Ekiti Election: What would have happened if Ekiti Broadcasting Corporation was not shut – Falana

Human Rights Activist, Femi Falana, SAN, on Monday commended the
National Broadcasting Corporation, NBC over the closure of Ekiti
Broadcasting Corporation.

Falana speaking with Punch said that Ekiti State would have been
plunged into crisis after the election if the National Broadcasting
Corporation had not shut the Ekiti State Broadcasting Corporation on
Saturday.

DAILY POST recalls that Ekiti Broadcasting Corporation was shut down
on Saturday after Governor Ayodele Fayose went on air announcing the
results in favour of the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party and
the state deputy governor, Prof. Kolapo Olusola.

"The NBC deserves commendation for closing down the Ekiti State
television and radio stations where false results were announced by
Governor Ayo Fayose. But for the closure, the state would have been
engulfed in the violence of unimaginable proportion.

Falana condemned the manner in which voters were induced, calling on
the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to take precaution
to avoid a repeat in the forthcoming Osun state election.

He, however, advised Ekiti State Governor-elect, Kayode Fayemi to use
his office to end thuggery and impunity, which he said the state had
been associated with in recent times.

"No doubt, the financial inducement has substantially eroded the
credibility of the election. The governor-elect, Dr Kayode Fayemi,
owes the Ekiti people a duty to end inducement, thuggery, and impunity
with which Ekiti State has been associated in recent times.

"In particular, the electorate should be enlightened to distance
themselves from electoral fraud and allied offences. The open purchase
of votes displayed during the governorship elections in Edo, Anambra
and Ondo states was repeated in Ekiti State on Saturday.

"I will like to call on INEC to put an end to the inducement of voters
during the forthcoming Osun State governorship election," Falana
added.