PERJURY IS THE OFFENCE: YAYI LIED ON OATH AND IS NOT FIT TO BE GOVERNOR - The Real Controversy About Senator Yayi's State of Origin. By Victor Agaga, Mowe. The debate over Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as YAYI, and his 2027 governorship ambition in Ogun State has been deliberately misinterpreted by his defenders. The issue is NOT his state of origin. Section 177 of the Constitution is clear: if you are a Nigerian citizen, have attained 35 years, are a member of a political party, and have been educated up to school certificate level, and you have resided in that state for five years, you are qualified.
So, that Yayi hails from Ekiti State and wants to be Governor of Ogun State is not the issue. THE REAL ISSUE IS PERJURY - LYING ON OATH. In his own INEC nomination forms - Form CF001 which every candidate fills and swears to on oath - Senator Yayi himself wrote Ekiti State as his state of origin. Today, when it is politically convenient, he says he is from Ogun State. That is perjury.
Lying on oath. A grave and punishable criminal offence under our laws. Those defending Yayi cite Otunba Gbenga Daniel of Ogun State alleged to have hailed from Delta State, and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu alleged to be from Iragbiji in Osun State who became Governor of Lagos State - but they NEVER for once claimed those states in their INEC forms; they consistently claimed Ogun and Lagos respectively, so there was no contradiction in their sworn declarations.
Yayi's case is different: DOUBLE PERJURY. Certified True Copies obtained from INEC show in one document he claimed Ekiti State, in another he claimed Lagos State, and in another he now claims Ogun State. Only one can be correct; it is impossible for a man to have three states of origin, meaning he has lied on oath at least twice. An oath is sacred. The question before Ogun people and the judiciary: Is a man who is facing weighty allegations of double perjury, with INEC certified documents as evidence, fit to be Governor of Ogun State in 2027? Let us wait for the courts to decide. Victor Agaga writes from Mowe, Ogun State.
