The Ansar-u-Deen Society in Osun State has reaffirmed its non-partisan position while receiving the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Oyebamiji, ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

The assurance was given during a meeting between the society’s leadership and the APC candidate in Osogbo on Sunday, where both electoral participation and peaceful conduct before, during and after the poll featured prominently.

Speaking at the gathering, the Secretary of the Ansar-u-Deen Society in Osun State, Hafiz Akande, said the organisation remained politically neutral despite supporting members who aspire to public office.

Akande stated, “Let me state clearly that as a corporate body, ADS remains non-partisan.

“However, the Society will never rebuke, sideline, or abandon our own who show an active interest in governance. The Society fully recognises the need to support our members who aspire to positions of authority.”

“We firmly believe that authority is a sacred trust (Amanah) from Allah, and no one attains it except by His divine permission. Therefore, it is a noble pursuit for our members to strive for leadership with sincerity and competence for the ultimate benefit of the wider society.”

Addressing the gathering, Oyebamiji appealed to eligible voters to protect the value of their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, by refusing to exchange their votes for financial inducements during the election.

He described the PVC as a constitutional instrument that enables citizens to determine those who govern them and urged residents to use it responsibly at the polls.

“The PVC is an instrument that confers the right on each person to have a say in deciding who leads or presides over their affairs for a stipulated period.

“I am appealing to our people not to commercialise their PVC but use it wisely to vote for someone who has the capacity and potential to lead appropriately,” Oyebamiji said.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says he was never offered N500 billion to contest against the National Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the 2027 general election to divide votes in the South-South region.

Jonathan made this clarification in a statement through his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Ikechukwu Eze, on Sunday.

Eze described the speculation as completely false, baseless and a deliberate attempt to drag him into needless political controversy.

According to him, the report falsely claimed that Jonathan disclosed receiving an offer of N500 billion to challenge Peter Obi in the presidential race.

He noted that the publication failed to provide basic details expected of a credible report, including when and where the alleged statement was made, the identity of those who supposedly made the offer, or any witnesses to support the claim.

The ex-president’s media aide added that the story bore all the characteristics of fabricated news designed to mislead the public and create unnecessary political tension ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Jonathan was never involved in the ‘N500 billion offer to divide the South’s votes against Peter Obi in the 2027 general elections.

“Nigerians should disregard the report entirely and exercise caution by verifying sensational political claims before circulating them.

“The build-up to every election season often witnesses a surge in misinformation and fake attributions, warning that such reports should not be mistaken for verified facts.

“Jonathan has not made any statement suggesting he was offered money to contest the presidency or undermine any candidate,” Eze said.

A major showdown may occur today, Monday, in Ilorin, Kwara State as G15, a group of All Progressives Congress members, aggrived with the outcome of the recent party primaries in the state have dared Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to stop their planned mega rally in the state capital.

DAILY POST gathered authoritatively that the G15 in the state APC, comprising stakeholders, leaders, aggrieved aspirants in the governorship, national and state assemblies primaries had earlier scheduled their rally for Sunday but were outsmarted by the loyalists in the governor’s camp who hurriedly organized their rally on the same day.

The G15 group was forced to postpone its rally for security reasons to avoid possible breakdown of law and order.

However, barely hours after the governor’s camp’s rally, the G15 issued a statement titled “Nothing can stop Monday, tomorrow’s rally”, accusing the governor of alleged plans to frustrate their solidarity walk in the state capital.

The statement read in part, “the G15 Coalition, a formidable bloc within the Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) comprising the stakeholders, aspirants and leaders of thought in the party, has issued an unyielding response to fresh allegations that the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq is orchestrating a desperate plot to sabotage the coalition’s rescheduled solidarity rally fixed for Monday.

“We have been informed that the Governor, in a last-minute move fuelled by palpable fear, is planning a parallel show of strength—a hastily arranged “thank-you visit” to the Emir’s Palace, deliberately timed to clash with our peaceful procession. 

“This is nothing but a transparent act of political desperation from a man who has suddenly found himself in the minority within his own party.

“It is laughable and frankly pitiful, that a sitting Governor would resort to panic-driven tactics to counter a gathering of party faithful who are exercising their fundamental rights to assemble and express solidarity. 

“The G15 is not a threat to Kwara’s peace; we are the conscience of the APC in this state. The Governor’s alleged move to pay Kwarans to boycott our rally just as earlier done on Sunday exposes his deep-seated fear of the massive outpouring of support that awaits us.

“We have reliably gathered that agents of the Governor have been dispatched to corners of the state, offering financial inducements to civil servants, market women, and youth groups to stay away from the G15 rally, while simultaneously mobilising paid crowds to create a fabricated spectacle of popularity at the Emir’s Palace. 

“This is an insult to the intelligence of Kwarans and a sad commentary on the state of leadership in our beloved state.”

The G15 declared unequivocally that nothing would stop the rally, stressing “Not threats. Not intimidation. Not financial inducements from the government treasury.

“The G15 is driven by the will of the people, and the people of Kwara State are fed up with a leadership that has lost touch with its base.

“Governor AbdulRazaq cannot buy his way out of the reckoning that is coming. He cannot counter genuine grassroots support with rented crowds and state-sponsored mobilisation.”

The group called on the state Police Command and other security agencies to remain neutral and professional in the discharge of their duties.

“Our rally is a peaceful expression of solidarity and a celebration of the democratic ideals that bind us as members of the APC. We will not be provoked, we will not be cowed, and we will not be silenced,” it stated. 

The G15 urged Kwarans to come out today, Monday, in their numbers and show the governor that no amount of blackmail or bribery can diminish the people’s resolve as it stands for inclusion, fairness, and true internal democracy. 

“We are the future of this party, and we will not be intimidated by a desperate empire fighting to retain its fading grip on power,” it further declared.