- It was propaganda to destroy my person, former PDP secretary replies
Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti
More startling revelations were unearthed wednesday regarding the alleged peace meeting between the embattled state Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Tope Aluko, and Governor Ayo Fayose, as the immediate factional speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon Dele Olugbemi, disclosed that he actually brokered the peace deal.
Olugbemi, in a statement made available to journalists in Ado-Ekiti narrated how he (Olugebmi) said: “The existing cordial relationship between Aluko and myself brought us to a discussion that eventually led to the last Sunday, April 3, 2016 meeting.”
Olugbemi argued that Aluko cannot deny that he re-affirmed that Fayose remained his mentor, leader and father; that all his previous actions were devil’s work, and that he was under spiritual attack when he was saying all those things against the governor.
“Even when the governor told him to sit down, he prostrated and I also prostrated along with him to beg the governor for total forgiveness.
“The governor asked Aluko four questions: whether he knew the implication of his coming to him; why he behaved in that manner; how old he was; and whether he wanted the reconciliation to be total or partial and he (Aluko) replied that he knew the consequence of coming to him and that if he did not want total reconciliation, he would not come to see the governor.
“At this point, Aluko stood up again, saying my mentor, my leader, my egbon, I am your boy, you know, I am your boy. Whatever step I have taken before now, forgive me. Aluko and myself prostrated again.”
Narrating how the meeting was arranged and held, Olugbemi said; “Before we agreed to meet in Lagos, I first suggested that the meeting should take place in Ekiti State Government House after the wedding of the niece of Governor Fayose but Aluko said he was not too comfortable with the arrangement because of fear that he could be arrested.
He added: “I re-assured him that the intention of the meeting was not to arrest, embarrass or humiliate him rather than to reconcile with Fayose, whom he called his mentor.
“In the morning Sunday, April 3, we agreed to meet in Lagos and I left Ekiti for Lagos. I got to Lagos at 12 noon; I lodged in a hotel at Magodo Area of Lagos.
“At 1p.m., Aluko called me to confirm my hotel room number and I gave it to him. Aluko called me back and promised to be with me within 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, he called me again, and I told him that I was barbing my hair at a salon in Magodo. He asked me to come out of the salon and we met. He came in a blue Ford Jeep together with his woman.
“I joined them in the car and we drove to my hotel room where Aluko stayed with me till 2p.m. He later instructed me to call the governor to ascertain the time and place of the meeting.
“I called the governor, he did not pick the call. I later called Chief of Staff to the Governor. The Chief of Staff told me to call either the ADC or CSO to the governor for further directive. The CSO told us that the meeting will take place at the governor’s residence in Magodo at 7.30p.m.
“I told Aluko but he was not too comfortable with venue of the meeting. He said if the meeting is about reconciliation, it should hold elsewhere and not the governor’s residence. I pleaded with the governor that the meeting should hold elsewhere as demanded by Aluko, which the governor obliged.
“All these I was doing because I wanted the crisis to be totally resolved.
Responding, Aluko said: “It is all lies. It is part of the plot to sustain the propaganda against me. Olugbemi is an appointee of the governor in the State Universal Basic Education Board. So, he is doing the bid of his master.
“I only saw him when he barged into the meeting with the governor. I didn’t have any discussion with him and couldn’t have gone with him to the meeting. He is only being used.”
