EKITI ELECTION WAS NOT RIGGED - Femi Falana.

EKITI ELECTION WAS NOT RIGGED - Femi Falana.

Were your surprised with the outcome of Ekiti governorship election?

I was flabbergasted by the outcome of the results. Based on several projections in the media I thought that Governor Kayode Fayemi was going to win the election.

Why did you say so?

Going by some development projects executed by the government, I had hoped that Fayemi would defeat his opponents. I never knew of the decision of the vital stakeholders in the state to vote him out of office. That decision was taken before the emergence of Mr. Ayo Fayose as the PDP governorship candidate. The loss of the election by Fayemi has nothing to do with ‘stomach infrastructure’ or the popularity of Fayose.

You think so?

On a critical analysis of the political situation in Ekiti State, Fayemi is a victim of the ideological crisis of his party, the APC. Of course, the arrogance of some of the governor’s aides who were allowed to wield enormous powers equally contributed to the loss of the election.

Do you think the Ekiti election was actually rigged?

The election in Ekiti was not rigged. I witnessed it. I spoke to people before and after the election. Fayemi gave a good concession speech.

But the APC has raised the possibility of photo-chromic ballot papers being used in favour of the PDP?

I have been told by many APC members that photo-chromic ballot papers were used. I think the allegation is bunkum. Unless the party is ready to confront the reality of the election it is not going to draw the vital lessons from it. There were protest votes against the government. Instead of questioning the credibility of the election the APC should engage in a critical review of the verdict of the electorate.

Is it right for the APC leadership to proceed to court after Fayemi conceded victory?

With respect to the validity of the result of the election there isn’t much to contest in court. Apart from the case filed by the E-11, a socio-cultural group which is challenging the competence of Fayose to contest the election in court in view of his impeachment, I do not believe his victory at the polls should be challenged in an election petition tribunal. To that extent, the APC ought to build on Fayemi’s concession speech and reorganise its affairs.

However, the APC should sue the Federal Government in a Federal High Court to justify the restriction of the movement of some governors, the arrest of a serving commissioner in Fayemi’s cabinet and 14 other unarmed protesters at Ado Ekiti who were later transferred to Abuja and charged with terrorism, the arrest of 25 party members on election day, the militarisation of the electoral process, the imposition of curfew and other incidents of impunity carried out by the army, the police and other gendarmes before and during the election. A government which cannot maintain adequate security in the North-East region which has been overrun by insurgency ought to justify the deployment of 36,790 soldiers, police and civil defence personnel, all bearing arms and terrorising people including those who have no business with the election