A Kwara-based sociopolitical organisation, Orisun Igbomina, has described the outcome of the Osun State governorship election as a victory for democracy and a lesson that political leaders in Kwara State should heed ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group’s National President, Chief Gbenga Awoyale, made the submission in a statement issued in Ilorin on Sunday and titled, “Osun Election: A Victory for Democracy, a Lesson for Kwara.”
Awoyale said the Osun election demonstrated that the people remained the ultimate source of political legitimacy, regardless of the political machinery deployed during an election.
“Despite the deployment of political influence and state structures, the people of Osun stood firmly by their conviction and defended their choice,” he said.
“The lesson is clear: no political machinery, however formidable, can permanently substitute for genuine acceptance by the electorate.”
The group urged political actors in Kwara to learn from the Osun experience, stressing that citizens were not political subjects but voters whose ballots determined the legitimacy of governments.
It recalled the 2019 “O To Ge” movement in Kwara, saying the development remained a reminder that citizens could use their democratic power to change an established political order.
Awoyale appealed to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to reflect on the lessons from Osun and address concerns within the Kwara chapter of the APC.
“Governance is not sustained by titles alone. Political appointees, party leaders, elected representatives and grassroots stakeholders require genuine access, responsibility, confidence and empowerment to serve the people effectively,” he said.
He urged the governor to strengthen his relationship with members of his political family, listen to aggrieved stakeholders and empower political actors at the grassroots.
The organisation also expressed concern over the emergence of the G15 within the APC, arguing that the grievances of members of the group should not simply be dismissed as the complaints of politicians who failed to secure appointments.
“While individual interests may exist, the scale and composition of the current discontent require serious engagement.
Many of those involved participated in the O To Ge struggle because they believed in its ideals of inclusion, fairness, consultation, internal democracy and an end to political monopolisation. Their concerns deserve dialogue, not dismissal,” the statement said.
The group maintained that preserving the legacy of the O To Ge movement should involve upholding the principles of inclusion, fairness and internal democracy that inspired it.
It warned that Kwara could not afford to enter the 2027 election period with political divisions characterised by intimidation, exclusion, imposition and factionalism.
“The APC leadership must recognise that reconciliation is not weakness. Bringing aggrieved stakeholders to the table is a demonstration of political maturity and a necessary investment in the party’s electoral future,” it said.
Orisun Igbomina therefore urged AbdulRazaq to use the remaining period of his administration to deepen inclusion, improve stakeholder engagement, empower party members and restore confidence in internal party processes.
“Kwara belongs to all Kwarans, and its democratic future must never be sacrificed on the altar of individual ambition,” the statement concluded.
- Odu’a plans $200m investment in hospitality, real estate, logistics, power
Odu’a Investment Company Limited has announced plans to invest up to $200 million in Nigeria’s hospitality, real estate, logistics and power sectors over the next three to five years.
The company said the planned investment was part of a broader expansion strategy aimed at diversifying its portfolio, strengthening long-term earnings and increasing its contribution to the Nigerian economy.
The announcement came as the company received an inaugural credit rating from GCR Ratings, an affiliate of Moody’s.
According to a statement by Odu’a’s Head of Branding and Communications, Victor Ayetoro, GCR assigned the company a national scale long-term issuer rating of AA-(NG) and a short-term issuer rating of A1+(NG), both with a Stable outlook.
The ratings, the company said, reflected its strong investment portfolio, liquidity position and conservative financial structure.
Group Managing Director of Odu’a, Abdulrahman Yinusa, said the rating provided independent confirmation of the company’s financial resilience.
“GCR’s rating confirms the Group’s strong liquidity coverage of approximately 2x over the next 24 months, supported by a liquid listed portfolio valued at over NGN80 billion and unencumbered cash of NGN4.8 billion,” Yinusa said.
He added that the Group’s balance sheet remained largely ungeared, with a N3 billion bond at its subsidiary, Wemabod Limited, remaining within its servicing capacity.
Yinusa said the planned $200 million investment would be deployed across hospitality, real estate, logistics and power.
“The Stable outlook provides a solid platform to pursue these growth initiatives while maintaining conservative financial discipline,” he said.
Group Chairman, Dr Tola Kasali, described the rating as an endorsement of Odu’a’s five-decade history of investment and financial management.
“The rating is a strong endorsement of the Group’s five decade legacy of prudent stewardship and value creation, affirming the resilience of its investment model, which combines strategic holdings in listed equities with growing contributions from its operating subsidiaries,” Kasali said.
He said the AA-(NG) rating reflected Odu’a’s conservative leverage, strong liquidity and quality of assets.
“The AA-(NG) rating reflects the Group’s conservative leverage, strong liquidity, and the quality of its underlying assets, even as it navigates the complexities of frontier markets,” he added.
Odu’a said GCR’s assessment identified the quality and liquidity of its investment portfolio as key strengths supporting the ratings.
The company said most of its equity investments were publicly listed, providing transparent valuations and access to active secondary markets.
GCR’s Stable outlook, according to the statement, was based on the expectation that Odu’a would maintain significant investments in financially strong and liquid securities while increasing earnings from its operating subsidiaries.
The ratings agency also identified Odu’a’s low leverage and strong debt-servicing capacity as positive factors.
It said the company’s liquidity sources exceeded its uses by approximately two times over a 24-month period, even after applying a 25 per cent stress test to listed holdings.
On governance, GCR reportedly assessed the company’s framework as neutral to its ratings, citing its corporate structure, board composition and transparent financial reporting.
Odu’a said the company had also maintained a consistent record of clean audit opinions and dividend payments.
The investment company said it was positioning itself for a new phase of expansion by leveraging its existing portfolio and increasing investment in sectors with significant long-term economic potential.
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