years....''
I hear that Maje has allegedly confessed to Toke and begged for forgiveness but i do not know what goes on after that....

I am so broken by this news and i dont know what else to add....

So so so so disappointed and angry, so shocked ......feel so bad for TokeToke

Missteps that altered APC’s NASS agenda

Saraki and Dogora

Senator Bukola Saraki and Yusuf Dogara emerged as the leaders of the 8th National Assembly against the will of their party.FISAYO FALODI, in this piece, writes about the tactical missteps that disrupted the ruling party’s agenda

The emergence of Dr. Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker of the 8th National Assembly came to many people as a surprise. Interestingly, the development defied the calculation of the ruling All Progressives Congress, which has its preferred candidates for the positions.

The APC has majority of seats in the two chambers of parliament.

The race for the leadership of the 8th National Assembly started not long after the APC was declared winner of the March 28 presidential election. As expected, the race led to the formation of various interest groups within the party with each group scrambling to get what it considered the best for it.

The groups’ decision was reinforced by President Muhammadu Buhari’s claim that he would rather prefer the National Assembly members to elect their leaders without any interference.

Interestingly, the now opposition Peoples Democratic Party cashed in on the situation to strategically position itself to gain lofty advantage over the APC, which was struggling to reach a consensus on the Assembly’s leadership. The decision culminated in the PDP’s adoption of Saraki and Dogara for the positions of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Assembly respectively. It therefore urged PDP members in the National Assembly to vote for the two men

But Tuesday’s emergence of Saraki and Dogara as leaders of the two legislative chambers shocked the APC which had initially selected Senators Ahmed Lawan and George Akume for the office of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively. A former Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Tahir Monguno, were also selected for the leadership of the House of Representatives as the party’s preferred candidates in a mock election it conducted in Abuja last Saturday.

Saraki, who had initially boycotted the mock election even after signing an agreement earlier in the day with the Lawan group to abide by the outcome of the poll, was said to have continued his intensive lobbying of the PDP lawmakers in the National Assembly for support. Dogara participated in the mock poll, but scored three votes against Gbajabiamila’s 154. Explaining why it boycotted the shadow election, the Saraki’s group, popularly called Like Minds, said it took the decision because of the open ballot system the APC leaders adopted for the process.

The group said in a statement that the option was primitive and undemocratic. It said it “shall not be part of a process that promotes undemocratic electoral process that may result in rancorous and uncivil situation which inhibits the rights of individuals to vote for their choice.”

True to its word, the Saraki’s group boycotted the shadow election while the 8th Assembly Consolidation Group, the assemblage of lawmakers that promoted Dogara’s interest, also walked out of the venue with determination to present their candidates for the leadership of the two chambers of the National Assembly.

Their tactics paid off when the two groups won elections to lead the National Assembly. Saraki was unanimously elected as the Senate President by 57 senators present at the session when the 51 others were at another venue waiting for a meeting with the leadership of the APC. The meeting never held. Analysts have also said that even if Lawan’s supporters had been on the floor of the Senate for the poll, they would have lost. support, the PDP senators were rewarded with the position of the Deputy Senate President which Senator Ike Ekweremadu retained for the third time instead of Senator Ali Ndume, who had also indicated interest in the office of the Senate Deputy President.

Also, the victory of Dogara in the keenly contested election with Gbajabiamila equally sprang a surprise as it stopped the APC’s preferred candidate from assuming the leadership of the House.

As expected, the outcome of the elections, after weeks of horse-trading and lobbying by the two principal officers of the National Assembly, did not go down well with the APC. The party, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, rejected Saraki and Dogara and described the process that threw them up as unacceptable and treacherous.

The party said, “Senator Bukola and Hon. Dogara are not the candidates of the APC. The party duly met and conducted a straw poll and clear candidates emerged for the posts of Senate President, Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, supported by a majority of all senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives. All National Assembly members-elect who emerged on the platform of the party are bound by that decision. The party is supreme and its interest is superior to that of its individual members.”

But the PDP saw the emergence of the two principal officers differently. The party said their elections underscored the fact that no section of the country should be neglected in national issues. It said in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, that the emergence of the two leaders was victory for the nation’s democracy.

Though the decision of the APC to downplay the zoning of the positions of the Senate President and Speaker; alleged overbearing posture of the party’s national leaders; failure of the party to bring together all the interest groups within it; and Buhari’s aloofness on the choice of the party’s candidates were cited by observers as some of the factors that worked against the APC’s candidates, watchers of political events described the emergence of the new National Assembly leaders as very interesting. They nevertheless raised fundamental issues that political parties, including the APC should imbibe for them to remain relevant.

The KOWA Party presidential candidate in the last election, Prof. Oluremi Sanaiya, is of the view that too much interference by the APC prevented the party from achieving its plan. She particularly asked the party to deemphasise selection of leaders by allowing the people to exercise the freedom to make their choice.

