Military mars Ekiti election, APC cries out

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised the alarm over the role
of the military in Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State,
following the arrest of APC leaders by soldiers on the eve of the
election.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Saturday by its National Publicity
Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the part said armed soldiers arrested
the Director-General of the Fayemi Campaign Organization, Hon. Bimbo
Daramola, and the state Commissioner for Finance. Mr. Dapo Kolawole,
on the eve of the poll.

It said both Daramola and Kolawole were arrested in their country
homes in Ire and Iloro respectively, and that their whereabouts remain
unknown as at the time of this report.

”The role being played by the military in the Ekiti elections gives
reason for concern, because an institution that is supposed to unite
Nigerians has descended into the area of partisan politics and it is
now seriously undermining democracy,” APC said.

”Whoever the misguided soldiers in Ekiti are working for, they should
know that their actions can only destroy the nation’s democracy. We
therefore call on the military hierarchy to defend the integrity of
the institution by calling the partisan soldiers in Ekiti to order
before it is too late. The consequences of a rigged election in Ekiti
will reverberate far beyond the state,” the party said.

It reiterated its earlier warning that the APC will not accept the
outcome of an election in which the military and other security
agencies skewed the whole process in favour of a certain candidate, to
the detriment of others.

”The APC seeks no favour from any individual or institution for
Saturday’s elections. What we demand is a level playing field for all
the candidates, and a conducive atmosphere for the people of Ekiti to
cast their votes without harassment or intimidation,” APC said.