Afeez Hanafi

The family of a bar attendant on Surulere Street, Dopemu, Lagos, Ikechukwu Eguzouwa, has been thrown into mourning after his tragic death.

Eguzouwa was reportedly killed by a customer, Akeem Bakare, during an argument over payment for a bottle of alcohol.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that Bakare had ordered for the drink to cool nerves during the Russia 2018 World Cup match between Nigeria and Argentina when the incident happened.

The deceased’s colleague, Abel Daniel, was said to have approached the attacker after the match requesting the money for the drink.

Our correspondent learnt that an argument broke out when the tricycle rider claimed that a friend, who also visited the facility, had paid for him.

The ensuing altercation was said to have drawn the attention of Eguzouwa, who rushed out from an office to the scene of the incident.

While he was trying to make peace between the two young men, Bakare allegedly smashed a plank he aimed at Daniel on the victim’s head.

He was said to have fled the bar, leaving Eguzouwa, who later died at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, in a pool of blood.

A source in the area explained that the case was reported to the police at the Dopemu division and the suspect was arrested the following day.

He said, “Bakare came to the bar that evening and he was served a bottle of beer worth N250. After taking the drink, one of the bar attendants, Daniel, approached him for payment. He said he had no money. This led to an argument between the two of them.

“Out of anger, Bakare picked a plank with the intention to hit Daniel but he missed his target and smashed the head of Eguzouwa. The bled to death at LASUTH.”

In a chat with our correspondent, the father of two, admitted to have taken a bottle of beer at the bar but insisted that an old friend of his, who came to the place that evening, paid on his behalf.

The Ilesha, Osun State indigene said Daniel challenged him to a duel in the course of the altercation and picked a metal to attack him.

He said he opted for the plank in self-defence, adding that he accidentally slammed it on the victim’s head.

Bakare said, “I live on Taiwo Lane, Dopemu and I am a tricycle rider. I usually go to the bar to have fun. Earlier in the afternoon, I was there with some of my friends to drink. I returned there some minutes before 7pm to watch the match between Nigeria and Argentina.

“I met a friend whom I had worked with at a company in Ikeja some years ago. He bought a bottle of beer for me and asked Daniel to add it to his bill. After the match, Daniel walked up to me and asked that I pay for the drink. I told him the man had added my bill to his.

“He started dragging my phone with me. I kept the phone in my pocket and we started fighting. He picked an iron and threw it at me. I also hauled a plank at him which hit one man (Eguzouwa) on the head.”

The 34-year-old stated that he went home after they were separated not knowing he had inflicted a grievous injury on the deceased.

He said he was on his way to the bar the following morning when some residents informed him that Eguzouwa was in a critical condition.

“I was not drunk and I did not mean to kill him. It was a mistake. I was almost at the bar when the police arrested me,” he added.

Confirming the incident, the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said the Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, had directed that the suspect be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Yaba, for further investigation.

Oti said the CP enjoined Lagosians to embrace dialogue in resolving issues rather than resorting to violence, adding that the suspect had been charged to court.

He said, “A police team led by the DPO went to the scene and arrested the suspect. The victim was rushed to LASUTH where he was confirmed dead. His corpse had been deposited in the hospital’s morgue for autopsy. The Homicide Section of SCIID, Yaba, is investigating the case.

“This case shows how fragile human life can be and the need for people to settle their disagreements peacefully without resorting to violence.”

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Tony Okafor, Awka

A 28-year-old man, John Okoye, has allegedly killed his elder brother, Osita, 34, for stripping their mother.

The incident occurred at Umuchibu in Awba-Ofemili, Awka North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

The deceased, identified as a farmer and the first son of the family, was reportedly murdered during a scuffle between him and his younger brother in their family’s compound.

Narrating the incident to our correspondent, the mother of the deceased, Mrs. Joy Okoye, who blamed the incident on the victim’s hot-tempered disposition and stubbornness, said the death could have been averted if he had not retaliated.

She said, “I was resting in my room after preparing the dinner that night when Osita returned home. After having his bath, I offered him food which he rejected, insisting he had a more pressing matter to discuss with me.

“He said he had a misunderstanding with one of his cousins over a land which he had reported to security agents.

“I tried to let him see reasons why the issue would have been resolved within the larger family, instead of involving security agents but all my pleas fell on deaf ears.

“To my greatest surprise, he slapped me and tore my dress. It was while I ran to the backyard to get clothes to cover myself that my second child (John) came to my rescue.

“As I tried holding him back from attacking his brother with a knife, he collected the torch in my hand and hit his brother with it twice.”

She said the suspect had to defend himself by snatching the knife from the deceased, adding that the scuffle led to Osita’s death.

Describing the incident as unfortunate but avoidable, the 58-year-old widow appealed for the release of the suspect, who she referred to as her only possession, having lost her husband some years ago.

She said, “I appeal to the state government to intervene in the matter by directing the police to release John and allow us to settle it amicably because I cannot afford to lose my two sons this way.

“John is now my only child. Now that he is in police custody, no one is giving him food and there is no transport fare to go and see him. What will I be living for again? Neither of them is married. Their father died some years back.”

The Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, Haruna Mohammed, confirmed the incident, adding that the suspect would be charged to court after investigations.

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Akinpelu Dada

The Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria says it has taken over Sigma Apartments owned by Sigma Engineering & Construction Limited being promoted by a former Minister of Sports and Social Development, Samaila Sambawa.

The takeover followed an order by Justice B.F.M. Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, according to a statement by the corporation on Friday, which came upon the application of AMCON after it claimed that it had exhausted all avenues of peaceful resolution with the obligor regarding the N1bn debt.

Information on the website of Sigma Apartments described the estate as an epitome of refined living featuring 48 fully furnished serviced luxury apartments designed for those accustomed to the finer things in life. The estate is located in the heart of Abuja metropolis midway between the northern and southern retail hub and downtown of Wuse ll.

The website describes it as a hospitality brand that provides extended stay accommodation for sojourners in Abuja.

The directors of Sigma Apartments have had running battles with AMCON over their inability to settle the N1bn debt.

The corporation said in the statement, “But despite the overtures and genuine efforts made by AMCON to reach an amicable settlement terms, the businessman and his co-promoters have remained recalcitrant, thus pushing AMCON to seek legal solution to the issue. Accordingly, the corporation appointed Mr Babatunde Alabi as the Receiver Manager to take immediate possession of the expansive property situated at Plot No. 1376, Cadastral Zone, A07, Wuse 11, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“In compliance with the court order, and with the support of the Inspector General of Police and his deputies as well as the court bailiffs, AMCON, through its receiver, Mr Babatunde Alabi, took possession of the assets of Sigma Apartments, its right and in compliance with lawful authority.”

The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, maintained that there would be no sacred cows in its bid to recover the N4.8tn in the hands of a few Nigerians. Copyright PUNCH.

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Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party has accused the All Progressives Congress and its candidate in the Ekiti State governorship election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, of clothing thugs imported from Imo and other neighbouring states to Ekiti.

The PDP alleged that the thugs were being given fake police uniform to unleash terror on voters.

The party also alleged that officials of the Nigerian Security Printing and Minting and top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were involved in plans to print matching sensitive voting materials, including ballot papers with similar serial numbers to facilitate the scientific rigging of the election for the APC.

A statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, in Abuja on Friday also alleged plots by the APC to use compromised policemen and offer voters N10,000 bribe each to vote for Fayemi.

He said, “Furthermore, the PDP questions why the police personnel detailed to Governor Ayo Fayose have been stripped to five while invading APC governors, such as Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, are individually allowed to move around the state with squads of over 50 policemen and soldiers.

“The PDP is already aware of plots to detail the fake policemen to PDP strongholds to harass voters, attempt to cause confusion and in the process smuggle in counterfeit result sheets to aid their planned declaration of false results.”

When contacted, the Director of Media of Kayode Fayemi Campaign Office, Wole Olujobi, who debunked the allegations said the PDP was “applying reverse psychology”.

“It is accusing others of what it is doing. There is no need for us to use fake policemen when official policemen are on the ground. We won’t do such things and will never support it.”

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 Armstrong Bakam, Bauchi

Some constituents of Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency have pledged their unalloyed support for the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, describing him as their “party”.

They also said they were ready to move with him to any political party he chose to defect to.

Speaking separately at a rally held on Friday to show their support for him, the supporters, who were mostly youths drawn from the three local government areas of Dass, Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro, making up the constituency, said they didn’t know what democracy meant until Dogara became their representative in the House.

The supporters, who spoke at the rally held in Tafawa Balewa Town, said Dogara had built schools, roads, hospitals, markets, and provided scholarships for them.

They described him as “a detribalised politician who has done what many politicians in the state and the country have not and cannot do for their people.”

“We are here to show our total support for the Speaker for all he has been doing for us. We were taught in school that democracy is government of the people, by the people and for the people. But we didn’t know what that meant until Dogara became our leader in this constituency,” one of the supporters, Barnabas Yale, said. Another supporter, Musa Salisu, called on the people of the constituency to be united and bring Dogara back to power, adding that he had done a lot for them.

He said, “As a Fulani man, I can tell you that Dogara does not segregate. He works for his constituents whether they are Muslims or Christians, it matters less to him. Let’s unite because saboteurs are trying to cause crisis and confusion among us.”

Organisers of the rally, Rufai Samson and Bulus Iliya, in separate interviews with journalists, said the rally was planned to show their unflinching loyalty to Dogara.

He said, “We, Dogara’s constituents, are with him 100 per cent. No matter what, Dogara is our party and we are ready to move with him to any party should he choose to leave the APC.

“If he chooses to remain in the APC, we will remain there with him but if he chooses to move to another party, we want him and the world to know that we will go there with him.”

The organisers condemned the recent rally that was organised in Bauchi metropolis against Dogara, describing it as the handiwork of people, who did not want progress and development.

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Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic admits his team were spurred on by what they saw as a lack of respect towards them in the English media as they won 2-1 in Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final.

“We always respect our opponents and expect them to respect us back,” Dalic told reporters in Moscow on Thursday.

“Maybe England or the English media did not show enough respect to the Croatian national team, which we deserved, especially when you look at the clubs our players play for.

“This may have given us extra motivation, but this is football, you have to be dignified in victory and in defeat.”

Croatia came from behind to win the game at the Luzhniki Stadium with Ivan Perisic equalising in the second half before Mario Mandzukic scored the decisive goal in extra time.

Elements of the English media had talked up how tired Croatia might be coming into the game after being taken to extra time and penalties in each of the previous two rounds.

