It is a general belief that it is quite wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends and it is as just wrong, or even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. In the same vein would the above statement lie in consonance with the political terrain of Ekiti State, particularly as events start unfolding.
It is no more a news for the vibrant minds in Nigerian political jurisdiction that July 14, 2018 is the day slated for all eligible electorates in Ekiti state to exercise their civic rights. It is a day that would determine how the next four years in Ekiti state would be. Hence, it is as crucial as crux itself, in the history of the state.
In this case, the only "inclined plane" that could be invoked in bringing out the true spirit of democracy, is if and only if all the concerned stakeholders go back to their seats and let the electoral commission performs its duties independently and with no form of interference from any angle.
Going down memory lane, it is apposite that we draw our minds to June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti state. Being the election that ushered in Mr. Ayodele Fayose as the governor of the state, the election has proven itself to be in conformity with the tradition that seeking elective positions in Ekiti state is not for the fainthearted and elections are as usual, being marred by violence, intimidations and long drawn legal tussles.
It should also be recalled that the decibel of accusations and counter-accusations of violence, threats and intimidations has become almost deafening, most especially when elections draw nearer in Ekiti State. The kerfuffle in the state's political arena has reached the crescendo that there has never been a lull in clashes among the various opposing political interests in the South Western state.
To have a clearer picture of the jurisprudence of past Ekiti gubernatorial polls, recourse must be made to the circumstances that surround the June 21, 2014 elections. Casualties recorded include Funsho Ogundare, a supporter of Opeyemi Bamidele, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, who was shot and killed after clashes between Bamidele's supporters and people believed to be faithfuls of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Emure Ekiti. Sequel to the tragic incident was the arraignment of a member of the Ekiti State House of Assembly from Emure Constituency, Hon. Kehinde Boluwade, with six other APC members in relations to the killing.
Not only this. Hope we have not forgotten the whistle blower? Yes! I mean Captain Sagir Koli.
The audio recordings and affidavit were provided by Sagir Koli, a Captain in the 32nd Artillery Brigade stationed in Ekiti State, who has since fled the country for fear of reprisal attack. Captain Koli recorded the conversation on June 20, 2014 when he was asked to accompany his Commanding Officer, Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh, to the meeting, which was held at Spotless Hotel in Ado-Ekiti.
In an exclusive interview with the Sahara Reporters' publisher, Omoyele Sowore, the Nigerian Army Captain leaked a 37-minute audio recording. The audio captured a meeting as being attended by the eventual “winner” of the election, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State; Senator Iyiola Omisore of Osun State; a close associate of Mr. Fayose identified as Honorable Abdulkareem; the Minister for Police Affairs (as he then was) Jelili Adesiyan; and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro who was at the time the Minister of State for Defense and Mr. Chris Uba. They all came to Ekiti with a huge stash of money and soldiers from the East to carry out the assignment.
The audio recordings were analyzed and authenticated by Guardian Consulting, an independent US-based security consulting company. According to a report authored by Guardian Consulting, also in the possession of SaharaReporters, the independent company used Forensic Voice Frequency Comparison technology to identify all voices on the recording with audio available in the public domain.
Meanwhile, it should be noted that all these open-day rapes on democracy don't just occur, they were sequel to series of allegations made by one political bloc against another opposing camp.
Having caught a glimpse of the years back, I think it is high time to look at what the future holds, as far as July 14, 2018 is concerned.
In a visitation made by the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Benhard Schlagheck, to the Peoples' Democratic Party's (PDP) Secretariat in Abuja, the party's National Chairman, Chief Uche Secondus, while alleged the APC, through the aid of the government at the centre, of hatching plans to manipulate their way to victory at the poll. He continued that the least Nigerians expect from the APC-led Federal Government is free and fair elections in 2019, beginning from the Ekiti gubernatorial poll.
Uche Secondus went further that "July 14 Ekiti State governorship election would be the first test for this administration. We know that the APC and INEC have perfected plans to rig the election..."
The All Progressives Congress' (APC) National Chairman, Chief John Odigie Oyegun, during the kickoff of fresh membership registration drive of the Ekiti APC, declared that the Ekiti gubernatorial poll is a must win for the party.
He assured that the party would deploy every available resource to win the election, which he described as a litmus test ahead of the 2019 general elections.
In Oyegun's words, "We will work hard to ensure that Ekiti returns to the progressive fold; after the July 14 election. Although, we are in power at the centre, that doesn’t mean we should not work hard. President Muhammadu Buhari, as you know, will not rig or compromise or subvert the will of the electorate, so, we must work hard to deserve the victory that will come to us".
Furthermore, the winner of the APC's primary election and consequently the party's guber candidate, Dr. Kayode John Fayemi at a meeting in Ado-Ekiti was, in what seems like corroboration of Oyegun's statement, recorded to have said that " the same election that brought in Ayodele Fayose in 2014 is what we are going to have again, come July 14"
Meanwhile, the 2014 guber poll remains one of the most controversial "peaceful" change of government in the state, even that the both of local and international election observers unanimously saw the election as not free, fair and transparent, giving credence to the series of inadequacies that took place prior to, during and after the election.
In view of the foregoing, are we to say that history is bound to repeat itself? Should we be expecting a kind of election, where we will not be counting votes alone, but death toll inclusive? Should we be expecting casualties, all because we want to bring into fulfillment one of the tenets of democracy, which is peaceful change of government?
JOLAOSO Moses Adebare
A 300level student of law
Obafemi Awolowo University.