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PDP knocks Aiyedatiwa as lawmakers get N200m for phone calls
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The Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State has criticised Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa over the recently signed 2025 state budget, labelling it a “budget of looting” due to what it described as wasteful and dubious allocations.
Governor Aiyedatiwa signed the N698.6bn budget into law a week after its passage by the state House of Assembly.
The budget allocates N265.04bn for recurrent expenditure and N433.62bn for capital projects.
However, the PDP has questioned the transparency of the spending plan, singling out allocations it considers frivolous.
These include N200m for lawmakers and N280m for the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly for “phone expenses.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, the opposition party described the allocations as outrageous and unnecessary.
“The Ondo State 2025 Appropriation Act, signed by Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is aptly a ‘Budget of Looting.’ Yet, the Governor branded it a ‘Budget of Recovery,’” Peretei said.
The PDP also queried the allocation of N11.5bn to the Ministry of Finance under the subhead of “security vote,” stating that such an amount is unjustifiable and raises serious concerns about accountability.
“Not even budget experts can explain the rationale for a Ministry receiving a ‘security vote,’ which is distinct from what the Governor himself collects monthly under the same subhead,” the statement added.
Critical sectors such as education and healthcare, the party noted, were allocated N77.02 billion and N46.02 billion respectively, amounts it deemed inadequate for meaningful development.
The PDP further called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate what it termed the “brazen looting” embedded in the budget.
But the Ondo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress dismissed the PDP’s allegations as baseless and a misrepresentation of facts.
In a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity, Steve Otaloro, the APC argued that the budget was designed to foster economic growth and development in the state.
“The allocations are in line with the state’s development priorities. The PDP’s claims are nothing more than an attempt to discredit the administration out of bitterness for losing the last governorship election,” Otaloro said.
The controversy highlights a deepening rift between the ruling APC and the opposition PDP over the state’s fiscal policies, with questions raised about the prioritisation of funds amid widespread economic challenges.
President of the ANAP Foundation and founder of Stanbic IBTC Bank, Atedo Peterside, has said that Nigerians are monitoring Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, as he oversees the Osun State governorship election.
Peterside made this revelation on Saturday while appearing on an Arise TV programme focused on the Osun governorship election, stressing that the conduct of the poll would be closely watched by Nigerians.
He said the outcome of the election would provide an important indication of INEC’s level of preparedness ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the Osun election would serve as a “link pin” to the 2027 elections, but Nigerians should not assume that a successful poll in Osun would automatically guarantee a successful general election in 2027.
“Osun will serve as a link pin to the 2027 election, and Nigerians should not go with the notion that because Osun was successful, then automatically the 2027 general election will be successful,” he said.
Peterside also warned against deliberate delays in the electoral process, particularly in areas considered to be strongholds of a particular candidate.
He said any deliberate attempt to delay voting or the transmission of results in such areas could raise serious questions about the integrity of the electoral process.
“In a situation where an election is deliberately delayed because it is a weak area for a particular candidate, clearly, it is a form of rigging,” he said.
He added that claims of technical glitches or other problems during the process should be carefully scrutinised, noting that such incidents could undermine public confidence in the election.
Peterside further expressed the expectation that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, election results should be uploaded promptly after voting and collation.
“All things being equal, by 5pm or 6pm, we expect that all the results must have been uploaded, as we experienced in 2023,” he said.
The Oyo State Police Command has nabbed 10 suspected members of a human parts trafficking syndicate and recovered suspected human remains, including a heart and pieces of a skull, during an intelligence-led operation in the state.
The suspects were arrested at their various hideouts in Iseyin and Saki areas of Oyo State following months of intelligence gathering, discreet surveillance and monitoring by operatives of the Command’s Monitoring Unit.
The suspects were identified as Adam Ibrahim, 42; Nasiru Kabiru, 22; Tijani Wasiu, 54; Abiola Nasiru, 45; Amusa Gbadamosi, 57; Raheem Taofeek, 46; Jimoh Muritala, 35; Suleiman Busari, 47; Ganiyu Nurudeen, 36; and Usman Abdullahi, 52.
According to the police, searches conducted at the suspects’ hideouts led to the recovery of several suspected human parts, including one suspected human heart, human flesh, pieces of human skull and assorted charms.
The Command said the recovered items had been secured as exhibits and would undergo forensic examination as investigations continue.
The suspects reportedly confessed during interrogation to varying degrees of involvement in the alleged trade in human parts for ritual purposes. The police said they were also assisting investigators in tracing the source of the recovered items, as well as establishing how they were procured and their intended use.
The Command added that efforts were ongoing to identify and apprehend other members of the alleged syndicate.
The Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, commended the operatives for the successful intelligence-led operation and their painstaking efforts in tracking down the suspects.poli
He assured residents that the Command would continue to intensify its efforts to combat criminal activities and protect lives and property across the state.
Ahead of today’s guber poll, the Police has deployed some of its security dogs to Osun state to ensure seurity is not breeched during and after the election.
The police dogs have been prepared to assist security personnel in detecting and confronting potential threats from violent criminals.
Osun Decides: We’re monitoring INEC boss from all sides— Peterside
Police Bust Human Parts Syndicate in Oyo, Nab 10, Recover Heart, Skull
Osun decides: Ahead today’s poll, police dogs deployed to combat thugs
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