Captain Luka Modric made comments similar to those of his coach following Wednesday’s game, after a match which saw the dreams of English fans doused.

“We were motivated irrespective of that. We wanted to make the final and make our fans happy,” added Dalic, as his side now prepare to take on France on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Dalic insisted that Real Madrid playmaker Modric has been the outstanding player at the competition, having been named man of the match three times on their remarkable run in Russia.

“Before the World Cup it was only normal to talk about Ronaldo, Messi, Neymar, but they have gone home, they are at the beach and others have stayed, like Luka Modric,” he said.

Modric has emerged as a leading contender to win the Ballon d’Or with his performances for Croatia following another excellent season at club level which saw him win the Champions League.

“He still sprints in the 115th minute, he tracks back, he leads the team, he is the man of the tournament,” added the coach.

“Nobody would be happier if Luka won the Ballon d’Or. He has won everything with his club but there is an empty trophy cabinet with his national team.

“He is at the pinnacle of his career. I am sure he would be a deserving winner.”

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Chukwudi Akasike, Port Harcourt

A young man, who was identified as a labourer, was Wednesday evening killed by a group of policemen, who chased and shot him in the head at close range.

Sources within Peace Avenue, off Iwofe Road in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, Rivers State, said the deceased was chased by the police from a place known as Calabar Quarters where Indian hemp was sold to willing buyers.

It was also gathered that the trigger-happy policemen had recovered an unidentified sum of money and some wraps of weeds (Indian hemp) from the deceased after he was shot.

One of the residents of the area, who identified himself as Jones, told our correspondent that they were jolted by the sound of a gunshot and the cry of a woman from Akwa Ibom State.

It was learnt that the woman, who raised an alarm in her language drew people’s attention that a person had been killed.

An eyewitness, who identified himself as Ikechi, told Southern City News that both the policemen and the man that was killed were always patronising an Indian hemp seller, who came into Calabar Quarters several years ago.

“The man that sells Indian hemp is living within this place, not far from here; he is a Rastafarian. The policemen that killed the man once served in this area. They also smoke Indian hemp when they come once in a while.

“Apart from that, they also get something (money) from him; it is either they (policemen) park their vehicle this side or the other side (pointing at two sides of the road). When the buyers see them, they are always on the run.

“Any person that is caught has to bail himself immediately. It was when they saw this one (deceased) that he began to run. They (policemen) have served in Rumukpakani (Police Station) before. They said the man that was killed was into block moulding. This is jungle justice.

“The man was not living around this area and that was why he could not escape; how can anybody think that he can escape through this place? The other ones knew how to escape and jumped into the bush,” Ikechi said.

On why residents kept mute over the development, Ikechi explained that though the people had complained on several occasions, the police did not show any concern.

He said, “We have raised the alarm, but the police are nonchalant over the matter. When SARS men come here, they go to his (Rastafarian) residence and come out. So, what kind of alarm do you want us to raise again? The police ought to have arrested the man selling the Indian hemp.”

Another source, who preferred not to be mentioned, explained that the policemen sped off immediately they shot the man.

“I saw when the policemen came. The next thing that we heard was a gunshot. The policemen immediately entered their vehicle and sped off. One Akwa Ibom woman began to shout that they (policemen) have killed a person.

“I immediately came down from where I was staying and saw the young man’s corpse. I was told he was into moulding blocks on Ada George road, but I don’t know him.”

It was, however, gathered that the corpse of the deceased was later taken to Rumukpakani Police Station along Ada George Road.

However, our correspondent, who visited the shanties located inside Calabar Quarters, observed the presence of teenagers and youths still in their 20s smoking Indian hemp at the front of the Rastafarian’s residence.

When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Nnamdi Omoni, confirmed that a young man was killed within Calabar Quarters, but added that those responsible for the death of the man were still unknown.

“I am aware of the incident, but the problem is that we have not been able to verify those that killed the man; that is why we doubt if they are policemen. We have called the DPO of the station that was mentioned and he said that he never instructed any of his men to go to that area (Calabar Quarters).

“So, we are still trying to know those who carried out that operation because those who did it are not known to us,” Omoni said.

When asked why police had yet to arrest the Rastafarian selling Indian hemp within Calabar Quarters, the state police spokesman added, “At this point, it (allegation) is still speculative.

“As far as we are concerned, any person that has a complaint can access any police station or even here (State Police Command) so that we can handle the matter.”

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Gbenro Adeoye and Jesusegun Alagbe

The International Criminal Court in the Hague, the Netherlands, said it had received 131 petitions from Nigeria based on killings and general insecurity in the country.

The ICC stated this in its latest Preliminary Examination Activities Report on Nigeria.

The court stated that the petitions received were in respect of crimes allegedly committed by the Nigerian security forces against civilians during its war against Boko Haram; against members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria; and against members of the Indigenous People of Biafra in the course of their 2017 protests.

The court also stated that some of the petitions received were in relation to crimes committed against humanity in the Middle Belt and Niger Delta areas of the country.

Several Nigerian groups and persons – including the Christian Association of Nigeria – had in recent times said they would drag the Federal Government before the ICC due to persistent killings carried out by armed bandits in the Middle Belt and alleged military attacks against pro-Biafra protesters among others.

The report was made available in response to Saturday PUNCH’s request on the number of petitions from the country based on the persistent killings, particularly in the Middle Belt.

Saturday PUNCH had also asked whether the petitions were being worked on and if anyone was indicted in its findings.

Responding in an email, the court stated that under Article 15 of the Rome Statute, individuals or groups from anywhere in the world might send information (also referred to as ‘communications’) on alleged crimes to the ICC Prosecutor (Mrs. Fatou Bensouda), who was duty bound to protect the confidentiality of the information received.

It said, “As we do with all such communications, we will analyse the materials submitted, as appropriate, in accordance with the Rome Statute and with full independence and impartiality.

“As soon as we reach a decision on the appropriate next step, we will inform the sender and provide reasons for our decision.

“In case of interest, I refer you to the latest Report on Preliminary Examinations Activities, the Policy Paper on Preliminary Examination of the Office of the Prosecutor as well as the link to the Nigeria situation.”

Meanwhile, in the stated Report on Preliminary Examinations Activities on Nigeria, which was published on December 4, 2017, the court said, “The Office (of the Prosecutor) has received a total of 131 communications pursuant to article 15 in relation to the situation in Nigeria.

“The preliminary examination focusses on alleged Rome Statute crimes committed in the Middle Belt, the Niger Delta, and in the context of armed conflict between Boko Haram and Nigerian security forces, including the crimes against humanity of murder and persecution, and multiple war crimes.

“The preliminary examination also focusses on the existence and genuineness of national proceedings in relation to these crimes.”

According to the ICC, in accordance with the Rome Statute, which Nigeria is a signatory to, the Office of the Prosecutor is responsible for determining whether there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into a situation pursuant to the criteria established by the Statute, subject to judicial authorisation as appropriate.

It stated that as reflected in the principle of ‘complementarity’, national jurisdictions had the primary responsibility to end impunity for the crimes listed under the Rome Statute, namely genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

However, in the absence of genuine national proceedings, the court said the Office of the Prosecutor would seek to ensure that justice was delivered for crimes within the jurisdiction of the court. The court added that the goal of the Rome Statute was to put an end to impunity for the most serious crimes of international concern and thus to contribute to their prevention.

The ICC said as of December 2017, the Office of the Prosecutor carefully examined the events of December 2015 in Zaria, Kaduna State, involving clashes between members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria and the Nigerian security forces.

It said, “It is alleged that members of the IMN, armed with batons, knives, and machetes, stopped the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff on a principal road in Zaria on December 12, 2015 and that in subsequent security operations, the Nigerian military killed at least 349 persons (men, women and children), while at least 66 others were injured.

“On the basis of information available, including the report of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry established by the Kaduna State Government to investigate the events, the Office has reached preliminary findings and will seek further clarifications from the Nigerian authorities.

“The Office has furthermore received information alleging crimes committed by the Nigerian security forces against pro-Biafra protesters in the course of 2017. The examination of this information is ongoing.”

In the meantime, groups across the country, especially in the Middle Belt, have recently threatened to drag the Federal Government to the ICC based on persistent killings by armed Fulani herdsmen.

For instance, in June 2018, the Maize Farmers’ Association of Nigeria, Adamawa State Chapter, said it was in the process of dragging President Muhammadu Buhari before the ICC to draw the attention of the international community to the plight of farmers in the Middle Belt.

He said the persistent herdsmen killings had sacked most farmers from their farms and there was no guarantee they would ever return to avoid being killed.

In the same month, the Farmers’ Protection Council in Taraba State also said it was working with other groups in the Middle Belt to drag the President to the ICC because of the killings.

In July 2018, a coalition of ethnic groups in the Middle Belt had vowed to drag the Federal Government to the ICC to protest against the killings in the state by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

Similarly, organisations including the Plateau Initiative for Development and Advancement of the Native, Middle Belt Youth Assembly and the Christian Lawyers Fellowship Organisation of Nigeria had vowed to drag the Federal Government and Buhari before the ICC over killings.

In May 2018, a coalition of sociocultural groups in Benue State, comprising the Mdgzou U Tiv, Idoma National Forum and Omi’Ngede, said they were set to drag the Federal Government before the ICC over the persistent killing of citizens of the state by suspected herdsmen.

A lawyer in the state, Prof. Agbo Madaki, had also vowed to single-handedly drag Buhari before the international court.

In June 2018, a civil rights organisation, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice had also resolved to drag President Buhari to the ICC over worsening security in the country.

But on other matters relating to insecurity in the country, in September 2017, an Igbo group, Alaigbo Development Foundation, said it had concluded plans to drag President Buhari, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and other persons involved in Operation Python Dance II in the South East, to the ICC because of the actions of the military in the South-East.

The ADF had alleged that the military exercise was ethnic cleansing, saying that many IPOB members were gruesomely killed in Aba and Umuahia, Abia State.

In October 2017, United States-based law firm, Fein & DelValle PLLC, announced that it was drafting a criminal indictment against Buhari and Buratai, for genocide and crimes against IPOB members under the Rome Statute of the ICC.

The firm, in a statement by lawyers Mr. Bruce Fein and his partner, Mr. W. Bruce DelValle, said, “Buhari and Buratai are criminally culpable because of their command responsibility over security forces operating under their direction or control and who are terrorising tens of millions of Biafrans, specifically because of their Christianity and ethnicity.”

