The police on Friday arraigned tens person’s before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court for their alleged involvement in vote buying during last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
Police prosecutor Femi Fałade tołd the court that they allegedly offered money to voters to induce them to vote for their parties at the poll.
Falade said the offence contravened Section 130 (a) and 130 (b) of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
The accused persons are Olowosile Eunice, Ajayi Modupe, Ayodele Omolara, Suliat Habib, Udoh Anthony, Oyebola Kemi, Roseline Tunde, Odunayo Toyin and Babalola Esther.
Falade, said that the accused persons and others at large , whose addresses were not disclosed in Court committed the offence on July 13 at Ojaoba shopping complex in Ado-Ekiti.
He alleged that Olowosile Eunice, did corruptly offered money to other accused persons to unduly influence them to vote for her political party during the July 14, governorship election in Ekiti State.
Falade also alleged that, Ajayi Modupe and other accused persons, being voters, did corruptly accept money from Olowosile Eunice to vote at the Ekiti State Governorship Election held on July 14, 2018.
The prosecutor asked the Court for an adjournment to enable him study the case file and assemble his witnesses.
The defendants pleaded not guilty, and their lawyer, Mr Chris Omokhafe, urged the Court to grant the defendants bail, promising that they would not jump bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adesoji Adegboye, in his ruling granted each defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with one surety each in like sum.
Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose on Tuesday appeared in public for the first time since his deputy, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, lost the governorship election held on Saturday.
Olusola, who contested as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, was defeated by the governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Fayose visited the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adeyemo Adejugbe, on Thursday at his palace where he alleged that he and his supporters were still being persecuted by the Federal Government after losing election on Saturday.
The governor alleged that his security aides who were withdrawn on the eve of the election are yet to be restored, a situation he said has exposed him to danger.
He also claimed that about 400 PDP members are still being detained saying harassing him is not in the interest of democracy.
Fayose further told the Ewi that the Government House was invaded by security forces and his wife prevented from gaining access to their official residence after election on Saturday.
The governor urged the Ewi and other traditional rulers to intervene and save him from further punishment by the Federal Government as his mandate expires on October 15.
Fayose said: “I have come to officially tell your sir, as the Paramount Ruler of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, that the Government House was invaded by the police.
“Over 400 of our members are being detained as we speak now. After the poll on Saturday, my wife was prevented from entering the Government House for about 45 minutes.”
“Since last Wednesday, security agents had laid siege to the Government House, and were subjecting people to untold hardship coming in or going out.”
“The poll has come and gone irrespective of what we went through. The constitution says I am still the governor till October 16 this year. Our state radio and television stations have been shut down. And there has been no means of getting across to our people.”
“It was only this morning that security agents at the entrance of the Government House were withdrawn. If we have been robbed I still have a right to life and my family has a right to life too.”
“The man that won has three units of the police protecting him. All my security men have been withdrawn since last Wednesday. I am only left with just a few.”
“Harassing me is not on the interest of democracy. People must intervene before things go out of hand. I don’t know why we should be in this situation in 2018.”
The Ewi sympathized with Fayose and promised that the traditional rulers would intervene and make representations to the appropriate authorities.
While thanking God that nobody died during the election, the royal father appealed to the relevant security agencies to restore Fayose’s security aides to him.
Oba Adejugbe said: “As if we knew, monarchs arranged many meetings before the election and pleaded with everybody that before, during and after the poll, we don’t want any trouble.
“We said then that whoever wins, there should be no problem. The way I see you, I know something is happening. You rarely wear this type of dress to the palace.
“I will convey your message to the Oloye of Oye-Ekiti, who is the Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and we spoke this morning and we were worried about your whereabouts.
“I appeal to security agencies that they should restore your personnel to you as the sitting governor. As Ekiti leaders, we will intervene.
You, Fayemi and Eleka are our sons. Peace must be allowed to reign. We need peace in our state.”
A civil society organization, CLEEN Foundation has advocated against deployment of soldiers for security purposes at future elections.
