Posted by By TAIWO AMODU on
Former presidential candidate of All Peoples Party and national chairman of Democratic Peoples Alliance (D.P.A), Chief Olu Falae, has condemned the seeming preference for retired military officers as Administrators in the states where emergency rule have been imposed. He says this is not good for the growth of democracy and the testing of the constitution.
• Accuses Obasanjo, EFCC of starting the process that led Ekiti to chaos
• Those applauding OBJ, EFCC should examine their heads - Niyi Akintola (SAN)
• He's testing the waters for tenure elongation -
Former presidential candidate of All Peoples Party and national chairman of Democratic Peoples Alliance (D.P.A), Chief Olu Falae, has condemned the seeming preference for retired military officers as Administrators in the states where emergency rule have been imposed. He says this is not good for the growth of democracy and the testing of the constitution.
Falae who spoke to Saturday Sun in reaction to Thursday's proclamation of a state of emergency in Ekiti State by President Olusegun Obasanjo and the appointment of a former military governor of Oyo State, and commander of ECOMOG, Major General Adetunji Idowu Olurin (retd), as sole administrator for the besieged state for an interim period of six months submitted that the development is a serious blow to the struggle for democracy in Nigeria. He also expressed doubt over the sincerity of the present administration to organise a credible election next year.
In a nation wide broadcast, the president had submitted that the situation in Ekiti state could degenerate into anarchy if urgent constitutional step was not taken to arrest the drift.
But Falae said: 'Proclamation of a state of emergency doesn't encourage democracy and we begin to wonder whether credible elections can be organized next year. Obasanjo and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission started the process that led to the chaos in Ekiti by not following due process and they are now giving us emergency rule as the solution.'
The former secretary to the federal government equally faulted the choice of a former military officer as sole administrator. 'In Plateau State, Obasanjo picked General Chris Alli as sole administrator when he made that infamous proclamation of emergency rule. This time around, he has chosen another retired general to preside over Ekiti. One begins to wonder the rationale behind the choice of military officers. Is he saying that there are no competent civilians? It shows that the military is still in charge and I think genuine democrats should rally round to save Nigeria from the Peoples Democratic Party".
Barrister Niyi Akintola (SAN), although welcomed the proclamation of emergency rule to save the descent into a state of anarchy, he however pointed fingers of scorn in the direction of President Olusegun Obasanjo and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
'Those who are applauding Ribadu and Obasanjo should examine their heads. You can't build something on nothing. It's good to fight corruption, but follow due process. If you were using illegality to fight illegality, this is what you get.
There's no law that says the EFCC can instigate legislators to impeach or that it can rail road people for prosecution.
Akintola equally expressed concern that all hands must be on deck to curtail the activities of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, before he turned the agency to an instrument of witch-hunting.
'It's unfortunate that Nigerians don't see the anarchy coming. The EFCC shouldn't be built around a person. Ribadu plays to the gallery, pronouncing verdict on the governors in the newspapers. Only Ribadu knows the individuals that must not be allowed to contest elections in Nigeria. Is he INEC? Is he the electorate? He threatens, bankers, lawyers, everybody. How often do you hear Col. Kayode Are, Director of the SSS, addressing the press? It is good the governors are now talking, although it is belated. The way the EFCC is going about prosecuting the war against corruption is morally fraudlent."
Akintola also shed light on the contentious issue of the immunity for the suspended Ekiti governor, saying: 'He still enjoys immunity, since everything that led to his impeachment in the first place was unconstitutional"
Publicity Secretary of the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, Yinka Odumakin, while describing the proclamation of emergency in Ekiti State as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing,' accused the principal actors in the Ekiti saga of playing into the hands of President Obasanjo, whose sole aim is self-perpetuation in office.
'Obasanjo is testing the waters for tenure elongation. The ultimate aim is to use section 135 of the 1999 constitution, which says, if election can't be held, the president can extend his tenure".
The Afenifere chieftain also warned the PDP against shielding the suspended Ekiti state governor from prosecution.
'They should tell us Fayose's whereabouts. We learnt he is in their protective custody and they want to shield him from prosecution. Obasanjo is interested in shielding him from the long arms of the law, inspite of official proclamation to the contrary".