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The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, on Monday said the Judiciary remained resolute and committed to upholding its independence.
The CJN said this on the occasion of the swearing-in of Amina Augie and Ejembi Eko as justices of the Supreme Court in Abuja
Mohammed said all courts in the country were empowered to adjudicate with utmost fairness and justice as prescribed in the Constitution and the law.
He said, “Certainly, the decision of the National Judicial Council at its last meeting reflects our desire to preserve this independence.
“Hence, we proclaimed to the World that any Judicial officer that is standing trial will cease to perform judicial functions.
“The Council took this stand following communications it received from the Attorney General of the Federal that he was embarking on the prosecution of the affected judicial officers for the offences disclosed against them.”
He said, “We must not forget that we operate a constitutional democracy, which clearly prescribes the powers accorded to each organ of the State.
“I therefore wish to state without fear of contradiction that the third arm of government will remain resolute in its commitment and resolve to uphold its independence.”
On his advice to the new justices, Mohammed urged them to continue to be diligent in the discharge of their duties.
“You must remain blind to personality and status, and remain the hope of all men, whether common or uncommon.
“Hence, the integrity and impartiality of our courts must not be in question or compromised.
“I am confident that with the institutions and initiatives that we have put in place, the Nigerian Judiciary will evolve to meet the high standards demanded by our citizens.”
Eko before his appointment was a Justice of the Court of Appeal.
He also served in the High Court of Justice, Benue State Judiciary, between 1989 and 2007.
Eko, the Benue born, obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Law/Jurisprudence from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, between 1973 and 1976.
On her part, Augie until her elevation to the apex court was a justice of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mahmud Mohammed, on Monday said the Judiciary remained resolute and committed to upholding its independence.
The CJN said this on the occasion of the swearing-in of Amina Augie and Ejembi Eko as justices of the Supreme Court in Abuja
Mohammed said all courts in the country were empowered to adjudicate with utmost fairness and justice as prescribed in the Constitution and the law.
He said, “Certainly, the decision of the National Judicial Council at its last meeting reflects our desire to preserve this independence.
“Hence, we proclaimed to the World that any Judicial officer that is standing trial will cease to perform judicial functions.
“The Council took this stand following communications it received from the Attorney General of the Federal that he was embarking on the prosecution of the affected judicial officers for the offences disclosed against them.”
He said, “We must not forget that we operate a constitutional democracy, which clearly prescribes the powers accorded to each organ of the State.
“I therefore wish to state without fear of contradiction that the third arm of government will remain resolute in its commitment and resolve to uphold its independence.”
On his advice to the new justices, Mohammed urged them to continue to be diligent in the discharge of their duties.
“You must remain blind to personality and status, and remain the hope of all men, whether common or uncommon.
“Hence, the integrity and impartiality of our courts must not be in question or compromised.
“I am confident that with the institutions and initiatives that we have put in place, the Nigerian Judiciary will evolve to meet the high standards demanded by our citizens.”
Eko before his appointment was a Justice of the Court of Appeal.
He also served in the High Court of Justice, Benue State Judiciary, between 1989 and 2007.
Eko, the Benue born, obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Law/Jurisprudence from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, between 1973 and 1976.
On her part, Augie until her elevation to the apex court was a justice of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday expressed the hope that the ruling All Progressives Congress would find another assignment for the outgoing Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole.
He said it would result to wasting Oshiomole’s energy if he was allowed to retire immediately after his tenure as a state governor.
According to a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President spoke at the Palace of the new Oba of Benin, Oba Ewuare II, shortly before he embarked on the inauguration of projects in the state.
Buhari said the country would be the loser if the APC failed to utilise the people’s governor’s wisdom, skill and energy.
He said, “It will be a pity to waste his energy by him retiring. I hope there will be a higher assignment for him to do more for the nation.
“I congratulate the governor for his hard work; Oshiomhole is a hard working governor. We will need his services in Abuja.
“Thank you for inviting me, most especially during this time in the country.
“You have served two terms and you are about to leave. You deserve a place in history. I hope the APC will look for a place for you because your service for the country is far from over.”
Buhari also congratulated the Oba on his enthronement and extended the support of the Federal government to him in his bid to improve the lives of Edo people.
The Oba in his speech expressed delighted on the president’s visit, noting that it was the first since his recent coronation.”
“We believe this is a sign of better things to come. I appreciate your contribution to my coronation,” Oba Ewuare II said.
The royal father who commended the President for appointing Edo indigenes into positions in government appealed for the establishment of an export and import processing zone for agro-allied industries in the state.
He said the venture would stimulate the nation’s economy and create jobs.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, yesterday paid a surprise visit to another Apc chieftain,the former state Governor, Segun Oni, at his Ifaki Ekiti country home.
Fayose teamed up with Dr. Kayode Fayemi of the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) during the 2009 rerun governorship election, which fuelled the ember of political hostility between the duo.
As a pay back, Oni also worked with Fayemi during the 2014 governorship poll, but Fayose eventually triumphed in the poll.
According to a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, Fayose said it was a mere courtesy visit and proper for him as a governor and leader.
The visit which took place around 2.30p.m. had the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, on the entourage.
The governor who went with only three vehicles in his convoy, said he and Oni had a useful discussion claiming that a governor is the leader of all, saying: “leadership comes first, Ekiti comes first and leadership is about sacrifice to make for the purpose of unity. That is exactly what I am doing.”
He said further that “there is a difference between leadership and politics. To me, the state comes first, every leader willing to make the state first, I will visit him. I am the governor of the state and everybody is my subject. My visit to Oni has nothing to do with politics.
When it comes to how to move the state forward, we must firstly remove our political garment.”
Oni who warmly received Fayose, said he was overwhelmed with the visit which he claimed was brotherly.
According to him, “It is a brotherly visit, I am happy for that. It is a welcome development and good for the state. We are both leaders of the state.”
Shortly after he came to office, Fayose restored the portrait of Oni which was removed by Fayemi from the Governor’s Office.
Fayose also restored all his benefits as former governor of the state.
Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko said yesterday that the substitution of the name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Eyitayo Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) will not stand.
Mimiko told reporters in Akure, the state capital, that what happened was a contrived conspiracy which cannot find comfort “in justice, in principle, in law, and in morality”.
He said redress is being sought by Jegede, PDP and major stakeholders, “because the impunity will not stand”.
Mimiko observed that the development remained “bizarre in the nation’s politics and particularly in the state’s polity, noting that it is something bizarre, abnormal and without precedent in polity.”
The governor, however, thanked the people for their maturity and peaceful conduct.
“You have comported yourselves well. Your peaceful but rugged and persistent resistance in the last three and half weeks would go down in the record of the new Ondo State.”
He denied that he went to see President Muhammadu Buhari as a prelude to crossing over to another party.
According to him, he had to see the President on the need to allow justice to prevail.
“Mr. President gave his word that he would ensure that justice is done and I have no cause to doubt him,” he said.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been restrained by the Akure High Court from substituting or replacing the name of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Eyitayo Jegede, already included on the electoral agency’s list of candidates for November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.
This followed the emergence of two factional candidates in the party.
Justice Abang of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had in a controversial ruling directed INEC to replace Jegede with Jimoh Ibrahim, following a contempt case instituted against the Jegede faction and INEC over a June 2016 ruling that the PDP factional executive in the Southwest should nominate candidate for the 2019 general election.
The Akure High Court ruling followed a suit filed by the Ondo State PDP Chairman , Clement Faboyede.
In a judgment delivered on Wednesday, Justice W R Olamide of the Akure High Court while restraining INEC from replacing Jegede said it would be out of order for INEC to replace or substitute his name.
Justice Olamide said any contrary action will contravene the principles of equity, justice and fairness.
In another development, the Akure High Court granted Bamiduro Dada an order restraining INEC and its agents from recognising Jimoh Ibrahim as PDP candidate , even as another injunction was granted the plaintiff restraining Jimoh Ibrahim from parading himself as the PDP candidate.
Dada, who contested the primary election organised by the PDP faction in Ibadan with Ibrahim, based his prayer on the submission that the shadow election held in Ibadan was a fraud.
In his ruling, Justice Olasehinde Kumuyi ruled that Biyi Poroye and others cannot parade themselves as PDP state executives and therefore can not take any action in respect of the party.
The prosecution opened its case yesterday in the trial of Abiodun Agbele, an aide to Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, with the testimony of its first witness Mr. Sunday Oluseye Alade.
Alade, 54, a banker told the court how he, along with some other officials of a bank and others received N1,219,490,000 cash brought into Akure airport on June 17, 2014 by ex-Minister of State for Defence Musiliu Obanikoro and two others.
