When the independent national electoral commission declared Mr. Peter Ayo
\nFayose as the elected governor of Ekiti State on June 21, 2014,\u00a0 the
\ncandidate of the APC, Governor Kayode Fayemi conceded defeat in the
\nelection. Observers who monitored the election unanimously concluded that
\nthe election won by Mr. Ayo Fayose was fair and free. Based on available
\nevidence at the material time,\u00a0 Mr. Femi Falana SAN also confirmed that
\nthe election was won by Mr. Fayose. In saying publicly that\u00a0 Mr. Fayose
\nwon the election Mr. Falana offended the APC leaders who were convinced
\nthat the election was rigged in favour of the winner by the federal
\ngovernment. To demonstrate that he\u00a0 does not subscribe to Mr. Fayose’s
\nprimitive ideology of “stomach infrastructure” Mr. Falana\u00a0 refused to join
\nthe legal team of the APC which challenged the validity of the election at
\nthe election petition tribunal up to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
However,\u00a0 in recent time, earth shaking revelations have\u00a0 been credited to
\nthose who took part in the illegal use of armed soldiers to manipulate
\nthe election in favour of Mr. Fayose. When the revelations of Captain
\nSagir Koli who recorded the conversation of the electoral bandits
\nincluding\u00a0 the altercation between General Aliyu Momoh and Mr. Fayose were
\npublished last year there were denials by the dramatis personae. Even
\nthough Mr. Fayose initially denied the recording and attempted to
\ndiscredit it he later admitted his role in the sordid affair. Embarrassed
\nby the incident,\u00a0 the authorities of the Nigerian Army instituted a panel
\nof inquiry\u00a0 to probe the\u00a0 role of military personnel in the Ekiti and Osun
\nstates’ governorship elections. The panel carried out its assignment and
\nrecommended that 62 army officers and soldiers who were involved\u00a0 in the
\ncriminal enterprise be sanctioned. In the ongoing investigation into the
\ncriminal diversion of $8 billion earmarked for the purchase of arms and
\narmament,\u00a0 the Economic and Financial Commission has traced N4.8 billion
\nto a former defence minister for the funding of the coup de tat.<\/p>\n
The secretary of the Ekiti state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party,
\nDr. T. K . Aluko has since given a detailed account of the military coup
\nthat ensured the “victory” of Mr.Fayose in the disputed election. One
\nOlalere Olayinka, a personal assistant to\u00a0 Mr. Fayose was unable to
\nchallenge the grave allegations made by Dr. Aluko. For want of credible
\ndefence in the circumstance the Ekiti state government is alleged to have
\nobtained an ex parte order for the arrest of Dr. Aluko. But since the
\nallegations are too serious to be swept under the carpet the State
\nSecurity Service and the EFCC have intervened with a view to interrogating
\nand prosecuting\u00a0 all the suspects who took part in the criminal activities
\ncommitted during the election.<\/p>\n
In the light of available fresh evidence on the fraudulent manipulation of
\nthe election Mr. Falana was compelled to review his position. It is on
\nrecord that he is not the only one who has questioned the credibility of
\nthe election in view of the revelations credited to some of the civilian
\nand military personnel who staged the coup. In other words,\u00a0 Mr Falana
\nmade his comment immediately after the election last year based on the
\ninformation at his disposal.\u00a0 \u00a0Therefore, the allegation\u00a0 of inconsistency
\non the part of Mr. Falana is a figment of Mr. Fayose’s warped imagination.
\nHaving consistently demanded the prosecution of all the wicked criminals
\nwho shared in the looting of the fund for procurement of arms\u00a0 Mr. Falana
\nhas called for the arrest and trial of Mr. Fayose and his cohorts\u00a0 over
\nthe N4.8 billion deployed\u00a0 to perpetrate the grave electoral malfeasance
\nthat characterised the last Ekiti state governorship election. In
\nparticular,\u00a0 Mr. Falana stated that Mr. Fayose should be tried since he
\nwas a candidate and not a governor when the serious electoral offences
\nwere committed by him. For his contention that the governor’s immunity
\ndoes not cover his impunity\u00a0 Mr. Falana cited several decisions of the
\nSupreme Court and the Court of Appeal. With respect to fresh facts which
\nhave established that the election was marred by monumental fraud Mr.