In November 2017, the Islamic Movement in Nigeria also petitioned the ICC to prevail on President Buhari to release their leader, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, Zeenah, who had been in detention for almost two years as of then.

However, the ICC added that the Office would continue its analysis of all new crimes allegedly committed in Nigeria.

It said, “The Office will continue to pay special attention to allegations of Sexual and Gender-Based Crimes and crimes committed against children.

“While the Office requires further information on relevant domestic proceedings, it will continue to hold consultations with the Nigerian authorities and with intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to assist relevant stakeholders in identifying pending impunity gaps and the scope for possible remedial measures.”

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The Senate Minority Leader and ex-governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, was widely believed to have had a hand in the emergence of his successor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel. Though there have been insinuations of a rift between them, both have repeatedly denied it. As the 2019 elections approach, stakeholders say now is the time for the senator to publicly show his approval of his successor to prove all naysayers wrong, writes JESUSEGUN ALAGBE

In the political scene, as it is in every other aspect of life, it is not uncommon for a leader to have a hand in the emergence of their successor.

They believe that having a successor who they have a hand in their emergence will ensure that their visions, as well as their plans, are carried out in continuity.

Such phenomenon had played out at the top level of political leadership in the country, wherein former President Olusegun Obasanjo was widely believed to have had a hand in the emergence of every other successor after him.

For instance, the former President was said to have picked the late President Umaru Yar’Adua to succeed him, hence the victory of the latter in the 2007 presidential election.

Yar’Adua died in office in May 2010 and the then Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, took up the mantle of leadership. In September 2010, Jonathan announced that he had decided to run for presidency on his own for the first time.

He eventually emerged as the President in the 2011 presidential election, in which Obasanjo was still said to have played an important role.

And after the administration of Jonathan, Obasanjo’s support for Muhammadu Buhari was believed to be one of the factors responsible for the latter’s success in the 2015 presidential election.

Talking about political mentoring, the same scenario was said to have also played out in Akwa Ibom State in 2015 when the Senate Minority Leader and former governor of the state, Godswill Akpabio, backed Udom Emmanuel to succeed him.

The Akpabio-led administration (2007-2015), was presumed to have marked the beginning of the state’s transformation, earning him the sobriquet, “the uncommon transformer.”

His milestones as governor of the oil-rich state went on to earn him several honours, both nationally and internationally, including the Congressional Certificate of Recognition of the United States Congress in 2011; the Gold Humanitarian Services Award of the Republic of Niger in 2008; Best Governor, Infrastructure Development by BEN Television, London, in 2009; and the Best Governor, Infrastructure and Empowerment Award by the Central Bank of Nigeria in 2012.

Before leaving the office in 2015, the Senate Minority Leader was said to have disrupted the state’s political structure to pave way for the emergence of Emmanuel, a one-time Chief Financial Officer at Zenith Bank – an arrangement that reportedly angered some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state.

While Emmanuel is from Awa Iman, Onna Local Government Area of the state, Akpabio is from Ikot Ntuen, Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state.

As Akpabio had first in July 2013 appointed Emmanuel as the Secretary to the State Government, analysts are of the belief that there must be something he (Akpabio) had seen in Emmanuel to “anoint” him as his successor.

Of course, Emmanuel, though not a political heavyweight at the time, had his own qualifications which spoke for him.

Born on July 11, 1966, he had served as an audit manager at PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Also an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, he had served as the Group Head of Income Optimisation, Financial Control and Strategic Planning Department at Zenith Bank.

After holding several positions at the bank, he had ultimately served as an Executive Director.

During his swearing-in as the governor of the state, Emmanuel had developed a five-point agenda on which he would run the affairs of the state, namely wealth creation; economic and political inclusion; poverty alleviation; infrastructural consolidation and expansion; and job creation.

Within a year of assuming leadership, the governor had embarked on some developmental projects in the state, and as a result was awarded the 2016 Leadership Award for Best Governor of the Year on March 18, 2017.

By the end of the third year of running the affairs of the state, the governor had succeeded in having achievements in several sectors of the economy of the state, including agriculture, health, industry, education and infrastructural development.

For instance, talking about industrialisation, his administration had seen to the inauguration of the Syringe Manufacturing Company; the Pencil and Toothpick Factory; the Electrical Digital Metering Solutions Manufacturing Factory; the 153MW Ibom Power Plant and Sub-Stations; the Ibom Deep Seaport (under construction); among others.

However, of recent, there were insinuations of a rift between the governor and his political godfather, which suggested that the Senate Minority Leader might not endorse his successor for a second term in office.

Both parties have since debunked such insinuations, describing them as the handiwork of political jobbers.

Dismissing such insinuations, the governor had since come out publicly to warn those trying to cause trouble in the state.

According to a statement, Emmanuel said he was aware that some people would try to change the narrative in order to score cheap political points because 2019 elections were around the corner.

He said, “This year (2018) is going to be a bit busier in terms of politics and once you enter into a political terrain of this nature, so many things come up.

“But let me also use this platform to warn any Akwa Ibom person, that with the sacrifice we’ve made to maintain peace in the state, we won’t tolerate anybody, anybody underlined, to breach that peace.”

Likewise, Akpabio has denied being embroiled in a rift with his successor, saying that contrary to what was being said about them, he had no displeasure at the way Emmanuel had been running the affairs of the state.

The Senate Minority Leader, in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Anietie Ekong, had stated that so far, he was satisfied with the performance of his successor.

He also said he could not have engaged in a feud with an administration that the Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, which he was representing, played a significant role in its emergence.

This nothwithstanding, the senator had at an annual get-together organised by the state Deputy Governor, Chief Moses Ekpo, to honour the people of Akwa Ibom North-West Senatorial District, decried that some of the projects his (Akpabio) administration started, including a multimillion-naira Four Points by Sheraton Hotel at Ikot Ekpene and the dualisation of the Uyo-Ikot Ekpene Road, had been abandoned.

The former governor had said, “2018 is less than one year to elections, all is not well. Don’t allow anybody to deceive you that all is well. If the hotel in Ikot Ekpene rots after so much money has been expended, would that be a good thing?”

While some analysts saw the comments by the senator as against the governor, Akpabio said the situation didn’t mean he was against the Emmanuel-led administration.

The statement by Ekong had also said, “It is obvious that the concerns raised by the senator during the end-of-year stakeholders’ meeting organised by the deputy governor, that all was not well, was misunderstood and political jobbers sought to feast on it.

“What the senator said was that their house should be put in order so that the votes from Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District would be put intact for Governor Emmanuel in the next election.

“Akpabio is satisfied that the areas of concern raised by the stakeholders, which were further explained by the governor during the follow-up meeting with him, to the satisfaction of the stakeholders present at the meeting, were receiving the attention of the government.”

The senator had even in May 2018 reiterated his commitment to ensuring that the Ikot-Ekpene Senatorial District supported the re-election bid of Emmanuel.

Akpabio, who stated that consultations were very important in lubricating democratic ideals, further expressed satisfaction with Emmanuel’s performance so far.

He also gave the assurance that leaders of his senatorial district would always take decisions that would promote their interest and development.

Meanwhile, as the people of Ikot Ekpene Senatorial District, where Akpabio hails from, have scheduled to hold an endorsement rally for Emmanuel next Monday, stakeholders are keen on seeing the Senate Minority Leader publicly declaring his approval for the governor’s 2019 re-election bid.

Analysts said this would douse all tension of the existence of any political rift between the senator and the governor. They added that even if indeed there had been a crack in their relationship, now would be time to renew their relationship and put naysayers to shame.

Speaking to Saturday PUNCH on Friday, the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Charles Udoh, said insinuations of a political rift between the Senate Minority Leader and the state governor were the handiwork of mischief-makers.

He said the governor always referred to Akpabio as his boss and mentor at official events.

He said, “Anytime the former governor also talks about Governor Emmanuel, he always referred to him in good terms, so their relationship is intact. He always says he is building on the foundation of his predecessor.

“But you know, some people are not always happy to see two people with same vision on the same page. The so-called insinuations are the handiwork of mischief-makers.”

Udoh said despite contrary reports, the Senate Minority Leader had endorsed Emmanuel for a second term.

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Peter Dada, Akure

Following the death of Khadijat, the daughter of a former Ondo State deputy governor, Alhaji Lasisi Oluboyo, students of the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, have called on the state government and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Gbenga Adeyanju, to ensure her killers were made to face justice.

Khadijat, a final year student of the Department of Educational Management at the institution, was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, Adeyemi Alao.

He was alleged to have killed and buried her inside his apartment on Adegbolarin Layout, Aratusin, Akure, the state capital.

Alao, who was alleged to have used the victim for ritual purposes, was subsequently arrested after the matter was reported to the police.

The suspect was later paraded by the police but denied killing the young lady. He said two others were involved in the dastardly act, adding that the accomplices killed his girlfriend.

He stated that he only provided a digger to dig the grave where Khadijat was buried.

Since the incident happened, the campus had worn a mournful look while some students, who were friends of the deceased, had been wearing black clothes to mourn her.

The incident had also become a subject of discussion among students on the campus.

A student, who identified herself as Motunrayo, urged the government and police authorities to ensure that the matter was not swept under the carpet.

She said, “It was very unfortunate that she entered into the trap of a wicked boyfriend. The family should pressure the authorities to ensure that the matter did not die until the boy is brought to justice to serve as a deterrent to others who are seeking wealth by all means.”

Another colleague of the deceased, Adeola Azeez, who described her as a gentle and generous student, said the suspects must not escape justice.

In a statement issued by the Students Union Government of the AAUA, the body said the entire students of the university were shocked by the news of the death of their colleague.

The statement by the union leaders urged the students to remain calm until the completion of investigation on the matter.

The statement said, “It was a great shock when we received the news about the death of our colleague, Khadijat Oluboyo, of the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education.

“Our condolences and thoughts go out to the family, friends, colleagues, department, faculty and AAUA students in general.

“Her demise is a difficult and challenging situation that can generate a high level of anxiety and distress in students. To this end, we urge all and sundry to desist from all derogatory statements about the deceased as we await the real story behind her death.”

Meanwhile, the state police command on Friday said the suspect had yet to be taken to court following the failure of the Oluboyo family to lodge a formal complaint at a police station over the matter.

The Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Femi Joseph, said, “We cannot take the suspect to court if we have not got the statement of the deceased’s family.

“This is one of the things we need to tender in court.”

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Niyi Odebode, John Alechenu, Olalekan Adetayo and Eniola Akinkuotu

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday met behind closed doors with the Senior Pastor of the Latter Rain Assembly, Tunde Bakare.

