Politics
Lalong Takes Oath As Plateau South Senator
Olasunmibo Aboluwade, Abuja
Former Minister of Labour Employment and Productivity, Simon Lalong, has been sworn in as a member of the 10th Senate.
Lalong was sworn in on Wednesday at a session presided over by the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
He took the oath of office at about 11.57 am on the floor of the Senate.
Akpabio immediately congratulated Lalong, a former governor of Plateau State, and the Director-General of the All Progressives Congress Campaigns during the 2023 presidential poll that produced President Bola Tinubu.
Lalong will represent Plateau-South on the platform of the APC.
Lalong, a former Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, had tendered his resignation to President Tinubu earlier on Tuesday.
Speaking soon after his inauguration, Lalong said he actually wanted to be a senator after he served his tenure as governor in May 2023.
Lalong said, “This was my first choice, to be candid.”
According to him, he opted to hold the position of minister in the interim and on the invitation of Tinubu because he had a case he was pursuing at the courts.
Lalong promised to do his best to serve his electorate to the best of his abilities.
Also reacting to the inauguration, the National Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, described it as a moment of happiness.
“This is a moment of happiness. We are so happy that he won at the Court of Appeal.
“What Nigerians will expect is good legislation. As we know, the APC has the majority and will work for the prosperity of all Nigerians,” Ganduje added.
The Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, had on November 7 upheld the judgment of the lower tribunal, which declared Lalong the winner of the Plateau-South Senatorial District election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission initially declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Napoleon Bali, as the winner.
Bali had scored 148,844 votes, while Lalong recorded 91,674, according to INEC.
But Lalong challenged the result on the grounds that the PDP had no proper structures in the state on which a candidate could contest an election.
David Olayinka, Akure
The Jagunmolu of Ikaleland and Ojagbulegun from The Source, Prince ( Dr.) Gen. Olu Bajowa, CFR has commended Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, describing him as a Governor whose victory at the November , 16th poll was made possible by God , the Almighty and the good people of Ondo State , who showed him massive love and vote support on election day.
Gen. Bajowa gave this indication in a special congratulatory statement, personally signed by him , which copy was obtained by thepolity.net
In the statement, the retired top brass Army General said, ” I write to join all well-wishers to congratulate you on your well deserved election victory as ” the God’s anointed” Executive Governor of Ondo State.
“The people have spoken loud and clear! Your outstanding and overwhelming performance with the wide margin at the polls is a testimony of your popular acceptance by the good people of The Sunshine State.
” As the old proverb says, ‘ Vox Populi, vox dei’ ( the voice of the people is the voice of God), therefore by God’s grace , you are the Executive Governor of Ondo State for the next four years. ”
While congratulating the Governor on his ‘ sweet victory,’ Gen. Bajowa said Gov. Aiyedatiwa has enormous responsibilities in making life more abundant for the people of Ondo State, noting that the Governor’s responsibility includes providing adequate security, transformation of Agriculture , health and education sectors among others; the fight against poverty, hunger and unemployment , ensuring adequate water and regular power supply for the growth of SMEs and reactivation of all the moribund industries with serious attention to road network and infrastructural development. Going further, Gen. Bajowa noted, “Also important are the issues of the development of our natural resources and solid minerals : bitumen, oil, fisheries and the Ondo State deep seaport project.
” You can count on me , my family and the entire Bajowa Royal Family for our continued support and loyalty to good governance and administration of Ondo State,” Gen. Bajowa stated.
While wishing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa a successful tenure , Gen. Bajowa wished him more of God’s guidance , protection and good health as he governs Ondo State afresh.
…as voting commences across wards
Feranmi Daniel, Abeokuta
There was very impressive turn out in Sagamu and Ikenne Local Governments on Saturday during the Local Government elections going on in the State, as voters were seen trooping to their various polling units to cast their ballots.
Recalled that Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) had earlier slated Local Government elections for Saturday, 16th November, 2024.
An election observer from Advocacy for Social Justice & Liberty, Charles Odunuga, commended the electoral body for what he termed decent and well organized process.
He therefore, urged electorate to maintain the peace till the end of the exercise, adding that peaceful environment plays pivotal role in strengthening democracy.
Also, a voter in Sagamu, Pastor Sola Komolafe, euologised the proactiveness of the electoral commission and level of preparedness, including level-playibg ground for opposition parties to thrive.
In the same vein, Mrs Kafilat Sokoya, another voter in Grammar School area of Ikenne described the process across the town as peaceful and orderly, as she advised voters to shun inducement and act of violence.
Feranmi Daniel, Abeokuta
The ongoing local government polls in Ogun State got off to a good start on Saturday. This newspaper can exclusively report.
Election into chairmanship and councillorship positions are currently ongoing in the 20 local government councils of the state, with the major political parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) saying that they will have a good showing.
In the polling units surveyed in major cities such as Abeokuta, the state capital; Ijebu Ode, Sagamu, Ota and Ilaro, election materials arrived on schedule even as voters expressed confidence that the exercise would be concluded without any hassles.
Findings by reporters across the state have not shown any incident of voter harassment or ballot box snatching so far.
This contradicts the false alarm raised by a major opposition party in the state to the effect that the election has been bedevilled by violence.
Some voters, however, complained of late arrival of materials even as officials of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) interviewed across the state said materials have reached all polling units in the State and they expected voters to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise.