Governor charges party leaders to unite, mobilise grassroots support

Adelami, Olabimtan lead mobilisation drive for Tinubu, other APC candidates

By Our Correspondent

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has inaugurated the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Election Campaign Council, directorates and sub-committees in the state, charging party members to unite and mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Aiyedatiwa, who will chair the campaign council, described the inauguration as a strategic step towards the general elections, stressing that internal cohesion and effective grassroots mobilisation would be critical to the party’s success.

He warned that the APC’s position as Nigeria’s and Africa’s largest political party would not automatically guarantee victory without unity among its members.

The governor recalled that coalition-building and unity contributed to the party’s emergence in 2015, urging members to sustain the spirit of cooperation ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said the elections would involve contests for the offices of President, senators, members of the House of Representatives and members of state Houses of Assembly.

Aiyedatiwa urged the campaign council to work collectively towards retaining power, arguing that electoral victory was necessary to protect the interests of party members and their communities.

“It’s only when we retain power, that is when your own individual interests and your community interests can be met. All of us must work together to achieve total victory,” he said.

The governor charged members to base their campaigns on the achievements of the Tinubu administration and his government in Ondo State.

He listed regular payment of salaries, training of graduates, construction of roads and bridges, provision of equipment for government hospitals and health centres, construction of schools and support for educational institutions among the achievements of his administration.

On the Federal Government, Aiyedatiwa said its policies, projects and programmes had provided the APC with issues to present to voters ahead of the elections.

“The President has made the job easy for us by those reforms. There is no government that has done what Asiwaju has done in the history of presidential ruling in Nigeria,” he said.

Citing the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the governor said the project demonstrated Tinubu’s willingness to undertake major infrastructure projects that previous administrations had not implemented.

He disclosed that the inauguration followed a directive issued to party leaders at the national level on October 14 to return to their respective states and establish campaign structures.

Aiyedatiwa urged the council and its committees to take the campaign to every part of Ondo State, mobilise voters and communicate the administration’s achievements to residents.

Also speaking, the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, urged APC members to intensify grassroots mobilisation to achieve a target of one million votes for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Adelami said the target could be achieved through house-to-house and street-to-street campaigns, urging party members to reach every household and community.

He called on women, youths, elders and other groups to participate actively in the mobilisation exercise, describing Tinubu as a visionary leader who fulfils his promises.

The deputy governor expressed confidence that the President would provide the necessary resources for the campaign and urged party members to return to their constituencies to canvass support.

The Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Olamide Oladiji, also called on APC leaders to work for Tinubu’s re-election, saying the state should sustain its record of electoral victories.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Council, Dr Pius Akinyelure, expressed confidence that the party would win convincingly, describing the large turnout at the inauguration as evidence of members’ readiness for the electoral contest.

“We shall win and win convincingly. We shall make more than a million votes that we are now talking about. God will be with us all,” he said.

In his welcome address, the APC State Chairman, Kolawole Babatunde, charged members of the campaign committees to engage residents across the state and mobilise support for the party’s candidates.

Babatunde said the campaign would be issue-based, with emphasis on the performance of the APC-led governments at the federal and state levels.

“Our campaign is going to be issue-based. We’ll be telling our people what we have done as a government,” he said.

He linked the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda with Aiyedatiwa’s administration, citing the Conditional Cash Transfer programme, student loan scheme, grants and scholarships available to students in Ondo State as interventions aimed at improving public welfare.

The state chairman commended Aiyedatiwa for strengthening party unity and providing leadership ahead of the elections.

In their goodwill messages, Senator Remi Okinrinboye, Chief Olusola Oke and Senator Tayo Alasoadura expressed support for Tinubu’s economic reforms and declared their readiness to mobilise votes for his re-election.

They urged party leaders and members to work towards securing at least one million votes for Tinubu and victory for other APC candidates in Ondo State.

In his acceptance speech, the Director-General of the Campaign Council, Victor Olabimtan, commended Tinubu’s efforts towards national development and called on party faithful to support his re-election bid.

Olabimtan, while appreciating Aiyedatiwa for the confidence reposed in him, expressed optimism that Ondo State could surpass its previous vote total for the APC.

Those in attendance included the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; former Deputy Governor, Otunba Omolade Oluwateru; Chairman of the APC Elders’ Forum, Senator Nimbe Farukanmi; members of the state House of Assembly; former legislators; APC chieftains; women and youth leaders; members of the State Executive Council; the Agbaka of Alagbaka, Oba Afolabi Obasuyi; political appointees and other dignitaries.