Bakare arrived at the President’s office inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja at about 2.30pm.

The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, was also sighted at the Presidential Villa on Friday.

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Bakare left the premises alone at about 4pm. He told State House correspondents that he did not meet Buhari alongside Adeosun.

He explained that both of them only met at the Presidential Villa. He however did not disclose his mission to Aso Villa.

“Our meetings are not related. We met here,” Bakare simply said.

In a statement on Friday evening, Bakare also said that he and Adeosun did not meet with Buhari.

He said, “Honourable Minister Kemi Adeosun and I arrived at the Villa at different times. We met at the corridor. She went on to see someone else in the Villa and I went into a closed-door meeting with PMB (Buhari) alone to thank him for sending a powerful delegation  to my mother’s home-going celebration (sic).

“This is the truth. The impression being created is as if she ran to me to speak to the President on her behalf. This impression is erroneous and false. I will appreciate that my side of the story is also published.”

Bakare was Buhari’s running mate when the President contested the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Congress for Progressive Change.

He has however been criticising the present administration lately over its poor handling of the security challenges in some parts of the country.

Adeosun has been under the spotlight because of a report that her National Youth Service Corps’ exemption certificate was forged.

Many individuals and groups have been calling for her sacking and prosecution just as the NYSC said it was investigating the matter.

The Presidency has yet to speak on the matter since the report was published last week.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had on Wednesday told State House correspondents that it was wrong to say the government had not spoken on the matter.

He said since the NYSC, which was part of government had spoken, then the government had spoken on the matter.

Buhari did not meet Bakare, Adeosun – Presidency

The Presidency on Friday said there was no truth in some insinuations that Bakare and Adeosun met with President Buhari together on Friday. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, gave the clarification in a statement made available to journalists. Adesina explained that Adeosun was at the Presidential Villa in connection with the Annual General Meeting and 25th anniversary of African Export-Import Bank when she met Bakare, who was on a scheduled visit.

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The presidential spokesman noted that Adeosun had seen the President no fewer than three times earlier in the week, and did not need to meet with him again on Friday.

The statement read, “Stories making the rounds that Pastor Tunde Bakare of Latter Rain Assembly and Minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun, met together with President Muhammadu Buhari at State House, Abuja, Friday are far from the truth.

“The minister was at the Presidential Villa in connection with the Annual General Meeting and 25th Anniversary Celebration of African Export-Import Bank holding Saturday in Abuja, which would be attended by President Buhari.

“She ran into Pastor Bakare, who was on a scheduled visit to see the President, and they exchanged pleasantries. The cleric particularly thanked the minister for finding time to attend his mother’s funeral, which took place in Abeokuta, Ogun State, penultimate weekend.

“Mrs. Adeosun had seen President Buhari not fewer than three times earlier in the week, and did not need to meet with him again on Friday. “This statement is to put events in proper perspective, and dispel all conjectures and fictive reporting.”

Come clean on Adeosun, Sagay tells NYSC

Meanwhile, the Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption, Prof. Itse Sagay (SAN), has called on the NYSC to immediately release its findings on the status of Adeosun.

Sagay said this during an interview with one of our correspondents on Friday.

A former Director-General of the NYSC, Brig.Gen Maharazu Tsiga (retd.), and a former Director of Mobilisation, Anthony Ani, had said there was no way the agency could have issued a certificate of exemption to the minister since she was not qualified for it having graduated below the age of 30.

The NYSC had said it was investigating the matter but has kept mum for nearly a week.

In his reaction, however, Sagay said the NYSC would need to clear the air as soon as possible to prevent speculations and further distractions.

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He said, “To start with, without expressing an opinion on the validity of the exemption certificate or not, we have been preaching transparency in government operations since the time we came to power.

“As far as I know, Mrs. Adeosun is one of the best ministers we have ever had in terms of skills, transparency and accountability. She has excelled and she is a very valuable member of this government.

“But, I think the onus should be on the NYSC since she applied and got a certificate. If that is not contradicted, they should just leave her alone but if it is contradicted, then there would be an issue to consider. So, as far as I am concerned, there is nothing against her right now.

“Yes, the NYSC should come clean since they have all the records. Let them come out with what they have so that the lady would be able to defend herself if necessary.”

In a related development, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria has urged Buhari to sack from his cabinet anyone found to have forged certificates.

National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, made the appeal on behalf of the group in an interview with Saturday PUNCH in Abuja, on Friday.

According to him, members of the group are worried about the damage being done to Nigeria’s image at home and abroad by the President’s continued silence on cases of certificate forgeries which is slowly becoming a norm rather than the exception among his appointees.

Onwubiko expressed sadness that the situation was beginning to give Nigeria a negative image.

He said Buhari administration’s tendency to accommodate persons with questionable academic credentials if left unchecked, would rubbish the national policy on education which as constitutionally enshrined (Section 18 (1)) in the Constitution.

The human rights activist said, “President Buhari has the task of relieving persons such as his Senior Special Assistant on Prosecution, Mr. Obono Obla, who has been indicted for using a fake West African Examination Certificate as confirmed by the issuing authority which appeared before the House of Representatives recently.

“We recall that the West African Examinations Council on June 5, 2018, described as ‘altered and invalid’ the results and certificate it allegedly issued to the Chairman, Special Presidential Investigative Panel for the Recovery of Property, Mr. Okoi Obono-Obla.

“WAEC, whilst testifying before the House of Representatives ad hoc Panel investigating Mr. Obono-Obla’s alleged forgery, WAEC Registrar, represented by the Deputy Registrar, Mr. Femi Ola, said available evidence indicated that the results were ‘altered’ and thus ‘invalid’.

“The current administration must desist from polluting the international image of Nigeria by tolerating many persons of questionable academic credentials who are working in the Federal Government of Nigeria when there are millions of highly qualified Nigerians from diverse fields searching frantically for employments.

“The silence of the current government to the cacophony of allegations of certificate forgery involving top rated government officials shows that the corporate image of the country is imperiled and if this silence and failure to act persists, then the rest of the world will see Nigeria as a country of certificate forgers.”

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Funmi Akingbade

It is amazing how information about anything can really be so much and readily available especially when your search for such is never-ending. At an instance when I feared there might be no more information to give, I instantly discovered that there are thousands and thousands more if only I launch into the deep for them. So today I will be sending across what I tagged ‘more things I want to say about unending sexual pleasure’. So, relax, read, enjoy and get down low and wild and rough with your spouse for a mouthwatering, insatiable and voracious never-ending sexual encounter.

Whenever I am privileged to tell couples that good marital relationship actually has a true link to good sex and that sexuality does not only add to their lives but enhances their health and lives, both physical and psychological, it seems to be an eye-opener for many people. Whenever any of the spouses is in the mood for sex, do you know that such partner is indirectly boosting his or her immune system or maintaining a healthy weight? Yes, good sex offers those health benefits and more because we are vital, sexual creatures. Sex does the body good in a number of ways, the benefits aren’t just subjective or hearsay but backed by scientific scrutiny.

Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody which can protect spouses from getting cold and other infections.

 While some older couples may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke; instead sex lowers blood pressure and overall stress reduction, having sex twice or more a week reduces the risk of fatal heart attack by half.

 Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the love hormone. This helps bond couples and intensifies orgasm. Positioning a pillow or using pillows under your wife’s buttocks before you get going in missionary position makes many wives climax more intensely and faster. This is due to the fact that many women after one or two normal virginal deliveries lose sensitivities in the vaginal area because of the over stretching of the vaginal muscles. But when pillows are directly under the buttocks for support, the elevated buttocks help the husband to get to thrust in and out effectively.

This also helps the husband to really know when his wife is climaxing or getting to orgasm. The husband will feel that his wife is squeezing, releasing her PC muscles and simultaneously contracting her vaginal muscles and as this is happening, she is actually reaching her climatic level of orgasm. I always encourage that whenever the husband notices this, he should gently intensify the thrusting in a gently but deep manner; so keep doing it because she loves it so much!

Researchers evaluated few premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands ending with hugs, affections, foreplay and romantic sex. They found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.

Sex is also a pain reliever; as the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphin increases, and pain declines. These chemicals calm pain, from a minor headache to arthritis or migraines, and with no secondary effects. So, if you are always complaining of a headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms, some sure natural pills with no side effect and no financial constraint is sex.

Migraines also disappear because the pressure in the brain’s blood vessels is lowered while we have sex. So now we see that actually a woman’s headache is rather a good reason for having sex, not against it.

 Such symptoms improve after sex, because of higher oxytocin levels. In fact, sex helps anyone to sleep better because the oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research. And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure.

Sex strengthens floor muscles for women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers lots of benefits. Married lovers will enjoy more pleasure and the woman will also strengthen the pelvic area which helps to minimise the risk of incontinence later in life. To do a basic Kegel exercise, all a woman has to do is tighten the muscles of her pelvic floor, as if one is trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release. Do these frequently and as often as you can.

 Sex reduces prostate cancer risk. Frequent ejaculations may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life. Boosting self-esteem is one reason people have sex, but overweight men with big waist line are more likely to have poor semen quality. If you happen to fall within this category, remember that sex is a good workout. If you’re looking to burn more calories, have more sex.

Husband, knowing how to suck your wife’s breast moderately can increase her arousal, cause her to orgasm and prevent breast cancer. But scientists say until breast sucking is done in an erotic manner, some hormones that fight against cancer may not be released.

 So, while starting off, use your hands to lightly outline the outer part of both breasts slowly; this will help her nipples to become erect. Use your lips to kiss around the outskirts of the breasts. Start kissing the outline with your moist lips slowly. Then lightly squeeze those breasts together and kiss down the middle. Making your way close to each nipple, and lightly blowing over them.

Take each nipple into your mouth and suck them. If her nipples are standing at erection, you can harden your tongue and flick it back and forth, and slowly take it into your mouth, at which point you will begin to suck and nibble simultaneously. But if her nipples are not hard, you can usually manipulate each one by sucking it and then releasing it from your mouth. If you can’t suck both together at the same time, suck one nipple, and lightly pinch the other with your thumb and index finger seductively.

 Researchers estimated that your spouse’s healthy sexual fantasy assists the body’s muscular and cardiovascular system to function better. An erotic fantasy is a product of the imagination that arouses a sexual emotion. Fantasies are often summed up as erotic scenes, seen or imagined, which we enjoy replaying in our heads. Also fantasy can also be an idea, an impression or a feeling. Fantasies are not only sexual; they can be about any topic that awakens human desire and pleasure. But sexual fantasies are in direct contact with our psyche and therefore have such power of arousal.

