Ekiti Election: PDP reacts to Obasanjo’s congratulatory message to Fayemi

Agency ReporterJuly 16, 2018

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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 the election.

Oguntuase described the governorship poll as an embarrassment to Democrats across the globe, saying APC governors allegedly spending the 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 the 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