Army captain who released #EkitiGate tape explains how the deed was allegedly carried out

Captain Sagir Koli of the 32nd Artillery Brigade in Ekiti State, who released an audio recording which purportedly has the voice of the then Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Ayo Fayose, in the June 21 governorship election and others meeting on how to allegedly rig the election, on Saturday, insisted the clip was authentic.

In an interview by Sahara TV, Koli narrated how soldiers were allegedly deployed in Ekiti to manipulate the poll in favour of the ruling party.

The recording purportedly captured Fayose; Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, who was in charge of the election; Osun PDP governorship candidate, Senator Iyiola Omisore; Minister for Police Affairs, Jelili Adesinyan; and former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, in a meeting where they allegedly gave directives to the military to favour the PDP.

He stated that none of Fayose, Obanikoro and other Peoples Democratic Party leaders could deny being at the meeting.

Fayose, Obanikoro and Omisore however, denied both the meeting and the voices in the audio clip.

The Army captain, who has been on self exile after he released the audio tape, said he was ready to testify against those at the meeting should they file a suit in court.

He also said, “It came as a surprise to us. Three weeks to the election, Brig.-Gen. (Aliyu) Momoh was brought in. When he came, he asked us to work with him. When we entered Ekiti State, we started to see a different thing. The commander said this is his direction and we had to follow him.

“He said he was working for the Presidency. He said it categorically. ‘Look, I’m working for the Presidency and anything I am doing, follow my directions. That was what necessitated the compromise in the election.

“The commander asked all the troops to work with Peoples Democratic Party thugs to make sure that his given assignment was done.”

Koli said he played an advisory role in the election as an intelligence officer. He said there were tactical commanders on ground who covered the 16 local government areas of the state.

“Each local government area was assigned a major or a captain, with soldiers to cover those areas adequately. Those tactical commanders were given specific directives on what to do. The PDP and its teams had what they called ‘contacts’; they were PDP supporters and thugs.

“What the commanders were ordered to do was to work directly with those contacts and make sure that whatever those contacts wanted, they should do it. That was the directive. After giving the directive, we moved round the 16 LGAs to ensure compliance by the tactical commanders,” he said.

He added, “They (security operatives) were assembled at the Forward Operational Base adjacent the Ekiti State Government House. He (Fayose) was given a task force. The task force was composed of military components, the Police, Mobile Police Force and security operatives from the DSS (Department of State Security). They were asked to go and work with the PDP contacts in the 16 LGAs.

“Additionally, a sticker was designed and a hand band. On election days, ordinarily and constitutionally, we restrict movements from 06:00 to 18:00 hours. Those stickers were given to PDP supporters; that anybody or any vehicle seen with that sticker should be allowed unlimited access on the Election Day, and that was what was done.”