Olusola Oke Blasts Mimiko, Over Evasion of Court Service

By Adebola Adeyileka
The Olusola Oke campaign Organisation has accused the Ondo state governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko of evasion of service of notice of the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP at the tribunal.

The special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Chief Oke, Mr. Kunle Adebayo made this known in a statement he issued today, in which the campaign organisation lambasted the governor for evading service of the notice of the petition three times, making it impossible to begin the trial.

The statement described the action of the governor as contempt of rule of law and uncharitable conduct.

The PDP candidate and his party, the PDP had earlier approached the tribunal to challenge the victory of Mimiko on account of malpractices,  manipulation of INEC’s vital documents and substantial non compliance.

It stated, “three times the court bailiff had met a brick wall in efforts to serve both the Labour Party and governor Mimiko the petitions. On the three occasions, he said the governor was reported to be busy with state matters while the offices of secretaries and officials dedicated for the governors mails were reported under lock and keys.”

The campaign organisation, however, alleged that the reason why governor Mimiko and the LP are dodging notice of service is “to enable them work on the petition and them beat the fourteen days deadline.”

According to it “this is regrettable and unacceptable as according to him “It is an act of cowardice and panic fueled by the guilty conscience of a governor who allegedly procured victory under the basest, most corrupt and most shameful circumstances ever seen in history.

Which state matter should be more important than defending the legitimacy of government?

It added, “One would have expected the man who claimed victory with clean hands to jump up with genuine excitement and enviable confidence and walk up to the temple of justice with despatch and pride.” We are not surprised at all because the truth about all the lies perpetrated during the election are oozing out like smoke before fire.

All chameleonic moves, deceptive propaganda and wild media frenzy have expired in the face of the determination of the people of Ondo state to find out who lied and rigged during the election”.

The party said it would apply for an order of substituted service to ensure the governor takes the delivery of the notice of the petition.

“The governor’s evasive act is unhelpful to him moreso now that the secret of the judicial victory that installed him in office in  2009 has been found to be allegedly based on falsified and manipulated documents of the State Security Service.

We urge our dear brother to wake up from his dreamland of impossible expectation and tow the path of Honour by accepting all court papers accordingly and summon courage to appear expeditiously at the Tribunal where the test of his “victory” will be brought before true justice”, it stated.

ACN accuses LP of evading Tribunal summons

The Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, Ondo State has accused the Labour Party of locking up its secretariat to prevent its being served the court summons from the governorship tribunal seating in Akure.

Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, the Director of Media, Publicity and Strategy, of ACN, Ondo State, in a statement yesterday said; “Governor Mimiko and the LP have been evading service of the summon from the tribunal as an antic to buy time ,perhaps to ensure that the case is not disposed off within the constitutionally accepted period.

“The ACN is committed to pursuing the tribunal case to a logical conclusion. We have the responsibility of informing our numerous supporters in Ondo State, Nigeria and the world at large about why we are in court and this is what we have done.

“We owe no apologies to spin doctors employed by Mimiko to challenge our inalienable right which was not denied him in 2009 when he was fighting to recover its mandate.

“It is sad that the LP’s Publicity Secretary, Mr. Femi Okunjemiruwa missed the point in his reference to ‘an era when the judiciary was under the cash and carry characters of old and the era of judgment purchase’.

Media Chat: President Jonathan is A Liar-Aso Rock Officials

Two officials of the Nigerian presidency have accused President Goodluck Jonathan of having “peddled falsehood” at Sunday’s presidential media chat.

The officials, who requested that their names be withheld so they are not victimized, rose in stout defence of presidential spokesman, Reuben Abati, who made policy announcements President Jonathan denied on Sunday.

“It has just struck some of us that this President is not an honourable man,” one of the officials said this morning. “I can confirm to you, and I think I should know, that the President approves every policy statement Dr. Abati releases to the media. It is shocking that he could say something different on TV.”

