ALLEGED ELECTION RIGGING: I’M READY TO FACE TRAIL - ONI
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Olusegun Oni has lamented the
continuous assault on the intelligence of Nigerians by people, who
ordinarily should be tied to a stake and fired for heinous crimes
ranging from forgery, drug peddling, electoral malpractices and
bribery, saying that he was ready to face trial as election rigger
provided a panel made of seasoned and respected judges would be
constituted to review all the judgements on elections in Ekiti State
that had passed through the Election Tribunals and the Federal Court
of Appeal.
Oni, who reacted to call for his trial for elction rigging made by
former governor of Lagos State and financier of the Action Congress of
Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Bola Tinubu said it was painful that people like
Tinubu, who have perfected crude way of getting electoral victory
through the back door are the ones sermonising about democracy and
rule of law.
According to the release issued by his Chief Media Aide, Wale
Ojo-Lanre, the former governor said he was not afraid to face any
competent panel of seasoned and respected jurists for a review of all
elections held in Ekiti State between 2007 and 2010 and court
judgments arising from them.
The former governor said the inquiry would expose those who set the
Ido/Osi Local Government's Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) office ablaze only to head for the tribunal, asking INEC to
proof that election was conducted by producing the voting materials
they already destroyed. It would also reveal those who destroyed
thousands of votes in Okemesi, Iro, Ijero and other areas where
violent was unleashed on Ekiti people during the elections.
“Once again, we are calling for the setting up of a panel made of
seasoned and respected judges to review all the judgements on
elections in Ekiti State that had passed through the Election
Tribunals and the Federal Court of Appeal.
“This is necessary as it would reveal the real election riggers, who
have perfected crude way of getting electoral victories through the
back door and yet climbed the roof top to accuse others of
undemocratic practices.
“It is painful that those who are committing unimaginably heinous
electoral frauds are the same set of people that parade themselves as
true democrats and unfortunately, the society see them as such.
“How can a people who forged police reports, those who sworn to false
affidavits, those who have drug and certificate forgery cases, those
who intimidate judges and those who preach violence and lie at will
now becoming democratic light bearers?
“But we know that time will unveil the faces of the real master
riggers who masquerade, pretend and showcase themselves as true
democrats in Nigeria because they can fool people many times but
definitely not all the time,” he said.
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