The 37-minute recording details the conversation between the PDP leaders and politicians as they bribed Brigadier General Momoh with a promotion for his assistance in carrying out election fraud in Ekiti. In it, Obanikoro is clearly heard informing the group of men, "I am not here for a tea party, am on special assignment by the president."
The audio recordings and affidavit were provided by Sagir Koli, a captain in the 32nd Artillery Brigade stationed in Ekiti state, who has since fled the country for fear of retaliation. Captain Koli recorded the conversation on 20th June 2014 when he was asked to accompany his Commanding Officer, Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh, to the meeting. The venue was held at spotless hotel in Ado-Ekiti.
The audio recordings depict the meeting as being attended by the eventual "winner" of the election, Governor Ayo Fayose of ekiti; Senator Iyiola Omisore; the Minister for Police Affairs Caleb Olubolade; and Senator Musiliu Obanikoro who was at the time the Minister of State for Defence. Mr. Chris Uba came to Ekiti with huge stash cash and soldiers from the East to carry out the assignment.
The audio recordings were analyzed and authenticated by Guardian Consulting, an independent US-based security consulting company. According to a report authored by Guardian Consulting, also in the possession of SaharaReporters, the independent company used Forensic Voice Frequency Comparison technology to identify all voices on the recording with audio available in the
public domain.
The then Deputy Defense Minister, Obanikoro clearly states to General Momoh that he was not only sent to the meeting by President Jonathan, but "you can't get a promotion without me sitting on top of your military council. If I am happy tomorrow night, the sky is your limit."
Governor Fayose revealed that he had already bribed an official of the INEC, the non-political commission charged with organizing elections in Nigeria, to bring copies of voter ballots with the INEC logo to him that day. Fayose, upset that his INEC contact was caught in traffic, narrated his day's frustrations: "Where are we supposed to be collating the thing INEC gave to us? Soft copies we now printed? Why is my [INEC] contact not with [the ballots]..my contact man [was] sitting in the check point...it took me more than two hours to get this man."
As the plotters began to argue, Omisore, who was running for Governor of Osun state on the PDP ticket, tried to calm the room: "I would just say that we don't have to argue so much, we have seen some lapses [today] yes. It's just this evening, there is nothing happening now that we cannot contain before tomorrow morning."
The PDP officials told General Momoh that those soldiers on election duty "must work hand-in-hand with the PDP agents" and ordered the arrest of selected APC stalwarts as that could "greatly assist the party during the election including DG campaign organisation for Dr. Fayemi, Mr. Bimbo Daramola," Captain Koli said in his affidavit.
Capt. Koli's statement explained that based on these strategies "they succeeded in rigging the Ekiti state election with victory in all the 16 Local Governing Authorities (LGAs). These really inspired them and they were at the euphoria that same would happen in Osun State."
SaharaReporters was provided with additional evidence that proves the military retaliated against Capt. Koli when he released this information. Capt. Koli fled before he was arrested, but the military arrested, secretly detained, and chained his brother Adamu to a bed for nearly five months at the Adekunle Fanjuyi's Cantonment.
In an exclusive phone interview with from his hideout outside Nigeria, Capt. Koli told SaharaReporters that his brother was starved for periods of time and sometimes "fed worms". Adamu was only released after a petition, which is also in possession of SaharaReporters, was submitted to the National Human Rights Commission by Barrister Chief K. Akinola Ajayi.
The treatment of Capt. Koli's brother was so poor during his illegal confinement that he had to be hospitalized due to malnutrition.
SaharaReporters contacted Nigerian Defense spokesperson, General Chris Olukolade as well as Nigerian Army spokesperson, Col. SK Usman, for comment on his story. Both officials promised to get back to us but never did.
Click here to download the audio link:
https://soundcloud.com/saharareporters/secret-meeting-that-led-to-the-rigging-of-ekiti-gubernatorial-for-fa
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