VOL. 9. NO.114 NNNNN5050505050TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

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Front Page Comment

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•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (with mic), addressing a congregation of the Deeper Life Bible Church duringa three-day crusade tagged: ‘Explosion of Supernatural Miracles’ at Deeper Life Bible Church Campground, Agunbelewo, Osogbo,last Friday.

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•Sustained Mayhem Across The StateTo Make It Ungovernable Also In The Plan• Motivates Protester-thugs With N10m

Osun PDP PlansAbuja Protest - APC

Governorship Election:

Aregbesola HasDemonstratedExemplaryLeadership- K u m u y i

Fresh Problem For Kashamu As US Court Says HeHas A Case To Answer Over Drug Trafficking

Ebola: Osun HoldsSensitisation WorkshopFor Traditional Rulers

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APC Files 600WitnessStatementsAgainst Omisore’sPetition

Weeks before theAugust 9th gubernato-rial elections which waswon by the pragmaticOgbeni RaufAregbesola of theAPC, it was obviouswe were up againstforces other than thepeople of Osun statewhich naturally shouldbe the determinant of

how the elections willswing. The Allprogressives Congress(APC) still smartingfrom its shocking defeatin the previous Ekitielections had literarilysworn it will lose Osunover its dead body. Themurderous villain fieldedby the Peoples Demo-cratic

The War Called The OsunElections; By Segun Tomori

Party (PDP), outrightlyunpopular with barely a fewdozens of people trailing himat campaigns howeverworethe confidence of aGovernor-In-waiting. Hethey

didn’t care a hootabout the people’swish, all that matterswas the full compli-ment of the para-phernalia of Stateactivated by an

imperial Presidentthough utterly clueless,but desperate to addOsun to his conquest infurtherance of his still-born second term bid.So lo and behold, thedie was cast!I have notbeen emotionallyattached to any elec-tions in Nigeria as Iwas with the Osunelections,

maybe June 12, 1993Presidential electionspresumed to have beingwon by my President,M.K.O Abiola could bean exception.It wasn’t because I hadaffinity with anyone inOgbeni’s government orbecause I enjoyed anyform of patronage butbecause

Continue on pg5

2OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014 News

•Beautification of Osogbo at MDS area in the State of Osun under the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola,as captured by our cameraman, GBENGA ADENIYI, last Friday.

By KEHINDE AYANTUNJI

Osun PDP Plans Abuja Protest - APC•Sustained Mayhem Across The State To Make It Ungovernable Also InThe Plan • Motivates Protester-thugs With N10m

TROUBLE may not be over yet in the State ofOsun as the state chapter of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) has been alleged to

be planning sustained mayhem across the state tomake it ungovernable for the All ProgressivesCongress-led (APC) administration of GovernorRauf Aregbesola.

The APC made thisallegation in Osogbo lastweekend from intelligencereports it said the party gotthrough insider sourceswithin the PDP.

According to the APC,the PDP leadership in thestate has been quite busy

in the past two weeks afterthe election, arranging forhundreds of youths,consisting principally,most of the thugsimported into the statefrom neighbouring statesduring the lastgubernatorial election, to

be transported to Abuja toprotest the victory ofOgbeni Rauf Aregbesola inthe August 9 governorshipelection.

This protest, accordingto the source, would bebased on the yet-to-be-substantiated allegation bythe PDP that theIndependent NationalElectoral Commission(INEC) colluded with thegovernor and the APC to“rig” the election.

According to the APCsource, the underlying

theme of the Abuja protestby the PDP would be thatINEC gave the election tothe APC, with a view topreventing PresidentGoodluck Jonathan fromwinning the 2015presidential election, thusmaking the protest to beagainst the INEC and theAPC.

“Although, the PDP hasalready gone to thetribunal on the sameallegation, the party isreportedly not dependingon the tribunal alone to

snatch the victory it couldnot achieve at the ballot,”the party further stressed.

The source furtherdisclosed that the statePDP has therefore,fashioned an elaborateplan to create mayhem inthe state to give theimpression of populardispleasure on theoutcome of the election.

It further informed theAPC that the first phase ofthe plan is to hire 10 busesthat would convey youngmen and women to Abujato protest Aregbesola’svictory, with a whoppingsum of N10 million fortheir motivation.

After this Abuja protest,APC sources alleged, thePDP thugs would descendon the state, targeting APCleaders and knownsupporters in a sustainedreign of terror that would

destroy lives in thousandsand properties.

The APC is therefore,alerting citizens of Osun tobrace up to defend theirvotes and protectthemselves and theirproperties from therampaging horde of PDPthugs that would soonbegin to run riot across thestate.

However, the APC alsoadvised the PDP that noamount of violence, illegalplots and politicalshenanigans couldoverturn the people’sverdict as expressed onAugust 9.

Meanwhile, the APC hasindicated that it wouldcommence as u p p l e m e n t a r ymembership registrationdrive from Monday in allthe 332 wards of the stateto augment what it did lastMay.

Aregbesola Has Demonstrated ExemplaryLeadership - Kumuyi

THE General Superintendent of the Deeper Life BibleChurch, Pastor Folorunso Kumuyi, has stated thatthe governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf

Aregbesola, has demonstrated exemplary leadership withhis disposition to all religions and massive infrastructuraldevelopment in the state.

According to him, theattitude of the governor hasnot suggested thepromotion of one religionabove others in his policiesand programmes.

The prominent man ofGod stated this whileaddressing journalistsduring a courtesy visit to thegovernor at the GovernmentHouse, Osogbo, before thecommencement of the three-day crusade of the Church,tagged: “Explosion ofSupernatural Miracles”.

Kumuyi, while reacting toa previous allegation that thegovernor wanted to IslamiseOsun, said: “For those whoare saying that, I’m notliving in the State of Osun. Idon’t know what they haveobserved or what they haveseen. But what I haveobserved is that Aregbesolais governor for everybody.He is a man for everyone.

He wants the progress anddevelopment of individualsand the state not minding ifyou are a Muslim, Christian, non-Muslim or non-Christian.”

He said, the crusade wasbrought to Osun for themanifestation of God’spower and love for thepeople to heal and turnevery life around, addingthat the event would bewonderful for all.

Kumuyi expressedgratitude to God for thepeaceful conduct of theAugust 9, 2014governorship election in thestate and the emergence ofGovernor Aregbesola forsecond term.

The clergy man urged thegovernor to double hisefforts as the number onecitizen of the state during hissecond term in office.

He said: “I have moved

around and seen what youhave done in the first term,but there is still more to do.There is no way people willnot point out deficiencies ingovernment, but you mustnot be distracted; you mustbe focused and move closerto God. We are lookingforward to a better and moresuccessful second term.

“We want you to believein God that he can conquerany challenges. That is themost significant aspect ofour crusade here; to remindthe people that no matterhow bad it may be forindividuals, state andnation, God can still turnthings around and can movethings forward,” Kumuyisaid.

Responding, Aregbesolaappreciated Pastor Kumuyifor bringing the crusade toOsun, noting that thecrusade would definitelymanifest spiritually in hisadministration and the livesof the people of the state.

The governor stated thatOsun is blessed with theleading lights inChristendom with Pastor

Kumuyi CanvassesVoting Credible Leaders,

Lauds Aregbesola

THE General Superintendent of the DeeperLife Bible Church, Pastor Folorunso Kumuyi,has urged Nigerians to cast their votes

intelligently in 2015, so as to choose leaders, whowill transform the country and make it great again.

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED and ABOSEDE AKINPELU

He gave the charge justas he scored governor ofthe State of Osun, OgbeniRauf Aregbesola, high onhis performance towardsthe transfomation of thestate.

The cleric spoke inOsogbo on Thursday at apress briefing to herald histhree-day “Power packedCrusade”, with the theme,“Explosion of SupernaturalMiracles”, slated to holdbetween Friday,September 19 and Sunday,September 21.

“When we are going tocast our votes, we shouldcast our votes intelligently.We know where we wantto be as a country invarious areas ofdevelopment and theleaders that will get us towhere we want, are thosewe are going to cast ourvotes for at all levels.

“We should alsounderstand that manynations have their peculiarproblems, some similar toours, while some aredifferent, but many of thecountries have survived itand I want to say withprayers and hope in God,we will get out of ourproblems,” he said.

C o m m e n d i n gAregbesola for his effortsin the transformation ofthe state, Pastor Kumuyisaid his leadership has beentranslated to development,just as he lauded thegovernor for embarkingon programmes and

projects that have directpositive bearing on thepeople of the state.

He added: “We thankGod for the progress wehave seen in this state, aswe have seen that a lothave taken place interms oftransformation underOgbeni Aregbesola.

“I want to rejoice withthe governor that God hasgranted him focus andvision to actually carry onthe works for thedevelopment of the state,”he added.

He said he wasimpressed with the faceliftthat Governor Aregbesolahas given the state, whenhe saw various completedand ongoing developmentalprojects on his way toOsogbo from Lagosdriving through Ikire-Gbongan- Odeomu.

Congratulating thegovernor on his victoryduring the August 9, 2014governorship election, theclergyman expressedoptimism that the statewould witness moredevelopment in the tenureahead.

Responding to when hischurch would have herown university and whythey held the programmewithin a school compound,Kumuyi stated thatalthough the churchcurrently has no university,but their secondary schoolwould be in all the statesof the federation.

Kumuyi as one of them,which, according to him,informed the stategovernment decision tobuild an inter-denominationconvention ground forrevivals and crusades.

He said his administrationwas determined to do betterduring the second term andtasked Pastor Kumuyi topray for the success of theadministration.

Aregbesola said: “Wethank God, we haveremarkable four years. Ourwish is to put into the nextfour years, programmes andpolicies that would only bepossible in 20 years and weare believing God throughthe prayer from somebodylike you, it will be possible”.

He urged Pastor Kumuyito pray for him and thepeople of the state, soundhealth and the mentalcapacity to carry out theassignment.

The governor also urgedthe clergy man to prayagainst Ebola virus, whichis disturbing Nigeria andrest of West of Africa.

3 News OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right); General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi(3rd left)i; his wife, Esther (2nd left); Acting State Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Prince Famodun (left); Acting State Chairman ofthe party, Elder Adelowo Adebiyi (2nd right) and Alhaja Ayo Omidiran, during a visit by members of Deeper Life Church to the Governor atGovernment House, Osogbo, State of Osun, on Friday

Change Of NameI, formerly known

and addressed as MISSAZEEZ KHADIJATAJOKE, now wish to beknown and addressed asMRS ABASS AZEEZKHADIJAT AJOKE.All former documentsremain valid. Generalpublic should take note.

Fresh Problem For Kashamu As US Court Says He Has ACase To Answer Over Drug Trafficking

THIS may not be the best of time for PresidentGoodluck Jonathan, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and the South West Chairman of

Mobilisation and Organisation Committee of the PDP,Buruji Kashamu, as the United States government hassaid that the latter has a case to answer on the allegation

By ISMAEEL UTHMAN of drug trafficking.OSUN DEFENDER learnt

on Saturday that the UnitedStates Court, sitting inChicago, has releasedKashamu’s case file number“No 94CR172” for the firsttime and urged President

Jonathan to hand the PDPchieftain over to the USauthority for prosecution.

Kashamu had earlier beenindicted by a US court in1998 on an allegation that hewas a key player of aninternational smuggling

ring dealing in narcotics.The Ogun Stated-born

politician was charged along13 other persons withconspiracy to import heroininto the United States anddistribute it.

However, the PDPstalwart on August 18, 2014filed an order of mandamus-motion for dismissal of his

indictment. The motion was turned

down by Justice RichardNorgle, urging him to submithimself for trial, according toThe Newswatch newspaper.

Deputy US court room,Mr. Eric Bright, as quotedby the Sunday Newswatch,said there was need for theNigerian government toallow Kashamu to pay forhis alleged misdeedswithout wasting time.

Bright noted that the PDPchieftain was intentionallydelaying the case fromproceeding, saying: “Welearnt that Alhaji Kashamuis deliberately delaying hiscase before the court.

‘We are waiting for him toappear because the casebefore him is still pending.We therefore, urge Nigeriangovernment to release him.We learnt that the man inquestion is a powerfulpolitician in Nigeria.”

It would be recalled that Lord Justice Pill and Mr.Justice Bell of the RoyalCourt of Justice in Englandin 2003 had grantedunconditional release toKashamu, following thefailure of the the US JusticeDepartment to diligentlyprosecute its allegation thatKashamu was the mostwanted Alhaji beingmentioned by other arrestedsuspects as their principalconspirator.

However, the UnitedKingdom authority declaredthat it has discovered thatKashamu’s case was a caseof mistaken identity.

The UK authority stressed that the Chicagoprosecutors handlingKashamu’s case at that timehad also tainted theireyewitness identificationevidence by failing todisclose that one Mr.Nicolas Fillmore, one of theco-defendants, failed to pickKashamu out of a photoline-up.

Faulting the Britishgovernment’s handling ofan extradition case filedagainst Kashamu,theChicago District CourtJudge Norgle, who claimedthe testimony and evidenceproduced by the Nigeriangovernment on Kashamuled to his release in England.

According to the judge,Kashamu’s status as apolitical figure in Nigeriaand his relationship withPresident Jonathan wouldnot make an extraditionattempt against himsuccessful in England.

Former PresidentOlusegun Obasanjo hasalways addressed Buruji asa fugitive wanted in the USover drug trafficking.

Ebola: Osun Holds Sensitisation Workshop ForTraditional Rulers By SHINA ABUBAKAR

IN its efforts to curb the spread of Ebola VirusDisease, the State of Osun State EbolaMonitoring and Prevention Committee has

organised a sensitisation workshop for traditionalrulers in the state.

Speakers at theprogramme, held at theMinistry of LocalGovernment andChieftaincy AffairsConference Hall, stressedthe need for the monarchsto join hands with the stategovernment in the fightagainst the deadly EbolaVirus Disease.

In her contribution, theState Commissioner forEnvironment andSanitation, Professor(Mrs) OlubukolaOyawoye, stressed theneed for the traditionalleaders to re-sensitisemembers of their variouscommunities, using theknowledge they acquiredfrom the workshop.

She called on themonarchs to liase with theappropriate authorities inthe state in ensuring thatpeople maintain hygenicenvironment in theircommunities.

She called on monarchsand members of thegeneral public to adhere toregular washing of handsat all times and ensure thattheir environment is cleanalways.

Speaking at the event,the State Commissioner of

Health, Dr (Mrs)Temitope Ilori, disclosedthat the state governmentis collaborating with both

federal and state medicalinstitutions to curb thespread of the virus to thestate.

In his enlightenmentaddress, the Director ofPrimary Healthcare andDisease Control in theState Ministry of Health,Dr Kayode Ogunniyi, who

traced the origin of thevirus to Congo, stressedthe need for hygienicliving, as the potentprotection against it.

He also charged thetraditional rulers to imploretheir subject on the needto stop moving deadbodies into the state for the

time being.He disclosed that the

virus is more contagiousin dead bodies than in aliving being, while urgingthe public to stay fromholding a dead body.

The workhop wasattended by severaltraditional rulers fromacross the state.

APC Files 600 Witness StatementsAgainst Omisore’s Petition

By KAZEEM MOHAMMED

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has filedwritten statements of 600 witnesses against thepetition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)

governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore, on theAugust 9, 2014 governorship election in the State of Osun.

The statements werefiled along with the reply ofthe APC, which is thesecond respondent in thepetition on Sunday.

Omisore is challengingthe re-election of GovernorRauf Aregbesola, claimingthat the election was marredwith fraud.

Filing the reply, leadcounsel to the APC,Barrister Kunle Adegoke,said the respondent, in itsreply, was asking thetribunal to dismiss thepetition of the PDP and itscandidate for it is baseless,frivolous and contentious.

He said the reply of theAPC contains about 257pages, where explanationswere offered on thehappenings in the various

local government councilareas being challenged bythe PDP.

“We started filing thereply on Saturday; we have

about 600 witnesses that wehave prepared their witnessstatements to counter theallegations of thepetitioners.

“Our reply is to the effectthat the allegations raised bythe petitioner arecompletely frivolous,baseless, vexicious andconstitute abuse of courtprocess.

“We are saying they

don’t have any businessbeing here; they are onlyhere to waste the precioustime of the tribunal and ourown precious time too.

“In addition, we aresaying there must bepunitive cost to be awardedagainst the petitioners forwasting the time of thecourt and our own time too,”he added.

Adegoke further notedthat the tribunal was furtherinformed in the reply that ifnot for the vigilance,resoluteness and thepreparedness of theelectorate that stood firm tosay no to rigging, theelection would have beenrigged by the PDP and itscandidate.

The APC counsel thennoted that if the petitionersare serious, and desirous ofdriving the petition the wayit should be done, thepetition would be concludedwithin the stipulated 180days.

