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Nigerian Army Orders General Who Masterminded Rigging Of Ekiti Governorship Election To Resign

The Nigerian Army has ordered Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh, who achieved notoriety by overseeing the rigging of a governorship election in Ekiti State in 2014, to resign. 

Minister of Defense, Mansur Muhammad Dan Ali, disclosed the plan to end General Momoh’s military career in an exclusive interview in Washington, DC. Mr. Dan Ali was in the US as part of the Nigerian delegation at a nuclear security summit convened by President Barack Obama of the United States of America and to attend bilateral meetings with US officials. 

The Nigerian Defense Minister revealed that the army decided to initiate the process of rusticating General Momoh who was indicted last year by a military panel. 

General Momoh led a contingent of soldiers and other security agencies who intimidated voters and inhibited the movement of officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a broad strategy that was reportedly approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan to enable Ayodele Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to defeat then incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi.

A former Minister of State for Defense, Musiliu Obanikoro, was used as a conduit to transfer huge sums of funds for the rigging operation. Mr. Obanikoro, who faces a separate investigation for money laundering, reportedly used the corporate account of his son’s firm to receive more than N4.7 billion for the election. The funds were then distributed among Mr. Fayose, Senator Iyiola Omisore and security agents who carried out the rigging.

The full version of Mr. Ali’s interview with SaharaReporters will be posted soon.