As the electorate in Ondo State troop out today to vote for the candidates of their choice in the governorship polls, Governor Olusegun Mimiko told journalists that the contest is being predetermined for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Rotimi Akeredolu.
Read below:
“Efforts have been concerted by INEC and forces within APC to prevent the emergence of the eligible and electable candidate of the PDP in Ondo state.”
“This ungodly process started when INEC, in flagrant disregard for extant laws governing elections removed the name of Eyitayo Jegede on the bases of the Justice Okon Abang’s order that has simply been described as a fraud by the Supreme Court and court of Appeal.”
INEC in its own wisdom, had decided to obey the fraudulent ruling by Justice Abang which had substituted the name of Eyitayo Jegede with that of Jimoh Ibrahim has no excuse not to obey the laws that gave it powers to conduct free and fair elections.
”INEC ACT stipulates that a candidate ought to have at least 30 days to himself for campaigns before the Election Day. But, instead of postponing the elections, INEC has continued to be adamant in going ahead to hold the elections.
”As peaceful citizens of the country, the people of Ondo state will continue to be law abiding and shall not boycott the election.
“We have just been told that the same team of election ad hoc staff, which masterminded the largely controversial Edo election have been sent to our State to deliver a preconceived result for Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, the APC candidate. I have to state this here and now, that our people will not accept the method, men and process unleashed on Edo.”
“We reject unequivocally the mission of this team in our State.”
“The Edo team did not only call off collation by 9pm on election day, party agents, monitors and journalists were ordered out of the centres, allowing for final subversion of the will of the electorates.”
“We shall not allow such an ungodly process to be repeated in our dear State.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, this ungodly process started when INEC, in flagrant disregard of extant laws governing elections removed the name of Eyitayo Jegede on the basis of a Justice Okon Abang order that has since been declared as a fraud by the S’Court.”
“We wondered why INEC removed the name of a man who emerged from a party primary that was conducted in a free, fair and open environment where INEC itself was represented, with another from a process that is illegal, and by people not known to law and logic.”
“INEC discarded all legal advice not to substitute Eyitayo Jegede by its own chosen consortium of lawyers! Several other hurdles were placed on the ways of the PDP candidate, Eyitayo Jegede to the extent that he did not become a candidate until about 48hrs to election, on the directive of the Court of Appeal.”
“INEC did not release the list of voters register to the PDP until yesterday. This is a clear infraction of its own laws and against its advertised ‘Time Table and Schedule of Activities” for the Ondo election. INEC refused to publish Eyitayo Jegede’s name for 30 days as stipulated in Section 34 of the Electoral Act 2010.”
“INEC denied Eyitayo Jegede the right to submit his Party agents’ list at least 7 days before the election.”
“As stipulated in Section 45 of the Electoral Act 2010 among many others! As we speak, tags for Ward Collation officers are not available for PDP Ward agents, this is unacceptable!”
“More than the above, the agents on INEC list are agents submitted by a man, already aptly described by the courts as an impostor. A man who openly showed he is working as a fifth columnist in the Ondo election.”
”We were expected to run a race with our hands tied behind our back while INEC also goes ahead to foist a “wuruwuru to the answer” result. Every resident of Ondo State knows we are free and fair people who however abhor impunity and open rape of justice. We shall not take this!”
“In this instance, injustice stares us in the face and we are about being treated like slaves and a conquered people in our own country. INEC is being forced to subvert its processes, and imperil the Ondo election.”
“The team it sent to Edo, which it is sending to Ondo is peopled by rabid supporters of APC. People that have displayed their brazen disdain for justice and fair play in the Edo election.”
“If INEC was truely objective, it would have erred on the side of caution & safe Ondo from the polluting influence of this ad hoc team. INEC would have as a matter of fact, shifted this election to present a semblance of a free, fair and open contest.”
”I am by this asking you the good people of Ondo State to be vigilant and insist on the sanctity of the ballot. We must not allow any alteration of result either at the Ward Collation Centre or anywhere along the line.”
“We are a proud people, we can make our choices for the good of our State.We need no manipulation of any kind to exercise our inalienable right to choose our leaders.”
“We also do not want anything to remind us of the inglorious past of violence and bloodshed precipitated by injustice and impunity.”
vvvvvvvvvvvv
Money laundering: Court fixes 14 December for Ladoja’s re- arraignment
Akin kuponiyi
A Federal high court sitting in Lagos south west Nigeria has adjourned till December 14,2016 when Economic and Financial crime Commission (EFCC) will re-arraign a former Governor of Oyo State, Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja and one of his aides, Chief Waheed Akanbi, over an alleged money laundering of N4.7 billion
The accused Governor and his aide were earlier in November 2008 arraigned by EFCC on a 10-count charge of money laundering offence before Justice Ramat Mohammed, who was then serving at the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court.
The new date was fixed today by the presiding Judge Idris Mohammed following his ruling on an application filed by the EFCC seeking for the issuance of bench warrant against them on the ground that the two accused persons were not making themselves available to answer the charges leveled against them.
In his ruling, Justice Idris Mohammed turned down the request of the defence counsel for a stay of proceedings in the matter pending the outcome of an appeal lodged at the Supreme Court against the ruling of the Lagos Division of the Appeal Court which ordered the trial of the accused persons on the ground that the anti-graft agency has power to prosecute them under the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2004.
According to the judge, the request was against the provisions of Section 306 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
Justice Idris also dismissed the objection of Ladoja’s lawyer, Bolaji Onilenla, to bar the appearance of the prosecution’s lawyer, Olabisi Oluwayemi (from Festus Keyamo’s chambers) to prosecute the matter.
Onilenla while challenging the prosecutorial power of the prosecuting lawyer submitted that the fiat to prosecute was exclusively given to Festus Keyamo and that the fiat cannot be transferred to any other person in Keyamo’s chambers.
However, the judge faulted the lawyer’s submission saying the EFCC is in a better position to raise such an objection.
The court also refused to make any order for the arrest of the accused persons as was requested by the EFCC owing to the appearance of Ladoja and his co-accused in court today
On this issue, Justice Idris said: “The court will not make any order for arrest in the light of the appearance of the accused persons in court”.
He subsequently adjourned the matter to December 14 for the re-arraignment of the accused persons.
In the charge, the EFCC alleged that the duo conspired together to convert properties and resources derived from an illegal act, with the intention of concealing their illicit origin.
The anti-graft agency also alleged that Ladoja used N42 million out of the proceeds to purchase an Armoured Land Cruiser Jeep, and remitted about £600,000 to one, Bimpe Ladoja in London.