I do not understand the 'serious allegation' she has raised in the letter the Inspector-General is referring to

bawomolo:

what does the whole black race have to do with an election held in Ekiti?

sbo:

I do not doubt it's authenticity.

I do not understand the 'serious allegation' she has raised in the letter the Inspector-General is referring to. Can't someone just resign from a job? In reality, do you really need a reason to resign from a job?

I tell you, Nigeria is a joke! And I will maintain that we need to redefine the basis of our existence as a nation before w can move forward. It is clear the 10 yrs on, the so-called 'democracy' is not working.

bawomolo:

don't we honestly already know what the allegations are? This was obvious considering the violence leading to the election
she obviously felt uncomfortable for her to resign.

Kobojunkie:

We have assumed facts, does not mean we have THE facts. We assume she is maybe going to tell us the PDP are the enemy here, isn’t it better to, for the first time, get FACTS. Isn’t it high time we start dealing with facts, rather than continue speculating? Don't we, as a people, deserve to know the truth?

bawomolo:

wait and see. Things would come out this week. I believe Nigerian investigative journalists are getting better.

moneygurl:

Word is she refused to endorse the Idi-Osi local govt. elction claiming that the Agent never signed it before it was brought to the INEC Headquarters in Ekiti.


Independent Observers said ballot boxes at Idi- Osi were snatched.

When the boxes were brought to the Headquarters she refused to announce the result because it was not signed by the INEC Agent and the people that brought the boxes were forcing her to announce the unsigned result.

By the way in idi-Osi PDP has 15,939 and AC 3793.

Word from observers is that the turnout in that area was not close to 16,000.

Oxone:

thats the most most honourable thing to do rather than participating in the fraud

something must have gone wrong somewhere

Kobojunkie:

source?

The untold stories behind the reported resignation of Nigeria’s resident Electoral Commissioner, for Ekiti State, septuagenarian Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo.

She had done it before, obeying ‘orders from above’ to upturn popular mandates. That was what ‘mama’, as she was popularly called by staffers at the INEC, did two years ago, during the April 14, 2007 gubernatorial election in Ekiti, when she was ordered by the then ‘Do-or-die’ President Obasanjo to ratify the criminal electoral heist by Segun Oni before the Appeal Court upturned and nullify the electoral robbery.

This time around however her conscience disobeyed the rigging instructions from above, even if that instruction had come from the Vice President of Nigeria. Conscience is an open wound, only truth can heal it, so said Uthman Dan Fodio.

In her twilight, ‘Mama’ became an heroine of the masses as people all over Nigeria who hear the tales of her courage at this second chance to redeem her reputation. They call her ‘Obinrin Rere’ meaning good woman. She has become a folk heroine among women of Ekiti as they carried placards chanting war songs.

Two things happened that would forever shatter the invincibility of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the rerun elections of last Saturday in Ekiti. Those two things also encouraged Mrs. Adebayo to side with the masses and disobey criminal instructions ‘from above’ to announce padded results.

asha 80:

I hope all these is not history repeating itself.Remember 1964 western regional elections.

How has this resignation gonna make Nigeria better, or make it worse.
Just another basket mouth.

proudly9ja:

If this resignation is true, then kudos to her. I do not agree with those who are questioning her integrity based on her past or with those who are asking her to name the irregularities she refused to be a part of. For goodness sake, the woman has not told you she is fighting any injustice neither has she said that she she is perfect or has always been perfect. Maybe she used to be a part of the injustice in the past, maybe not but this time she has refused to be part of it and in a country like Nigeria where we find it difficult to find people like this, I give her kudos. We may not understand the gravity of what she has done. First, she has refused loads of money that must have been offered her, secondly, she refused the order of the Vice President of the Federal Republic via her 'oga', Iwu(ruwuru). We all know how dangerous this is in our dear country and I won't be surprised if the Govt comes out tomorow and tell us lies about her and probably going ahead to reject her resignatiion letter and prolly sacking her. I have seen and heard worse cases.
But again, we are entitled to our opinions. for me, if the letter is genuine, kudos to her again.

Events surrounding the inconclusive Ekiti governorship rerun got more dramatic yesterday as the Resident Electoral Commis-sioner (REC) of the Indepen-dent National Electoral Com-mission (INEC), Mrs. Ayoka Adebayo, was nowhere to be found.
The development is coming against the backdrop of fresh questions being raised over the country’s ability to organise free and fair elections even as the current administration seeks to push its electoral reform agenda.
The election, which covers just 64 wards in 10 local government areas of Ekiti State, appears to be too tasking for INEC and security agencies, forcing observers to question the possibility of credible handling of bigger elections ahead.

