Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has filed suit against a former senatorial aspirant in the state, Mr. Kayode Otitoju and Arise Television for defamation of character and malicious airing of offending broadcast against him. In the suit filed before an Ekiti State High Court, Fayemi is demanding a sum of N250 million from Otitoju and another N250 million Arise TV for alleged libelous statements made by the politician as an analyst on the television station. According to the Writ of Summons of the suit made available to journalists on Sunday, Fayemi through his lawyer, Mr. Babatunde Oke, is demanding a retraction of the defamatory statements aired against him by the 1st Defendant (Otitoju) while appearing as an analyst on NEWSDAY, a programme of the 2nd Defendant (Arise TV). Apart from the total sum of N500 million as exemplary and aggravated damages from the two Defendants, the former Governor is also demanding a public apology to himself which must be published in at

Anybody following the Osun tribunal proceedings in real time must have had a feeling that something was wrong somewhere, and that many polling units would eventually be cancelled. Adeleke being  from Ede, we were being regaled with admitted systemic problems in that Ede axis during and after the elections, and virtually all the 744 polling units with problems eventually cancelled for all candidates involved, not just Oyetola and Adeleke, were in that axis. Leading up to the judgment, what was not clear was that: 1.  Enough cancelled votes  would lead to the  up-turning of  the present winner.  I suspected this to be so ahead of time. 2.  The  Judges would be split in their decision.  This may be the real howler, at the end of the day. But it gives  Adeleke hope that he may yet dance in final victory, since  the last fat person  - the Supreme Court - has not sung yet, since a split decision  at lower court  can split the other way on appeal.   On the long run, this ruling could favor AN

• Organizes training for data collectors,  mobilizers   Ekiti State government, through the Widows and Orphans Hope Project", the pet project of the first lady of the state, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji has commenced the process for collation of data of widows and orphans in the state.    The data collation effort is in preparation for poverty alleviation targeted at vulnerable groups in Ekiti State.    Speaking at the opening ceremony, the wife of Ekiti State Governor, said that the project was borne out of the desire to make meaningful impact in the lives of widows and orphans across the length and breath of the state, regardless of political affiliations, status and creed.   She explained that the project was designed to contribute to the overall advancement of widows and orphans,as well as assist them to achieve self reliant, sustain livelihood, promote gender equality, and strengthen the socio-economic indices in the community they live. The governor's wife, therefore, expressed o

The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State and President of the Forum of Regions of Africa, FORAF, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has congratulated the former Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola on his victory at the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal which declared him as the validly elected governor of the State. The Tribunal in a split decision annulled the purported victory of Governor Ademola Adeleke, stating that Governor Oyetola had the most valid votes in the gubernatorial election, which was held on June 16, 2022. Fayemi in statement signed by the head of his Media Office in Abuja, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh congratulated Oyetola on his hard-fought victory.  “I am happy with the tribunal’s decision and sure that it reflected the will and preference of the majority of the people of Osun State. I commend Governor Oyetola for using peaceful legal means to reclaim his mandate,’ he stated.

"I promise I will hear you, I will listen to you, and I see you. I was asked to speak to you on the radio, I said no. This is because when we were seeking your votes I came to you directly. This is why I have invited you all here to hear directly from me what we have done in the past 100 days. I want to promise you again that this government is for Ekiti people. Every kobo that comes to the state shall be judiciously used for every spectrum of the people." "Every promise I made to you during the electioneering campaigns will be fulfilled. I will not owe our civil servants their salaries and their deductions will promptly be remitted. Pensions and gratuity will be attended to accordingly. I promised to prioritize the welfare of our pensioners and workers." "I know that whatever I do as your governor will be well accounted for before men and the Almighty God. As a result, we don't have any alternative than to serve our people with all the resources available

The Election Petitions Tribunal hearing the All Progressives Congress’ Adegboyega Oyetola’s petition against the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party’s Ademola Adeleke on Friday annulled the result of the July 16 Osun governorship poll. Justice Tetsea Kume, while delivering a majority decision, declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission did not comply substantially with the constitution and the provisions of the Electoral Act. He subsequently deducted the over-voting observed from the votes scored by the candidates and declared that Oyetola won the election, having polled 314, 921, while Adeleke’s score came down to 290, 266. He directed INEC to withdraw Adeleke’s certificate of return and issue another one to Oyetola who won a majority of the lawful votes. Meanwhile, a minority decision by one of the judges is being read as of the time of filing this report.