He noted that steps thepetitioners have taken so fardo not portend them aspeople that are seriousabout the petition.•OMISORE

4 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014

The War Called The Osun Elections - By Segun Tomori

Continued frompg1

I just couldn’t imagine my home State go back to the disastrous“years of the locust”. I had participated actively in thecampaigns, interacted with the people, felt their pulse and thestory was the same – Osun has never had it so good, the peoplevowed to defend their votes by all means possible! From thatmoment I had made up my mind to give my all and put myselfat harm’s way if need be to ensure we form a bulwark ofresistance against the machinery of State to be deployed tothwart the people’s wish.

When I was about to proceed on my journey to Osogbo, theOsun State Capital on Monday preceding the elections Iprepared for the worst. Few associates privy to my trip advisedstrongly that I removed any APC sourvenir from myluggage,any ID card that can associate me with the partyamongst other security tips. They were right to be apprehensive,soldiers, officials of the Department of State Security(DSS)including the hooded ones,lorry loads of mobile policemen hadsince being deployed across the nook and cranny of Osun State.Bearing in mind the desperation of their paymasters, we knewthey could stop and search vehicles and abduct anythingsynonymous with APC, so I took all the precautions. I took offon the journey which in itself was dramatic.

As we got close to Oshogbo, a discussion ensued in the bus andI found out I was not alone in the Save-Osun initiative. Most ofthe passengers shared the same sentiments with me and werealso natives of the State. They spoke emotionally and fiercelyabout their determination to ensure Aregbesola’s victory. Speakerafter speaker reeled out programmes and interventions of theGovernor that has brought smiles to the faces of the people.They concluded he was the best thing to happen to the Statesince its creation. The menacing apparatus of State thensuffocating the enviroment will not deter them, they thundered!“Ko si ohun ti soja o se, a ma duro gboin gboin lati dibo Aregbe”they said in yoruba dialect meaning “there is nothing Soldierscan do, we will stand firmly to vote for Aregbe”. I thought tomyself, we are about to witness mass resistance unequally inour national history if anything go against the people’s will.Hopefully, the soldiers we met on the various check-points didn’tstop and search, they just peeped through the bus windows andpassed us on. I heaved a sigh of relief when I arrived Osogbosafely late in the evening.

I have attended rallies, mega-rallies , name it, but what I saw onTuesday at the grand-finale of the campaign was frightening. Astadium whose capacity can’t be more than 60,000 almost cavedin due to pressure from an unprecedented mammoth crowd. Everyspace on the covered stands were over-filled, the main bowl of theStadium was virtually unpassable. My associates and I had to holdourselves to navigate our way through the crowd, it took us aboutan hour from the entrance of the stadium to find somewhere toperch! Yet thousands more extend to adjoining roads outside thestadium. It was the APC mega-rally and to say it was awesomelymega is an understatement! We even heard that the Lord of Aso-rock caught an instant migraine seeing the magnitude of the rally!The effect of that was seen in the sealing off of the freedom parkthat was supposed to host workers rally the next day by “hoodedsoldiers” They got the now familiar, albeit emergency “ordersfrom above” to forcefully if need be halt the Nigeria LabourCongress (NLC) and its affiliates endorsement rally for the Ogbeni.

Co-incidentally, Wednesday, 6th August was my birthday but Iwas in no mood for celebrations of any kind. I told my well-wishers, family and friends that you don’t clink glasses in a battle-front! Interestingly, one of my compatriots who was also a major‘battle-axe” and good friend’s birthday was 8th August so I toldhim we’ll do a birthday plus victory party on the 10th, a day afterthe elections,when we triumph at the polls. We know we had thepeople behind us, we never gave defeat a thought! By Thursday,preparations had reached feverish pitch, the towns, hamlets andvillages was now massively flowing with uniformed men of allhues and shades. Some DSS operatives came to the restaurant wewere having dinner, Thursday evening, apparently on surveillancemission. We got the message and we left in a jiffy! On our wayto our location, we noticed a car trailing us, so we had to take adecoy to a bar. As we turned to the bar, the car also turned inanother direction. Their mission still remains a mystery. ThankGod for little mercies!

When we arrived our abode, we swung into action to put finishingtouches to our master-plan which was to run a co-ordinated andeffective live broadcast of the elections on social and online mediain collaboration with the APC situation room which was to startfrom Friday evening till the announcement of the results onSunday. This was necessary because leaking the plans of ourdevious opponents was key to frustrate their rigging machinery;announcing results online as we get it directly from our agents wasalso crucial to frustrate any manipulation at the collation level. ByFriday afternoon, I had to tactically separate from my friendswho then proceeded to a high security location. The curfew wasgoing to start around 5-6pm. By 4pm, I arrived at my own securelocation and quickly moved to set up. I surveyed the enviroment

to assess the possible threat level. I saw that it was negligible so Isettled down for the task ahead.

By Friday evening we got intelligence report that notorius electionrigger, Chris Uba was in town with a unit of 50 soldiers attached tohim. We sent that out and made sure it went viral. Later that night,information about the arrest of our leaders ranging from APC PublicitySecretary, lai Mohammed, the Attorney-general Of Osun State, barr.Wale Afolabi, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on media, Mr Sunday are,Commissioner for Agric among others were swiftly publicised withdispatch. The far-reaching effect of the noise we made contributedin no small measure to the release of most of those picked up bySaturday morning. We discovered by Saturday morning that fakesoldiers and policemen had surfaced in many locations. Their logowas a red ankara tied to their left hand. Quickly we activated ourinstant alert to our people,through all means possible. That againthwarted efforts to manipulate the elections from the beginning.

The elections started peacefully however in most locations withaccreditation going on smoothly. The only snag was the continuedharassment of APC leaders across the State. The case of the 1stCivilian Governor of Osun State, Alhaji Isiaka Adeleke was quiteinstructive. After failing to assasinate him over-night due to resistanceby his security aides, he was trailed from the polling unit to his mother’sresidence where he went after accreditation. He escaped the siegeby the whisker after he was discreetly notified. He couldn’t comeback to exercise his franchise. The results started trickling in byafternoon and the PDP demolition squad sensing their rejection quicklyswitched to a plan B to disrupt the collation process. We instantlyalerted the public about their norturnal meeting and evil plot. Whatreally helped the APC apart from the determination of the peoplewas our access to classified information. We were always a stepahead of them and that frustrated the election riggers.

I got an anonymous call from a patroitic police officer around 8pmwho claimed he was at a location at modakeke and that results beingcollated was about to be altered. You could detect the fear in his voiceas he asked me to ensure his cover. He was an igbo officer deployedfrom other states, he wasn’t familiar with the terrain but what wasgratifying that there could still be few men of integrity in thecorruption-ridden Nigeria Police Force. In order to confirm theauthenticity of his Statement, I asked the Apapa Local GovernmentChairman who was with me to speak to him. He sounded credible, heconcluded. So I made some calls to the authorities and sent textmessage to our men to act immediately.

Before 11pm, we already had all the results and we had won,though unofficially. What sealed the deal for us and put paid to anymanipulation the PDP had in stock was the unexpectedcongratulation of Aregbesola as the winner of the election around9.40pm by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuade. Omisoreaccording to our sources had already informed Aso-rock that therewas fighting in his home-town of Ile-Ife because according tohim, the results we were circulating were fake and he was actuallyleading in the “original” results. The Ooni swiftly debunked that,not only congratulated the Governor-elect, but also stated thatnobody was fighting in Ife! That took the sail out of the wind ofOmisore and his treacherous gang.

If we thought the threats have been subdued, we were in for ashocker! The returning officer whose task it is to announce thefinal result was under pressure to collect a whooping N1b andannounce Omisore winner! They were ready to damn theconsequences and ask us to go to court. So we had to practicallygo on our knees! I salute the indefatigable people of Osun State,they were resolute, they stood like a rock, stayed on the streets allthrough and formed a human shield around the collation centre.Then the returning officer came in around 1.35pm. The results ofall the local governments were announced before 5am. Then wenow witnessed dilly-dallying of the highest order. It got to a pointaround 7am, anxious journalists and people started singing askingfor the results. Lo and Behold, at about 7.10am, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola was finally pronounced the winner!

There was instant jubilation across the nook and cranny of Oshogbo.Never in the history of elections have I seen such spontaneousexcitement pervade the landscape because of resultsannouncement. Within the twinkle of an eye, the whole town wentagog with people clutching their brooms- symbol of the Governor’sparty, congratulating themselves, okada riders driving menacinglyin such euphoric ecstasy and finally we could say hurray! Wewon! We didn’t win an election, we won a WAR with a stone likethe biblical david. Goliath came to battle with the best arsenal athis disposal but we came with the will of a determined people thatvowed that never again shall they go the road of perdition theyonce trodded. Who says the voice of the people is not the voice ofGod? Because ultimately the hand of the Almighty saved the dayand gave us victory. Osun ti dara ooooooo.

