EKITI State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has raised the alarm
over the fate of democracy in Nigeria, saying the open display of
contempt for free, fair and transparent election by the All
Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Muhammadu Buhari as
witnessed in Rivers State rerun poll held yesterday, could set Nigeria
on the path of anarchy.
Noting that reports of discovery of fake Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) result sheets in some of the local government areas, siege, harassment, intimidation and even killings of Peoples Democratic Party members by security agencies, was worrisome, the governor said: “Rivers State is 100 percent PDP, and any attempt to subvert the will of the people will be counter-productive.”
The governor, who made these observations in a statement yesterday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, and made available by email, said: “Obviously, INEC, under President Buhari, has destroyed that legacy of free, fair and transparent elections bequeathed on Nigeria by the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
The governor added: “It is strange that INEC produced result sheets with PDP omitted, and I wonder what is going to happen in 2019 if INEC and security agents are acting in this clear compromised manner in Rivers State.
“From what I have heard, Rivers State is under siege. I have seen pictures of people killed and I have seen pictures of INEC result sheets with PDP omitted. Most importantly, I have read reports of top functionaries of PDP and Rivers State government either abducted by gunmen or arrested by the security agents.
“What all these portend for our democracy is danger! It is a sign of what APC desperation to take over power in all the 36 states of Nigeria will cause in Edo and Ondo states this year and in Ekiti State in 2018 as well as the entire country in 2019.
“Curiously, those who went on the rooftops to condemn the involvement of soldiers in the Ekiti governorship election despite that the international observers hailed their participation and even went to court to stop soldiers from taking part in elections are silent now.
“They have failed to realise that if all noble men should keep silent and get cowed by this rampaging beast that is ready to consume democracy and rule of law in Nigeria, ordinary Nigerians will sooner than later end up in the belly of the beast,” Fayose said.
Noting that reports of discovery of fake Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) result sheets in some of the local government areas, siege, harassment, intimidation and even killings of Peoples Democratic Party members by security agencies, was worrisome, the governor said: “Rivers State is 100 percent PDP, and any attempt to subvert the will of the people will be counter-productive.”
The governor, who made these observations in a statement yesterday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, and made available by email, said: “Obviously, INEC, under President Buhari, has destroyed that legacy of free, fair and transparent elections bequeathed on Nigeria by the PDP government of former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
The governor added: “It is strange that INEC produced result sheets with PDP omitted, and I wonder what is going to happen in 2019 if INEC and security agents are acting in this clear compromised manner in Rivers State.
“From what I have heard, Rivers State is under siege. I have seen pictures of people killed and I have seen pictures of INEC result sheets with PDP omitted. Most importantly, I have read reports of top functionaries of PDP and Rivers State government either abducted by gunmen or arrested by the security agents.
“What all these portend for our democracy is danger! It is a sign of what APC desperation to take over power in all the 36 states of Nigeria will cause in Edo and Ondo states this year and in Ekiti State in 2018 as well as the entire country in 2019.
“Curiously, those who went on the rooftops to condemn the involvement of soldiers in the Ekiti governorship election despite that the international observers hailed their participation and even went to court to stop soldiers from taking part in elections are silent now.
“They have failed to realise that if all noble men should keep silent and get cowed by this rampaging beast that is ready to consume democracy and rule of law in Nigeria, ordinary Nigerians will sooner than later end up in the belly of the beast,” Fayose said.