All was tense yesterday in Ekiti State ahead of today’s Supreme Court judgment in the suit filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the election of Governor Ayo Fayose.
The legal dispute is on the June 21, 2014 governorship election, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Fayose, who ran on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), winner.
The electoral agency credited Fayose with 203,090 votes. The APC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, scored 120,433 votes.
Fayemi conceded defeat to Fayose but his party (APC) went to court, complaining of intimidation of its members and militarisation of the poll. Besides, the APC questioned Fayose’s qualification for the election.
Fayose’s election was affirmed by the Election Petition Tribunal led by Justice Mohammed Sirajo, on December 19, last year.
The APC proceeded to the Court of Appeal but lost again as an Appeal Panel chaired by Justice Abdu Aboki on February 16 upheld Fayose’s election.
Although the APC lost at the Appeal Court, the court found merit in the party’s claim that the military was used to intimidate its leaders and members before and during the election.
The court ruled that it is illegal to deploy the military for election duties.
Undeterred by its loss in the Appeal Court, the APC went to the apex court, to challenge Fayose’s victory.
Fayose, in a broadcast, urged residents to maintain the peace.
He expressed appreciation to the people for voting for his party at last Saturday’s House of Assembly polls.
Fayose said the victory had confirmed that the PDP’s winning streak, which started with last year’s governorship poll, was not a fluke and that he is not holding a stolen mandate as alleged by his opponents.
The governor expressed confidence that he would overcome his travails, adding that the plot to remove him will not succeed.
Some residents have been reacting to the impending judgment.
A State Local Government Service Commission official said what was paramount to him is the peaceful coexistence of residents.
A farmer, Mr. Sunday Adelowo, said he did not believe that people should nurse anxiety over the judgment since the Tribunal and the Appeal Court had earlier ruled in Fayose’s favour.
Policemen remained on guard yesterday at various places in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital where they have been since the outbreak of the impeachment crisis last week.
The APC in Ekiti State has raised the alarm over alleged plans by members of the PDP to attack its members and supporters on Tuesday if the Supreme Court judgment threatens Fayose ‘s position.
APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun said in a statement that the party had uncovered plans to burn down houses of APC leaders and harm members and supporters if the judgment is not favourable to the governor.
The APC said: “Since the Ekitigate tape emerged, the PDP has become more desperate in its actions over where the pendulum will swing in the impending judgment.
“They have mapped out elaborate strategies to attack our members if the judgment does not favour the governor.
“In Ikere-Ekiti, for instance, they have threatened to burn down the homes of two members of the House of Assembly in Ikere Local Government, Yomi Daramola and Clement Adu Sunday.
“One Ejila and Ibrahim are said to be the arrowheads of the planned attacks.
“Just today (Monday), PDP members were attacking the street sweepers in Ikere-Ekiti, accusing them of not voting for PDP in the weekend election while in Ado-Ekiti, the home of APC candidate for last weekend’s House of Assembly election, Sola Olofin, was attacked.
“They are planning to attack the home of another Assembly candidate, Sola Fatoba. These attacks are carryover of the violence during Saturday’s State Assembly election, marred by ballot snatching and violence.
“We call on the security agencies to provide adequate security for APC members while those causing crisis in the state should be arrested.”
Also yesterday, there were speculations of “a desperate attempt to influence the verdict”.
Two key government officials are said to be behind the moves to influence the court’s verdict.
A source spoke of how the officials had been pushing to “reach out” to the Supreme Court Justices.
The officials reportedly visited a senior Judiciary figure, seeking his go-ahead for a meeting with some of the Justices – a move which a source said would be tuned down to protect the court’s integrity.
The officials, said another source, planned to tell the Justices that some of them would be dismissed on corruption grounds, when the new government assumes office next month.
But Fayose is said to be upeat, telling his supporters that he had been assured of a favourable verdict.
One of the officials is said to be contacting prominent Yoruba leaders to help stem the growing opposition towards Fayose in the Southwest, especially in the event that the judgment goes in his favour. His reasons is that Fayose fought Jonathan’s cause.
A General was contacted directly by Fayose for his assistance, but his plea met with brick wall, as the respected General turned him down.
Fayose reportedly sent emissaries to the National leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying he plan to defect to the APC if he could assist him scale the Supreme Court hurdle.
The thinking, it was learnt, is that a rift exists between Fayemi and Asiwaju Tinubu.
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