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Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has denied an alleged plan to remove his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami.
Adelami was picked as deputy governor after Aiyedatiwa was sworn in on December 27, 2023, following the death of the late governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
However, a pastor, in a video that went viral, predicted the removal of Adelami as the deputy governor of the state.
But Governor Aiyedatiwa, speaking at the inauguration of the Ayegunle-Iwaro Oka Akoko Expressway in Akoko South-West Local Government Area of the state, said the viral video was the handiwork of those seeking attention.
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Aiyedatiwa said, “Mr Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, I acknowledge your presence here. Thank you for holding forth for me yesterday, when I had to travel.
“My worthy, amiable deputy governor, some people are spreading one fake video. Those people want to hear words.
“They claimed they wanted to remove the deputy governor. For where? Where did they want to remove him (deputy governor) from? Don’t answer them, please; they are only looking for relevance.
“That can’t happen because I’m also a Prophet of God.”
Meanwhile, while inaugurating the new road, Aiyedatiwa declared that road construction and rehabilitation remained at the heart of his administration’s development blueprint as it marked one year in office.
The governor described the inauguration of the road projects as a major milestone in the activities marking his first anniversary, thanking God for what he called a remarkable achievement within a short period.
He said that “Since assuming office, our administration has embarked on and completed numerous projects that have positively impacted our people, and this commissioning underscores our government’s resolve to deliver infrastructure that enhances the well-being of citizens.
“The approximately six-kilometre Aiyegunle–Iwaro Oka Road is a multi-million-naira project, designed and executed with quality materials to withstand daily traffic, including heavy-duty vehicles.”
Aiyedatiwa, while at Owo, inaugurated Opomulero Road, Iselu, and Isuada Roads, saying the rehabilitation and construction of the roads symbolised the rekindling of hope, restoration of dignity, and steady progress across the state.
According to him, the projects span 3.5 kilometres within the axis, including the construction and rehabilitation of Falodun Road, Kajola Road, and Iselu–Isuada Road, thereby enhancing connectivity, stimulating commerce, reducing travel time, and improving access within Owo town.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the movement of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, around various polling units in Abuja under the guise of “monitoring.”
It said Wike’s monitoring exercise, after unilaterally imposing a curfew on potential voters, represents direct interference in the election.
It said Wike is not a registered voter in the FCT, and as a known partisan and cabinet minister, he has no constitutional role in the election process, stressing that his presence during active voting is therefore not only vexatious and meddlesome but also risks intimidating voters and officials.
In a similar vein, the ADC said it has received reports of voter suppression and intimidation in parts of the FCT, including alleged collaboration between APC agents and some security personnel.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Boloji Abdhllahi, the party said: “We also note disruptions to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which has remained inaccessible even as results are being collated. We find this a curious coincidence and call on INEC to urgently restore full IReV functionality, with a clear public explanation of the disruption.”
“We urge all our party agents and voters to remain calm but vigilant, and to document all incidents.”
As at 9:04 pm The Eastern Updates gathered that the results from polling units in the six local councils of the FCT have started trickling in, a few hours after the Commission conducted the elections.
The results for the Kwali chairmanship election is 56.72% completed as of 9:04 pm on Saturday.
Read Also: APC Targets All Six Abuja Councils Amid Low Turnout, Wike Row
In the same way, the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship seat is 65.68 per cent uploaded.
The Commission, apart from results for the councillorship and the chairmanship posts in the FCT, is also uploading results of the Kano and Rivers State bye-elections on the IReV portal.
Residents of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory went to the polls on Saturday to elect chairmen and councillors across all six area councils in Abuja, in an election conducted under heavy security, a controversial movement restriction imposed by the FCT minister, and persistently low voter participation, patterns that have defined every council election in the capital since at least 2019 and that election observers said showed no clear sign of improvement.
Polls opened at 8:30 a.m. across 2,822 polling units in the six area councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali. A total of 637 candidates from 17 political parties contested 68 positions, six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorships across 62 wards. The Independent National Electoral Commission deployed 4,345 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines to verify voters and accredit ballots, with results to be transmitted electronically to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal, the same framework used in all federal elections since 2022.
