Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has urged all relevant authorities, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to investigate the released audio tape allegedly revealing some notable members of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) masterminding the use of the military and other security agencies to undermine the June governorship election in Ekiti State.
A notable online news medium, SaharaReporters had earlier in the month leaked an audio recording where the Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Ayodele Fayose, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Police Affairs Minister, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan, Senator Iyiola Omisore; and Brigadier General A.A Momoh planned how to rig the Ekiti State election by clamping down on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking against the background of the denial by some of those allegedly present at the meeting and the fact that it is a weighty allegation, Soyinka, in statement tilted: ‘The Silver Lining in the Cloud of Postponement,’ said INEC must take steps to investigate the veracity of the content of the audio recording.
“Once in a while however, we encounter exposure of an exceptional dimension that appears to strike at the very root of Democracy, questions the validity of an entire electoral system and even erodes confidence in the integrity of the state.
“Such an event need not be regarded as a repudiation of the formal mechanics put in place by an electioneering agency such as INEC, but nonetheless extends the scope of its responsibilities, including its projection of looming hazards of future electoral exercises. This is why, in the absence of a constitutional court or its equivalent, one is left with no other course than to call on INEC to also take formal charge of the recorded incident of this alleged conspiracy to pervert the course of democracy,” Soyinka urged.
The Nigerian renowned civil right activist and academician also called on the US Department of State, which endorsement of the said election was published on the cover of some of the national dailies, to assist in uncovering the authenticity of the audio recording stating: “They (INEC) should not hesitate to assist in calling on the same US expertise to assist us in exposing a forgery. We are speaking here of a development that implicates not only products, beneficiaries or would-be constitutional guardians of the electoral process – that is, an elected governor, a governorship aspirant, but also state agencies – the military, two serving ministers – that is, members of the Executive arm of government, one of them in charge of the nation’s defence portfolio – and others.
“In addition to the logical role of the police, the nation’s electoral commission should undertake an independent investigation and make its findings known to the nation. Is this perhaps something INEC can undertake while the nation waits out its suspended electoral sentence? It only requires repudiation – or validation – of the findings of an already advanced forensic enquiry,” he added.
Soyinak warned that any attempt to shove the allegations aside would only amount to a slap on the faces of the people around the world who had listened to the alleged voices of the PDP stalwarts.
“The evidence resides in the recording of a conspiracy against free and fair elections, later reinforced by a televised interview with the whistleblower - a military intelligence officer. That recording has been heard by millions all over the world – governments, human right organisations, election monitoring groups, business individuals, even those merely seeking real-life variants on improbable Nollywood fare. The alleged crime is in global domain.
“Let no one attempt to facilitate the rampaging course of impunity by brushing this aside as just another electoral malpractice – no, in my layman estimation, this approaches criminal subversion and treason. The accusation is blatant and the demand for rigorous investigation must remain unrelenting. The accounts of the inculpated General and others should be subjected to scrutiny,” he demanded.
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