France today, Sunday, emerged the World football champions after defeating Croatia 4 goals to two to lift the coveted World Cup in Russia.
The sweat soaked match wa described as full of drama, including a penalty goal, a comedy goal and three fantastic goals. Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe and a Mario Mandzukic own goal see Didier Deschamps’ men crowned World Cup winners.
France took the lead in 18 minutes when Mario Mandzukic scored an own goal from a free-kick
Croatia equalized on 28 minutes when Ivan Perisic pounced with a devastating left-foot finish
France were awarded a penalty in 36 minutes after the use of VAR decided Perisic had handled the ball. After waiting an age to take the spot-kick, Antoine Griezmann duly converted from the penalty spot.
Paul Pogba extended France’s advantage on 59 minutes when he curled home an effort with his left foot. Kylian Mbappe added a fourth just six minutes later with a long-range right-footed strike
Mandzukic pulled one back on 69 minutes when France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made a catastrophic error.
France deserve their crown. They have been assertive in their football and clinical when it mattered the most.
The people of the politically significant State of Ekiti have spoken against their Governor: outgoing governor Ayodele Fayose, who told them that the governorship election they just had was a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari. He said candidates Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka were pawns and that he and President Buhari were the actual contestants.
In what observers said was the most intense, and a most angry campaign, the people gave their verdict: Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the one-time governor, declared persona-non-grata is now persona-grata again. President Buhari has won this referendum. The people of the State have sent a clear message. The politics of brinksmanship, assaults, insults, abuses and Robin Hoodism disguised as stomach infrastructure has been rejected in favour of politics of inclusion, development, responsibility and good governance.
President Buhari’s war against corruption and insecurity; the message of agric revolution and infrastructure development and fidelity in resource allocation and management have struck a chord with Ekiti voters, who had been lied to and deceived by Governor Fayose. While the opposition continued to rant at him, President Buhari’s uprightness, coupled with incorruptibility and personal integrity, unmatched by any politician in the country, has again stood the test of time.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) win in Ekiti means that the Party has control over 25 out of the 36 states of the Federation. The party thus becomes the only one in power in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone.
Besides reinforcing the APC’s position as the only standing pole in the political landscape, it is a credit to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against whom all manner of ethnic and religious opposition is being mounted by former President Obasanjo and some of the Asiwaju’s sworn enemies in the sub-region.
With this, the political landscape of the South-West has been transformed. APC’s regional strength has been strengthened and the Asiwaju will be respected even better. Without losing patience and decorum, the Asiwaju has proved that rivals must reconcile and come to terms or lose everything.
This win is equally a huge boost to the APC and its new leadership under Chairman Adams Oshiomole, who got their first baptism of fire in Ekiti. It is, importantly, a big boost to the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.
For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which came second in the election in a state that they held sway, it is a loss politically and psychologically. The result of the election has proved that PDP is irreparably broken and dismantled. They have nothing to offer to the country and its people. The message from Ekiti is that no state in Nigeria will vote PDP. Never again.
As for Mr. Fayose and his morbid brand of politics, it is now his time to reconcile himself to the imminent political extinction he faces, his political career sealed for good. Newspapers have mistaken him for a gadfly who creates discomfort for the government at the centre to make it better, but Fayose is a street-type thug. He never fits the role of a gadfly because he thrives on bitter enmity. Opposition does not mean a negative view of everything. Neither does it translate into a licence to abuse your superiors.
The winner of the election, Governor Fayemi’s trajectory from a persona-non-grata to a persona-grata again has given a wave of cheer to APC members all over the country. It has given a fresh hope that fake news, lies and propaganda run only short distances, because they have short legs.
An old proverb says you can’t beat something with nothing. After all the noise, theatricals and drama, Fayose’s fall came with a thud, not a bang: a high-powered nothing.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicdity and wrote in from Abuja
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has described the defeat of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (APC) Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola in the Ekiti Governorship election yesterday, Saturday as “these difficult times.”
Reacting to the result of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. John Kayode Fayemi as the winner, Atiku said that he will continue to give solid support to the state chapter of the PDP.
“We will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with them through these difficult times,” Atiku said.
