Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
Nigeria, February 03, 2016 – Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate(CPPM) has petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari to as a matter of urgency set up a Commission of Inquiry into recent revelation by former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Dr. Temitope Aluko that the governorship election that brought in Mr. Ayodele Fayose as Governor of Ekiti State was rigged.
In the petition, which also copied Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Federal Ministry of Justice, Minister for Internal Affairs, Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs, Minister for Defence, Federal Ministry of Defence, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Defence Staff, Director General, Department of State Security (DSS), Chief of Army Staff, Senate Committee on INEC and House of Representative Committee on INEC, the CPPM said the former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan violated and brought to public ridicule his oath of office and the constitution through the transfer of Presidential powers to Fayose, which it described as a person unknown to law.
Signed by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Nelson Ekujumi, the petitioner said Aluko mentioned those present at the meeting to compromise the election as including former President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, former national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Ayodele Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, ex Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and Musiliu Obanikoro, ex Minister of State for Defence.
The CPPM noted that the confession of Aluko corroborated the earlier confession of Captain Sagir Kooli in 2015, which gave an illustration of the details of the modus operandi of the alleged coup carried out against democracy in the conduct of the 2014 Ekiti State gubernatorial election.
“But what is particularly of concern and worry to CPPM, was how a civilian, Senator Andy Ubah brought in 400 unrecognized soldiers from Enugu when he is not a military commander. This action is a clear threat to democracy and national security because we need to know from which brigade he sourced these military personnel or whether they were militias raised, trained, funded and deployed by him for the election?”, it noted.
It noted that investigation will correct the battered image of security agencies involved and instil discipline.
See details below.
PETITION FOR THE IMMEDIATE ESTABLISHMENT OF A JUDICIAL COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE CONDUCT OF 2014 EKITI STATE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION (EKITIGATE)
The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) which is a civil society organization at the vanguard of enthroning and deepening democratic values in our national life is pained, disturbed and wish to bring to your notice for urgent action the alleged violation of the constitution which is a coup against democracy in the conduct of the Ekiti State gubernatorial elections in 2014 and is daily manifesting with the latest confession of the secretary of the PDP in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko as widely reported in the media over the weekend 31st January, 2016 (Leadership Newspaper). This latest confession is a confirmation of an earlier confession in 2015 by an army captain, Sagir Kooli, an intelligence officer serving in the 32 artillery brigade, Akure in what has infamously become known as Ekitigate on how democracy and the constitution were brazenly violated by security agencies and their civilian collaborators in the conduct of the election.
Your Excellency Sir, we are indeed saddened by the fact that though in the Ekitigate audio tape, the voice of governor Ayodele Fayose was heard stating to Brig. General Aliyu Momoh that he was President Jonathan for the election and this statement has been reaffirmed by the confession of Dr. Temitope Aluko in which he reported how the exalted office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which is the symbol of dignity and character of the Nigerian people was assaulted and brought to public ridicule by a clear violation of oath of office and the constitution by the immediate past President through the transfer of Presidential powers to a person unknown to law.
According to Dr. Temitope Aluko, “At that meeting, the former President made it clear to the ex-Chief of Defence Staff that Fayose would stand for him (as Commander In Chief) in terms of providing security for the election”. He mentioned those present at the meeting to comprise of President Goodluck Jonathan, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh, former Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Kenneth Minimah, former national chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Adamu Muazu, Ayodele Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore, ex Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan and Musiliu Obanikoro, ex Minister of State for Defence.
Sir, in his confession, Dr. Temitope Aluko in corroborating the earlier confession of Captain Sagir Kooli in 2015, gave an illustration of the details of the modus operandi of the alleged coup carried out against democracy in the conduct of the 2014 Ekiti State gubernatorial election, but what is particularly of concern and worry to CPPM, was how a civilian, Senator Andy Ubah brought in 400 unrecognized soldiers from Enugu when he is not a military commander. This action is a clear threat to democracy and national security because we need to know from which brigade he sourced these military personnel or whether they were militias raised, trained, funded and deployed by him for the election? We need to know?
Your Excellency, this alledged coup against democracy in the conduct of the 2014 Ekiti State gubernatorial election with sordid details of how it was executed as revealed by the confession of participants, comprised of politicians, INEC, military, policemen, DSS operatives and civil defence corps amongst several others which only a judicial commission of inquiry can expose.
In as much as we congratulate the military authorities for hearkening to the words of reasoning, respect for democracy and rule of law in order to restore the damaged image of this revered institution which symbolizes national unity and value through its compromised, unprofessional, corrupt and partisan conduct in the discharge of its constitutional responsibility by setting up an investigative panel which examined the conduct of its personnel in elections inclusive of Ekitigate and recommended appropriate punitive measures for indicted officers, we insist that the military personnel found culpable must be submitted to a judicial trial because their conduct was not only a dereliction of duty, violation of their commission, but also a violation of the constitution of Nigeria.
Sir, on assumption into office, you swore on oath to be faithful and preserve the provisions of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the discharge of your responsibilities as President and Commander In Chief, thus, a violation of the constitution without appropriate measures to ensure compliance through sanctions, constitutes a failure in carrying out your constitutional duties.
Your Excellency Sir, in view of the alledged violations of the constitution as exposed in the conduct of the 2014 Ekiti State gubernatorial election by military and civilian collaborators, we demand the immediate establishment of a judicial commission of inquiry to examine the conduct of the 2014 Ekiti State gubernatorial election which is an alleged commission of treason against the constitution in order to preserve our democracy and serve as a deterrent to anti democratic elements, in the military establishment and their civilian collaborators.
Please, be assured Dear Sir, of our unalloyed support and commitment to democracy and the rule of law for a peaceful, orderly and prosperous Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thanks.
Yours Faithfully,
Nelson Ekujumi,
Executive Chairman.
Cc:
1. The Attorney General and Minister for Justice,
Federal Ministry of Justice,
Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
2. The Minister for Internal Affairs,
Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs,
Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
3. The Minister for Defence,
Federal Ministry of Defence,
Defence Headquarters,
Abuja.
4. The Inspector General of Police,
Nigeria Police Force Headquarters,
Louis Edet House,
Abuja.
5. The Chief of Defence Staff
Defence Headquarters,
Abuja.
6. The Director General,
Department of State Security (DSS)
DSS Headquarters, Abuja.
7. The Chief of Army Staff,
Nigeria Army Headquarters,
Abuja.
8. The Senate Committee on INEC,
National Assembly Complex,
Abuja.
9. The House of Representative on INEC,
National Assembly Complex,
Abuja.
