Olagunsoye in Ado-Ekiti Campaigning in Ado-Ekiti Just Prior to the Re-Run in April 2009
| Written by The Sun |
| Tuesday, 14 April 2009 19:05 |
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Osun State governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, insists that his pact with God and the people of the state is to serve them as governor for eight years and nothing more. Taunted with the possibility of the ongoing legal battle over the 2007 gubernatorial election resulting in a fresh election, Oyinlola told The Sun editors in Osogbo during the week that he would not spend a day beyond his agreed eight years. "If they order fresh elections, which I think is very remote, I would only contest in order to reconfirm that it is me that the people of this state want to govern them and that I indeed won the 2007 election", and to ensure that the state does not get into the wrong hands. But beyond that, however, the retired General says he would turn in his resignation the very day he clocks eight years in office, and hand over to his deputy to continue from there. His word: I would not go for the four years because I believe I would have given my optimum best by the completion of eight years. I bet you, if such a thing occurs, I will put in my letter of resignation."Oyinlola who expressed dissatisfaction over how the bid to resolve the Osun guber issue said that although he would be into his third year in office by the time the matter is resolved, he would not take advantage of the situation by wanting to stay beyond eight years, in the event of what he termed an unlikely re-run election. He also spoke on other issues, including his involvement in the re-run election in Ekiti State. Excerpts: Ekiti re-run, military uniforms, my arming thugs etc It is the most senseless and stupid fabrication I have ever heard in my life. I left the Army 10 years ago after 30 years service. The closest I have ever come to a uniform since then was when I wore the NYSC Nigerian uniform for ceremonial parade. I know what security means. I spent thirty years in the military. So if I wanted to do anything of that nature, would I go to the open market to discuss it? The issue of politics, as I have come to realize, is like when you are roofing a house, you can do it secretly because you must put hammer to nail and the whole world would know that you are roofing your house. That is the way things are in politics. Unless you think and execute issues within yourself, the moment it gets to another person's hearing, it is as good as going to the market. So, I can never discuss such an in in the open, let alone gathering 16 local government chairmen and discussing this kind of issue. The truth is: I got to Ekiti and we went to welcome the Vice President at Akure. From Akure, we drove to Ado- Ekiti. By 9 o'clock that same night (on Friday), we had a meeting with stakeholders in Jibowu Hall where everybody that is somebody in PDP took part. The meeting was chaired by the Vice President. From there, I went to sleep. In fact, we were misinformed about the arrival time of the President the following morning. So I was in my lodge and the Governor of Oyo state came and joined me. We had conflicting reports as to the time when the President would come. But when I had the sound of choppers. I came out, I knew it might be two or three choppers. When I sighted two, I said no, the third one that is coming in is likely to be Mr. President because I am familiar with some of these things. So I and Akala started going out to meet him. Because of the misinformation, it was me and Akala that got to the Chopper first, even before the Vice President, to welcome the President. When and where did I hold meeting with Ekiti people? Besides the acting Governor and Engineer Segun Oni who is our candidate, who else do I know in Ekiti? I think it sounds unintelligent and that it is the kind of thing they (the opposition) normally do. When they are doing something, they accuse the opposition of planning such a thing. Despite your own problems in Osun – the yet to be concluded legal problems, how come Oyinlola's tentacles have suddenly spread everywhere, so much so that Oyinlola is also an issue in Ekiti? What happened in Ekiti was that my speech attacked the character of the leadership of the Action Congress. You know, I spoke on behalf of the rest of the Governors at that campaign. And I told the people of Ekiti state that, yes, we may have a very faint idea of who the opposition's candidate is, that is Fayemi, but one thing we are sure of is the man that is backing him. Like the adage goes, show me your friend and I know exactly who you are. The main backer of Fayemi is Bola Tinubu. And I said okay, who is Bola Tinubu? Where is he from? Who is his Father? Who is his mother? Which school did he attend? These are the things we want to know. If somebody's life is shrouded in mystery, why would you want to entrust your future to him? The only thing you can be certain about Bola is that he is a human