Ekitigate: Court Orders Aluko’s Arrest

A magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Wednesday, directed the Commissioner of Police in the state to arrest former secretary of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tope Aluko, over alleged perjury.

The PDP chieftain had sworn under an oath that the 2014 governorship poll in the state that produced Ayo Fayose of the PDP as governor was free and fair, but said otherwise to journalists over the weekend.

Aluko was on Channels TV on Sunday, where he made revelations of how his party allegedly rigged the election. He further claimed that former President, Goodluck Jonathan, gave the party about $35 million to ensure the victory of Fayose and that the military were used to influence outcome of the poll.

However, the state governor, initially through his aide, Lere Olayinka, claimed Aluko was aggrieved because Fayose failed to make him his Chief of Staff.

Based on his oath at the tribunal back then, the Chief Magistrate, Adesoji Adegboye, ordered Aluko’s arrest after considering a motion ex parte number MAD/10cm/2016, filed by the Ekiti state government against him and the state commissioner of police, pursuant to Section 117 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C16, law of Ekiti State 2012, Section 79 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2014 and Section 23 (D) of the Magistrates’ Courts Law 2014.

In the motion filed and moved by Gbemiga Adaramola, the state director of public prosecution, an order of the court was sought to issue warrant of arrest against Aluko, to be executed by the state commissioner of police for the purpose of committing Aluko for trial for the offence of perjury.