The ripples generated by the June 21, 2014, governorship election in Ekiti State seem to be widening. Former People’s Democratic Party,PDP Secretary in the state, Dr. Temitope Aluko, recently made startling revelations in Abuja on how federal might was allegedly used to subvert the poll’s credibility.
He claimed that the exercise that saw the return of Governor Ayodele Fayose was not an election but a “coup” against Ekiti people.
A self-confessed party to what he described as electoral manipulation, Aluko who is Fayose’s friend of 40 years and former Chairman, Security and Intelligence Committee of his campaign organisation, expressed regret over his role in the whole affair. Among other things, he alleged that former President Goodluck Jonathan gave Fayose $37 million cash to prosecute the poll in which security agents, including soldiers, were allegedly deployed against the opposition, the All Progressive Congress (APC) leaders in the state.
Apparently, the erstwhile PDP stalwart in Ekiti State fell out with Fayose when the latter reneged on his pre-election promise to make Aluko his chief of staff. Until their once rosy political relationship went awry, Aluko was PDP’s chief agent who endorsed the election results. At the election petition tribunal, he testified on oath that the poll was free and fair.
By his voluntary confession, Aluko has held himself out as a participant in an orchestrated electoral offence. The implication is that by his own admission, his testimonies at the election petition tribunal were odious lies calculated to mislead the judges. In the eye of the law, Aluko is also culpable for perjury.
Aluko’s conduct is a morbid reflection of the cesspool of corruption and fraud that characterise our electoral system. We therefore urge that the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari should be extended to those who commit electoral fraud against the people. Such individuals, irrespective of the political party they belong to, should be prosecuted.
We also restate our call on other security agencies to emulate the army’s example by investigating the involvement of their officers and men in the controversial Ekiti governorship election. Those who are found to have played ignoble roles by compromising their professional etquettes should be punished accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others.
This is the only way to restore sanity to the nation’s electoral system. If Aluko’s mind-boggling revelations are ignored, it will be an affront on our democracy and a failure of the rule of law.
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