The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has accused the police and Department of State Services of reposting security aides of former governor Kayode Fayemi to Ekiti State to coordinate the rigging of the July 14 governorship election.
“Fayemi’s ex-Chief Security Officer, Hakeem Abiola, and former Aide de camp, Adeyemi Ajayi, are to coordinate indiscriminate arrest of top functionaries of the State Government and bribery of other security officials,” he said.
In a state broadcast in Ado Ekiti on Monday, the governor restated his allegations that a National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mrs. Aminat Zakari, and three other officials were working with Fayemi.
According to him, Hakeem is already in Ado Ekiti, operating from a popular hotel located off Iworoko Road.
But dispelling the allegations, Zakari at a workshop in Ado Ekiti said it was difficult for an individual to rig an election.
“They should prove that beyond a reasonable doubt. I doubt it if an individual can rig an election when there are over 20,000 personnel to conduct the election.
“They should back their allegation with fact and figures. We (INEC) have nothing to hide. I see no reason why INEC would want to go back to the bad old days. We are moving forward and we remain focused to ensure a credible election for Nigeria.”
Fayose gave the names of other INEC officials allegedly with Zakari as Mr. Kenneth Ukeagu, Director (Procurement Department) as well as two Deputy Directors in the Information and Communications Technology Department, Paschal Uwaenwe and Abdulrazaq Yusuf.
“The duo of Uwaenwe and Agboola are to pre-load card readers, supply faulty card readers to Ado and Ikere while Kenneth Ukeagu is to provide ballot papers for stuffing of ballot boxes, Forms EC8A, EC8B and EC8C series and other sensitive election materials.
“Two sets of the forms are to be procured bearing the same serial numbers. One set will be handed to Fayemi to change results of 503 Polling Units,” he alleged.
Fayose said there was also a plot to replace real youth corps members, with students of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti and Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti that would serve as Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers with APC members.
“Also, Mr. Akin Fakorede of the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad is being considered for secondment to Ekiti State for the election. Nigerians are aware of the ignoble roles Akin Fakorede played in Rivers State and they want him to play the same role in Ekiti.
“The armed policemen to be coordinated by Fayemi’s ex ADC and Akin Fakorede are to invade the already selected 503 Polling Units, shoot sporadically in the air to scare voters away so as to be able to perpetrate the fraud.
“Our question is, why will DSS and the Police post Fayemi’s ex-security aides to Ekiti for an election in which he is a candidate?”
The governor called on the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the DSS Director, Lawal Daura, to allow Ekiti election to be credible by ensuring impartiality of their men.
He also called on the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to prevail on his officials listed above, “who appear bent on frustrating the electoral commission for monetary gains.
“They must not be allowed to play any role in the Ekiti election. He should cause an investigation into the issues raised and personalities mentioned.
“We also demand that INEC POs and APOs must provide additional means of identification, preferably voter cards, to authenticate whether or not they are genuine corps members or students of FUOYE or Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti.
“The international community should monitor closely activities in INEC, particularly the officials mentioned above from now till the announcement of results of the election.”
The spokesman for the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, who denied the allegation, accused Fayose of endlessly spewing lies and falsehood to curry undeserved sympathy.
Olujobi said, “Fayose has been endlessly spewing lies and falsehood in a desperate bid to curry undeserved public sympathy. There is no truth in what he said because he has failed to back up his allegation with any evidence.
“Fayose is desperate and afraid of losing the election; he knows that there is no way his stooge can win the election because they have been rejected by the people of the state.
“I want to urge the people of Ekiti State to ignore this jester because he has turned himself to a comedian by crying foul where there is none. Dr. Fayemi and APC are focused on the election and will never be blackmailed by Fayose’s lies.”
However, the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, said that the police would remain neutral in the July 14 governorship election in Ekiti State.
He promised that the people would be guaranteed a free atmosphere to elect their choice-governor in the election.
The IG spoke through the Head of Public Complaint Rapid Response Unit, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Shogunle, at a press briefing in Ado Ekiti.
