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Ekiti Muslim Community Kicks against Fayemi’s Appointments, Says It’s Lopsided

Published

7 years ago

October 19, 2018

Eric

The Muslim community in Ekiti state on Thursday rejected the three major appointments made so far by Governor Kayode Fayemi, since he was sworn into office on Tuesday.

State Coordinator of the National Council of Muslim Youth Organisations, (NACOMYO), Mr Tajudeen Ahmed, registered the displeasure of the group at a media briefing, after a protest at the Ado Ekiti Central mosque.

He described the appointments made so far by the governor as not only lopsided but a grand plan to marginalise the Muslim community in the state.

Ahmed said the appointment of the Secretary to the State Government, the Chief of Staff and the Chief Press Secretary was against balance and fairness which Fayemi promised the Muslim community.

“The exclusion of Muslims from the principal officers of this administration is worrisome, unjust, condemnable and unacceptable.

“The Ekiti Muslim community saw the appointments as a calculated attempt to exclude it from the fundamental aspect of decision making process in the state.

“Excluding Muslims from the first three important appointments announced by the governor is shocking and highly disturbing to all Muslims in the state,” he said.

The group said Muslims in the state constituted about 40 per cent of the Ekiti State population, adding that the governor was given their total support during the governorship polls.

According to him, the exclusion of the Muslims in this regard is a violation of the fundamental objectives and principles of state policy as enshrined in the amended 1999 Constitution.

“The exclusion of Muslims from the core principal appointments of Dr. John Kayode Fayemi is a violation of the motto of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as provided in Section 15 (1) of the 1999 constitution (as amended).

“Rather than projecting “Unity and Faith, Peace and Progress”; the recent appointments made by Governor Fayemi will breed “disunity, commotion and backwardness,” he said.

He called on Fayemi to breathe life into Section 14(4) of the constitution which provided that ‘the composition of the government of a state, a local government council, or any of the agencies of such government or council, shall recognise the diversity of the people.

The Muslim community called on the Governor to urgently review the appointments to accommodate Muslims.

“We also call on Governor Fayemi to ensure inclusion of Muslims in all future appointments to be made at both state and local government levels.

“This will certainly pave way for the reign of justice, equity and peace in our dear state.”

NAN recalls that Fayemi on Tuesday night after his swearing-in appointed Mr Abiodun Oyebanji as Secretary to the State Government.

He also picked Mr Biodun Omoleye as Chief of Staff and Mr Yinka Oyebode as the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.

The Nation

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Tinubu Nominates Oyedele As Minister of State for Finance, Moves Anite-Uzoka to Budget Ministry

Published

13 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

A statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, has announced that “President Bola Tinubu has nominated Taiwo Oyedele as the minister of state for finance, replacing Doris Anite-Uzoka.

“Mrs Anite-Uzoka will now move to the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, as the Minister of State, her third portfolio in the administration.

“President Tinubu has today conveyed the nomination of Mr Oyedele to the Senate for confirmation in a letter to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio.

“Until President Tinubu nominated him as a minister, Mr Oyedele from Ikaram, Akoko, Ondo State, was the chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, which overhauled Nigeria’s tax system.

“Mr Oyedele, 50, is an economist, accountant and public policy expert.

“He attended Yaba College of Technology, where he obtained a Higher National Diploma (HND) in accountancy and finance. He attended Oxford Brookes University and earned a BSc in applied accounting.

“He also completed executive education programmes at the London School of Economics, Yale University, the Gordon Institute of Business Science, and the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Mr Oyedele spent 22 years of his working career at PwC, joining in 2001 and rising to become the Fiscal Policy Partner and Africa Tax Leader.

“Mr Oyedele is also a professor at Babcock University in Ogun State and a visiting scholar at the Lagos Business School.”

Featured

Defection: Atiku’s Son, Adamu, Resigns As Adamawa Commissioner

Published

19 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Adamu Abubakar, the first son of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, has resigned as Adamawa State’s commissioner for works and energy development, days after Governor Ahmadu Fintiri defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.

Abubakar’s resignation letter, dated 2 March 2026, was addressed to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government. He gave no reason for his departure.

The timing is pointed. Fintiri announced his defection to the APC in a statewide broadcast last Friday, saying his cabinet and the PDP’s state structure had moved with him. Within 24 hours, 22 commissioners and special advisers publicly announced they were following suit. Abubakar, whose father remains one of the PDP’s most prominent national figures, was not among them.

In a statement issued Monday night, Abubakar’s media aide Abdulaziz Jauro said the former commissioner thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve and pledged continued loyalty to the administration’s developmental agenda. He also expressed gratitude to his father “for granting him the moral support and blessing to serve the people of Adamawa State” — a line that, read in context, suggests Atiku was consulted on the decision.

Abubakar said his resignation was not a withdrawal from public life. “This does not mark the end of his commitment to public service,” the statement read, “but rather the beginning of new avenues for developmental collaboration.”

The resignation leaves unresolved the question of whether it reflects a political break with the governor over his defection or a personal decision unconnected to the broader party realignment now reshaping Adamawa’s political landscape.

Featured

DSS Nabs Man over Assassination Attempt on Peter Obi

Published

21 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Eric

Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) has detained a man in connection with the recent attack and alleged assassination threats targeting Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

According to AIT, the shooting incident took place on February 24, 2026, in Benin City, Edo State, during a political gathering attended by Obi and several figures from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The meeting was hosted by former APC National Chairman, John Oyegun. Gunmen reportedly opened fire at the venue, causing panic and forcing attendees to disperse for safety.

According to security sources, shortly after the attack, an individual identified as Udeme Monday Stephen allegedly took to social media claiming responsibility and issuing additional threats against Obi, warning of further violence.

Intelligence officials reportedly initiated swift investigations, employing digital tracing and forensic tools that led to the arrest of the 26-year-old suspect in Rivers State. He is said to be a teacher at a private secondary school in the Eliozu area of Obio-Akpor Local Government Area.

The suspect remains in DSS custody and is expected to face prosecution. The agency reiterated its commitment to responding to credible threats and safeguarding lives and national interests without bias.