Oyo Govt Closes Agodi Zoo.

The Oyo State Government has announced the immediate closure of Agodi Zoo.

The government said this decision is based on the report received from the company managing the Zoo, AM & C, that one of the lions at the Zoo had accidentally attacked one of the attendants, Mr. Hamzat Oyekunle popularly known as Baba Olorunwa, who later died from injuries sustained from the incident.

Meanwhile, the lions have been evacuated pending further investigations.

The government decision was contained in a statement at the weekend by the Executive Secretary, Bureau of Investment Promotion (BIP), Mr. Yinka Fatoki who expressed shock at the unfortunate incident.

He said that the incident is particularly surprising and sad as the said Mr. Oyekunle had fed the lion for over five years and was known to have had a very good relationship with all the animals in the zoo.

Meanwhile, government representatives have visited the family to commiserate with them over the demise of Mr. Oyekunle.    

Oyo Ex-LG Boss, Wasiu Olatubosun Loses Dad.

The former Caretaker Chairman, Ibadan North West Local Government, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun's father is dead. Olatunbosun, we gathered, this morning lost his father, Alh. Abdul-Rofil Olajire Olatubosun.

The deceased was a retired civil servant and virtuous community leader. He died at the ripe aged 86 and will be buried according to the Islamic rites by 4pm today, at his residence, Idikan, Ibadan.

Oyo Assures Of Speedy Rehabilitation Of Ado Awaye Suspended Lake. As Monarch Appreciates Ajimobi For Resolving 34 Years Obaship Crisis.

Oyo State Government has assured that the Ado Awaye Suspended lake will soon be rehabilitated, just as the Monarch of the town, Alado of Ado Awaye, Oba Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi appreciated the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi for resolving the 34year old crisis over Alado of Ado Awaye stool.

The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Toye Arulogun gave this assurance on Wednesday at the Palace of Alado of Ado Awaye during the mountaineering exercise to the suspended lake on Ado Awaye Hill (the second of the only two in the world apart from the one at Colorado US), as part of the activities marking the 2017 World Tourism day. 

The Commissioner, who led the management and officials of the Ministry, tourism stakeholders, local government staffers and some chiefs of the town on the Mountaineering exercise, stated that some corporate bodies and individuals have signified interest to partner with the state government to make the suspended lake a perfect tourist attraction. 

According to him, "we would have embarked on the turn around of Ado Awaye Suspended Lake and other tourist sites in the state but we are hindered by paucity of funds. We have advertised for expression of interest and we received positive responses which have been reviewed. We will soon invite those shortlisted for presentation and set the modus operandi for the rehabilitation of all the listed sites and monuments."

He assured that the cultural tourism sector will soon be a viable source of revenue for the government, emphasizing the government’s engagement of the Public Private Partnership platform. 

In his remarks, Oba Ademola Olugbile Folakanmi appreciated Governor Ajimobi for filling the stool of Alado of Ado Awaye in April 2017 after 34 years of vacancy.

He noted that the governor also fulfilled the aspirations of the sons and daughters of Ado Awaye with the creation of Araromi Local Council Development Area (LCDA), saying that the town had been longing to have a local council for the past 20 years.

Oba Folakanmi said, "the government and the governor of Oyo State deserve our appreciation. Governor Ajimobi filled the vacant stool of Alado of Ado Awaye after 34 years and he also created a LCDA for us which we had been clamoring for 20years. We want to also appreciate the government for its efforts to rehabilitate Ado Awaye Suspended Lake.

"Ado Awaye Suspended Lake is a world attraction for everyone. Ado Awaye is the centre of Oyo State as discovered during the regime of Gen. David Jemibewon (Rtd). We thank the government and the governor for promoting Ado Awaye and promise that we will continue to support government's programmes and activities," Oba Folakanmi explained.

Speaking, the Caretaker Chairman of Araromi LCDA, Barr. Eyitato Olakunle promised that the council will always make the town conducive and hospitable for tourists. 

Ajimobi Welcomes Kure As New Director Of DSS In Oyo State.

Oyo State chapter of the Department of State Service (DSS) has gotten a new Director. 

The Executive Governor of the state, Abiola Ajimobi on Tuesday hosted both outgoing and incoming Director(s) of DSSn while the duo paid him a courtesy visit. 

Messrs Yakubu Andrew and A.Y Kure are respected officers, who are known for diligent service in the force.

