Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has rejected claims that he is acting against the interests of the Yoruba people in the National Assembly. Describing the accusations as unfounded and politically motivated, Bamidele emphasized that he has been faithfully representing Ekiti Central and the wider Yoruba community.
He denied making any statements about Biafra or regional government and labeled the allegations as fake news designed to discredit him.

Bamidele, also, said the claims “are baseless, false and unfounded,” noting that he had been dutifully serving the interests of Ekiti Central, Ekiti State, South-west and Nigeria by extension since his election into the National Assembly.

He made this clarification in a statement by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Wednesday, thereby challenging any person with audio-visual and documentary evidence to come out and present such.

Some media platforms had falsely attributed a statement to the senate leader that “If we allow the regional system in Nigeria, we would have automatically given the easterners Biafra.”

Faulting the statement on Wednesday, Bamidele said he never made such a statement, which he said, was an attempt to pitch him against the Yoruba and other ethnic nationalities in the federation.

He added that he did not make any statement about the regional government in line with the 1960 and 1963 Constitution at the 27th-28th September 2024 Senate Retreat on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

“The claim is far from the truth. I never spoke about the return to the regional government at any forum; neither did I make a claim that ‘If we allow the regional system in Nigeria, we would have automatically given the easterners Biafra.’

“It is a sheer case of misinformation and deliberate fake news, which do not in any way represent my worldview about federal governance structure,” Bamidele said.

Bamidele, however, warned that he would not hesitate to legally challenge any individual or establishment fabricating and circulating fake news against his person and office.

Currently, according to the senate leader, there is no proposal for the return to the regional government before the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on the Review of the 1999 Constitution.

He further said: “How then can I oppose the proposal that is not currently before the Constitution Review Committee? I believe this statement is politically motivated to discredit me before Nigeria as a whole.

“Already, the 10th Senate Constitution Review Committee has received 37 fresh constitution alteration bills. The Committee is also considering 16 constitution alteration bills inherited from the 9th National Assembly, making 53 alteration bills altogether.

“None of these alteration bills proposed the return to the regional federal governance structure as practised in the First Republic. Linking me to an anti-regional government is a deliberate attempt to tarnish my image. I am not working against the interest of the Yoruba. I will never do so for any reason,” he said.

As Nigeria celebrates its 64th Independence Anniversary, Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele has called on leaders across the nation to unite and address the challenges undermining national prosperity.
Reflecting on the country’s journey since gaining independence and 110 years of existence as a single political entity, Bamidele urged leaders to focus on what unites Nigeria rather than issues that further divide along ethnic, political, and religious lines.

In his statement, Bamidele emphasized the importance of tackling key national issues to build a resilient federation that works for all Nigerians.
He highlighted the ongoing review of the 1999 Constitution by the National Assembly, stressing the urgency of creating an efficient and responsive federal structure.

The Senate Leader noted that the National Assembly had already received 37 new memoranda, in addition to revisiting 16 constitutional amendment bills from the Ninth Assembly.
He called for more contributions from Nigerians on vital issues such as state police, diaspora voting, financial autonomy for local governments, judiciary independence, and representation for women in legislative bodies.

Bamidele assured the public that the constitution review process would be inclusive and would not leave any interest behind. He urged all stakeholders to work together to chart a new course for Nigeria’s future.

“Now is the time to forge a new path for our beloved fatherland,” he said, wishing the nation a Happy 64th Independence Anniversary.

***Tasks IGP on Excesses of Task Force Team

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has lauded the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to ensuring motorable federal highways across the country and the steps taken to stabilize the supply of petroleum products.

In a communique released after its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over the weekend, PTD-NUPENG commended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the approval of 13 road rehabilitation projects.
These include the Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ore-Ondo-Akure, Benin-Akure-Ilesha, Aba-Owerri, and Mubi-Maiduguri roads, among others.
The communique which was signed by
National Chairman, Comrades Augustine Egbon, and National Secretary, Oluchi Chinagorom, emphasized that these rehabilitations will enhance safety for members on the highways and ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.
The Union lamented that previous administrations had ignored their demands for better road infrastructure, which led to accidents, loss of lives, and damaged vehicles.

The Union also urged the government to prioritize the rehabilitation of the Calabar-Itu Federal Highway, highlighting its poor condition as a major hindrance to petroleum tanker movement.

Additionally, PTD-NUPENG acknowledged the government’s efforts in stabilizing the supply of petroleum products and called for further action to revive the nation’s four refineries.

However, the Union expressed concerns about the high-handedness of the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) Task Force aimed at preventing the movement of adulterated petroleum products.
They accused the Task Force of impounding tankers indiscriminately and urged the IGP to intervene, citing a specific case where a tanker on the Funtua-Kaduna road had been wrongfully detained for two months.

The NEC passed a vote of confidence in its national officers, commending their efforts to secure decent living wages for members and promote training for truck drivers.

The meeting was attended by prominent figures including NUPENG National President Comrade Williams Akporeha, representatives from the Rivers State DSS, the Police, and other stakeholders from the oil and gas sector.