Atiku advised all PDP supporters in Ekiti State to remain peaceful and orderly and cooperate with the party at the state and national levels as they determine the next steps.
He commended Professor Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, who he said has shown great restraint and stands in solidarity with Governor Ayodele Fayose, “whose commitment to the people of Ekiti continues to inspire Nigerians beyond the state.”
This was even as the PDP had rejected the result of the election that gave the victory to the APC candidate, Dr. Fayemi.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, at a news conference today, Sunday in Abuja, described the election result as “a daylight robbery.”
“The PDP rejects in its entirety the results concocted by the APC, and security agencies, in the governorship election in Ekiti State and declared by INEC.”
He said that the PDP is already collating all infractions in the election and would make its next steps public soon in order to reclaim its “stolen mandate.”
“The party rejects the falsified results and declaration of APC candidate, Dr Fayemi, to be the winner of the election, as a daylight robbery, a brazen subversion of the will of the people and direct assault on our democracy.
“From the authentic results flowing directly from the polling centres across the state, it is clear that the PDP candidate, Prof. Olusola-Eleka, incontrovertibly won the election, with very comfortable margin over the APC candidate, only for INEC to allow the alteration of results at the collation centres.
“Painfully, the people of Ekiti State were pillaged; openly brutalized; confronted with the worst form of cruelty and intimidation from security agencies, and their mandate, which they freely gave to the PDP, was snatched at ‘gun point’ by enemies of democracy, who are parading themselves as icons of anti-corruption.
“Nigerians are witnesses to all manipulations by the APC, aided by security agencies and compromised INEC officials, to rig the election, particularly, the audacious alteration and substitution of election results in favour of the APC at the collation centres amidst the brutalization of our agents.”
Ologbondiyan said that the PDP had the details of all the polling units where it won, mostly with very wide margin ahead of the APC.
He alleged that security agencies chased away PDP agents, “then aided the alteration and swapping of such results with those smuggled in by the APC at the collation centres.
“We have the details of the discrepancies between the authentic results from the polling units and the false figures eventually announced by INEC.”
Ologbondiyan said that the party also had details of how APC state governors and federal ministers diverted huge sums of money from their states and ministries to bribe INEC top officials.
He also alleged that the APC bribed security agencies to perfect the brigandage against the people of Ekiti State.
“The PDP holds strongly that there is no way our democracy can survive with an electoral process as witnessed in Ekiti State under President Muhammadu Buhari and the current INEC leadership.
“This bare-faced subversion of the will of the people is a clear recipe for crisis.”
He further described the alleged robbery of the franchise of Ekiti people as “a horrible rape of Nigerian democracy”.
“Finally, let it be known to all that surely, this electoral banditry will not stand.”
When asked of the party’s view on Fayose’s alleged declaration of election result on radio before INEC, Ologbondiyan said the party would investigate what led to that.
Former Lagos governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) national stalwart, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has reminded the victorious party’s candidate in yesterday, Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, that the future of the people in the state has now been placed in his safekeeping.
In a congratulatory message to the governor-elect today, Sunday, Asiwaju Tinubu said: “Dr. Fayemi must keep in remembrance that the people have placed their futures in his safekeeping and he must justify their trust in him by doing all he can do to advance their welfare.”
The APC Chieftain also advised the governor-elect to avoid recriminations but to run an all-inclusive government, reminding him that the people of the state had voted to take a path different from the one on which they had been. “In Ekiti a chapter has closed and a new one has begun. This was not done by contrivance or artifice, nor was it the product of intimidation or improper influence. This came about because it was the will of the people of Ekiti as expressed and manifested in the conduct of a free and fair election in that state. In voting as they did, the people voted for the state to take a path different from the one on which they had been.
“In voting as they did, the people thus voted for themselves. Here, we must congratulate Dr. Kayode Fayemi and our party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), for the successful campaign that was run and for the confidence the people of Ekiti have shown in transferring the mandate to govern them into our hands.
“I’m confident that Dr. Fayemi will keep faith with the programmes and policies of our party in order to improve the lives of the people of Ekiti. I know Dr. Fayemi will establish an all-inclusive government that involves all stakeholders in his administration and in the governance of the state.
