Muhammed Ali Pate Appointed CEO of GAVI

Aformer Minister of State for Health, Dr Muhammed Ali Pate, has been appointed the Chief Executive Officer of Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunisation (GAVI), a private and public global health partnership organisation with the goal of increasing access to immunisation in poor countries. Dr Pate, who is the first Nigerian and first African to be appointed CEO of the organization, was chosen after a year-long recruitment process supdervised by the Chairman of the Gavi Board, Prof José Manuel Barroso. He was chosen for his wealth of experience in internal medicine and infectious diseases as well as the various roles he has played in the health sector around the world. A medical doctor by profession and global health leader, Pate holds an MBA from Duke University. He is currently a Julio Frenk Professor of Public Health Leadership at the Harvard Chan School of Public Health. He served as the Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population and then, Director of the Global Financing Facility at World Bank between 2019 and 2021. He led the World Bank’s US $18 billion COVID-19 global health response and represented it on boards, including those of GAVI Alliance, Global Fund and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. While serving as Minister of State for Health between 2011 and 2013, Pate steered the Saving One Million Lives Initiative, initiating the Midwives Service Scheme, and revived routine immunisation and primary health care at the national level, while advocating for the introduction and access of new vaccines to Nigeria at the international level.

Segun Showunmi, Ladi Adebutu on Warpath

Progress, APC and they pledged support to Senator Solomon Adeola, the APC Senatorial candidate in Ogun West and others. Numbering over 500, the defectors were led by Alhaji Hassan Ajibola, the Yewa South Coordinator of ADC, to meet Senator Adeola at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Field in Ilaro, Ogun State where they all declared their interest for the APC. At the event, Alhaji Ajibola downplayed the potentials of the ADC, stating that the party hardly stood a chance of making an impact in the forthcoming General Election. He said it was a waste of time to support Otegbeye's ambition because the party and its candidates were not involved in governance at any level in the country.

Lauding Senator Solomon's efforts in terms of infrastructural development and empowerment of the people across party lines, Ajibola added that the women and youth leaders of the party in Yewa South LGA had also left the ADC. This is not the first time that Otegbeye's political ambition will suffer a setback. He was recently reinstated by an Appeal Court in Ibadan as the governorship aspirant of the ADC after the Labour Party (LP) and APC separately dragged him to court for non-compliance with the Electoral Act in the conduct of their primary elections. A Federal High Court in Abeokuta, Ogun State had earlier disqualified him after Labour Party and APC filed a lawsuit against him. The court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove Otegbeye's name from its list. However, the Appeal Court overruled the judgement and reinstated him. Also, some traditional rulers led by His Royal Highness, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, the Eselu of Iselu in Ogun State stated that some royal fathers in Ogun State will not support his candidacy. Oba Akinyemi noted that traditional rulers in the state had agreed to back the Ijebu to clinch the governorship seat in 2023. They have thrown their weight behind Dapo Abidoun, who is an Ijebu man, in his re-election bid and there is no going back on their words.

The duo of Ladi Adebutu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State and his rival aspirant, Segun Showunmi, have resumed their animosity towards each other.

Both politicians have been at loggerheads with one another over the governorship seat in the state and it seems they have taken their political enmity to another level. Addressing party leaders in Abeokuta last week, Showunmi accused Adebutu of lacking respect and good human relations. He complained of paying a visit to the latter to commiserate with him on the death of his mother, but Adebutu failed to respond to the gesture.

Showunmi also accused Adebutu of pretending to be working for their party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, whereas he was in actual fact working against him. He went on to claim unwavering allegiance to Atiku and reiterating his displeasure with Adebutu, he vowed not to support Adebutu's political ambition. Not done, Showunmi said he was expecting the Supreme Court to rule against Adebutu’s ambition. He warned the latter not to be unduly excited ahead of the election.

Responding in a statement, the Director of Media, Ladi Adebutu/Akinlade's Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya described Showunmi's allegation as laughable and ludicrous. He labeled Showunmi a backstabber and a serial cheat who should not be taken seriously.

Stating that the PDP in Ogun was intact and peaceful, the statement noted that the party would not allow a man beclouded by selfish motives to stall its progress. It advised Showunmi to settle his differences with the PDP in an appropriate and civil manner and not drag others with him.

Oluboyo, Olemija Accused of Instigating Political Violence in Ondo

The duo of Lasisi Oluboyo, a former governor of Ondo State and erstwhile APC lawmaker representing Akoko Northeast Federal Constituency and Stephen Olemija, have been accused of instigating political violence in the state. The Olukare-in-Council, which made the accusation, described the activities of both men as treacherous to the people who sacrificed a lot to make them successful.

The Olukare-in-Council are a group of traditional chiefs saddled with the responsibility of choosing traditional rulers and maintaining law and order in a community.

Oluboyo and Olemija had held a meeting where they stated that there was a rotational agreement between Akoko North-East and

Akoko North-West Constituencies in the selection of candidates to represent them in the House of Representatives. According to them, the rotational agreement should begin in 2023. They said they would not support any candidate anointed by the Olukare-in-Council because it was not in line with the rotational agreement. However, the council disagreed with the two parties. They accused them of turning their back against the town that brought them into the limelight, stating that Olemija had nothing before the town made him council chairman three times and a voted him into the House of Representatives.

A former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, it was gathered, also brought Oluboyo from the gutter to the limelight by making him a deputy governor in the state. Unfortunately both men have turned around to wage war against the town. The Olukare-in-Council also dismissed the rumoured rotational agreement Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Constituencies, describing it as “beer parlour talk”. They stressed that the selection of a representative for the two local government areas would be jointly determined by the people.

The council added that Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, a member of the House of Reps representing Akoko NorthEast and Akoko North-West on the platform of the APC had been chosen by the town to contest in the 2023 election.