Popular lawyer, Femi Falana, has attributed the shift in the dates of the general elections to the leaked tape alleging the rigging of the Ekiti State gubernatorial election last year.

Speaking at the Black History Month and Dr. Beko Ransom Kuti Memorial Program in Lagos, Wednesday, Mr. Falana said some of those implicated in the plot, who were threatening legal action, should think otherwise.

An audio recording revealing how some Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, chieftains connived with security agencies to rig the Ekiti State election was released by an army officer last week.

At the meeting, as evidenced by the recording, prominent officials of the PDP were heard discussing strategies for rigging the 2014 Ekiti governorship election, a poll in which the party eventually won by a landslide.

But some of the actors, including Musiliu Obanikoro, a former Defence Minister, and Ayo Fayose, who defeated the incumbent governor, denied being a party to the plot to rig the election and questioned the authenticity of the recording.

Mr. Obanikoro had also threatened a court action against news organizations who had published the conversations in the audio tape.

Despite their denials, the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan, who also attended the meeting, confirmed Sunday that the tape was authentic. He however disagreed with the context of the discussion, saying the meeting was never about plans to rig the Ekiti State election.

Speaking Wednesday, Mr. Falana said that none of the participants in the recording had successfully challenged the army officer’s account of the incident.

“I understand that Mr. Obanikoro (whom he described as a ‘thug’) says he will go to court. I can assure you here, I dare him to go to court. He can’t. It’s not possible,” said Mr. Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

“One of the reasons they postponed the election last week is that disturbing revelation by that Captain. That is what they wanted to do for the entire country. That revelation has sent them back to the drawing table. They now have to re-strategize.”

Mr. Falana criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for “embarrassing” the country with his repeated trips to the Holy Land, instead of channelling such funds to job creation.

Since he became the President in 2011, Mr. Jonathan has travelled for pilgrimage twice.

“I was reading the papers yesterday, the president said in violation of the peace accord, that governors in the north have not been sending Christians to Jerusalem. In other words, they have been sponsoring Muslims to Mecca,” said Mr. Falana.

“Please tell the president that there is no provision in our law for sponsoring anybody to Jerusalem or Mecca.

“Section 10 of the Constitution provides that the Nigerian State shall not proclaim any religion as an official religion. Therefore, appropriating billions of Naira every year, wasting money to send people to Jerusalem or Mecca is illegal.

“If you must know, less than seven per cent of Israelis are Christians, so they make jest of us. When you descend on them, that you are there to worship Jesus Christ, they’ll be like ‘are these people Ok?'”

Mr. Falana also insisted that the general election must hold and whoever emerges winner should be allowed to govern the country.

“And I’m challenging Edwin Clark and others, all those old men with expired ideas. Femi Okurounmu and others,” he said.

“We never saw them when we went to the streets of Lagos and Abuja to proclaim Goodluck as acting President. You were in the streets of Lagos, where were these characters? They were nowhere to be found.

“In fact, quote me. Baba Clark called me in one of our protests, ‘Femi, my son. Please keep it up. We from the Niger Delta cannot join this struggle now.’ I said why sir? He said ‘because he’s our son.’ I said what has your son got to do with the quest for justice?

“Professor Wole Soyinka, at the age of 71 (he was actually 76 then) led us in the protest. Please tell them this country belongs to all of us.”

On the issue of deployment of soldiers during election periods, Mr. Falana noted that nowhere in the Nigerian Constitution, Electoral Act, or the Armed Forces Act was a provision made for soldiers in election.

“So when they told Jega that they are going to be busy in the north east and they will not be able to secure the election. Please there is no provision for those Service Chiefs to police our election,” said Mr. Falana.

“Under Section 76, Section 116, Section 132, and 117, it is the exclusive responsibility of the INEC to fix dates for election. Only INEC. Not the president, not the NSA, not the security chiefs.

Knowing that, they then came in fraudulently by saying that they cannot guarantee your security.

“They have not been able to crush Boko Haram in six years, what magic are you going to perform in six weeks? Please we reject their fraudulent claim.”

Mr. Falana maintained that it is the duty of the police to maintain law and order in peace time.

“Soldiers have no business in town in peace time. Their duty is to defend the territorial integrity of our country, not to police election,” he said.