“We just can’t understand what came over the president,” another official fumed. “He told barefaced lies and a lot of us are ashamed to be working for him. It means when he asks us to do stuff, he could turn around to deny us tomorrow. It is unfortunate.”

Mr. Jonathan had on Sunday contradicted some policy announcements made to the media by his spokesperson.

During the media chat that lasted two hours, the president contradicted what his aides, particularly his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, said on the issue of power, the first lady’s health, and security.

Power

On Wednesday, November 14, Mr. Abati released a press statement to the media on behalf of the president in which he said the president cancelled the transmission contract awarded to Manitoba.

“Mr. President has cancelled the Manitoba power contract with immediate effect,” Mr. Abati said in the statement, a claim Mr. Jonathan has denied.

“Manitoba contract has not been revoked,” the president said Sunday, explaining that his administration observed that the company “did not follow the law strictly,” when it got the contract.

Manitoba Hydro, a Canadian state-owned firm, emerged the highest bidder, in April, to manage Nigeria’s transmission network, under the Transmission Company of Nigeria, for three years.

But Mr. Abati later announced that the contract had been cancelled.

But when the matter was raised yesterday, Mr. Jonathan said the contract was never cancelled but is being regularized as due process was not fully followed in the award.

Presidential aides however said Mr. Jonathan ordered the contract cancelled, and then instructed Mr. Abati to release a statement on the matter.

Security

After reports emerged that a man claiming to be a spokesman for the dreaded Boko Haram made a call to journalists stating the group’s willingness to negotiate with the Federal Government under some conditions, Mr. Abati again said the government was already having some form of discussion with the Boko Haram group.

On Sunday, August 26, Mr. Abati told State House correspondents that the government was in talks with the Boko Haram through “backroom channels.”

“When government says it is already talking to Boko Haram, the form of that dialogue must be properly understood.

“The form of the dialogue is that backroom channels are being used to reach across with the sole objective of understanding what exactly the grievances of these persons are,” Mr. Abati said.

Three months later, on Monday November 12, Mr. Abati again confirmed to Punch Newspapers that the government was in talks with the sect.

“I can confirm to you that talks are ongoing at the background. But the talks are not the kinds being envisaged by Nigerians,” Mr. Abati said. “The ongoing talk is a back channel one in which those who know members of the group are talking with them on behalf of the government.”

President Jonathan dismissed Mr. Abati’s claims.

“There is no dialogue between the Boko Haram and government,” Mr. Jonathan said during the media chat.

“Boko Haram is still operating under cover, they wear masks, there is no face. They operate under cover. No dialogue that is going on anywhere,” Mr. Jonathan said.

Patience’s illness

The President also confirmed that the first lady, Patience Jonathan, was ill and treated abroad contrary to presidential aides’ claims that she only travelled abroad to rest.

Ayo Osinlu, a media aide to Mrs. Jonathan, told journalists on September 3 that the First Lady was not sick but travelled out of the country to take a “moment’s rest.”

“If you look at her itinerary in August, you would be wondering how she was able to accomplish that. In the course of this week, she will be back home. But remember, it all depends on her plans,” Mr. Osinlu told Punch Newspapers.

Mr. Abati also denied the first lady’s illness describing it as a rumour.

“(Illness story) was a rumour and there is nothing like that,” Mr. Abati said.

During the presidential media chat on Sunday, Mr. Jonathan refuted the claims by both officials.

“She was ill, she received treatment,” Mr. Jonathan said of his wife’s trip to Germany.

“When she returned, she had to further recuperate,” the president said while explaining the first lady’s seeming absence from public glare since her arrival in the country on October 17.

But presidential officials who spoke to us said it was the same Mr. Jonathan who instructed Messrs Osinlu and Abati not to confirm his wife’s illness to the media.

Source:Premium Times.

