Fayose's Ally: Jonathan Gave PDP, Military N4.7bn to Rig Ekiti Guber Election...

Dr. Temitope Aluko, one of the trusted allies of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used the military to stop the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its loyalists from voting in the June governorship election that took place in the state on June 21, 2014.

Aluko is the Secretary of the PDP in Ekiti State and also served as the Returning Officer for Fayose during the said election.

He said: “Immediately after the primary, we got into the campaigns, and I was also coordinator as the secretary of the part. I established all the committees and I was the chairman, security and intelligence for Fayose’s campaign. So I was always present at all meetings concerning campaigns and all meetings concerning the party via Abuja, so I am very conversant with all the details and I have all the records.”

Aluko, who is now estranged with Fayose, alleged that 1,400 soldiers were legally deployed to the state to emasculate the APC while an additional 400 were illegally brought into the state to make sure that all APC leaders and point men were arrested and prevented from functioning on the election day.

He also alleged that the then President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, gave Fayose the sum of $35 million (N4.7billion) to prosecute the election. Aluko said he was present with Fayose when a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, brought the money to Ekiti.

The Fayose ally also mentioned the name of the hotel where the money was handed over to them by Obanikoro.

He claimed that all the information contained in the recording by the Army Captain, Sagir Koli, who secretly taped how the rigging took place was correct.

Aluko spoke on the record and also produced documentary evidence to back up his claim.

According to him, “Soldiers had already dislodged the opposition in the state. That is why I said it was a coup and not an election.”

He described as unfortunate, Fayose’s response to the probe by the Nigerian Army of soldiers involved in the State election.

The state PDP secretary said because of Fayose, the military was going through difficulty with eight generals being laid off; two to face Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while three would lose their commands.

Aluko said: “I could remember in the 1970s, if you have anybody losing their commands, they just go into their rooms and just kill themselves. If you are the beneficiary of this inappropriate behaviour of the military, you shouldn’t place adverts in the paper and tell the military that you wish them luck when you have about 73 officers being indicted which is not during the war time. Even during war times, you can never have such indictment.”

He claimed that he regretted the role he played in the whole episode saying: “I am using this medium to apologise to Ekiti people for bringing in someone like Fayose and I have done that at many meetings and I want to stand up to many of those things.”

Aluko said following unfavourable security reports that the PDP would not do well in the South-west, the president became concerned.

“So we were all desperate to secure South-west because knowing that North-east and North-west will likely go to APC and that was why Fayose was fundamental in coming into South-west because it was the first election they could do before Osun State. The president was bothered about Osun and Ekiti States. That was why he agrred with some of the positions we were putting to him because he was also doing it in his own interest.

“I could remember vividly immediately after the primaries we went to him for funding and we went to him for security which he gave to us.

“It was about $35 million which is about N4.7 billion he gave us for the real election and for the primary. He released $2 million to Fayose. I have details of all I am saying and I was present when they brought the money and it was Obanikoro who brought the money, the $35 million which he delivered to Fayose at Spotless Hotel and I can name eight people who were there.

“We were all there because he said he would want us to take delivery so that there will be transparency and accountability; let me just stop there for now, but I am just trying to say that both the security and the funding came from the presidency, and even the primary money we collected at NNPC Towers in Abuja and which they took $300,000 from the $2 million for courier on March 24, 2014, and we took it to Prince and Princess, Fayose’s house, but the 4.7 billion came into Ekiti on June 17, 2014,” he confessed.

Asked why he decided to come clean, he responded: “I have the facts and I don’t need to hide it, but my own position is that we should make democracy better and if we had gone through the democratic structure properly, maybe Fayose wouldn’t have been governor today and may be we would not have had this problem today.”