The witness, who works in the Akure branch of the bank, gave details of how two aircraft brought the cash on two occasions, same day and how they moved the cash in a bullion van.
Agbele was arraigned before Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja on August 3, 2016 on 11 counts of money laundering involving about N4,685,723,000,000, allegedly taken by former National Security Adviser (NSA) from the account of the office of the NSA domiciled in the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
The prosecution alleged that the accused knew the N4,685,723,000,000 formed part of the proceeds of alleged unlawful activities by Dasuki.
The prosecution alleged that on June 17, 2014, Agbele, Obanikoro and other suspects (said to be at large), took N1,219,000,000 from the total N4,685,723,000,000, when they “reasonably ought to have known” that the money was part of proceeds of Dasuki’s unlawful activity.”
Alade, who was led in evidence yesterday by prosecution lawyer Wahab Shittu, also gave details of how Agbele allegedly supervised the lodgment of the cash into different accounts, including those allegedly belonging to Fayose, his company, Spotless Investment and others.
The prosecution also tendered some statements made by the witness on June 2, 2016 and July 4, 2016.
Part of the statement of June 2, 2016 reads: “Sometime in the month of June 2014, I was informed by my colleague in Ibadan, Lawrence Akande, that a customer of the bank will be bringing cash for lodgment in their account, but since the cash involved may be what he cannot singlehandedly handle and conveniently/safely bring to the branch office, I should arrange for the bank’s bullion van to evacuate the cash from Akure airport.
“To this end, that one Abiodun Agbele had collected my number from him and will call me in respect of the lodgment. Later on that date, nne Mr. Abiodun Agbele called that we should arrange to pick some cash from the Akure airport.
“He then came to meet us in the branch with Toyota Hillux van with some security ‘Army’ personnel. We then drove to the airport. At Akure airport, we waited for sometime before the arrival of a medium sized aircraft.
“After the aircraft had parked, three individuals came down and Mr. Abiodun Agbele walked to meet them.
“They had a brief discussion and two of the three men walked away and entered a waiting Toyota Hillux, one of the two appeared to be Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.
“The remaining individual, together with Abiodun Agbele then invited my team to come to the tarmac with the bullion van. And we off-loaded the cash to the bullion van.
“We then drove to the bank in the town in a convoy with their security team made up of soldiers and Mopol officers. At the branch, we just bundle counted the cash and ascertained it was N724,500,000.
“The person that handed over the cash later introduced himself as Adewale A. O and claimed to be a military aide de camp to Senator Obanikoro. He left us in the bank and went back to the airport in Akure.
“After about three hours, we drove our bullion van and security team back to the airport and waited until when another aircraft came with the second tranche, which was equally off-loaded to our bullion van and taken to the bank branch in Akure for ascertainment in the presence of Abiodun Agbele and one Adewale A. O.
“This second movement was ascertained to be N494,990,000 only. We were then informed by Abiodun Agbele that the cash was to be credited to various accounts,” Alade said.
The witness also gave details of how the money was distributed into the various accounts.
“The account credited and the amount are as follows: N100m was credited to Spotless Investment account: 1010170969 on 17/06/2014; Deprivateer Ltd was credited in account: 1013835889 with N219,490,000 on 18/06/2014 and another N300m on 19/06/2014 and another N200m on 23/06/2014.
“Another account owned by Ayodele Fayose was credited with N137,000,000 on 26/06/1014. This brings the total amount credited to the various accounts to N956,490,000.
“Mr. Abiodun Agbele then eventually took away the cash balance of N263m with their security team to Ado-Ekiti on the same day the cash was delivered in Akure.
“The total amount of cash so delivered amounted to N1,219,490,000. The amount deposited was N724,500,000, cash taken away N956,490,000 and cash balance of N263,000,000 (taken away by Abiodun Agbele).
“The driver that drove the bullion van on that cash pick-up engagement was Olaolu Omotosho. I do not know the registration number of the aircraft, but the colour is metallic grey.
“I was able to recognise Senator Musiliu Obanikoro sine the appearance resembled his picture that I used to see on the television and newspaper, but I cannot recognise the third person that came out of the aircraft with him.
“The cash was packed inside several sacks popularly referred to as Ghana-must-go sack. The aircraft that brought the second tranche of the cash was of a smaller size when compared with the aircraft that brought the first tranche.