 They represent the fulfillment of subconscious sexual desires, through psychic processes. Erotic fantasies are created from scenes seen or experienced during adolescence or later in adult years and when channelled in a healthy way enhance the better function of the heart muscle and the general body muscular system. In fact, it can also aid a pregnant woman in child birth labour to have a faster delivery because it has an indirect effect on the vaginal wall, by allowing the vaginal smooth muscles to relax fast and expand better. But there is a note of warning here; research has found out that pregnant women who want to experience this type of easy virginal delivery should not ‘eat for two’. Pregnant women who eat for two and gain too much weight are at greater risk of having complications than those who stick to a healthy diet, even when they can fantasise well.

 Many wives love to have sex with their spouse but most times, each beautiful address is truncated by the usually work load of a typical married woman. There are days when a man comes home desperate for rest after a day’s exhaustive work and wants to just hit the bed and sleep off. And there are other days when guys are as active as you can never imagine but there is no accompanying libido for a hot night. What do many couples do in such an instance? Many spouses just put up their best excuse forward and go on auto-pilot. The truth is if you do this often, you will blow your relationship that you have laboured to build over the years.

Listen to this: “When it comes to bedroom activities, my wife is good at giving all forms or shades of excuses just to avoid sex. As a matter of fact, giving excuses is what she does for a living,’ says Mr. Kadiri and the amazing response of the wife is, ‘Madam, if something is sweet, would you refuse to eat it even when you are tired?’

To avoid sexual excuses, it takes two to tangle; so let’s look into some of them and see how we can handle them for real. Your excuses may centre on the workload of activities because you have pending work to complete. Wife if you find yourself reaching out to the laundry basket or husband, you grab your computer just when your wife is trying her best to reach out to you, it’s time to stop this from becoming a pattern. Clearly, you are trying to avoid your spouse and if he or she fails to realise that today, he or she will definitely do so tomorrow. You can bust this excuse by just asking yourself an honest question: do I really need to complete this task now? Can it not be done at a later time?

If your phone takes your attention more than your partner does, put it out of the bedroom entirely. Or you are always bothered that the kids might walk in or call for attention; most parents do not engage in sex because of the fear of their kids walking in while they are at it. Even though, this excuse may be true initially, it eventually becomes a survival habit. But instead of destroying the good time you share together, you could have your friends or relatives take your kids over for a day or two. Remember that your relationship is as important as your kids and teaching them that you and your spouse need some private time now and then will teach them about boundaries and their importance early in life.

 Many couples have destroyed their sex bed due to uncontrollable outburst of anger to an irrevocable limit. But I always tell couples that they will always find one thing or the other that will trouble their minds as far as their relationship is concerned, because the fellow we are married to will and may offend us often, if not daily. Now using anger as your stalling tactic can bring a lot of unwanted damage to your relationship. If you are resentful of every slight mistake and you allow it to be a sex weapon, just know that in a matter of time, you will hate that spouse, you will never see anything good in him or her. So, give room for weaknesses to grow into strength.

He wants to have sex, but you cannot because all you are thinking about is I am menstruating, you may really be having your periods, but if you use it a lot of times as a blanket of excuse, you could be building relationship problems with time. If you just cannot think about having sex when you are having periods, let your husband know and he will respect that. But, remember that you do not always have to have penetrative sexual encounter to perfect your intimacy levels, you could curdle, hug and smooch.

Many wives bluntly and proudly say this to me, ‘Madam, there is no point of having sex, I never get an orgasm anyway,’ not knowing that they are sending their husbands to search for sex outside their homes.  Please note that your husband may not have experimented with all the moves to help you reach an orgasm but putting it out openly to him that there is no point of having sex for you, is like destroying his manly ego and also truncating all the possibilities of enjoying sex.

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Olabisi Deji-Folutile

The Ekiti State governorship election can perhaps rank as the most anticipated since the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration came to power in May, 2015. This is so for many reasons. Firstly, Ekiti is the only state in the South West still being controlled by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and, as expected, the ruling party would like to have a total control of the South West states as the nation prepares for the general election in 2019.

Secondly, the governorship candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress in the election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is a former governor of the state,  who lost to the incumbent governor, Ayodele Fayose, in 2014.  In the 2014 governorship election, Fayemi lost in all the 16 local government areas of the state. The result of that election has been consistently contested by the APC and the general belief is that Fayose, with the assistance of the Federal Government, backed by former President Goodluck Jonathan, manipulated the results in favour of PDP. So, now that the pendulum has swung in favour of APC with the party having the federal might to offer all the required support for its candidate, Fayemi is believed to stand a better chance. On a personal level, the election will offer Fayemi the unique opportunity to prove to the world that the Ekiti people have always been behind him; that they love and accept him; that he served them well; and that they would always rally behind him. It would give him the opportunity to also reinforce the party’s belief that the people he governed for four years couldn’t have rejected him in all the local governments in the state but for the federal might that brought the opposition to power at that time.

But the third and perhaps the most critical point here is that the Ekiti election will be a test case of the popularity of both President Muhammadu Buhari and his APC- led government. Ever before Buhari emerged as the President, Fayose had been a chief critic of the ex- military leader.  In a series of political advertisements during the presidential campaign in 2014, he had made it his main business to warn Nigerians against voting for the President. At the height of this campaign, he placed an advert that many considered to be in bad taste, where he catalogued Nigerian leaders that had died in power and insinuated that the same fate awaited Buhari if he became President. Even long after Buhari’s victory at the poll, the governor has continued to be one of his ardent critics. It appears he is always looking for an opportunity to slam the president. So, it is not surprising that there has been no love lost between the two of them.

Beyond the natural inclination of a political leader to support the party’s candidate in an election, President Buhari would more than love a situation where one of his “arch-enemies” is thrown out of power. Though the governor is not a candidate in the election, he is strongly behind his deputy, whom many believe is his stooge and, generally, analysts have said  that  victory for PDP’s Prof. Kolapo Olusola  is as good as Fayose continuing in power.

Buhari has openly campaigned for Fayemi. The Federal Government has also provided necessary support and clipped Fayose’s wings so that he won’t be able to use any power of incumbency against the APC candidate.

So, today’s governorship election could be described as a contest between Buhari and Fayose on the one hand and Fayemi and Olusola on the other. This is more so as the election is coming at a time that President Buhari’s administration seems to be losing popularity among Nigerians.

Despite voting en masse for the change that Buhari canvassed during his presidential campaign, the citizens have not witnessed much of positive change in their lives. Some even claim they have been much more impoverished under the APC-led administration. Unfortunately, Nigeria hasn’t fared better in global ratings on poverty since this administration came to power. The easiest way to measure the poverty in the land is by simply looking at the exchange rate of dollar to naira in 2014 and what it is now. In a country that is heavily dependent on imports, an exchange rate that moved from N170 to N360 to $1, without any commensurate increase in income, would have no doubt left many pauperised.

 The biggest challenge of the government right now is that of insecurity in the land due to the activities of herdsmen. This has done a lot of damage to the President’s reputation. Meanwhile, as the President is still struggling to stem the tide of herdsmen/farmers’ clashes in the country, Fayose seems to have found a temporary solution to the problem in Ekiti with the anti-grazing law which, for now, appears to be working.

This election is also holding at a time the APC is facing some internal crisis with the party being officially factionalised. Some of the party members have just approached the court to cancel the results announced at its convention held last month.  There are all kinds of skirmishes going on in the party.

 If Fayose’s candidate and the PDP win in the Ekiti election, in spite of the Federal Government’s backing for Fayemi, it could be a bad omen for Buhari and his APC-led administration. Many people may interpret it to be a confirmation of the dwindling popularity of the President and his party which may affect its fortunes in 2019.

Already, analysts are saying the result of the Ekiti State election would be a forecast of what will happen in 2019.  While victory for APC could connote a smooth cruise for President Buhari in his second term ambition, a loss could indicate the danger that lurks ahead.

If the APC wins, it means President Buhari in spite of all the criticisms against his administration, is still popular after all.   It would also mean that there is hope for the ruling party in 2019 and above all, it would mean that the people of Ekiti love Buhari above Fayose in spite of the latter’s seemingly larger than life image of being a grass -roots governor, who has Ekiti people in his palms.

But the most important thing for now is for the people of Ekiti to be allowed to make their choice, not just through a free and fair election today, but in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. That is the essence of democracy.

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Chukwudi Akasike

The name Port Harcourt represents many things to diverse individuals. While to some it is no more than another urban centre in Nigeria, to others, it is the land where ‘milk’ and ‘honey’ flows. The capital of one of the country’s largest oil-producing states, the town fondly dubbed ‘Garden City’ by its teeming admirers, is not only revered by many within and outside it but also regarded as a place where dreams are lived. Housing nationals of different nations drawn into it by its oil wealth, the city is a melting pot of culture, lifestyle and a thriving leisure industry anchored on diverse forms of entertainment. It is one of the few cities that never sleep in Nigeria.

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While ‘joints’, hotels and spots where women – young and old – in the business of servicing men in need of steamy sex are in abundant supply across the city like in many urban districts around the country, ladies in need of male company in this regard have had to rely on their seductive instincts to either ‘trap’ one or attend to such needs through other means. However, all of that changed recently with an all-male brothel in the city where horny women can satisfy their urge for a fee.

Tucked in the heart of one of Port Harcourt’s most serene and reserved neighbourhoods – Government Residential Area – the coded hangout is the new playground of rich and lonely women in need of ‘quality’ male companion for a short period. Though unknown when the ‘hot’ spot began operations, our correspondent, during a visit to the area recently, discovered that the place is less than three months old in business. The one storey building with an expansive bar at its back, sits in between plush houses on the major road, making it difficult for passersby to suspect anything sinister while around the place. Beyond a small wooden board with the drawing of a man and woman holding hands while dancing, there is nothing to suggest that this ‘special playground’ for ‘big’ women is what it actually is.

After being tipped by a source of the activities of the brothel, our correspondent had a difficult task locating the place especially with its discreet nature adding to the issue. Guarded by a few security men at the entrance, it is an entirely different picture when one finally makes his way into the place. Operated by a handful of young men, about five, with well-trimmed bodies and biceps, the bar area is where most potential clients sit and conclude any deal of their choice. At a corner of the section was seated a woman, who appears to be the manager of the place when our correspondent and a female friend, who pretended to be a prospective client, visited. The young male workers could be seen taking orders from her before reporting back to her at intervals. On approaching one of the young men how the place operates and what it would entail if she wanted any of them to ‘service’ her, the lady was directed to a woman positioned a few metres away, who later introduced herself as Patty.

