Kogi Election: Buhari Setting Nigeria On Path Of Anarchy, He Illegally Amended Constitution, Electoral Act—Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has said that President Mohammadu Buhari was setting Nigeria on the path of anarchy by using his personal lawyer and member of 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.”
Governor 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.”