Oyo Commemorates World Tourism Day With Mountaineering.

The Oyo State Government on Tuesday said that activities marking the 2017 World Tourism Day will come up on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 with mountaineering at the Ado Awaye suspended lake which is one of the two lakes on the hill in the World.  

The government said the climax of the one day activities is the mountaineering of the 246 steps Ado Awaye hill at Ado Awaye suspended lake, Iseyin.

The State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism Mr Toye Arulogun said that Stakeholders in the Tourism industries, media and general public are expected to be part of the tourism adventure which is being used to mark the 2017 World Tourism Day with the theme: Sustainable Tourism, A Tool for Development.

He stated that the highlights of the one-day event will include a trip to Ado -Awaye lake, performance by Oyo State Cultural Troupe, picnicking, music, comedy and prizes for the top 3 climbers.  

Arulogun noted that participants at the mountaineering will discuss how tourism can be used for sustainable development, stressing that tourism is a viable alternative to oil and other sources of revenue generation in the country.

The Commissioner urged all stakeholders in the tourism industry to partner with the state government in order to make the sector a catalyst for positive change.

Arulogun said “We need to make our tourism sites attractive for the people and that is the why we have decided to promote our domestic tourism. We need to keep our currency in the country. Our philosophy is to identify, package and promote our tourist attractions.”  

Attack On Olubadan's Palace: Brigandage Gone Too Far--Seyi Makinde.

A chieftain of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde has described the attack on the Olubadan of Ibadan's palace, on Monday 26th Sep, 2017, as brigandage of unprecedented proportion.

Engr. Makinde revealed that he was shell shocked and embarrassed by calls from eminent Nigerians, calling his attention to the fact that his hometown, Ibadan, has been in the news in recent times but for the wrong albeit avoidable reasons.

Engr. Makinde revealed that in his over 40 years of life as an indigene of Ibadan, he had never heard of when an Olubadan's palace was attacked. In Yoruba land, palaces are sacred places and it is anathemic to attack them by any right thinking person. Engr. Makinde remembered that even during Yoruba civil war in the 19th century, Ibadan is known as a power centre and defender of Yoruba territorial integrity and queried why and how we found ourselves in this mess that spits in the face of our heritage.

He opined that if a government that prides itself as harbinger of peace in its sixth year of running the state can be caught napping while hoodlums attack a revered palace during a traditional ceremony and event, then such government needs to be challenged on the claimed billions purportedly spent to maintain law and order. The recent allegations and the EFCC's intervention on the corruption issue that the Oyo state APC government spent over N300m to fight supposed Boko Haram invasion then becomes more questionable.

He called on people of the state to rise to the occasion because such incident should not be swept under the carpet whilst demanding for thorough investigation that will bring to justice the perpetrators.

How Ex-Oyo S.S.G, Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli Escapes Gun Shots At Olubadan's Palace.

It was a serious pandemonium  this morning as hoodlums believed to be loyal to the Oyo State Government Stormed Olubadan of Ibadanland Oba Saliu Adetunji's palace, to disrupt the monarch's plans of installing some Baales in Ibadan.

According to the information available to us, former Secretary to the State Government, and Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli and some other notable personalities, who had gone on solidarity visit to Olubadan when the incident happened, escaped gun shots fired by the said hoodlums. They were to have been shot at directly. Sarafadeen we gathered was sitting at the back of his Black Toyota Land Cruiser Jeep with registration number (EPE447ER) when they opened fired on the vehicle. Bullets however penetrated the backside screen but Alli escaped.

Reacting to the incident, through a phone call, Barr. Alli said he is not accusing anyone but felt those against Olubadan's move to install some Baales must be behind the attack. "I have no one in mind but those people against Olubadan's plan to install some Baales must definitely be behind the attack", Alli submitted.

It will be recalled that the Olubadan, Oba Saliu Adetunji Aje Ogunguniso 1and the state's governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi have been on loggerheads for sometimes now, their feud is based on the 1959 Olubadan chieftaincy declaration, which was recently reviewed by the state government. This obviously didn't go down well with Olubadan and his loyalists.

   

SUKKUK Issuance: Unconstitutional, It Is Selling Nigeria Through The Back Door - CAN.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has once again reacted to the purported planning of Federal Government to introduce SUKKUK. The association made its stand known through a press release signed by the General Secretary, Rev. Dr. Musa Asake.

