The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) and the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) have denied the allegations that the two parties were involved in
vote-buying in the Ekiti State governorship election.
In spite of the denial by the two major political
parties, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent
an open letter to the Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, urging him to investigate allegations of vote
buying by both the APC and the PDP during Ekiti State governorship election,
and to collaborate with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related
Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)
in any such investigation or face legal action.
The
organisation also urged INEC to “prosecute anyone suspected to be involved or
complicit in the alleged vote buying, if there is relevant and sufficient
admissible evidence of electoral bribery and abuse of the electoral and
democratic process against them.”
This is coming as the members of the Ekiti State
House of Assembly have rejected the result of the July 14, 2018, governorship
election as announced by INEC and adjourned indefinitely.
The state
chapter of the APC said on Tuesday that vote-buying should be discouraged for
democracy to grow in the country.
The party expressed appreciation to the Ekiti State
voters over the peaceful conduct of the last weekend's governorship election
that led to the victory of the APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as the
governor-elect.
The party also urged media houses to be fair in
hearing all the parties involved in the election, saying that selective
treatment of issues is a denial of fair hearing for correct public judgment.
A statement
by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, denied the charge that
APC was engaged in vote-buying during the election, explaining that the party
did not join in the despicable act of
vote-buying through inducement to con
the people of Ekiti by Governor Ayodele Fayose and PDP candidate, Prof Olusola
Eleka.
"Fayose and Eleka are known for throwing
tokens at our people from the resources of the state, using the instrument of
government. They believe that is what their loyalty is worth and they never had
any
plan to lift them beyond the poverty level.
"The return of Fayemi as governor of Ekiti
State is a signal that God still answers the prayers of his people whenever
they are under torture. The victory signals an end to poverty, squalor and oppressive
tendencies of a mindless government who shamelessly refused to pay workers
their dues, yet could afford to credit the accounts of voters and some sections
of workers with amounts ranging from N3,000
to as much as N100,000 just to curry their voting
favours," he said.
Olatunbosun frowned at the practice by media houses
in their penchant for unfair selection of party executives to speak on
pertinent matters of public interest.
"We take exception to Channels TV penchant for
inviting PDP officials for media engagements while it calls just members of APC
to address matters that would have been best handled by party officials,” he
added.
Also reacting to the allegation of vote-buying, the
PDP said no circumstance would push it to descend to vote- buying in any
election, no matter the machination of the APC.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity
Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said it never bought any vote in the
July 14, 2018, governorship election in Ekiti State like the APC did, saying
the leadership of the party would never allow such practice under any guise.
"Consequently, members of the APC who are
going about media houses and claiming that their party bought votes in response
to some parties that engaged in such practice are certainly not responding to
the PDP," the party said.
PDP rather said it spent its resources and energy
on a democratic campaign that preceded the Ekiti election and never set up
kiosks for the “see and buy” of votes as the APC unabashedly did.
The party vowed that it would never allow the APC
to get away with its crass abuse of democratic norms through which it
suppressed the will of the Ekiti people and appropriated victory to itself in
the governorship election.
PDP also restated its position that the state election
marks the last time anybody or party would use any means whatsoever to
manipulate it out at the polls, particularly in the forthcoming Osun State governorship
election and the 2019 general election.
SERAP has
however, requested Yakubu to “take steps within 14 days of the receipt or
publication of this letter, failing which SERAP will institute legal
proceedings to compel you and INEC to discharge your constitutional and
statutory responsibilities in the public interest.”
In the
letter dated July 17, 2018, and signed by SERAP’s Executive Director,
Adetokunbo Mumuni, the organisation said it is the responsibility of INEC as an
independent body to take meaningful steps and action to minimise electoral
bribery by politicians, ensure political equality and prevent unfair electoral
competition.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State House of Assembly has
rejected the result of the governorship election and adjourned till October 8,
2018.
Speaking at the House plenary in Ado-Ekiti, the
state capital, yesterday, the Leader of
Business,
Hon. Akinyele Olatunji, described the process leading to the election
and the final result as unfortunate.
Akinyele condemned the harassment of the State
Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose; the leaders of the PDP, across the state and
members of the state assembly by security agencies.
The
Chairman, House Committee on information,
Hon. Samuel Omotoso, said the
election of July 14, 2018 did not meet
up with all democratic credentials.
He pointed out that the election was marred by
outright brigandage, vote-buying and falsification of results.
In his
contribution, the Deputy Whip of the House,
Hon Ekundayo Akinleye, noted that the outcome of the governorship
election had shown that Nigerians should not expect free and fair election in
the 2019 general elections.
He pointed out that there were discrepancies in the
final figures released by INEC.
In his
reaction, the Speaker of the House, Hon.
Kola
Oluwawole, described the election as a show of
shame, alleging that thugs and
security men openly working for the APC.
Oluwawole
said figures were brazenly doubled to favour the declared winner and expressed
confidence that the stolen mandate would soon be retrieved.
The
contribution of members at the plenary led to the passage of an
eight-point resolution by the House.
The
resolutions included that the election was heavily militarised with palpable
fear on the faces of the electorate;
that the security agencies compromised to the bidding of the APC; that
the APC induced voters with money with connivance of the security agencies.
The House has adjourned sitting to the October 8, 2018.
No comments:
Post a Comment