The management of the  Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State, is to confer a honourary doctorate degree on  the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, for his outstanding leadership mien and  impressive performance as a public servant . A letter addressed to Senator Bamidele by the Registrar of the fastest- growing faith-based University, Mr. Dapo Adeniyi, and dated 11th October, 2023, said the the federal lawmaker will be garlanded with the prestigious title at the JABU's 13th Convocation Ceremonies slated for 27th January, 2023. The University added that the honour stemmed from in-depth studies conducted into Senator Bamidele's political trajectory since 1999 and found him exemplary as well as  outstanding in all positions he had occupied in the  public service.  The letter reads inter alia;  "As part of the plans towards the 13th Convocation Ceremonies of our university, I write to notify yo

On October 16, 2022, my husband, Mr. Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji (BAO) was sworn in as Governor of Ekiti State. Thus, a new chapter was opened in our family and in the life of our state.   On that fateful day, as stakeholders: members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), people of Ekiti State and Nigerians, resident here, and in the diaspora, were celebrating with us, I was looking beyond the glamour to the bigger picture. My mind was fixed on  BAO’s pact with Ekiti people. As we left the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion, venue of the inauguration, I kept on muttering; “Lord Jesus! He must not fail.  Go with him on this journey”.  Yes, I knew the stuff the new Governor was made of, and I knew he meant well for the state , and its people.  But, all the same, I was enveloped in what I can call 'fear of the unknown'. The goodwill, and the political capital, heralding his coming, were huge and, it must not be frittered  away. Thankfully, looking back, 100 days after, I'm convinced I have

• Commends turnout of registrants for PVCs' collection The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has described citizens' reluctance to exercise their franchise rights  during elections, as a trend that must be tamed by stakeholders, saying it portends grave danger to electoral growth. Oyebanji praised the people of the state for trooping out to collect their Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs) to participate in the 2023 impending polls. Oyebanji described the public holiday declared by the government, on Tuesday, as a huge success, taking cognisance of the impressive turnout of intending voters scampering for PVCs, at the Independent National Electoral Commission's offices across the state. The Governor, represented by his Deputy, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, said this, on Tuesday,  while monitoring compliance with the directive of the state government for registrants to troop out and collect their PVCs. The INEC local government headquarters visited included that of Ikere, Ado, Ar

• Target 90 percent votes The wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji has launched the door-to-door campaign for the candidates of the All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu in the  forthcoming general election. Oyebanji, alongside the APC state chairman, Barr. Paul Omotosho, Secretary to State Government, Dr. Abibat Adubiaro on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti, led other party faithful to officially unveiled the; 'Tinubu/Shettima Women Presidential Door-to-Door Campaign Team. Described as a departure from the crowd renting charaterised by the public rally, the innovation is to havest voters through grassroots mobilisation for APC Presidential candidate, his running mate Ahlaji Kishim Shettima and other candidates of the party. According to the Governor's Wife, the door-to-door campaign initiative was first employed during the last gubernatorial election in the state and it yielded positive result for the party.  She urged all the party loyalists across the state to

• Urges Parties, Candidates to Focus on Issues. As the days for the general elections draw near, the Pan Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has expressed concern over the increasing verbal and physical attacks that are characterizing election campaigns in various parts of the country. In a press release signed by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere stated that political parties and their candidates should focus on issues regarding how they will tackle the myriad of challenges that the country is facing rather than coming up with utterances and actions that border on “de-marketing of opponents and possibly causing bodily harms on other people”. It would be recalled that politicians are, of late, hurling serious verbal attacks against one another while physical attacks have also been reported in a few places. The latter even led to the loss of some lives in some instances. Maintaining that Nigerian politicians ought to have matured

• Call CP to Investigate further A first class monarch in Ekiti State, the Onire of Ire-Ekiti, Oba Bobade Adeleke and his Chiefs have debunked a story trending on social media that he arrested a man who confessed to have stolen a bag of rice in the palace.  At the weekly meeting of the Onire-in-could which was held yesterday (Friday January 20) at his palace, the Kabiyesi expressed his dismay about a report making rounds on social media where he was alleged to have ordered for the prosecution of one Tope Fasakin over the vandalization of the palace which he openly confessed to. Explaining what transpired regarding the matter, one of the Chiefs, the Arowa of Ire Ekiti, Chief Francis Agbetuyi,  considered the report as a blatant lie as according to him, "few months ago the guy (Fasakin) came here to confess that he led those who broke into the palace to kill Kabiyesi's pets as well as stealing a bag of rice which had since been eaten. On that day, kabiyesi only prayed for him an

