Edo Rigging Template Will Fail in Ekiti, Fayose Replies Oshiomhole

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose saturday told the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Adam Oshiomhole that rigging template he executed in Edo State would fail in Ekiti State.

Fayose also noted that nothing was haunting him and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the July 14, 2018governorship election, noting that the Ekiti people would go to poll next Saturday to elect a new governor.

He replied Oshiomhole in a statement his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi issued yesterday, demanding the conduct of credible, free and fair election.

As contained in the statement, Fayose said he won the June 21, 2014 governorship election fair and square and that the credibility of the
election was attested to by the US Government and British Department for International Development (DFID) among others.
On the contrary, the governor noted that both local and international observers, including the media rejected the election that produced Oshiomhole’s successor.

He said Oshiomhole’s secret plan “to use his fraudulent Edo template in Ekiti will never work. It will attract injurious consequences. This is because Ekiti people are resolutely determined to resist rigging right on the spot.

“Contrary to Adams’ diatribe, rumour peddling and rabble rousing of former Edo State Governor and APC National Chairman, Fayose and PDP are only interested in credible election. Fayose and PDP are raising the alarm because of tell-tale signs that APC and Fayemi are plotting to rig the election.

“The statements by top APC leaders including its former chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun that they must capture Ekiti by all means are very instructive in this regard. Nigerians witnessed the blatant rigging of Ondo and Edo governorship elections by the APC.

“In Ondo, it was shameless vote buying. In Edo State, they stopped vote counting when it was clear PDP was winning and changed the results overnight. Seeing these, who will ask us to stay stupid?

“Oshiomhole was the mastermind of Edo rigging. He is only calling Fayose the name that rightly belongs to him (Oshiomhole),” Fayose said.

Fayose added that the 2014 governorship election that the APC and its leaders tried to rubbish was declared by US and international community as free and fair and a reference point for future elections
in Nigeria.

He said: “If Adams Oshiomhole still has problems with that election, he should address his misgivings to the US and international community. Besides, APC challenged the election up to the Supreme Court but lost.

“Is Oshiomhole disputing and despising the highest court of the land? It must be noted that he himself became governor by the same court judgment.

“In case Adams Oshiomhole does not know, his record of double-dealing and collusion with ex-President Obasanjo to enrich himself as NLC President while deceiving workers and the suffering masses is in the public domain.

“This fake comrade hobnobbed with OBJ in the night but came out in
the day to deceive workers with empty rhetoric. In the end, OBJ hiked fuel price many times under Oshiomhole’s nose. Nigerians suffered while Oshiomhole smiled to the bank.

“Oshiomhole is a compulsive liar and power-hungry politician willing to rubbish his benefactors and kow-tow to bloody dictators who will butter his bread. He betrayed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu. He did similarly to his own kinsman Odigie-Oyegun, all in a bid to run
errands for jihadists and reactionary elements.

“The shameless lies peddled by Oshiomhole are a blight on the
high office he occupies. How, for instance, do you direct lecturers to
award marks to students? How do you identify students voting PDP? The election is still in the future: How do you even know who will vote
and who will not vote, not to talk of voting PDP? How do you know which lecturer is for you and which is not? How do you ensure that
marks are awarded?

“He must be told that it is not a crime to photocopy one’s credentials or documents. Everyone does it for security reasons. Can Adams swear that he does not photocopy his documents? In case of loss, photocopies help to fill the void and save us unnecessary embarrassment or inconveniences.

“The real reason APC is instigating the arrest of teachers is because they know the teachers will vote against Fayemi on July 14. They are on a mission to intimidate teachers and disenfranchise asma ny of them as possible. Ekiti people will resist them by all means possible. They will fail.”