ADO EKITI — DESPITE President Umaru Yar’Adua’s assurances, three truckloads of soldiers were seen in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, ahead of the re-run governorship elections holding tomorrow.



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The soldiers were seen along Ajilosun Street and Irona in the Ekiti State capital, yesterday afternoon, but their destination was unknown, while their take-off point was equally shrouded in mystery.

The military men who arrived Ado Ekiti at about 4.25 pm were conveyed to the state with a lorry and two Hilux buses

The issue of deploying soldiers in the state to augment Police efforts at maintaining law and order during the election had remained a subject of heated controversy until the Presidency in a statement by Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, Senior Special Assistant, Media and Communications to the President said will not be deployed in the state on account of the election.

Yesterday, the Action Congress (AC) commended President Yar’Adua for not ordering deployment of troops.

In a statement issued in Abuja by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, its National Publicity Secretary, the party viewed the president’s decision as “perhaps the single most overt act” taken by him in furtherance of his administration’s commitment to the rule of law, and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to follow the president’s example by creating a level playing ground for all political parties participating in the election.

The statement added that the AC also expected the Nigeria Police to be “neutral, fair and professional” during the polls so as to justify the confidence reposed in it by the president.

“We do not intend to take the laws into our hands but barring a counter-order from the president, it will be a dangerous game for anyone to appear in military uniform at any polling station or election-related facility during the election re-run on Saturday.

“Equally unacceptable will be the presence of any policeman or woman who

is not under a proper command, since he or she will be treated as being on an illegal duty,’’ the statement noted.

We’ll win, PDP boasts

Rounding off its campaigns, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday boasted that it would record a landslide victory in tomorrow’s re-run election, even as the Acting governor of the state, Mr Tunji Odeyemi assured the people of the state of maximum security arrangement for the election

Speaking during the rounding-off of campaign at Ido Ekiti yesterday, National Chairman of the party, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor said it would be a clear victory for the party and its candidate, ENgr Segun Oni, during the re-run election

Ogbulafor said his party had accepted the verdict of the Appeal Court, because of its belief in the rule of law and its respect for the judiciary, saying the second coming of the leadership of the party to Ekiti before the election was not aimed at re-marketing Oni to the people of the state, saying his various works while in office have spoken for him

“Segun Oni is your son, he is destined to be governor. PDP is law abiding party and we believe in the rule of law, courts had ordered similar things in Kogi, Adamawa, Bayelsa and Cross -River and we won. I believe Ekiti would not be different”, he said.

On his part, Vice-President Goodluck Jonathan assured that there would be no outbreak of law and order in the state during the re-run election.

The re-run election would take place in 64 wards in 10 out of the 16 councils in the state. The appeal court has ruled against holding the election in Ilawe Ekiti ward 2

Acting Gov expresses shock

Reacting to the development, the acting governor, Mr Tunji Odeyemi, expressed shock over the deployment of soldiers in the state, saying it was an embarrassment to him and the people of the state.

Speaking on behalf of the acting governor, his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Rotimi Ajisola, said the acting governor called the Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Chris Ola when he heard of the development.

"Let me tell you, the acting governor was embarrassed. He had to call the CP when he heard about the deployment of soldiers.

"He was embarrassed because the presidency had said it would not deploy soldiers in the state and the people of the state have said they don’t want soldiers”, he added.




http://odili.net/news/source/2009/apr/24/302.html

People should use their mobile phones, snap pictures of these soldiers and put them on youtube.com

This President does not know we live in digital age.

those aint Nigerian soldiers, they are Oyinola boys , besides 120 cant change the will of a million people, MY FRIEND GO AND VOTE FOR AC