Segun Tomori

Aregbesola, I Doff My CapI feel a high sense of

fulfillment as a citizen ofthe State of Osun and as

a patriot at that, to write thisletter of commendation toOgbeni; knowing full wellthat it will catch his fancyto read. Meanwhile, acceptmy hearty congratulations,as the team in OSUNDEFENDER newspaperalso has its own share ofcredit that I have toapportion at this period.Your contribution to thesuccess story is immense.Whether anyone remembersor deems it worthy to rewardyou commensurately or not;the imprints of your noblerole in the liberation strugglefor Osun are golden andevergreen.

The most fulfilling aspectof the joy I know is the factthat Ogbeni RaufAregbesola has not let usdown. Throughout the firstfour-year tenure, there hadnot been a boring moment,as he continued to roll outnew programmes, policies,projects and innovations,which have all added muchvalue to the lives of thegenerality of our people.Under some otherd i s p e n s a t i o n s ,

governments were made torun policies andprogrammes to the exclusivebenefit of the privileged few,the elite in particular. Underothers, it could not beaccurately placed whetheranyone else than thehelmsmen and their co-travellers had anything tobenefit.

Fortunately underOgbeni, everyone in the

State of Osun has one thingor the other to gain. If therewere losses, they should notbe such that must bemoaned over; as suchlosses should have arisen inorder to promote the overallinterest of our state, itspeople and generations yetunborn. Ogbeni moves meclose to tears each time hespeaks at public fora,defining the whole duty ofa government that isresponsible and responsive.

As a man, Aregbesolalives his words. He has runa government that isresponsible and responsive.He committed his might andmeans to give to his peopleall that they need within theambit of availableresources. He madeaccountability andprudence the twin-watchword of his officialconduct. In spite of

dwindling statutorymonthly allocation from theFederation Accounts, owingto whatever reasons it wasattributed to by thehandlers of the governmentat the centre, Aregbesolanever derailed nor falteredin his determined strides tomake the living conditionsof his people better.

It is most deserving thatwe should give credit tothose who deserve it. It is

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OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing HouseLimited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guarantee Trust BankGTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun.All correspondence to the above mail address.ISSN: 0794-8050Telephone: 0803-392-7286, 08033880205Website: www.osundefender.com/index.phpe-mail: osundefender@yahoo.com

more of weakness thanstrength of character tocondemn all leaders all thetimes. The experience inOsun since Aregbesolacame into the saddle hasbeen such that if itcontinues, our state shallsoon become an advancedsub-nation within abackward nation.

Those who make noiserunning the governmentdown do so for selfish ends.At best, Osun as at todaydoes not require change ofleadership. Anyone whoclamours change among themiddle or lower class istreading the path of regret.Now that it is not too late totake recourse, I stronglyadvise such misled ones towake up and reason well.None of the fake contendersaround could bring abouttransformation that will beall-embracing as the one invogue at present. Amongthem, the noisiest isoutright bad product whichall of us should reject.

•YEMI OLATUBOSUN,Ita Akogun Area, Osogbo,State of Osun.

5

PoliticsVictory At Last!

Electoral contests have been the standard modalities of emergence of political leadership presiding over theaffairs of modern societies in all spheres. This civilized practice of electing leaders has come to stay as one of theintegral imperatives of democracy. The recently-held gubernatorial election in the State of Osun may have comeand gone; yet its imprints are replete with lessons, glad revelations and pieces of bitter truth for and to all stake-holders. Central to this is that as second timers in particular, contemplating election into public offices shouldhenceforth be predicated on solid concrete achievements that touch and impact the lives of the citizenry positively.On this note, OSUN DEFENDER Magazine congratulates Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and the All Progressives Con-gress (APC) for trail-blazing this trend. We as well congratulate the people of the state in general for the victory wehad; and appreciate them for their doggedness, courage and determination. For some who were first-timers in thecontest, we wish they could pick their cues from the way the contest played out. The stark revelation is that electoralvictories are not won with Greek gifts and antics of do-or-die. The taste of NIYI OLASINDE’s pudding lies in theeating.

Osun 2014 Gubernatorial Election:

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014

•National Commissioner, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ambassador Muhammed Wali (left); presenting Certificate of Return to the Governor of the Stateof Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (2nd right). With them are, the Deputy Governor, Otunba (Mrs) Titi Laoye-Tomori; Secretary of the Commission, Mr .Oladipo Oladapo; ActingDirector, Legal, Mr Ibrahim Bawa (3rd left) and other dignitares, at the INEC office, Osogbo, State of Osun, recently.

6 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Victory At Last!AN event occurred which nearly set the stage

for a Matinmas summer for the State of Osunand its people. That event began to unfold in

early August, as preparations reached the climax forthe grand-finale of the political rallies of the leadingopposition party in the state – the Peoples DemocraticParty (PDP). The party holds sway at the federallevel; and as such, the National Leader of that party,who doubles as the incumbent President, Dr.Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was being expected in thestate for the afore-mentioned occasion. Naturally, itwas expected that if such a dignitary is being expectedin any part of the country, advance team of sorts,comprising security details, protocol and otherretinues. In view of this fact, the development underreference should not have, ordinarily been a seriouscause for worry. More so, the 2014 GubernatorialElection was barely a week away! But there wasmore to the event than was pleasant to the eye.

Following the Gubernatorial Election which held inEkiti State on June 21, the leadership of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP), apparently spurred byeuphoria of victory at that election made a declarationthat it was about to mount a close-down on Osun,whose turn it was to elect a governor. There wasmuch wonder as responses trailed that declarationfrom various quarters. But just as we were all takingit for granted that the declaration was made in theheat of passion, indications began to appear that theparty, through the instrumentality of the FederalGovernment it heads was actually set for a close-down or something close to it in the State of Osun.

On the evening of Thursday, July 31, I wasappointed to meet a junior professional colleague atthe popular Oke-Fia Roundabout. I arrived at thescene promptly as appointed and waited by. Whilestill laying in wait, an activity caught my attention. Apeaceful political rally was going on just by theroadside at the shoulder of the roundabout. I guessedfrom the contents of the political talk I overheard thatit was a political rally put together by Ward 4 ofOsogbo Local Government, in solidarity for thegovernorship aspiration of the incumbent governor,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola. Participants at the rally sang,danced, made speeches and brandished their broomswith ecstasy and dexterity. It became a centre of focusfor all passers-by. It was a pleasant sight to behold.

The venue of the occasion is the moderatelyspacious arc adjoining the State of Osun GovernmentHouse Annexe. That arc is set on a triangular spacestuck in the clef of Ilobu / Government House Roadand the Iwo Road end of the roundabout. It is directlyoverlooked by the projector placed conspicuouslyat the centre of the turning point. The rally went onpeacefully. It thus became spectacular for anyone whocared to stay by and participate or listen to thecontents of the proceedings.

The first inkling I got about what would happennext was prompted by a phone call from the colleagueI was waiting for. He called to tender an apology forthe delay in his arrival. He hinged the delay on a trafficgridlock which caught him all the way from Ogo-Oluwa axis through Olaiya Junction down toAlekuwodo. Eager and perplexed to the marrow, Iasked him if that excuse was tenable in a place likeOsogbo where we both reside. Then he opened upthat a huge number of masked security operatives,all dressed in black and armed to the tooth hadbesieged the streets in a long convoy; shootingsporadically into the air. Then I began to wonder whythat could be happening as I waited to witness theshow of power if it should come to Oke-Fia.

In the fullness of time, it did! On arrival at thejunction, several gunshots were released to the air. Iwas expecting them not to have done that, mostespecially as they had sighted the political rally beingheld few metres away. As trained security operativesdeployed on assignment to secure lives and property,duty demands that they should not demonstrate anyact that could provoke violence and public unrest.But they shot the bullets on and on. The response tothat event took various forms.

For the participants at the rally, they intensified theirsinging and dancing; frantically waving their brooms.They did all these fearlessly. Some hordes of passers-by and street hawkers who are less courageouswithdrew from the scene as early as they could. Iwas amazed at the degree of courage demonstratedby motorists, cyclists and motor park conductors whodefied intimidation and just watched and marveled atthe reason for the unfolding scene.

Some of the motor park men accosted some elitistpeople around, my humble self inclusive, and askedwhat the fuss was intended to create. The elderly

among them expressed shock and disappointment thatthis kind of event was unfolding under a democraticdispensation. They went as far as citing the variousrounds of elections they had witnessed in the country,all of which were bereft of such brazen shamelessshow of might. On top of it, they chipped in thesuggestion that the powers at the top and their mightshould direct their show of power to Boko Haram-ravaged states instead of dissipating needless timeand energy in Osun where peace, tranquility andharmony are a creed. They never knew that they weregiving a reportorial assignment to a willing pressmanwho would report their outcry purely as it is. But itgladdened me that people are becoming morevibrantly aware of the numerous acts that are out ofplace in our polity.

