Kogi Election: Buhari setting Nigeria on path of anarchy – 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 by 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.
He 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.”
According to him. “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.”
Fayose explained further, “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.”
He conclued that, “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.”
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