8 Oshiomhole: Ekiti querying workers for not surrendering PVCs

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, yesterday said the party had evidence that the Ekiti State government was querying workers, including teachers, for refusing to surrender their voters’ cards. He also accused Governor Ayo Fayose of instructing school heads and heads of civil servants to retrieve Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) from teachers and civil servants in order to disenfranchise them.

Oshiomhole, who spoke with newsmen after a meeting of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) that focused on the Ekiti election, said the party would hold its final mega-rally for the July 14 governorship election on Tuesday. He said Fayose, who had allegedly not paid salaries for one year despite the receipt of bailout funds, was afraid of defeat at the coming poll.

Oshiomhole said: “After [Kayode Fayemi] was made minister, the president has made it clear that he was very satisfied with his performance as a minister. So, Ekiti people are going to choose between a tested and trusted hand and someone who has done his apprenticeship under a very controversial personality. So, the issues are not complex at all. And I believe by the 10th, Tuesday next week, another mega-rally will be a close campaign and I believe that people of Ekiti State are now very much aware of what the issues are. They will go and make a sensible judgment and we are very certain that it will be in favour of our candidate and of our Party.

“There is no better evidence than the fact that PDP is panicking. You must have heard the report that in clear violation of the Electoral Act, the outgoing governor of Ekiti State, Gov. Fayose, has instructed civil servants, principals of schools, headmasters of schools, to retrieve PVCs from civil servants because he’s afraid.

“They are panicking, while we are asking them to collect PVCs, they are retrieving PVCs. We have evidence now that they have even issued queries to workers, including teachers for refusing to surrender their PVCs.

“I don’t think you need any better evidence that the sitting governor is panicking. We can’t wait to sweep him away on the 14th of July, God willing, by the good people of Ekiti State through a free and fair election,” he said.

Speaking on the allegation that the APC planned to rig the next election in Ekiti State, Oshiomhole said Fayose was being hunted by the ghost of the forces he used to capture power because he didn’t win the last election.