Earlier than the arrival of these security operatives,the same masterminds of intended hostage hadconstituted nuisance to public peace by mountingillegal road closures, indiscriminate blow of sirens,violation of traffic regulations and attack on membersand supporters of other political parties in the state.They had as well been loud and noisy in their gaffethat they were going to win the upcoming electionsby all means and at all costs. They went further thatan election result would be declared in Abuja; if theState Headquarters of the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC) should fail to declarethem winner against majority demand indicated byactual results of the election.

OSUN DEFENDER Magazine had baredseveral facts on the atrocities perpetrated by theleading opposition party to secure fraudulent victoryat the polls. These include sharing of Greek gifts likecash, rice and kerosene, massive purchase ofPermanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from electorate andreports on how the party had been conductingclandestine voting ahead of the actual voting.

Above all these, it was as clear as daytime that theFederal Government favoured the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP) in all things at the prejudiceof other parties. For instance, when that party’sgovernorship candidate, Iyiola Omisore discoveredthat the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) forthe State of Osun, Ambassador Rufus Akeju did notsuccumb to his dirty deal, he hammered for his Isokan,

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (arrowed), showing his appreciation to his supporters after the INEC declared him the winner of the 2014 governorshipelection last Sunday at Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, recently.

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MAGAZINE

7 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Pastor Williams Kumuyi And Members Of Deeper Life Bible Church Paid A CourtesyVisit To The State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At GovernmentHouse, Osogbo, State Of Osun, Last Friday.

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (right) and General Superintendent of Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Williams Kumuyi (left) during a courtesy visitto the governor at State of Osun Government House, Osogbo, last Friday.

•Aregbesola (3rd right); Kumuyii; his wife, Esther; a veteran journalist, Pastor Segun Babatope (left); and Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police, Mr. David Omojola, duringa visit by members of Deeper Life Church to the Governor at Government House, Osogbo, State of Osun last Friday

PHOTOTALK

8 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014 PHOTOTALK

Official Launch Of Osun Rural Access And Mobility Projects And The Flag-off OfThe Construction/Rehabilitation Of First Tranche Of 225km Rural Roads At IraOpen Square In Oriade Local Government Council Area Of Osun Last Thursday.

•

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (3rd left), flagging off the construction of 225km rural roads. With him are, his Deputy, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Laoye-Tomori(2nd left); Secretary to the State Government of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (left); Special Adviser to the Governor on Rural Development and Community Affairs, Mr KunleIge (right).

•

•(L-R) Aregbesola exchanging pleasantries with the team leader, Word Bank/French Development Agency, Mr Mohammed Essakali, on the occasion.

•(L-R) Honourable Samson Fafiyebi; Mr Kunle Ige; Adeoti and State of Osun Commissioner for Finance, Dr Wale Bolorunduro at the event.

9 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014PHOTOTALK

•A cross section of traditional chiefs during the programme.

Official Launch Of Osun Rural Access And Mobility Projects And The Flag-off OfThe Construction/Rehabilitation Of First Tranche Of 225km Rural Roads At IraOpen Square In Oriade Local Government Council Area Of Osun Last Thursday.

•State of Osun All Progressives Congress (APC) Women Leader, Alhaja Kadijat Fakokunde (3rd left); Head of market women in the State of Osun, Chief (Mrs) AwawuAsindemade (3rd right) and other market women at the event.

•An ongoing rehabilitation of part of the 225km rural roads.

10 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014PHOTOTALKOfficial Launch Of Osun Rural Access And Mobility Projects And The Flag-off OfThe Construction/Rehabilitation Of First Tranche Of 225km Rural Roads At IraOpen Square In Oriade Local Government Council Area Of Osun Last Thursday.

•Honourable Biodun Awolola (left) Honourable Muhammed Olatunji Ibraheem and other dignitaries.

•Governor Rauf Aregbesola (middle); his deputy, Laoye-Tomori (in face cap); Team Leader, World Bank/French Development Agency, Mr Mohammed Essakali, behind deputygovernor; Special Adviser to the Governor on Water Resources, Rural Development and Community Affairs, Mr Kunle Ige (left to the Governor); Secretary to the StateGovernment of Osun, Alhaji Moshood Adeoti (5th right); Director-General, office of Economic Planning and Partnerships, Dr Charles Akinola (4th right) and other dignitaries,during the flag-off construction of 225 KM rural roads and official launch of Osun Rural Access and Mobility Project (RAMP) Phase II at Ira Open Square, Oriade LocalGovernment Area.

11 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014 MAGAZINE

Victory At Last!

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deployment, which was granted. That caused thetemporary redeployment that brought the ResidentElectoral Commissioner (REC) for Kogi State, Mr.Olusegun Agbaje to the scene.

Another instance in hand unfolded on the eve ofthe election. Vigilant and eagle-eyed youth of acommunity in Obokun Local Government CouncilArea of the state caught a van loaded with alreadythumb-printed ballot papers. They acted lawfully wellby handing the van and its ferry-men over to the policeauthorities at the State Police Headquarters atOsogbo. It was reported that the leadership of thestate headquarters of Independent National ElectoralCommission (INEC) had owned up that one of itsstaff, an electoral officer of a local government wasamong the arrested ferry-men of the impounded van.The Federal Government, through the Nigeria Policeauthorities hurriedly effected a change in the policehierarchy in the state; obviously to cover their tracksin the electoral crime. Mr. Maishanu who had beenthe State Commissioner of Police was transferred togive way for Mr. Mbakaboko, who obviously wasan odd-jobber on assignment to act a script. Mr.Mbakaboko’s first (and probably the only)assignment was to address a press conference wherehe told the whole world that no vehicle was everarrested by his command. So, the culprits were letoff the hook!

There was also this reported case of illegalpurchasers of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)apprehended by eagle-eyed patriots at Ajegunle Areaof Osogbo, the state capital. The apprehenders actedon tip-off by vigilant members of the public; and theyacted promptly. The culprits were reported to be cardacquirers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP);and as such; they were having a free day with an airof impunity! As a matter of fact, aside the fact that nomembers or supporters of any other political partycould demonstrate such lawlessness; they dared not,as there were no immunity to give them defensesagainst the long arms of the law. So the story went:the culprits were handed over to the police authoritiesupon apprehension. Before long, their sponsors atthe “almighty” federal seat got the news. The nextline of action on their part was to get the State

Commissioner of Police on phone and havingconfirmed the account, ordered him to effect theirimmediate release and get the case closed for goodand all! Not only that, as the time of day was evening,they ordered the police boss to feed their sacred cowsto aid their recuperation upon release as they musthave been famished. The officer of the law foundhimself helpless; his arms being tied. So, he was leftwith no better option than to sacrifice his meal forthat day’s break of fast as the time of occurrencecoincided with the holy Moslems’ month of Ramadan.

It was this police boss who did the biddings of hismasters above who was summarily redeployed onthe eve of the governorship election. He then gotreplaced with another one who was given a hurriedly-prepared script to act. I never considered that thejob of policing could be so rubbished! I guess that itwas shame that prevented the new police boss fromgracing the events at the election collation centre withhis presence. His seat was vacant on that night andso it remained all through the night. Men and officersof our forces need greater touch of professionalism.The President should also ensure that those appointedto man political leadership of ministries are expertsand professionals of relevance to respective ministries.Much of our problems stems from putting square pegsinto round holes.

Another account which the afore-cited van arrestat Obokun Local Government substantiated is thewidespread rumour making the rounds prior to theelections that the votes for so and so local governmentcouncil areas had been cast. The first inkling of thatthat I got derived from the newspaper account I readof a man in Ekiti State; a member of the PeoplesDemocratic Party (PDP), who gaffed about that hisparty’s victory in the yet-to-be-conducted election,was a long-settled case! There was much to thataccount than could be entertained in this edition. Butthe confirmation came when on the eve of the OsunGubernatorial Polls a van filled with thumb-printedballot papers was impounded within the precincts ofObokun Local Government. If we did not confirmthe earlier reports and rumours, that incident aloneconfirmed that those atrocities were truly committedand with the covering of the powers-that-be at thefederal level.

THE Gubernatorial Elections which heldpenultimate Saturday all over the State of Osun hasended with a note of victory on the part of theincumbent governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesolaand his political party, the All Progressives Congress(APC). The victory has put final rest to fears andapprehension nursed in some quarters that theelection and its aftermath could spell disasters of graveproportions for the state and its people.