“That is the business of the Police. As a matter of fact, even Boys Scouts can police elections in Nigeria. You know why? On the day of election, there is restriction of movement. It is illegal for you to leave your ward for another ward. Only journalists, observers, and election workers can move round.

“So if everybody is restricted, why do you need soldiers to come and help you? To do what? But I will tell you why they need soldiers. You know why they need soldiers? To rig the election. To manipulate the process.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/176633-leaked-ekiti-tape-dare-obanikoro-go-court-falana.html

...

I think he has gone to court.

Listening to that audio tape clearly shows that he ('koro) is a part of the whole rigged election in ekiti state... Just as falana has said I dare him too

Ozonna:
I think he has gone to court.

He said he would

We shall see if he pursues the case to the end, abi. It is easy to file but the trial will be very embarrassing for the government, mark my words. There are too many verifiable facts that are in the public domain for him to stand any chance of winning, and losing would automatically make him liable to criminal prosecution for election offences. But then again, I see this as a smokescreen to cover their shame until the election is over.

#change
#GMB
#APC

I wonder why I'll support PDP with a clear conscience despite all these new evil developments.

I hope TANoids and sane PDP supporters are watching how the people they support are goofing around? PDP/Jonathan were able to get the six weeks they needed to re-strategize in order to avoid an embarrassing defeat at the polls. One would've expected that they get to work immediately and release more propaganda slandering Buhari's image and intimidating opposition but instead they still wallow in foolery and would later blame APC for their shortcomings.

Evidence linking to the rigging of Ekiti Governorship Elections by Obanikoro and other PDP thugs (Fayose et al. ) has been laid bare for the world to see as well as listen to. The company who carried out the Forensic Analysis is a certified one and has released a statement giving precise details as to how their operations were carried out, a Police Chief here in Nigeria also confirmed authenticity of the evidence yet Obanikoro is going to court to make a fool of himself.

Like I stated on another thread "This 6-weeks which some people think PDP would use to re-strategize is what they'll use to put the last nail on their coffin of defeat"

Make I carry my chair dey siddon for court door. Anticipating Koro

Koro has gone to court and I'm sure that was how he indirectly drowned the pdp. PDP wish this case is not mentioned again and that was why they used the election postponement to divert our attentions from it. Now that koro has dug it up again(though the case and the tape is very well on apc table), it is time to give it the necessary publicity that's required.




PDP is on extinction.....

Obanikoro is a basstard. Let him dare falana if he won't end up in jail.

Stuupid man !

Caseless:
Koro has gone to court and I'm sure that was how he indirectly drowned the pdp. PDP wish this case is not mentioned again and that was why they used the election postponement to divert our attentions from it. Now that koro has dug it up again(though the case and the tape is very well on apc table), it is time to give it the necessary publicity that's required.




PDP is on extinction.....

I'm always happy when PDP is in trouble, afterall they brought us to this sorry state we are.

“If you must know, less than seven per cent of Israelis are Christians, so they make jest of us.



here is a fact and, some feeble-minded Nigerians want us to believe the war between isreal and Palestine is a war between Jesus and Arab. Those dudes guys don't care about any religion they consider foreign to their own religion- they are very intolerant.

MrIncrediible:

I'm always happy when PDP is in trouble, afterall they brought us to this sorry state we are.

if I see pdp being bombarded with problems from all angles and directions I feel as if i'm watching a bout between Satan and Godly people and their beating Satan with no mercy. You can imagine my joy when trouble comes the way of pdp.

Brb

Oga Falana he has gone to court,meet him there!

Go and represent your clients in court and not on the pages of national dailies.

Caseless:
Koro has gone to court and I'm sure that was how he indirectly drowned the pdp. PDP wish this case is not mentioned again and that was why they used the election postponement to divert our attentions from it. Now that koro has dug it up again(though the case and the tape is very well on apc table), it is time to give it the necessary publicity that's required.




PDP is on extinction.....

You are not thinking or if you do, then you are not thinking hard enough...

Did it enter your apparently sealed brain that Obanikoro couldn't have gone to court without getting a clearance from the party secretariat?

The way some of you mouth inanities brings to fore the sad commentary that is our educational institutions.

A man felt libelled and slandered. He did not procure thugs or seek self help but hinted on seeking a legal redress.