Reviewing the conduct of Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, the group described deployment of the military for election duties as “contentious” and should be reconsidered.
Another civil society organization, the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) urged parties and candidates aggrieved with the result of the election to seek redress at the tribunal and not to resort to violence.
Addressing a news conference in Ado-Ekiti, CLEEN Foundation Assistant Programmes Manager, Mr. Wole Ojewale, described election as a civil matter which should not involve deployment of soldiers.
He explained that there is need to pay more attention to the welfare needs of security agents so as to get them fully motivated and committed to the tasks of electoral security.
Police authorities, he added, should learn from the success of the Ekiti experience and always pay their officers ahead of election days.
Ojewale said part of the recommendations of the group was that all security agents deployed for election duties should be made to sign an oath of allegiance to Police Service Commission Guidelines for the Conduct of Police Officers on Electoral Duty.
He explained that the violation of the oath, if the recommendation is adopted, should attract severe penalty.
NIGAWD, in a statement on Monday by its Executive Director, Abimbola Aladejare, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the youth, security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the day of election.
Aladejare said: “Election Day proceedings were very peaceful. The challenges observed included a few cases of ballot box snatching and vote buying.
The youth, security operatives and INEC conducted themselves very well. We commend Ekiti youth for rejecting violence in a resounding manner and coming out to vote for the candidates of their choice.”
First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me.-Martin Niemoller
Whatever took place in Ado-Ekiti last Wednesday, a day after the display of positive power by movers and shakers of All Progressives Congress and current governance of the country, it will be important for the growth of democracy for citizens to know what exactly took place: why and to what effect. So far, the conflicting claims include that Fayose did not get police permission to lead a rally on that day and Fayose’s supporters claimed that permission was secured to use the pavilion. The police said that its men tried to prevent a clash between Fayose’s party and Fayemi’s party. But Fayose’s supporters claimed that the police dispersed his men and women with teargas, making Fayose to sustain an injury that took him to the hospital. It is never an easy task to get to the root of most things about partisan politics in our society, but this is what a commission of inquiry can do.
Citizens who were excited in 2015 when transition from one civilian government to another went without violations of human rights must be alarmed by the regression now in vogue in Ado-Ekiti. In 2015, this column joined many others in celebrating the advent of electoral democracy that the country had not experienced for a very long time since June 12, 1993 presidential elections. For the event of last Wednesday in Ekiti not to bring back sad memories about the practice of partisan politics in the country, there is need for the federal government to investigate police officers who used teargas when the deputy inspector did not “tell them to do so.” Such intervention from security can give the impression of partiality on the part of the police.
Not many citizens between the age of 15 and 45 may know that repression of opposition parties has been part of the culture of electioneering in the country from the beginning of its electoral history. In 1959, it was hard and impossible in many parts of Northern Region for members of the Action Group to campaign freely. In 1964 and 65 in Western Region, forces of Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP) harassed members of the Action group before, during, and after regional and federal elections. Candidates were incriminated by government agents. Some candidates were charged for stealing goats and put in prison to prevent them from taking part in campaigns. Similarly, in 1979 and 1983, many journalists from Western Region were intimidated and harassed out of many parts of the North before election days by security forces in support of National Party of Nigeria. It was overcoming such moments of darkness that inspired democrats to resist annulment of Abiola’s election. It was also the free atmosphere for citizens to choose their rulers that made many Nigerians to celebrat in 2015 when the election that brought President Buhari into power was without intimidation and repression of members of opposition parties. Overzealous security agents must be prevented from taking the country back to the dark age of our electoral politics.