Declaring the results of the elections in the weehours of Sunday, the state returning officer, whodoubles as the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi AwolowoUniversity, Ile-Ife, Professor Bamitale Omolepremised the delay in the release of the results whichdragged all through the night on the long distancewhich some collation officers and other electionpersonnel had to travel to Osogbo, the state capitalto turn in the results they had.

In his declaration, the governorship candidate forthe All Progressives Congress (APC), Ogbeni RaufAregbesola polled a massive figure of three-hundredand ninety-four thousand, six-hundred and eighty-four(394,684) votes to defeat the leading oppositionPeoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, SenatorIyiola Omisore, whose total number of votes wastwo-hundred and ninety-two thousand, seven-hundred and forty-seven (292,747). The winningmargin in the polls presented a clear difference ofone-hundred and one thousand, nine-hundred andthirty-seven (101,937).

In the breakdown of election results, Ogbeni RaufAregbesola of the All Progressives Congress (APC)polled a rousing majority; making him the winner intwenty-two local governments. These localgovernments include Osogbo (39,983 votes);Olorunda (26,551); Iwo (20,827); Ilesa East LocalGovernment Council, the home of the governor(16,106); and Ilesa West (15,427).

Others include Irewole (18,328); Ifelodun(17,447); Boripe (12,723) and others like, Oriade,Ifedayo, Ede North and South, Atakunmosa East,Atakunmosa West and a host of others.

The winning areas of Senator Omisore of thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) include his homelocal governments, Ife Central, Ife East and Ife South;

•(L-R) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, Mr Olusegun Agbaje; Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Professor Bamitale Omole; SupervisingNational Commissioner, Ambassador M.A. Wali and INEC National Commissioner, Engineer Nuru Yakubu during the announcement of the 2014 governorship election resultat INEC headquarters, Osogbo, State of Osun, recently.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014 MAGAZINE 12

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Victory At Last!Contiuned from page 11

Ife North, Boluwaduro, Odo-Otin, and Ayedire.The Chief Returning Officer appreciated God and

the people of the state for a hitch-free election; thoughsome pockets of hitches were reported in Ward 11of Boripe Local Government Council Area, Ward 5of Ila local Government Council Area and one otherunit each in Atakunmosa East and Ejigbo localgovernments, where petitions trailing the pollsreported elections irregularities like over-voting whichnecessitated the results to be cancelled. On the whole,the Governorship election was adjudged to beoverwhelmingly successful.

Displaying the score sheets for the results, the ChiefReturning Officer, Professor Bamitale Omole showedthe securely sealed forms EC 8D and EC8 E, whichadded credence to the credibility of the exercise.

In attendance at the results collation and declarationceremony which held at the open arena of the Stateof Osun Headquarters of the Independent NationalElectoral Commission (INEC), Gbongan / IbadanRoad, Osogbo were National Supervisor INEC,Ambassador M.A. Wali, National CommissionerINEC, Engineer Nuru Yakubu and the ResidentElectoral Commissioner of Kogi State, who doublesas the Acting Resident Electoral Commissioner ofState of Osun, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje.

Others present at the event are directors fromINEC headquarters, Messers Oladimeji and Telma,H.O.D. Operations for the State of Osun INEC,Alhaji A.W.O. Azeez, resident electoralcommissioners for Ondo and Ekiti states, academicicons who doubled a collating officers party agents,security operatives and members of the press.

On hand to comment on the exercise were the Stateof Osun Commissioner for Information and Strategy,Mr. Sunday Akere, the Director of Information andStrategy for the State of Osun Chapter of the AllProgressives Congress (APC), Barrister KunleOyatomi and the State Chairman for the NationalConscience Party (NCP), Honourable WaheedLawal. In their separate comments, the trio laudedthe credibility of the entire exercise, though they noted

that lots need be improved in the conduct of electionsin the nation.

It was however noticed that the agent for thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP) absconded fromsigning the necessary results sheets, a developmentwhich was considered in many quarters to be a signof discontent of the party against the results, even inspite of the prejudices it received from the FederalGovernment during the contest that brought aboutthe results.

THE entire communities in Osogbo, the State ofOsun capital city stood still penultimate Saturday asthe Gubernatorial Elections were held all over thestate. Earlier on Friday, the State Government hadculled out a holiday to get voters adequately preparedfor the exercise, especially in getting to their varioustowns of registration before the outset of the restrictionof movement ultimatum, which lasted between 6:00p.m. on Friday and 6:00 p.m. on Saturday.

At various polling units visited by our reporters,voters and election personnel had been spotted onsite as early as 7:00 a.m. The turn-out of voters inparticular was remarkably impressive as they werefound on queues, their Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs) in hand, ready for accreditation.

At the polling units lying between Oke Onitea andOld Garage axis of the city, the turnout was quiteindicative that the outing of the day would bring greatsuccess for Nigeria’s electoral process. At St.Michaels Primary School, Ago Wande / Oke Onitea,through BCGA area, people were found in their largenumbers, comporting themselves in peaceful mannerahead of actual voting exercise.

From Old Garage through Olaiya Junction to Ogo-Oluwa area, the streets were bereft of the usual hustleand bustle as traders, motorists and residents in theirentirety took their time out that day to stay at hometo perform their statutory civic duty of voting.

At various strategic locations in the town, armedmilitary officers and officers of other security apparatuscould be sighted mounting road blocks in order toprovide added security for the .election exercise.

Roads and streets were deserted, save for fewmotor vehicles moving on election duty. However,people were seen moving in occasional droves, inattempt to locate their voting units. As at 8:00 a.m. ithad become crystal clear that the security scam andapparent pressure intended to intimidate voters andcreate apathy would not deter people from troopingout to vote their leaders in the capacity of governorand deputy governor.

At the Station road / Oja Oba / Ilesa Road axis ofthe state capital, the same trend of encouraging turnoutwas recorded. At the Ataoja Palace / Central Mosquearea, the people of that core area trooped outmassively. The trend was replicated along Oke Baaleand Isale Osun where people were sighted in largenumbers at their polling units, ready for their work offranchise.

The mood was quite encouraging at Omo West;Ikirun / Offa Road up to Ota Efun and Kobo NGbodbo E area where people moved out massivelyto perform their civic obligations within the statutorilystipulated time frame.

At Testing Ground / Kola Balogun area, the stagewas obviously set for a good day of prospective movetoward the consolidation of sound democratic culture.In all the areas mentioned, politicians across variousdivides were seen moving from house to house tomobilize voters to go out for the all-importantassignment.

The early morning drizzle was not a deterring factor.In spite of absence of means of mobility, voters whohad long distances to transverse from their places ofabode to their voting units set out early enough. Theywere encouraged by the fact that they found out thatthey were not alone in the trek.

At the various polling units, orderly conductprevailed all through the exercise. At United AfricanPrimary School, adjunct to former FakunleComprehensive College, Gbongan / Ibadan Road,two polling units were located; peace an orderly

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (6th left); the Akirun of Ikirun, Oba Rauf Adedeji (5th left); the Olokuku of Okuku, Oba Samuel Oluronke (6th right); theAragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Rasheed Olabomi (3rd left); the Owa of Otan Ayegbaju, Oba Lukman Fadipe (5th right); the Olobu of Ilobu, Oba Ashiru Olaniyan (4th left); the Elerinof Erin-Osun, Oba Yusuf Oyagbodun (4th right) and other prominent obas, during the congratulatory visit to Governor Rauf Aregbesola in Osogbo, recently.

13 OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014MAGAZINE

Victory At Last!

conduct prevailed throughout the exercise.

Even though there were earlier speculations of plansby the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to use armedthugs dressed in military uniform to snatch ballot boxesand replace them with already stuffed ones, the waythings played out was entirely different as voting wenton smoothly throughout the exercise.

At the end of the exercise, the results were flawlessat the two units, as voters were all engaged in theprocess of loud counting. Recording was done in thefull glare of all, and this added to the credibility of theentire exercise. Voters eventually dispersed fullysatisfied as the results and their manner of countingwere fair to all.

THOUGH come and gone, the results andaftermath of the Osun 2014 GubernatorialElections are filled with revelations, pieces

of bitter truth, lessons and assessment of progressmade so far in our democratic adventure. Theantecedents to and play-out of events during the pollsalso have much to lend to our future and thesustenance of our democratic culture. Lots have beensaid and discussed during the election campaign period.The discussions, conclusions and forecast made arenot a closed case. Day-in, day-out, lessons are boundto be learnt. Whether one likes it or not, realities oflessons we fail to learn are bound to unfold in theirdue seasons. To shy away from drawing analysis andinferences and from taking proper cues from lessonsfrom an event or from a process is to be guilty of badfate.