\nFalana has opined that the Supreme Court could be approached by the APC
\nto review its judgment on the endorsement of the election of Mr. Fayose
\nsince it is trite law that any judgment obtained by fraud is liable to be
\nset aside.<\/p>\n
Instead of joining issues with Mr. Falana on his views Mr. Fayose has
\nresorted to a campaign of calumny. While not denying\u00a0 his involvement in
\npolitically motivated killings in Ekiti State\u00a0 Mr\u00a0 Fayose has accused
\nMr. Falana\u00a0 of maintaining silence over killings which occurred\u00a0 when Dr.
\nKayode Fayemi was the governor.\u00a0 But since the allegation exists in the
\ndemented imagination of Mr. Fayose and his killer squad\u00a0 they have
\ndeliberately suppressed Mr. Falana’s\u00a0 regular condemnation of violent
\nattacks in ekiti state under the Kayode Fayemi government.
\nNotwithstanding that the allegation is spurious and uncalled for it is
\npertinent\u00a0 to advise such characters to goggle the following
\npublications:<\/p>\n
(1)” Killings: Falana threatens FG, firms with law suit”<\/p>\n
(2)” Falana seeks arrest, prosecution of culprits”<\/p>\n
(3)”Falana condemns Iyin Ekiti violence”<\/p>\n
The cheap blackmailers may also check\u00a0 the Senior Advocate’s positions
\nover the unlawful killings at Ifaki, Ijan, Ikere, Ilawe, Aramoko, Omuo,
\nAdo, Erijiyan which occurred from 2003-2013. Apart from ensuring that the
\nsuspects were charged to court Mr. Falana\u00a0 made the state government to
\npay compensation in deserving cases. In other matters he filed suits in
\ncourts on pro bono publico basis\u00a0 to compel the police to prosecute the
\npowerful murder suspects including Mr. Fayose.\u00a0 In taking up such cases
\nMr. Falana\u00a0 risked his own life and personal liberty.<\/p>\n
The problem with Mr. Fayose is that his hands are stained with the\u00a0 blood
\nof Tunde Omojola, Dr. Ayo Daramola, Engr Kehinde Fasuba and several others
\nwhose barbaric killings were traced to him by the Police. Sometime in
\n2005, an Akure based lawyer, Mr. Morakinyo Ogele\u00a0 cried out that Mr.
\nFayose had concluded plans to kill him. Following the publication of the
\nallegation by The News magazine Mr. Fayose sued both the magazine and Mr.
\nOgele for libel at the Ekiti State High Court holden at Ado Ekiti . As
\ncounsel to the defendants Mr. Falana pleaded and proved at the trial that
\nthe allegation was true in every material particular. The trial court
\nconfirmed Mr. Fayose’s involvement in politically motivated killings in
\nEkiti state. Having diverted N1.2 billion on a poultry scam the trial
\ncourt further held that he has no reputation worthy of protection.
\nDissatisfied with the epochal judgment Mr. Fayose rushed to the Court of
\nAppeal. In dismissing the vexatious appeal the Court of Appeal also
\nindicted Mr. Fayose.<\/p>\n
Unlike Mr. Fayose who has been indicted by the Police and the State
\nSecurity Service as well as the High Court and the Court of Appeal no
\nother governor in Ekiti State\u00a0 has been found liable for the cold murder
\nof any citizen. If Mr. Fayose has any evidence linking any other governor
\nwith politically motivated killings we dare him to publish it or send it
\nto the police without any delay.\u00a0 He can be rest assured that Mr. Falana
\nwill not hesitate to insist that justice be done, even if the Heavens will
\nfall. However, Mr. Falana is convinced beyond any shadow of doubt that the
\nlaw will soon catch up with\u00a0 Mr. Fayose for the grave electoral
\nmalfeasance, criminal diversion of public funds and serial murder of
\nunarmed people in Ekiti State committed by him with reckless impunity.<\/p>\n
Shina Odugbemi<\/p>\n
Coordinator, Value and Integrity Group<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When the independent national electoral commission declared Mr. Peter Ayo Fayose as the elected governor of Ekiti State on June 21, 2014,\u00a0 the candidate of the APC, Governor Kayode Fayemi…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":46430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n