A human rights group in Nigeria, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has described the weekend revelation of former Secretary of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Temitope Aluko that June 21, 2014 governorship election in the State, was rigged in favour of the incumbent Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose, as afterthought episode which it could not stand the test of time in a democracy era, describing the action of Aluko as illegal, undemocratic, unconstitutional, unlawful, anathema, anti-masses, anti-judiciary ,an aberration and uncalled for.
It however maintained that it was only Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that was charged with the responsibility of conducting the election and returning the winner of the election, should be held responsible for any election mal-practices, but it was a surprised in the country of ours when the electoral umpire would be exonerated of any election misconduct but the Nigeria Army that was an aberration in the conduct of the election would be held responsible for election malpractices.
The group also called on the well meaning Nigerians at home and abroad to disregard the illegal and unlawful revelation of Mr. Aluko which was tantamount to emotional allegation of highest order, thereby calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the former PDP scribe (Temitope Aluko) for committing crime against God and humanity over his present revelation on Ekiti election saga.
Speaking through a signed statement by the CHRSJ’s Executive Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, which a copy was made available to newsmen in Lagos yesterday, disclosed that Mr. Aluko was one of the witnesses that testified in favour of the incumbent Governor Fayose at the 2014 Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, that the June 21, 2014 governorship election was free, fair and credible with an affidavit on oath.
Comrade Sulaiman regretted that the caliber of Mr. Aluko could be emotionally used for this dastard revelation after the election in question had undergone legal clinical/medical treatment from Tribunal to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, saying that if election truly rigged in favour of Mr. Fayose and Aluko conspired to mislead the Court of competent jurisdiction as Aluko claimed in the affidavit before the Court, by now, Aluko was not supposed to be freely moved in the street of the country again.
CHRSJ boss urged the law enforcement agents in the land to arrest Mr. Aluko without further delaying and begin his prosecution in the Court of Competent jurisdiction for lying before the Court of Law, insisting that the International and local Election Observers had adjudged that election as free, fair, transparency and credible and there was nothing to do on it again because upturning such election would an aberration of highest order and civilian coup.
Rights activist maintained that the outcome of 2015 State and National elections in the State had confirmed that the June 21st, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State was not rigged as being claimed by the former PDP scribe because he was not appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Fayose when the cabinet was constituted.
According to him, “The June 21st, 2014 governorship election has come and gone and all political stakeholders in Ekiti State should go back to drawing board and prepare for 2018 Governorship election. Reverse is the case in Nigeria where Military not Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that is charged with the conduct of election, which is an aberration during the conduct of election, will be blamed for election mal-practices. All the Mr. Temitope Aluko’s revelations on 2014 Ekiti governorship election are ruse and afterthought which it cannot be taken serious and stand the test of time. Aluko had an opportunity to say this truth? before the Election Petition Tribunal but he does otherwise, who is now to blamed?
“If we are in sane country, Mr. Temitope Aluko is supposed to be rotten in prison for misleading the Court of competent jurisdiction and public. Mr. Aluko should stop all these ongoing emotional revelation about 2014 Ekiti guber election. It has revealed now that Aluko was gone berserk because he was not made Chief of Staff to Governor Peter Fayose.But if Aluko was made Chief of Staff to Fayose, the Ekiti State guber election was not rigged, what a double speak?