Poroye raises concerns over shoreline erosion, infrastructure deficits in Ondo oil-producing communities

The Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC) has sought Federal Government intervention to address sea incursion, strengthen shoreline protection and facilitate the completion of abandoned projects threatening development in oil-producing communities across the state.

The appeal was made by the Chairman of OSOPADEC, Prince Olabiyi Olaleye Poroye, during a meeting with the Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, at the ministry’s headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.

Poroye, who led the commission’s delegation, highlighted the environmental challenges, infrastructure deficits and development needs of communities within OSOPADEC’s mandate areas.

He called for urgent federal support to tackle the persistent threat of sea incursion, intensify shoreline protection and promote sustainable development in the riverine communities.

The OSOPADEC chairman also drew attention to several abandoned federal projects in the affected areas, noting that their completion would help bridge infrastructure gaps and improve residents’ living conditions.

He said some of the projects had been awarded several years ago but remained uncompleted, denying host communities the benefits for which they were conceived.

Poroye urged the Federal Government to intervene by facilitating the completion of the projects and ensuring that the affected communities benefited from the intended development initiatives.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Mohammad Sanusi, who represented the minister, assured the delegation of the ministry’s willingness to collaborate with OSOPADEC in exploring possible areas of federal intervention.

Sanusi acknowledged the concerns raised by the commission and stressed the need for sustained engagement with relevant federal institutions to develop practical solutions to the environmental and infrastructural challenges confronting oil-producing communities in Ondo State.

He noted that effective coordination among the relevant agencies would be critical to advancing the proposed interventions, particularly projects requiring substantial funding and technical expertise.

The permanent secretary urged OSOPADEC to sustain its engagement with the ministry to enable further consideration of the issues raised and identify viable ways of addressing them.

Members of the delegation included Sir Benson Obayelu, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ugbo-Land Host Communities Development Trust; OSOPADEC’s Executive Director, Finance, Mallam Mallon Ogbaro; Executive Director, Projects, Dr Olujimi Kufo; Wole Akintemehin; Hon. Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi; Engr. Akin Omotola; the Permanent Secretary, Ondo State Ministry of Environment; and the commission’s Secretary, F.A. Omomowo, among others.

…warns against misinformation, calls for stronger fact-checking

By Damilola Atoyebi

The International Press Centre (IPC) has urged journalists to shift election coverage from political campaigns and rallies to issues affecting citizens, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment and access to essential services ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The centre said the media must hold political parties and candidates accountable for their promises while providing voters with credible information to make informed electoral decisions.

The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, made the call at a two-day engagement with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), editors and publishers in Akure, Ondo State, on Friday.

Arogundade, who was represented by the centre’s Programme Manager, Stella Nwofia, said journalists had a responsibility to ensure that election reporting reflected the needs and expectations of the electorate rather than being dominated by political activities.

He urged media practitioners to scrutinise campaign promises, examine political party manifestos and investigate how proposed policies would address challenges in education, healthcare, security, infrastructure and employment.

He also called for inclusive reporting that gives adequate attention to women, young people, persons with disabilities and other groups whose concerns are often underrepresented in political discourse.

The engagement was organised under Component Four, Support to Media, of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase III programme.

Arogundade warned that sensational reporting, unverified claims and the spread of misinformation and disinformation could mislead voters, deepen political divisions and erode public confidence in democratic institutions.

He urged journalists and media organisations to strengthen their fact-checking processes and prioritise accuracy over the pressure to publish information quickly, particularly when reporting politically sensitive issues.

Arogundade also emphasised the need to protect journalists’ safety and professional independence, urging that media practitioners be allowed to discharge their duties without intimidation, harassment or unlawful interference.

One of the resource persons, Adegbenro Adebanjo, Director of Corporate Communications at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, urged journalists to investigate the needs of grassroots communities and reflect their findings in reports examining political parties’ manifestos.

Adebanjo said election reporting should help citizens assess whether the proposals put forward by political parties adequately addressed the challenges confronting their communities.

Another facilitator, Olusola Oludiran, spoke on integrating fact-checking into accountability journalism, while Daniel Dabo trained participants on the use of artificial intelligence and digital tools to improve journalistic practice.

