Date Published: 09/17/09

Group calls for restrain over reports on Ekiti Tribunal

The Ekiti Abroad (TEA), a group comprising of Ekiti State indigenes based in America and Europe has cautioned the media over sensationalism of reports on the Governorship Election Petitions in Ekiti State, adding that the press should assist in uniting the State and not cause further disaffection among the people.

This was contained in the group’s reaction to a report in a national daily that there was an attempt to remove the Chairman of the Tribunal, Justice Hamma Barka for allegedly ‘’permitting too many exhibits’’ in the petition filed by the Action Congress (AC) governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, challenging the declaration of Governor Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the rerun governorship poll.

In a statement signed by its President, Mr. Gbenga Aina, the group said; “the media should be mindful of being used as a lapdog by opposition politicians whose only stock in trade is propaganda and cheap blackmail.”

“We read with disdain reports in a national daily, alleging that there was an attempt to remove the Chairman of the Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal, Justice Hamma Barka for ‘permitting too many exhibits’ in the petition over the rerun poll. We are also miffed by the reaction of one Yemi Ajibulu, a known member of the AC, who claimed to have spoken for Ekiti Parapo in North Carolina, United States.

“Without sounding partisan, the truth is that among the political parties in Nigeria, it is the AC that has tendency to alter the course of justice. The records are there for all reasonable minds to see.

“It was the AC that went to the extent of forging affidavit in the name of Mr. Adrian Forty, all in its bid to get justice through the back door. It was the same AC that got a ruling of the tribunal published three days before the ruling was delivered and up till now, no one has been told how the party got to know the workings of the tribunal. Again, it was the same AC that presented a forged Police Report to the tribunal in Osun State and also attempted to present a State Security Service (SSS) report that was not signed, dated and authored by anyone to the tribunal in Ekiti State.

“It is therefore ridiculous for a party with clear records of dishonesty to be the one making noise of an attempt to change the tribunal chairman for accepting video evidence that even a fool knows cannot assist the case of anyone.

“To us, it is also foolhardy for a learned person to be worried over the admission of video that were shot at a location yet to be determined several minutes after voting had been concluded as evidence.

“We therefore wish to appeal to the media to assist in exposing the hypocrisy of the opposition elements in Nigeria instead of helping them in their dirty game of cheap blackmail and propaganda. This is because the judiciary is the foundation on which our nascent democracy is being built and no individual or group should be allowed to rubbish it just to achieve their selfish political agenda,” Aina said.

While urging the Justice Bakar-led tribunal to remain focussed and in the discharge of its constitutional duties, the group said the tribunal must not allowed itself to be blackmailed or hoodwinked into delivering questionable judgment.