•Justice from the military front. But what of the civilian instigators? •Justice from the military front. But what of the civilian instigators?
At last, it is justice for the deeds and misdeeds of some military personnel in the 2014 elections in Ekiti and Osun states. From that exercise emerged the Ekiti audio recording, which captured voices feuding over measures they had put in place to rig both elections.
Aside from the military personnel, voices of civilian instigators, captured in the audio tape, were those of Ayo Fayose, then candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but now Ekiti governor, Iyiola Omisore, then PDP candidate for Osun but who lost to incumbent Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, Musiliu Obanikoro, then Minister of State for Defence (Army), and Jelili Adesiyan, then Minister of Police Affairs.
Aside, reference was made to Chris Uba, an Anambra State political kingpin, who was alleged to have “imported” troops into Ekiti, to help fix the polls. He was in Ekiti too, though his voice was not captured in the tape.
The military high command deserves high praise for rewarding the brave deeds of a conscientious and courageous officer. By secretly recording the subversive session, he risked his commission to expose the brazen politicisation of the military under President Goodluck Jonathan. Had Jonathan got a second term, the scandal would not only have been buried, that brave officer would have lost his commission as a “deserter” — and probably his life.
It is, therefore, all thanks to the Major-General Adeniyi Oyebade-chaired Nigerian Army probing board for recommending the officer’s reinstatement; and Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai, for accepting. That should bolster good and professional conduct among our service men (and women), particularly when unscrupulous politicians tempt them to subvert their service oath of absolute loyalty to the Nigerian state.
The Oyebade board, which took evidence from 23 officers, over 100 soldiers and 62 civilians, recommended far-reaching sanctions: two officers for compulsory retirement, three others to lose their command and yet another for prosecution, for collecting bribe to help rig the election. Besides, 15 officers were placed on a watch list, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was to further investigate nine others for alleged sleaze, 62 others (mostly from Majors and below) were to earn letters of displeasure from the Army and to appear before their different General Officers Commanding (GOC) for special bouts of counselling.
This dire hall of shame put in bold perspective the brazen subversion of military ethos, for crass partisan motives, under President Jonathan. Partisans of the former president all but captured the military as the enforcing arm of the ruling party. Such ultra-criminal politicisation of the military should never be tolerated again. The former president has earned perpetual infamy for his crass opportunism: tolerating such alarming criminality, capable of destroying the military, because of temporary but illicit partisan gain.
Now that the military has done its bit, what happens to Obanikoro and company?
Mr. Obanikoro abused the privilege of his high office, aside from wilfully subverting free polls, the very essence of democracy that gifted him his high office. The same, Mr. Adesiyan was guilty of. A high official of state should not be party to such rascality. As for Mr. Fayose, who is now governor because he “won” that controversial poll, he should eternally bury his head in shame, were Nigeria a saner clime. But he has since moved on to higher profanities for, by Nigerian law, after exhausting post-election adjudication, no one can touch him. Yet, he is such a blight on the high office of governor. The pair of Messrs Omisore and Uba are a symbol of the ugly but systemic hustling that gives Nigerian politics its notoriety.
The civilian ensemble indicted in this scandal should be further investigated, prosecuted and punished. We must make the point and strongly too: felonious conduct would not be tolerated, from anyone, in future polls.
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