APPEAL JUDGMENT: ACN PLANS MEDIA SIEGE ON EKITI

With the Appeal Court, Ilorin yet to give date for the judgment on the

appeal filed against the Ekiti State Rerun Governorship Election

Petitions Tribunal Judgement of May 5, 2010, by the Action Congress of

Nigeria (ACN), a group has alleged that the ACN has launched an

operation code-named; “Operation Media Siege” on Ekiti State.

The group, Ekiti Frontiers (TEF), said that the motive of this

operation is to create a global impression that the Governor Segun

Oni-led government in the State is not acceptable, not popular and

that the State would be enveloped by widespread jubilation if the ACN

candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi is declared winner by the Appeal Court.

A statement issued by its President, Chief Olu Adebowale alleged that

the idea of the operation Media Siege was muted by former Lagos State

Governor, Senator Bola Tinubu, acting on a purported advice from one

of the members of the Appeal Panel in a meeting held in London last

week.
Tinubu, in a meeting with some members of his think-tank, including a

notable editor of one of the “new generation newspapers,” two

senatorial aspirants and a top traditional ruler from Ekiti State,

claimed that a member of the panel that he met with in London was not

too committal about “assisting” the ACN in the Appeal case.

He said the judge insisted that the ACN should rather win Ekiti State

in the next elections “since they claim to be the most popular party

in the State instead of cutting corners.”
The response of the judge was said to have jolted Tinubu, who believed

that it should be a payback time from the judge, whom he had rendered

monumental favours for in the past.
“Consequent upon the uncooperative attitude of the judge, it was then

resolved at the Lagos meeting that the Oni-led government must be

run-down on both print and electronic media so as to give the

impression that the government is totally unpopular and unacceptable

to the people.
“It was further resolved that student unions bodies and other

miscreants should be mobilized to stage series of violent protests

against the government, using the now resolved issue of tuition fees

increment in the State owned University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) and the

transfer of students of the defunct University of Education,

Ikere-Ekiti to UNAD as justifications.
“Also to be used to incite the people is the policy being introduced

by the government to shore-up the State's Internally Generated Revenue

(IGR), especially tenement rates and signage levies.

“Fake documents are also to be procured on government's financial

transactions with a view to using the documents to sponsor stories on

allegations of fraud against the State Government in some selected

newspapers and magazines.
“Furthermore, major government projects like water pipelines, Power

Holding of Company Nigeria (PHCN) installations and newly constructed

roads are also to be sabotaged to sustain the claim that the

government has not done anything,” the group alleged.