Personality in Focus
We Must Come Together to Change the Narratives, Says Ondo PDP Guber Candidate
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The Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in the forthcoming Ondo State governorship election, Chief Agboola Alfred Ajayi, has said that he intends to leverage on the natural potential of the state to give the people maximum comfort, sense of belonging and dividend of democracy if elected in the November 16, 2024 off circle election in the state.
The PDP flagbearer made the revelation during a chat with members of the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), who paid him a courtesy visit in his office, in Akure. He frowned at the level of hunger ravaging the country at the moment, saying that no one is spared of the impending doom if all hands are not put together to work out something positive and enduring.
“What is happening here is something that if we don’t come together we will become casualties in the future,” he said, noting that casualties are not just those who are wounded or very poor, but include those who stay at home, and in their comfort zones.
He narrated a personal experience to buttress the poverty in the land, saying “for instance, I know the number of people that are asking money from me everyday; school fees, feeding and so on, I got a message this morning, the person is telling me, i need money so my kids can eat and I was force to send money to the person, I don’t know the person. I receive this similar message more than 50 everyday.
“I watch a video last week and I really felt sad for this country, where a guy was distributing bread, in Lagos, if you see how people were pushing themselves because of it, so you can see the level that we have reduced ourselves to in this country.
“We must come together to change the system, change the narratives.”
Chief Ajayi reiterated that though Ondo State is blessed, only somebody like him, who has the intelligence and contact, and knows how to activate the resources to produce should occupied the seat of governor, in order to affect the people positively.
“Our state (Ondo) is blessed, no doubt but we must activate those resources, we are sitting on money, gold, resources in Ondo state, so how do we tap into it; we need somebody with high level of contact and intelligence, who has the vision, who understands the terrain, somebody that can actually unlock the potentials,” he said.
He noted that his plans when elected as governor includes tapping into the untapped resources of the state, which includes building a seaport, thereby decongesting Lagos, and make commerce much more easier and accessible to the people.
“There’s no land in Lagos, no gold, no petroleum, no resources, all you are enjoying there is the commerce that is coming from the sea, that discharging gate you have, but what we have in Ondo state is times 50 of untapped resources.
“So if we harness that, we will decongest Lagos State, and our people will be busy. We will create job, a lot of us will be emergency clearing and forwarding agent, and everybody will be busy. So, instead of you going to spend 2/3 weeks in Lagos, to the port and all that, you just go to Ilaje Local Government here and offload your goods and come back same day,” he explained.
Responding, the leader of the NAOSNP delegate, and its president, Mr. Oki Samson, thanked the governorship candidate for his warm reception, stressing that the Association is in the state for firsthand assessment of the security situation and measures put in place to achieve a hitchfree election.
“As a security-oriented association, we have deemed it fit to pay a visit to the state to have a firsthand security knowledge of the situation so that a hitchfree election will be achieved.
“Our visit will also take us to other stakeholders including the security apparatuses to ascertain their level of readiness to tackle every form of challenge,” Oki said.
Chief Ajayi is one of the favorites, running to grab the Ondo State seat of power as governor. He is a former deputy governor of the state among a retinue of his credentials and experience.
A former Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has died at the age of 77.
Idris reportedly died in the United Kingdom on Sunday, September 20, 2026, with news of his death prompting visits by political leaders and senior government officials to his Abuja residence.
Kogi State governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Abdullahi Bello; and other senior government officials visited the residence to condole with the family.
Onogwu Muhammed, Special Adviser to Governor Ododo on Public Relations and Chief Press Secretary to former Governor Bello, disclosed the visit in a Facebook post on Sunday, accompanied by photographs of Ododo and Bello at the residence.
“Kogi State governor, His Excellency Ahmed Usman Ododo; former Governor Yahaya Bello, CON; Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Abdullahi Bello; and other top government officials have arrived at the Abuja residence of the late former Governor Ibrahim Idris, who passed away this afternoon”, he wrote.
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who represents Kogi Central Senatorial District, mourned the former governor, describing him as a significant figure in the political history of Kogi State and the PDP.
The circumstances surrounding the former governor’s death were not immediately clear.
Born in 1949, Idris was a businessman before venturing fully into partisan politics. He established the Ibro Trading Company and was involved in business interests spanning construction, furniture manufacturing and hospitality.
His political career eventually took him to the centre of Kogi State politics, where he emerged as one of the leading figures of the PDP.
Idris became governor of Kogi State in May 2003 after winning the governorship election on the platform of the PDP. He succeeded Prince Abubakar Audu and remained in office after the 2007 governorship election, although the outcome of that election became the subject of prolonged legal proceedings.
Following a court ruling nullifying the 2007 election, a fresh governorship election was conducted in 2008, which Idris won, enabling him to continue in office.
He eventually completed his tenure in January 2012 and was succeeded by Captain Idris Wada. His nearly nine-year tenure made him one of the longest-serving elected governors in the history of Kogi State.
The Executive Secretary/CEO of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF), Dr. Ayodele Ogunsan, has felicitates the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat, on the occasion of his 62nd birthday, describing him as a loyal, dependable and patriotic leader whose contributions to Lagos’ development remain significant and exceptional.
In a congratulatory message, Ogunsan celebrated Hamzat’s commitment to public service, political stability and the progressive ideals of the All Progressives Congress (APC), noting that his loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Executive Governor, the party and the people of Lagos reflects a deep sense of responsibility and institutional discipline.
Born on September 19, 1964, Hamzat is an engineer and technocrat who holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Ibadan and a PhD in Systems Process Engineering from Cranfield University, United Kingdom. His professional experience spans technology, financial services and corporate management, including roles with Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Oando Plc.
Before becoming Deputy Governor in 2019, Hamzat served as Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology and later Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure. He was also involved in federal public service as an adviser on works. His public-service record includes contributions to technology-driven governance and major infrastructure initiatives in Lagos. He was re-elected Deputy Governor in 2023 and emerged as the APC’s candidate for the 2027 Lagos governorship election in May 2026.
Ogunsan described Hamzat as “a great party leader, a faithful servant and a leader whose loyalty is matched by competence, humility and dedication.”
He praised the Deputy Governor’s collaborative relationship with Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, stressing that such cooperation has strengthened policy continuity and effective governance in Lagos.
“Your Excellency, your life reflects service, loyalty and commitment to the greater good. On behalf of my family, the management and staff of the LSSTF, I wish you renewed strength, sound health, wisdom and many more years of impactful service,” Ogunsan said.
He prayed: “Your Excellency Sir, I pray that this New Year would bring you to the realization of your mandate as the next Executive Governor of Lagos State come 2027. I pray that you will enjoy divine guidance and continued peace, joy and health to contribute to the progress and prosperity of Lagos State.”
Veteran Nigerian actor and elder statesman, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.
The actor’s death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, on Instagram on Wednesday.
Olu Jacobs was one of Nigeria’s most respected actors and a towering figure in the country’s theatre, television and film industries.
For more than five decades, Jacobs built a career that took him from the stage in Britain to international films and, ultimately, to becoming one of the most recognisable faces of Nollywood.
Born on July 11, 1942, in Kano, Jacobs had his roots in the Egba Alake community of Abeokuta, Ogun State. He grew up in Kano, where he developed an early interest in acting through school drama, debating activities, and church programmes.
His passion for the performing arts was strengthened after he watched a performance by legendary Nigerian theatre practitioner Hubert Ogunde. The experience inspired him to pursue acting professionally.
