Contrary to earlier denials, embattled ministerial
nominee, Musiliu Obanikoro, has confessed to
several Senators in Abuja that he did participate in
an election-eve meeting in Ekiti in June 2014 in
which a group of politicians and government
ministers met with a Nigerian army general to rig
the governorship election in favor of Ayodele
Fayose, the candidate of the People’s Democratic
Party (PDP).
The meeting, which is now known as “Ekitigate”,
was secretly taped by an army captain who was
subsequently forced to flee for his life.
Despite the scandal, President Jonathan went
ahead to nominate Obanikoro into his cabinet for
the second time, and the nominee is lobbying the
Senators to give him a pass during his upcoming
nomination hearing. It is in the process that he
has confessed to some of them that he was indeed
present at the rigging meeting in Akure, on behalf
of the President, to ensure that everything went
smoothly.
Obanikoro’s story is that he was simply making
“peace” between the army and Ayo Fayose at the
meeting, claiming that he was not party to any
conversation about rigging. On the contrary,
Obanikoro, who was at the time junior Minister for
Defence, is overheard clearly on the tape bragging
about the authority granted him by President
Jonathan.
Prior to admitting his involvement to the Senators,
the former minister met with President Jonathan to
discuss the tape and his role. A presidency source
said Obanikoro told President Jonathan he was
present at the meeting but that a part of the audio-
recording was “doctored”.
They said President Jonathan had called him to the
meeting to discuss how to mitigate the damage
created by the leaked tape. He told the Senators
categorically that it was Jonathan himself who had
sent him to Ekiti to help Fayose win the election.
On the tape, Obanikoro says, at least twice, that he
is on a “mission” for the President.
He also reportedly told President Jonathan at their
meeting that he had asked his US-based lawyers
to do a separate voice analysis of the tape and that
the lawyers came back with “proof” that certain
aspects of the tape had been doctored by
SaharaReporters to make the regime look bad.
Counting on that assurance, President Jonathan
told a team of reporters from the Wall Street
Journal during an interview that the tapes were not
real and that he would not investigate the incident.
Obanikoro also told President Jonathan that his
US-based lawyers had assured him that they could
file some cases against SaharaReporters in the US
to “teach SaharaReporters and its publisher,
Omoyele Sowore” a lesson. He explained to the
president that with enough financial support, his
lawyers would file the case and also employ private
detectives to take down SaharaReporters. President
Jonathan reportedly nodded at the idea, and asked
Obanikoro not to worry.
Following that meeting, the former Minister began
a series of legal threats last week claiming to have
sued SaharaReporters, as well as The Punch
newspaper and Premium Times, both in Lagos. Up
until now, those newspapers are yet to be served
copies of the lawsuit.
On Tuesday night, Obanikoro, who is also a US
citizen, assured some of the Senators that his US
lawyers had already filed the libel suit against
SaharaReporters in New York.
On Wednesday, Obanikoro deployed a small rented
a crowd of protesters to hold placards in front of
the National Assembly to denounce the All
Progressives Congress.
It is to be noted that two other key participants at
the meeting, Police Minister Jelili Adesiyan and
Ayo Fayose, the beneficiary of the Ekiti
governorship rigging, have admitted that they were
at the meeting that was taped by the army captain.
For Obanikoro’s role in the rigging of the election,
APC has advocated his being banned from holding
any public office, and asked the Senate not to
confirm him. Mr. Jonathan is known to have re-
nominated Obanikor as his prize for stepping down
from the PDP governorship race in Lagos.
http://saharareporters.com/2015/02/18/ministerial-nominee-obanikoro-confesses-he-was-ekiti-rigging-meeting-says-jonathan-sent

We all knew Jonathan sent him, just as he has sent the police AIG Joseph Mbu to Lagos & Ogun States. The main reason he assigned defence minister and again, his name has been forwarded to the senate for consideration but this time around, GOD will arrest all of them.

Truth is coming out.

Everytime Jonathan..

Am sure Jona also sent amaechi to figure PEJ...

Gradually the truth is evolving.

menix:
Everytime Jonathan..

Am sure Jona also sent amaechi to figure PEJ...

it's too early to talk without thinking, pls get your thinking cap.

franciskaine:
it's too early to talk without thinking, pls get your thinking cap.

Pls help mii get d cap frm ur mum..

He actually confused I don't want to believe he's that that da.ft! I reserve my comments!!!!

menix:


Pls help mii get d cap frm ur mum..

OK I will, provided you tell me whr you know her from?