News
Ondo 2024: Aiyedatiwa declares interest in governorship race
The Governor of Ondo State, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has formally declared his intention to contest the governorship election come November this year.
The governor dropped the long awaited news, hours after his predecessor, the late Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, was buried on Friday.
Mr Aiyedatiwa said he would wish to contest and win the forthcoming election as required by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for one more term.
He, however, would first have to win the Governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is slated for April this year.
The governor spoke on TVC News on Friday.
“Definitely, I will be running because I am already a sitting governor. And let me say this that nobody wants to be governor for one year,” Mr Aiyedatiwa said in response to a question whether he would run in the election.
“Give me what the constitution allows me to do, at least, let me have a chance of also running for one more term as it were,” he said.
The governor also denied that he had any conflict with the late Governor Akeredolu before his death.
He noted that it was a few individuals in the state, driven by their ambition, who caused the crisis in the state.
”Let me put this straight for the record sake, I never had issues with my former principal, there was no time we had a face off, there was no time we had an issue that will demand that I have to make up with him.
”All that were being pushed out at a time were basically political; they were all falsehood and insinuations because election was coming and they knew the governor was so sick and a lot of things were at play,” the governor said.
On the open letter written by five members of the House of Representatives from Ondo state to the President, Mr Aiyedatiwa said the members had a right to air their views.
“Everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion. That is just an opinion of some people that are so driven by ambition. If you look at the profile of those five members of the House of Representatives, they have individual aspirants they are supporting in the upcoming election.
”So, all of them have their own ambition who they want to be governor. That is an unprogressive position and the party has actually responded that there was no crisis in the party, that they are not at loggerheads with me,” he said.
Mr Aiyedatiwa had kept his ambition close to his chest until Friday when Governor Akeredolu’s burial rites were concluded.
The APC national secretariat had ruled out the possibility of an automatic ticket for him.
It was however, gathered that there are forces within his party averse to his ambition and that he would need to work hard to be able to win the party’s ticket.
That are also fears that the President Bola Tinubu factor might be a major decider, and this has informed a number of aspirants travelling regularly to Abuja to curry the favour of the presidency as the primaries approach.
News
JUST IN: 1 Dead, 3 Rescued in Fadeyi Building Collapse, Lagos
A two-storey building has collapsed in the Fadeyi area of Lagos, resulting in one fatality and the rescue of three people, emergency officials confirmed on Friday morning.
The incident occurred in the early hours, sending residents and nearby traders into panic as the structure suddenly gave way. Rescue teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and other first responders quickly arrived at the scene and began extracting victims from the rubble.
According to preliminary reports, one person was confirmed dead at the site, while three others were pulled out alive and rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment. Their conditions have not yet been disclosed.
Security personnel have cordoned off the area to allow rescue operations to continue and to prevent further access by onlookers. Officials are still assessing whether any other persons remain trapped under the debris.
The cause of the collapse has not been established. Authorities have not ruled out structural failure, but investigations are ongoing.
Further updates are expected as the rescue operation progresses and more details become available from emergency services.
News
UNILAG School Teachers Begin Work-to-Rule Over Unpaid Arrears
Teachers at the International School, University of Lagos (ISL), on Wednesday commenced a work-to-rule action over unpaid salary arrears, their removal from the university’s payroll, and delays in implementing a National Industrial Court judgment.
The staff are demanding the payment of outstanding Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Teaching Allowance (CONTTA) arrears, as well as arrears from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary adjustments approved in 2024. They also want full restoration to the university’s payroll.
Comrade Razak Yusuf, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), University of Lagos branch, said the industrial action followed prolonged delays in resolving the teachers’ employment status and financial entitlements.
The teachers had approached the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, which ruled in their favour on May 11, 2026. Despite the judgment, they claim the university has yet to fully restore their names to the payroll or settle outstanding benefits.
Protesters carried placards with messages such as “Equal Work, Equal Rights,” “ISL tutors deserve their due,” and “Other UNILAG staff paid, ISL tutors still owed.” The action disrupted teaching and a scheduled mid-term examination at the school.
The teachers called on the university management to restore the affected staff to the payroll, settle all outstanding financial obligations, and provide a clear payment plan with timelines.
They rejected suggestions that any interim arrangement under the university’s Council protocol amounted to goodwill, insisting they were only seeking recognition of their employment rights.
The development continues a pattern of industrial disputes at the University of Lagos over salary and allowance issues.
News
JUST IN: Gas Emissions Hit Ogun Schools, Hundreds of Pupils Hospitalised
Hundreds of students were hospitalised on Wednesday morning after fresh gaseous emissions hit parts of Ogun State, including Ijebu-Ode, Ijebu-Igbo and Ago-Iwoye.
The incident affected pupils at Anglican Girls Grammar School, Obalende, Ijebu-Ode, and Ijebu-Igbo Girls Grammar School. Several schools in Ago-Iwoye suspended academic activities and sent students home as a precaution.
Kehinde Bello, General Manager of the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency (OGEPA), visited the affected areas and linked the emissions to underground gas previously recorded in Ijebu-Ode since April 2026. He said the situation was under control and attributed the releases to natural geological and tectonic fault lines, ruling out sabotage or a gas pipeline leak.
Bello assured residents that the state government was working on a lasting solution. He advised anyone exposed to the odour to cover their noses and mouths with wet handkerchiefs.
The recurring emissions have renewed concerns about the safety of students and residents in the affected communities.
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