The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Ekiti chapter, has claimed that the mandate given to the candidate of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi in the Saturday’s Ekiti
governorship election was a product of ‘poll robbery’.
The party vowed to deploy every
constitutional means to retrieve what he called a “stolen mandate” from the
former governor, disclosing that the party would challenge the election in
court.
PDP added that it was not
embarrassed by the congratulatory message sent by former President Olusegun
Obasanjo to Fayemi on his victory, saying that was what was expected from an
elder statesman.
“We are not embarrassed and we
can’t join issue with Chief Obasanjo on that. When a young man became
successful, the elders will congratulate him. But the former President will
soon change when he realizes that Fayemi actually stole the victory”, it said.
Addressing journalists in
Ado-Ekiti on Monday on the outcome of the election, the party’s chairman in
Ekiti state, Barr. Gboyega Oguntuase, accused the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies of conspiring to subvert the
will of the electorate.
Oguntuase specifically fingered
the two federal government bodies of involvement in the alleged allocation of
votes to Fayemi just to disgrace Governor Ayodele Fayose, who has consistently
been posing as the major opposition to President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said over 20 members of the
party, including the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Dipo Anisulowo and
four of his aides among others were arrested by combined forces of military and
paramilitary security outfits and clamped into detention on the day of
election.
Oguntuase described the
governorship poll as an embarrassment to democrats across the globe, saying APC
governors allegedly spending humongous amount that could have been used to
develop their states, to buy votes signposted that the party has no interest of
the masses at heart.
He said: “What did they need
30,000 police officers for in Ekiti when criminals were killing Nigerians in
other states? Ekiti people knew they were in our state for a task and not to
protect their votes and that was why there was no jubilation or ceremony
anywhere in the state after the election.
“This election was far from being
free, fair and credible. In Ilejemeje, Ilawe, Ikole, Ise/Orun , Oye , Ado and
other major towns in Ekiti, many of our people were beaten by APC thugs being
aided by the security men.
“As we speak, the results
declared by INEC to give victory to Fayemi was more than the number of
accredited voters. So, where did they get the additional votes they added?
“We are going to use every
constitutional means to retrieve this stolen mandate, it is just a matter of
time.
“APC mobilized over N11 billion
to buy votes in Ekiti. They came here to perpetrate electoral perfidy and such
will not stand,” he stated.
Oguntuase stated that the federal
government deliberately delayed June allocation to Ekiti to create impression
that Fayose was owing salaries and to sway votes for APC.
On the arrested and detained
members of his party, Oguntuase told the police to release them to the PDP,
saying: “We are not going to tolerate excuses that they had escaped from
detention when they cannot be found anywhere from police.
“They must not just be released
immediately to us, they must also be hale and hearty,” he added.
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