Ekiti rerun election: Shame of a nation
By Editorial Board
Published: Monday, 27 Apr 2009
[b]Contrary to President Umaru Yar‘Adua‘s promise of ensuring a free and fair governorship election rerun in Ekiti State, there are reports that results in some areas are about to be manipulated or falsified in favour of a particular candidate. More than 48 hours after election held in nine local government areas out of the 10 the Court of Appeal had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct fresh poll, only the results from five LGAs have been officially announced. There is, therefore, palpable fear that the delay by INEC to release the remaining results may be a deliberate attempt to manipulate figures and thwart the popular will of the electorate.

There are disturbing reports that the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Olusola Adebayo, who is legally empowered to announce the final result and declare a winner, might have been replaced. It was claimed that vigilance and local resistance prevented one of the parties from smuggling 14,000 votes from Ido-Osi Local Government into the collation centre.

Amid the confusion, the two contending political parties, the Action Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party, are already claiming victory.

The Court of Appeal had ordered fresh elections in 10 out of the 16 local councils to determine the actual winner of the April 14, 2007 polls in the state. The Court decision climaxed the appeal filed by the AC candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, contesting Mr. Olusegun Oni‘s victory. The Court submitted that the substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act in the 10 councils vitiated the election. The Court then ordered Oni to vacate the governorship seat on the grounds that accreditation did not take place before the election in the 10 local government councils.

Given this, it was expected that the Saturday rerun would meet the minimum standards of a democratic election. But the election was marred by large scale violence in many parts of the state. While voting was postponed indefinitely in Oye and Usi wards, election took place in 61 out of the 63 wards in ten local government areas of the state. It was reported that in most parts, the Police looked elsewhere as notable politicians and thugs had a field day. In some places, mobile policemen aided the rigging of the election by criminal gangs. The Police announced the arrest of 61 persons suspected to be thugs with ”incriminating” materials.

Accredited observers and journalists were molested and harassed. Regrettably, top politicians led the show of shame. Some notable senators from neigbouring states were seen leading some hoodlums to snatch ballot boxes. It is a shame that desperate politicians are portraying the nation as incapable of conducting free and fair elections.

According to the results released so far, the PDP candidate polled 15,420 while the AC flag-bearer was credited with 15, 026 votes. However, these figures were exclusive of about 12,000 votes that the Court of Appeal had declared in favour of the AC candidate in its February 17 ruling.

INEC itself was ill-prepared for the election. Electoral materials arrived at many polling booths late while ballot papers sent to some polling units were not enough for the use of registered voters. It is also claimed that some voters could not locate their names on the voters register, leading to tension and complaints of manipulation in some wards. In some units, the names on the voters‘ register were different from the list INEC displayed.

It is, indeed, unfortunate that the Federal Government has not lived up to its promise of ensuring that the Ekiti State rerun poll would be free and fair. Though some stringent security measures aimed at ensuring a hitch-free election rerun - including the deployment of about 10,000 policemen; the redeployment of the state Police Commissioner and the posting of 1,500 INEC personnel from outside Ekiti State to conduct the election - had been put in place, it is evident that some powerful politicians were determined to frustrate these commendable measures.

Why, for instance, did INEC choose to announce the election results in piece meal instead of declaring the results of nine councils at once? Why should the result be declared by one Mr. Ayodeji Soyebi instead of INEC Resident Commissioner, Mrs. Adebayo? Is it true that some party stalwarts are pressuring the President to annul the results of the rerun election?

In order to prevent any breakdown of law and order in the state, INEC must allow the popular will of the electorate to prevail.

President Yar‘Adua should see the rerun as a litmus test of his sincerity in effecting a credible electoral reform for the nation. Ultimately, the people reserve the right to defend their mandate from being stolen. This is the time for the President to act firmly as a statesman.[/b]