Lawyers,activist and ordinary Nigerians waiting for Supreme Court review over Ekiti rigging poll.

The shocking revelation by the former Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary, Dr. Tope Aluko, that the June 21, 2014 governorship election was rigged in favour of Governor Ayo Fayose has dominated public discussions.

Dr. Temitope Kolawole Aluko, the erstwhile Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary in Ekiti State, has dominated the airwaves and headlines of major newspapers since January 31 when he appeared on Channels Television to drop a bomb shell on the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the Fountain of Knowledge.

He claimed that the election, which produced Governor Ayo Fayose of the PDP as winner, was rigged and never represented the wishes of Ekiti people across the 2,195 polling units in the 16 local government areas.

The university lecturer-turned politician had alleged the use of the military to harass, intimidate and oppress the opposition, thereby giving undue electoral advantage to the PDP. According to him, federal might was deployed to snatch victory from the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He also revealed that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $2 million before the PDP primary and $35 million for the governorship election.

According to him, the compromised military officers wore special armbands and were given specific areas of operations and targets to ensure that the opposition leaders and supporters were demobilised on election day.

He said officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were bribed N1 billion to favour the PDP during the contest.

Aluko’s claims are weighty. They have cast a thick pall of slur on the integrity of elections. Aluko backed his claims with several documents.

Some watchers of the unfolding drama in Ekiti are of the view that, although Aluko fell out with Fayose over the latter’s refusal to compensate him after the victory, the message he (Aluko) has passed is important for the appropriate authorities to take action.

A political analyst, Taiwo Olawuyi, said: “The message is very important and no attempt should be made to trivialise this matter. The revelation of TKO (Aluko) is more than enough for any 
country that is serious to save its democracy from being sabotaged because this is a felony against the State.

Aluko should be commended for risking his life to come out with these very shocking  revelations and it is not too late to remedy the situation. Although the state government has secured a warrant of arrest against him, but the question remains, did all what he said not happen? The message should be separated from the messenger.

“The Ekiti electorate have been shortchanged and this (June 21, 2014) governorship election could not pass for an election that pass the test of integrity. The same person (Fayose) could have emerged winner if this electoral coup was not committed against the people.

“I expect some actions to follow because if this one is swept under the carpet, we should expect more egregious electoral perfidy in the years ahead and the perpetrators must be made to face the 
consequences of their actions.”

Aluko was an insider and whatever he said should not be dismissed with a wave of the hand. He was an active participant in the process that started from the party’s congresses and culminated in the election.

Apart from his vantage position as the PDP Secretary, Aluko was the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee of the Fayose Campaign Organisation. He also served as his party’s Returning Officer during the election, as he was the PDP signatory to the official result sheet at the Collation Centre.

All these positions he held placed him at the ringside to know what really transpired as he kept custody of documents of the party and committees he was privileged to serve.

The relationship between Aluko and Fayose predated the political bond between them as the duo grew up in the same neighbourhood in Ibadan, Oyo State in the 60s.

They are from the same Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area. While Fayose is from Afao Ekiti, Aluko is from Iyin Ekiti. Aluko, although a teacher at the then Ekiti State University supported Fayose to emerge as the PDP candidate and eventually a governor.

Aluko’s ex-wife, Tosin, was a key member of the Ayo Fayose Foundation and Movement (AFFM), in the run-up to the 2003 governorship election.

Tosin was later elected as the Chairman of Ado Ekiti Local Government under the Segun Oni administration. She is at present a commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission 
under Fayose.

Throughout Fayose’s first stint in power, which ended abruptly in October 2006 through an impeachment by 24 of 26 members of the House of Assembly, Aluko was one of the members of Fayose’s intellectual think-tank.

As the 2011 general elections drew near, Aluko resigned from the Ekiti State University in March 2010 to contest for the House of Representatives in Ekiti Central 1 Constituency comprising Ado Ekiti and Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Areas.

Fayose and many members of his political family had moved to the Labour Party (LP) where he (Fayose) ran as senatorial candidate for Ekiti Central, which he lost to the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Babafemi Ojudu.

Aluko did not follow Fayose to the LP as he (Aluko) won the PDP House of Representatives ticket for Ekiti Central 1, but lost to the ACN candidate, Opeyemi Bamidele.

Having tasted the bitter pill of defeat in his quest for a senatorial seat on the platform of LP, some PDP loyalists, including Aluko, convinced Fayose to return to the PDP in 2011 to take another shot at the governorship seat.