The Onidogun of Idogunland in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, Oba Moses Ekundayo Bakare, has died following a reported medical emergency, amid lingering tensions over a crisis that rocked the community in October 2025.

The monarch reportedly collapsed on Wednesday and was rushed to a hospital, where he remained in a coma for about 24 hours before he died on Thursday evening.

His death comes nearly one year after a viral video showed some residents of Idogun allegedly assaulting him, an incident that generated widespread reactions.

Following the incident, the monarch reportedly left the community and remained away until his death.

The Ondo State Government subsequently constituted a panel of enquiry to investigate the crisis and make recommendations. However, the panel’s findings had not been made public as of the time of filing this report.

Confirming the monarch’s death, the Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr Idowu Ajanaku, who is also an indigene of Idogun, expressed the state government’s condolences to the royal family and the entire community.

Ajanaku said the Ehares (chiefs) of Idogun informed him of the monarch’s death.

He appealed to residents to maintain peace and order during the mourning period and refrain from any act capable of escalating tension or triggering violence.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Ose Local Government Area, Mr C. K. Ojo, said he was aware of reports concerning developments in Idogun as of Wednesday night but had yet to receive official notification of the monarch’s death from the community’s chiefs.

Meanwhile, barely a week before the monarch’s death, some residents reportedly marked the first anniversary of his absence from the community with an event themed “Celebration of the One Year Freedom.”

Further reports from Idogun indicated that some individuals opposed to the late monarch allegedly blocked the road with logs on Thursday, preventing the corpse from being brought into the community.

The development reportedly forced those conveying the remains to return to a mortuary in Owo.

The circumstances surrounding the reported obstruction, as well as the status of the state government’s panel of enquiry, remain key issues requiring clarification from the relevant authorities.

IPC, NUJ warn against misinformation, AI misuse, political bias

Journalists in Ondo State have been urged to strengthen investigative reporting, verify political claims and prioritise issues affecting citizens as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.

Media professionals were also advised to guard against misinformation, politically motivated reporting and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI), while protecting their professional independence and personal safety throughout the electoral process.

The recommendations formed part of discussions at an interface organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), editors and publishers in Akure on Thursday.

The engagement, focused on professional and democratic accountability in journalism, was held under Component 4 – Support to Media – of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN III) Programme.

Speaking on behalf of the IPC Executive Director, Mr Lanre Arogundade, the organisation’s Programme Officer, Mrs Stella Nwofia, said election reporting must go beyond political campaigns, rallies and candidates to examine the expectations, concerns and priorities of voters.

She said voters needed credible, balanced and inclusive information to make informed decisions, stressing that the media had a responsibility to scrutinise political promises and hold public officials and candidates accountable.

Nwofia warned that sensationalism, unverified allegations, inflammatory rhetoric and false information could undermine public trust in the electoral process and deepen existing divisions.

She urged journalists to adopt rigorous verification practices, ensure fairness in their coverage and approach sensitive political issues with due regard for their implications for peace and stability.

The IPC programme officer also called for broader representation in electoral reporting, urging newsrooms to give adequate attention to issues concerning the economy, education, healthcare, security, employment and infrastructure.

She emphasised the need to incorporate the perspectives of women, young people, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups into election coverage to ensure that public discourse reflected the interests of the wider population.

On the growing influence of digital media, Nwofia noted that technology had expanded opportunities for public participation but had also accelerated the spread of manipulated content, misinformation and hate speech.

She maintained that fact-checking should be an integral part of newsroom operations, particularly during elections, when false claims could mislead voters and heighten political tensions.

Nwofia further highlighted the importance of journalists’ safety and professional independence, disclosing that the IPC had developed an application, WorkFlow, to assist journalists in reporting and responding to harassment by security agencies.

The Chairman of the Ondo State Council of the NUJ, Mr Leke Adegbite, described the engagement as timely and commended the IPC for its sustained efforts to strengthen journalists’ professional capacity.

Adegbite expressed concern over the growing threat of disinformation ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that false reports circulated by unprofessional actors could mislead the public and create unnecessary tension.

He cited the circulation of purported lists of governorship candidates allegedly disqualified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which were also amplified by some mainstream and international media platforms, as an indication of the challenges facing journalists ahead of the elections.

He urged journalists to resist political bias, verify information before publication and take digital journalism and artificial intelligence seriously as the media landscape continues to evolve.

