Lagos lawyer and rights activist, Mr. Femi
Falana, has linked the shift in the dates of
the general elections to the leaked audio
recording alleging the rigging of the Ekiti
State governorship election last year.
Speaking at the Black History Month and Dr.
Beko Ransom Kuti Memorial Program in
Lagos, Wednesday, Mr. Falana said some of
those implicated in the plot, who were
threatening legal action, should think
otherwise.
An audio recording revealing how some
Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains
partnered with the army and other security
agencies to rig the Ekiti State election was
released by an army captain last week.
But some of the actors, who were caught on
tape strategizing on how to rig the polls,
including Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Defence
Minister (state), and Ayo Fayose, who
defeated the incumbent governor with a
landslide, denied the contents of the
recording, claiming their voices were
manipulated using modern technology.
To further press home his innocence on the
matter, reports emerged yesterday that Mr.
Obanikoro had slammed a N1 billion lawsuit
for defamation of character against online
newspapers, Sahara Reporters and Premium
Times. Also joined in the suit are Punch
newpapers, Omoyele Sowore, publisher of
Sahara Reporters and Festus Owete, General
Editor at Premium Times.
Despite their denials, the Minister of Police
Affairs, Abdul-Jelili Adesiyan, who also
attended the meeting, confirmed the
authenticity of the tape Sunday. He, however,
disagreed with the context of the discussion,
saying the meeting was never about plans to
rig the Ekiti State election.
Speaking Wednesday, Mr. Falana said that
none of the participants in the recording had
successfully challenged the army officer –
Capt. Sadiq Kooli’s account of the incident.
“I understand that Mr. Obanikoro (whom he
described as a ‘thug’) says he will go to
court. I can assure you here, I dare him to go
to court. He can’t. It’s not possible,” said
Mr. Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
“One of the reasons they postponed the
election last week is that disturbing
revelation by that Captain. That is what they
wanted to do for the entire country. That
revelation has sent them back to the drawing
table. They now have to re-strategize”.
Mr. Falana criticised President Goodluck
Jonathan for “embarrassing” the country with
his repeated trips to the Holy Land, instead
of channelling such funds to job creation.
Since he became the President in 2011, Mr.
Jonathan has travelled for pilgrimage twice.
“I was reading the papers yesterday, the
president said in violation of the peace
accord, that governors in the north have not
been sending Christians to Jerusalem. In
other words, they have been sponsoring
Muslims to Mecca”, said Mr. Falana.
“Please tell the president that there is no
provision in our law for sponsoring anybody
to Jerusalem or Mecca.
“Section 10 of the Constitution provides that
the Nigerian State shall not proclaim any
religion as an official religion. Therefore,
appropriating billions of Naira every year,
wasting money to send people to Jerusalem
or Mecca is illegal.
“If you must know, less than seven per cent
of Israelis are Christians, so they make jest
of us. When you descend on them, that you
are there to worship Jesus Christ, they’ll be
like ‘are these people Ok?’”
Mr. Falana also insisted that the general
elections must be allowed to hold and
whoever emerges winner should be allowed
to govern the country.
“And I’m challenging Edwin Clark and others,
all those old men with expired ideas. Femi
Okurounmu and others”, he said.
“We never saw them when we went to the
streets of Lagos and Abuja to proclaim
Goodluck as acting President. You were in
the streets of Lagos, where were these
characters? They were nowhere to be found.
“In fact, quote me. Baba Clark called me in
one of our protests, ‘Femi, my son. Please
keep it up. We from the Niger Delta cannot
join this struggle now.’ I said why sir? He
said ‘because he’s our son.’ I said what has
your son got to do with the quest for justice?
“Professor Wole Soyinka, at the age of 71 (he
was actually 76 then) led us in the protest.
Please tell them this country belongs to all
of us”.
On the vexatious issue of deployment of
soldiers for elections duty, the Senior
Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, pointed out that
nowhere in the Nigerian Constitution,
Electoral Act, or the Armed Forces Act was a
provision made for soldiers to be involved in
elections.
“So when they told Jega that they are going
to be busy in the north east and they will not
be able to secure the election. Please there
is no provision for those Service Chiefs to
police our election”, said Mr. Falana.
“Under Section 76, Section 116, Section 132,
and 117, it is the exclusive responsibility of
the INEC to fix dates for election. Only INEC.
Not the president, not the NSA, not the
security chiefs.
“Knowing that, they then came in fraudulently
by saying that they cannot guarantee your
security.
“They have not been able to crush Boko
Haram in six years, what magic are you
going to perform in six weeks? Please we
reject their fraudulent claim”.
Mr. Falana maintained that it is the duty of
the police to maintain law and order in peace
time.
“Soldiers have no business in town in peace
time. Their duty is to defend the territorial
integrity of our country, not to police
election,” he said.
“That is the business of the Police. As a
matter of fact, even Boys Scouts can police
elections in Nigeria. You know why? On the
day of election, there is restriction of
movement. It is illegal for you to leave your
ward for another ward. Only journalists,
observers, and election workers can move
round.
“So if everybody is restricted, why do you
need soldiers to come and help you? To do
what? But I will tell you why they need
soldiers. You know why they need soldiers?
To rig the election. To manipulate the
process”. www.informationng.com/2015/02/leaked-audio-tape-on-ekiti-polls-i-dare-obanikoro-to-go-to-court-falana.html

Ftc... Alihamdulilahi

Meanwhile.. come march 28 we good people of nigeria are marching for GMB.. the change we all crave for..

sai Baba
sai Buhari/pyo
sai one Nigeria