http://www.tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/4001-violence-in-ekiti-after-tribunals-last-sitting-as-govt-blames-attack-on-opposition

Violence in Ekiti after tribunal’s last sitting •As govt blames attack on opposition


Written by Stephen Gbadamosi
THE conclusion of sitting of the Ekiti State Election Petition Tribunal, led by Justice Hamma Barka, was marked by violence in the state capital, Ado-Ekiti, on Tuesday.

Though yesterday’s last proceedings of the tribunal, at which all the parties to the dispute adopted their written addresses, went without rancor, apart from occasional exchange of verbal attacks between loyalists of both camps, there were reports of attacks on party members and journalists in Ado-Ekiti, shortly after the panel ended its sitting with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government accusing the opposition Action Congress (AC) of being behind the violence.

A Channels Television reporter, Mr. Felix Vincent, was attacked and inflicted with machete cuts, while his camera and that of a staff of the African Independent Television (AIT) were broken.

However,that there were accusations and counter accusations by both the PDP and AC, as members of both parties traded words blaming the cause of the violence on each other.

According to the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Segun Oni, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, members of AC were responsible for the unrest, noting that PDP had no hand in it. “Now, they have machetted a journalists simply because they used to see him in the Government House. AC thugs, on the orders of their leader, damaged many journalists’ cameras,” he alleged.

An aide of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the AC governorship candidate, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu, also alleged that thugs loyal to the PDP attacked his boss’s convoy and fired shots at him outside the state High Court premises.

“Towards the end of the adoption of the written addresses, PDP thugs within the tribunal premises led by Bunmi Ojo, the Personal Assistant to Mr. Segun Oni and Ijakoko started chanting war songs threatening to deal with Dr. Kayode Fayemi who was at the tribunal.”

The Ekiti State government condemned the alleged attack on journalists and some members of the PDP, calling on the residents of the state to remain calm, as the whole situation would be brought under control.

Meanwhile, the state governor, Mr. Oni; the PDP, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others have described the petition filed by Dr. Fayemi against Oni’s declaration as winner of the April 25 rerun governorship election as lacking in merit and inconsistent, urging the tribunal to dismiss it.

Addressing the tribunal, counsel to Governor Segun Oni, Mr. Adenipekun, SAN, noted that the petitioners were inconsistent in their pleadings and in their written submission. Adenipekun pointed out that the petitioner, in Paragraph 44 of the petition, pleaded that no election known to law were conducted in Ifaki I, Ifaki II, Orin/Ora Ward, Usi Ward in Ido/Osi Local Government Area and Ipoti Wards A and B in Ijero Local Government Area. However, in their written address, he said, they pleaded that there was no election at all.

“That is their entire case before Your Lordships. And it says that there was no election known to law. That is different from a case of ‘there was no election at all.’ In the case they brought that there was no election known to law, that presupposes that there was election but that it was not in conformity with the law.

“In their evidence, any place that they argue that there was no election, I urged Your Lordship to ignore their plea that there was no election. This is very important because of the burden of proof. Where they are alleging that there was an election, but not the one known to law, they have to prove that there was an election, but it was unknown to law. Therefore sir, they must bring all the electoral materials used for the election before Your Lordships. In addition sir, where they are alleging falsification, manipulation and so on, they must produce two results, one that is fake and the authentic.”

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20100414412857

Fayemi vs Oni: Violence, as tribunal reserves judgment

By Femi Makinde, Ado-Ekiti, Published: Wednesday, 14 Apr 2010
The Action Congress governorship candidate in Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, on Tuesday asked the Election Petitions Tribunal hearing his petition against Governor Segun Oni to declare him as the validly elected governor of the state.

Fayemi said this as he adopted his written address before the panel headed by Justice Hamma Barka.

Elsewhere in Ekiti, the state capital, violence broke out between some people suspected to be thugs loyal to both the AC and the Peoples Democratic Party.

