To state the obvious, it is the worst of time for the South Western part of Nigeria. The geo-political block that once led the way has become a pitiable reflection of its once glorious past. With the merciful exception of Lagos State which has a vigorous can-do government, the entire region has become the laggard [...]

• • •Plans To Transfer Presiding Judge THE desperation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to murder justice on the rape, assault and dehumanising case instituted by a 13-year-old rape victim, Miss Tosin Ajakaiye, against the embattled Chairman of Ilesa-West Local Government Council Area of Osun State, Mr Ibukun Fadipe and a chieftain of the [...]

The Mace with Goke Butika If there is one lawmaker in Osun State House of Assembly who knows his onion and ready to speak up on any given situation no matter whose ox is gored, it is Honourable Razaq Salinsile, representing Iwo State Constituency on the platform of the Action Congress (AC). He is the [...]

Osun State Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate, Engr Rauf Aregebesola’s running mate, Otunba (Mrs) Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori spoke on some contemporary political issues across the nation in an interview with KOLA OLABISI, our Managing Editor, recently. Below is the content of the interview. Quest: What’s your view on the recent appointment of Professor Atahiru Jega [...]

•••Contradicts Self Embattled Chairman of Ilesa-West Local Government Council Area of Osun State, Mr. Ibukun Fadipe notoriously called IBK, on Tuesday appeared before Justice Abdulrasak Babatunde Abdukareem of a state high court, sitting in Ilesa, for his alleged complicity in raping and dehumanizing a 13-year-old girl, Tosin Ajakaye. Ajakaye was allegedly raped, assaulted, injured, and [...]

Culled From Vanguard Newspaper The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND, yesterday, claimed responsibility for the explosion that rocked the venue of Vanguard’s Post-Amnesty conference, saying it was to let the world know of its continued relevance in the region. The group, in an online statement issued by its spokesman, Jomo Gbomo, [...]

• • •Donates Generators To Mosques AN Action Congress (AC) councillorship candidate for Ward 7 of Olorunda Local Government Council Area of Osun State, Honourable Abdullateef Adeyanju popularly called ‘Osupa’ has handed over a hall to a community in the constituency. The hall which was painted and decorated by the AC candidate is located at [...]

It would take miracle of God for the Reality Television Services (RTS) Iwo, Osun State, one of the campaign promises of the embattled Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola to take-off as contractors handling the projects have started singing discordant tunes at the State House of Assembly hearing, presenting technical hitches that would not make the television service [...]

Fears are growing among international observers of the Togolese presidential elections that the ruling party of incumbent President Faure Gnassingbe, the son of the country’s former military dictator, might upturn the early victories of opposition candidate Jean-Pierre Fabre’s Union for the Forces of Change (UFC) party. Preliminary results collated from the 35 districts of the [...]

The lingering crisis between Osun and Oyo State governments over Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), has taken a new dimension as a new Vice-Chancellor appointed by the Oyo State government has resumed duty. Tension rose on the institution’s campus when the new VC, Professor Olanrewaju Nassar, visited the institution last Thursday. The university’s Pro-Chancellor [...]

Adejare Bello, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, may be undistinguished, but whatever he lacks in accomplishment, he makes up for in loutishness. He is no doubt one of the most obvious indications of all that is wrong with our democracy, particularly the brazen electoral larceny and the disingenous defence of same that have become the norm since the PDP started stealing the elections in the southwest of Nigeria in 2003.

One could dismiss Bello’s recent tirade against the gubernatorial candidate of the Action Congress (AC) in the 2007 elections in Osun State, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, as the outburst of a confused politician who is holding a stolen seat in the State House of Assembly. Upon close analysis, Bello’s shameful mix of ill-will, ignorance, potential criminality and the anti-democratic mindset that have seized Osun State are evident. Within the context of the fact that Adejare’s election is still being contested in court as a stolen mandate, his vituperations become even more bewildering.

Recently, Bello disgraced his office by using the language of the sewer in describing the legitimate actions of Aregbesola in the temple of justice since his sacred mandate was stolen by Mr. Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the PDP. Stated the morally-challenged Bello: “Aregbesola would never become the governor of Osun State. I curse him because he made the state ungovernable for Governor Oyinlola in the last three years. He has caused a lot of distractions. Can you see that the state was not the same for the governor in the last three years? Now, he has gone to the Court of Appeal after losing at the tribunal, and if the Appeal Court calls for a re-run of the election, Aregbesola would just be giving Oyinlola another fresh four years as a bonus. Look at Baba Akande, he just left the office when he found out that he had been defeated and he did not bother to contest his defeat in court, but Aregbesola is troublesome” (Emphasis added)…

- The Action Congress (AC) in Osun State has commiserated with the indigenes and residents of Osogbo who lost properties to the heavy flooding of most parts of the city on Wednesday morning. – In a press release issued in Osogbo today and signed by the party’s Director of Research and strategy, Hon. Sunday Akere, [...]

Dear Governor Oyinlola: I am not sure if you would even remember my name but I spoke with you over the phone during one of your Philadephia visits last year. I would hear that you have made many more USA journeys since. I planned to attend the last one which you made only last week [...]

Home Truth with GOKE BUTIKA IN a contest between God and man, the former will always take a lead, for He knows the unknown and the future of the latter. I would not know whether you had carefully perused my articles all the while, but certainly I had not written any piece on the election [...]

IN our bid to get the right people into various political offices in Edeland come 2011, we should not lose sight of accountable leadership. Awareness in Ede politics and indeed all over Nigeria, is on the increase. Ede electorate in particular, are now politically sophisticated more than ever before. And questions are being asked, as [...]

Proceedings at the ongoing election petitions retrial tribunal took another dimension on Monday as witnesses of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) embarrassed supporters of the party mobilized to the tribunal. While the first witness of the day, Honourable Dehinde Alalade, PDP senatorial chairman for Osun Central was answering question from the petitioners’ counsel, Mr Rotimi [...]

If it is true That the world talks too much; then lets all keep quiet and hear the eloquence of silence If it is true That the world sees too much; then let’s close our eyes and see the inner vision Beneath the closed eyes If it is true That the world hears too much; [...]

It was a rain of prayers in Oke-Ijetu area Osogbo, Osun State capital on Sunday, as leadership and members of Oranmiyan, Oke-Ijetu held a marathon one-year remembrance prayers session for the late Alhaja Wosilat Oseni (Nee Aregbesola), the deceased elder sister of the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate in the state, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola. Alhaja [...]

The Action Congress (AC), Osun State has appealed to the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Ayo Salami to constitute more panels today that will sit over the deluge of election petitions arising from the 2007 General Election referred back for retrial by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan. In a press statement [...]

YOUTHS in Ijesland, had during the last Iwude Ijesa Festival engaged in a Table Tennis Tournament sponsored by a prominent indigene of the area, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola. The tournament, which was the first of its kind in the town, attracted participants from all the six local government council areas of Ijesaland. Participants in the events [...]