Prosecute actors of Ekiti gov poll rigging tape – Poll

Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose
| credits: File copy

Participants in an online poll have demanded the prosecution of those identified to be involved in a leaked audio tape, alleged to be that of a meeting, where the plot to rig the June 21 governorship poll in Ekiti State, was hatched.

 

Those who have admitted that the voices in the leaked tape belonged to them include the immediate past Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan; Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore; and Governor Ayodele Fayose.

 

One Brid.-Gen. Momoh, who was the military commander in Ekiti State for the election, and the immediate past Minister of Police Affairs, Caleb Olubolade, were among those who attended the controversial meeting.

 

The alleged rigging tape, which was said to have been recorded on June 20, the eve of the election, by one Capt. Sagir Koli, who worked with Momoh, suggested that the actors discussed how the army commander would assist the PDP to win the election.

 

Koli, who leaked the audio tape, has being in hiding, believed to be outside Nigeria.

 

Readers, who took part in the poll on PUNCH ONLINE, said the actors in the rigging tape saga should be prosecuted.

 

One thousand, six hundred and seventy five readers participated in the poll, which opened February 12 and closed on Wednesday, March 4, 2015, with the question: Do you believe that the people identified in an audio clip, alleged to be involved in the Ekiti rigging plot of the June 2014 governorship poll, should be prosecuted?

 

Respondents were asked to answer ‘Yes’ (for those supporting that the actors should be prosecuted) or ‘No’ (for those who are opposed to their prosecution).

 

One thousand, five hundred and eighty one respondents, representing 91 per cent of the total number of participants, answered in the affirmative, that those identified in the controversial tape, should be tried.

 

On the other hand, 144 respondents, which represent nine per cent of the participants, answered No, opposing the prosecution of the actors.

 

Obanikoro and Adesiyan had admitted that the meeting with Momoh actually took place but denied that the forum was held to plan how to rig the election.

 

The ex-defence minister, who has also been nominated as a minister, said in the leaked tape, that he was not in Ekiti for “a tea party”, telling others at the meeting that he was “acting on the order of President Goodluck Jonathan.”

 

Fayose initially denied that the meeting took place but recanted shortly after, saying the PDP chiefs, who spoke in the controversial tape, did not discuss rigging.

 

Curiously, Jonathan described the tape as a “fabrication”, arguing that he would not order an investigation into an allegation based on fabrication.