Prominent lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has berated the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), for its botched primary election in Ekiti State.
Falana described the exercise, which held last Saturday, to determine the party’s flag bearer at the forthcoming governorship elections in the state, “as a shameful outing” which “exposed the people of Ekiti State to unprecedented embarrassment and ridicule.”
“Instead of apologising for the shameful outing, some members of APC have threatened to deploy the so called federal might to force themselves on the people. Such anti democratic forces are going to be disgraced during the forthcoming gubernatorial election.
“It is particularly embarrassing that the ruling party which had campaigned for electoral reforms can turn round to make a mockery of the democratic process as was witnessed in the Ekiti state primary,” he said.
The legal practitioner condemned the ruling party’s conduct during the exercise stating that it is not surprising “since the ruling party has continued to encourage the monetization of politics.”
He said: “In the case of Ekiti state, the APC national secretariat extorted N8 million from each of the 33 aspirants who took place in the botched primary. As if the illegal collection of the sum of N244 million from the aspirants was not enough the APC delegates in Ekiti State turned the democratic process into a bazaar market where a particular aspirant had promised to buy each of the votes of the 2,700 delegates for N1 million! How would an aspirant who bribed delegates and voters with billions Naira not recoup such reckless expenses?
“However, the conduct of the primary election of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State last Tuesday in the State was peaceful and orderly. It is highly commendable. The APC and other political parties that are currently conducting primaries in Ekiti State are enjoined not to engage in any form of violence.
“We are not unaware of the empty threats of some desperate aspirants who have threatened to deploy the so called “federal might” and stolen funds to force themselves on the people. We call on the Nigeria Police Force to ensure that all those who engage in the breakdown of law and order during the primaries and the governorship election are arrested and prosecuted.
“Let all the political parties be warned to desist from fielding aspirants who have engaged in the looting of the treasury of the poor Ekiti State. In view of the war against corruption being prosecuted by the Mohammadu Buhari administration the Ekiti people are advised not to vote for candidates who are standing trial for the criminal diversion of funds belonging to the Ekiti people,” he said.