“The sacks were many, and as such, I cannot remember the number. Mr. Abiodun Agbele collected a packet of deposit booklet and when we got to the bank with the N724,500,000, he said he would fill the deposit slip for the various amounts,” the witness said.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has appealed to all the monarchs in Yoruba land to promote unity and defend political leaders against external aggressors.
He also urged the Federal Government to review its policies because of massive hunger in the land.
The governor spoke in Ado Ekiti on Thursday while receiving the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, at the palace of the Ewi of Ado Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe.
Fayose specifically appealed to Yoruba kings to ensure that no harm should befall a former Lagos Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, and other leaders of the Yoruba race.
Tinubu is believed to have fallen out of favour with President Muhammad Buhari while Falae is under investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for allegedly receiving part of the missing security funds from a former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).
Fayose said, “You (Ooni) are in a good position to unite us. We want to appeal to you to remember that we all belong to you, irrespective of political parties.
“That was why I said without apologies that an action against Ahmed Tinubu is an action against the Yoruba nation.
“We must defend the Yoruba nation. They are encroaching. They are harassing; they are depriving us of our legitimate rights. Those who toiled day and night are now victims of circumstances.
“Nothing must happen to Tinubu, Falae and others. This is the way they started with (Obafemi) Awolowo and (Pa Michael) Ajasin,” he cautioned.
Fayose said the effort of the Ooni to unite the Yoruba had started yielding results, urging him to sustain it.
He advised Yoruba leaders to avoid a situation that led to the rivalry between Awolowo and the late Samuel Akintola in the western region.
The governor lamented that there was hunger in the land and he appealed to the Federal Government to evolve policies that would change things for the better.
He also condemned the activities of herdsmen that were destroying farm produce across the country.
“They asked us to go back to farming and they released their cows to be eating our farms. Any cattle that destroy farmlands will be seized by the government,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ogunwusi has called for tact in the handling of the threat posed by herdsmen across the country, especially in the South-West region of the country.
Speaking with journalists, Ooni, who said Ekiti had the power to enact laws, called for a careful handling of the threat posed by herdsmen.
He said he was impressed by the thousands of people that trooped out to receive him and he called for prayers for the governor.
Adejugbe expressed joy at the visit even as he recalled that two departed Oonis, Oba Adesoji Aderemi and Oba Okunade Sijuwade, visited the Ewi in 1937 and 1980 respectively.
He charged the Ooni to continue to unite Yoruba monarchs and sustain the growing unity among Yoruba people.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has named Mr. Jimoh Ibrahim as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State.
The commission also named Mr. Alabi Ebenezer Omotayo as his running mate.
Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Jimoh Ibrahim, speaks with inner room media house on the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party, the forthcoming Ondo election and other issues
You are a good friend of Governor Olusegun Mimiko. Where did things go wrong between both of you?
I supported him financially, morally and through other means when he showed interest to be governor. I took him round. The current Secretary to the Ondo State Government emerged from my office here in Lagos. During the last election that was held in Ondo, I had prepared to be governor. I am happy that former President Goodluck Jonathan is still alive. He called me and said he wanted Mimiko to do a second term. He said people will be abusing us (Peoples Democratic Party) that we are not tolerant of the opposition. He said I should, please, allow him (Mimiko) to be governor. He said in 2016, he would roll out everything in my favour to be the state governor. Mimiko then came to my house at the Victoria Garden City, Lagos, and we took pictures together. I gave him advice on how to run the state. This is 2016. He is not talking about it (agreement) again. After they described me as a mole in the PDP, and that I was working for President Muhammadu Buhari, the then President Jonathan stopped talking to me. I don’t know why Mimiko is afraid of me. He is my friend. Mimiko is very close to me and my wife. As we speak, he can walk into my house and ask for food. My wife would cook for him. My wife is very close to him. His wife is also very close to me. I was on an international flight when I saw his wife and daughter five months ago. We flew on the same flight. I bought gifts for her and her daughter. I flew first class, they were in business class; I went to check them twice in the plane to be sure that they were comfortable. After the flight, Mimiko’s wife and his daughter called to thank me. But Mimiko is heartless. I don’t know what he is scared of.
What is your view of the Mimiko government?
