Ekiti Elections Took Us "Out Of The Promised Land Back To Egypt" – Femi Falana

In a recent interview, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) sat down and had a candid talk with journalists from Punch explaining how he felt with the news of Fayose winning his state's local election.

Femi Falana (SAN)

Falana, who was visibly uncomfortable with the outcome, stated that when he heard the results he had been flabbergasted, because he had hoped that Governor Kayode Fayemi was going to win the polls.

Falana went into details explaining that Fayemi's loss could be attributed to key stakeholders in Ekiti voting him out. He also said the decision to remove Fayemi had nothing to do with ‘stomach infrastructure’ or the popularity of Fayose.

He continued: "On a critical analysis of the political situation in Ekiti State, Fayemi is a victim of the ideological crisis of his party, the APC. Of course, the arrogance of some of the governor’s aides who were allowed to wield enormous powers equally contributed to the loss of the election. 

"I have read very interesting but diversionary commentaries on the election results. Some of them have deliberately denigrated the Ekiti people. Most commentators have forgotten that the Ekiti people felt relieved when Fayose was impeached in October 2006. In fact, his removal was celebrated by the Ekiti people. Most of the commentators have also forgotten that Senator Babafemi Ojudu defeated Fayose with over 45,000 votes in the election to the Senate in the Ekiti-Central Senatorial District during the 2011 general election. Rice and money were also distributed by Fayose then."

On the rumour that APC are looking to take the results to Appeal court, Falana said there is nothing that can be done, as he doesn't believe elections should be changed by election petition tribunal.

He talked about the APC's strategy and said: "APC ought to build on Fayemi’s concession speech and reorganise its affairs. However, the APC should sue the Federal Government in a Federal High Court to justify the restriction of the movement of some governors, the arrest of a serving commissioner in Fayemi’s cabinet and 14 other unarmed protesters at Ado Ekiti who were later transferred to Abuja and charged with terrorism, the arrest of 25 party members on election day, the militarisation of the electoral process, the imposition of curfew and other incidents of impunity carried out by the army, the police and other gendarmes before and during the election. A government which cannot maintain adequate security in the North-East region which has been overrun by insurgency ought to justify the deployment of 36,790 soldiers, police and civil defence personnel, all bearing arms and terrorising people including those who have no business with the election.

The lawyer reacted negatively to the suggestion that Fayose will try to industrialize the state, adding: "I wish him well. As I said earlier, the Ekiti people have gone back to Egypt with Moses firmly in the wilderness. I can only wish them luck. In fairness to the governor-elect he says that he has changed his old ways. Let us wait and see."He also said that the rice issue was being overblown, he said: "It is not fair to insult Ekiti people for voting for the candidate of their choice. Did Americans not vote for Mr. George Bush instead of Mr. Al Gore? Did they not pay for the consequences of their decision? Is the world not paying for that choice with the rising wave of terrorism all over the place? Even in the Bible, did the Israelites not ask for Barnabas who was a well known criminal in place of Jesus Christ? For goodness sake, can you blame a people who have been traumatised and pauperised for years for collecting bags of rice and money from politicians once in four years? Governor Fashola knows that the concept of “jeun s’oke” did not originate from Ekiti State. It has its origin elsewhere. I am sure that the governor is not unaware of the celebrated case of Olu Falae v Obasanjo in which the petitioner alleged that rice and salt were distributed by the PDP to entice voters during the 1999 presidential election. Even though the allegation was proved beyond reasonable doubt the Court of Appeal held that there was no evidence that the beneficiary, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, authorised the criminal action. Since then, rice and money have always been distributed by political parties and candidates through proxies during elections in Nigeria."

He finally concluded that he was sure that the election was not rigged and was free and fair.

Source: Legit.ng