being, every other thing is fake. Name o!, school o!, town o, parentage o, certificate o!. Tell him I said so.He buried his Father here in his village in 1983. Is that the kind of man that would want to lead a sophisticated race like the Yoruba? That is daydream. It is a curse in Yoruba land for you to make somebody else your mother while your real mother is still living. So I prayed for the women of Ekiti that this should not be their fate. Because the kind of human being backing the opposition, that is exactly what he is. So, I know they (AC leadership) would try to get at me. The only thing they can do is to go about faking story. Was it proper for the president of Nigeria, who is not just president of PDP to go to Ekiti to campaign for Oni? I want to let you into the aspect of the constitution of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party. The national leader of PDP is Mr. President. I am, as Governor of this state, the leader of our party in Osun state. So, if there should be any re-run in any local government, then you expect that I would sit down here in Osogbo and not go and sell the manifesto of our party to the people in that local government? That is exactly what is happening. But the question I want to ask is: why is Ekiti different? There have been other places where we had re-run, why no questions there? Why now? He went to do re-run in Kogi, He went to Adamawa, Cross River, everywhere. So what is the query with Ekiti. Or Ekiti is not a place where PDP is undergoing a rerun. It looks as if PDP is losing grip in the south-west and is desperate to hang on, that is why there is so much talk about this re-run Anywhere we have a re-run, he has been there, so what is the difference now? He is the leader of the party and he is fulfilling his constitutional obligations under the party. Simple as A B C! Okay, what is the business of Bola Tinubu going to campaign in Ekiti? Why is (AC national chairman Bisi) Akande going to campaign in Ekiti? The leadership of the Action Congress is going there to campaign for their candidate in Ekiti, so what is wrong with our own leaders going to campaign for our own candidate? But, he is the President of Nigeria, and as the sitting president… (cuts in) That does not annul his responsibility to the institution that made him president. They did not just go and pick him in Katsina and make him President. He got that position on the platform of the party. Without the party, he would not be President. But in a place like the US…(cuts in) We cannot compare America with our system. Though we are running the same Presidential system, ours is more of unitary federalism. In all the states of America, we have the Senate and the House of Representatives within the state. And they have the Senate at the Congress at the national level too. So it is not the same thing. That is why I believe it is incomparable. Few days to the appeal court verdict on Osun, there were rumours that you had fled the state, where did you go? Nowhere. One thing I know is that until it is decided otherwise, I remain the Governor of Osun state. And I must remain at my duty post till the last minute. Whatever I am doing is not about Oyinlola, it is about the future of this state. And that is why I feel I am duty-bound to be at my duty post even till the last minute. So, even up till that morning that the verdict was being given in Ibadan, I was at a state function in Ada. Whether I like it or not, in another two years, I am off. But if we don't lay a good foundation for the economic prosperity of the state, generations coming behind us will not forgive us. How did you feel when you heard the result of the Appeal? I was surprised but not shocked. Surprised because I believe we had articulately presented our case such that the decision should have come our way. I am not shocked because nothing else can shock me. I have been shocked from the beginning of my life, when I became an orphan at the age of nine. There is no other shock that can occur to any other human being, losing his father at the age of nine. That is why I say I am surprised but not shocked. But it is baffling that a document that was not subjected to any cross examination was admitted at the Appeal Court. And the point of decision was primarily on this same document. The supposed Police report. When the report was presented at the lower tribunal, we demanded to know the author so that we can ask questions. Because there is a process of admission of evidence. It is must be a subject of cross examination. The Author did not come. That is the reason the last tribunal did not take it because it did not pass the rudiments and test for the admission of evidence. But they took the thing to the Appeal Court and it was accepted. So if it is sent through the back, which means we didn't have the opportunity of cross examining the author, so it looks like a trial by proxy. We don't know the author and could not ascertain the veracity of the contents of the report. So those are the issues