Victor Ogunje
The Governor of Ekiti State and a presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Kayode Fayemi, has described the accusation by former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, alleging that Fayemi once asked him to rig an election in his favour as signposting a post traumatic disorder over his removal as the APC National Chairman.
In the same vein, Fayemi denied the allegation made by the Social Democratic Party (SDP), that he had set up a, “task force,” to disrupt the June 18, 2022 election, saying he couldn’t have been plotting to stall a poll he was determined to win for the APC candidate, Biodun Oyebanji.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, yesterday, Fayemi said Oshomhole’s allegation, which was made on a national television, was not only, “false, puerile and laughable,” but a figment of the imagination of the former APC National Chairman
Fayemi posited that at no time did he ask Oshiomhole to rig any election for him or any other person and never had any reason to ask for such.
“Members of the public are therefore urged to disregard the allegations by Comrade Oshiomhole, who apparently is still experiencing a post traumatic stress disorder on account of his removal as Chairman of APC.
“It is on record that Dr. Fayemi was not responsible for Comrade Oshiomhole’s removal as Chairman of the APC. He has his ward executives and the courts to blame for that.
“The Ekiti State Governor has always considered Comrade Oshiomhole a friend and political associate even if they had fundamental differences over his kangaroo approach of disqualifying Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, from the APC primaries and his unconscionable autocratic management of party affairs whilst he was chairman of the party.”
The statement added: “For avoidance of doubt, Governor Fayemi has no reason to approach Comrade Oshiomhole for favours for any election. Governor Fayemi has a stellar track record of being a consummate democrat even in difficult times.
“Many Nigerians can easily recall his historic concession speech in 2014 in an election that was clearly lost to electoral sleight of hand at the behest of the then People’s democratic Party (PDP) –led Federal Government.
“Others will also recall how he spent years in court patiently pursuing the retrieval of his stolen mandate between 2007 and 2010. He has demonstrated nothing but decency, decorum and fidelity to the rule of law in all his years in politics and public office.
“We challenge Mr Oshiomhole to provide the public with independently verifiable evidence of his unsubstantiated claims, if true.”
Fayemi also condemned a purported petition written by one Barrister Owoseeni Ajayi to security agencies in the state, alleging that some prominent citizens and union leaders in the state had been recruited by the governor to disrupt the forthcoming election.
He said the allegation would have been ignored as another dubious fabrication from the stable of the troubled SDP, but for the fact it was written by a supposed learned fellow.
“It is rather ridiculous that a former Attorney General of the State is the one assigned the role of Chief fiction writer for the dying party. More saddening is the relish with which he undertook the task of concocting the spurious allegations.
“While we pity Ajayi for descending to this low level of engagement, we urge the relevant security agencies in the state to thoroughly investigate the allegations contained in the report, with a view to determining the truth of the matter and taking necessary steps to ensure that purveyors of lies and those who make false claims are brought to book.
“Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration remains committed to improving the quality of lives of Ekiti citizens through effective implementation of the five-point development agenda.
“The credentials of the Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum as a decent and pragmatic leader are well noted by well-meaning Nigerians across the geo-political zones and cannot be tainted by unfounded claims of a gang of hack writers who have taken abode in SDP”, Fayemi said.
