One time former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has described the recently conducted South-west Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a scam. Mr Fayose who spoke on Channels Television Politics Today Programme on Wednesday, accused Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State of using ‘thugs’ to manipulate the poll. This volte face may not be unconnected with the series of disagreements between Governoe Makinde and Fayose’s camp’s of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South West.
Governor Makinde backed Taofeek Arapaja, scored 343 votes to emerge the National Vice-chairman (South-west) of the Party while the immediate past national vice-chairman (South-west) and candidate of Mr Fayose, Eddy Olafeso, scored 330 votes.
Earlier Mr Fayose in a surprising statement during the congress said no matter the situation, “Makinde is our leader”, promising to accept the outcome in good faith.
“Under this gathering, you are our father,” Mr Fayose said then.
But on Wednesday while speaking on Channels TV, Mr Fayose said he acted that way on Monday “because there were plans to kill him by thugs allegedly sponsored by Oyo governor”.
Reacting to the video shared by Channels showing the leader of Oyo State NURTW known as Auxiliary threatening him, Mr Fayose said “Makinde looks calm but deadly.”
“I have seen this video, what this gentleman was saying at the time, they came to the venue saying we are waiting for you here, we are going to kill you.
“This is the chairman of the road transport workers in Oyo State, these people came with Governor Makinde’s convoy… Everybody knows.
“This is enough to show the whole world if Governor Makinde, a first-time 2-year old governor, yet to be 2-year-old governor is parading characters like this, it simply shows the kind of people behind him.”
He admitted that it is shameful to run a party filled with thugs and killers.
“These same people came to Ondo and I told Governor Makinde, so I am glad the whole world is seeing this, Governor Makinde you look quiet but deadly.”
Asked why he congratulated the winner when he believed the election was rigged, he simply responded that conceding defeat does not mean Mr Makinde’s candidate won. He also alleged that dead people were accredited during the poll and explained that a former Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Mulikat Adeola-Akande, identified those that were dead and sick on the accreditation list.
“We compelled them to announce publicly how many people were accredited. They resisted that and said they will announce state-by-state. The norm is for you to announce accreditation and tell us how many people came and how many votes are expected.
“By the accreditation, they initially said Oyo state had 115 people list, 104 accredited. Out of 104, 82 people voted. At the end of the exercise, the accreditation was 675, publicly announced. Ekiti voted first, followed by Ogun, Lagos, Osun then they purposely allowed Oyo to vote last. When you look at the alphabet, you will realise that a game was obviously going on.
“In Oyo, they told us 177 were listed. Hon Mulikat protested and said, ‘this man is dead, this man is dead, this man is dead, this man is sick, this one is abroad, this one is aged’. They came back and told us 165. This is the game going on in the entire process.
“I have accepted this result not because they won but because I am one of the people that can’t defect to another party. I conceded not because they won.
“I conceded because the PDP is a bigger picture. I want to say that conceding does not amount to defeat, it is sheer exhibiting leadership.”
Mr Fayose said the result of the poll showed his relevance in the party.
“Take a look at the result and the characters behind the result before I will tell you the issue. I am on one side alone; I (we) have on the side of Governor Makinde, two former governors – Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. They have on their side seven deputy governors and two speakers and serving senators.
“The results in quotes, Arapaja scored 343. My candidate Eddy Olafeso scored 330, a difference of 13 votes. I’m glad because that is a show of strength. Whether the result is right or wrong, the world can see in the one-man army that has faced them all and without rigging, they lost.
Speaking further on the alleged rigging, he said “over 200 buses bearing the number plates of Oyo were filled with thugs”.
“They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge.
“For me, as to that election, it was a scam but I must agree as a leader of the PDP. I have been working for this party. I am one of the voices that cannot be forgotten in the PDP.
“And I will not sit down here and say because of 13 votes, because of manipulation the party must not move forward,” he said.
Although Mr. Arapaja was billed to also attend the programme, according to Channels Television, he could not make it due to reasons not yet known as of the time of this report.