News
Dance with the Queen: Trader going blind after attack by Traditional ruler
Oduwaye perpetrated the act after allegedly accusing Wasiu of dancing with his queen during a birthday celebration at the hotel.
The monarch, his queen, alongside other guests, were said to have been invited by the celebrant, identified simply as Iya Alaje.
Before the celebration commenced, Wasiu told our correspondent that the owner of the hotel, Yakub Omobolanle, contracted him to prepare 14 plates of catfish pepper soup for the guests.
The trader said he had visited the hotel to commence preparation when he realised that the ingredients for the pepper soup were not enough.
“So, I decided to manage the ingredients because the distance of the hotel to the market is far. We were serving the guests when the owner of the hotel and the celebrant approached me and said the guests were complaining that the pepper soup was not well-nourished.
“I told him it wasn’t my fault and that the ingredients were not enough. After I was done with the cooking, I went into the bar, met the owner of the hotel, the celebrant, Iya Alaje, her husband, and a woman, who I never knew was a queen. I started apologising to them and I was told not to worry.
“The celebration was ongoing when the monarch, Nureni Oduwaye, entered. The deejay was playing and everyone was dancing. I was surprised as the celebrant and the queen were singing secular music. I commended them because people of their age and status don’t usually like secular music, let alone knowing the lyrics,” Wasiu said.
The Ogun State indigene said suddenly, the monarch asked him to identify himself and he said he was the younger brother of the owner of the hotel.
He claimed that the Oduwaye angrily left for his car, adding that the hotel owner and the husband of the celebrant ran after him, but Iya Alaje’s husband returned and instructed him to apologise to the monarch.
Wasiu said, “The queen was even asking what I did wrong but for the sake of peace, I went to apologise to him. When I got to where he was, I started begging him. I told him I was informed that he was annoyed because I was dancing with his queen and said I did not dance with her.
“As I was attempting to lie down to continue begging, he used his leg to kick my left eye. The injury in my eye was so severe that I was rushed to a nearby hospital from where I was transferred to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.
Wasiu’s mother, Shakirat, accused the Sagamu Area Commander of attempting to sweep the case under the carpet, adding that the monarch was using his influence to prevent justice.
She said, “When I saw my son in the hospital, I almost fainted. I was advised to report the case to the Area Commander, Sagamu, and when we got there, I was crying and explaining to him, but he said we would have to settle the case.
“He said he is the son of a king and the person responsible for my son’s condition is also a king and for that reason, we have to settle the case. I am speaking up because I want justice for my son; the police have refused to carry out any investigation.”
The owner of the hotel, who confirmed the attack on Wasiu, said the monarch had been acting unremorseful.
Omobolanle said, “When I was told that the monarch became angry because Wasiu was dancing with his queen, I had to tell him that I was the one who invited Wasiu to prepare the catfish and that he does not know his queen. He was just acting annoyed. The husband of the celebrant told Wasiu to beg the monarch and it was in the process of begging that the monarch kicked his eye.
“I was the one that rushed him to a hospital and paid the hospital bill. I have been told that Wasiu no longer sees with the eye.”
Oduwaye, when contacted, said he had visitors and could not talk to our reporter.
“You must come to Shagamu if you want to hear the facts from me,” he added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident.
He said, “The area commander confirmed that the case was reported and that it had been investigated and concluded. He said the case should have been charged to court on Monday but the monarch said he was sick and came in the evening.
“So, he told both parties to come on Wednesday so the matter could be charged to court but the complainant did not show up. If the complainant shows up, we will charge the case to court.”
PUNCH
The Executive Secretary of the Igbo Oriental Think Tank, Dr. Kenneth Anozie, has highlighted the vision of Dr. Chukwuma Anyichuks Odii for Ebonyi State ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
In a statement titled “Anyichuks Odii 2027: I Have a Dream for Ebonyi State,” Anozie compared Odii’s vision for Ebonyi with the transformational ideals associated with American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.
According to the political analyst, Odii believes that Ebonyi State possesses enormous potential capable of benefiting the wider population rather than serving the interests of a few.
Anozie said Odii’s proposed agenda includes a restructuring of government to ensure equitable representation and development across the different zones of Ebonyi State.
He also listed improved infrastructure as a key component of Odii’s vision, particularly roads and other projects that would facilitate the movement of agricultural produce, stimulate industrial development and create employment opportunities for youths.
The analyst further said Odii plans to make the civil service more responsive to the needs of residents, establish major healthcare centres across the state’s local government areas to help reduce child mortality, and provide extensive ICT training for young people.
Anozie said the ICT initiative could position Ebonyi as a hub for technology talent, with trained professionals able to compete for opportunities locally and internationally.
“Anyichuks has a dream. Ndi Ebonyi need to cue in to that dream for the benefits of all,” Anozie said.
He urged Ebonyi residents to pay attention to the proposed agenda and participate actively in determining the direction of the state ahead of the 2027 election.
Dr. Kenneth Anozie is the Executive Secretary of the Igbo Oriental Think Tank and a political analyst.
…Governor trounces APC’s Oyebamiji with 66,252
The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Governor Ademola Adeleke, of the Accord Party, the winner of the 2026 governorship election.
Announcing the final results, INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Joshua Ogunwole, the Vice- Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti declared Adeleke winner and returned him elected.
Ogunwole announced that the Accord candidate secured 511,067 while his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, recorded 444,815 votes.
Adeleke trounced his major opponent with 66,252 votes amid wild jubilation by party supporters and other residents.