that sound strange and we believe that at the Appeal Court, whatever is being judged is what you would look at and we believe that, yes, there was a report which amounted to 'technical' issue if it is not heard. And that is why they said okay, go back and look at the report and go and do the retrial. No problem.You said that whether you like it or not that in another two years, you will be off . If they could order a re-run now and then you have a fresh four years mandate, you would not be off in two years…No, I would not go for the four years because I believe I would have given my optimum best by the completion of eight years. I bet you, if such a thing occurs, I will put in my letter of resignation. I want to spend time to conclude the training of my children and have time to play with my grand children. Oyinlola has suddenly become a factor in PDP in the South West. So many things seem to be revolving around you in the South West. What is the game-plan? Within the confines of the south-west zone you are talking about, and anywhere there is PDP, and there is any programme, you would find Oyinlola. You would find Oyinlola anywhere there is PDP programme. So don't limit it to south-west. I am unlike my brother, whose inordinate ambition is to lead the south-west zone but he doesn't have the credentials to accomplish it. That is the unfortunate thing. A leader is not appointed or selected. Awolowo was not the eldest in his community, but he did parade some extra character traits that made the old and the younger ones to subscribe to him; that this man has something than all of us and he is a beacon of light that must be followed. It is not by throwing money all over the place that makes you a leader. No. We must know your pedigree. When your life is shrouded in mystery and doubt, and you want to lead 140,000 million Yorubas in this world! No. Has it occurred to you that in the event of a re-run being ordered and you decline, PDP would not present a candidate and you'll lose the state? It is not a must that they present me. But you did not get me well. If we do re-run and I win, it will be my intention to leave because I programmed myself for eight years of intense service and dedication to the people of Osun state. No more, no less. I can play other parts outside of being Governor. If there is going to be an extension by one day, Oyinlola will not stay. Atiku, Obasanjo and I You will recall the Alex Ekwueme committee that was set up by the beginning of this dispensation, Its aim was to bring back to the fold those eminent party members who have shifted to other parties. I was not involved in the work of the committee but a former Governor came and visited me and in the course of our decision, it came up that there is need to kind of broker peace between Atiku and Obasanjo. I did say I couldn't do it if I did not have the go ahead of the former vice president. I wasn't going to do it. By and large, I got in touch with him and he gave me the go ahead to do it. I contacted former president Obasanjo, in fact he came for Owu National convention in Oshun. I told him and he said no objection reconciling with his former vice president. We fix a date and that was it. Ever since then, I remained at my duty post doing my job. I have this fear in Osun and it is also playing out in Ekiti now. Here is a General whom we think should know a thing or two about using violence to get what he wants. I don't know if you are playing out the violence part or not. Why is this seeming desperation to bring violence into the politics in Osun. Is it you or the opposition? We have never known any of such in Osun state until somebody became the candidate of AC. We had the importation of thugs from Lagos into Osun and that has changed the colour of things. But we thank God that we have been able to control issues. Were it not for the way we arrested the situation, what happened immediately after the election could have been worse. I had to take charge of things personally. My life is not in danger yet if it is in danger, I know what to do. I know that I won't die like a fowl. I was in Lagos at a time I would describe as the most difficult period in the history of Lagos state and I was there without firing a shot. The issues in Osun cannot be so grave as I experienced in Lagos. There is no problem in politics. If people want you, yes they would vote for you. if they say they want Oyinlola tomorrow, I quit. To start with, I was not looking in this direction when I became a politician. I didn't want to become a Governor. I was going to the senate because I felt my knowledge of law would assist me to make good laws at the senate. It was the friendly 'conspiracy' of my party and the council of Obas that pushed me into the race. That is the open secret. The impression out is that you paid for the tribunal judgment that was ultimately upturned by the Appeal Court. What is your take on that? My take is that we should not be gullible because the MTN call log issue was taken to the same Appeal