My escape from political goons

What was supposed to be a re-run of the election in Ekiti State ordered by the Federal Court of Appeal, Ilorin Division, turned out to be a killing field of sorts. The actors were no more than the dirty politicians playing their games in one hell of a theatre of a poisoned electoral system. My challenge with reality came rather quickly at Awo Ekiti where a horde of youngsters unleashed terror on me.

It began with a political leader in the town demanding to know my identity, despite the 2007 media coverage card provided by the INEC, hanging around my neck. He insisted on checking my company’s identity card, which I also showed. Not satisfied, the terrified-looking man announced to the people in the Ekiti dialect, “Won ti de o, e wa wo fake press man (They have come. Come and see a fake journalist).” A chance to explain anything was elusive, as the youth had pounced on me aggressively.

The mob collected my camera and other press gadgets, and instructed that I run into the bush, as I was not worthy to pass through the streets of their town. My hope of police intervention was dashed when one of them moved close and said, “You better run for your dear life.”

It was a time of aggressive action on all observers and journalists on the field. I was fortunate to recover my equipment after an emergency court session in a herbalist’s house that ensured that I was not against their party, PDP. Others were not as fortunate; many observers, journalists, and ad-hoc staff were beaten and hospitalised.

Prior to the election, the mind of the party supporters had been poisoned against the presence of any individual that was not part of their settlements before the election, even youth corps members had to go about in their uniforms to be spared the rampaging evil.

Rampaging youth

The youth were bribed by the politicians to vote. The evidence of this came to the fore when some students of University of Ado-Ekiti fought openly over money given to them by some politicians. They stabbed themselves with broken bottles and inflicted injuries during the course of money sharing.

Some youth were also encountered at the Iworoko axis of Ado-Ekiti, transporting themselves to Ido-Osi Local Government for the election. They parked themselves on motorcycles, and sent one of them ahead on a reconnaissance mission to find out where policemen were on the route.

One of the youth when questioned, was ready to attack with a cutlass that he brought out of his bag, before one of them explained to him that I was just a press man and not an enemy. They said they were on their way to where the money was flowing. One of them, who referred to himself as Kole Adewole, said that an okada rider friend who is an indigene of Ifaki, had invited them and assured them of the voter’s cards they would use to vote.

Partisan observers and journalists

The partisan style of some journalists’ coverage was very obvious. It was simply the case of “he who pays the piper dictates the tune”. Many of the journalists and observers were housed in various hotels by both parties and were fed on a daily basis.

The PDP, to an extent, also poisoned the minds of their supporters, telling them that some fake journalists and observers should be resisted despite the presence of the police.

Police as businessmen

Police officers deployed in the state were going on with business as usual. Despite the presence of the force top brass from the force headquarters in the state, they were at the check points every day, counting the gains of an unending election. The commissioner of police, Yakubu Alkali, told me in a chat that they must be the bad eggs.

The Ekiti election saga is a story worth weeping over when narrating to the unborn in Ekiti. It is a tale of selfish rulers who robbed the people of the state of a future of hope.