Below is full text of the release:

CAN  is compelled to raise a petition and protest against the unrelenting plan of the Federal Government of Nigeria to introduce Islamic financing into a secular state in violation of Section 10 of the Constitution.

According to this section in the Constitution, the Nigerian State is Secular and Government is expected to be neutral on issues involving religion. By promoting a sectional religious financial policy, the Government is violating both the spirit and the letter of Section 10 of the Constitution.

The Christian Association of Nigeria has been protesting against this aberration since the Osun State Government, under Governor Rafiu Aregbesola embarked on this violation of the Constitution. Rather than stand in the defense of the Constitution, it is disappointing to note that the Federal Government, is pursuing what is out rightly a confirmation of an Islamization Agenda.

The recent floating of Sukkuk Bond by the Federal Government is not only sectional but illegal and a violation of the Constitution. Every law that has been promulgated to back the Sukkuk issuance and promote an Islamic banking system in Nigeria is ultra vires, illegal, null and void.

Islamic finance is financing which conforms to the doctrines of the Islamic law known as “Shari’a”. The sources of Shari’a (in hierarchical order) are as follows:

(1). The Qur’an; (2). Sunna (the teachings and practices of The Prophet Muhammad); and (3). Ijtihad and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).

There has never been a time that Nigerians held a Referendum or convened a Constituent Assembly that passed a resolution that the nation has transmuted into an Islamic State.

Therefore, the manipulations and scheming to smuggle the country into a full blown Islamic state should stop. These manipulations became apparent with the smuggling of Nigeria into OIC in 1986, by the Ibrahim Babangida Military junta.

BJECTIONS

Our objections to the Sukkuk Bond and all forms of Islamic financing are as follows:

1. Funds raised under Sukkuk MUST be used for Shariah compliant (halal) activities. Nigeria is not a Sharia compliant nation, it is a Democratic country. Nigeria cannot operate two National Ideologies.

2. The Sukkuk shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as well as the Islamic Law of Mu’amalatmaliyyah. We insist that there cannot be two laws for one nation.

3. Sukkuk is ASSET BASED banking system unlike the conventional banking that is ASSET BACKED. While under the conventional banking system, the borrower provides collateral to back the loan and retrieves his asset after the loan is redeemed, under Sukkuk, the loan is BASED on an asset which is land and irredeemable. The Sukkuk holder (lender) accepts land as asset on which the loan is based. At no time does the title pass to the customer, nor is it expected to pass. If the customer wishes to retrieve his asset at a later date, a separate agreement has to be drawn up. This in our view, is a sly and treacherous attempt to sell Nigeria to Arab Islamic Nations. It infringes on the sovereignty of Nigeria as the loan giver becomes part owner of the land of the receiver.

4. The operation of Sukkuk is based on Islamic value system and Sharia Jurisprudence. This makes Sukkuk unconstitutional.

5. The IMF says that the issuance of Sukkuk by non-Islamic states/countries is a breach of the religious neutrality of the government of such state.

ONCLUSION

The Federal Government must dismantle all legal and institutional framework established to promote Islamic Financing in Nigeria. The NEW RULES/AMENDMENTS TO THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION, Section 313(6) of the Investments and Securities Act 2007, and all other forms of law guiding operation of Sukkuk issuance in Nigeria should be repealed, forthwith.

In the alternative, legal redress willl be sought to defend the Sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nigeria if the National Assembly failed to checkmate the Executive on this unconstititional action.

e affirm that the territorial integrity of Nigeria is undermined through the issuance of Sukkuk in the country. We hope that the Federal Government shall desist in its policies of unbridled religious sectionalism.

North Korea Shades Trump Over Threath To Destroy The Country.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to totally destroy North Korea has been dismissed by a North Korean organ as an ‘impotent’ threat.

In a tweet by the country’s news agency, DPRK, News Service, Trump’s threat was likened to “the twitchings of a dog licking its flea-riddled scrotum”.

The tweet also described Trump as an ”international shouting magnate”.

Trump in his first speech at the United Nations General Assembly had called North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un a rocket man on a suicide mission, adding that the United States will totally destroy the country  if it fails to stop its nuclear programme.

Loud murmurs filled the green-marbled U.N. General Assembly hall when Trump issued his sternest warning yet to North Korea, whose ballistic missile launches and nuclear tests have rattled the globe.