Court and what happened to it? The same appeal Court that gave them the judgment threw the thing out. It is a matter of law and not logic. The principles of law state that you have to have committed or done this one for you to be described as a criminal. If you don't fall within the description of that principle, where is the case? It is not about grammar but about facts. Hard facts that are articulately presented to the court. You are not scared of Adrian Forty? I read law, I know what could be admissible unlike Rauf or Bola, I went to school and very good schools, even if I have to say so myself. They say you don't blow your own trumpet. But, if others are busy blowing their own trumpet, when would they find time to blow yours? You better have to blow your own . At a time PDP had 28 to 30 governors and now it has come down to 25 or there about. It seems as if PDP is losing control. And there is this talk about mega party, is PDP not scared? It seems you are not balancing your views. Yes we have lost some states, but we have also gained some states back. Zamfara, Jigawa and Bauchi. Plus/minus, what is the balance? We have the majority. If out of 36 states we still control 26 to 27, I don't think that is a bad showing. When you talk of mega party? I have been hearing of mega party since Awolowo and Zik. It has never worked. It's mega nonsense. Mega rubbish. It won't work.Why hasn't mega party concept worked? It is like mending wool material with lace or Ankara. It would not hold. They would go their different ways sooner than later. Because the interests are different. You cannot marry different minds together and you think it would work. It is not possible. Like the previous attempts that have failed, this one is bound for the same. That is akin to people of different minds trying to come together. If we go back to the beginning of the formation of AC, it started as a mega Party. So how mega is this mega party now? It has only two states under its control. You may say AC is in Edo, I want to dare Oshiomole to appoint his commissioners and not put PDP people. We know Edo is still PDP. The truth is that PDP 1 defeated PDP 2. Period. Simplicita. It was the disagreement between PDP in Edo that produced Oshiomole.Some of the people who helped PDP to win are also there, they can also help the mega party to win. It could work this time around…If you are a politician, you would understand my viewpoint. It is just like the joke of the retired Justice of the Supreme court, Justice Babalakin. He said that when you attain the age of 70 you should be celebrating your birthday every year because you'd have become the property of the auctioneer at that time. So he would be ringing the bell, going!, going!!... if you are a politician or any professional, and you do not have the opportunity to practice your profession, for almost eight years, you are going.Atiku has said PDP is dead. Atiku has cursed PDP, PDP has cursed Atiku and everything has broken down. Is Atiku in or out?They are still playing Politics.you know who belongs to where. Atiku is still in AC. People were insinuating. Because he has resolved his differences with his former boss does not mean that he is a member of PDP. |
OSUN STATE GOVERNOR ELECT, ENGINEER RAUF AREGBESOLA.
*Press Release from the Office of the Governor of Ekiti State
*Jubilation And Skirmishes As Rauf Aregbesola Declared Governor of Osun State; Supreme Court Gives Corrupt Ruling On Sokoto
*Osun Judgement Strikes Final Blow To Election Riggers - ACN
*Aluko Commentary
*From the Archives: Kalejaye gate Is An Albatross On Oyinlola's Neck - by Gbenga Fayemiwo
QUOTE
The ballot papers are in the following categories:
a. 41 per cent of the 224,695 ballot papers used to declare Governor Oyinlola as winner by INEC were product of incontestable multiple thumb-printing;
b. Ballot papers meant for Ondo State not only questionably found their ways into Osun State but were indeed part of the 426,669 votes credited for the stolen Governor of Osun State;
c. 113,311 ballot papers used to declare Oyinlola by INEC in 10 Local Governments were not supplied by INEC on the Schedule of Distribution of Ballot Papers (Form EC40c/EC25) it released officially. They were completely alien to Osun State;
d. 88,092 ballot papers used to declare Oyinlola were those obtained from split ballot papers used in clear contravention of the Electoral Law, 2006;
e. The forensic examination also revealed that 117,439 ballot papers from the 10 Local Governments that we are challenging were product of ballot box stuffing;
f. Why was Kalejaye, the lead Counsel to Governor Oyinlola calling the Chairman of the Tribunal and other panel members in clear violation of the law?
UNQUOTE
Haba!
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Press Release from the Office of the Governor of Ekiti State
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has reacted to the victory of Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State at the court of Appeal, Ibadan, Oyo State.