“There was much apprehension and concern leading into the election that the exercise would fall into disorder. It did not. In the end, the election took place as it should for democratic elections are but the peaceful contest of ideas and ideologies. In Ekiti, two clearly different perspectives of governance stood in contest for the people to decide and decide they did.
“I make no bones that I am glad that Dr. Fayemi and the APC won this contest. However, I would be remiss if I did not say a good word about the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Prof. Olusola Kolapo Eleka. He conducted a tough and energetic campaign. He wanted this seat but, in the end, he did not resort to violence to get his way. He allowed the people to make their own decision and for his adherence to this democratic principle, he should be recognized.
“The same must be said of Governor Ayo Fayose. He tried to his utmost to bring his candidate to victory but he did not cross the line by trying to subvert the will of the people through violent means. Dr. Fayemi is a man of integrity and his government will not be one of recrimination. It is a government of the people and as such will focus its attention on helping the people, not suppressing yesterday’s political opponents.
“I urge Governor Fayose and Prof. Kolapo Eleka, as prominent citizens and leaders of Ekiti, to move forward in that same spirit. Let there be an orderly transition from the outgoing to the incoming government. Last and most importantly, let us commend the people of Ekiti. Casting aside all the dire predictions, they conducted themselves with the patience, sobriety and collective wisdom befitting the moment. Instead of turning things upside down, they turned to peace and mutual respect for each other as well as respect for the democratic process.
“Above all else, the election was your election and yesterday was your day! With the choice that you have made, may tomorrow also be your best future.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed delight over the emergence of Dr. Kayode John Fayemi as the Ekiti State Governor-elect, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a letter dated July 15 which Obasanjo sent to Fayemi, he said: “indeed, your success at the polls after a hard fought campaign is proof that the people of Ekiti State value your leadership and appreciate the efforts you have made thus far on their behalf,” Mr Obasanjo said in the letter dated July 15. “I salute you and all those who worked for your re-election.”
The former President, who said he received news of Fayemi’s election while on transit to Beijing, China, described the politician’s victory as a huge feat.
“You will agree with me, no doubt, that the outcome of the election broadly reflects the choice of your people, who have, by their conduct, visibly demonstrated that they cherish you and will do their utmost to make you succeed.
“I urge you, therefore, to reciprocate their trust by doing everything you can to strengthen their faith in democracy and in its ability to bring about improved material conditions and better service delivery to them.
“You have fought and won the election and deserve to savour the victory. As you rejoice, however, I would urge that you should be magnanimous in victory and stretch a hand of fellowship to the other candidates who failed in their bid for elected office.
“Such a gesture is not only charitable but should also help at this time to cool passions in the wider interest of Ekiti State in particular and Nigeria at large.
“I felicitate with you, once again, on your renewed mandate and, as you prepare for another four years at the helm of affairs of Ekiti State, I extend best wishes for your good health and the continued progress of Ekiti State under your able leadership.” [myad]
The National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Amina, has threatened to take legal action against the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, if he does offer her a public apology to be published in national dailies within 48 hours on his allegation that she would rig the just concluded Ekiti State governorship election.
In a letter by her lawyers, Ubong Akpan Chambers, Amina Zakari said that Fayose’s allegation that she was working with All Progressives Congress (APC) and Kayode Fayemi, the just declared winner of the 2018 Ekiti governorship election, has damaged her health, career and public reputation.
Amina Zakari’s lawyers, however, said the allegations were “scurrilous falsehood” and have had negative effect on their client’s health, career and family life.
The lawyers said that Fayose is “a Christian and a family man first before being a politician or governor of Ekiti State.
“You cannot possibly think it excusable on any grounds, other than deliberate viciousness, that a governor of a state can legitimately descend to labelling a mother, wife and sister of his fellow beings, a criminal of such astounding magnitude.
“What makes it worse than defamation is the incredible injurious falsehood you inflicted on our client, in her work and public service. Mrs Zakari has been inundated with calls from family, friends and colleagues worldwide.”
The INEC boss therefore demanded a written apology by the governor be published in all national newspapers within 48 hours and a public retractions of all the allegations contained in all publications that earlier reported it.