What could have been the reason to turn Ekiti which enjoyed the peace and excitement of a festival on Tuesday during the campaign of APC into a space of weeping by PDP members barely 24 hours later? It is only the security forces deployed to Ekiti that can tell the nation why the sudden descent into such primitive and barbaric acts at a time that citizens believe that politicians have accepted to work in compliance with the rule of law. Fayose may not be the most civil politician, but he is not in the wrong to want to campaign for his candidate on Wednesday for an election that is to hold on Saturday. If he had tried to campaign on Friday, he would have been at fault, but certainly not on Wednesday. Why would he be denied the right to hold a rally in support of his own candidate 24 hours after the opposing party had its own dance toward power in the same state? So civil was APC’s campaign on Tuesday that some of the leaders of the party even tried to campaign for Fayose. Why would the police get so enthusiastic about preventing a breakdown of law and order that it would destroy the gains of several years in the country’s political culture? Why would people deployed to keep peace be the source of crisis?
The space given to our police for errors seems to be too large. Fayose could have been killed by a stampede and that could throw Ekiti into chaos or anarchy. Does our country need such a problem at a time that the country is virtually at war with itself – Boko Haram, herdsmen’s killings, killing by cattle rustlers, etc? Security agents ought to be reminded of the proverb, ‘Discretion is a greater part of valour.’ It is noteworthy that a relatively senior police officer has finally acknowledged that something was wrong in the handling of PDP’s proposed rally by the police. But it is premature for the Deputy Inspector to promise to avoid a repeat of a violation that has not been fully acknowledged. Thus, the latest response from Deputy Inspector Habilal Joshak: “What I said was that those massing for the rally should be asked to leave because it is not good going by the mood of the state now to hold rally or street procession. I didn’t say they should use force. This is an election and electioneering is a civil matter anywhere across the globe, so police as security agents can’t use force on the people. But I want to assure the good people of Ekiti State that such mistake will never repeat itself,” is certainly more civil than what is usual with the Nigeria Police Force. However, this statement is not enough to put this unprovoked attack on democracy behind us. The attack on Fayose and his supporters, and by extension, on tolerance of opposition that democracy requires deserves a more robust acknowledgement that the police had been out of order in its overreaction in Ekiti last Wednesday.
There are many matters arising from the sudden use of police power in Ekiti. One such matter is the claim that it is only a central police force that can be depended on not to abuse police power. With a state police in Ekiti State, the chances are high that many of the police in such a homogenous state may be relations or neighbours. Would such people have acted with such venom as was displayed last Wednesday? Given the readiness of Fayemi’s opponents before the primary to solidarise with him immediately after the primary, there is no doubt that Ekiti people are politically mature people. Why would the police ignite an unnecessary crisis a few days to the election? Couldn’t the police have imagined that such intolerance of Fayose and his party supporters could have tarnished the candidacy of Fayemi? They ought to have given this scenario a thought if they were prepared to use discretion. Police attack on Fayose and PDP members when they acted within their rights can lead to post-election hostility among such a closely-knit state as Ekiti. Many of us from other states were thrilled when Fayose came out to support the nomination of Fayemi for ministerial appointment in 2016, calling him a worthy son of Ekiti.
What kind of federalism leaves state governors without a security system loyal to him or her as the symbol of the state, as the federal police is expected to be loyal to the president? The deficit in the country’s federal democracy has been underlined by the poor political literacy of the police in Ekiti. Could any state governor in the United States, Canada, or Belgium have been disrespected the way Fayose was, regardless of Fayose’s love of histrionics or theatrics?
The civilised international community which praised Nigeria in 2015 for peaceful conduct before and during the elections is being made by the excesses of the police on Wednesday to see the experience of 2015 as a fluke. A way out of this embarrassing situation is for the police to apologise for what Deputy Inspector Joshak has acknowledged as a mistake or be probed to determine why such mistake was made.
Motor parks in Ado-Ekiti on Friday became beehive of activity with eligible voters travelling out of the state Ekiti state capital to travel to their different homes to cast their votes in the July 14 governorship election in the state.
It was gathered it that the popular Ilesa Park, Old Garage Park, and Ikere park all located in Ado-Ekiti were filled with passengers, most of who are voters.