Experts highlight technology, verification, newsroom ethics

The risks and opportunities associated with emerging technologies featured prominently during the training sessions.

Daniel Dare Dabo, who spoke on leveraging technology for credible election coverage, examined the implications of artificial intelligence and digital journalism for news gathering and dissemination.

He cautioned against deepfakes, automated accounts, privacy breaches and the pressure to break news before competitors, reminding journalists that speed should never take precedence over accuracy.

In a separate session, Olusola Oludiran, an NDR/IPC fact-checker, explained the fact-checking process and examined different forms of information disorder, including misinformation, disinformation and malinformation.

Participants were introduced to verification tools such as reverse image search, InVID, Hive Moderation and Google Lens to help establish the authenticity of photographs, videos and other digital materials before publication.

Also speaking, Mr Adegbenro Adebayo, a senior journalist and Director of Corporate Communications at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, advocated precision journalism anchored on neutrality, fairness, balance, objectivity and newsroom discipline.

Adebayo warned against planted stories and urged journalists to distinguish clearly between factual news reports, opinion pieces and editorials.

He advised reporters covering the 2027 elections to prioritise their safety before, during and after the polls. He also cautioned against working alone, encouraged thorough investigations into electoral allegations and recommended vox pops as a means of capturing the views and experiences of ordinary citizens.

He further urged journalists to remain calm and professional when interacting with security personnel during their assignments.

The IPC and the Ondo NUJ leadership acknowledged the European Union’s financial support for the programme.

The organisers stressed that the success of the training would ultimately be measured by the quality of subsequent election coverage, the claims journalists independently verify, the concerns of citizens they bring to public attention and their commitment to professional standards in the months leading to the 2027 general elections.

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Governor lists loans, promotions, health insurance, recruitment among interventions

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to workers’ welfare, promising sustained improvements in working conditions, career development and public service delivery.

Aiyedatiwa gave the assurance on Thursday while receiving an Award of Excellence in Public Service at the 2026 Public Service Week and Public Service Lecture held at the International Centre for Culture and Events, The Dome, Igbatoro Road, Akure.

The event, with the theme, “Harnessing Public Service to Promote Good Governance,” provided an opportunity to assess the role of public servants in effective governance and the delivery of quality services to citizens.

The governor urged workers to embrace accountability, professionalism, discipline, diligence and innovation, stressing that the administration’s OUR EASE agenda must translate into measurable improvements in the quality, speed, transparency and accessibility of public services.

He described the public service as a strategic partner in governance and the principal implementer of government policies, noting that the success of any administration depended largely on the commitment and efficiency of its workforce.

Aiyedatiwa thanked public servants for their contributions to the development of the state and listed timely salary payments, regular promotions with financial benefits, appointments of qualified officers as accounting officers, and continuous training as some of the measures taken to improve workers’ welfare.

He also identified the Orange Health Insurance Scheme (ORANGHIS), which supports public servants and their dependants, as another intervention, noting that organised labour and retirees were partners in the initiative.

The governor disclosed that his administration had cleared gratuity arrears up to 2020, adding that outstanding pension obligations and gratuities would be addressed progressively, subject to available resources and established procedures.

He further listed the review of car loans, housing loans and duty tour allowances among the government’s interventions, while revealing that plans were being explored to provide compressed natural gas-powered buses for workers.

On manpower development, Aiyedatiwa said the government had recruited more than 2,000 teachers for public primary and secondary schools, as well as about 3,323 medical personnel, including doctors and nurses.

He also announced plans to recognise serving and retired civil servants, individuals, organisations and ministries, departments and agencies that had demonstrated exceptional dedication and performance in their respective assignments.

The governor urged public servants to remain committed to quality service delivery, saying accountability, courtesy, discipline and professionalism were essential to sustaining public confidence in government institutions.

In his welcome address, the Head of Service, Mr Segun Odusanya, called on public servants to place accountability, professionalism and citizens’ welfare at the centre of their responsibilities.

Odusanya said transparency, efficiency and respect for the rule of law were critical to effective public administration, advocating the removal of bureaucratic bottlenecks, digital transformation and stronger collaboration among ministries, departments and agencies.

He urged public institutions to adopt a results-oriented approach that would make government services more responsive to the needs of the people.

The Head of Service acknowledged the government’s interventions in workers’ welfare, including salary payments, recruitment, appointments to accounting officer positions, capacity development, support for retirees, payment of terminal examination fees for children in public primary and secondary schools, and health insurance.