Pretending to be making enquiries on behalf of her female boss, the lady said, “My madam wants a clean and neat guy to keep her company. Is it possible to get one here?” While responding to the question, Patty went further to roll out their array of services and how they have helped satisfy the needs of many of Port Harcourt’s ‘big’ and ‘lonely’ women.

“While others mainly supply women for the satisfaction of men, we do the reverse,” she began while flashing a warm grin as if to reassure the visitor that they had everything under firm control. “Whichever specification of men you need to make you happy in bed, we have them. Communication on the type of man needed and other issues like payment is always discreet. Everything is done through the telephone while the client does not necessarily need to come to this place.

“As part of our mode of operation, we do not give out rooms here for clients to be attended to; we run a ‘takeaway’ service, so they are expected to meet at a hotel of choice of the customer.

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“Our clients need not be scared about the possibility of being blackmailed because all our guys are well-trained and are not allowed to communicate directly with the women needing their services. They are not also availed of the identity or contact number of the client, so the chance of such happening is very remote.

“The type of service to be rendered by our guys depends on how much the client can afford. Our charges are reasonable and negotiable but the standard fee for an entire night service is N40, 000.

“Before any client pays, she must have selected from a number of photos of our guys that we send through the Internet. It is after the person indicates interest in one that we proceed with payment and other things,” she said.

While quietly seated as the interaction went on, our correspondent observed a few more young men like the ones earlier spotted, walk into the bar, taking up normal roles in the place. Luckily enough, one of the guys had been seen before by our correspondent inside town, close to a tertiary institution. On exchanging pleasantries and asked if he had completed his National Youth Service Corps Programme, the stunned young man, giggled before saying “I am in my final year now, I’ll graduate next year.” Efforts to engage him further in discussion proved a tough nut to crack as he soon disappeared into a restricted section marked “Staff only” and barely came around the area our correspondent was seated for the rest of the evening.

In the process of assuring the young lady, whom our correspondent took along during the visit, that all the guys were medically-certified and free of any transmittable disease, Patty indeed confirmed that undergraduates made up a large chunk of their male sex workers that help bring happiness to many of the city’s rich and horny females.

“We have a guy here now; he is very clean but not as tall as you want. He is a university student and very good in bed,” she said with a sense of pride. “There is another one around now too, he is a graduate. I know them very well. They all earn good money for their performances.

“We usually run medical tests on them to make sure that they are free of any disease, especially HIV/AIDS. But if the client wants an additional test, she will pay for such,” she added.

When asked by the lady pretending to be negotiating on behalf of her boss on how many guys they have working for them and if they could supply as many as 20 at a time, Patty, perhaps tantalised by the huge amount about to be dropped into the company’s account and her potential commission, chuckled a bit before asking to quickly make clarifications with a senior colleague at the place. Dashing back almost immediately, the excited woman made all sorts of declarations.

“I just spoke with our director who is abroad through a senior colleague, she said there are enough guys for the task and that as many as could be needed would be made available on request.

“I want you to come through the company so that I will not get myself into trouble. She (director) will be the person that will give you the persons that you want no matter how many of them you need. She is not in the country; she is overseas but knows how to handle everything from there because she knows everything we do here. If she knows you are coming from my side, she will not bill you too much,” she said.

While revealing that only graduates were employed permanently by the management of the place and that those still in school are enrolled on part-time basis, Patty revealed that their director sometimes ‘organises’ pretty young women for men, who could afford their charges. She further disclosed that gay men needing male company have also been patronising them.

“Yes, even the other guys (gays) have been coming too,” she said. “We have one or two who can attend to their needs for the right price. We are here to make everyone happy,” she added.

When asked on the criteria used in determining how good a young man is before enrolling him into their service and on the number of guys still on their waiting list, Patty admitted that she had no idea, preferring instead to allow the potential customer to take on her boss on that. Interestingly, when the woman based in the United Kingdom finally responded to an email sent to her by our correspondent, it was discovered that the array of ‘bedroom’ services the hangout offers goes beyond what was initially imagined.

“We offer very sensual massages where you and the masseuse are completely naked in full body-to-body oily or soapy massage. It can be at our spa or wherever you desire. Two hours with happy ending with oily or soapy massage goes for N35,000 and N40,000 separately.

“We have both male and female personnel, who are medically screened periodically, well-trained and inducted, and from decent backgrounds. We’re friendly, liberal and not judgmental at all.

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“Therefore, no matter your sexual orientation or secret desires, you are very welcome. Just let us know how to please you better.

“Due to the sensitive nature of our services, the privacy and safety of our clients and personnel are of highest importance to us.

“However as clients, we ask that you help us by insisting and ensuring that immediately the personnel walks in, his phone is switched off. If a personnel arrives and for some reason you are uncomfortable with the person or the identity of the person, just cancel. Ask them to leave and then call the office. A charge of N8,000 is made for inconvenience.

“Lastly, please keep the business and service discreet. A secret between us, not to be shared or disclosed,” an email from the woman read.

After spending over two hours at the place and trying to scoop as much information as possible about this new sex haven for rich, lonely and horny women in this vibrant city, our correspondent together with his female friend, who posed as a potential client, made for the exit. Just about then, three women – two of them wearing dark shades – could be seen walking into the reception area while a black Sports Utility Vehicle they had stepped out from was being parked very well by the driver. Even though our correspondent could not confirm their mission, their presence at the place may not be unconnected to the new and discreet service being provided at the hangout that has become the centre of major discussions in certain social circles in Port Harcourt.

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Olalekan Adetayo

The Archbishop of Abuja, Roman Catholic Church, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has said that Nigerian bishops have lost confidence in the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He stated that they were hopeful that God would give Nigerians a government that would do the right thing.

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He spoke to journalists in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital on the sidelines of the ordination of Bishop Paul Olawoore as the Bishop of Ilorin Catholic diocese on Friday.

He lamented the killings of people in Nigeria, adding that government had not lived up to its constitutional responsibility of securing lives and property in the country.

He said, “One life lost is one life too many. It does not matter whether they are Christians, Muslims or nobody. Even one Muslim killed worries me as much as Christians killed. There are various reasons for wanting to kill. We should go to the root of that. That is the job of the government which it is not doing.

“This is why we bishops of Nigeria have said we have lost confidence in the present government. We look to God to give us a government that will do the right thing.”

The cardinal also urged politicians to avoid desperation and engaging in violence in their quest for political offices.

He described the conduct of some politicians in the country as shameful, urging them to retrace their steps.

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The Catholic Bishop of Oyo Diocese, Bishop Emmanuel Badejo, also lamented the killings in some parts of the country, saying, “We are all looking for peace and we are seeking progress.”

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Olufemi Atoyebi, Femi Makinde, Tunde Ajaja and Tobi Aworinde

Thirty-four candidates from various political parties will on Saturday (today) contest for the Ekiti State governorship election.

There had been tension and apprehension during the electioneering, especially with the deployment of more than 30,000 security men by the police and other security agencies in the state for the poll.

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According to records by the Independent National Electoral Commission, in the 16 council areas of the state, there are 177 registration areas; 2,195 polling units; and 256 polling points, with 913,334 registered voters.

However, out of the figure, 667,270 are accredited to vote, representing 73 per cent of the registered voting population.

Among those contesting to succeed Governor Ayodele Fayose are the Accord Party candidate, Jacob Aluko, 69; the All Progressives Congress candidate, Kayode Fayemi, 53; the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Kolapo Olusola, 49; and 43-year-old Aiyegbusi Oladele of the Socialist Democratic Party.

Also in the race are the Labour Party candidate, Sikiru Lawal, 59; Amuda Kazeem of KOWA Party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance candidate, Ayodeji Ayodele, 62; and the Alliance for Democracy candidate, Ben Agboola, 49.

Meanwhile, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Prof. Abdulganiyu Raji, has allayed fears that armed policemen drafted by the Inspector General of Police to the state for the election would harass the electorate.

More than 30,000 security personnel, as well as two helicopters, 250 patrol vehicles and five Armoured Personnel Carriers, had earlier been deployed in the state.

Expressing worries over the development, some voters said the heavy presence of armed policemen could scare them away from coming out to vote.

They said the state was rather too small for such a high number of policemen to have been deployed by the IGP, stating that it gave the impression that there was going to be war during the election.

However, Raji said there was no need to panic, warning those who have no Permanent Voter Cards to stay away from the polling units during the election. He noted that the Rapid Response Squad of the police would be stationed at strategic points in the state.

He also said the INEC gave enough time for registered voters to collect their PVCs and lodge complaints before the process was stopped on Wednesday.

He said, “INEC in Ekiti State is prepared for the election. We have 913,334 voters registered, out of which 667,270 have collected their permanent voter cards. This means that 667,270 will vote in Saturday’s (today) election.

“The Inspector General of Police has made public the number of security personnel drafted to the state. They are not harassing anyone. For each vehicle that went out to distribute election materials, we have a minimum of 15 armed policemen accompanying it.

“But on the day of the election (today), there will be no armed security men at the polling units. Election is a civil process, so no one will be intimidated.”

In preparation for the election, the REC said necessary measures had been put in place to ensure that there would be no delay in the commencement of the exercise.

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He said, “All ad hoc staff and supervisors moved to all the registration area centres on Friday.

“By 5am on Saturday (today), the materials and ad hoc staff will start movement to the polling units. By 8am, we will start election.”

PDP chieftains go into hiding ahead of election

Meanwhile, some chieftains of the PDP in Ikere-Ekiti have gone into hiding as fear heightened among them that the police might clamp down on them in order to put their members in disarray ahead of the election.

One of our correspondents gathered that some of the party leaders in the town had however devised various means to evade the alleged planned arrest.

A former member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he had relocated to a hotel and would not go back home until after the election because the police were planning to arrest the chieftains of the party, including him.

When contacted on the telephone on Friday, the Public Relations Officer of the PDP in Ekiti State, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, told Saturday PUNCH that the planned arrest of the party chieftains on the instruction of the APC-led Federal Government had already started.

He said, “They arrested the deputy governorship candidate, they arrested Dr. (Samuel) Omotosho. They have arrested four persons now, but some have been released.

“They arrested some of our members last night (Thursday) and went in search of some this morning (Friday). They vandalised the houses of those they did not see. The security personnel shattered the house of Taye Fasuba. Those security men behaved like thugs.”

