REVEALED: How Fayose, Obanikoro clashed over arms cash - Aluko

Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose and ex-Minister of State (Defence) Musiliu Obanikoro clashed over the huge cash deployed in the June 21, 2014, governorship poll, it was learnt yesterday.

Former Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary Dr. Temitope Aluko said this during a live interview programme on ADABA 88.9 FM which was closely monitored by NigerianEye



Aluko, who claimed Fayose did not have up to N10 million in his personal account before the 2014 elections, alleged that his primary election was sponsored by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The Ekiti poll fraud whistleblower said it was after Fayose won the Ekiti PDP primary that cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and oil contractors was used to fund the campaign for the election.

Aluko explained during the interview that Fayose bought five houses with N2.3 billion, the remaining of the slush funds from ONSA, in Abuja, and on Banana Island and Victoria Island in Lagos.

Speaking on the feud between Fayose and Obanikoro on the arms cash, Aluko said the two clashed when it was discovered that part of the funds brought to Akure for the Ekiti poll was short by N80 million.

He said: “The Presidency gave us security and money; the money was sent from a Diamond Bank branch through an account run by Sylvan MacNamara, a company owned by Obanikoro.

“My boss (Fayose) said he wanted to get his own in cash and that was why arrangement was made to get his own in cash and that was why such a huge amount (N2.1 billion) was ferried by plane. Obanikoro cannot claim not to have brought the money.

“He (Fayose) chose his man, Abiodun Agbele, to keep the money in a bank account. The transaction was not recorded and it got to a stage when it was discovered that the money was short by N80 million.

“This caused a crisis between Fayose and Obanikoro, who brought money three times from Abuja. He (Obanikoro) brought other things apart from money, which I won’t disclose now. It was from it that N1 billion was released to INEC officials to manipulate Ekiti and Osun polls.

“Fayose was telling (former President Goodluck) Jonathan that he (Fayose) must deliver so that Jonathan will win in Southwest. The PDP elders were kept out of the picture about the transactions and cash and some of the cash deployed did not get to their destination.

Aluko

“The cash carried in the plane was not entered into the manifest, the N2.1 billion was delivered to a bank at 4.30 am in Ekiti. The N2.3 billion remaining from the cash received for the election was used to buy house in Abuja and the house belongs to Fayose.

“Fayose bought five houses on Victoria Island and Banana Island. The property in Dubai was purchased by a fellow, who is known as Bisi in Ekiti but known as Femi abroad. Questions are being asked on the N3 billion used to buy the Dubai property, but I believe that we will recover our money.

“No big money flowed into Fayose’s campaign until June, 2014. Money collected were either paid into the account of Spotless Investment or Fayose’s personal account.”

On failure of the governor to pay civil servants, Aluko alleged that Fayose earns 40 per cent of the monthly allocation as entitlement.

He said Fayose receives N250 million as security vote every month. This was increased from N150 million received by his predecessor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, apart from allowances received from the Government House and Protocol.

The PDP stalwart doubts Fayose’s claim that the state generates N300 million monthly compared to N600 million monthly generated during the Fayemi administration.

He said the fact that Fayose imposed many taxes on Ekiti people should shore up the revenue base.

“IGR ought to be more than that. Fayose is now collecting money by from okada riders, banana sellers, shop owners and other petty traders. If you impose taxes not imposed by your predecessor, the IGR should rise.

“I want the authorities to beam their searchlight on the IGR accounts run by Ekiti State government because Ekiti people are asking questions.

“Fayose should shed from the hefty allowances he raised for himself to pay other people that are suffering because this is someone who is making noise when his account was closed, what about other people being owed salaries for the last six months?

“It is insulting for a governor to be saying he cannot sell his wife and children to pay salaries. It is absurd for somebody to have billions in his account and property all over to be telling the people to endure pains.

“TSA is not in operation, state accounts not published, salary structure unknown, IGR unknown, what is spent on recurrent and capital expenditure unknown and the consultant is the same person operating as contractor,” Aluko said.