Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Temitope Kolawole Aluko, yesterday confessed that he played major role in the 2014 governorship election that brought incumbent governor Ayo Fayose to power.
In an effort to prove his point beyond reasonable doubt, even in a subsequent television debate with Fayose’s media aide, Lere Olayinka, Mr. Aluko claimed he played a major role in what, according to him, was high-level manipulation that characterised the conduct of that election.
Indeed, the altercation was hot. And Channels Television’s Sunday Politics anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, had a hectic time last night trying to contain the mutual bile between the two politicians, who for the greater part of the programme were bent on having each other’s neck, taking on the very personal matters in an effort to discredit their opponent’s argument.
While Aluko argued that Olayinka was defending his master against his conscience, the Ekiti Governor’s aide maintained that the ‘confessions’ coming from Aluko now was in bad faith, simply because he lost the position of Chief of Staff and would change his argument the moment Fayose rewards him with an appointment.
The ex-PDP scribe insisted that he was present in one of the meetings that took place in Ifeanyi Ubah’s office at the NNPC Towers in Abuja. He was to retract this allegation however when Ubah called in from Ghana, where his football club — FC Ifeanyi Ubah — was holding a series of friendly matches, to deny ever having an office at the NNPC Towers or meeting Aluko at the time.
At this point, Aluko had to claim that it was actually Chris Uba, not Ifeanyi Ubah, he was referring to.
Aluko who said he was one of the witnesses that appeared before the Army panel that investigated the role of some officers in that election, claimed that Ekiti was virtually placed under military siege in a operation he said was designed to weaken every opposition.
But Olayinka described Aluko is a new distraction from the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the Ekiti state, who does not deserve response from sane minds.
Olayinka said Aluko was already beclouded by his desperation to seek revenge against Governor Fayose because of the governor’s refusal to make him his Chief of Staff, such that he (Aluko) was not mindful of committing the criminal offence of perjury. He further explained that since election observers from the United States of America (USA) had lauded the military, the Independent National Electoral Commision (INEC) and other stakeholders for the peaceful and fair nature of the Ekiti election.
He wondered why Fayose should worry about the distractions when he had established record of sacking incumbent governors. He also accused Aluko of having been sacked as university teacher, an allegation he (Aluko) vehemently refuted.
Fayose had condemned the army panel’s report on the roles played by some soldiers during the Ekiti, Osun, election and described it as politically motivated.
“For all intents and purposes, the report can only be useful to the army and one is not surprised because the panel must do the bidding of those who set it up.”
Stating that the international community had rated Ekiti 2014 election as the best so far in the country, Fayose had urged interested parties to allow peace to reign in the state.
Aluko had, during a press conference in Abuja, yesterday regretted all the roles he played before and during that election because according to him, “the Ekiti Project” which was the major campaign point of the PDP had been jettisoned.
Aluko had, during a press conference in Abuja, yesterday regretted all the roles he played before and during that election because according to him, “the Ekiti Project” which was the major campaign point of the PDP had been jettisoned.
He said as chairman, Security and Intelligence Committee of Fayose campaign organisation then, he had the records and details of the involvement of the military in that election adding that he had already volunteered such details to the army investigating panel.
Aluko who disclosed that he was the coordinator of the swearing-in ceremony of Governor Fayose declared that he later became the principal witness to the army probe panel.
He alleged that some $35 million (N4.8 billion) and another $2 million was released by the Presidency for that election.
The former party scribe said that because of the strategy to ensure that Fayose became governor at all costs, he was later made the Chief Returning Officer in that election.
He however, admitted that what informed his decision to speak out was the failure of the governor to keep to his promise of making him, Aluko, the Chief of Staff.
Aluko also accused Fayose of having frustrated his second ambition of being elected into the House of Representatives, a development he said was the last straw that broke the camel’ s back and resulted into his current hostile relationship with the Ekiti governor.
Condemning the former state party scribe for his comments, Fayose’s aide said it was shameful that the opposition APC has refused to accept a scandalous electoral defeat they suffered 19 months ago and wondered whether it was also soldiers that rigged the 2015 Presidential, Senatorial, House of Representatives and State House of Assembly elections that the party lost woefully in Ekiti.
He said; “For Aluko to be taken seriously, he must first have to report himself to the police to be tried for perjury and committed to prison for three years, since what he is now saying is different from what he said under oath at the Election Tribunal being the only witness called by the PDP and Governor Fayose.
If after giving evidence under oath at the tribunal that the election was free, fair and credible and that security agents, including soldiers performed their duties creditably well, saying something else more than one year after is an admittance by
Aluko himself that he is not a stable character. It is also a demonstration of the fact that giving the right offer
Aluko himself that he is not a stable character. It is also a demonstration of the fact that giving the right offer
Therefore, we won’t bother ourselves, responding to what a political parasite chooses to say because he wouldn’t have said what he is now saying today if he had been made Chief of Staff to Governor Fayose and it is sure that if he is called today, and given the right offer, he will begin to sing another song.”
Earlier in January 2015, a Board of Inquiry set up by the Nigerian Army to investigate petitions and allegations of unprofessional conduct by some officers and soldiers during the 2014 Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections submitted its report to the Chief of Army Staff, General Yakubu Buratai.
GUARDIAN NIGERIA
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