Mimiko, Labour Party evade service of election petition

One week after political parties filed their petitions at the Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Akure, the Tribunal is finding it difficult to serve the respondents, Governor Olusegun Mimiko and Labour Party, LP.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered the Court Bailiff could not serve the Labour Party because the party’s office at Oyemekun road was locked and there was no one to receive the Tribunal processes.

Mr. Mimiko was also said to be unavailable to receive the Petition when the Tribunal Bailiff arrived at his office in Alagbaka to serve him.

However, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been served with the petitions of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and its candidate, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu; as well as that of the Accord Party candidate, Olawale Ojo.

But the Accord party under the Chairmanship of Ajibola Falaiye distanced itself from the petition, saying that it did not even field a candidate for the October 20 elections.

Five political parties and their candidates filed petitions before the Governorship Election Tribunal to challenge the declaration of Mr. Mimiko as the winner of the October 20 Governorship Election in Ondo state.

The aggrieved Parties are:  ACN, Peoples Democratic Party, Accord Party (candidate), Congress for Progressive Change, and Peoples Democratic Change.

One of the counsels to ACN, Titiloye Charles, said the party’s legal team is wary of the fact that time is of essence in view of the 180 days lifespan of the petition

It has therefore demanded a bailiff report from the Tribunal in order to apply for substituted service if by the end of Thursday, the Respondents (Mimiko and the Labour Party) cannot be served personally.

Grandfather bags first class degree

A grandfather, Aderemi Alli, was among the 21 first class graduates produced by the University of Ibadan at its convocation ceremony held on Thursday in Ibadan.

Alli, 57, was among the three first class graduates produced by the institution’s Faculty of Law. He had had a first degree in Economics Education 31 years ago.

The university graduated a total of 1,582 students for the 2011/2012 academic session with 243 graduating in Second Class (Upper Division) and 920, Second Class (Lower Division). A total of 135 of the students graduated with Third Class and 203 with Pass.

Alli, whose last child is studying Electrical Engineering in the same university, told journalists at the ceremony that he was motivated to study law because many of his schoolmates had become Senior Advocates of Nigeria.

“I feel I can still participate in the society in spite of my age,” he said. “I am using this medium to advise others that they can do it, if I can do it.”

The Vice Chancellor, Isaac Adewole, expressed regret that the university did not produce many first degree graduates due to the disruption of the 2011/2012 academic calendar which prevented some final year students from completing their courses.

Adewole urged the graduating students to be relevant to their society. “There is no doubt that the University of Ibadan has laid the foundation that will enable you to face the challenges of the 21st century and the demands of the present-day labour market,” he said. “It is, therefore, your responsibility to prove that the education you have acquired is world-class.”

Culled from Daily Times.

NDLEA destroys drugs worth N13.6bn

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) said it has publicly destroyed cocaine and other drugs valued at N13.6 billion.

The drugs, which include cannabis, heroin, cocaine, ethamphetamine and amphetamine, were publicly destroyed on Thursday in Badagry, Lagos State.

In a statement signed by the agency's spokesman, Mitchel Ofoyeju, and made available to journalists in Lagos, it was revealed that among the drugs destroyed were heroin packs hidden in woollen carpets and footballs as well as other seized and forfeited narcotics.

According to Ofoyeju, the Chairman of the agency, Ahmadu Giade, supervised the exercise.

"Any society that fails to destroy drugs will end up being destroyed by drugs. Cannabis, like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, has serious consequences on health, economy and security of a nation," Ofoyeju quoted Giade as saying.

"We shall not take any decision that will ruin the future of our youths who are the leaders of tomorrow. Medical or recreational reasons are not good enough for Nigeria to legalise the use of cannabis.

"Let it be made clear that Nigeria is not considering legalising cannabis or any other narcotic drugs for recreational use. The future of our youths is greater than any recreational consideration."

He said that the event was witnessed by stakeholders, including traditional rulers, military officers, paramilitary agencies, members of the National Youth Service Corps and students.

Source:Daily Times.

