…why Musiliu Obanikoro is on the run
Legal luminary and owner of Afe Babalola University in Ekiti, Chief Afe Babalola, has teamed up with Governor Ayodele Fayose in shopping for a willing judge to grant a perpetual injunction to stop the federal government from prosecuting persons indicted in the rigging of the gubernatorial election that brought Fayose back to power in 2014.
The infamous rigging of that election, which came to be known as “Ekitigate” and also involved money laundering of over $50million, was exposed when a secret audio recording by a courageous army captain, Sagir Koli, was published by SaharaReporters.
Since the expose, the Nigerian army has undertaken a series of probes which indicted several military officers and some civilians who collaborated in the criminal rigging. Just a couple of weeks ago, the army purged its leading officer who was involved, Brigadier General Momoh.
SaharaReporters learnt that since he was kicked out of the army, the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and several security agencies have been working to arrest and prosecute those involved in the electoral heist.
The list includes a former junior Minister of Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, who handled transfers of huge sums of monies using his son’s business account.
Mr. Obanikoro is currently on the run. He resides in Georgia, in the United States, where he claims to be studying.
SaharaReporters learnt that Governor Fayose is panicked and worried that if all those involved are prosecuted, he could be taken down because the Supreme Court could be asked to review the judgement that claims his election into office was free and fair.
With that in mind, he ran to Chief Babalola, who deployed his contacts within the judiciary to help Fayose secure a permanent order to stop the federal government from carrying out related arrests and prosecution.
Already, one case has been filed before Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Ado-Ekiti, seeking such an order to stop the federal government.
Justice Taiwo is reportedly under intense pressure to grant the order on Wednesday this week.
The case was filed by the State’s Attorney General, Owoseni Ajayi, who last week wrote to the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, asserting that the AGF has no right to try anyone involved in the electoral crime in the state.
