•SSG regains freedom, APC kicks

•They plan to arrest me too — Osun speaker

OSOGBO— FOLLOWING the detention of Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Mr Teslim Igbalaye, by operatives of the police command over alleged vote buying, Governor Ademola Adeleke, yesterday, declared that the people of the state will not succumb to any form of external interfereance or intimidation as the August 15 governorship election draws near.

This came as the Police command confirmed the release of the SSG from its custody.

Igbalaye was detained along with five others for allegedly committing vote-buying-related offences, as the police recovered Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, cash sums and voters’ register from his house.

He was detained alongside five others after the police raided his private residence in Osogbo.

Although Adeleke did not directly address the detention in his post, he maintained that no amount of intimidation or harassment would make the people of the state succumb to fear ahead of the election.

The governor maintained that the verdict of the people would prevail, adding that “independent polls consistently point to a clear and decisive victory for Accord Party, because the people can see and feel the impact” of his administration.

He stated: “Throughout the history of Osun State, our people have never bowed to intimidation. We are resilient, determined, and fiercely protective of our rights.

“As we approach the August 15 governorship election, I have absolute confidence that no amount of external interference or intimidation can override the collective will of the people of Osun State.

“From infrastructure and education to healthcare, workers’ welfare, and pension reforms, our record speaks for itself.

“By the grace of God and with the continued support of the good people of Osun, our second term will build on these achievements and deliver even greater progress for every community. The best days of Osun are still ahead.”

Osun SSG regains freedom, APC kicks

The Osun State Police Command has confirmed the release of the SSG from its custody.

The Police also identified the other suspects arrested at the residence as Abiodun Arowomole, popularly known as “Ashipa,” who was described as a wanted murder suspect on the Command’s watch list, alongside Taiwo Akande, Lukman Adeyemo, Muftau Olaoye, and Musiliu Aderemi.

However, the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the SSG has been released this afternoon but investigation is ongoing in the matter.

Ojelabi said: “I can only tell you that the SSG, Mr Teslim Igbalaye has been released this afternoon and investigation is still ongoing.”

APC calls for SSG’s resignation

However, the Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, called for the sack of the SSG for harbouring “wanted criminals”, since the governor pledged before the IGP to arrest his son if found wanting.

The council’s Media Committee Chairman, Remi Omowaye, tasked the governor to be true to his pledge and should not sack only the SSG but also released other wanted criminals to the police for proper investigation.

He said: “The APC Governorship Campaign Council in Osun State expresses deep concern over the frightening revelation that Governor Ademola Adeleke is working frantically to free criminals found at the residence of the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, particularly the release of the criminal suspect on the wanted list of the police, Abiodun Oladele Arowomole (aka Abbey Ashipa).

“It is strange and disheartening that Governor Ademola Adeleke, who has failed abysmally to protect the lives and property of the people of Osun, is mounting pressure on the police authorities to free a terror like Abbey Ashipa who is being wanted for the murders of no fewer than 20 citizens of Osun, mostly members and supporters of the APC in the state.

“The APC Governorship Campaign Council urges the good-spirited citizens to impress it on Governor Adeleke to stop harbouring these criminals because those who harbour criminals are no less criminals.”

They plan to arrest me too — Osun speaker

Meanwhile, Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Adewale Egbedun, yesterday, that Police is planning to “implicate and arrest” him ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.

Egbedun was reacting to the arrest of the SSG and five others by operatives of the state police command over alleged vote-buying.

The Speaker, in a post, described Igbalaye’s arrest as an “abuse of power” by the police commissioner, which “should be a source of concern and embarrassment to every patriotic Nigerian.”

“For the past two weeks, I have received information suggesting that some of his officers have been moving around, allegedly planning and strategising on how to implicate and arrest me,” Egbedun claimed.

The speaker said his alleged disagreement with the police commissioner began after he confronted him over a reported plan by some political thugs to attack his residence.

•Asks: What did the bombing achieve?

•Optimistic that a viable Nigeria is possible

By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo

Professor Tukur Muham++mad Baba, National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, speaks on the achievements, challenges and future of the organisation, Nigeria’s insecurity and relations with other socio-cultural groups. Excerpts:

About two decades after the establishment of the ACF, can you say the organisation has achieved its objectives, or is there still work to be done?

In general terms, I think the ACF has stayed the course with regard to its vision and mission. If those constitute its objectives, then it has largely succeeded. The ACF was established as a forum for dialogue and collective response to shared issues affecting the diverse northern-based socio-cultural groups, united largely by political geography. To that extent, the ACF has gone far in achieving its objectives.

One clear indicator is that the organisation is firmly established, credible, visible and sound. There is no doubt about that. I can even say, without apology, that the ACF is indisputably the most eminent of such groups in the country, maintaining fidelity to its founding objectives.

