#EkitiGate: Governor Fayose Tears Army Apart

 

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state has reacted to the report submitted by the Nigerian Army panel that was set up to investigate the alleged unprofessional conduct of its personnel during the Ekiti, Osun, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states governorship election.
The governor in a statement issued on Monday, January 11, by his special assistant on public communications and new media, Lere Olayinka, said:
“To all intent and purposes, the report can only be useful to the army and one is not surprised because the panel must do the biddings of those who set it up.”
Fayose who insisted he won the governorship poll in a free and fair contest urged Nigerians to ask the Army if it was their personnel that assisted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to win the Presidential, National Assembly and state House of Assembly elections last year in the state.
He said: “Reacting to the panel report was just to put the records straight as all legal avenues regarding election into the office of a state governor had been explored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and judgments entered against the party by the Tribunal, Appeal Court and the Supreme Court, which is the final court on governorship election matters. As at today, dispute on the governorship election has become functus officio.
“Because as a general rule, once a tribunal has reached a final decision in respect to the matter that is before it in accordance with its enabling statute, that decision cannot be revisited because the tribunal has changed its mind, made an error within jurisdiction or because there has been a change of circumstances.”
Fayose reminded Nigerians that the US Department of State and other International Observers whom were on ground on the day of the election in their reports lauded the conduct of the exercise. He said their reports indicated that: “the process was credible and efficient, and that security forces collaborated effectively in providing a safe environment free of major incidents.
“The International Observers could be said to be the only organizations whose position on the election cannot be said to have been influenced by partisanship or monetary benefits because they have observed elections in other countries of the world and provided credible reports.”

The governor pointed out that, international observers extolled the role of the military during the election, especially for creating a safe environment and averting violence in major polling units. He then wondered why the same institution that was praised by credible foreign observers would turn around to start indicting itself to please the present government.
“Now that the military has indicted itself, goodluck to them. Meanwhile, we await whatever hidden agenda behind this self-indictment,” Fayose said.
The governor’s statement is in reaction to the recommendation of a panel of investigation set on the conduct of army officers during the Ekiti and Osun states gubernatorial election.
Recall that the Nigerian Army set up an investigative panel to look into the alleged unprofessional role played by its personnel after Captain Sagir Koli, last year revealed a video recording that allegedly exposed plans by his commanding officer and top officials of the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to rig the June 21, 2015 governorship election in Ekiti state.
In a related development, Vanguard reports that the Ekiti state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has faulted Governor Fayose over his comments against President Muhmmadu Buhari. The APC said the governor has no democratic credentials and integrity to accuse Buhari of being a tyrant and a threat to the survival of democracy in the country.