She said, “We need political parties that will operate according to the best global practices. I believe that it is good to allow members of the National Assembly to decide who their leaders will be without too much interference from their political parties. The emergence of Saraki and Dogara as the President and Speaker of the National Assembly should serve as an important lesson for us to learn.

“Fighting within political parties with diverse interest groups might not be the best for us in this country and I am afraid that this is what has started to be playing out now. The people are beginning to talk about slowness in the pace of activities in the new government that the country has now.”

Sonaiya, however, raised concern that the special interests might hamper the speed with which the newly elected President could deliver governance and move the country forward.

She said, “We need political parties that are not tied to special interest of certain individuals. Let Nigerians be smart and begin to give themselves a different set of paradigms.”

Also, an elder statesman and former governor of old Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa, believes that the senators and members of the House of Representatives elected their leaders according to the law, saying it would be unfortunate if anyone would want to disagree with the lawmakers’ decisions.

He said, “One thing I want to point out is that the way the Senate President and the Speaker were elected justified the need for the government of national unity because the APC-led government will need the support of the PDP senators to carry out its responsibilities. This definitely justifies the call for the government of national unity.

“The APC senators could not alone elect the Senate President and the APC members in the House of Representatives could not elect the Speaker without the support of their PDP colleagues. So, they should all work together for the development of the country. “The election of the Speaker and the Senate President followed democratic process and that should be understood by the APC. I know the party did not like the fact that its preferred candidates did not emerge as the leaders of the National Assembly, but the party has to accept the reality on the ground. The party should toe the path of the President who had indicated interest in working with the two men. That should be the guideline for the APC and its chieftains.”

The elder statesman, however, decried moves by the APC to sanction the National Assembly leaders, adding that such moves would not promote the interest of the country.

Musa said, “APC should rescind its decision to sanction Saraki and Dogara. Already the situation is tense; the party should desist from what will make the situation become worse.”

A social commentator, Mr. Taiwo Akinlami, was not surprised about the outcome of the inauguration and the emergence of the leaders of the 8th Assembly. He said the APC, which is the amalgamation of different political parties, was characterised by various groups which wanted their interests protected.

Akinlami said, “When there are a lot of interests within a political party, it becomes difficult to aggregate them. Everybody will want his or her interest protected.”

He, however, demanded effective performance from the lawmakers, especially in the areas of assisting the executive to provide security for the citizens.

Kingmakers Appeal For Peace As Adejimi Emerges Ikere-Ekiti Monarch

WHEN His Royal Highness, the Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adegoke Adegboye, joined his ancestors on August 27, last year, little did the kingmakers know the Herculean task ahead in choosing his successor.

Though they envisaged no crisis, because the town has a rich tradition and established process of choosing a new monarch, which is by consulting the Ifa oracle, according to the tradition of the ancient town, and casting of votes by the kingmakers, but the events that followed the process proved them wrong.

Immediately after the mourning period of Oba Adegboye, who spent 43 years on the throne, a Regent, Princess Oyinlola Oye (Adegboye), was appointed in the interim and the kingmakers swung into action to search for the next person to wear the crown.

About 14 princes were said to have signified interest, but after a thorough screening, they were reduced to six.

The six candidates were subjected to Ifa oracle in the presence of the kingmakers, the Secretary to Ikere Council, two representatives of the three ruling houses- Akayejo, Ogbenuote and Agabaola- and supervised by the Ologotun of lkere-Ekiti, Chief Emmanuel Olajide, according to the tradition of the town.

The Ifa oracle was said to have picked Prince (Captain) Adu Emmanuel Adejimi as the best among the candidates for the stool.

But the kingmakers did not stop at that; they conducted oral interview for all the six candidates, perhaps to guide them in their voting.

Adejimi was said to have scored over 80 per cent, while the next candidate came a distant second with 53 per cent.

This must have informed the decision of 11 out of the 14 kingmakers that voted for Adejimi, while three cast their votes for Prince Oyebanji Olajuyin.

Curiously, the voting pattern did not cause any disagreement among the kingmakers, as 13 of them signed the letter to Adejimi to convey the message of his selection to him.

The letter dated March 5, this year and titled, ‘Selection as Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti,’ reads in part: “The Ikere kingmakers, after series of exercises in respect of the selection of the candidate to fill the vacant stool of Ogaga, have found you appointable to occupy the position based on the prediction from Ifa oracle that your regime will be peaceful and progressive, coupled with your success at the election conducted by 14 existing kingmakers in Ikere, which placed you far above other contestants.

“You are, therefore, being informed through this medium that in accordance with Ikere traditions, you have been selected to occupy the vacant stool of Ogoga by the kingmakers. Please accept our congratulations.”

The letter was signed by High Chiefs Omotoso JKM (Sao); E. O. Ayeni (Ologotun); S. O. Jayeola (Edemo Okekere); Gabriel Ajayi (Odunro); Foluso Olowolafe (Saya); Kayode Aregbe (Ekuosa Odo Oja); and Aniodun Sofin (Ekuasa Uro).