Compass Newspaper Director Shot by unknown gunmen

Unknown gunmen, around Ikeji Arakeji area of Osun State, shot the Managing Director of Nigerian Compass Newspaper, Mr.Sina Kawonise and one of the two police orderly attached to him today. 

Mr Sina Kawonise

The gunmen, according to eyewitnesses at the scene of the incident, immediately opened fire on sighting his car in order to force the vehicle to a stop but were engaged in a gun duel by the two orderlies attached to Mr. Kawonise. This development reportedly made the attackers to take to their heals when they realised that they could not accomplish their mission.

Mr Kawonise was shot in the leg by the attackers while one of the two policemen also suffered gunshot wounds and were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Mr.Kawonise was on his way back from Anambra where he was the keynote speaker at the 17th Annual Conference of the Nigerian Anthropological and Sociological Association, which held at the Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka.

Kawonise's media assistant, Adegbenro Adebanjo, confirmed the attack, adding that police have commenced investigations into the incident.

INEC And Security Forces Rigged Ondo Election For Mimiko - Oke.

The governorship candidate of the PDP in the October 20th elections in Ondo state has vowed to legally challenge the result of the October 20 governorship elections before friday this week. Not doing this, he says,  is collaborating with injustice and perfidy which is the greatest disservice to Democracy".

Oke said this yesterday in a statement signed by his Special  Adviser, Media and Publicity, Kunle Adebayo.  He said INEC, Police, SSS, Army and other security forces are the biggest suspects in the dastardly coup against the people of the state.He called for a probe of the role of INEC in the election saying both the commission and security services who operated in the state showed bad examples and will be threats to subsequent election in the country if not exposed.
The statement said Mimiko is enjoying a stolen mandate through an election "marred by severe irregularities, widespread malpractices, vitiating  distortions and perversions by INEC in collaboration with the state government and security forces in the state".
According to Oke, "it is sad that Nigeria's rising profile in free and fair electoral process may be stained by the dirty  facts  behind this election.  All our investigations , collated reports as well as reports by first class election observers and monitors have shown massive evidence of monumental corruption and manipulation of INEC's documents and the entire electoral process".
"Quite regrettably and shamefully, INEC allowed its voters register to be overloaded with as much as over 150,000 strange names".  This is against the background that no new voters registration took place in the state after the 2011 elections.
"This crime was allowed in spite of our repeated petitions and public complaints to INEC that the ruling government was planning to clone voters cards and inject fake names into the voters register. It is sad that in spite of Prof. Attahiru Jega's assurances and empty boasts, citizens's database under the Kaadi Igbe Ayo scheme of the Ondo state government found its way unedited and unfettered into the sacrosanct INEC voters' register".
Adebayo said evidences now abound of many instances where renown party thugs and chieftains were accredited and clothed as election monitors and observers only to openly descend upon and intimidate opposition members and voters at polling units during the election".
Cases of daylight violation of the electoral process as well as ballot stuffing in the rural areas, Adebayo said were also graphically captured and reported.
Contrary to ecomiums and praise being heaped on INEC, he said  when the staggering facts are heaped on the table, the commission must look Nigeria in the face and  account for the prevalence  of over voting, manipulation of accreditation list as well as voting by unaccredited people.

Chief Olusola Oke

"Nigerians, indeed the world would be shocked that on INEC register released for the election, one person, with same face,  most times, appeared not less than 4 times in different dresses".
Adebayo decried Nigerian's penchant for celebrating in a hurry without getting the facts.  He said those who call themselves apostles of one man one vote would even be shocked by the monumental fraud perpetrated by INEC and LP and the security forces, right before the gaze of the whole world.
"When the ugly facts of the election come out in the next few weeks, Nigerians will see the magnitude of perfidy, malpractice, shame and corruption  which lay at the heart of the election".
Mimiko himself knows he is sitting on a stolen mandate. INEC knows what it did, we are only sad that Prof Attahiru  Jega is allowing termites to eat the monument he has built.".
All efforts by PLATFORM NEWSWIRE to speak to  Labour Party officials on the issue, at the time of going to press were futile.

