Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Sunday alleged that the Presidency collaborated with the military to box the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, to a tight corner in order to force the general election shifted to March and April against the wishes of Nigerians.
Fayemi and a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi, also described the postponement of the elections as a coup against democracy.
Speaking in Isan Ekiti, his country home, during a church service marking his 50th birthday, the former governor also disclosed that more revelations were on to
complement the audio tape on how Governor Ayodele Fayose; former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; the Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the August 21 governorship election in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore; the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; and some military officers allegedly rigged the June 21
2014 governorship poll in Ekiti State.
Fayemi expressed surprise at how the military, described as a sacred institution, could have got itself enmeshed in acts that could subvert the democratic process, adding that
such trend portends danger to the survival of democracy.
The ex-governor, however, vowed that he and other pro-democracy activists and all lovers of democracy would resist attempts being made by those he branded as anti-democratic forces from derailing the country’s constitutional democracy.
He said: “It was apparent that military and presidency boxed INEC to a tight corner by merchants of retrogression to get the postponement to achieve their devilish motives.
“I believe what we are expected to do as democrats must be those things that would strengthen democracy. For military to be saying that it would overcome insurgency it had failed to curtail in five years, was that not standing logic on its head? You could see that
Nigerians are very unhappy.
“To me, this is more of a civilian coup against democracy because for military to have said that it cannot provide security for INEC to prosecute the election implies that it is hands in gloves with the Presidency. This is a travesty and a danger to our democracy. Military is a product of Nigeria and not the father of Nigeria and it must do everything to protect this democracy.”
On the controversial audio tape released on social media on how some Peoples Democratic Party stalwarts and military allegedly rigged him out of power, Fayemi said: “It should not be a surprise to anybody that such happened because what he said after the election was not different from what is unfolding now.
“You know that I said I accepted the outcome if truly it was the wish of Ekiti people because I was privy to a lot of things that happened that put a question mark on the conduct of the election. But more revelations will come in few days to come.”
Bamidele, who described the poll shift as “provocative, unjustifiable and suspicious”, said it would be difficult for the military to overcome the Boko Haram it had failed to exterminate in five years, within a spate of six weeks, urging Nigerians to be vigilant about the new development.
He said: “Even the war-torn Afghanistan, Pakistan and Syria conducted elections within the midst of war. So, for INEC to postpone elections just because 14 out of the 774 local governments are being ravaged by insurgents is suspicious and Nigerians must be watchful.”