Ondo REC In Trouble Over Indicting Statement On Obanikoro's Involvement In Ilaje/Ese Odo Bye Election

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Mr. Akin Orebiyi, is in big trouble over his comments about Musiliu Obanikoro, the Minister of State for Defense.  The comments come on the indictment of the Minister of State for Defense, on the still unresolved, and controversial issues surrounding the Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal House of Representatives by-election.

 

 According to a political source, one that is close to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC,) the INEC boss reportedly received a phone call from the office of the presidency in Abuja about a series of reports circulating in some sections of the media where he indicted the Minister of State For Defense, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, over questionable, and illegal actions in the bye election.

The source also informed SaharaReporters that Orebiyi had been summoned to the INEC headquarters office in Abuja to explain his inflammatory statements and whether he could back-up his facts over the allegations.

Sources close to the Abuja office also told SaharaReporters that his statement over a coming indictment might cost him his job, or may lead to him being transferred from the state.

The Leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also at the capital city were said to have revealed their interest in the matter with their Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh calling on Attairu Jega to summon Orebiyi to Abuja for questioning.

A Senior Military Officer who requested anonymity, and based at the 323 Army barracks in Akure, hinted in notes to SaharaReporters that Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro had called the attention of the presidency to the allegations made on him by the Ondo INEC boss.

Mr. Lawrence Oyesanmuyi, Chairman of the Peoples for Democratic Change (PDC.) whose party secured as low as One hundred and Seven Three (173) votes in the election, had raised a storm when he called for the attention of the INEC boss, and the security agencies, to investigate the alleged role played by Obanikoro and, with special attention, his use of fake soldiers during the election.

Orebiyi had accused Obanikoro of “soiling his hands during the bye election” at the parties stakeholders meeting in Akure on Tuesday.

The INEC boss in the state had noted that the election did not take place in about 59 districts, with over 28,000 registered voters not voting at all, as a result of military intimidation used by the Minister of State for Defense.

During that meeting, Orebiyi had reportedly vented his anger when he said, quote, (“that) politicians are always the reason behind violence, and other irregularities during any elections,” as he pointed an accused finger on members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who were present at the meeting.

His anger grew at the meeting, threatening political parties at the venue to quote him anywhere, as he stood by his words that the Minister played an obstructionist role during the election.

"We are aware of how Obanikoro even soiled his hands (in) obstructing the electoral process, you can quote me anywhere. Let the Minister of State for Defense defend himself. He was (the one) going around with (the) military...”

A SaharaReporters crew at the meeting reports that the statement of the INEC boss angered many members of the Peoples Democratic Parties (PDP) present. They threw caution into the wind and accused him of compromising with the ruling Labour Party (LP) of wanting to manipulate the election.

Orebiyi said due to Obanikoro's political influence that he used the military to mount pressure on the people, and insisted that one his Senior staff members was almost lynched because he was mistakenly identified as the minister.

He shouted loudly that people should quote him anywhere, and he stood by his points with the claims, and that he has the facts to back them up.

"One of our officers was almost lynched by the people because they mistook him for Obanikoro. We know what happened and you can quote me anywhere. We have fact to back all these up. You can go to any lent to quote me,” he said.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that members of both the Labour and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had engaged in a 'hot argument' that nearly resulted into a fistfight.

It was not clear if the State INEC boss had arrived the commission headquarters in Abjua, but an impeccable source disclosed that he might be fired or moved to another post.