APC debunks Fayose’s claim of plan to rig poll
Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has chided Governor Ayodele Fayose over his allegation that the party had colluded with the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Professor Kayode Soremekun, to recruit the students of the university to act as presiding officers to rig the July 14 governorship election in favour of APC.
Fayose had on state media alleged that he had uncovered a plot by APC to engage Soremekun to recruit his students to work as presiding officers to help rig the governorship poll.
The governor claimed the vice chancellor held a meeting with the governorship candidate of APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, where the duo perfected strategies to recruit FUOYE students to work as presiding officers to help APC rig the poll.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said the party was not surprised by that “spurious allegation” coming from the governor who had become jittery since APC conducted a peaceful and crisis-free primary election that produced Fayemi as APC’s candidate.
He said Fayose’s current allegation was similar to his earlier blackmail of the professor when the governor alleged during Ondo State governorship election that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had plotted to use Soremekun to announce a fake result declaring APC’s candidate, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, as the winner.
Olatunbosun faulted Fayose’s claim that Soremukun met with Fayemi in Abuja to plot the alleged recruitment of his students to be used during election as presiding officers to help APC rig the poll.
“This is not the first time that Fayose would blackmail Prof Soremekun of plot to help APC win election.“Fayose did it during Ondo State governorship election when he took to the media to accuse the professor of conspiracy to help announce a fake result in favour of APC even when the innocent Professor was not anywhere near Nigeria at the time.
“Fayose is jittery and apprehensive after alleged reports of his illegal activities to coral INEC and NYSC corps members to help him rig election became public knowledge.“The truth is that just like Professor Soremekun was no where near Nigeria several days to the election, the vice chancellor was no where near Abuja to hold any meeting with the minister as alleged by Fayose, as the professor was shuttling between Oye-Ekiti main campus of the university and Ikole-Ekiti campus trying to douse the tension generated by the students protests that rocked the university on the day Fayose said the vice chancellor was holding a meeting with Fayemi in Abuja.
“As a reckless blackmailer and shameless liar, we expect all sorts of lies by Fayose against the Federal Government after alleged reports of his illicit relationship with Ekiti top INEC and NYSC officials were leaked to the public,” he said.Olatunbosun advised Fayose to explain to Ekiti people where he keeps the state IGR, what he did with N56b loans he took and pay workers’ salary arrears of nine months while he must engage in issue-based campaign instead lies and blackmail to fraudulently attract public sympathy.