He thanked the governor for his continued support for the state’s public service.

The chairman of the occasion and former Head of Service, Mr Akin Adaramola, urged public servants to uphold integrity, merit, professionalism, impartiality and selfless service.

Delivering the public service lecture, retired Federal Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Sulaiman, proposed a comprehensive five-year reform programme to transform the public service from a routine-driven bureaucracy into a modern, results-oriented institution.

He called for the modernisation of administrative structures, strategic deployment of personnel according to institutional priorities, measures to address skills gaps and improved collaboration across government institutions.

Sulaiman stressed that the success of public service reforms should be measured by the tangible benefits delivered to citizens rather than the number of policies introduced or institutions established.

Dignitaries at the event included the Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami; Secretary to the State Government, Dr Taiwo Fasoranti; Chief of Staff, Prince Segun Omojuwa; members of the State Executive Council; permanent secretaries; political appointees; traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

NLC, TUC advocate improved welfare, gratuity payments, release of ₦500m loans

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Ondo State have called for sustained reforms in the state’s public service, including merit-based promotions, improved workers’ welfare, digitalisation and regular training to enhance efficiency and service delivery.

The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Prince Ademola Adeniji Olapade, made the call at the 2026 Public Service Week Carnival held at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Arcade, Akure, as part of activities marking the celebration.

Presenting a five-point agenda for strengthening the public service, Olapade said an efficient, respected and result-oriented workforce was essential to achieving the state government’s development goals.

He noted that public servants remained a vital link between government and citizens, adding that the quality of services provided by teachers, nurses, agricultural extension officers and other civil servants significantly influenced public perception of governance.

The labour leader acknowledged the contributions of hardworking public servants in Ondo State, while identifying areas where further improvements could enhance their effectiveness and productivity.

He highlighted the need for regular promotions, improved working conditions, adequate office facilities, timely settlement of pension and gratuity obligations, and increased opportunities for professional development.

Olapade called on the state government to sustain its commitment to workers’ welfare through the timely payment of salaries, allowances and leave bonuses, as well as continued efforts to address outstanding gratuity obligations to pensioners.

He said improved welfare would strengthen workers’ morale, promote dedication and contribute to better service delivery.

The NLC chairman also advocated a transparent, merit-based recruitment and promotion system that would give due consideration to competence, performance and experience in career advancement across ministries, departments and agencies.

On capacity building and technological advancement, Olapade proposed regular annual training for public servants on Grade Level 07 and above, alongside the gradual expansion of digital systems across government operations.

He recommended the establishment of an e-governance portal to enable citizens to track requests and access government services more conveniently, noting that digitalisation could improve administrative efficiency, reduce delays and strengthen accountability.

The labour leader further called for continued investment in the local government service, particularly through staff training and improved working conditions across the state’s 18 local government areas.

He said strengthening local government administration would support the delivery of essential services, including primary healthcare, basic education and rural infrastructure.

Olapade also proposed the introduction of an Ondo State Public Service Productivity Award to recognise and encourage outstanding performance among teachers, nurses, agricultural officers and other public servants.

He stressed the importance of transparent and fair disciplinary procedures in promoting professionalism, accountability and responsible conduct within the service.

According to him, achieving a prosperous Ondo State requires a shared commitment from the government, public servants and other stakeholders, with each playing a vital role in advancing development.

He urged workers to remain dedicated to their responsibilities while encouraging continued engagement between the government and organised labour to address issues affecting the workforce.

Similarly, the Ondo State Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Clement Fatuase, appealed to the state government to facilitate the release of the approved ₦500 million for workers’ car and housing loans.

Fatuase said access to the loans would help public servants meet important personal and family needs while improving their welfare and commitment to work.

He also called for the provision of adequate working tools, improved office facilities, recruitment of additional personnel and regular training to strengthen the capacity of the public service.

The TUC chairman described workers’ welfare as an important investment in productivity and effective governance, urging continued collaboration between the government and labour unions to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.

He further encouraged the government to advance plans for the proposed recruitment exercise and consider introducing Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered buses to ease transportation challenges faced by public servants.

Fatuase urged workers to uphold professionalism, discipline and integrity, while emphasising the need to maintain industrial harmony through constructive dialogue between labour unions and the government.

He expressed the importance of sustained cooperation among all stakeholders in building a more efficient, responsive and productive public service in Ondo State.