Civilized people use the law not violence – Baasegun – IlanaUK Chapter meeting 25.03.22

The court case to stop the 2022 governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States shows that we Yoruba are civilized people, Omoluabi people.
 
On 15 March 2022, a number of registered voters, Ilana members domicile in Ekiti and Osun States filed a lawsuit in Ado Ekiti and Osogbo respectively.
·      They made 2 claims: 1) that the 1999 constitution is a fraud, a lie, a misrepresentation and 2) that no valid elections could be held under a fraudulent constitution.
 
·      In law, fraud is defined as intentional deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain, or to deprive a victim of a legal right.
·      The Fulani perpetrated the fraud of 1999 to subjugate the Yoruba and treat us as slaves.
 
·      A misrepresentation is defined as an untrue statement of fact or law, which the person who made the statement knew to be false.
 
On 5 May 1999, General Abdulsalami, an unelected military head of state, promulgated in Decree No 24 a document which he called ‘Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999’.
 
General Abdulsalami knew that for the 1999 document to be legal, it had to be approved by the people.
·      Preamble to the 1999 constitution: ‘We the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria…Having firmly and solemnly resolve… Do hereby make, enact and give to ourselves the following Constitution.’
·      Section 14 (2) (a): ‘…sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria from whom government through this Constitution derives all its powers and authority…’
 
·      Article 10, African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance: ‘State Parties shall ensure that the process of amendment or revision of their constitution reposes on national consensus, obtained if need be, through referendum’.
 
Abdulsalami knowing what he knew, did not seek a resolution from the people when he wrote the preamble.
·      The ‘We the people’ claim was a deception, a misrepresentation.
·      The deception and misrepresentation were deliberate and intentional.
·      The deception and misrepresentation make the 1999 constitution null and void, and of no legal effect.
 
The consequences of this fraud are enormous.
·      Anything obtained by fraud is invalid.
 
·      First, any powers conferred by the 1999 constitution is null and void.
·      Section 1 (1): ‘This Constitution is supreme and its provisions shall have binding force on the authorities and persons throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’
 
·      Second, the territory identified as Nigeria in the 1999 constitution is null and void
·      Section 2 (1): ‘Nigeria is one indivisible and indissoluble sovereign state to be known by the name of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’
 
·      Third, all governments - state or federal, and including the present - created under the 1999 constitution are null and void
·      Section 1 (2): ‘The Federal Republic of Nigeria shall not be governed, nor shall any persons or group of persons take control of the Government of Nigeria or any part thereof, except in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.’
 
·      Four, any constitutional law, including election laws, made under the 1999 constitution is null and void.
 
Abdulsalami in his Decree No 24 recognised that voting is an inalienable right.
·      Section 14 (2) (c): ‘…the participation by the people in their government shall be ensured in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution.’
·      People participate ‘in their government’ through voting at elections.
·      But no valid elections can be held under the 1999 constitution because the constitution is a fraud.
 
The case against the 2022 elections was brought to court by Ekiti and Osun voters.
·      They have locus stadi before the courts.
·      They rightly say that their right to vote will be infringed and violated if elections were held under the fraudulent 1999 constitution.
·      Ilana Omo Oodua (Ilana) is providing legal representation for these voters because they as individuals do not have the necessary resources.
 
Ilana Worldwide mandated IlanaUK to handle the court case.
·      The Alana wrote to IlanaUK on 22.02.22: ‘…Ilana hereby confidently and proudly accept the offer by the UK Chapter - to handle the Oshun and Ekiti cases on behalf of Ilana worldwide, raise the needed funds, work with the lawyer…’
·      IlanaUK has paid the lawyer to file the case at Ado Ekiti and Osogbo, which he did on 15 March 2022.
·      IlanaUK has paid the lawyer to employ bailiffs to serve the summons at Abuja on AG Malami and INEC.
·      The expenses are not yet finished but the purse is now dry. We are £20,000 short of our target.
·      Please make your donations via http://PayPal.me/IlanaUK or www.ilanauk.org
 
This case is a public interest case. Election is something in which the entire Yoruba Nation have an interest.
·      It is therefore right and imperative for other Yoruba organisations to provide support for, and line up behind, the Ekiti/Osun voters.
·      The litigating voters should be able to count on our collective friendship and support.
·      This is a Yoruba case. Individuals and organisations, home and abroad, should support it.
·      This case is arguably the most important action by the Yoruba people since the 1914 Amalgamation. We must not fail.