Mimiko is a black swan. In Ondo, it is unfortunate that we have such a person as the governor. I am surprised how Ondo came about the candidature of Mimiko. Right now, workers and pensioners have not been paid for many months. Why should this happen in an oil-producing state? I don’t want to be involved in sentiments. If I say too much, people will say I am from the same PDP. But these are raw facts. Mimiko has less than 30 days to go. Never again will Ondo State be deceived by this kind of a person. Mimiko collected about N1tn in the last eight years of his administration. Where are the roads? The state of things in Ondo is unfortunate. When the late Olusegun Agagu was governor, he left N36bn in the treasury of the state. How much is Mimiko leaving now? He is leaving debts. We leave him to God. Let him judge himself with his conscience.
Anybody can be governor of Ondo State. Mine is to tell the people of Ondo State why I want to be governor and sell my programmes to them. It is up to them to decide. I am not desperate to be governor. It’s not a do-or-die affair for me. I am not like Mimiko who does not have anything to fall back on. I have my job. If he knows he is a good medical doctor, why can’t he go and develop a hospital? But if you want to go from governor to vice-president, you need to know you have huge challenges.
There’s an allegation that you’re being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress to ruin the chances of the PDP in Ondo.
That is baseless. I supported Buhari to win in Ondo State in the last election. I told Jonathan that he would not win in Ondo. When Jonathan picked Mimiko as the South-West coordinator of the PDP campaign, I went to him at the villa and told him that he would not win the election because Mimiko does not have the capacity to deliver. Jonathan was hailing him as Iroko. I said fine, he (Mimiko) will iroko (sweep) you out of office. Jonathan held more than 30 meetings at the villa. They described me as a mole in the PDP. They said that I was working for Buhari. I told Jonathan that my worry was the appointment of Mimiko as South-West coordinator and that he wouldn’t win. Maybe Fayose would have been a better choice than Mimiko. A day to the election, Jonathan called me. He said he had talked to all the leaders in Ondo State and that if PDP lost the election, it would be because of me. Then I asked Jonathan, “What if you lose in the whole of Nigeria? Would that still be because of me?” That was the end of our conversation. He thought Mimiko would win the South-West for him. When the election results came out, Buhari won in Ondo. In 2003 when I contested on the platform of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, I delivered 25 per cent of the total votes cast for Buhari in Ondo.
Why did you condemn a statement credited to the spokesperson for INEC chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, which said that INEC has up till October 27 to decide on who it will accept as the authentic PDP candidate?
Before, I saw the Independent National Electoral Commission as an unbiased umpire but the corruption within the electoral body is alarming now. For instance, when I was going to submit my nomination form, I took the first batch of the forms signed by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to INEC. It took me one minute to do that at INEC. When I was to submit the second batch of the forms, signed by the state chairman of the PDP (with the judgment of the court saying that he should be the one to sign my nomination), the boy who took the form to the INEC office told me that INEC rejected the form. I was shocked. I went to the INEC office and asked why they rejected the document. I waited for four hours. After four hours, I asked again what the problem was. I then asked for the legal department, where I met a female official. I saw the boy who rejected my form with her. The woman told me they would not receive the form. She said there was an error in the court judgment. I asked her how she knew that there was an error in the judgment when she had not even checked what we brought. I was shocked when she demanded $1m from me before she could accept the document. I thought it was a joke. I told her I won’t give out any money.
Do you have her on tape?
I said she demanded that amount from me. I said no to her. I just want to wait before I write against her with facts. I travelled back to Oxford for a programme. I got a phone call that my name was rejected (at INEC). The female official told us that unless we have a court order to correct that mistake, she won’t take my form. So, we went back to the court to enforce the judgment. We went to tell the court that its judgment was not obeyed. I insisted that the court must protect its judgment. If it was in the United Kingdom that a court order was not obeyed, such a fellow would be sent to jail. INEC came to court again with an unsigned affidavit. Somebody gave them money and they were in a hurry to do the person’s bidding. How can you go to a commissioner of oath with an unsigned affidavit? The lawyer said an affidavit that was not signed was invalid. Apparently they forgot this. We served INEC a court judgment, which was published in the media.
