As the July 14, 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State draws closer, disturbing and worrisome information on plots to rig the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and subvert the will of Ekiti people, have come to our attention.
INEC National Commissioner, Mrs. Amina Zakari, two Deputy Directors (ICT Dept), Mr. Paschal Uwaenwe and Mr. Abdulrazaq Agboola Yusuf as well as Director (Procurement Dept), Mr. Kenneth Ukeagu are the arrow-heads of rigging plot.
The duo of Uwaenwe and Agboola are to pre-load card readers, supply faulty card readers to Ado and Ikere while Kenneth Ukeagu is to provide ballot papers for stuffing of ballot boxes, Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C series and other sensitive election materials. Two sets of the Forms are to be procuced bearing the same Serial Numbers. One set will be handed to Fayemi to change results of 503 Polling Units.
Also, real Youth Corps members, students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti and Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti that are to serve as Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) are to be replaced with APC members.
Fayemi and other APC leaders have been meeting with these three INEC officials in Akure and Abuja and they are reporting directly to Mrs Amina Zakari.
Furthermore, Fayemi’s ex-Chief Security Officer (CSO), Hakeem Abiola and former ADC, Adeyemi Ajayi are to coordinate indiscriminate arrest of top functionaries of the State Govt and bribery of other security officials. Hakeem is already in Ado Ekiti, operating from a popular hotel located off Iworoko Road.
Also, Mr. Akin Fakorede of the Federal SARS is being considered for secondment to Ekiti State for the election. Nigerians are aware of the ignoble roles Akin Fakorede played in Rivers State and they want him to play the same role in Ekiti.
The Armed policemen to be coordinated by Fayemi’s ex ADC and Akin Fakorede are to invade the already selected 503 Polling Units, shoot sporadically in the air to scare voters away so as to be able to perpetrate the fraud.
Our question is; why will DSS and the Police post Fayemi’s ex security aides to Ekiti for an election in which he is a candidate?
We therefore call on the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the DSS Director, Lawal Daura to allow Ekiti election to be credible by ensuring impartiality of their men.
We also call on the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to prevail on his officials listed above, who appear bent on frustrating the electoral commission for monetary gains. They must not be allowed to play any role in the Ekiti election. He should cause an investigation into the issues raised and personalities mentioned.
Most importantly, INEC Forms, especially EC8A, EC8B and EC8C must be countersigned by chairman or his trusted designate.
We also demand that INEC POs and APOs must provide additional means of identification, preferably Voters Card, to authenticate whether or not they are genuine corps members or students of FUOYE or Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti.
The international community should monitor closely activities in INEC, particularly the officials mentioned above from now till the announcement of results of the election.
Ekiti people are saying CAPITAL NO to election rigging!
Ayo Fayose
Governor, Ekiti State