Allegations untrue, says electoral body
Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
Former Governor of Ekiti State and All Progressives Congress(APC) governorship candidate for the July 14 election, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has accused some top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) of conniving with Governor Ayodele Fayose, to rig the coming election.
The former minister accused three top INEC functionaries from Abuja of holding a secret meeting with Fayose in the Government House, Ado Ekiti, some days back under the guise of being in the state for official duty.
Fayemi urged the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim Idris and the Director General of the Department State Services (DSS), Mr. Lawan Daura, to investigate the allegation and bring the culprit to book.
But INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Ekiti, Taiwo Gbadegesin, said the electoral body did not receive any official from Abuja, saying none of their officers visited the governor on any scheduled or emergency invitation.
Gbadegesin assured the people that INEC would conduct free, fair and credible election in the state, saying the technology that had been put in place will make rigging difficult and unachievable.
Briefing journalists in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the Deputy Director General(Ekiti South), Kayode Fayemi campaign Council, Hon. Bamidele Faparusi , pointedly accused these three electoral officials namely: Egharevba John, Festus Aisien, Igidiogu Kelechi and one Ishaku Abbo, a former INEC staff of conspiring to vitiate and compromise the process.
Fayemi said one Ishaku from the northern part of the country, allegedly brokered the deal on Fayose’s behalf.
According to him, the said Ishaku, has allegedly been living in the government house in Ekiti in the last six months.
“We have it on good authority that an election expert, one Ishaku, a former INEC official, has been living with the governor in the Government House since January this year. After these illegal activities in the Government House, there was a secret meeting held with three top officials of INEC from the national headquarters in the Government House,†he said.
“Curiously, these three top officials hold strategic positions in election management. One is from the administration, one is from Stores and Distribution Department, while the other is ICT top official.
“For the reasons best known to them, only the Government House was their exclusive port of call; APC was never in the picture. After this evil agenda, Fayose stormed the media to raise allegations the APC was in Ondo State Government House to manipulate the ballot to give APC an edge in the July 14 election,†he said.