Unless North Korea backs down, he said, “We will have no choice than to totally destroy North Korea.”

“Rocket man is on a suicide mission for himself and his regime,” he said.

North Korea’s mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.

A junior North Korean diplomat remained in the delegation’s front-row seat for Trump’s speech, the North Korean U.N. mission said.

In his first appearance at the annual gathering of world leaders, the president used a 41-minute speech to take aim also at Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional influence, Venezuela’s collapsing democracy and the threat of Islamist extremists.

He also criticized the Cuban government.

But his strongest words were directed at North Korea. He urged United Nations member states to work together to isolate the Kim government until it ceases its “hostile” behaviour.

He said North Korea’s pursuit of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles “threatens the entire world with unthinkable cost of human life.”

In what may have been a veiled prod at China, the North’s major trading partner, Trump said: “It is an outrage that some nations would not only trade with such a regime but would arm, supply and financially support a country that imperils the world with nuclear conflict.”

Turning to Iran, Trump called the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated by his predecessor, Barack Obama, was an embarrassment and hinted that he may not recertify the agreement when it comes up for a mid-October deadline.

“I don’t think you’ve heard the last of it,” he said.

He called Iran an “economically depleted rogue state” that exports violence.

The speech marked his latest attempt to lay out his America First vision for a U.S. foreign policy aimed at downgrading global bureaucracies, basing alliances on shared interests, and steering Washington away from nation-building exercises abroad.

Trump, who entered the White House eight months ago, told world leaders at the 193-member global body that the United States does not seek to impose its will on other nations and will respect other countries’ sovereignty.

“I will defend America’s interests above all else,” he said. “But in fulfilling our obligations to other nations we also realize it’s in everyone’s interest to seek a future where all nations can be sovereign, prosperous and secure.”

Credit: NAN

Read President Buhari's Speech At 72nd UN General Assembly.

Mr. President,

Fellow Heads of State and Government,

Mr. Secretary-General,

Distinguished Delegates,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

On behalf of my country, Nigeria, I congratulate you Mr. President on your election and Mr. Gutteres on his first General Assembly outing as our Secretary-General. I assure you both of my country’s solidarity and cooperation. You will indeed need the cooperation of all member States as we are meeting during extra-ordinarily troubled and dangerous times. Let me also thank former Secretary-General Mr. Ban ki Moon for his service to the United Nations and wish him peaceful retirement.

Mr. President,

2. The previous year has witnessed many far-reaching developments. Some of the most significant events include the Iran Nuclear Deal, the Paris Climate Change Agreement and, of grave concern, the North Korean nuclear crisis.

Mr. President,

3. I must also commend the UN’s role in helping to settle thousands of innocent civilians caught in the conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In particular, we must collectively thank the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany under the commendable leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Governments of Italy, Greece and Turkey for assisting hundreds of thousands of refugees.

4. In an exemplary show of solidarity, the international community came together within my own region to assist the countries and communities in the Sahel and the Lake Chad regions to contain the threats posed by Al Qaida and Boko Haram.

5. We thank the Security Council for visiting the countries of the Lake Chad Basin to assess the security situation and humanitarian needs, and for pledging assistance to rebuild lives and livelihoods. Indeed, in Nigeria we are providing relief and humanitarian assistance to millions in camps and those afflicted by terrorism, drought, floods and other natural disasters.

6. In the last year, the international community came together to focus on the need for gender equality, youth empowerment, social inclusion, and the promotion of education, creativity and innovation. The frontiers of good governance, democracy including holding free and fair elections, and enthronement of the rule of law are expanding everywhere, especially in Africa.

7. Our faith in democracy remains firm and unshaken. Our regional organisation ECOWAS came together to uphold democratic principles in The Gambia – as we had done previously in Cote D’Ivoire.

8. Through our individual national efforts, state institutions are being strengthened to promote accountability, and to combat corruption and asset recovery. These can only be achieved through the international community cooperating and providing critical assistance and material support. We shall also cooperate in addressing the growing transnational crimes such as forced labour, modern day slavery, human trafficking and cybercrime.

Mr. President,

9. These cooperative efforts should be sustained. We must collectively devise strategies and mobilise the required responses to stop fleeing ISIS fighters from mutating and infiltrating into the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, where there are insufficient resources and response capacity is weak.

