Ekiti election debacle: What hope for justice?

NO election crisis in the history of Nigeria’s political contest has lingered for so long and generated controversies and landmarks like the June 21, 2014 Ekiti State governorship election between a sitting Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Mr. Ayodele Fayose, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

In what has been described as a magic electoral contest between a man who was impeached over alleged sundry crimes, and a United Nations award-winning sitting Governor Kayode Fayemi in administrative style and performance, electoral victory for the former was a new political paradigm in political contest anywhere in the world. Fayose’s victory in that election caught political analysts napping.

Few days to the election, signs that Fayose had a trick under his sleeve began to manifest. In his campaign trail were armed policemen led by a Mopol Commander, who led assault against Governor Fayemi on the streets of Ado-Ekiti. During Fayemi’s campaign grand finale, Governors Adams Oshiomhole and Rotimi Amaechi of Edo and Rivers states were prevented by security agents from entering Ado-Ekiti to attend the rally.

Precisely on June 19, 2014, around 10 a.m., there was a red alert call from Akure Airport by a certain Fayemi’s sympathiser in PDP hinting of a comprehensive scheme to rig the election.

On phone, he told Fayemi’s media campaign team that two cargo airplanes loaded with INEC materials in crates were in Akure Airport. The caller also confirmed the presence of a bank bullion van and another truck packed close to the planes. The contents in the crates marked “INEC”, according to him, were being off-loaded into the truck and the bullion van. The media team ceaselessly took to the social media calling Nigerians’ attention to this suspicion of evil plot.

Late in the afternoon of same day, the same truck sighted at the Akure Airport was arrested along Efon-Alaye road by a team of soldiers on routine patrol. The military patrol team was led by a Brigadier General now at the centre of the election fraud facing dismissal from the military over his roles in the election. On the eve of the election, thousands of soldiers and DSS agents were unleashed on APC leaders and supporters. Fayemi’s Campaign Manager, Bimbo Daramola, was tipped off and so escaped arrest at his Ire-Ekiti home. But this was not so for his 80-year-old father who was tortured with all members of his household in lieu of the son with the policemen pointing gun to his head asking him to disclose the whereabouts of his son.

Hundreds of APC leaders and supporters arrested were not released until the end of the election. Several others ran into the bush for fear of arrest by soldiers while APC campaign officials were also arrested and party agents’ money on them confiscated by soldiers.

On election day, people went to vote without any incident, but the results that emerged shocked not only APC members, but also PDP members alike, who marvelled at how a candidate that had been deserted by his own party leaders and members and who scarcely campaigned in one-quarter of the state could win election in all the 16 local governments in the state against a performing governor supported by his party leaders and supporters.

Sensing danger, Fayemi, who was already in possession of intelligence that Ekiti State was meant for forceful take-over by PDP with consequent flow of blood by the Federal Government deployment of the military, quickly made a conditional concession of defeat to avert the bloodbath.

He had said:”If indeed this is the will of Ekiti people, I stand in deference to your will.”

The APC took the matter to the tribunal on the grounds of non-eligibility and militarisation of the polity but Fayose’s victory was affirmed. The APC took the matter to the Court of Appeal and again the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the lower court but with a caveat that the army should not be deployed for elections and that it was illegal for the President to have done so. Not satisfied, the APC took the matter to the Supreme Court especially on the grounds of militarisation of the election and non-eligibility of Fayose. Curiously, the Supreme Court granted Fayose a relief he didn’t seek by quashing his impeachment done by the State House of Assembly in 2006.

The Army Panel raised to probe that matter found several officers and soldiers guilty. According to the panel’s recommendations, some are to lose their commands, some will lose their jobs, some will face the EFCC while several others were recommended for further investigations.

More shocking now are the revelations by the State Secretary of PDP, Dr. Tope Aluko, detailing with documents how the election was rigged in Fayose’s favour.

Now that some military officers face sack and imprisonment, the question is: will a “small thief’ suffer for the crime committed jointly with a “bigger thief” in the Ekiti epic election fraud that has set tongues wagging since last year? Will the course of justice be served if the prime suspect in a treasonable offence is allowed to enjoy the benefit of his crime while those who only assisted through official complicity of the Federal Government are to bear the consequences of this crime against Nigerian Constitution?

It is on this note that necessary actions be taken by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice to ensure that no man constitutes a threat to the integrity of the Nigerian Constitution and democracy.

Failure to address Ekiti election fraud allegation squarely to ensure justice is a declaration that Nigerian Constitution is open to abuses by desperate politicians who consider themselves bigger than the law of the nation.

• Omolewa, a Lagos-based public affairs analyst, wrote from Ojodu, Lagos