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Ekiti 2018:NEC Declares Kayode Fayemi Winner

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Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kayode Fayemi, has won the Ekiti State governorship election.

Fayemi defeated current Deputy Governor of the state and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Kolapo Olusola, and over 30 others in a keenly contested election.

He was victorious in 11 out of the 16 local government areas of the state, polling 197,459 votes, and edging out his closest rival Olusola who got 178,121 votes by 19,338 votes.

Based on the votes secured, INEC’s Chief Returning Officer for the election, Professor Idowu Olayinka, declared Fayemi the winner.

Saturday’s election was highly anticipated as it pitted both the APC and Fayemi against one of their biggest critics and a key member of the opposition.

The buildup to the election was filled with drama and heightened expectations but led to fears of violence, with more than 30,000 policemen eventually deployed to provide security.

It, however, started rather smoothly with electoral materials and officials getting to polling units visited by our correspondents on schedule.

In Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, there was a large turnout of voters and more than 60,000 people eventually voted there, the largest votes cast in a local government during the election.

Apart from reports now and then of card reader malfunction, one of the first issues to pop up was the allegations of cash inducements by observers and party agents.

A few hours into the start of the election, the police arrested some persons for allegedly distributing cash to voters.

By midday, both Fayemi and Olusola had suffered hitches at their polling units.
In the case of Fayemi, the card reader smoothly read his PVC enabling him to vote but it failed to read that of his wife and it took several attempts before she got to vote.

After voting, the former Ekiti governor told reporters he was confident of victory and that the day will be celebrated.

In the case of Olusola, the card reader failed to recognise his card when he tried to vote at his polling unit – Ofomofuru Hall, Ward 2, Okokuru in Ikere-Ekiti.

He only got accredited to vote after INEC National Commissioner, Anthonia Simbini, intervened.

Both candidates did not dwell on the hitch, however, with the focus more on voter inducement and intimidation.

The victory puts Mr Fayemi on course for a second term as governor of the state, an ambition he failed to achieve in 2014 when he was defeated by Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Fayemi had gone on to head the Policy, Research and Strategy Directorate of the APC’s Presidential Campaign for the 2015 election before becoming Minister of Mines and Steel Development.

Fayose, whose administration repeatedly accused Fayemi’s administration, was keen to ensure that his deputy succeeds him and that Ekiti remains under the leadership of the PDP.

When he came out to vote, the governor repeated his calls to supporters of the PDP to vote and protect their votes.

Although it was a close contest, Fayemi and the APC prevailed

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Shettima Justifies N15 billion Budgeted For His Official Residence, Says Peter Obi Suffering From Post-election Trauma

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Vice President Kashim Shettima has responded to recent criticisms from Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections.

Stanley Nkwocha, the spokesman for Vice President Shettima, addressed Obi’s remarks, defending the administration’s decision to spend N15 billion to renovate his boss’s residences in Lagos and Abuja.

Obi had questioned why the government planned to spend a lot on renovating the edifices while budgeting a paltry N5 billion for student loans in the country.

In his statement released on behalf of Vice President Shettima, Nkwocha responded to Obi’s comments, denouncing what he termed as a series of misguided attacks and falsehoods directed at the administration led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Nkwocha challenged the criticisms levelled by Obi, citing the allocation of funds for the renovation of the Vice President’s official residence by the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA).

He clarified that the project was initiated and funded during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan and was later renewed by the current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, due to its long-standing abandonment.

The spokesman defended the decision to resume the project, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to completing long-abandoned public projects across the nation, a stance he suggested was in contrast to Obi’s past directives as governor of Anambra State.

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COP28 Delegation: ”Tinubu Has Turned Climate Change Conference to Owambe” – Atiku

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the reported over-bloated delegation led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the COP28 Climate Summit in Dubai.

In a statement released by his media adviser, Paul Ibe, Atiku criticized the size and nature of the delegation, suggesting that Tinubu lacked an understanding of the severity of Nigeria’s economic challenges.

Atiku questioned the rationale behind converting a climate change conference into what he described as a “jamboree, all-comers, and ‘owambe’ party” with over 1,400 delegates.

He characterized the situation as ridiculous and indicative of a governance approach lacking awareness and responsibility.

The statement highlighted the pressing economic hardships faced by Nigeria, emphasizing the need for leaders to align their actions with the available resources.

Atiku criticized the use of borrowed funds for what he termed a “street party” held outside the country, calling attention to the disparity between the purpose of COP28—focusing on improving lives, clean air, healthy food, and a secure future—and the alleged extravagant delegation.

“The economic dire straits that Nigeria is facing demand that its leaders cut their coats according to the cloth available,” the statement read, emphasizing the necessity for a more prudent and responsible approach to governance and resource utilization.

Atiku’s remarks add to the growing chorus of criticism regarding the alleged misuse of resources and the size of the Nigerian delegation at COP28.

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“Lagos Is Bigger Than Ghana” – Ghanaian Singer, Efya, Settles Music Industry Comparison

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She said: “Nigerian and Ghanaian music markets are not the same. Nigerians are way more than we are in terms of numbers. Numbers really matter now. The number of people that will stream Nigerian music in Nigeria is different from the number of people that will stream Ghanaian music in Ghana. The numbers are not the same.

“In the capacity of numbers, Lagos is bigger than Ghana. It is like the music hub itself. Nigerians are way bigger than we are. So, usually when I see people comparing, I’m like, ‘Do you guys know?’

“There shouldn’t be any comparisons. What I believe that we should is that we should be more collaborative. Find our vibes and put them together to advance what Afrobeats is going to be in the future; for us to be the gatekeepers of our own sound. And I think that’s the power move.”

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