But, for Fayose to realise the dream, he had many mountains to climb which include getting a waiver to return to the party and hijacking the party structure, which was then dominated by the Segun Oni Campaign Organization (SOCO) elements.

Former Minister of Police Affairs Navy Capt. Caleb Olubolade (rtd) teamed up with Fayose to upstage Oni at the PDP congress in March 2012 as their candidates won majority of the members 
of the State Working Committee (SWC).

Some key members of the SWC that emerged from the state congress supervised by former Secretary to the Kwara State Government, Alhaji AbdulGaniyu Cook Olododo, included Makanjuola Ogundipe (Chairman), Olufemi Bamisile (Deputy Chairman), Aluko (Secretary), Mrs. Busola Oyebode (Women Leader) Kola Oluwawole (Publicity Secretary), just to mention a few.

With these personalities, most of whom were loyal to Fayose, they had prepared the ground for the former governor’s comeback bid.

Before the governorship primary election, Aluko spearheaded the agitation for waiver to Fayose which was granted by the National Working Committee (NWC) headed by the former PDP National Chairman, Alhaji Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu and this gave him the green light to run as a 
candidate.

Controversies raged over the method to be adopted in selecting the party’s governorship candidate, with a section of the party led by former chairman Ogundipe rooting for consensus option while another section of the party with Aluko as the arrowhead championing the primary option.

President Jonathan and the national leadership of the PDP were convinced to adopt the primary option. Aluko kept custody of the register of delegates, which was believed to have been tilted in favour of Fayose, hence, his victory at the shadow poll.

The immediate cause of the feud between Fayose and Aluko was the governor’s alleged failure to honour “office sharing agreement” struck before the election. While Bamisile, the former PDP Deputy Chairman and a former Speaker of the House of Assembly, was pencilled for the deputy 
governorship slot, Aluko was to become the Chief of Staff.

Shortly after Fayose secured the ticket, he appointed Dr. Kolapo Olusola as his running mate, a move which angered Bamisile and forced him to defect to the APC. but Aluko stayed in the party, hoping to get the Chief of Staff position. But, that was not to be, as the governor appointed Chief Dipo Anisulowo from Are Ekiti.

Aluko’s name featured for appointment as Commissioner for Education and later as the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Chairman, given his academic background. But, Fayose gave these positions to Jide Egunjobi and Senator Bode Ola, a defector from the ACN.

With Fayose consolidating his hold on power, the party structure was his next target and an opportunity came when the erstwhile chair, Ogundipe, was nominated for the chairmanship of the party in the Southwest with the governor nominating his ally, Chief Idowu Faleye, as the acting 
chairman.

Aluko and other SWC members kicked against Faleye’s nomination on the grounds that it violated the PDP constitution which forbids two SWC members coming from the same ward. At the time of Faleye’s nomination, the Youth Leader was from the same Ido Ward 1 in Ido/Osi LGA with Faleye.

Eleven SWC members led by Aluko nominated Vice Chairman (Ekiti North Senatorial District), Tunde Olatunde, as the state PDP Acting Chairman, which polarised the party. Aluko and his group accused Fayose of serial violation of the party constitution and the crisis raged until Fayose with the support of the national leadership expelled Aluko and three others from the party.

Although the Ekiti governorship election has come and gone, some observers believe that the latest revelations from Aluko on what transpired at the last governorship election are issues that 
must not be swept under the carpet if Nigeria is to get it right in the sacred responsibility of electing leaders.

According to Aluko, who said he was part of Fayose’s inner circle during the election, alleged that Jonathan initially gave the incumbent Ekiti governor a first tranche of $2 million in March 2014 for the primary election.

He noted that this cash was collected at the NNPC headquarters in Abuja and was taken to Fayose’s private house, in Abuja before it was moved to Ekiti.

“Immediately after the primary election, we collected another $35 million from Jonathan on June 17, 2014. The money was brought to us by the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro.

“We all assembled at the front office of Spotless Hotel, Ado Ekiti, owned by Fayose. Thereafter, the cash was taken to a Bureau De Change in Onitsha where it was converted to N4.7 billion”, Aluko added.

Aluko, further alleged that Fayose received about N3 billion cash from  Buruji Kashamu in 2013 to revive the PDP in Ekiti State.

The Ekiti PDP scribe also gave account on how the military was used to win the election.

Aluko said: “The former President agreed with Fayose and summoned a security meeting at the Presidential Villa for the purpose of the election.

