November 14, 2014 – The Nigeria Police Force has alleged that agent of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State, Mr. Peter Alabi snatched ballot box during the poll in Ayedun Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of the state.
Officials of the state police command, Chief Olusola Oke who made the allegation via a report tendered before the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal said Alabi escaped arrest but that the election of the unit where the incident happened was cancelled by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The police added that the incident was the only electoral offence recorded throughout the state during the election.
The report was signed by the Commissioner of Police (Election), Ekiti state Command, Ikechukwu A. Aduba.
The Justice Mohammed Siraju-led tribunal admitted the police report as exhibit even as all parties in the petition challenging the victory of Governor Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, brought their cases to a close on Thursday.
According to the police, the APC agent snatched the ballot box under the pretext of trying to cast his vote.
“Result of Unit 6 Odogo under Ward 9 in Ikole Local Government Area was cancelled due to the snatching of the ballot box by one Peter Alabi of Odo Ayedun Ekiti an APC agent who pretended to cast his vote and ran into the bush with the ballot box. When pursued by the security agents, he tore the ballot papers there-in and escaped. INEC subsequently cancelled the unit result,” he said, adding that the suspect is still at large.
The matter has been adjourned till December 17 for parties to adopt their final written addresses in the petition which was filed by the All Progressives Congress.
The petitioner, APC, alleged excessive militarisation of the election in a manner that jeopardised its chances at the poll and the ineligibility of Fayose to contest in the election in that he had been impeached as governor in 2006.
The party also challenged the eligibility of Fayose to contest in the election stating that he was undergoing criminal prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
But Fayose, represented by Yusuf Ali (SAN), had in his defence told the tribunal that the panel set up to investigate him as governor in 2006 cleared him and that his purported impeachment by the state House of Assembly was illegal.
