– Vow to upturn Fayemi’s election
– Gov says Buhari not democrat
Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti and Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose and the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have vowed that the declaration of Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as governor-elect of Ekiti State would not stand.
Read also: Fayose alleges APC brought hundreds of thugs, written results for July 14 guber poll
Read also: Ekiti guber: Olusola rejects INEC results, heads to election tribunal
Read also: PDP rejects Ekiti governorship election result
They claimed Fayemi is parading a stolen mandate of Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, having allegedly committed what they termed ‘poll fraud.”
Fayose also slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for applauding and approving what he described as “a charade.”
Reacting to a statement by a media aide of Buhari, Mallam Garba Shehu, entitled: “Fayose: In the end, a high-powered nothing,” issued by the Presidency Fayose said if Buhari was a democrat, he would not have supported a situation whereby the will of the people was subverted through the use of brutal force.
“President Muhammadu Buhari should not be happy and applaud this situation whereby the police, army, civil defence and INEC were used to snatch the collective mandate freely given to the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola and delivering it to the All Progressives Congress candidate which Ekiti people rejected.
“Can you call that election? Of course not. It was a contest between Olusola and the INEC and security agencies.
“There was indiscriminate arrest of our party leaders, harassment and brutalisation of voters in a massive scale, especially in Ado Ekiti, Ikere and other areas. The thugs imported by the APC operated freely under the cover of security agencies to snatch ballot boxes, create confusion, cause mayhem and drive away voters in PDP strongholds. Our party agents were driven away with gun.
“Buhari has demonstrated truly that he is not a democrat, but a dictator who is yet to get over military mentality. Muscling of democracy in Nigeria today by the Buhari administration is not about Ekiti alone. Presidential aspirants and PDP states should prepare to have taste of brutality of this administration. This is why we all need to stand up to rescue Nigeria from Buhari.
“I am Peter Ayodele Fayose, I hold my head high. I can never be suppressed. I don’t lose battles and I will not lose this. I will laugh last. Those waiting for me, will wait in vain. They should remember what the prophet said to that heady king in the Bible, which applies to them. ‘He that wears the armour should not boast as he that removes it.’
“It is only Buhari that will pride himself with the security shooting sporadically at polling centres, scaring people to pave the way for the APC thugs to snatch ballot boxes.
“What Buhari has won as referendum from Ekiti people, Nigerians, and international community is shame. If APC has truly won, why is it that there is no jubilation in Ekiti?.
“The victory of Kayode Fayemi is pyrrhic. We will reclaim the stolen mandate in the court by the power of God,” he said through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday.
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti, on the outcome of the election, the party’s chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, also accused INEC and security of conspiring to subvert the will of the electorate.
Oguntuase accused the two Federal Government’s agencies of allocating votes to Fayemi, just
to disgrace Governor Fayose, who he said has been consistent as the major opposition to the president.
Oguntuase claimed over 20 members of the party, including the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Chief Dipo Anisulowo and four of his aides among others were arrested by combined forces of military and paramilitary security outfits and clamped in detention on the day of election.
He described the governorship poll as an embarrassment to democrats across the globe, claiming APC governors spent humongous amount that could have been used to develop their states to buy votes.
“What did they need 30,000 police officers for in Ekiti when criminals were killing Nigerians in other states? Ekiti people knew they were in our state for a task and not to protect their votes and that was why there was no jubilation or ceremony anywhere in the state after the election.
“This election was far from being free, fair and credible. In Ilejemeje, Ilawe, Ikole, Ise/Orun, Oye, Ado and other major towns, many of our people were beaten by APC thugs being aided by the security men.
“As we speak, the results declared by INEC to give victory to Fayemi was more than the number of accredited voters. So, where did they get the additional votes they added?
“We are going to use every constitutional means to retrieve this stolen mandate; it’s just a matter of time.
“APC mobilised over N11 billion to buy votes in Ekiti. They came here to perpetrate electoral perfidy and such will not stand,” he alleged.
Oguntuase claimed that the Federal Government deliberately delayed June allocation to Ekiti to create impression that Fayose was owing salaries and to sway votes for the APC.