The next thing we heard was that INEC said that it will obey court order but that it was studying it (court order). What are you studying? This is a court order. INEC has no right to say that. By that statement, it is insulting the integrity of the judiciary and the court. If it was a court order in the favour of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, will they say that they are studying it? Then, the next thing we heard from the INEC’s spokesperson was that anything could still happen before October 27. A respected institution like INEC cannot be talking from both sides of its mouth. Why will the spokesperson say that INEC would obey a court judgment but that anything can still happen between now and October 27? That is very embarrassing. Then, I read again that the same INEC said they gave us between now and October 27 to reconcile. Is INEC now an arbitrator? There is a judgment on the ground. How can INEC be telling Nigerians that it gave us till October 27? The opportunity to add and delete (names of candidates) is over. The minute INEC was served the court judgment (affirming me as the authentic candidate), my particulars should have been displayed by INEC. What is the electoral body waiting for? There is a court order. Unless there is a specific one from an appeal court that says INEC cannot do that. But it is not so in this case.
When I obtained my nomination form from the Sheriff-led national leadership of the PDP, the INEC commissioner in Ondo State claimed not to know me. I was embarrassed. How would he say he does not know me? He had been a member of the PDP. The All Progressives Congress recently demanded his removal. This is somebody that wanted to see me in London at the graduation ceremony of his son to discuss Ondo election. I told him I had no business with him. I am not out to rig election in Ondo. I don’t want anybody to rig me in. I am not saying that he is fraudulent but he arranged a London meeting and I said no. I have a call record of the conversations. How can I go and see the INEC REC in London because I want to be governor in Ondo State? This is not right. What we are insisting is that the court has said we should publish this name; until an appellate court or the Supreme Court says no, you are bound by that order. Don’t tell me to reconcile.
You’ve been accused of unsuccessfully running your companies. It is generally believed that you’ve been unable to pay workers’ salary arrears and, as such, you don’t have the capacity to govern Ondo State.
How many people have they employed? I am paying salaries as and when due. Last month, I paid the salaries of over 8,200 persons. Maybe they cannot see. I bought NICON Insurance with shareholder funds of over N1bn and now (it) has over N57bn as of the last account. Energy Bank Ghana is there, it is the most liquid bank. Worldwide Investments in Dubai is there, it has assets running to almost a quarter of a billion dollar. It is the third biggest property investment in Dubai. As for Energy Bank Sao Tome, I bought it completely dead. It is now the second largest bank in Sao Tome. Global Fleet is still there. I bought Air Nigeria and sold it back because of disclosures. There were too many liabilities, so, they approached me and said they wanted to buy it back. If you buy something at, say N500m, and you are offered N5bn for the same asset, won’t you sell it? I bought Great Nigeria and sold it to WEMA Bank. I made money from there. The question is this, if I buy something two years ago and after I have renovated it, and then someone comes and offers me N700m above the purchase price, I will ask myself, can I get N700m dividend in the next 10 years? If the answer is no, I will take your offer of N700m. I bought Air Nigeria for N500m and sold it six times the purchase price. So, what are they talking about?
So, the claim of bankruptcy is baseless. I am an individual. I am not a government. I don’t receive government subvention. I have over 8,000 workers. And they are from 12 countries of the world. If I have anything, I sell it the moment there is profit on it. I don’t sit on what I have. I buy, turn it around and resell. I bought National Mirror from Emeka Obasi. What was the circulation of the paper when I bought it?
The primary that produced you as the candidate of the PDP was held in Ibadan rather than Akure. It was also alleged that INEC had no representative at the primary?
Where did the All Progressives Congress hold its presidential primary when President Muhammadu Buhari emerged as the party’s candidate? They did it in Lagos. It was not done in Abuja. The allegations are empty talks.
But that was a presidential primary and not a governorship primary. The presidency covers the whole of the country.
Why didn’t the APC presidential primary take place in Abuja? The rule is clear: If you have security challenges in the place where you want to hold your primary, INEC allows you to take it to the next headquarters of that region. When the APC had security challenges in Abuja, they held the primary in Lagos. Secondly, we informed INEC about the Ibadan primary. They got our letter, which was duly signed and stamped by INEC. The court says we should inform INEC. Whether they come or not does not matter.
With your achievements in the business world, why do you still want to be governor?
As far as I am concerned, I want to help the people of Ondo State. I want to bring them from hopelessness to hope, from injustice to justice and from poverty to wealth. We are blessed with a lot of mineral resources. We are just 3.5 million people in Ondo and we can be the pride of Nigeria. I have developed my capabilities to withstand the challenges of leadership.
Your critics have said that you are not even popular in your hometown and that you have never won even in your ward?