In a statement by Wole Olujobi SSA (Speech and Public Communications to the Governor) the Governor said the victory of Governor Aregbesola is a victory for democracy and rule of law."It is a victory for tenacity and perseverance of the people of Osun State. Once again, the judiciary has displayed an uncommon courage that it is the rule of law that governs this country and not the rule of men"The judiciary has shown the world again that Nigeria is a country where premium is placed on the rule of law as a principle that governs our conduct and businesses of government."This victory is for all Nigerians who believe in and cherish justice. it is on victory that has implications for the way we conduct ourselves in electoral process in this country. it is also a victory for one man one vote as a pillar of electoral contest."
Wole OlujobiSSA (Speech and Public Communication to the Governor)._______________________________________________________________________________________________Jubilation And Skirmishes As Rauf Aregbesola Declared Governor of Osun State; Supreme Court Gives Corrupt Ruling On Sokoto
Posted: November 26, 2010 - 14:21Posted by siteadminBy SaharaReporters, New YorkJubilation has broken out in the Osun State capital of Osogbo and throughout the state seconds after an electoral appeal tribunal sitting in Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, declared Rauf Aregbesola as the legitimate winner of the 2007 gubernatorial election in Osun.
There were also reports of skirmishes between supporters of Rauf Aregbesola and those of deposed PDP governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Ikirun and parts of Ile-Ife.
The panel ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to issue a certificate to Mr. Aregbesola as the duly elected governor. Declaring current Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of the PDP as an impostor, the appellate tribunal ordered his immediate vacation of office.
"It's a glorious day for the judiciary," exclaimed a lawyer who was in the court premises in Ibadan. As the lawyer spoke to Saharareporters, his voice was nearly drowned out by the songs and ululations of a crowd in the background.
Mr. Oyinlola's removal marks another major setback for the PDP and former President Olusegun Obasanjo who in 2007 orchestrated one of the most shocking electoral hijacks in Nigeria's history.
Mr. Aregbesola will now serve for four years as governor of Osun.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Supreme Court brought shame on itself and tainted the image of the judiciary with its ruling on an appeal before it over the planned ruling of the Court of Appeal deciding the governorship election in Sokoto State.
The apex court ruled that the appellate tribunal could not proceed with handing down its verdict in the case.
Saharareporters had documented how incumbent Governor Wamakko of Sokoto and his lawyers had induced Chief Justice Aloysius Katsina-Alu to intervene in the case in order to save Mr. Wamakko's fraudulently acquired post.
The Supreme Court's ruling drew instant condemnation from lawyers. One lawyer told Saharareporters that the apex court's judgment, which struck out a case in the Court of Appeal where a final ruling had not been rendered, "was a first in the history of the judiciary in this country." Another lawyer described the court's ruling as "the worst form of judicial rascality by justices of the Supreme Court that I have ever seen." Yet another lawyer, a senior advocate, said, "The Supreme Court's ruling amounts to abortion of a full term pregnancy," adding, "it is judicial murder."
___________________________________________________________________________________________http://thewillnigeria.com/politics/6695-Osun-Judgement-Strikes-Final-Blow-Election-Riggers---ACN.html
Osun Judgement Strikes Final Blow To Election Riggers - ACN
SAINT MUGAGA 26/11/2010 05:58:00
PHOTO: OSUN STATE GOVERNOR ELECT, ENGINEER RAUF AREGBESOLA.
ABUJA, Nov 26, (THEWILL) - The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) today said the judgement of the Court of Appeal on the Osun gubernatorial election has struck a final, deadly blow against election riggers, who must now be consigned into where they belong - the dustbin of history.
In a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said its victory is particularly sweet music for all democrats, who have continued to fight to wrest Nigeria from the deadly cabal of election riggers, who have made Osun state their base.
''Osun, under the grip of the electoral marauders, became a euphemism for election rigging with bravado. Even with a questionable mandate, they carried on as if they were indeed elected by the people of the state. Osun lost more people to the 2007 elections than any other state. Dislodging the marauders, therefore, is a succour of sorts to the families of those who were killed in the process of what will rank among the worst cases of electoral brigandage in our country's history.
''We also recall that the marauders in Osun provided the men and material for the rigging of the gubernatorial re-run in Ekiti.
