Ekiti state governor, Ayo Fayose, has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of using the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami to manipulate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in carrying out an illegal amendment of the constitution.
Owing to the death of governorship candidate of the APC, Prince Abubakar Audu, INEC gave the ruling party the permission to select another candidate to replace him in the December 5 supplementary election.
Audu died after the electoral body had declared the election inconclusive, based on the fact that the difference between his votes and that of Idris Wada of the PDP, was lesser than the disqualified votes.
The death of the APC candidate thereby ensued in a legal logjam- as it was a gray area in the constitution- until the Attorney General and INEC issued statements permitting the APC to conduct another primary election.
But Fayose says it’s only the Supreme Court that can resolve such peculiar issues and that neither INEC nor the AGF had the authority to rule on the matter.
Fayose said Buhari amended ‘the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2010 to advance his ambition and that of his party to turn Nigeria to a one party state.’
In a statement released by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, the governor said he’ll fight the decision through all legal means.
“Only the Supreme Court can resolve issues not envisaged by the Constitution like the one that happened concerning the Kogi State governorship election.
“INEC further exposed its partisanship by relying on legal advice from the AGF, a man who has disobeyed the court severally and an interested party in the Kogi State election being a personal lawyer of President Buhari and a member of the APC.”
“Having manipulated the election substantially, what they plotted by covering up Audu’s death for hours against Islamic injunction, was to declare a dead candidate as elected governor of Kogi State so as to pave the way for the emergence of his running mate as the governor-elect.
“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.”
“The Lord will consume anyone plotting against me as He has always done.”
“INEC should either conclude the election with APC not having a candidate or hold a fresh election with APC nominating a new governorship candidate. Anything outside these two options will mean that the Supreme Court must intervene.”
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