How can you say that I am not popular in Igbotako? Anybody can allege but it is not true. When they don’t have anything against you, they will start bringing baseless allegations.
Your critics have said you have not been giving back to Ondo State. Why is this so?
We have over 54 stations in Ondo State. In 2003, during my campaigns, I gave out scholarships to students. The printing press of National Mirror runs from Ogbese. If I decided that it should be(sited) in Ogbese, is that not to develop Ondo? I am thinking of industrialising the state. Let Mimiko tell us how many industries he has built in Ondo. He had only a three-bedroom flat where he ran a hospital in Ondo before he became the governor. Can you compare that to the investments that I have in Ondo State? Recently I donated classrooms worth N16m to the secondary school, where I finished from. Is that not contribution to development? How many has Mimiko built for his secondary school, where he finished from, in Ondo?
In the eventuality that the reconciliation moves between Ahmed Makarfi and Ali Modu Sheriff succeed, if you are told to step down for (Eyitayo) Jegede, will you?
How can I step down? In Edo State, the Makarfi faction presented the PDP candidate there. So, in Ondo, who should have it? Is it not Sheriff? I can’t step down. The opportunity for INEC to add and delete the names of candidates has expired. There is a court order affirming me as the PDP candidate. Am I going to change the decision of the court? Will I compromise the judgment of the court? I am also a lawyer. I cannot do that. Jegede is a lawyer, he understands this too. It is not possible. If he likes, he can continue to campaign. As far as I am concerned, I am the authentic candidate. His campaign doesn’t matter to me. What I know is that I am the candidate of the PDP. So, anybody can be campaigning for me.
Won’t this impasse give the opposition candidates such as Olusola Oke and Rotimi Akeredolu an edge at the polls?
I am not going to talk about other candidates. That is not good enough. I can only talk about the PDP. Oke is a lawyer. He knows what he is facing. Aketi (Akeredolu) is an elder brother. Let him face his APC. Abraham is my friend in entrepreneurship. Let him do his best. I will never use my mouth to bring people down unless truly they have not done well.
There’s an allegation that you are only running for governor in Ondo State to get the favour of the presidency?
What does the President have to do with Ondo election? In the last presidential election, President Buhari won in Ondo. What has that got to do with Ondo? This is not my first time of contesting to be governor. When I was 34 years old, I contested. My interest is to develop Ondo State.
What is your opinion of the candidacy of Jegede?
I don’t know Jegede. How can you be contesting to be governor and I don’t know you? What do I want to tell the people of Ondo State about you? If Mimiko had come to me and said I should accept Jegede (to be my) deputy, I would have accepted. Deputy governor is not too small for him (Jegede). Jegede was a commissioner. Jegede too would have accepted to be deputy. Mimiko insists he should be governor. It is okay. Let him go and be the governor.
Why did you link your mother’s kidnap some years ago to Mimiko?
Mimiko called me three days after my mother was kidnapped. I asked him why he was calling me after three days. I told him that my mother used to cook for him when he was campaigning. My father was Mimiko’s campaign manager. I introduced him to my father. I have never been to the Government House (Akure) to demand anything. I don’t need anything from him. Now you heard that my aged mother was kidnapped and you are calling me three days after. The then President Goodluck Jonathan had given me a call the same day my mother was kidnapped. When I got the people who kidnapped my mother (because they called me to ask for ransom), it was so painful what they were telling me on the phone. Eventually, we rescued my mother.
How were the kidnappers linked to the state government and Mimiko?
Yes, they linked it (kidnap) to the state government and Mimiko. Go and check the police record of the kidnappers. What has happened to the kidnappers after the case? Let Mimiko explain to us. The kidnappers were arrested. What happened to their case file?
Did Mimiko set them free?
I don’t know. Go and check their case file.
How much are you budgeting for this election and are you going to have a fundraiser?
I am not doing any fundraiser. I don’t want that. I am not saying that my friends cannot contribute but I don’t accept cash into my campaign. They can print posters and produce vests to support me. That is enough. I have my own innovative way of doing it. I don’t need cash.
What is your relationship with President Muhammadu Buhari?
I cannot say anything about that. The President of Nigeria cannot be my enemy. He is the Commander of the Armed Forces. I was honoured as Commander of the Order of Federal Republic of Nigeria. So, a CFR cannot be rude to a Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Mimiko is a Commander of the Niger. I am his senior in terms of this honour so he cannot be rude to me and should respect me.