"At a stage, they even resorted to the use of police helicopter to ferry their generals and their arsenals to Ekiti to further terrorize the people of the state.
''Now, the forces of evil and darkness have finally lost their grip. It is a good opportunity for Nigerians to use the chance presented by next year's general elections to send the marauders cascading down the bottomless pit of shame and oblivion,'' it said.
ACN thanked the judiciary for putting an end to the long-running case on electoral brigandage in Osun, and for once again giving hope to Nigerians who, at times, wondered whether the forces of evil can be defeated, due to their sheer bravado.
''Nigerians should now know that even if a lie travels at the speed of sound for one thousand years, truth will eventually catch up with it. This is a lesson for them never to give up in the pursuit of justice, as long as they believe their cause is just. It is also a great confirmation that our country, Nigeria, is indeed redeemable and can indeed be extricated from the stranglehold of the rapacious cabal of election riggers.
''We know that at a stage during the battle to regain our mandate, many questioned the rationale of expending so much time, energy and resources on what they considered a lost cause. But our victory today has proved that no amount of money is too much to spend in the pursuit of justice,'' the party said.
It also commended the media for keeping the issue on the front burner, long after many have become weary from the antics of the marauders, and to all Nigerians for their moral support.
''In particular we thank our supporters, who waited patiently for this day. They remained unwavering, even after being subjected to the worst form of persecution and provocation. We salute them!,'' ACN said.
The party congratulated the good people of Osun, who will now have the opportunity, like their counterparts in the other states where ACN holds sway, to enjoy the long-awaited dividends of democracy.
____________________________________________________________________________________________ALUKO COMMENTARYToday, Friday November 26, 2011 is another gloriously blessed day in the annals of Nigeria, South-West Yorubaland and its immediate neighborhood, and for the ACN and its progressive sister Labour! With the unperturbed Lagos, we now have Ondo, Edo, Ekiti and Osun in progressive, with Delta to be resolved later in February 2011, Oyo and Ogun will be picked up in April 2011. Before you know it, the fever will jump across the Niger and the Benue - and a New Nigeria will be born, led by Western and Mid-Western Nigeria of the Great Awo, to the utter chagrin of Obasanjo!Yes o!This verdict was long coming. In fact, since the disclosure of the outrageous sub-rosa inside-court text-messaging between a judge Justice Thomas Damar Naron (and possibly other members of the tribunal) and Oyinlola's lawyer Kunle Kalejaiye (SAN), one wondered what else was left to the tattered case of Oyinlola.In recent months, the body language of Oyinlola also exhibited an "I don't care" attitude, with his golfing expeditions to South America and so on.Finally, this will put an end with immediate effect to the 2011 gubernatorial ambitions of Senator Iyiola Omisore. That matter alone will bring instant relief more to millions of PDP folk who have dreaded their inability to save the inevitability of his candidacy (apparently with royal blessing) in the forthcoming elections, than to the millions of others of silent Osun indigenes who had also been dreading the Omisore political machine.That machine has now stuttered to a stop under judicial hammer.Congratulations, fellow Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, new Governor of Osun State! Seeing ya' at Oke-Fia Government House, Osogbo soon and in the forthcoming four years!And there you have it.Bolaji AlukoDefinitely Elated________________________________________________________________________________________________FROM THE ARCHIVESKalejaye gate Is An Albatross On Oyinlola's Neck
IT is surprising that in spite of the revelation of criminal manipulation of the Osun State Election Petitions Tribunal particularly the one headed by the controversial Justice Thomas Damar Naron, allegedly carried out by Otunba Kunle Kalejaye (SAN), Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola has neither shown remorse nor repentance.
The call logs of Governor Oyinlola, Kalejaye and Justice Thomas Naron published by TheNews magazine last month are too revealing and damning to the integrity of any administration. For Oyinlola to be pretending and carrying on as if nothing happened shows that his conscience is either dead or he lacks moral scruple to realise that the game is over for his inept administration.
