Ekiti, again?
By Reuben Abati

Whoever nursed the illusion that the inauguration ceremonies of May 29, and after, and the emergence across the Federation of new faces in Government House meant that Nigerians had completely put the problems of the April 2007 elections behind them, should visit Ekiti State. On his way, such a curious student of Nigerian politics should pick up a bullet-proof vest, and a few lessons in the art of how to avoid a machete swung in the direction of one's head by an angry political thug, and how to avoid political discussions in unsafe places. Ekiti is on the boil again. The state is drifting.

The misconception, arrogantly mouthed by PDP apparatchiks that the heavens would not fall; and no volcanoes would erupt in spite of the manipulations of the April elections has been exposed as a lie. We are gradually being reminded that in Nigerian elections, the true test is in the post-election season; precisely in terms of how the victors and the losers manage their fears and differences. Ekiti, even this early in the day, exposes the dangers of promoting falsehood, and the limits of power exercised with brazen arrogance.

The new administration in Ekiti state led by Governor Segun Oni of the Peoples Democratic Party has spent only 10 days in office, and in those 10 days, so much has happened. Between 2003 and 2006, Ekiti state under the leadership of then Governor Ayo Fayose stumbled from one crisis to the other, as opponents of the Governor swore to remove him from office, and the Governor and his own supporters threatened to put the opposition to shame. In the end, Fayose was impeached. A State of Emergency was declared in the State, and a Sole Administrator-General Tunji Olurin, was brought in to manage the state. The Fayose crisis, and the declaration of a state of emergency brought out the worst in Ekiti society, as the entire community became divided and gladiators on all sides sang different tunes. Politics in Ekiti state even became NGO-nised. But with Fayose's exit, it became clear that the problem with Ekiti state, was not necessarily Fayose, but deep-seated differences among the people which the Obasanjo government exploited for its own purposes. In four years, Ekiti state was governed for varying periods, by about five persons: Ayo Fayose, Friday Aderemi (one day?), Biodun Olujimi (one day?), Tunji Olurin, and Tope Ademiluyi.

There were great expectations that the April polls would end that season of bad faith. The people of Ekiti whatever may have been their differences, admittedly forged a consensus in one respect: they wanted good governance. They had expressed faith in allowing the truth to triumph. They were concerned about their state becoming a battle-ground for selfish politicians. But the opportunity to lay a new foundation for the state was lost during the recent April elections. Local and foreign observers reported how thugs snatched ballot boxes, and security agents helped to supervise the rape of democracy, and the electoral process was mismanaged. It was not only in Ekiti state that rigging took place, but the flawed electoral process in that state merely further divided the people politically.

The result: Segun Oni, PDP Gubernatorial candidate emerged as Governor and was sworn in on May 29. The House of Assembly, with 26 members is divided between the PDP (with 13 members) and the Action Congress (with 13 members). The defeated AC Gubernatorial candidate, Kayode Fayemi has since gone to the Election Tribunal, with a petition against Oni's election, he is also in the trenches with his supporters, waging a bitter propaganda war. Both parties are not yielding space to each other. The pity is that they are engaged in a "do-or-die" battle. Nigerian politicians are bad losers and bad winners even in a normal contest; when there are reports of foul play, it is the worst aspect of their Being that is called forth.

One of the first things Governor Segun Oni should have done, in spite of the controversies arising from the elections that brought him to office, would have been to reach out to the opposition, to seek ways of promoting peace and reconciliation in the state. And if he had no way of doing this, the least he could have done is not to aggravate the already tense situation. But he did. He took his list of Commissioners and Chairmen of Local Council Caretaker Committees to the House of Assembly that was inherited from the short-lived, Ademiluyi administration that filled the gap between Olurin's departure and May 29. Such a step was in itself an act of provocation.

Oni was sending a dangerous signal: that he does not trust the lawmakers who had been elected to work with him. The House of Assembly that he took his list of Commissioners and Caretaker Chairmen to was conveniently PDP-dominated. He cannot convince anyone that he was not by his action trying to avoid a close scrutiny of his nominees by a more bi-partisan legislature. This is being challenged in the Courts, but beyond law, it reeks of impropriety. Why the haste?