10. This will require strong UN cooperation with regional organisations, such as the African Union, in conflict prevention and management. The UN should continue to take primary leadership of the maintenance of international peace and security by providing, in a predictable and sustainable manner, adequate funding and other enablers to regional initiatives and peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council.

Mr. President,

11. New conflicts should not make us lose focus on ongoing unresolved old conflicts. For example, several UN Security Council Resolutions from 1967 on the Middle East crisis remain unimplemented. Meanwhile, the suffering of the Palestinian people and the blockade of Gaza continue.

12. Additionally, we are now confronted by the desperate human rights and humanitarian situations in Yemen and most tragically in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. The Myanmar crisis is very reminiscent of what happened in Bosnia in 1995 and in Rwanda in 1994.

13. The international community cannot remain silent and not condemn the horrendous suffering caused by what, from all indications is a state-backed programme of brutal depopulation of the Rohingya inhabited areas in Myanmar on the bases of ethnicity and religion. We fully endorse the call by the Secretary-General on the Government of Myanmar to order a halt to the ongoing ethnic cleansing and ensure the safe return of the displaced Rohingya to their homes in safety and dignity.

14. In all these crises, the primary victims are the people, the most vulnerable being women and children. That is why the theme of this session: Focusing on People: Striving for Peace and Decent Life for All on a Sustainable Planet” is most apposite.

15. While the international community grapples to resolve these conflicts, we must be mindful and focus on the widening inequalities within societies, and the gap between the rich and the poor nations. These inequalities and gaps are part of the underlining root causes of competition for resources, frustration and anger leading to spiralling instability.

16. The most pressing threat to international peace and security today is the accelerated nuclear weapons development programme by North Korea. Since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962, we have never come so close to the threat of nuclear war as we have now.

17. All necessary pressure and diplomatic efforts must be brought to bear on North Korea to accept peaceful resolution of the crisis. As Hiroshima and Nagasaki painfully remind us, if we fail, the catastrophic and devastating human loss and environmental degradation cannot be imagined.

Mr. President,

18. Nigeria proposes a strong UN delegation to urgently engage the North Korean Leader. The delegation, led by the Security Council, should include members from all the regions.

19. The crisis in the Korean peninsula underscores the urgency for all member states, guided by the spirit of enthroning a safer and more peaceful world, to ratify without delay the Treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, which will be open for signature here tomorrow.

Mr. President,

20. I end my remarks by reiterating Nigeria’s abiding commitment to the foundational principles and goals of the United Nations. Since our admission as a member state in 1960, we have always participated in all efforts to bring about global peace, security and development. Nigeria will continue to support the UN in all its efforts, including the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

3SC’s Woes Not Financial, Shake Up Imminent – Chairman, Gbolagade Busari.

The Executive Chairman of the Shooting Stars Sports Club, 3SC, Mr Gbolagade Busari has hinted that major decisions at improving the fortunes of the club will be made in a matter of weeks, emphasizing that the club’s poor performance was not due to the lack of funding.

He said that both the players and the technical crew are going to be evaluated by the management with proper restructuring in the pipelines.

Busari, therefore, appealed to the teeming fans of the team to remain calm, assuring that necessary measures will be put in place to marshal the team back to the premiership in due course. 

This was after the unfavorable outcome of Gombe United / Wikki Tourists rescheduled match in Maiduguri. 

He disclosed that the current situation of the team was not as a result of lack of adequate support from the government, stressing that 3SC is the only agency that still gets its monthly subvention regularly from the government despite the cash crunch in the country.

Also, Mr. Gbolagade Busari on Sunday in Ibadan, explained that the Club, 3SC, gets monthly subvention of N12m for players’ salaries, technical crew and administrative  staff while gate takings (at an average of N1m per match with the money realized from sponsorship deals) are all utilized for match prosecution, allowances as well as bonuses of the players.

He went further that no one should put the blame of the team's poor performance at the door steps of the government but rather the commitment of the players.

Busari said, “We tried everything we could, not to be in this situation but it's obvious our best is not enough.  We got the necessary support from the government but we have not been able to justify the investments on the club.

“We collect our monthly subvention and our gate-takings are being used for the players.  We also used the proceeds realized from our sponsorship deals for allowances and bonuses of the players without interference from the government", he said.