That said, there is still a lot more to be done. The issues confronting the organisation are dynamic in form, content and manifestation. This naturally means that strategies must constantly be reviewed and recalibrated. The ACF has engaged in such reassessments and will continue to do so if it is to remain relevant.

No social endeavour can ever be perfect. One area often mentioned is the speed of response to emerging issues. Even here, the ACF has risen to the task, though there is always room for improvement in timeliness. In summary, the ACF has done well, but it can certainly do even better.

Has the ACF been able to bring the desired unity, particularly among the Northern elite?

Yes, to a large extent, the ACF has been able to foster unity among the Northern elite. At least, there has been no total or combustible rupture. Given the nature of our society, democracy itself, and the character of elites, one should not expect total consensus or uniformity of opinion.

It is inevitable that some individuals or groups may feel their interests are not fully accommodated or that they are inadequately represented. Such persons may choose to express themselves through other platforms, which is perfectly in line with constitutional provisions on association and dissent.

Despite this, the ACF remains pre-eminent. Northern Nigeria remains a shared geopolitical entity, and that reality will endure.

What lessons emerged from the ACF anniversary organised towards the end of last year?

There are many lessons. The most positive is that, despite challenges, Northern elites can still be brought together to collectively reflect on and respond to the daunting problems confronting the region.

Secondly, the anniversary revealed the depth of concern for the North and the scale of commitment and investment required to address its challenges comprehensively.

Thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, it underscored the high expectations placed on the ACF to be more active and proactive in driving efforts to revitalise the North and its political economy, given its vast but underutilised human and material resources. The ACF is expected to take a leading mobilising role and must not shy away from this responsibility. 

How does the ACF view alleged US interference in Nigeria, comments attributed to President Donald Trump, and the resurgence of terrorist attacks in the region?

Any form of foreign interference is regrettable, especially when it is avoidable. Insecurity in Nigeria is fundamentally a Nigerian problem. The ACF has consistently expressed confidence in our security agencies. Given the right leadership, directives, equipment and personnel, they are capable of addressing the challenge, as they have demonstrated in international peacekeeping missions in Congo, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Haiti, Lebanon and elsewhere.

The so-called altruistic motivation behind US intervention is questionable. History offers sobering lessons from Vietnam, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and parts of Latin America, where such interventions yielded little success.

Even within West Africa, Sahelian countries that experimented with and later rejected US-led interventions provide clear warnings.

One must also ask: what has the bombing achieved? Why the resurgence of deadly terrorist attacks and student abductions in states like Borno, Kebbi, Niger and Kwara in the aftermath? These developments raise serious questions and may reflect failures of domestic governance rather than solutions imposed from outside. 

How is the ACF relating with other socio-cultural organisations in the country?

The ACF enjoys very cordial relations with sister socio-cultural organisations across Nigeria.

During its 25th anniversary, groups such as Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Afenifere, the Middle Belt Forum, Niger-Delta groups and others were invited, and many attended. Even before that event, the ACF had maintained engagement with these bodies on the basis of goodwill.

We do not see them as rivals but as partners in the collective quest for a better Nigeria.

Despite monumental challenges, corruption, insecurity, economic mismanagement, poor governance, social divisions and institutional weaknesses, a viable Nigeria is still possible. What is required is principled, people-centred leadership, honest governance, unity of purpose and a renewed commitment by citizens to hard work, patriotism and national cohesion.

Candidates contesting the August 15 Osun State governorship election and their political parties on Thursday signed a peace accord aimed at ensuring a peaceful, free and credible election.

The peace accord signing, facilitated by the Bishop Matthew Kukah-led National Peace Committee, took place on Thursday at the Oasis Event Centre in Osogbo.

Governor Ademola Adeleke attended the event in person, while his major opponents were represented.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, was represented by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, alongside his running mate, Engr. Kayode Adereti. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate was represented by the party’s chairman, Azeez Adesiji.

Speaking at the event, the chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who was represented by former Chief of Defence Staff General Martins Agwai, urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to put peace above politics.

He appealed to all political parties, governorship candidates and their supporters to conduct the remainder of their campaigns peacefully, with restraint, civility and respect for the law.

“We must reject violence, hate speech, misinformation and every action that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. No electoral victory is worth the loss of a single life, and the greatest achievement for everyone is a peaceful election that reflects the freely expressed will of the people,” he said.

After the candidates and party representatives signed the accord, the convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Kukah, reminded them that signing the document was only the beginning.

He urged them to honour the commitments they had made.

He expressed confidence that the candidates and their supporters would keep to the agreement throughout the election period.

“We trust that these commitments will guide their words, their actions, and the conduct of their supporters throughout the remainder of the electoral process,” he added.

Kukah also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, the media and civil society organisations to play their part in ensuring a peaceful election.

He urged INEC to remain professional and impartial, while asking security agencies to be fair, vigilant and accountable in carrying out their duties.