The departing House of Assembly (the Action Congress insists that its tenure had in fact ended on June 2) equally acted in bad faith by purporting to review its "Standing Rules", Section 4(2), with a resolution that the party of the Governor must produce the Speaker and other principal officers of the House of Assembly. Nobody needs a soothsayer to know that the lawmakers acted entirely out of mischief. It was obvious enough that they wanted to prevent a situation where the next Speaker of the Ekiti House of Assembly would emerge from the ranks of the 13 elected AC legislators. Every Assembly makes its own rules within its life-span. To assume that a future House of Assembly would be bound by such a self-serving, winner-takes-it-all resolution as in the Ekiti case, is a prescription for confusion.

That confusion came as expected. When the new House of Assembly was proclaimed on Tuesday, June 5, the 13 PDP legislators in the House, acting on the strength of the resolution by the past House of Assembly insisted on the Speaker emerging from their ranks. The 13 AC lawmakers opposed this, noting correctly, that Section 92 of the 1999 Constitution is superior to the "Standing Rules" of the legislative Assembly. Section 92: "There shall be a speaker and a Deputy Speaker of a House of Assembly who shall be elected by the members of the House from among themselves."

The balance of terror that exists in the Ekitu House of Assembly with the ominous 13 vs. 13 distribution of members between two opposing parties could easily have been managed through dialogue and a demonstration of good faith. The lawmakers and their sponsors could have met to discuss, and agree on the administration of the House. That is the way of reasonable people who are interested in the common good. But in Ekiti, the air is so foul. The life of the present Ekiti House of Assembly began with a free-for-all fight, lawmakers removed their agbada and became pugilists, traditional rulers and the Governor fled.

The following day, Wednesday, June 6, the 13 PDP lawmakers met without the 13 AC lawmakers, and they elected a Speaker. Mobile policemen provided security while this coup was executed; they helped to shut out the AC lawmakers. Was a quorum formed? The Deputy Clerk of the House was said to have answered in the affirmative. Section 96 of the 1999 Constitution says "the quorum of a House shall be one-third of all the members of the House". There were 13 members in the House and so a quorum (9 members out of 26) was indeed formed, But a quorum that was contrived to exclude the AC lawmakers? In response, the opposition is on its way to the courts to argue that the Ekiti House of Assembly has not even been properly inaugurated! The AC lawmakers are also suggesting the likely impeachment of Segun Oni.

An outsider is bound to ask: What is wrong with them in Ekiti? I believe that nothing is wrong with the ordinary man in Ekiti whose interest is good governance, peace and stability. It is the politicians that a lot is wrong with. The mischievous PDP lawmakers in the old, and the new Ekiti House of Assembly are proving that they are good students of the Nigerian way of doing things. What they have done is not in any novel. We witnessed the same scenario between 2003 and 2007 in Anambra, Plateau, Ekiti and Oyo states where a group of lawmakers, backed by some superior authority, routinely violated due process. The Courts in Anambra, Oyo and Plateau states had upturned this resort to illegality, but obviously, the professional political class has not learnt its lessons. The logic among politicians, it seems, is that it is better to violate the law and let the Courts decide, but until then, the group with bigger muscles would have had its way.

But such silliness is never in the people's interest. It is hard to see how in the next four years, any kind of real governance can take place in Ekiti state. All the likely scenarios point towards greater instability and confusion. One, the House of Assembly is already divided. Even if the 26 members all sit together, there is so much partisanship on both sides that every subject is likely to result in disaffection. The stakes may change however, if the PDP succeeds in buying some of the less determined Action Congress lawmakers. In Nigerian politics, a lawmaker can be bought. All he needs to do is to cross to the other side. Fayemi alleges that the Action Congress lawmakers have been offered N10 million each by the PDP but they rejected the bribe. Could it be that they did because the amount was not considered big enough? Can Fayemi guarantee that some of his men may not be tempted along the line?

Two, so much hope is being placed on the outcome of the cases before the Election Petition Tribunal. Kayode Fayemi and his supporters continue to insist that victory would be theirs at the Tribunal. They boast: "the days of the PDP government are numbered". Should that happen, the PDP in the state, and the House of Assembly may make it difficult for Fayemi to govern. The PDP is also hoping to grab more seats in the House of Assembly through the Election Petitions Tribunal. Three, should Oni win, and remain in office, he would be hounded throughout on every count, by an aggrieved Action Congress opposition, which seems to be putting everything into the fight.

I had written when the Fayose problem began that Governor Niyi Adebayo, his predecessor in office would be having a good laugh wherever he was. Now, with the present crisis, it is not only Adebayo that would be chuckling, Fayose too. But let no one chuckle or cackle. The situation in Ekiti is dire. The politicians in that state are asking for another state of emergency. It is so sad that they are all young people, mostly well-educated, but unable to provide the difference that the people of Ekiti seek.

Robot  # 1 | 08.06.2007 07:34

var sbtitle4555=encodeURIComponent(Ekiti, agai...Read the full article.

masamasa  # 2 | 08.06.2007 08:31

Mr Abati let them fight i hope no soul is lost in the process.This is what democracy is all about....Conflict Resolution.Ekiti is known to have most professors in Nigeria so i believe these elected officials are no fools they should get down to the nitty gritty, slug it out and emerge with a balanced result.13 PDP vs 13 AC wow! this is another Bolikaja according to you Mr Abati.At the end of the day who ever emerges a leader will be put to serious checks and balances, it might look tough now but i strongly believe Ekiti house will be the best given the make up of the house, so all parties involved must come to a compromise now on who should be leaders in the house. Jacob Chuks

Auspicious  # 3 | 08.06.2007 12:56

The question is: WHY? Why Ekiti again? Why will a man who by virtue of his questionable emergence as Governor lacks legitimacy, seek to stoke the embers of instability? Why rub salt on the injury of those who felt cheated in the first place? Why did the "Governor" embark on doing things the wrong way, if at all he seeks a peaceful tenure in power - albeit, an undeserved power? Why take the good people of that small state through all this rigours again? Haven't they had enough under Ayo Fayose's rule already? Why invite the course of the people and God on your own head? Why tempt fate? Why ridicule your good name by looking at the muddy water and proceed to walk into it? Why Ekiti again? I mean..there is no Adedibu there to cause trouble. What for God's sake is their problem? Is it too much brains? And these are young, educated people?..what a waste! And why are the people silent, anyways? Why are they not on the streets protesting already? Auspicious.

Auspicious  # 4 | 08.06.2007 14:25

Perhaps the naysayers will also allege that this legislators are praying for anarchy too? Who is inviting anarchy, those who test a people's patience by resorting to blatant illegality or those who ask for fairness, justice and the rule of law? Auspicious. 13 AC legislators ask court to nullify Ekiti Assembly's inauguration From Ifedayo Sayo, Ado Ekiti The Guardian. TO show they actually mean business that due process must guide the affairs of state, the 13 Action Congress (AC) legislators of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have asked the court to stop the flagrant rape of the constitution by their colleagues of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). And for the second day running, the AC legislators have stayed away from participation in proceedings of the House in protest against a controversial standing order injected into the House rules by the out gone Assembly members. According to the purported order, the ruling party should produce both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. The Assembly is made up of 13 AC and 13 PDP lawmakers and the constitution stipulates that for the House to be properly constituted, not less than two thirds of the members must be present and participating. An attempt to inaugurate the House last Tuesday on the basis of the controversial standing order had stirred a pandemonium and the proceedings were deadlocked. But another attempt to inaugurate the House yesterday was boycotted by the AC legislators, although the 13 PDP members had gone ahead to elect a Speaker and Deputy Speaker. In their suit before the Federal High Court, Akure, Ondo State, the 13 AC lawmakers are asking for the nullification of the purported inauguration of the House and the subsequent election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. The plaintiffs based their action on the Provision of the 1999 Constitution that at least 24 members of the Assembly must participate in the inaugural proceedings before the House could be said to be properly constituted, whereas only 13 PDP members were present at the purported inauguration contrary to the rules. The Leader of the AC legislators, Mr Funminiyi Afuye, who led his colleagues to the Assembly complex yesterday, to protest the inauguration by the Clerk, Mr Dele Fasiku, said the AC would never be part of any illegality. He explained that the action taken by the state Governor, Mr Segun Oni by swearing-in new commissioners; inaugurating caretaker committees for the councils as well as the N1.6 million loan allegedly taken from a new generation bank without the approval of the Assembly, were unconstitutional and therefore constituted impeachable offences, which could cause his removal if and at any time the Assembly wanted to take him up. Afuye remarked that from the efforts being made by some notable indigenes of the state, including traditional rulers, to restore peace to the Assembly, it seemed that Oni's government would be worse than that of former Governor Ayodele Fayose as regards foisting illegalities on the state. He pointed out that the series of court actions taken against Oni was to restore orderliness and the rule of law in the governance of the state. Afuye called on the governor to "stop plunging the state into unwarranted debt", adding that any action that was informed by the selfish motive to steal public fund would be resisted. According to him, the N10 billion loan being negotiated by Oni could not be said to be in the interest of the state when the governor did not disclose the purpose of the loan and that of the one already taken. He noted that for the loan to be justified, it must have the approval of the Assembly, adding that in the face of the logjam over the composition the Assembly, nothing done now could have the force of law. But the Chief of Staff to the governor, Mr Segun Ilori, has denied that the state government has taken any loan or was planning to take any loan.

