A former Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, has clinched the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s ticket for the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the Sunshime State.

Ajayi, a former deputy governor during the first tenure of the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, trounced six other aspirants to get the PDP’s ticket.

He was declared winner of the indirect primary held at the International Culture and Events Centre in Akure on Thursday.

Ajayi trounced Bamidele Akingboye, Adeolu Akinwumi, Sola Ebiseeni, John Mafo, Kolade Akinjo and Bosun Arebuwa.

Of the total valid votes of 619, Ajayi polled 264, followed by Akinjo who got 157 votes and Ebiseeni who scored 99 votes.

Ajayi would lock horns with other candidates including Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa who recently secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket for the November 16, 2024 election in the state.

Ajayi left the APC after a fallout with Akeredolu in 2021. He was Ondo deputy governor between February 2017 and February 2021. Ajayi later went to Zenith Labour Party and became the party’s governorship candidate in the 2020 election in the state. He competed against Akeredolu but lost.

Interestingly, Aiyedatiwa was also a former deputy governor of Ondo State, but during the second term of Akeredolu. Aiyedatiwa was sworn in last December after his principal’s death.

Telecoms operators including MTN, Airtel and Globacom have pushed for cost-reflective tariff in view of extant economic realities.

This was contained in a statement jointly released by the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Thursday. The statement was co-signed by ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo; and ATCON’s President Tony Emoekpere.

The telcos called upon the government to take decisive action in addressing the numerous challenges confronting the telecommunications industry.

The telcos said telecommunications infrastructure development requires substantial investments in network expansion, maintenance, and technology upgrades.

“Despite the adverse economic headwinds, the telecommunications industry remains the only industry yet to review its general service pricing framework upward in the last (11) years, primarily due to regulatory constraints.

“For a fully liberalized and deregulated sector, the current price control mechanism, which is not aligned with economic realities, threatens the industry’s sustainability and can erode investors’ confidence.

“ATCON and ALTON call upon the government to facilitate a constructive dialogue with industry stakeholders to address pricing challenges and establish a framework that balances consumers’ affordability with operators’ financial viability,” the statement partly read.

Regarding the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telcos also said regulatory neutrality and independence are crucial to ensuring a thriving telecommunications sector.

“Statutory provisions lend credence to this notion, as a lack of an impartial regulator will lead to a failure to maintain public confidence in the objectivity and independence of its decisions,” the statement added.

The prime minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, resigned his position on Thursday, paving the way for a new government to be formed in the Caribbean country.

According to CBS News, Henry presented his resignation in a letter dated April 24 and signed in Los Angeles by his office.
The development occurred the same day a council tasked with choosing a new prime minister and cabinet for Haiti was due to be sworn in.

The interim council was set to be installed more than a month after Caribbean leaders announced its creation, following an emergency meeting to tackle Haiti’s spiralling and parallel political and crime crises.

The nine-member council, of which seven have voting powers, is also expected to help set the agenda of a new cabinet. It will also appoint a provisional electoral commission, a requirement before elections can take place, and establish a national security council.

Haiti has been facing security challenges since February.

Recall that gangs launched coordinated attacks in the capital, Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas.

The assailants burned police stations and hospitals opened fire on the main international airport that has remained closed since early March, and stormed Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.