“Those at the meeting were the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshall Alex Badeh;
 former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.Gen. Kenneth Minimmah; and former National Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu.

“Others included Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, former Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and Obanikoro.

“At that meeting, the former President made it clear to the ex- Chief of Defence Staff that Fayose would stand for him (as Commander-In-Chief) in terms of providing security for the election”.

Aluko alleged that Fayose, relying on Jonathan’s directive, approached the former Commander of the Army Brigade in Akure, Brig. Gen. Dikko to take charge of the election for the PDP, who refused to cooperate and was replaced after a petition was filed against him.

“But, Gen. Dikko did not give us audience. He stated bluntly that he would not be available for 
such operation. So, Fayose filed a petition against him which led to his replacement with Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh who was amenable to our plans”.

Aluko alleged that a total of 64 PDP stalwarts who had knowledge of their local government areas were picked to provide information on opposition members.

“They gave detailed information regarding names and locations of opposition members in all the local governments, the various routes, areas of strength and weaknesses of the PDP in the 16 local governments.

“Today, most of these 64 hatchet men are members of the Senate, House of Representatives, state House of Assembly, commissioners, local government chairmen, special advisers and the rest,” Aluko said.

He continued: “We went into the election with 1040 recognised soldiers and another batch of 400 unrecognised soldiers brought from Enugu by Sen. Andy Uba.

“In addition, we raised 44 special strike teams; brought in Toyota Hilux buses from Abuja and Onitsha. We made special stickers for the vehicles that conveyed members of the strike teams and black hand bands for each of them.

“Each strike team was made up of 10 members headed by a soldier. The team was consisted of soldiers, policemen, DSS operatives and Civil Defence corps. They were detailed to attack and arrest prominent APC chieftains in all the local governments.

“We set up anchorage, mainly residential houses, in every local government where the strike team 
members collected their welfare and other allowances.

“To encourage the strike team members, we gave them orders to share money and other valuables they could lay their hands on in the houses of APC chieftains they raided.

“Then we set up detention camps, mainly in primary schools where most of the APC chieftains were detained. Others were detained in police stations where the DPOs were friendly with us. We let them off after the election was over.

“A day to the election, we used the military to block all routes in the local governments and prevented APC chieftains, including former Rivers State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi from coming into Ekiti.

“So, we ensured that no APC chieftain was in sight on election day. We provided polling agents 
for the APC in most of the polling units so we had no problem getting them to sign election results in the units.

“All these local and foreign observers that described the election free and fair only witnessed the voting exercise on election day without knowing what transpired before the voting”.

The revelations by Aluko, although coming a bit late has provided a challenge to some institutions like the police, DSS, INEC and the Judiciary to institute a further inquest into the Ekiti governorship electoral scandal which has dented the image of Nigeria in the international community.

The Army has has led the way by commissioning a probe into the involvement of some officers and men in the Ekiti rigging drama and came up with far-reaching decisions including compulsory retirement of two officers, loss of command by three officers and the prosecution of one for 
collecting financial gratification.

Fifteen officers are to be placed on watch list, nine officers to be further investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), six officers to face an audit committee and 62 officers mostly of the rank of Major and below) to be given Letters of Displeasure and to appear before their General Officers Commanding (GOCs) for counseling.

Human rights activist and lawyer Morakinyo Ogele, who hailed the military for taking the action, said the civilian collaborators like Obanikoro; Adesiyan; Omisore and Chris Uba must be prosecuted for their roles in the rigging scandal.

Ogele has vowed to approach the Federal High Court to seek a relief that the election should be declared null and void. He urged other well-meaning Nigerians not to keep quiet on the scandal, but to ensure that the electorate who were defrauded get justice.

He said the secret audio recording of the meeting of PDP chiefs and the military officers led by Gen. Aliyu Momoh is a fresh evidence, which was not looked into by the Election Tribunal, Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.

Ogele said: “Criminal matters are not statute-barred, they can be revisited no matter how long they had happened in the past. It is the function of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to take up the matter because he is the chief law officer of the country.

“Those who perpetrated these acts have committed heinous crimes against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act (as amended) and the full weight of the law must be brought on them.

“It must be investigated whether the $37 million allegedly spent on the Ekiti election are part of the funds meant for the purchase of arms believed to have been diverted into elections.

“It is in our electoral law that money should not be used unduly to influence election either to canvass for votes tor o subvert the electoral process. The criminal aspect of what happened at the Ekiti election should be looked into and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.

Share2

Tweet0