Mikky jaga  # 5 | 08.06.2007 14:59

The problem of Ekiti State is the problem any illegal government faces whenever it comes to power. It has to continue to commit illegality to hold on to power. Obasanjo imposed Fayose on Ekiti, and since then Ekiti State has never known peace or progress. Obasanjo's surrogate, Olurin also succeeded in truncating the popular wish of the people by imposing another illegal government on the people. Ekiti people are enlightened people. They know the futility of street protest. It will only invite brutal reprisals from the Federal Police and army. If Oni and his power hijackers want to equate the silence of the masses to mean acquiesence, they are in for a very big surprise. As long as Ekiti people are not allowed to freely elect the people that will govern them, the usurpers and pretenders to the throne will never enjoy the fruit of their stolen mandate. Passive resistance sometimes works wonders where open revolt will fail woefully. Time will surely tell.

Auspicious  # 6 | 08.06.2007 15:02

=Mikky jaga;182374>The problem of Ekiti State is the problem any illegal government faces whenever it comes to power. It has to continue to commit illegality to hold on to power. Obasanjo imposed Fayose on Ekiti, and since then Ekiti State has never known peace or progress. Obasanjo's surrogate, Olurin also succeeded in truncating the popular wish of the people by imposing another illegal government on the people. Ekiti people are enlightened people. They know the futility of street protest. It will only invite brutal reprisals from the Federal Police and army. If Oni and his power hijackers want to equate the silence of the masses to mean acquiesence, they are in for a very big surprise. As long as Ekiti people are not allowed to freely elect the people that will govern them, the usurpers and pretenders to the throne will never enjoy the fruit of their stolen mandate. Passive resistance sometimes works wonders where open revolt will fail woefully. Time will surely tell. I hope to God you are right, Mr. Jagga. I like the bolded portion of your comments - it is the case of a pathological liar; he has to keep lying to cover his other lies. Auspicious.

Afeni  # 7 | 08.06.2007 15:25

=Mikky jaga;182374> Passive resistance sometimes works wonders where open revolt will fail woefully. Time will surely tell. Passive resistance? Sounds like coward speak to me. Please do tell what exactly is passive resistance, and how it works. :rolleyes:

Mikky jaga  # 8 | 09.06.2007 03:50

Afeni, I have said it, Time will tell. Do not forget that Ekiti is the fountain of Knowledge. After they have succeeded in the use of Passive Resistance to overthrow this OBJ imposed tyranny, some of their professors will enlighten the rest of the world on how to go about it. It will then be another contribution of the fountain to the advance of knowledge. You call it cowardly now, but it sometimes pays to stoop to conquer. A goat that fights and retreats is not cowardly, but has only gone to reinforce. I hope you will be around to congratulate Ekiti people on their eventual triumph when the time comes.