It is the season of blackmail and outright lies in an election year to achieve underserved sympathy among the uneducated and unwary voters, all in an attempt to sway support for the candidates of the peddlers.  It is also the season that some characters assail the nation with all manner of sophistry embedded in lifeless, banal and hackneyed  essays couched in deadpan language.  In that enterprise, we have seen both educated elite and common hell-raisers in the election battlefields of wits in the newspapers, television interviews and public campaigns raising pedestrian issues that should not have a place in Nigeria's contemporary history.  From religion to ethnicity and from gender to educational attainment, some Nigerians have started raising the stakes to include the inappropriateness of people sharing bloodlines to veer into political turf to serve their nation.  Not because they lack capacity to fashion credible policies to run the nation or that constitutional encumbrances exi

• Commits to deepening entrepreneurship in the state Wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has solicited the cooperation of entrepreneur groups to enhance economic development of the state. Dr Oyebanji made the call on Thursday while receiving audience members of Ekiti Online Market Business Group in Ado-Ekiti. The First Lady commended the team for going beyond their comfort zone to add value to the state through various online commercial activities. She also appreciated them for the good projection they are giving to the state government. While expressing her willingness to use her good office to impact the vision of the team, Dr. Oyebanji  said there was no better time for strengthening online activities than now that the global economy is experiencing a turbulence.  She said, "There is no better time for collaboration for a robust economy than now and my office is determined to partner progressive organisations like yours for the success of some of the pet projects

• Dissolves Ekiti State Exco The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  has wielded the big stick against some party members for alleged anti-party activities.  It also announced the dissolution of the Ekiti State Executive Committee and the setting up of a caretaker committee to oversee the day-to-day running of party affairs in the state.  This was contained in a statement signed by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, in Abuja, late on Friday.  Ologunagba said, “ After a very extensive review and consideration of the affairs of our Party in the country, pursuant to the provisions of the PDP Constitution (as amended in 2017) approved the suspension of Senator Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu State) and Chief Chris Ogbu (Imo State) with effect from today, Friday, January 20, 2023, over allegations of anti-party activities. “In the same vein, the NWC has approved the suspension of the underlisted Party members in Ekiti State also with ef

• As Wole Olanipekun gifts High Court Complex to Ekiti judiciary Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has assured the the judiciary that his administration will continue to ensure effective administration of justice through improvement of the condition of the courts and welfare of judicial officers in the state. The Governor, Who stated this at the official commissioning of the ultra-modern High Court Complex donated to the State Government by a former President of the Nigeria Bar Association ( NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN), affirmed that his administration understands the importance of law and order to the progress and development of the state and hence would ensure its sanctity. He confirmed that his government had partnered with the judiciary on diverse issues to improve the business environment by being one of the first states to create a Small Claims Court for the settlement of commercial matters, which had provided comfort to lenders, and improve medium enterprises. Gover

Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji has delivered on the promise he made to Saka , an Ikere Ekiti traditional musician ,at an event he attended in Ikere last November  .  Saka had requested for a set of musical instruments from Mr Governor and he promised to grant his request. Saka thought it was a political statement he’s used to hearing from regular politicians. Viola ! Mr Governor assembled a complete set of musical instruments at Saka’s door step in Ikere Ekiti. The Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs.) Monisade Afuye presented the musical instrument to Saka in ikere  on behalf of Mr Governor in the presence of family, friends , Chairman Ikere LG and Representative of Ogoga Ikere . This empowerment is a major economic boost for Saka , his family and band .

The Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye,  has described boarding system as one of the best ways to strengthen education and make  it more functional and standard in any country.  Mrs Afuye said the policy helps to  instil moralty in students, cut their excesses and make them more exceptional  in  performances in internal and external examinations. The Deputy Governor, said this yesterday, in Ado Ekiti, while playing host to the Amoye Grammar School,Ikere Ekiti Old Students' Assocation(AMOSA), who visited an alumnus to congratulate  her on her emergence  as the number two citizen of the state. The old students presented an award of excellence to the Deputy Governor for her contributions to the school, describing her as  a worthy and committed  alumnus of the institution.  A statement by the Special Assistant Media to the Deputy Governor, Victor Ogunje, quoted Mrs Afuye as expressing  joy over moves being made by the old students to reintroduce boarding  system ba

