APRIL POLLS: ONI URGES VIGILANCE AMONG VOTERS
Former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni has urged voters in the State, especially supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to be at alert during the coming general elections, saying; “From all indications, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the State is not ready for a free and fair elections and we must not allow them to carry out their rigging plans.”
Oni, who was addressing members of a socio-political organisation, the Ekiti Positive Forum (EPF) said the ACN people have already demonstrated that they do not want elections by their reign of violence in the State in the last three days.
“You are aware of the unprecedented violence perpetrated by the ACN people in Aramoko, Ire, Emure and Ijero in the last three days.
“In Aramoko alone, more than ten PDP supporters were wounded while a driver of one of our candidates, who was shot, is still on danger list at Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ido-Ekiti.
“All these are indicative of one thing, the ACN people are not ready for free and fair elections because they know that they cannot win elections here in a one man, one vote situation.
“Therefore, our people must be told not only to come out enmasse to cast their votes, they must stand by their votes until counting is concluded and votes cast announced at the polling units. Not only that, results of elections in the polling units must be transmitted immediately so as to avoid manipulation at the collation centres,” Oni said.
The former governor, who also hailed the ideals of the EPF, noted that Ekiti was its own enemy and the reason it has not been able to get two ministerial slots since 1999.
He recounted how he submitted names of ministerial nominees in 2007 and psychiatric patient report was forged against one of the nominees and women Senators were mobilised to protest against another, who was already waiting to appear before the Senate for screening.
Responding, Chairman of the EPF, Chief D. O. Oke said the forum was solidly behind the former governor's suit against the Appeal Court judgment that removed him from office, saying; “all well-meaning Nigerians must stand up against the cabal that appears to have purchased the conscience of Justice Isa Ayo Salami and his 'eight trusted wise men' of the appellate court.”
The forum also reiterated its call for a thorough and unbiased into the allegations of unethical behaviours and corrupt practices against the Court of Appeal (PCA), Justice Isa Ayo Salami and other justices of the appellate court that handled the Ekiti and Osun States governorship appeal cases, saying; “As it is now, Nigerians now doubt the integrity of court judgments and members of the bench, and any society where court pronouncements are not respected is in trouble.
“Therefore, the NJC, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), State Security service (SSS) and other relevant government agencies must conduct a thorough and unbiased investigation into the allegations with a view to bringing to justice all those that have turned our courts to a market place where judgments are purchased by highest bidders.”