Ekiti INEC boss quits

The Federal Government in a sharp riposte rejected her resignation as an act intended to undermine the government and ordered her to immediately come out to complete her constitutional role of superintending the gubernatorial polls.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mike Okiro, who last night addressed a joint press conference with the Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunyili and the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Maurice Iwu, on the matter gave Mrs. Adebayo twenty-four hours to come out of hiding in her own interest, threatening to declare her wanted if she failed to do so.

Olamikan Only yesterday, Professor Iwu had told the nation at a press conference in INEC’s headquarters in Abuja that Mrs Adebayo had broken down as a result of the tension of the electoral process and had taken ill.

INEC on its part insisted that its hands were tied on the issue as it claimed that the Ekiti re-run gubernatorial polls remained deadlocked until Mrs. Adebayo surfaced to complete the elections. Iwu affirmed that provisions of the electoral act meant that the results of the election could not even be declared on the grounds that Oye Local Government where elections were suspended could easily determine the election.

Resignation letter

In her letter of resignation addressed to President Umaru Yar’Adua dated 28th April, 2009, Mrs. Adebayo said:

LETTER OF RESIGNATION
“It is with heavy heart that I am writing to inform you of my resignation as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State.
“In accordance with the rule of law, the ongoing election in Ekiti state was suppose (sic) to be the election that will enhance the image of INEC, electoral process in our dear country Nigeria and the whole black race. Unfortunately, the circumstances changed in the middle of the process; therefore, my conscience as a Christian cannot allow me to further participate in this process.
“I thank you and my great country Nigeria for giving me the rare opportunity to serve.
Yours sincerely,
signed
Chief (Mrs.) Olusola A. Adebayo”

FG rejects resignation

The Federal Government in a sharp response delivered through the Minister of Information, Prof. Akunyili, however, rejected the resignation saying that her resignation was meant to undermine the government as it posited that she was never impeded in the discharge of her duties.

She said yesterday:

“The supplementary Governorship election in Ekiti state, which was held on Saturday April 25,2009 has thrown up a situation which is viewed with utmost seriousness by the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’’
“From reports available to the government, the election was successfully held in 9 out of the 10 local government areas where the election was to be held.

“As of the evening of Sunday April 26, 2009, the day after the election, results from the election have been collated and the outcome in 5 local governments had been announced. However, due to tension and fear of violence, election did not hold in Oye LGA. INEC then scheduled to conduct the election in Oye Ekiti on Monday April 27, 2009. Before the appointed day however, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Mrs. Olusola Adebayo, who is the returning officer for the state, reportedly took ill, a situation which led to the election scheduled for Monday April 27, 2009, to be further postponed.

“To the amazement of the government, a letter purported to be from the same resident commissioner in Ekiti state, Mrs. Adebayo and addressed to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria emerged today (yesterday) Tuesday April 28, 2009 claiming that she is resigning her appointment in protest.

“All reasons stated in the resignation letter which expressed her reservations about the process are within her powers as resident electoral commissioner to address. The purported letter of resignation of Mrs. Adebayo is suspect and there is need for the weighty allegation contained in the letter to be properly investigated.

“The purported letter is intended from all indication to undermine and discredit the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria especially in its effort to build up a credible democratic system in the country. There is need therefore for Mrs. Olusola Adebayo to come forward urgently and clarify the issues raised in the letter purportedly written by her.

“Government rejects this letter of resignation purportedly written by Mrs. Adebayo as there is no evidence that she was impeded from carrying out her statutory assignment as resident electoral commissioner and returning officer in Ekiti state.’’

Okiro threatens to declare her wanted

The Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Okiro in his short remarks at the press conference ordered Mrs. Adebayo to report to the nearest police station within twenty four hours otherwise she would be declared wanted.

Asked what the Police would do if the REC did not resurface, the IG said “when we get to the bridge we will cross it,’’ as he noted that the allegations in her letter were very grave adding that she had remained incommunicado. The INEC boss who also flanked the Minister of Information in his comment said the election remained essentially deadlocked as he pointed out that the only key to solving the crisis was the missing REC.

Iwu sticks to illness story

On the state of health of the missing REC, Iwu said: “The only information we have about the Resident Electoral Commissioner was that she broke down in the process of the election and took ill and that was the information we were working on. I have only been able to speak to her on the phone and she confirmed that much to me. That is the only information that I have.’’

