APC tackles Fayose over alleged ban of opposition adverts

• Ekiti State government denies claim

• Party opposes suit seeking use of TVCs

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State Tuesday accused Governor Ayodele Fayose of allegedly banning all its adverts and jingles on the state-owned media.

   But Fayose’s aide on Public Communications, Lere Olayinka denied the claim saying adverts and jingles of the opposition party and its candidates are being used on the state broadcasting stations.

   The party noted that it was illegal to stop the adverts that were fully paid for by clients.‎

   APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said in a statement that this was a bastardisation of media professional ethic and abuse of contract agreement between the stations and their clients.

   Olatubosun criticized Olayinka for ‎turning the stations into a personal property of his boss, arguing that before the latest ban on APC’s jingles in the stations, there had been many unprofessional practices by the stations, which were brought to the attention of the National Broadcasting Commission.

   He said, “The stations in one of their news bulletins in November 2014 accused the Chief Judge, Mr. Justice Ayodeji Daramola, of collecting N200 million bribe from APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to influence the judge sitting on Fayose’s eligibility case. About the same time, allegation that the 19 APC members of the House of Assembly demanded N135 million from the governor was also broadcast on the stations. All these were without evidence.”

   Olayinka said, “The allegation is not true. We have been using their adverts and jingles inasmuch as they are ready to pay the rate. Even as at this morning (Tuesday), if you listened to the stations, we still carried the adverts and jingles of the APC candidates.”

   Olatunbosun said, “We condemn the ban on APC’s jingles on the order of Fayose who has become intolerant of the opposition. We wish to remind him that when he was in the opposition, his jingles and adverts for his campaign rallies, which he paid for, were aired regularly on the stations.

   “We want to remind Fayose that the prominent Ekiti citizens who he has now shut out of the stations because they hold different political views were the ones who contributed money for the take off of the stations when he had not dreamt of contesting the governorship of the state.”

   Olatubosun urged NBC to call Fayose and Olayinka to order.

   And determined that the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are used for the forthcoming general elections, the APC yesterday took legal steps at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division to abort the hearing of an action, seeking to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from using the PVCs. 

   In a swift reaction to the suit filed by a group – Society for Advancement and Protection of Public Rights (SAPPR), APC has also filed an application to be joined as a defendant. 

   During yesterday’s proceedings, APC’s counsel, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), head of a team comprising of eight Senior Advocates, prayed for time to allow him serve the party’s application on INEC (1st defendant in the suit.)

   The plaintiff is by the suit, seeking to restrain INEC from using the PVC and card readers for the next general elections on the contention that they were likely to lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.

   The plaintiff argued that since INEC had not engaged in trial application of the PVC and card readers, it could not guarantee their effectiveness.

   It therefore wants the court to among others, direct INEC to revert to the use of temporary voters cards (TVCs), which had been tested during previous elections.

   In an affidavit supporting its joinder application, APC submitted that the use of PVC was to ensure a hitch-free and fair election, and to prevent rigging of election.

   Fagbemi argued that should the court grant the plaintiff’s prayers, its interest would be adversely affected because as a registered political party with candidates contesting the next elections, the use of any card other that PVC will promote manipulation.

   He said if joined as a party to the suit, his client would challenge the suit, because “its grant would jeopardise the preparations of the applicant (APC) towards the 2015 general elections.” 

   The party said it also intends to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the suit.