The stage appears set for the deployment of soldiers to Ekiti State to oversee the April 25 governorship election rerun in the state, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Dimeji Bankole, announced this in Igede- Ekiti on Saturday.


”We will use soldiers (for this election), the other time we used MOPOL (mobile policemen), we will use soldiers,” Bankole sang to the admiration of top members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, including President Umaru Yar‘Adua, at the party‘s rally in Igede-Ekiti.

President Yar‘Adua, while not making allusion to deployment of soldiers, told Ekiti monarchs on arrival that the former governor of the state, Segun Oni, would make history as the first governor of the state to spend six years in office.

The President arrived Ekiti at about 11.00am aboard an Air force helicopter marked NAF 540, exuding confidence that Oni‘s record of achievements during his short stay in power would ensure his return to office.

”We will not allow the state to fall into the hands of the people who do not have the interest of the people at heart. God makes leaders and unmake leaders. He gives power to whoever he deems fit,” he said.

Yar‘Adua, Bankole and other leaders of the PDP stormed Ekiti on Saturday to drum up support for the former governor of the state, Segun Oni, who is the party‘s candidate in the governorship rerun ordered by the Election Petitions Appeal Tribunal.

Oni is facing Dr Kayode Fayemi of the Action Congress in 64 wards where the Appeal tribunal faulted the results of the April 14, 2007 governorship election.

The Action Congress, in a swift reaction, said in Ado-Ekiti that it remained unshaken by threats and intimidations from the PDP.

Before now, the PDP in Ekiti had called for deployment of soldiers during the rerun poll, but the opposition has rejected the call saying it was a way of rigging the election.

On Saturday, however, Bankole announced with glee that the PDP was the custodian of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the person of Alhaji Umaru Yar‘Adua, hence nothing, he said, could stop the party from deploying soldiers during the poll.

Indication that the modest gathering was in for a treat began when the speaker addressed the President as ‘Sheu‘ Umaru Yar‘Adua, after which he launched into jokes that enlivened the Baptist Secondary School, venue of the rally.

Bankole, who displayed an unusual ecstasy, regaled the audience with jokes, as he sang, danced and gesticulated to the admiration of the crowd.

He called those opposing the PDP call for the redeployment of soldiers for the election jokers, as he burst into a song in Yoruba to announce the plans by the PDP.

As if that was the message the gathering was waiting to hear, the speaker‘s pronouncement electrified the crowd, which hailed him to high heavens.

The President was accompanied to the rally by six governors, including Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun), Otunba Gbenga Daniel (Ogun), Chief Adebayo Alao-Akala (Oyo), Mr. Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom), and Alhaji Namadi Sambo (Kaduna).

Dr. Bukola Saraki, governor of Kwara State and Chairman of Governors‘ Forum was among the early arrivals, while the Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Phillip Salawu, stood in for his boss.

Also addressing the PDP faithful on behalf of his colleagues, the Osun State governor said that the PDP would win the election by ”all means possible.”

Gesticulating to the gathering with his two thumbs, he demonstrated how the party would thumbprint to usher in the PDP candidate in the election, Mr. Segun Oni.

Launching an attack against the backers of the Action Congress candidate for the rerun, Oyinlola said that the PDP governors would stand by Oni to win the election, saying the PDP would deploy every resources available to it for the Ekiti election to ensure that the party‘s candidate emerged victorious.

”We will use the resources at our disposal to ensure that he overcomes. Whatever support he needs, we will give it to him. We shall be victorious. We will win the election by all means possible.

”We may not know the candidate of the opposition too well, but we know his backers. His backers are slave-drivers, who we are not certain of the school they went, their state of origin. Their life is full of contradictions.”

Enlisting further support of his party leaders, Oni said that he won the voided election free and square and that he was confident that he would win again.

The Director of Communications for the Kayode Fayemi campaign organisation, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, said that the Ekiti people would not succumb to threats.

He said that the AC was appalled that in spite of the alleged pains visited on Ekiti people in the last one year of the PDP-led government, the party‘s leadership could come to the state to further insult and assault the people‘s sensibility.

The AC said that the ”overt threat” by Bankole that the PDP would use soldiers for the election was not lost on the opposition.

”We wish to remind the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, that Ekiti people have never been known to succumb to the threat of armed soldiers.

”The ruling clique tried their luck in the act of intimidation with soldiers and police in the past and got their fingers burnt. It is still the same people that inhabit the space called Ekiti today and they are more than ready to defend their votes.

Reacting to the Speaker‘s promise to deploy soldiers during the rerun, former governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo on the telephone late Saturday told SUNDAY PUNCH that he was surprised at Bankole‘s statement.

Adeniyi said, ”I will like to think that the statement was made out of the excitement of the moment because being a young man he (Bankole) got over-excited when he made that remark.

”I do not think that the situation in Ekiti warrants the drafting of military men to the state. It has also been pointed out by some people that reruns had been held in various states of the federation and in none of these states were military men drafted to”.

blacksta:




”We will use soldiers (for this election), the other time we used MOPOL (mobile policemen), we will use soldiers,” Bankole sang to the admiration of top members and supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, including President Umaru Yar‘Adua, at the party‘s rally in Igede-Ekiti.

I hope this does not classify Nigeria as a failed state

Also addressing the PDP faithful on behalf of his colleagues, the Osun State governor said that the PDP would win the election by ”all means possible.”

Is this inclusive of rigging

Ekiti again?

If they like let them deploy soldier ants and mosquitoes.

blacksta:


”We will use soldiers (for this election), the other time we used MOPOL (mobile policemen), we will use soldiers,”

On Saturday, however, Bankole announced with glee that the PDP was the custodian of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in the person of Alhaji Umaru Yar‘Adua, hence nothing, he said, could stop the party from deploying soldiers during the poll.

This Bankole shoots his mouth without control. When did he become the Commander In Chief of The Armed Forces to decide on whether soldiers will be deployed to monitor elections? This is the same way he came to Lagos and shot his mouth recklessly in respect of the Lagos locall government funds that was illegally withheld and eventiually the money was released, the shame was bankole's.

”We will use the resources at our disposal to ensure that he overcomes. Whatever support he needs, we will give it to him. We shall be victorious. We will win the election by all means possible.

Even Oyinlola who is not sure of his position as a governor is talking of winning using "all means possible", what a shame!!

this buck toothed bankole of a dude,just keeps on frightening me by the day,each time he makes one of his arrogant,diabolic careless statements,i get double scared when i realise he might potentially become governor of ogun state, i just shudder at the thought