Affirming that the key to the election remained with the missing REC, he said:

“She is the only one competent to comment on the election in Ekiti State. The Resident Electoral Commissioner is completely in charge of elections in the State, I have not received any report from her, it is only when I receive a formal report from her that I will then know the next line of action,’’ he said.

“She is totally the person in charge of the election in the State to declare the outcome of that particular election. We should also remember that this is a court-ordered election; the court had said that we should conduct election in ten Local Government areas; the court did not ask us to declare a winner. The court wants us to do a supplementary election. We must conduct elections in ten Local Government areas and she is the one who has been asked to conduct that election, she has not sent us any report and until she does that there is no question of what do we do next.

“We are still expecting her to give us a full report as to what happened and what difficulties she had, how far she has reached. I can’t depend on media reports as to how far the election has reached; I need to have a formal report from her. We want to hear from her and are hopeful that she will complete the process she has started.

“As far as the law is concerned, she is the returning officer for that election.
She is not under my custody, there is no master-servant relationship between us, I just spoke to her on the phone and she said she was ill, that was the information she gave me and that is the information I have to verify.’’

Iwu continued: “If you have ever been in an election site, you will realise that it is a very tensed place. If you had been watching the television, you will realise that Ekiti was super tense and for a seventy-four year old woman, I have no reason to doubt that she could break down. Ordinary, people could have broken down not to talk of somebody who is under that kind of stress. We then decided that we will wait till she comes back and she continues her job. Right now, the election is still uncompleted until she finishes her job.’’

Nothing should happen to her — Aturu

Meanwhile, Lagos lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, yesterday warned that nothing should happen to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, even as he insisted that she should be made to say all she knew about the election.

Aturu said, “the resignation of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, confirms the satanic pressure on the woman and shows that we are in a long battle against election riggers. The woman must be made to say all she knows. No harm should come to her. Maybe, a judicial commission is not out of place. The whole thing is sickening”.

AC won’t accept result unless signed by Adebayo

On its part, the Action Congress (AC) in the state has vowed not to accept any result announced by any other REC apart from the one signed by Mrs Adebayo.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said it welcomes the resignation, accusing the REC of compromise.

In a statement made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti yesterday, AC chairman in the state, Chief Jide Awe declared that any other result announced by any other person would be one sided and jaundiced, as there was tendency for the new REC to twist the result towards favouring PDP.

“In view of the recent development concerning the redeployment or forced resignation of Ekiti Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, we wish to categorically tell Nigerians that we shall not accept any result announced by any other REC which we are sure would be an agent of PDP.

“The basis for our position is that the law is clear about who is empowered to announce results of election. The REC is the only authorised officer who is entitled to announce election results since she conducted same.”

Resignation welcome — PDP

However, the PDP in the state described the resignation as a welcome development, saying the 74-year-old woman will forever live with the evil she attempted to perpetrate against the people of Ekiti.

The party’s Director of Communications and Strategy, Mr. Jackson Adebayo said in a statement issued in Ado Ekiti, said “we have received with great relief the resignation of Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) who suddenly became ‘ill’ when results of the election in 61 out of the 63 wards came to her and it was clear that the Action Congress (AC) had lost the election.

“It was clear from all indications that Mrs. Adebayo had been highly compromised, hence her refusal to release the results of the elections when all parties had already been given the results at the polling units, wards and local government levels.

“Even though we are not in the business of casting aspersions on public officials, especially those that have gone past the age of 70 like Mrs. Adebayo, but we are constrained to say that she did not live above board in the discharge of her official duties.

“We are not unaware of her unholy alliance with the AC to deliver Ekiti State to Senator Bola Tinubu’s surrogate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, at all cost. That explains why she had to abdicate her duty post, feigning illness when results of the 61 wards came in and did not favour the AC.

“Instead of announcing the results and declaring Engr. Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who apparently was in clear lead in the election, she ran away, holding the entire state to ransom.

“Where was Mrs. Adebayo recuperating when she suddenly took ill – Ado Ekiti, Akure, Lagos, Abeokuta or Abuja?
“We leave Mrs. Adebayo to her conscience even as those who paid her to do their dirty job for them would definitely want to present her as a saint who resigned to protect her integrity.” The party further said.