For good and all, the period of attempting to enticevoters with Greek gifts has gone. The pilferers of ourcollective fortunes have stolen so much that the ownershave discovered. Having discovered, the owners havebegun to consider any Greek gifts offered to them asa stylish way of returning to them those precious wealthearlier stolen from them. So, any politician who comesout at the approach of elections, doling out Greek giftsdoes so as effort made in the line of redistribution ofincome. It is better to use every opportunity that availsitself to provide amenities that add value to the lives

of the citizenry than taking the people for granted thatthey could be bought over with one-shot inducements– financial, material or any other form.

The administration of the winner of the election,Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola of the All ProgressivesCongress (APC) has taught us that the most potentand vibrant tool for winning and sustaining the trustand confidence of the people is to provide amenities,infrastructure and facilities that touch lives and turnthem around positively now; and that would remain aslasting legacies for generations unborn. Also throughthe Aregbesola school of thought, we have come tothe realization that the greatest asset to politicians andstatesmen alike is the people. Human resource is thegreatest wealth of any society. It is thereforedemeaning and dehumanizing to take for granted theintellectual faculty, mental reasoning, conscience, prideand dignity of a people. As a matter of fact, it is acrime against humanity. This is a lesson for all thosewho shall henceforth be aspiring to lead us as a peoplein these parts. We are not a people to be bamboozledwith fake, unrealistic promises or dumb-driven ortempest-tossed as if we have no conscience.

People have often blamed much of our predicamentsin the line of successfully nurturing our democraticculture on lengthy years of military rule. But ourdemocracy is now almost sixteen years old, yet therehas been no remarkable improvement. We need toexamine what is being done wrong and make properamends. Our political leadership at the centre uscurrently handled by a civilian. By this, I mean thatPresident Goodluck Jonathan was never a militaryman. In spite of this, it appeared as if the dispositionof his administration on election matters has a benttowards winning empires by all means! As surprisingas this is, it does cannot help our democratic culture.People should be allowed to have the final say on thechoice of who leads them and manage their resourcesfor them.

President Jonathan appears to be too desperate inthe realization of his ambition – that of succeedinghimself next year. He tends to be doing that withoutmeasuring up to being competent and able to providesolutions to our numerous problems. The enormousfinancial resources wasted on the fortunes of hisparty’s candidate in the just-concluded State of OsunGubernatorial Election alone could have gone far in

fixing all federal roads that criss-cross our territory. Ifhe had done that, people would have become ingraftedto him without force or intimidation.

OSUN DEFENDER Magazine also reasons thatthe huge security apparatus deployed to the state duringthe last polls has better task to carry out in the coreNorth area where the dreaded Boko Haram is dealingfatal blow on citizens of this country. Security mattersduring an election are what the police can handlewithout reinforcement. More so, the State of Osunhas fared well in security matters under GovernorAregbesola. Since 2010 when the incumbentadministration came on board, crime wave has soreduced that the state has been ranked as one of themost peaceful in the country. This feat was achievedinternally without reinforcement from anywhere. Howthen has reinforcement become necessary during anelection; save for the reason that someone somewhereis desperately bent toward favouring a particularcandidate above others. Before the elections and nowthat the elections are concluded, the governor remainsthe chief security officer of the state. How then is itthat during election, someone somewhere wanted tousurp that responsibility from him?

Before it is too late, President Goodluck Jonathanshould get rid of bad eggs in his cabinet. The likes ofMusiliu Obanikoro and Jelili Adesiyan are misfits whohave no value to add to any administration. Theirignoble role in Ekiti and Osun is a clear attestation tothis. If nothing about their antecedents is sufficient toconvince anyone, their roles in these recent outingsshould do the convincing.

Here we are! The collective will of the majority ofour people has prevailed. In spite of harassment,intimidation, provocation and threats, we have all wonat last! It remains indelibly true that the people’s willis mightier than the force of arms. The resolve of thepeople is irrepressible. In vain was the guard and spies.We have fought and won in spite of all antics andmachinations of our collective foes. Congratulations,Osun.

Concluded.

Contiuned from page 12

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogben Rauf Aregbesola, signing copies of his Certificate of Return. With him are his wife, Sherifat (right); his Deputy, his deputy (middle); formerExecutive Governor of the State, Senator Isiaka Adeleke (2nd left); Speaker of the House of Assembly, Hon. Najeem Salam and other dignitaries, at the presentation of Certificateof Return to Governor Aregbesola at INEC office, Osogbo, State of Osun, recently.

OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014 14FEATURE

Oritsejaforgate: The PoliticsOf Deceitful Religionists

•ORITSEJAFOR

“I don’t tell the truth any moreto those who can’t make use of it. Itell it mostly to myself, because italways changes me.”——AnaisNin

I could recollect that a highly-connected person spoke to meon the eve of August 9, 2014

governorship election in the State ofOsun that he got a credible informationfrom one of President GoodluckJonathan presidency’s point men thatan ethnic cabal had emerged with atwo-way agenda.

He said the first option was toencourage the pummeling of the NorthEast of Nigeria by the raging insurgency,with the aim of creating new majority inthe country, where the minority of theNorth and the South South would bedetermining emergence of a Presidentin general elections, or as option B, thesecession of the South South axis,believing that its oil money can give theregion a better country.

My source related how perpetualcrisis would be created in the SouthWest axis, how the third eleven wouldbe sponsored to take over the rein ofgovernance from the performinggovernors, so that there would beperpetual mistrust between the leadersand the led; a situation that will distractthe attention of the egg-heads of theYoruba stock from the calculated plotand render the region helpless when thetime for action begins.

He revealed how Governor KayodeFayemi of Ekiti State was surprised byphotochromic ballot papers and otherclandestine moves that compelled hisdefeat. He hinted me on how 73,000security operatives and 20,000 Niger-Delta militants would be kitted withDSS fatigue with mask in Osun for theelection to be manipulated, and all factscame to the open, except thedetermination of the electorate to taketheir destiny into the hands.

So, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor has aninterest in the aviation indutry, that madehis private jet to haul $10 million to SouthAfrica to purchase weapons for humandestruction. Anyway, he owned up to itwhen an online media revealed hisconnection with the international scam.

Oritsejafor is the President ofChristian Association of Nigeria (CAN)and a spiritual consultant to PresidentGoodluck Jonathan. Let me just say thathis closeness to the President is not acrime, and being the President of theCAN must not be seen as an albatross,but his involvement in aborted purchaseof $10 million armament has raisedsome dust that must not be ignored.

Join me briefly to see how somethinkers see religions and religionists,perhaps that would open the eyes ofour minds to the issue at hand: SegmundFrued, a son of a Christian priest,claimed that religion is a Psychiatricfeelings and that those who claim topractise faith are like psychiatristpatients.

Besides, Edward Tylor, a son of theQuaker Priest, defined religion as anadvancement of primitive opinions,custom and tradition, and Rudolf Ottoclaimed that religion is a feeling, but KarlMarx, another son of a Christian priest,saw religion as an instrument ofoppression in the hands oppressors,arguing that for any society to develop,religion must be divorced fromgovernance. And a careful observationwould reveal that developed nations donot elevate religion above personalsalvation of an individual citizen.

However, Nigeria is said to besecular, but I sincerely disagree,because it has become our collectivehabit to pray before and after any givenfunction, private or official; we accordour religious leaders special recognitionand our government at all levels sponsorpeople on pilgrimage to Mecca andJerusalem. So, where lies oursecularity? However, the conspiracytheory began from the Constitution,which describes the country ‘secular’instead of ‘multi-religious’ and we allkept quiet, because of our collectivehypocrisy.

Back to the Oritsejafor’s cash-stacked private jet seized in SouthAfrica and the swift response of theJonathan-led presidency to cover up.One thing is very clear in the entirescenario; our government and theleadership of CAN, with due respectto the few trusted men of God in thebody, are not telling us the home truth,but their congenital lies were too opento be overlaid by different narratives. If

we have identified a problem, somequestions would lead us to the directionof indubitable truth:

The aircraft that ferried raw USdollars to South Africa was said to beprivate jet of Pastor Oritsejafor, CANpresident, a spiritual consultant toPresident Goodluck Jonathan, aChristian, whose presidency has morethan 10 presidential jets. We have anorganized military with several jets thatcould be used to move weapons meantto fight insurgency, then why a privatejet?

The money found in the jet was $10million superintended by two unknownNigerians and Israeli, obviously notmilitary contractors or intelligencestaffers, but people of hidden identitiesfor special operations. Obviously, thecash is huge and Jonathan’s governmenthad forgotten to inform the South Africanauthorities that such a huge weaponbusiness would be transacted in thecountry with raw cash; that was aprocedural error, but why the raw cashwhen the entire world now tradecashless policy? The only answer to thatis; there was a covert operationsomewhere to be attended to, and withthe knowledge of the presidency.