You and your misguided co-travellers are trying to dissuade him from exercising his constitutional right.

I doubt whether Obanikoro sought your or Falana's services/counsel. He wants to go to court. You wait till you meet him in court where the propriety of the matter under consideration would be subjected under legal scrutiny. Is it not cowardly to be calling Obanikoro's bluff at this juncture?

Abeg stop making noises...

“Please tell the president that there is no provision in our law for sponsoring anybody to Jerusalem or Mecca.

“Section 10 of the Constitution provides that the Nigerian State shall not proclaim any religion as an official religion. Therefore, appropriating billions of Naira every year, wasting money to send people to Jerusalem or Mecca is illegal.
Yes I love this point so much. GEJ/Sambo disintegrating Nigeria through religion and tribe like never before.
they love to campaign under the umbrella of religion. I see GEJ becoming a senior pastor under Orisajafor when is back to otuoke after May 29

well said Falana

maestroferddi:
[s]You are not thinking or if you do, then you are not thinking hard enough...

Did it enter your apparently sealed brain that Obanikoro couldn't have gone to court without getting a clearance from the party secretariat?

The way some of you mouth inanities brings to fore the sad commentary that is our educational institutions.

A man felt libelled and slandered. He did not procure thugs or seek self help but hinted on seeking a legal redress.

You and your misguided co-travellers are trying to dissuade him from exercising his constitutional right.

I doubt whether Obanikoro sought your or Falana's services/counsel. He wants to go to court. You wait till you meet him in court where the propriety of the matter under consideration would be subjected under legal scrutiny. Is it not cowardly to be calling Obanikoro's bluff at this juncture?

Abeg stop making noises..[/s].

blithering flatulence! When I saw ur id , I knew you would reel out watery lines symptomatic of those with empty or vacous cephalo.

What do you mean he had the backing of his party before heading to court? I guess, he had the backing of his party when he went to court after he lost the governorship primaries in Lagos state.



Look, koro is just giving the last kick of a dying horse just to save his face- it won't save him.

Koro and scam.He won't dare it..He they learn from the dwaft Lawan Farouk, USELESS MAN thief,RIgger

Koro speaking gibberish but that is actually what he knows how to do best (apart from rigging election). Your days of reckoning on earth has just begun
My advice explore the world this coming months because you'll soon be in confinement for a long time

Koro is just a toothless dog......

I dare him also....

Me 2 jhoin for d daring...

Said on the other thread koro is just blabbing, he dare not because he will meet his waterloo.

I'm beginning to see reasons with those insinuating that most Yoruba elites who brainwash their followers are the major problem in Nigeria. This same Femi kept mute even till now on the issue of fake certificate and other issues but now misquoting the President on the Pilgrimage statement among others. God will judge you evil people. Wicked souls. GEJ till 2019

Sensible talk.

Caseless:
blithering flatulence! When I saw ur id , I knew you would reel out watery lines symptomatic of those with empty or vacous cephalo.

What do you mean he had the backing of his party before heading to court? I guess, he had the backing of his party when he went to court after he lost the governorship primaries in Lagos state.



Look, koro is just giving the last kick of a dying horse just to save his face- it won't save him.

I won't be caught dead wasting my gunpowder deliberating the nuances of high wire politics with a manifestly intellectual tyro.

Now keep moving...

Nigeria - A nation of absudities

Since he became the President in 2011, Mr. Jonathan has travelled for pilgrimage twice.

“I was reading the papers yesterday, the president said in violation of the peace accord, that governors in the north have not been sending Christians to Jerusalem. In other words, they have been sponsoring Muslims to Mecca,” said Mr. Falana.

“Please tell the president that there is no provision in our law for sponsoring anybody to Jerusalem or Mecca.

“Section 10 of the Constitution provides that the Nigerian State shall not proclaim any religion as an official religion. Therefore, appropriating billions of Naira every year, wasting money to send people to Jerusalem or Mecca is illegal.

Of course the Israelis laugh in the face of the deluded black man, whose mind is colonised to the point that he is propelled to seek spiritual fortunes in foreign lands.

Koro u beta Apologies b4 it's too late.. omisore has been on spiritual fasting since the Audio was released . You are there forming bad guy.. I pity ur lineage