The petitioner, who was represented by a team made up of Mr.Yusuf Ali, SAN; Niyi Akintola, SAN; Bayo Adelodun, SAN; Anthony Adeniyi, Femi Falana and other lawyers, told the panel that he had been able to prove that the election held in the six wards under dispute was not known to the law.

Ali said, “I urge your lordship to hold that any election with massive violence and disenfranchisement is not an election known to law. We have discharged the burden of proof placed on us. If there was anything in Ifaki and other disputed areas, it was not an election known to the law.

“The law today is that where there is an allegation by the petitioner that there is no election, the burden of proof is shifted on the respondents to prove that there was an election. They should produce results to show that an election was held.”

He said that the petitioners took all legitimate steps to demand for the result but the respondents failed to produce them.

Citing the case of Joy Emordi, Ali said, “The burden of proof is now on the respondents and having failed, they must bear the consequences of it with equanimity.”

But Oni’s counsel, Mr. Adebayo Adenipekun, SAN, while adopting his written addresses, urged the tribunal to dismiss the petition of Fayemi and confirm Oni as the lawfully elected governor of the state.

He argued that since the petitioner alleged that the election held in the disputed areas was not known to the law and that the results were falsified, the petitioners must produce two results – the fake and the authentic – with which to declare him the governor.

Adenipekun said, “I submit that the petitioners have failed to discharge the burden of proof placed on them. The petitioners have the election materials in their custody but they refused to produce them.”

The PDP counsel, Obafemi Adewale, in his submission, also urged the panel to dismiss the petition filed by Fayemi, saying that he had failed woefully to prove the case of substantial non-compliance with the Electoral Act, 2006.

The counsel for the Independent National Electoral Commission and Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Roland Otaru, SAN, also urged the panel to dismiss Fayemi’s petition.

The counsel for electoral officers, Ido-Osi and Ijero Local Governments, Mr. Tayo Oyetibo, SAN, also urged the panel to dismiss the petition. The police counsel, Mr. Paul Owovboriole, SAN, also aligned with other respondents in urging the tribunal to dismiss the petition.

The chairman of the tribunal thanked the parties and said that the date of the judgment would be communicated to them soon.

Meanwhile, Fayemi escaped unhurt as armed thugs reportedly opened fire on his vehicle while returning from the state High Court, Ado-Ekiti, the venue of the tribunal.

Our correspondent gathered that Fayemi, who was chauffeur-driven in a black sport utility vehicle, was ambushed almost in front of Tantalizers very close to the entrance of the Governor’s Office in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.

A source said that the attack, which occurred at about1pm, was led by a popular thug.

The source close to the AC governorship candidate said, “As Fayemi’s car got to that place (in front of Tantalizers) they (name withheld) started shooting at his jeep. But thank God the jeep is a bullet-proof one so he was not injured. But they started throwing stones at the jeep also but it did not do any damage to it.”

However, about 11 supporters of the AC were brutalised following the clash which ensued after the failed attack on Fayemi.

A journalist with Channels Television, Felix Vincent, while attempting to film the clash was attacked and he sustained a deep cut on his head. Also, a cameraman with Africa Independent Television, Richard Akinbode, was injured in the clash.

Fayemi, while replying to an enquiry sent to him, confirmed the attack on his vehicle. He said, “Yes, I was attacked but thank God, the car is bullet-proof.”

But while the AC alleged that the PDP attacked its members and journalists, the governor, in a statement issued on his behalf by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Wale Ojo-Lanre, blamed the attack on journalists on AC thugs.

He also alleged that some PDP members were attacked and injured by AC thugs.

The Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State, Mr. Mohammed Jimoh, when contacted, said that he would confirm and get back to our correspondent.

However, a police source who was at the scene, said that the violence was a clash between the PDP supporters and AC supporters. He said that Fayemi was not attacked.

Animals . . .Yoruba politicians are only good in thuggery and assasination . .
Only God knows what will happen over there in the upcoming 2011 elections ,

metal-gong:

Animals . . .Yoruba politicians are only good in thuggery and assasination . .
Only God knows what will happen over there in the upcoming 2011 elections ,

With Reform in INEC, It will be Ok