Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari was setting Nigeria on the path of anarchy by using his personal lawyer and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who
is the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to induce the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) decision on the inconclusive Kogi State Governorship election.
He accused the President of “fraudulently using the AGF to carry out an act which amounted to amending the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2010 to advance his ambition and that of his party to turn Nigeria to a one-party state.”
In a statement his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New
Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor, who vowed to use all legal means
to fight the “kangaroo” decision on the Kogi State election, noted
that “only the Supreme Court can resolve issues not envisaged by the
Constitution like the one that happened concerning the Kogi State
governorship election.”
He added that “INEC further exposed its partisanship and
undependability by relying on legal advice from the AGF, a man who has
disobeyed the court severally and an interested party in the Kogi
State election being a personal lawyer of President Buhari and a
member of the All Progressives Congress (APC).”
The governor said President Buhari and APC took to illegal amendment
of the Constitution and the Electoral Act owing to the fear of facing
a fresh election as a result of the malpractices perpetrated by the
APC in the inconclusive election.
Governor Fayose noted that it was shameful that the first election
held by the new INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu ended in
controversy, adding that the manipulation of the Kogi State election
and INEC illegal position on the substitution of APC candidate was a
vindication of his earlier position that the INEC chairman was
appointed just to do the biddings of President Buhari and his party.
The governor, who said the fact that Prince Abubakar Audu died in the
early hours of last Sunday and his death was kept secret until later
that day pointed to the sinister plot of the Presidency and the APC,
added that; “Having manipulated the election substantially, what they
plotted by covering up Audu’s death for hours against Islamic
injunction, was to declare a dead candidate as elected governor of
Kogi State so as to pave way for the emergence of his running mate as
the governor-elect.”
He called on Nigerians to rise against what he described as systematic
dictatorship, saying; “If all noble men should keep silent and get
cowed by this rampaging beast that is ready to consume democracy and
rule of law in Nigeria, ordinary Nigerians will sooner than later end
up in the belly of the beast.”
He said he was aware of the various sinister plots against him by
those he said were plotting to turn Nigeria to a one party state, but
declared that “the Lord will consume anyone plotting against me as He
has always done.”
Fayose, who said only two options were available to INEC on
the Kogi State election crisis, noted that; “INEC should either
conclude the election with APC not having a candidate or hold a fresh
election with APC nominating a new governorship candidate. Anything
outside these two options will mean that the Supreme Court must
intervene.”
“Section 33 of the Electoral Act only provided for substitution of a
dead candidate before election, not during election. Also, the running
mate would have become the governor-elect if the governorship
candidate had been duly elected before he died. But in this instant
case, the election was still in progress, meaning that Audu was a
candidate like others when he died.
“Therefore, what INEC has done will mean that votes have now become an
inheritance that the late APC governorship candidate, Abubakar Audu
has willed to whoever that emerges as his substitute.
“It is like saying that Audu’s votes in the inconclusive election will
now be inherited by another person. How logical is that?
“In a democracy, how can the Attorney General of the Federation and
INEC turn themselves to the National Assembly that amends laws and the
judiciary that interprets laws?
“The implication of all these is that it has become obvious that no
one can get justice under this APC government and if this is the
change they promised Nigerians, it appears that Nigeria is in serious
trouble.”