“We had identified the problems even before the end of the season and necessary actions were put in place to ensure that these challenges did not lead us to relegation. We will do everything within our capacity to ensure that the team bounces back in due course,” Busari assured.

Oyo Trains Over 11,000 Pupils in Holiday Summer Programmes.

The Oyo State Government has said that about 10,000 SS3 students participated in its WAEC Boot Camp in 66 centers across the Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the state to prepare students for the forthcoming examinations.  

The government equally stated that 300 pupils between the ages 14 and 18 from both public and private schools participated in its OyoMesi Job Experience (OJE) scheme initiated to reignite the learning passion in pupils and give them appropriate exposure in the work place in order to imbibe relevant work ethics to prepare them for an excellent future.

The Special Adviser to Governor Ajimobi on Education, Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi stated these on Thursday in Ibadan, saying that another set of about 1000 pupils partook in a 4-week French Clinic and Cluster learning on Digital Literacy with three pilot centres including St Annes School, Molete, Lagelu Grammar School Agugu and Anglican Commercial Grammar School, Orita-mefa.

Dr Akin-Alabi noted that the French Clinic was organized to expose pupils to fresh as a second language for social interaction on global scene, adding that the digital literacy was meant to give pupils access to ICT as tools for learning and education enablers.

The Special Adviser, Education, explained that the WAEC Boot camp was organized to keep the pupils focused and prepare them for future examinations, stating that the long vacation represents a risk period in education for teenagers as they become restless and often engage in mischievous activities.

According to her, “All the OyoMesi activities, OJE, French Clinic, Digital Literacy and WAEC Boot Camp, have a common objective. They are meant to get pupils engaged in purposeful activities that are value adding to their education, discourage anti social activities and vices as well as juvenile delinquency during the long vacation. Most parents are not around to properly monitor their wards during the long vacation.”

Dr Akin-Alabi added that the Oyo State Government took the novel steps to prepare the pupils for future challenges and engage them in productive things rather than discouraging activities.

Ekiti 2018: PDP Stakeholders Adopt Fayose’s Deputy As Sole Guber Candidate

Less than twelve months to the 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State, critical stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have adopted Fayose's Deputy Governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, from Ekiti South Senatorial District, as the preferred candidate of the party.

Adoption of the deputy governor, who is a professor of Building Technology from the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, was the major decision reached at the party’s stakeholders meeting in Ado-Ekiti today.

The meeting was attended by 177 councillors, 177 ward chairmen, 16 Local Government party chairmen, 16 Local Council Chairmen, Chairmen and members of Boards and Parastatals, State Executive Council, Ekiti State House of Assembly members, serving and former members of the PDP State Working Committee, former Deputy Governor, among others.

The communique issued at the end of the meeting reads; “After due consultation, without prejudice to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), we formally endorse His Excellency, Prof Kolapo Olusola (the current deputy governor), from Ekiti South Senatorial District, as our preferred aspirant/candidate.”

Those who signed the communique are; Hon. Anifowose Mustapha, for Councillors, Alhaji Amuda Sunmonu, for Ward Chairmen; Hon Femi Bamisile, for Local Government Party Chairmen; Hon Dapo Olagunju, for Local Government Chairmen (ALGON); Senator Bode Ola, for Chairmen of Board and Parastatals; Dr Modupe Alade (Secretary to the State Government), for State Executive Council; Rt. Hon. Kolawole Oluwawole, Speaker of the State House of Assembly and the State Chairman of the party, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase.

Speaking with journalists after the adoption, State Chairman of the PDP, Chief Oguntuase said the party organs will abide by the decision taken by the stakeholders in the overall interest of the party and the entire people of Ekiti State.

He however said that the adoption will not preclude any member of the party that is interested in the governorship ticket from contesting, adding that open and transparent primary election will be held in accordance with the rules of the party.

Chairman of Forum of Ward Chairmen, Alhaji Amuda Sunmonu also hailed the decision to adopt Prof Olusola, maintaining that “Wherever Governor Fayose goes, we will follow him.”

Also speaking on behalf of local council councillors, Hon Anifowose Mustapha said all the 177 councillors in the State were solidly behind the governor and “the decision of the party’s stakeholders remained binding on all of us.”

Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade described the deputy governor as a competent and loyal member of the Governor Ayodele Fayose political family, adding that his adoption was a reward for loyalty, dedication and commitment.