Details later…
The Osun State Governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has won 19 of the 30 Local Government Areas in Saturday’s governorship election, while the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Oyebamiji, secured victory in 11 LGAs.Download Offline Maps
The results are being collated and announced, with the Independent National Electoral Commission expected to make the official declaration after the completion of the process.
Adeleke recorded notable victories across several parts of the state, including Ede South, Ede North, Osogbo, Ife Central, Ife East, Ife North, Ilesa West, Odo Otin, Egbedore and Iwo.
Oyebamiji, however, won key LGAs including Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakumosa West, Atakumosa East, Irewole, Isokan, Ola-Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda.
The results announced so far show a closely contested election between the two major candidates, with the other candidates recording significantly lower figures in most of the LGAs.Download Interactive Maps
In Boluwaduro, Adeleke polled 7,118 votes against Oyebamiji’s 7,050. In Ede South, Adeleke secured 26,188 votes while the APC candidate scored 6,219.
Adeleke also won Ife North with 13,879 votes to Oyebamiji’s 9,613; Ilesa West with 16,196 against 12,756; Ifedayo with 7,427 against 6,836; and Ife Central with 21,171 against 15,913.
In Osogbo, Adeleke recorded 36,480 votes while Oyebamiji polled 30,474. He also won Oriade with 21,343 votes to 14,863 and Odo Otin with 18,003 votes against 15,435.
Other LGAs won by Adeleke included Ife East, where he scored 27,201 votes against Oyebamiji’s 18,600; Ifelodun, 21,107 against 18,396; Iwo, 27,085 against 19,660; Ede North, 35,427 against 10,283; Ila, 16,211 against 12,934; Ayedire, 11,073 against 9,910; Egbedore, 19,278 against 11,194; and Ayedaade, 16,681 against 15,719.Design Campaign Signs
Oyebamiji secured victories in Ilesa East with 16,208 votes against Adeleke’s 12,280; Boripe with 19,963 against 12,448; Irepodun with 15,713 against 14,504; and Obokun with 16,120 against 12,023.
He also won Atakumosa West, polling 10,037 votes to Adeleke’s 7,479; Irewole, 29,972 against 10,934; Atakumosa East, 9,936 against 7,872; Isokan, 14,063 against 13,765; Ola-Oluwa, 10,782 against 10,063; Ife South, 14,678 against 13,507; and Olorunda, 24,671 against 23,514.
The outcome places Adeleke ahead in the overall LGA tally, although the final result remains subject to the completion of the official collation and declaration by INEC.
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As of about 4:30pm on Saturday, INEC had uploaded 903 of the 3,763 expected polling-unit results to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV), representing about 24 per cent of the results expected across the state.
The emerging figures show Adeleke’s party making an early statement, particularly in Osogbo, where results from two polling units reviewed showed the Accord Party ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
At Ward 4, Unit 39, Osogbo Local Government Area, Accord secured 65 votes, while the APC polled 43. The ADC recorded two votes, while ZLP, AA and AAC each scored one vote.
Another result from Ward 4, Unit 13, also in Osogbo, further tilted in favour of the Accord Party, which scored 134 votes against 75 votes for the APC. The ADC polled four votes, while ADP, AAC and APGA recorded one vote each.
The figures have placed Adeleke ahead in the early results emerging from the available uploads, although the lead cannot yet be treated as an indication of the final statewide outcome.
The race remains open, with thousands of polling-unit results still to be uploaded, verified and collated through the official INEC process.
The emerging results are nevertheless significant because they provide the first concrete picture of how the three leading contenders — Adeleke of the Accord Party, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam — are performing in areas where results have been made available.
The early advantage for Adeleke comes after a tense election day marked by complaints over delays in the electronic transmission of results, alleged incidents of intimidation and vote-buying, as well as isolated reports of violence.
Adeleke had earlier expressed confidence in victory after casting his vote, while Oyebamiji also declared that he expected to win the contest. Salaam, meanwhile, raised concerns over the alleged non-recognition of some ADC agents and later reported an attack at his polling unit in Ejigbo.
Attention has now shifted from voting to the results battle, with parties and supporters closely monitoring the IReV portal and the official collation centres.
Following the conclusion of voting, presiding officers have commenced the sorting and counting of ballots at polling units, with results beginning to emerge from different parts of the state in Saturday’s governorship election.
Three major candidates in the Osun governorship election had expressed confidence in emerging victorious as the polls entered the sorting and collation stage, with each candidate and their supporters optimistic about securing the mandate of the electorate.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, on Saturday, expressed confidence in emerging victorious in the ongoing governorship election after casting his vote at Sagba Abogunde Ward 2, Unit 9, in Ede North Local Government Area.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate in Osun State, Najeem Salaam, raised concerns over the alleged non-recognition of his party agents in several areas across the state during Saturday’s election.
Meanwhile, as at 4.30pm, a check by our correspondent to the IReV portal indicated that 903 out of 3,763 units have been uploaded
Results announced so far:
1. Ward 4, Unit 39, Osogbo Local Government Area
ZLP — 1
AA — 1
AAC — 1
ADC — 2
APC — 43
Accord Party — 65
Presiding Officer: Oyeranmi Deborah
2. Ward 4, Unit 13, Osogbo Local Government Area
Accord Party — 134
APC — 75
ADC — 4
ADP — 1
AAC — 1
APGA — 1
Presiding Officer: Mabel Olowolayemo
3. From Ede North, 007/02/07/29
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