Segun Oni

Gov poll: Segun Oni, SDP candidate, insists election not free or fair, thanks Ekiti people

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The Social Democratic Party, SDP, candidate in the just-concluded Ekiti State governorship poll, Engineer Segun Oni, said it was painful that the people of the have been reduced to commodities through massive and reckless vote-buying of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Engineer Oni, who thanked thousands of Ekiti people who trooped out despite APC’s harassments and intimidation in the Saturday, June 18, 2022 gubernatorial poll, said Mr. Oyebanji’s victory remained bare-faced brigandage and shameless electoral robbery.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared Oyebanji, the APC governorship candidate, as winner of the election scoring 187,057 votes,with Engineer Oni of the SDP,  as runner-up with 82,211 votes. There were other 10 contestants in the election, including the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Accord Party, African Action Congress, and others.

In a statement signed by Ambassador Dare Bejide, Director-General, Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, entitled: ‘Now That Ekiti State Has Been Kidnapped’, the SDP said “Mr. Oyebanji is part of the APC elites in Ekiti State that have reduced our people through mis-governance, into abject poverty and deprivation.  The party, under the leadership of Governor Kayode Fayemi, has turned the entire state into a personal fiefdom of the Governor. 

“Mr. Oyebanji is part of the APC elites in Ekiti State that have reduced our people through mis-governance, into abject poverty and deprivation.  The party, under the leadership of Governor Kayode Fayemi, has turned the entire state into a personal fiefdom of the Governor. 

“In less than four years, the citizens are poorer than they have ever been.  No wonder, this appears to be a deliberate policy so that in their state of impoverishment, the people would not be able to resist the regime of oppression and repression.  This became nakedly manifest during the June 18 governorship election.”

Oni, who insisted the Ekiti State governorship election of June 18, 2022, was neither free nor fair, stated that during that election, the government could not trust on its own record of governance, “but it was banking on its programme of increasing poverty that has turned our people into chattels. “

He said it was, therefore, easy for the APC and its agents to pay a minimum of N10,000.00 for each voter. 

“This is a blatant assault on the citadel of democracy and the Rule of Law.  This is a direct violation of the Electoral Act. This is a serious sabotage of the democratic process which expects a free contract between the electorate and the elected public officials,” Oni said.

He said the cost of APC’s rape on our electoral process is huge and could destroy our democracy in the name of vote-buying, except good and godly people of Nigeria act urgently to address it.

“Sadly, vote-buying has become a terrible instrument for political enslavement of the people and it is being exploited to undermine good governance and the future of our society.

“A situation where our people have been reduced to commodities to be bought and sold for pittance is not acceptable to us.  The ruling APC gang in Ekiti State has just kidnapped our state under the guise of a democratic election.  They have used our money to buy our people and they want to hold us to ransom for another four years. 

“The law of Nigeria does not permit hostage taking on this grand scale.  Indeed, mass-kidnapping is frowned upon under international law.  Ekiti people are now held hostage by greedy elite that would do anything to remain in power,” he said.

Engineer Oni appealed to all good people over the world to stand with Ekiti people “to resist this blatant hostage taking.  Our democracy is in peril if the people’s right to vote is subverted by those who are ready to pay any price to hold the reign of power. Nigeria must not be held hostage to the whims of a rapacious elite. It is Ekiti today; it can be any other state tomorrow.  Let us say no to vote-buying!  Let us stand up and defend democracy and the right of the people to elect their rulers periodically through a free and fair election.”

According to him, “The Ekiti State governorship election of June 18, 2022, was neither free nor fair.  We reject the declared result.”

 

 

The full text of statement: 

PRESS STATEMENT

NOW THAT EKITI STATE HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED
We thank the thousands of our citizens, who despite harassments and
intimidation, trooped out on Saturday June 18, 2022, to perform the
patriotic duty of electing the next Governor of our beloved Ekiti
State.  We thank you for your love for our candidate, His Excellency,
Engineer Olusegun Oni, who had served you faithfully, fearlessly,
fairly and competently in the past and who is ready, willing, able and
competent to continue to serve you.  You have demonstrated, despite
the odds against the tenets of democracy and the Rule of Law, that you
have confidence in the capacity of Engineer Oni to lead Ekiti State
again.  For this, we salute you.
It is now an obvious fact that the election is done and gone and the
candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr. Abiodun Oyebanji,
has been proclaimed the Governor-elect by the Independent National
Electoral Commission, INEC.  Mr. Oyebanji’s victory has been obtained
by bare-faced brigandage and shameless electoral heist.
Mr. Oyebanji is part of the APC elites in Ekiti State that have
reduced our people through mis-governance, into abject poverty and
deprivation.  The party, under the leadership of Governor Kayode
Fayemi, has turned the entire state into a personal fiefdom of the
Governor.  In less than four years, the citizens are poorer than they
have ever been.  No wonder, this appears to be a deliberate policy so
that in their state of impoverishment, the people would not be able to
resist the regime of oppression and repression.  This became nakedly
manifest during the June 18 governorship election.
During that election, the government could not trust on its own record
of governance, but it was banking on its programme of increasing
poverty that has turned our people into chattels.  It was therefore
easy for the APC and its agents to pay a minimum of N10,000.00 for
each voter.  This is a blatant assault on the citadel of democracy and
the Rule of Law.  This is a direct violation of the Electoral Act.
This is a serious sabotage of the democratic process which expects a
free contract between the electorate and the elected public officials.
Now that the APC has devised its devilish way to undermine the
electoral process, it has violated the most sacred essence of
democracy. The cost of poverty on our electoral process is huge and it
could destroy our democracy in the name of vote-buying, except good
and godly people of Nigeria act urgently to address it. Sadly,
vote-buying has become a terrible instrument for political enslavement
of the people and it is being exploited to undermine good governance
and the future of our society.
A situation where our people have been reduced to commodities to be
bought and sold for pittance is not acceptable to us.  The ruling APC
gang in Ekiti State has just kidnapped our state under the guise of a
democratic election.  They have used our money to buy our people and
they want to hold us to ransom for another four years.  The law of
Nigeria does not permit hostage taking on this grand scale.  Indeed,
mass-kidnapping is frowned upon under international law.  Ekiti people
are now held hostage by greedy elite that would do anything to remain
in power.
We appeal to all good people in Nigeria and all over the world to
stand with Ekiti people to resist this blatant hostage taking.  Our
democracy is in peril if the people’s right to vote is subverted by
those who are ready to pay any price to hold the reign of power.
Nigeria must not be held hostage to the whims of a rapacious elite.
It is Ekiti today; it can be any other state tomorrow.  Let us say no
to vote-buying!  Let us stand up and defend democracy and the right of
the people to elect their rulers periodically through a free and fair
election.
The Ekiti State governorship election of June 18, 2022, was neither
free nor fair.  We reject the declared result.
Thank you.
Ambassador Dare Bejide.
Director-General,
Segun Oni Campaign Organisation.

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