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Declare Me Ekiti Gov, Kolapo Tells Tribunal
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State, Prof. Olusola Kolapo, has urged the State Election Petition tribunal to declare him as the duly elected governor of the state. Prof-Kolapo-Olusola Kolapo, who is the immediate past deputy governor of the state, stated this yesterday while testifying before the tribunal sitting at the FCT High Court, Apo, Abuja.
He, however, stated that the tribunal should in the alternative declare the election inconclusive or nullify it and order for a fresh election. Led in evidence by the lead counsel for the petitioners, Malam Yusuf Alli (SAN), the PDP candidate adopted his written statement on oath as his testimony before the tribunal.
He also adopted his three responses to the defence of the three respondents before the tribunal.
“Having scored the highest vote, I should be declared validly elected or returned as the elected governor of Ekiti state,” he said. He, however, added a caveat that, “the election held on July 14 be declared inconclusive and an order be made for the conduct of a fresh election (supplementary election).
“That the election held on July 14 be nullified and in its place enter an order for a fresh election to be conducted or held throughout the state.”
The witness, who testified as the 31st witness for the petitioners (PW31), stated in the statement that Gov. Kayode Fayemi was not qualified to contest the election after been indicted for fraud by the Justice Oyewole Panel of Inquiry.
However, while being cross examined by the counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Chief Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan (SAN), Kolapo stated that he was not aware that the indictment had been quashed by a court.
According to him, “what is available to me is exactly what I stated in my written statement on oath. I am not aware of any other thing.”
He stated that his claim about voided ballot papers during the election was based on information supplied by his agents in polling units across the state.
The various polling units, wards, Local Government Areas (LGAs) and state agents, according to him, were his representatives and those of the first petitioner, the PDP. When asked what he wanted, Kolapo declared, “I want to be declared governor of Ekiti state pursuant to the election.”
Reminded that he sought for either declaration of the said election as inconclusive or even outright nullification of the election and in view of these if he could be declared governor, the PDP candidate said, “I cannot be made governor through an inconclusive election. I cannot be made governor through a nullified election.”
Fayose’s trial starts November, gets bail Answering a question under cross examination by a member of the second respondent’s legal team, Kazeem Gbadamosi, Kolapo said he voted on the election day in Ikere.
The PDP candidate stated that according to what his agents informed him, improper counting and voiding of votes during the contentious election cut across all the LGAs of the state.
“If there are malpractices, the electoral law is clear: the voided votes should be cancelled. But if there is none, the voided votes belonging to me should added to my results,” he told the tribunal.
While answering questions from Dr Muiz Banire (SAN), for the third respondent, Kolapo said though he voted in the election, there was initial problem as the card reader machine could not recognise his Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).
He declared that he did not see all the voided votes meant for him physically, saying that they were recorded on the Form EC 8 series brought to him by his agents.
According to him, the calculation he did which gave him the highest number of votes in the election included the voided votes meant for him. He stated that, to the best of his knowledge, none of his agents died even though they were intimidated, harassed and threatened during the election.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.
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