4 Ondo ACN Leaders In Police Net For Diverting Party Funds

FOUR leaders of the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in Ondo State have been arrested and detained at the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, Akure, for allegedly absconding with the money meant for governorship election of the party in the state.

Sources within the party said the suspects after collecting the money running into millions of naira fled.

Deputy Director-General of ACN campaign team in Ondo South Senatorial District Mr. Femi Johnson said this in Akure.

The suspects included a former Special Assistant to a Minister, a legal practitioner in Ilaje Local Government, one local government party chairman in the southern senatorial district and a chieftain of the party in the area.

Mr. Johnson, who however, declined to disclose the specific amount the suspects absconded with, said the leadership of the party would recover the stolen money from them.

He pointed out that the money was meant for the election in the southern senatorial district and was directly handed over to the suspects for distribution until they bolted away with it.

He however denied that he was arrested alongside the suspects, adding that the money released through him six weeks to the election, was disbursed appropriately to the accused.

Culled from Vanguard.

Gang-ups to unseat us in 2015 will fail – PDP

The People’s Democratic Party has vowed that mergers and alliances planned by opposition parties to oust the ruling party in 2015 will hit the rocks.

This came following the ongoing merger talks between two major opposition parties, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and the General Buhari-led Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) with the aim of defeating PDP in 2015.

The National Secretary of PDP, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, told newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, that the proposed ‘gang-ups’ to unseat the party would fail.
Oyinlola asserted that such move was not a threat to the acclaimed largest party in Africa.

He avows, “We don’t think we are threatened by what we would call gang ups. In those days when the National Party of Nigeria and Nigeria Peoples Party closed ranks, it was called an accord. When the Unity Party of Nigeria and Great Nigeria Peoples Party did the same, they called it gang up.
“Honestly speaking, ganging up is an indication of some weaknesses. Why can’t a party stand on its own and contest elections if it is sure that it would be acceptable to the people? You don’t need to gang up.
“If you are ganging up then you don’t have the strength. The only true national party today that cuts across every nook and cranny of the Nigerian federation is the PDP. Gang up has never succeeded; it will not succeed.”

The party secretary affirmed that the ruling party would stick to its zoning formula at all levels, noting that it would be dangerous for the party to deviate from its policy.

It would be recalled that former Vice-President and a member of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said that zoning formula was no longer relevant to the party. On the contrary, Oyinlola maintained that zoning is still sacrosanct among its members, asserting that it is the glue that bound the different groups in the PDP together.

He said, “It is the binding glue that holds the people together and, as such, it would be politically dangerous to abandon it at this stage. That it is our binding force.
“What has endeared the PDP to people from all over the country has been the zoning arrangement. It has given hope to those in the minority that they could have access to power.
“There is an adage in my language (Yoruba) that says when a medicine is working for you, you don’t throw it away. So we will continue with the zoning arrangement because it is working very well.”
Spealking further, the party chieftain added that the Bamangar Tukur-led National Working Committee of the PDP are working round the clock to bring unity back to the ruling party.
“As you know, were it not for our differences, we would have won Ogun State. We lost Oyo State because of the differences between the Senator Rasheed Ladoja-led Accord Party and the Alao-Akala-led PDP,”he said.

The National Secretary promised that the face-off between the Presidency and the PD-dominated National Assembly over the 2013 budget oil benchmark would be resolved soon, through dialogue.

He added that the party would continue to be in control of its primaries, adding that it would not succumb to attempts by the Independent National Electoral Commission to interfere with its internal affairs.

According to him, under the Electoral Act 2010, INEC has no powers to dictate to parties on how to run their affairs.

Reacting, the Publicity Secretary, CPC, Mr. Rotimi Fashakin, said political alliance was part of constitutional democracy, noting that the current government in Britain is a product of an alliance.

Culled from Daily Post.