INEC Chairman, Professor Maurice Iwu, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the Ekiti REC was ill and could not continue with the announcement of the results of the remaining four local governments as well as pick a date for the postponed Oye-Ekiti election.
However, other sources said the woman was not ill but went into hiding to resist pressure to announce a particular candidate as the winner of the election.
The REC is speculated to be in her hometown, Abeokuta, Ogun State, but this could not be confirmed. Another source said she is in Abuja.
She is said to have rejected some of the results from Ido Osi Local Government Area, the home base of Governor Segun Oni, and is allegedly in favour of cancelling election in the tensed Oye-Ekiti because of violence.


At Aso Rock, the inclusive election was the sole agenda of a high level meeting held by President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan, Senate President David Mark, House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole and Secretary to the Government of the Federation Yayale Ahmed.
Others at the meeting were Inspector-General of Police Mike Okiro, National Security Adviser Sarki Murktar, Attorney-General of the Federation Michael Aondoakaa, Director-General of State Security Service (SSS) Afakriya Gadzama and Iwu.
President Yar’Adua had earlier met behind closed-doors for about one hour with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman Vincent Ogbulafor who was in company with former chairman of the party’s Board of Trustees, Chief Tony Anenih, also on the Ekiti rerun.

THISDAY learnt that Yar’Adua met with the vice-president and others shortly after Ogbulafor and Anenih left the Villa.
Details of the two meetings were not clear last night but it was learnt that the possibility of imposing emergency rule on the state was considered at the meeting given the violence and tension that had attended the rerun.
But sources at the Villa dismissed any insinuation that President Yar’Adua had an inclination to declare emergency rule in the state.
It was learnt, however, that the meeting ordered Iwu to go and pick a definite date for the rerun in two wards of Oye Local Government, which remained outstanding after the election in 63 wards of 10 local governments last Saturday.
According to sources, the meeting also agreed that the election in Oye-Ekiti be held under tight security arrangement.
Meanwhile, expectations that the remaining results of Saturday’s rerun in the state would be announced soon have been dashed as Iwu said the only person empowered by law to conduct and announce the results, which is the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Mrs Ayoka Olusola Adebayo, had fallen ill.


Following the violence and tension in the state, INEC had suspended the collation and announcement of results of the four remaining local governments in the state and postponed the outstanding election in two wards in Oye Local Government indefinitely.
This was after results from five local governments had been released in the rerun in which former governor of the state and PDP candidate, Mr. Segun Oni, and Action Congress (AC) candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, were the major contestants.
Results from Gbonyin, Ekiti South-west, Ise-Orun, Ijero and Irepodun Local Governments showed that PDP polled a total of 15,420 votes as against AC’s 15,026 but this is exclusive of the over 11,000 votes which AC had to its advantage from the last April 14, 2007 election.
Iwu told a press conference yesterday in Abuja that since Section 28(2) (g) of the Electoral Act 2006 said the REC should be independent and not directed by anybody while performing the role of returning officer in governorship election, the commission had no choice but to wait and pray for her quick and early recovery.
The INEC chairman was, however, unable to disclose the nature of Mrs. Adebayo’s illness and which hospital she is being treated.

He could also not say when the illness would be over or the issue settled but noted that from February 17, 2009 when the judgment was delivered by the Court of Appeal, the commission was given 90 days within which to conduct the election.
Iwu explained that INEC had first rescheduled the election in the remaining local government areas in the affected wards for Sunday, April 26, 2009; “however, I was informed yesterday afternoon that as a result of the pressure of the exercise, the REC broke down and took ill, the commission had no choice but to postpone the remaining election.”
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In another development, AC has called on the state REC, Mrs. Adebayo, to stay the course of truth by not announcing any fake result of the governorship rerun.
According to a statement issued in Lagos by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, AC said Mrs. Adebayo could easily become the heroine of the nation’s democracy if she does not succumb to pressure to subvert the will of the people of Ekiti.
The party said she must confirm her strength of character and go the whole hog by telling Nigerians her own side of the story, so that she would not be misunderstood or mis-represented.
AC said: “Nigerians will like to know what has transpired at the election, especially in the controversial local governments; as well as those who are putting her under pressure to act against her conscience.”
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The protesting youths and several members of the state AC trooped to the streets to condemn the delay in the announcement of the supposed winner of the election.
Apart from Ado-Ekiti, other towns where both commercial and social activities were grounded yesterday included Ikere-Ekiti, Ise-Ekiti, Igbemo-Ekiti, and Ido-Ekiti.
In Ikere-Ekiti, several bon fires were made across some major streets by the youths, who are demanding that the winner of the election should be announced by INEC.
The protesters in Ado-Ekiti chanted war songs across some strategic areas including Ajilosun, Fajuyi, Ijigbo junction and ended it at AC Secretariat in Ajilosun, Ikere road.
It took the intervention of riot policemen, drafted in, to quell the protest, which was gradually assuming a violent dimension.
A statement signed by Odeyemi’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr. Rotimi Ajisola, quoted the acting governor calling for peace.
He also condemned those calling for the imposition of a state of emergency on the state.