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Adeleke inaugurates 52-member campaign council for August guber polls
Governor of Osun State and candidate of Accord for the 2020 governorship elections, Senator Ademola Adeleke has inaugurated a 52-member campaign committee to drive his re-election bid.
The inauguration took place at Imole House in Osogbo on Wednesday.
Party leaders and supporters gathered to signal the start of campaign activities across the state.
Inaugurating the committee, Adeleke reassured party members of victory, stating that his administration has delivered to the people of the state.
“I am feeling the victory, the defeat of our opponents. This team is heading to victory. My spirit confirms our party, the Accord, is declared winner with wide margins.
“This is how we started in 2022. Today is the march to victory on August 15th. I hereby inaugurate this Campaign Council to the service of continuity and delivery of good governance”, the governor told party members amidst singing and dancing.
Speaking with journalists after the event, the Director General of the campaign committee, Lere Oyewumi, expressed appreciation to the party and the governor for the opportunity to lead the campaign, pledging to deliver victory.
Oyewumi said the committee would adopt a strategy focused on showcasing the achievements of the current administration rather than engaging in political attacks.
“Now that we are the ruling party in Osun State, our approach will be different. We will tell the people what the governor has done in education, health, agriculture, infrastructure, and human capital development, and allow them to decide,” he said.
He noted that the campaign would be easier to prosecute because many of the contenders in the race had previously held public office, giving voters the opportunity to assess their performance.
“People already know what each candidate stands for. There is no need for unnecessary arguments or attacks. Voters can compare and make informed decisions,” he added.
The campaign DG also highlighted voter education as a key priority, stressing the need to familiarise supporters with the party’s logo to avoid invalid votes during the election.
“Our focus is to ensure that oury supporters recognise our party symbol and vote correctly. That is very important for us,” Oyewumi said.
He added that the committee would intensify grassroots mobilisation efforts, targeting youths, women, and market groups to consolidate support for the governor.
Among dignitaries at the event was Oriyomi Hamzat, a gubernatorial aspirant in Oyo state whose presence reflected the growing political momentum in the South-West ahead of upcoming elections.
The August 15, 2026 governorship election is expected to attract significant interest, with political parties already ramping up preparations across Osun State.
The Presidency has clarified that former Finance Minister Wale Edun and former Housing Minister Ahmed Musa Dangiwa voluntarily resigned their positions before President Bola Tinubu announced their replacements on Tuesday, dismissing insinuations that the two ministers were fired.
Edun, who turned 70 on Monday, submitted his resignation letter on his birthday, citing health reasons.
He paid a valedictory visit to the President at the Villa on Tuesday, holding an hour-long discussion before departing to focus on his private businesses.
“It has been a pleasure and privilege to serve your administration and the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Edun wrote in his resignation letter, adding that Nigeria had emerged stronger and more internationally respected under Tinubu’s leadership.
Dangiwa similarly tendered his resignation and thanked the President for the opportunity to serve in the Federal Executive Council.
Edun, an economist and investment banker, served as Lagos State Commissioner for Finance between 1999 and 2004 under then Governor Tinubu.
He co-founded Investment Banking and Trust Company Limited, now Stanbic IBTC, in 1989, and later founded the Chapelhill Denham Group in 1994.
Dangiwa, an architect, previously served as Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank between 2015 and 2022 and as Secretary to the Katsina State Government before his ministerial appointment in August 2023.
Tinubu expressed appreciation to both men for their contributions to his administration’s economic reform programme and urged the incoming Finance Minister, Taiwo Oyedele, to consolidate ongoing reforms with renewed focus and discipline.
The President is expected to shortly transmit the name of Muttaqha Rabe Darma, also from Katsina, to the Senate for confirmation as the new Housing Minister.
The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party took a fresh turn on Wednesday as its factional national chairman, Tanimu Turaki, was arraigned before a High Court in the Federal Capital Territory.
Turaki appeared before the court sitting in Maitama over allegations of giving false information to the police. The case adds another legal twist to the ongoing internal struggles within the party.
The senior lawyer, who holds the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him in open court.
Proceedings were brief but closely watched, given his position and the tension within the party.
The prosecution, led by the office of the Inspector-General of Police, told the court that the defendant had written a petition dated October 5, 2022. In the said petition, he allegedly accused one Saidi Mainasara, with “intent to trigger police action” against him. The authorities argue that the information provided in that petition was false and misleading.
Following his plea, the court considered his bail application. The presiding judge granted him bail in the sum of N100 million. The court also set conditions to ensure his appearance during trial, though details of the sureties were not extensively argued in open court.
After granting bail, the court adjourned the matter to a later date for continuation of hearing. Legal teams on both sides are expected to prepare for a more detailed argument when proceedings resume.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan meets President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday met former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa.
This was disclosed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
A reason for the meeting has not been disclosed as at the time of filing this report.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan meets President Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Meanwhile, Jonathan has responded to erstwhile Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his submission on his competency during his time in office.
Atiku, during a live television interview, claimed that Jonathan made many mistakes while he was President because he was inexperienced.
“I know Goodluck Jonathan very well. He is a decent young man, but also inexperienced, and I believe that contributed to his inability to manage the affairs of the country, particularly when he was faced with challenges,” he said.
Reacting to Atiku’s statement during the 2025 Association of Retired Career Ambassadors of Nigeria awards ceremony in Abuja on Monday, Jonathan said no one who becomes a governor or president would say he did not make mistakes.
He defended his administration, adding that he did his best while in office.
Jonathan said: “So not too long ago, a very senior politician said, ‘Oh, Jonathan was too young and probably that’s why he made mistakes.’
“If I made mistakes, yes, nobody who becomes a governor or a president will say you did not make mistakes. Even when you promote yourself to the level of a god, you become a deity.
“All human beings must make mistakes. I became president in 2010 at the age of 53. I left in 2015 at the age of 58, and they say I was too young. Must it have been 100 years before I ran the affairs of the state?”
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