On July 2, Fayose had alleged that Amina Zakari and four other INEC officials: Kenneth Ukeagu, Director of Procurement Department; Messrs Paschal Uwaenwe and Abdulrazaq Yusuf, both deputy directors in Information and Communications Technology Department and Abdulrasak Agboola (Deputy Director (ICT), were working with the APC and Fayemi to rig the election.
He also accused the Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) of reassigning the security aides of Fayemi to Ekiti State for the purpose of rigging the just concluded election. [myad]
The governor-elect of Ekiti, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has swore to restore the pristine value of Ekiti people which includes respect for elders, respect for leaders and commitment to the people in the State.
Dr. Fayemi, who spoke to news men on his electoral victory in yesterday, Saturday governorship election, described his victory as one “ for reclaiming the land and restoring Ekiti values.
“Our values in Ekiti are respect for our leaders, commitment to our people, non brigandage, nor criminality and so on.
”This victory is a victory for all, it is not a victory for only Gov. Kayode Fayemi, it is a victory for all the Ekiti people.”
Dr. Fayemi said that his victory is significant to the future of democracy in Nigeria, adding: “this was just not an Ekiti election, I want people to understand that this election has a lot of significance to the future of democracy in Nigeria.
“The fact that we have witnessed a free, fair and transparent election process has huge importance for similar exercises like Osun State next door to us and eventually the national elections in February 2019.”
The governor-elect thanked all the APC leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, National Leader of the APC, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former governor of Ogun, Chief Segun Osoba, former interim Chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande, as well as party leaders in the state.
He also thanked his family members, especially his wife, Bisi, for their support during the election campaign. [myad]
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the election of Dr. Kayode Fayemi as the governor of Ekiti State in yesterday, Saturday poll, symbolizes the people’s rejection of the “crude and pedestrian” politics of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In a congratulatory message by the National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the APC said: “Dr. Fayemi ran an effective and positive campaign focused on his agenda of rebuilding the economy of the state and returning its lost values of integrity, prudence and decency.”
The party commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders for their admirable role in making the Ekiti gubernatorial election one in which the people’s will has prevailed, adding that the victory is a demonstration of the peopl’s trust and confidence in Dr. Kayode Fayemi’s ability to deliver on his campaign promises “and a rejection of the crude and pedestrian politics of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP.
“We assure the people of Ekiti, and indeed all Nigerians, that our Party is best placed to move the country forward and resolve the seemingly intractable problems that have held us back.” [myad]
Household of God Pastor, Chris Okotie has said that he is the only credible politician that can successfully lead Nigeria out of its present socio-economic challenges.
Okotie, who spoke to news men today, after the Sunday service therefore asked Nigeria’s two political parties: the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to adopt him as their presidential candidate.
He believed that Nigerians must act now to defend the Nigerian dream as things have gone to a worse state, adding that he had decided to return to politics seeing that Nigeria needs a credible personality who is intellectually ready and capable.
Pastor Okotie saidthat the Nigerian constitution is obsolete and therefore desires to pursue a mandate that will set up a new government that does not need a National Assembly any more for the purpose of reconciliation
“In sincere consideration I humbly and sincerely ask that the APC adopt me as the presidential candidate. I have extended the same gesture to the APC too. This is the time to demonstrate our love for this country.”
Pastor Chris Okotie said that this is not his will but that of the Lord. [myad]
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that with the victory of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi at the Ekiti State governorship election conducted yesterday, Saturday, democracy has again won.
In a congratulatory message to the winner under the All Progressive Congress (APC) canopy, President Buhari commended Dr. Fayemi and all party supporters for the hard-fought victory after a dignified campaign.
He advised the governor-elect and APC members to be magnanimous in victory as the incoming administration prepares to unfold a new lease of life for the people of Ekiti State through purposeful and responsible governance.
He commended the people of the State for their matured and peaceful conduct as they made their choice using the power of the ballot.
President Buhari also lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for adequate preparations and displaying impartiality throughout the process even as he applauded the security agencies for creating the right atmosphere for the relatively peaceful conduct of the polls and urges them to sustain the peace.