Investigations showed that few buses were available to convey voters and other passengers as most of the buses had been booked by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
One of the commercial drivers, Mr. Omololu Gbenga who spoke to the media, a lot of people had been traveling to their homes to vote in the exercise as early as 8 a.m.
He explained that the voters were traveling because most of them registered in their towns.
“I have been travelling to Oye, Efon and Aramoko since morning and most of my passengers are those clamouring to visit their towns to vote.
“I pray this election is conducted free and fair because our people are suffering and we need to vote for the right leader,” he said.
Another commercial driver, Mr. Omolade Tayo, said most of the passengers were interested in traveling to their towns to vote and collect money from some of the politicians.
He said virtually all the motor parks in Ado-Ekiti had been busy but that transport fare had not increased.
Mr Ogundare Bisi, also a commercial driver, said he had more passengers traveling to their various towns to participate in the election either as observers or as an electorate.
A passenger, Mrs Owolabi Folasade, who also spoke with NAN, said she decided to travel to her hometown to cast her vote for the governorship candidate of her choice.
Other passengers said they decided to travel to their homes to participate in the exercise because they did not want to be disenfranchised.
Several voters were given money Friday by politicians to vote for particular candidates in Saturday’s election.
Those who spoke to our correspondents on condition of anonymity said they got N4, 000 each.
Our correspondents, who were at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) office where newsmen were being accredited, noticed that people were steadily streaming in and out of the Old Governor’s office in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State capital.
Those seen going in and out of the premises were mostly youths as well as middle-aged men and women.
While some ran into the premises apparently to get there before the sharing ended, others walked briskly towards an inner building.
A woman was overheard raining curses on some people she claimed collected money twice.
She wondered why some would collect twice while others were yet to collect once.
She said: “A vehicle will kill all of those that collected twice!”
The parks of Fero Mobile F110 Phone that was distributed at the old Governor’s office, Oke Bareke, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State
One of our correspondents approached her and said: “Take it easy madam. You’re a mother. You shouldn’t curse others that way.”
She said: “The cheating is too much. Some people have not collected, while some have collected twice. It’s not fair.”
When our correspondent sought to know who was sharing the money, she said: “I’m not a radio. Leave me, I am annoyed.” Then she walked away.
Several people were seen trying to gain access to the gated inner building within the premises.
Those coming out of the building told those outside that they must be sure of the wards they were registered to vote.
Someone was overheard saying that having a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) was required to receive the cash.
Some of the voters were seen grumbling that they could not locate their names on the list.
Those whose names were not in the list were asked to go to different locations where money for their wards was being shared.
A young man who was coming out of the premises was asked if he had collected his own money.
He was initially reluctant to respond. But when our correspondent spoke to him in Ekiti language, he opened up.
He said his name was not found in the ward list, and that he was directed to another ward.
Asked how much was being shared, he said: “Some get N2, 000; others get N4, 000” as he hurriedly left.
A woman was seen telling her friend that without her voter’s card, she would not be given the money.
A group of four women were seen talking animatedly. Three of them had succeeded in collecting their cash, but the fourth woman could not collect hers because she did not bring her PVC along.
The other women, while consoling her, said: “After all, you collected rice yesterday. At least you got something.”
More people soon gathered at the entrance, banging on the gate. They accused those sharing the money inside of planning to pocket what is left. Some shouted: “Ole, ole!”
A female security guard opened the gate soon after and everyone trooped into the compound, with pushing and shoving. The gate was shut again as more people gathered.
A middle-aged bearded man, apparently a party leader, warned those who had collected theirs and were leaving not to allow any “APC member” near the place.
Looking around as if to identify “APC members” outside the premises, he shouted: “Don’t allow any APC member near here. If any APC member comes near here, I will break his head.”
Empty packs of F1100 Power Torch Fero Mobile phones littered the scene and around the Old Governor’s Office.
It was not immediately clear if the phones were earlier shared to the voters.
Vote buying and inducement is a common theme in most elections, with major political parties culpable.