Calls put through to the APC spokesperson in the state, Mr. Taiwo Olatubosun, to seek the party’s reaction to the allegations were not answered.

However, an APC chieftain in Ilawe-Ekiti, Mr. Shina Awelewa, debunked the allegation.

Awelewa, a former Chairman of the Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation, said the PDP leaders were making noise because they knew that security agencies had foiled their (PDP) plans to disrupt the election.

“The security agents are not arresting PDP chieftains. But, they are after the known PDP thugs who Fayose wants to use to cause violence during the election,” he said.

Denying the allegations by the PDP, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Caleb Okechukwu, said the police did not arrest anyone in connection with the election.

Ikere residents resist arrest of PDP candidate’s relatives

Meanwhile, a major crisis was reportedly prevented in Ikere-Ekiti on Friday evening when residents of the town prevented policemen from arresting Olusola’s relatives.

Armed policemen were said to have stormed the relatives’ house located at the back of a petrol station along Ado-Ikere Road, but found only those who were cooking.

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Some residents, who were suspicious of the movement of the policemen, were said to have mobilised others who resisted the planned arrest.

The confrontation with the police was said to have forced the security personnel to shoot into the air and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd, who refused to move.

Some of the people were reportedly arrested and taken to the Area Command along the College of Education Road.

The angry residents reportedly followed the arrested persons, while some of them were said to have been released after Olusola intervened in the matter.

Four out of those arrested were said to have been found with Indian hemp and held by the police.

However, Okechukwu said the police did not arrest any of the PDP candidate’s relatives.

Banks, govt secretariat, schools shut as workers shun offices, schools

As residents prepare for today’s election, banking operations in most commercial banks in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, came to a close as early as 12pm of Friday.

When one of our correspondents visited the banks on Adeyinka Adebayo Way, popularly known as Bank Road, there were notices pasted at the entrance of most of the banks, telling customers that they had closed, except for one which stated it would close by 2pm.

They however advised customers to make use of alternative channels such as the Automated Teller Machine points, mobile and internet banking.

One of our correspondents noticed as some of the bank customers were shocked on seeing the notices. As some lamented, others went to join the queues at the ATMs.

The notice by one of the banks read, “Dear esteemed customers, due to the governorship election taking place on Saturday, July 14, 2018, in the state, we shall close for business by 12pm today (Friday), July 13, 2018.

“Kindly visit our alternative channels. These are the ATM, POS, mobile banking and internet banking. Thanks for your usual cooperation.”

Similarly, some schools, including public and private, were shut throughout the day. A visit by one of our correspondents to some schools in the state showed that they didn’t open on Friday as their gates were closed.

Also at the state secretariat, a tour round the premises by one of our correspondents showed that many offices were shut while the expansive car park that used to be full of vehicles was largely empty.

A security man at the entrance of one of the buildings told one of our correspondents that most of the workers didn’t come to work on Friday while some came and left shortly after.

Even though there was no official declaration of public holiday by the state government, Saturday PUNCH learnt that the workers stayed away in order to travel to the towns where they registered to vote.

One of our correspondents approached one of the workers closing for work at the secretariat around 11:30am.

“I have to leave early so I can travel to my hometown in Otun-Ekiti and participate in the election,” she said.

Residents storm filling stations, ATM points, markets for last-minute shopping

In the meantime, Saturday PUNCH observed on Friday as scores of residents rushed to filling stations and markets in the state to make last-minute shopping ahead of today’s election.

There were long queues at filling stations as well as shopping malls.

One of our correspondents who visited Iworoko town and some other towns in the North Senatorial District of the state on Friday observed as many residents were in a hurry to shop.

One of the traders in Iworoko, who simply identified herself as Mama Dammy, told Saturday PUNCH that the market day in the town was supposed to be on Sunday (tomorrow), but because of the election and the uncertainty surrounding it, the market was opened on Friday.

Due to the early closure of the banks, Saturday PUNCH observed as scores of residents trooped to the ATM points to withdraw money as movement would be restricted on Saturday (today).

A resident, Mr. Remi Laoye, who came into the state from Ibadan for the election, said, “I exhausted the cash I brought from Ibadan and I need to withdraw some cash in case of anything. This is Nigeria, but I pray there will be no crisis.”

Population swells ahead of election

As residents vote for a new governor, several Ekiti State indigenes living outside the state have started returning to participate in the governorship election.

They said that they had to leave their bases to come home in order to participate in an exercise that would produce the next governor of their state.

One of them, Sir Michael Omodara, who resides in Ibadan, Oyo State, said his sons who reside in Ilorin, Kwara State, had also returned home to vote in the election.

One of our correspondents, who travelled from the state capital to Ishan-Ekiti early on Friday observed that there was a significant increase in traffic from the state capital to the North Senatorial District of the state.

At the New Garage, a central commercial motor park in the state capital, drivers confirmed that they had been experiencing an upsurge in the number of passengers entering the state from other states.

One of the drivers, simply identified as Kazeem, said, “We have a lot of people coming in from other states, especially from Lagos. We have been having more trips from Lagos and other states.”

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As the D-Day arrives for the much anticipated Ekiti State governorship election, KAMARUDEEN OGUNDELE analyses the strengths of the parties in each of the 16 local governments of the state

All is set for today’s governorship poll in Ekiti State as political campaigns had come to an end on Thursday.

The Independent National Electoral Commission began the sharing of sensitive materials to all the secretariats of the 16 local government areas on Thursday under tight security.

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Our correspondent reviews how political gladiators in the state have been deploying energy and resources to boost the chances of their parties in the election. Arguably, the two leading political parties in the contest are the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the state and the Federal Government-led All Progressives Congress.

The tenure of Governor Ayodele Fayose comes to an end on October 15, 2018 having taken the oath of office on October 16, 2014. Fayose in the June 21, 2014 governorship election had defeated the then sitting governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who ran on the platform of the APC.

Fayose is in his second term having first taken oath of office in 2003 when he governed till 2006 before his impeachment. He is hoping to hand over to his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola. Olusola emerged as the PDP candidate at a primary election conducted on May 8, 2018 and he is contesting against Fayemi, who defeated 32 other aspirants to emerge as the APC candidate at a keenly contested primary held on May 12, 2018.

The former Minister of Mines and Steel Development is seeking a return to the office he lost in the 2014 poll.

Will Fayose succeed in installing a successor, a feat no outgoing governor had achieved since Ekiti became a state in 1996 and produced a civilian governor in 1999?

Will Fayemi, on the other hand, stop Fayose from achieving the record by staging his own comeback to power?

It must be stated that the APC and PDP have more reach, presence, structures, resources, manpower and members in all the 16 local government areas of the state than other political parties. But would this count in the election?

Ekiti State is divided into three senatorial districts: Ekiti North, Ekiti Central and Ekiti South with16 local government areas.

Ekiti North and Ekiti Central have five local government areas each while Ekiti South has six local government areas.

The local government areas in Ekiti North are Moba (11 wards); Ido/Osi, (11 wards); Ilejemeje (10 wards); Oye (12 wards); and Ikole (12 wards).

In Ekiti Central, there are Ado (13 wards;, Irepodun/Ifelodun (11 wards); Ekiti West (11 wards); Ijero (12 wards); and Efon (10 wards).

Ekiti South is made up of Ekiti South West (11 wards); Ikere (11 wards); Ise/Orun (10 wards); Emure (10 wards); Gbonyin (10 wards); and Ekiti East (12 wards).

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Votes are up for grabs in 177 wards and 2,195 polling units. Total number of registered voters in the state is 913,334. But, according to INEC, only 630,000 have collected their Permanent Voter Cards.

Factors that will determine the winner in this election will include the candidate’s personality and acceptability, party strength, support of critical segments of the population, policies of the government in power, manifestos of the parties seeking to upstage it and of course, the party’s financial war chest.

The two parties have some party chieftains they are relying upon in their respective domains to swing victory in their favour today.

However, it must be noted that the projections below are subject to changes in the dynamics of politics as the game is highly unpredictable.

In Ado Local Government Area, it will be a battle between the two running mates of both parties: the 74-year old former Local Government Chairman, Adebisi Egbeyemi, of the APC and the 39-year-old Kazeem Ogunsakin of the PDP, who is the immediate past chairman of the council.

Some prominent persons in the local government that are with the PDP include Mr. Clement Bamisile; House of Assembly member representing Ado 1, Mr. Musa Arogundade; Assembly member representing Ado 2, Mr. Tope Fasanmi; State Universal Basic Education Board Chairman, Senator Bode Ola; and two former council chairmen, Mrs. Tosin Ajisafe-Aluko and Mr. Taye Fasuba.

For the APC, there are a former deputy governor, Prof. Modupe Adelabu; former National Assembly member, Senator Babafemi Ojudu; former commissioner, Alhaji Ayodele Jinadu; oil magnate, Chief Remi Oguntuase; former presidential aide, Mr. Bodunde Adeyanju, and a former President of the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, Chief Oluyemi Esan, among others.

Considering that the PDP won by a landslide in Ado Ekiti in 2014, it may have an advantage there.

IKERE

The APC ‘warriors’ in Ikere include five governorship aspirants: Dr. Wole Oluyede, Chief Sesan Fatoba, Mr. Kola Alabi, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye and Mr. Muyiwa Olumilua.

Others include a former old Ondo State Governor, Bamidele Olumilua, and a House of Assembly member, Mr. Sunday Akinniyi.

Leading the PDP forces in Ikere include the deputy governor and the PDP governorship candidate, Olusola; House of Assembly member representing Ikere 1, Mr. Wale Ayeni; Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs. Olayinka Ogundayomi; current Ikere Local Government Chairman, Mr. Aderemi Ayeni; and a former chairman of the local government, Mr. Ola Alonge.

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Ikere is the hometown of the PDP governorship candidate and he is expected to win there.

However, the town has three other governorship candidates including two former governors – Chief Adebisi Omoyeni of Mega Party of Nigeria and Chief Abiodun Aluko of Accord Party. Both of them left the PDP over the crisis that trailed the alleged imposition of Olusola by Fayose before the primary was conducted. A young candidate, Mr. Tosin Ajibare, of Independent Democrats is also vying for governorship.

But with the developmental projects brought to Ikere by Fayose’s administration, the odds favour the PDP.

Verdict: PDP

IDO/OSI

The PDP has won consistently in this area since 1999 but the winning streak appears to be under threat for the first time in 19 years. This is because many of those who made it happen for the PDP in the past have left the party. They include a former governor of the state, Segun Oni; a former Minister of Education, Prof. Tunde Adeniran, who has moved to the Social Democratic Party.

