Akoko monarch rigged April 14 election - LP; It is a lie, says - Monarch

Yinka Oladoyinbo, Akure - 25.01.2008

The election petition tribunal sitting in Akure, Ondo State, was on Thursday told how a traditional ruler, the Olukare of Ikare, Oba Akadiri Momoh, allegedly connived with hired thugs and security operatives to rig the April 14, 2007 governorship election in his palace in Ikare-Akoko.

It was at the resumed hearing of the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, against the return of Dr. Olusegun Agagu as the winner of the election.

A witness called by the petitioner, who was also a prince of Ikare-Akoko, Alhaji Tiamiyu Oluboyo, gave an account of how the monarch allegedly supervised the rigging perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The witness, who was an LP chieftain, was one of the three witnesses called by Mimiko to prove his case. He said the monarch also aided officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disallow his subjects from exercising their voting rights.

Oluboyo, after adopting his statement on oath, said he saw the monarch supervising multiple thumb printing of ballot papers in his palace on the day of the governorship election.

During the cross examination by the counsel to the governor, Mr. Adeniyi Akintola (SAN), the witness said he was allowed into the palace on the day “because, as a prince, the palace is my father’s house.”

According to him, the ballot papers and the boxes were those forcefully taken away by the thugs in connivance with security agents from several polling units within Ikare town after the thugs, who he claimed were armed with weapons such as cutlasses and guns, drove away prospective voters.

He added that the voters, who were disallowed from voting, submitted their unused cards to him and other community leaders as proofs of their disenfranchisement after polling was supposed to have ended.

He also brought to the tribunal, a customised arm band of the PDP, with the inscription “OK Agagu 2007,” which he said fell from one of the perpetrators of the act.

Another witness, Mr. Ali Waheed, alleged that the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in the state, Mr. Yemi Alao, hijacked the voting materials meant for Ajowa-Akoko in Akoko North West Local Government Area.

He said when he attempted to ask why the materials were taken to Alao’s house, the suspected thugs that carried out the operation beat him and inflicted injuries on his body.

The third witness, Olatunji Adebayo, told the tribunal that there was no election in Ilaje Local Government Area of the state on the day of election.

According to him, voting material meant for the riverine area of the state did not leave Igbokoda, the headquarters of the local government. until 2:00 p.m.

Reacting, the monarch said the allegations were baseless and full of tissue of lies. Speaking through his son, Prince Tunde Momoh, he said the people of Akoko generally knew that he was a peaceful and law-abiding monarch who could not engage in such illegal act.

He said the witness was an impersonator and a wanted person in Ikare, while appealing to the people of the town to remain calm and not take laws into their hands.