Buhari equally commended local and international observers and monitors for their vigilance and contributions towards the relatively hitch-free exercise.
He advised the losers to be gallant in conceding defeat and use constitutional means to settle whatever grievances they may have rather than resort to self-help.
President Buhari appealed to all stakeholders in Ekiti State to work towards a successful transition to a new administration in the higher interest of not only the State but the entire nation and its fledgling democratic experience.
“In all this, the people of Ekiti State have spoken loud and clear, and democracy has won again,” the President noted.
According to the results of the poll announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Dr. Fayemi won in 12 of the 16 local governments, leaving only four LGs for Prof. Kolapo Olusola of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
In the final result, Fayemi of the APC polled 197,545 to defeat Olusola of the PDP, who polled 178,130 votes. With this, Fayemi is now Ekiti governor-elect and will take over from the incumbent governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Below are the results from each LG as announced by INEC:
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France today, Sunday, emerged the World football champions after defeating Croatia 4 goals to two to lift the coveted World Cup in Russia.
Fayose’s Fall Came With A Thud, Not A Bang, By Garba Shehu
The people of the politically significant State of Ekiti have spoken against their Governor: outgoing governor Ayodele Fayose, who told them that the governorship election they just had was a referendum on President Muhammadu Buhari. He said candidates Kayode Fayemi and Olusola Eleka were pawns and that he and President Buhari were the actual contestants.
In what observers said was the most intense, and a most angry campaign, the people gave their verdict: Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the one-time governor, declared persona-non-grata is now persona-grata again. President Buhari has won this referendum. The people of the State have sent a clear message. The politics of brinksmanship, assaults, insults, abuses and Robin Hoodism disguised as stomach infrastructure has been rejected in favour of politics of inclusion, development, responsibility and good governance.
President Buhari’s war against corruption and insecurity; the message of agric revolution and infrastructure development and fidelity in resource allocation and management have struck a chord with Ekiti voters, who had been lied to and deceived by Governor Fayose. While the opposition continued to rant at him, President Buhari’s uprightness, coupled with incorruptibility and personal integrity, unmatched by any politician in the country, has again stood the test of time.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) win in Ekiti means that the Party has control over 25 out of the 36 states of the Federation. The party thus becomes the only one in power in the six states of the South-West geopolitical zone.
Besides reinforcing the APC’s position as the only standing pole in the political landscape, it is a credit to the national leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, against whom all manner of ethnic and religious opposition is being mounted by former President Obasanjo and some of the Asiwaju’s sworn enemies in the sub-region.
With this, the political landscape of the South-West has been transformed. APC’s regional strength has been strengthened and the Asiwaju will be respected even better. Without losing patience and decorum, the Asiwaju has proved that rivals must reconcile and come to terms or lose everything.
This win is equally a huge boost to the APC and its new leadership under Chairman Adams Oshiomole, who got their first baptism of fire in Ekiti. It is, importantly, a big boost to the second term ambition of President Muhammadu Buhari.
For the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) which came second in the election in a state that they held sway, it is a loss politically and psychologically. The result of the election has proved that PDP is irreparably broken and dismantled. They have nothing to offer to the country and its people. The message from Ekiti is that no state in Nigeria will vote PDP. Never again.
As for Mr. Fayose and his morbid brand of politics, it is now his time to reconcile himself to the imminent political extinction he faces, his political career sealed for good. Newspapers have mistaken him for a gadfly who creates discomfort for the government at the centre to make it better, but Fayose is a street-type thug. He never fits the role of a gadfly because he thrives on bitter enmity. Opposition does not mean a negative view of everything. Neither does it translate into a licence to abuse your superiors.
The winner of the election, Governor Fayemi’s trajectory from a persona-non-grata to a persona-grata again has given a wave of cheer to APC members all over the country. It has given a fresh hope that fake news, lies and propaganda run only short distances, because they have short legs.
An old proverb says you can’t beat something with nothing. After all the noise, theatricals and drama, Fayose’s fall came with a thud, not a bang: a high-powered nothing.
Garba Shehu is Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on media and publicdity and wrote in from Abuja