Others were M. S. (Dr.); Jayeola (Oisa Odo Oja); S. A. Daramola (Oisa Uro); M. A. Owoeye (Oisa Okekere); J. B Oluwafemi (Asae Odo Oja); I. O. Adeyemi (Asao Uro); and S. O. Oloro (Osolo Okekere). J. Oluwamusanmi (Ojomu) did not sign the letter.

And the Oba-elect had through his letter of March 6, this year, on behalf of Ogbenuote ruling house, thanked the kingmakers, saying: “It is, therefore, with utmost humility that I accept this honour and the accompanying responsibilities for peace and continuous progress of our common heritage.”

There was jubilation in the town immediately news filtered in that Adejimi had been chosen and many prominent indigenes applauded the transparency and painstaking methods the kingmakers adopted to arrive at the choice.

But hardly had the celebration died down that some people began to fault the process. The opposition that started from a faceless group in the town later grew wings to challenge the age-long traditional institution and made several attempts to cause chaos in the town.

Subsequently, a group of people claiming to represent the three ruling houses addressed a press conference and said the kingmakers erred in electing Adejimi, alleging that the Oba-elect was not from a ruling house.

They accused members of Ikere Development Forum (IDF), chaired by a former president of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Wole Olanipekun, of planning to foist Adejimi on the town, despite their stiff opposition to his candidacy.

A statement read by the spokesman of the protesters, Prince Ojo Ologundoye, said Adejimi would suffer immense eligibility crisis among the indigenes if he succeeds in his quest to become the next Ogoga.

Last Monday, some women held a peaceful protest, alleging plans by the state government, collaborating with the kingmakers, to impose Adejimi as the next monarch.

The women also alleged that most of the kingmakers have been compromised and expressed fear that should the process of selecting the Oba be subjected to voting, the right candidate might not emerge.

One of the protest leaders, Mrs. Funmi Adegbesan, said they were protesting against the decision to subject the selection process to election, which she said was against the tradition.

“We want them to commence the process afresh and they should consult the Ifa oracle. “We don’t want the Ogoga to be chosen through an election by the kingmakers, who have been compromised,” she said.

The Deputy Governor, Mr. Kolapo Olusola, who arrived the scene and calmed the protesting women, also appealed to them to maintain peace.

Olusola, who also met with the Regent and some chiefs, denied the allegation that the Ayo Fayose administration wanted to impose a candidate as the Ogoga, disclosing that neither he nor the governor has interest in who becomes the king, which is in the hands of the kingmakers, saying government cannot impose any of the candidate, but the law allows the kingmakers to use voting to choose the Ogoga-elect.

But 11 out of the 14 kingmakers that elected Adejimi rose stoutly to defend their choice, warning troublemakers to desist from causing unnecessary crisis in the town.

They insisted that the nomination of Adejimi to the state government followed due process and tradition of the town.

The kingmakers also debunked insinuations that the Ogoga-elect was not a member of any of the three ruling houses in the town, noting that his late father had once headed a lineage of Ogbenuote Ruling House.

They also claimed that the screening and selection process was carried out through the consultation of the Ifa oracle and voting in the presence of two representatives of each of the royal houses and a government representative.

They, therefore, urged Fayose to announce the result of the screening exercise presented to government in the interest of peace.

Addressing journalists in Ikere-Ekiti on the issue, with 10 other members in attendance, the head of the kingmakers and the Sao, Chief Omotosho James, said the opposition to the emergence of Adejimi was satanic and aimed at truncating the existing peace in the community for selfish reasons.

“Fighting a sacred war, which one has failed to win through the due process, by hiring the media is an insult to our tradition and this belittles our revered throne before the whole world.

“What do they actually want? The Ifa oracle was consulted in the presence of everyone. Out of the six contestants shortlisted, his ‘ifa’ was the best.

“To fulfill all righteousness, we went into voting and he got 11 votes, while Prince Oyebanji Olajuyin had three and others had no vote.

“If we are not authentic, how come they subjected themselves to be screened by us?”
he queried.

The head of Agirlala-Ogbenuote Ruling House, Chief Abioye Ojo (Atewologun), bluntly refuted the claim that the Oba-elect was not an offspring of the royal family.

“Those who are saying those things are either drunk or beclouded by their thirsts for office. Adejimi’s father was our family head around 1991.

“When his father died, the children presented to the family a live cow, which we all slaughtered and ate to celebrate his father in line with our tradition.

“If they have a genuine claim, why have they not raised this alarm before his emergence?”

ln the same vein, the Ologotun, Chief Emmanuel Olajide, who coordinated the Ifa oracle consultation, harped on the need to allow peace to reign in the town and the entire state.

“The whole exercise took place in my presence. The Secretary to the Local Government, Mr. Wale Olanipekun, the heads and secretaries of each ruling house were there. Everything was transparent,” he insisted.