However, it must be stated that Oni had joined the APC before the 2014 election that the PDP won. Many also argued that Adeniran’s influence did not achieve much in the election.

The PDP gladiators in the area include Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Modupe Alade; House of Representatives member for Ido/Osi/Moba/Ilejemeje Federal Constituency, Mr. Thaddeus Aina; House of Assembly member for Ido/Osi 1; Mr. Jacob Olayode; House of Assembly member for Ido/Osi 2, Mr. Abiola Jeje, and Commissioner for Works, Mrs. Funmilayo Ogun.

Verdict: PDP

MOBA

This local government area used to be considered as a stronghold of the ‘progressives’, but it went to the PDP in the 2014 election. It is believed that the contest will be stiff this time round. The PDP will be relying on the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Kola Oluwawole; House of Assembly member for Moba 2, Mr. Badejo Anifowose and Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lanre Ogunsuyi, to deliver the local government area to the party.

Leading the APC onslaught are: a former Assembly member Mr. Olajide Olaniyi; a former Moba Local Government Area Chairman, Mr. David Olusoga; a former Senior Special Assistant to Fayemi on Legal Matters, Mr. Ibrahim Olanrewaju; and a veteran politician, Chief Michael Atejioye.

Considering that nothing much has changed in the local government, the PDP is at an advantage.

Verdict: PDP

ILEJEMEJE

The PDP chieftains in this area include the senator representing Ekiti North, Duro Fasey;, House of Assembly member for Ilejemeje, Mrs. Cecilia Dada; and the local government chairman, Mr. Ebenezer Oladipupo.

On the APC side are Afenifere chieftain and Second Republic Senator, Chief Ayo Fasanmi; a former lawmaker, Mr. Segun Erinle; a former local government chairman, Prince Adegoroye Bamigboye; and a former commissioner, Mr. Folorunso Olabode.

The PDP may still retain the local government area.

EKITI EAST

Leading the PDP in the local goverment are Senate Deputy Minority Whip, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi; House of Assembly member for Ekiti East 1, Mr. Ojo Ade Fajana; House of Assembly member for Ekiti East 2, Mr. Dare Pelemo; a former House of Assembly member, Mr. Dele Ajibola; and Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Mr. Taelolu Otitoju.

The APC chieftains working to deliver the area to their party include a former Speaker, Mr. Femi Bamisile; a former commissioner, Mr. Apalara Wole-Adewumi; a former lawmaker/council chairman, Mr. Rotimi Ajidara; and former Assembly members, Mr. Akinloye Akinyemi and Mr. Gbenga Falaye.

The battle is seen more as a battle between Olujimi and Bamisile.

Verdict: PDP

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EKITI WEST

Leading the fight for the PDP is Fayose’s Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications, Lere Olayinka; House of Assembly Deputy Speaker, Sina Animasaun; former Deputy Speaker, Olusegun Adewumi; Commissioner for Agriculture, Kehinde Odebunmi; current chairman of the local government area, Mr. Francis Ayodele; and his predecessor, Mr. Kolawole Omotunde.

The APC bigwigs expected to be on the field for the party include the state chairman of the party, Chief Olajide Awe; former lawmakers, Mr. Gbenga Odebunmi and Mr. Kayode Fasakin; a former chairman of the local government, Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu; and a former Attorney General, Mr. Wale Fapohunda.

Verdict: APC/PDP

EKITI SOUTH WEST

Here, the APC received many PDP members into its fold which may be the deciding factor. Fayemi’s foot soldiers in this council area include a former Chief of Staff, Yemi Adaramodu; a former lawmaker, Tope Agidi; and former chairmen of the local government, Mr. Genge Kola and Dr. Azeez Olaniyan.

On the side of the PDP are the chairman of the local government, Mr. Lanre Omolase; House of Assembly member for Ekiti South West 1; Mr. Wale Onigiobi; House of Assembly member for Ekiti West 2, Mr. Michael Adedeji; Commissioner for Education, Mr. Jide Egunjobi, and Alhaji Gani Bankole.

APC has an advantage.

IKOLE

A former Deputy Governor, Chief Paul Alabi, and House of Representatives member, Mr. Kehinde Agboola, are expected to lead Fayose’s foot soldiers.

Among the APC stalwarts expected to make a difference are the suspended House of Assembly Minority Leader, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan; a former lawmaker, Chief Adebayo Morakinyo, and a former Civil Service Commission Chairman, Alhaji Afolabi Ogunlayi.

Verdict: Slim chance for the APC

IREPODUN/IFELODUN

This local government area is the home base of Governor Fayose and former Governor Adeniyi Adebayo and they will want to win it for their party. Fayose defeated Adebayo in the 2003 governorship election and won again in 2014.

Verdict: PDP has a great chance but it will be an election battleground.

IJERO

This is a PDP zone but the defection of many of its members to other parties may have weakened its chances here. Former House of Assembly Majority Leader, Mr. Lai Oke, and the party’s Women Leader, Mrs. Yemisi Afolabi, are leading the fight for the party here. But the APC also has chieftains that include a former House of Assembly Chief Whip, Mrs. Omowumi Ogunlola, and a former governorship aspirant, Mr. Kayode Ojo, there to fight it out.

It will be a herculean task for the APC to change the narrative.

EFON

Fayose’s henchmen are led by the Director-General of Kolapo Olusola Campaign Organisation, Chief Bisi Kolawole; a member of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Afolabi Akanni, and a former chairman of the local government, Chief Idowu Akinyele.

The APC’s chieftains here include a former Executive Secretary of Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency/Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Dr. Oluwole Oluleye; a former Deputy Speaker, state House of Assembly, Mr. Oladapo Karonwi; and a former lawmaker, Mr. Folorunso Ogundele.

The odds favour the PDP.

EMURE

Among the leaders of the PDP is the current Attorney General, Mr. Kolapo Kolade. But the APC has former commissioners: Chief Dele Okeya and Mr. Debo Ajayi, among its leading forces. Considering the link between Emure and Ise – the town of former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, who left the PDP for the APC, the opposition party (APC) in the state is at an advantage.

ISE/ORUN

This has been a PDP stronghold since 1999 but the trend could change in the forthcoming poll. Adeyeye; a former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Afolabi Ojuawo, a former Attorney General, Mr. Owoseni Ajayi, and a lawmaker, Mr. Adeniran Alagbada, led key PDP members and leaders to join the APC. The APC has a great chance.

GBONYIN

The PDP troops are led by a former Acting Governor/Speaker, Mr. Olatunji Odeyemi; House of Representatives member representing Gbonyin/Emure/Ekiti East, Mr. Akin Awodumila; current SUBEB Commissioner, Mrs. Sade Akinrinmola; current chairman of the local government, Mr. Tope Ogidi, and a lawmaker, Mr. Ayodele Fajemilehin.

The APC firepower is led by a former Senate Minority Whip, Senator Gbenga Aluko; a former House of Representatives member and a Deputy Director-General of Fayemi Campaign, Mr. Bamidele Faparusi. Faparusi is also a former governorship aspirant.

Anything could happen in this local government area.

OYE

This is Fayemi’s home base and he will be complemented by party stalwarts like Senator Ayo Arise; a former House of Representatives member, Mr. Bimbo Daramola; a former lawmaker, Mr. Sunday Adunmo; and a former Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Gani Owolabi.

The PDP gladiators are led by the House of Assembly member representing Oye 1, Dr. Samuel Omotoso; his counterpart in Oye 2, Mr. Tunji Akinyele; and Oye Local Government Chairman, Mr. Sunday Alonge.

Verdict: APC

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Olufemi Atoyebi, Ado-Ekiti

There was a large turnout of voters for the Ekiti State governorship election in many parts of Ado-Ekiti as hundreds of voters trooped to the polling units as early as 7 am.

At ward 9, opposite Ekiti State University along Adebayo Road, our correspondent met more than 100 voters, including the aged nursing mothers and a nurse at the ward, waiting for officials the Independent National Electoral Commission around 7.05 am.

A van belonging to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence was parked in front of the university. The nurse said she had to resume at work for any emergency.

At secretariat junction, several police vans were stationed, with security men conducting search on motorists and people passing by.

At ward 8 unit 009 on Oja Oba road, voters were seen checking for their names on the lists with INEC staff already at their duty post.

At Igbehin market, commercial activities were going on around 7.21am as food vendors attended to customers.

At Ijigbo junction, several vans belonging to the Nigerian Army were seen patrolling the area as voters formed queue s for accreditation.

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Prince Uche Secondus, is leading members of his party to Abekuota, Ogun State to meet with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Saturday PUNCH learnt on Friday.

The meeting with the former President is billed to hold at his residence on Saturday (today) morning.

Our correspondent gathered that all members of the National Working Committee of the party arrived in Abeokuta on Friday for the meeting.

Also, our correspondent gathered that some members of the Board of Trustees of the party like its Chairman, Senator Walid Jibrin, and a former Deputy National Chairman of the party, Chief Olabode George, would be part of the meeting.

It was learnt that the meeting would centre on the possibility of the former chairman of the party’s BoT returning to the former ruling party.

Obasanjo, who was the President of Nigeria for two terms on the platform of the party, tore his membership card a few years ago.

However, his dramatic appearance at the PDP rally in the state earlier this week, was said to have gladdened the hearts of the national leaders of the party.

It was learnt that the former President, who had earlier called on President Muhammadu Buhari to forget his second term ambition, might be considering working with his former party on how to wrest power from the President and his party, the All Progressives Congress.

A source close to chieftains of the party said, “The PDP national leadership has come with full force to thank the former President for appearing at the party’s rally during the week in his home state.

“We are also happy that his political group, the third force, was a member of the coalition we are forming against the misrule of the APC. We want to thank him for that as well.

“However, we want him to fully verify his involvment in the activities of the PDP because as it is, the former ruling party remains the potent and viable alternative to the ruling party. We will therefore beg him not to abandon us and the nation. We need his fatherly guidance.”

It was also gathered that the party would report activities of security agents who had been allegedly accused of manhandling Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State to Obasanjo.

The PDP had staged a nationwide protest over the alleged assault on Fayose by security agents ahead of today’s  governorship election in Ekiti State.

“What’s happening in Ekiti State would be brought to the attention of Baba (Obasanjo) because as a father to all, he needs to be briefed,” a source close to those attending the meeting told our correspondent on Friday night.

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All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from PUNCH.

Contact: theeditor@punchng.com