In a twist of fate that Oyinlola is complaining that the Action Congress (AC) petitioned against the sleaze he committed. The unavoidable interpretation of Kalejayegate scandal leaves all rational thinkers with the conclusion that it was after the Justice Naron was obviously compromised by Oyinlola's legal team towards the end of last year that it rejected our application that the world renowned forensic expert, Mr. Adrian Forty be allowed to testify and give evidence in support of the scanning of ballot papers used for the last governorship poll.
IT remained the pattern since the end of last year till the compromised Tribunal refused to disqualify itself and ruled unjustly in favour of Oyinlola against Rauf Aregbesola without considering the mountain of evidence we presented before it.
Governor Oyinlola should realise that it is no longer possible for him to execute his agenda of compromising the judiciary as he did to that of Justice Thomas Naron. As we await the Court of Appeal to decisively deliver its verdict on the electoral malfeasance, vote robbery, murder of AC polling agents by agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on April 14, 2007 elections day, we challenge Oyinlola to explain the source(s) of the following ballot papers used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rob Engineer Rauf Aregbesola of victory.
The ballot papers are in the following categories:a. 41 per cent of the 224,695 ballot papers used to declare Governor Oyinlola as winner by INEC were product of incontestable multiple thumb-printing;
b. Ballot papers meant for Ondo State not only questionably found their ways into Osun State but were indeed part of the 426,669 votes credited for the stolen Governor of Osun State;
c. 113,311 ballot papers used to declare Oyinlola by INEC in 10 Local Governments were not supplied by INEC on the Schedule of Distribution of Ballot Papers (Form EC40c/EC25 it release officially. They were completely alien to Osun State;
d. 88,092 ballot papers used to declare Oyinlola were those obtained from split ballot papers used in clear contravention of the Electoral Law, 2006;
e. The forensic examination also revealed that 117,439 ballot papers from the 10 Local Governments that we are challenging were product of ballot box stuffing;
f. Why was Kalejaye, the lead Counsel to Governor Oyinlola calling the Chairman of the Tribunal and other panel members in clear violation of the law?
OSUN Tribunal has been the only one all over the country to reject the scientifically proven forensic evidence which it had earlier ordered to be carried out. No one needs any soothsayer to deduce that a lot of water passed under the bridge of the Tribunal when it became hostile to the course of justice and waged a decisive war on evidence and facts.
Has Governor Oyinlola forgotten that throughout the sittings of the Naron Tribunal, his legal team objected to the subpoena issued on INEC to testify on the elections it conducted? Once the subpoena was brought before the Tribunal, Kalejaye and his comrades in judicial pervertion would object and the Tribunal will rule in their favour.
Kalejayegate scandal has established for posterity that when a Tribunal hides under legal technicality to reject vital evidences as Justice Naron has done in Osun State, the wheel of jurisprudence can no longer grind towards the final point of justice.
WHAT Governor Oyinlola secured on July 15, 2007 was judgement without justice. Kalejayegate scandal has confirmed our suspicion that the Tribunal was compromised and could not have been relied upon to do justice.
Governor Oyinlola must stop laying claims to his blood-soaked mandate and tell the whole world how he won his election in clear contravention of the Nigerian laws and universally accepted democratic practices. The people of Osun State voted for Rauf Aregbesola on April 14, 2007 as their Governor. The impostor should stop complaining that the people of Osun State are demanding justice which Oyinlola's criminal car gifts have not been able to avert.
Equally, we must let the whole world know that our witnesses have testified on how Governor Oyinlola personally snatched ballot boxes assisted by his aides in Oyan town, Odo-Otin Local Government on April 14, 2007 in clear violation of the Electoral Law, 2006 while his Commissioners including the incumbent Attorney-General, Mr. Niyi Owolade led thugs to disrupt the poll.
For Oyinlola to pretend and carry on as if all is well smacks of treason and commission of crimes against humanity. He must be checked and stopped in his track immediately. He must know that the Kalejayegate scandal; the totality of which proves that Oyinlola lost the 2007 election woefully is an albatross that cannot lead him to victory. He must prepare to face justice that cannot be procured as he did at the Osun Tribunal.
By GBENGA FAYEMIWO
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