• As LCDA chair inaugurates project, empowerment programme Ekiti State First Lady, Dr. Olayemi Oyebanji and the Ogoga of Ikere Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Adu, have called on relevant stakeholders in Education, including parents, community leaders and teenagers, to join hands with the government to reduce teenage pregnancy and spate of dropout of young people within school age. They spoke in Ikere Ekiti on Friday during an empowerment programme and  commissioning of eight units of lock-up shops  initiated by the Chairperson, Ikere West Local Council Development Area, Mrs. Toyin Afolabi. Items distributed to members of the community include; gas stoves, standing fans, pop corn making machine and farm tools.  Dr. Oyebanji pleaded with parents to always enroll their children in schools, pointing out that education is the bedrock of any developed society.  She added that quality education would remain a vital tool that would open doors for younger ones and subsequently make them great future leader

President Muhammadu Buhari Friday promised to consider the requests for assistance made by the new Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke, who was at State House on a ‘thank you’ visit.  The Governor, elected on platform of the People’s Democratic Party, said he had come to appreciate the President for providing a level playing field in the election that held in July last year.  Said the Governor: “I had waited patiently for this appointment, and was praying fervently for it to happen. It’s a dream come true for me to see you, and have a handshake.  “I am a beneficiary of the new Electoral Law you signed, as it paved the way for free and fair elections, ruling out ballot box snatching and stuffing.  Advert “The security agencies followed your instruction to be fair and firm, and I am so proud of you. You are a true father, regardless of political party differences.”  The Governor said free and fair elections would be one of the greatest legacies President Buhari would bequeath

  ON THIS DAY IN 1966, YOUNG ARMY OFFICERS IN THE VERY EARLY HOURS OF THAT DAY IN FOUR MAJOR REGIONAL CITIES ACROSS NIGERIA SIMULTANEOUSLY STAGED A BLOODY MILITARY REBELLION EFFECTIVELY PUTTING AN END TO NIGERIA'S FIRST REPUBLIC.             The revolution led to the killings of several high-ranking Political and Military figures across the Country.   The head of the army, Maj. Gen. Johnson Aguiyi Ironsi foiled the plot and later took over the reigns of government the same day.   Advert The names of the original ring leaders started filtering in within military circles same day and it was later revealed that Majors, Emmanuel Ifeajuna, Chukwuma Nzeogwu, Christian Anuforo, Adewale Ademoyega and Donatus Okafor were the ring leaders.   Others who were co-conspirators were Majors, Chudi Sokei, Humphrey Chukwuka, Timothy Onwuantuegwu, John Obienu and Captains, Ogbonaya Orji, Ben Gbulie, Emmanuel Nwobosi and Godwin Ude.. Advert MAJOR CIVILIAN CASUALTIES.   Alhaji A.T. Balewa---PRIME MINIS

The matter between the PDP governorship candidate, Sen. Sandy Onor and that of his APC counterpart, Sen Prince Bassey Edet Otu came up today for hearing at the Court of Appeal, Calabar Judicial Division. Sen. Onor had appealed the case he earlier dragged the APC, Sen. Bassey Otu, his deputy, Hon. Peter Odey and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th respondents, having lost at the court of first instance. He alleged that the 3rd defendant apart from not being a member of the APC, also holds a dual citizenship. Entering his arguments, counsel to the appellant, First Baba Isa, informed the court that there was a difference between defection and resignation from a political party and that since the 3rd defendant failed to resign his membership of the first appellant, PDP, the court should disqualify him from participating in the March 11 governorship election. On the issue of dual citizenship, Barr. Baba Isa prayed the court to rely on documents they

Soccour came the way of Master Adeyemi Ayomiposi of St. Mary's Nursery and Primary School Irona, Ado-Ekiti, as the Chairman of Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB),Prof. Femi Akinwumi, offered to take care of his academic expenses henceforth. The SUBEB boss was at the school this morning on an inspection tour when he noticed that the boy was so unkempt and malnourished. In his curiosity, Prof. Akinwumi called the class teacher of the young Ayomiposi to have first hand information about his condition. The class teacher, Mrs Fisayo Olowoyo said "Ayomiposi has no mother and his father is a farmer who go to farm early morning and return late at night. She further explain that the father had no time for the proper upbringing of the boy. Upon listening to the story,the SUBEB boss who was full of compassion offered to take care of the boy's feeding, schooling and other benefits a child could get from his parents. The boy was later brought to the SUBEB office this a