As it becomes increasingly difficult to alter election results or adopt other forms of rigging, vote buying and inducement has become the preferred option for garnering votes.
The Ekiti Governorship election is seen as a two-horse race between the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Dr Kayode Fayemi and his People’s Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart Prof Kolapo Olusola-Eleka.
Former Anambra governor and now Labour and Productivity Minister, Chris Ngige said on Tuesday in Ado Ekiti that no gang up would stop President Buhari’s re-election in 2019.
Ngige said that the gang up against the President by some leaders would fail ahead of next year election, noting that he has brought sanity to the Nigeria’s economy compared to what he met when he assumed office in 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria, (NAN) reports that the former Senator who spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti state capital during the grand finale mega rally of the All Progressives Congress, described the parties forming alliance against the president as “mushroom”.
He said the APC, which first evolved as Action Congress and later Action Congress of Nigeria before its current name of APC, had remained a progressive party with the vision and mission of uplifting the lives of Nigerians.
The former governor said the people of Ekiti should vote wisely by electing Dr. Kayode Fayemi of APC on Saturday, so as to be part of progressives.
According to him, parties gathering to unseat Buhari are just wasting their time as nothing will stop President Buhari from winning 2019 Presidential election.
“All the gang up against the President will fail and he is going to win with landslide victory. It is obvious that before now, there was strong opposition against President Buhari by same past Nigerian leaders, but their plan to stop him then failed.
“I can equally assure you that their gang up now will still fail because those who say Buhari should not run in 2019 are afraid that they may be forced to cough out the public fund they embezzled through dubious means, “he said.
He accused Governor Ayo Fayose of impoverishing the people of Ekiti state, especially the Igbo traders by his refusal to pay backlog of salaries.
He noted that the non-payment of salaries was fast destroying the businesses of many Igbo people that are into trading in the state, saying a vote for Fayemi would address the current situation.
The Ekiti State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP ) has challenged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is also a former governor of the state, Dr Kayode Fayemi, to show the people of the state the projects he executed with the N25 billion bond he took from the Capital Market during his tenure.
Throwing the challenge in a statement in Ado-Ekiti Friday, the PDP State Chairman, Chief Gboyega Oguntuase, said rather than executing projects with the loan, Fayemi only put the state into serious debts that would affect the welfare of the people for years to come.
Oguntuase urged voters in the state to come out in large number next Saturday and vote for the PDP candidate in the poll, Prof Kolapo Olusola, and allow for the continuity of the peace, progress and harmony being enjoyed in the state.
“Thank God that though they have been denying some many atrocities they committed while in office from 2010 to 2014, there is no way they can deny borrowing N25 billion from the Capital Market. Everybody in the state knows this.
Unfortunately, they cannot show the people what they spent the money on.
“In the prospectus published to explain how the loan would be utilised, they listed various projects. Among the projects are a new Governor’s Office, a new Ojaba Market, a flyover, a state pavilion and a new Government House. Where are the projects? The people are asking.
“The flyover was built in their stomachs. The Governor’s Office never existed. That is after they committed N100 million to scrape a parcel of land near the House of Assembly Complex. For the Ojaba Market, they only erected a giant billboard at the entrance of the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti.
“They took the first tranche of the loan, that is N20 billion in 2012 and the second tranche of N5 billion few months to the 2014 governorship election. This is apart from the huge monthly allocations and over N46 billion got from the Excess Crude Oil Account. Ekiti people are asking Fayemi and the APC what they did with the money,” he said.
The PDP boss noted that the actions and inactions of Fayemi not only led the state into debts, but had mortgaged the state in some ways.
He explained that the state spends over N1.1 billion monthly to service the debts from its statutory allocations.
“The monthly deductions have been denying the state revenue that would have been used to pay workers salary, provide more facilities for the people to enjoy and even make provisions for the future of the state and the people,” he noted.
Oguntuase added that since Fayemi failed when entrusted with the leadership of the state for four years, he should not expect the people of the state to now commit their welfare and future into his hands.
