FORMER Secretary to Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Temitope Kolawole Aluko, confessed at the weekend that he played major roles in what he claimed to be a high-level manipulation that characterized the 2014 gubernatorial election that brought incumbent governor Ayo Fayose to power.

This is coming as the Special Assistant to the Ekiti State Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, described the expelled former State Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as a new distraction from the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti State, saying he does not deserve a response.

Aluko who said he was one of the witnesses that testified before the Army panel that investigated the role of some army officials in that election, claimed that Ekiti was virtually ‎placed under military siege in a military operation he said was designed to weaken every opposition.

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.

He further stated that the international communities had rated Ekiti 2014 election as the best so far in the country. Governor Fayose appealed with the interested parties to allow peace to reign in the state.
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However, at a press conference in Abuja, Aluko said he now 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 said that 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.

He 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.