Tope Aluko reveals how Ekiti governorship poll was rigged

The embattled former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Dr. Tope Aluko, has revealed how the rigging of the June 21, 2014 governorship election was perfected inside a hotel barely a week before the poll.
Aluko said sensitive materials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), like ballot papers and result sheets were delivered to PDP chieftains to allow for the manipulation of the poll long before the first ballot was cast.

Speaking on a special interview programme, Wednesday evening on Adaba 88. 9 FM in Ado Ekiti, Aluko claimed that the electoral materials were delivered through Akure Airport and taken to a hotel owned by Fayose’s Chief of Staff, Dipo Anisulowo, in Are Ekiti where the alleged manipulation was carried out.

He claimed that INEC ballot papers were thumb-printed and result sheets filled by PDP members which gave their party the edge long before the electorate went to the polls.

Aluko explained that operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) led by a female officer stormed Anisulowo’s hotel and arrested the PDP members perfecting the rigging but they were released within three hours following the intervention of the Jonathan-led Federal Government.

He disclosed that a lorry conveying part of the electoral materials delivered through the Akure Airport was intercepted by soldiers led by the recently retired Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh but materials were later released after the officers received “order from above.”

According to him, the Fayose administration has received the refund of the N5.2 billion spent on Ado-Ifaki federal highway by the Fayemi administration which he said the governor initially denied but was confirmed by former President, Goodluck Jonathan during the PDP presidential campaign rally.

The PDP chieftain alleged that the N5.2 billion has been diverted to the Ado Ekiti flyover project following the outcry generated by the whereabout of the money in the course of the investigation conducted by the DSS, the Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Aluko said: “Ask him (Fayose) why did former Commissioner for Works, Kayode Oso run away? Commissioner for Finance Toyin Ojo told his interrogators about the finances of the state including the N5.2 billion refunded on theAdo-Ifaki Road project carried out by Fayemi.

“You will recall that Fayose had earlier denied receipt of the N5.2 billion refund but the revelation by Ojo while in custody now made him (Fayose) to divert the money for flyover construction because Ojo told them that Oso was in a better position to explain on the refund collected on road.”

Responding to questions on the threat of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi that government would prosecute him (Aluko) for alleged perjury, Aluko said Ajayi too is liable for prosecution for his alleged role in an attack on the court to prevent the delivery of a ruling on a perjury case involving Fayose.

Aluko said: “I pity Owoseni Ajayi who is saying that I should be prosecuted because he (Owoseni) was the one who placed a call to Fayose to organize the mob to disrupt the delivery of a ruling by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi.
“Owoseni told Fayose on phone that should the judge deliver the ruling on the perjury case, it would go against him (Fayose) and his planned swearing-in would be in jeopardy.”

Speaking on the purported reconciliation meeting with Fayose recently at a Lagos hotel, Aluko said he never went to meet Fayose as believed in some quarters but it was the governor and former Ekiti Assembly factional Speaker, Dele Olugbemi that barged into a meeting he was holding with some PDP leaders.

He said: “Olugbemi and Fayose barged into the meeting venue, Olugbemi is a pathological liar. Olugbemi had lied against Fayose, he lied against the APC, he lied against the PDP and he is working for the money and appointment he had just received from Fayose.

“I did not create a scene at the venue of the meeting because hefty men had been stationed around and my wife was afraid of what could happen. Fayose held my clothes that I should not talk when I wanted to say something.

“I feared for my wife who later disappeared from the scene and I did not know her whereabouts. They almost attacked me when I went to Channels Television but it was policemen led by the CP that saved me after being holed up there for about three hours.

“I played safe because of my wife and to avoid the scenario that played out when I went to Channels Television to grant my first interview”.

Aluko contended that his disagreement with the governor started with his (Fayose’s) alleged derailment from the plan and blueprint for the development of Ekiti State and not because he was not made the Chief of Staff.

He said: “I am not doing this because I was denied appointment, I discovered that this man had no plan for Ekiti and I went to him that Oga, it’s about a year in office now and we have not done anything for the people.

“Fayose replied me by saying ‘don’t worry, Ekiti people are easy to deceive because by the time you buy them “ponmo” and “booli”, you have stolen their heart’. It was there that our crisis started, the issue of Chief of Staff was secondary.

“Fayose derailed from our blueprint for the development of Ekiti, he cancelled the monthly allowances to the aged people, he imposed taxes on primary school pupils, among other anti-people policies but when I reminded him, he told me that Ekiti people are gullible.”

Aluko urged Nigerians to pray for him because of alleged plans to assassinate him saying: “I need the prayer of Nigerians so that I will not fall prey to the evil machine of those planning to kill me by all means because of the truth I told Nigerians.”