What is happening now has justifiedthe grounds of those who claimed thatwe have: (A) Poverty-induced BokoHaram; (B) Political Boko Haram and(C) Misguided Boko Haram. Thechronicle of events had shown that AliModu Sherrif is a tool in the hands ofJonathan’s presidency to fuel politicalBoko Haram with a view to eitherelongating Jonathan presidency beyond2015 or decapacitate the heavily-populated North East for the new pro-Jonathan majority to emerge for re-election bid.

Let it be known that FormerPresident Olusegun Obasanjo hadwritten a letter exposing what we arecurrently witnessing. Admiral MurtalaNyako wrote a memo to his fellowgovernors in the North when he gotwind of the current happenings and heis being hounded for it, but we chose toignore the message, while dissecting themessengers, because we werebamboozled with religion. The nationwas badly divided along religious lineand now the smoke of truth can nolonger be concealed. Deductively, it issafe to say that Jonathan’s presidencyis behind the Boko Haram massacre inthe North East and 2015 election is thetarget, but this opinion stands to becorrected.

By GOKE BUTIKA

15OSUN DEFENDER Tuesday, September 23, 2014 PHOTOTALK

•The governor, State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and National President, Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria, Engineer (Mrs) Nnoli Akpedeye,during a congratulatory visit to the governor on his victory in the August 9 gubernatorial election held at Government House, Osogbo, last Wednesday.

•Aregbesola (3rd left); Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola (2nd left); Special Adviser to the governor on Water Resources, Engineer (Mrs) TawakalituWilliams (left); Engineer (Mrs) Akpedeye (3rd right), Engineer (Mrs) Olayinka Abdul (2ndright) and Engineer Ibitoye Adeniran (right) during a congratulatory visit to thegovernor on his victory in the August 9 gubernatorial election held at Government House, Osogbo, on Wednesday.

National President, Association Of Professional Women Engineers Of Nigeria, PaidA Courtesy Visit To The State Of Osun Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, At Gov-ernment House, Osogbo, Last Wednesday.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2014

www.osundefender.org THE 6TH MOST-VISITED NEWSPAPER WEBSITE IN NIGERIA

By ADE OLUGBOTEMIWE are having so

many unfoldingscenarios now that

constant reminders need easypassage to the stable of thegeneral public, so that Nigeriawill be saved from sinkingdeeper into the mud of messthat has begun to blot ourpsyches, that need urgentrescue and rehabilitation. Wehave had no vacuum actuallyin governance and national life, it is onlythat those who have been privileged toso occupy have done so with moreconcentration on what will benefitpersonal ego, as against the nationalneeds that must be met, so that allNigerians can derive maximum benefitsfrom sustainable development.

Our country is currently at a crossroadbecause we are at a point wheremajority of citizens have becomepessimistic about leaders’ ability tocreate secured future for millions ofpeople, who are striving assiduously towork hard and make a living out ofpersonal efforts that are more assuringthat dependency on imaginary benefitsthat have never derived full expressionfrom endless promises emanating fromseat of power. Ironically, our economyoperates in such a way that there mustbe some basic facilities in place tofashion a way in a competitive world.Failure to put those facilities in place hasalways hampered attempts byindividuals to maximize potentials thatare innately domiciled in individualingenuities.

We need no soothsayer to reveal tous the next presidential candidate of thePeoples Democratic Party (PDP). Allintents and purposes point to the directionof incumbent President Goodluck EbeleJonathan, because the only co-contestant for the post has fizzled out ofthe configuration. Only last Wednesday,Jigawa State governor; Sule Lamido,who was generally believed to giveJonathan a fierce fight for the covetedseat, stepped down. All members of theBoard of Trustees, except formerPresident Olusegun Obasanjo and theSpeaker of the Federal House ofRepresentatives have unanimouslyadopted President Jonathan as solerunner under PDP. So all is now set tomake PDP’s primaries that are comingup later in the year mere formalities.

Every aspirant for other posts will nowbegin to jostle to gain Mr President’sattention for endorsement, as is the usualpractice in our political terrain. Overninety percent of the candidates willemerge through consensus because theirissues would have been trashed behindthe scene. Only those acceptable to theloyalists of President Goodluck Jonathanwould be considered for elective postsand selection into various appointments.The summary of the matter is that thesame set of people that have beensuperintending over Nigeria wouldcontinue to determine the fate of overone hundred and seventy million

Nigerians if re-elected into power inFebruary general elections.

However, the implication of all theseis that the PDP are telling Nigerians thatthe best they can showcase to them astheir second term presidential candidateis President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan,under whose regime people are grapplingwith myriads of problems, ranging frominsecurity to lives and properties, to massunemployment, fraud and corruptpractices, unresolved power problem,and many more. Many concernedcitizens have come to the conclusion thatNigeria is doomed, if President Jonathanis the best available material that canlead this country for another four years.

Most Nigerians are wonderingwhether Nigeria is so bedevilled by lackof experts that can turn things aroundfor the citizens to experience better livingcondition than we have it now underPDP-led administration. Nature hasbeen very kind to us; so much thatNigeria is spared the trouble of periodic

disaster that many nations grapple within accordance with climatic change. Noearth tremor or earthquake, no volcaniceruption, no typhoon wind, and manyresources are there untapped; yet thosewho are supposed to be think-tanks forthe country are busy thinking about howwhat is available for Nigerians tomanage will become booties for a fewto ration among themselves.

Majority of Nigerians have the choiceto terminate the contract between us andthe few supposed super humans thathave succinctly pocketed the entirecountry with her vast resources.Political instrument has become petty forall Toms, Jacks, Dicks and Harries tomanipulate for personal whims andcaprices; resulting in policy somersaultsthat clip our wings, so it has becomeextremely difficult for our Eagles to fly,perch and do what others who havesimilitude of underdevelopment do withease. We pride in our size as thepopulous country in Africa, but we arenot ashamed that we are incapable of

doing the feats of Lilliputiancountries. The big question now is:Do we have the sagacity to pressthrough our wish?

The only way to get to power isthrough political party platform;except by illegitimate means ofmilitary take-over through coupd’état, which has become

unpopular around the world. That is thereason most countries work on viablealternatives to the ruling parties, so thatthe goofing of the ruling party willautomatically pave way for the strongestopposition party. In our case, the AllProgressives Party (APC) remains themost viable alternative, as the strongestopposition party. It is then the duty ofleaders and members of the party toconvince Nigerians that they are indeedready to take up the challenge.

Most Nigerians are not oblivious ofthe arrangement that led to the move byPDP not to have more than onecontestant during party primary. It isbelieved that as the self-acclaimedbiggest party in Africa, the only way toconvince the electorate that there is well-entrenched internal democracy is toavoid the rancour that is usuallyassociated with primary elections thatmakes it possible to choose one amongstmany. It is usually at this point that thosewho are dissatisfied defect to otherpolitical parties or get involved in anti-party activities. These, PDP seem tohave put behind them.

Time is fast running out on anypolitical parties that are yet to get theiracts together about the choice of flag-bearers for the coveted seat of MrPresident during the fast-approachingFebruary 2015 elections. Choice ofcandidates at this point in time must becarefully addressed because of theassociated intricacies that often causeresentment and disaffections amongparty members. This is a time that APCwill convince people that they are veryready to provide more crediblealternative platform of governance thatwill be devoid of unhealthy rigmarolethat has cost us impetus of developmentand advancement in the competitiveworld’s economy.

Other political parties can afford toplay games as is often the case andthereafter fizzled into oblivion until thethreshold of another term of four years,when it will become necessary for themagain to pick their crumps from wherethey left them. This attitude has deprivedinnocent Nigerians opportunities that areelusive through political incontinence thathas characterized our political evolutionover the years. We need to be morefervent in prayers now than ever before,so that come 2015, the best Nigerian forthe post of president will emerge to takeus to the next enviable level. Thisremains the only way we can have abetter future guaranteed. Nigeria mustsurvive.

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Promise Point Building, Opposite Guaranty Trust Bank GTB, Gbongan Road, Osogbo, State of Osun. Allcorrespondence to the Managing Editor, KOLA OLABISI, Telephone: 08033927286 (kolaolabisi@yahoo.com); Editor, KAYODE AGBAJE, Telephone: 0803-388-0205, E-mail:osundefender@yahoo.com, kayodeagbaje@yahoo.com. ISSN: 0794-8050.Website: www.osundefender.org.

A Nation In Search OfBetter Alternative

•JONATHAN