The Ekiti State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Governor Ayo Fayose to come clean on how much he got from the N1.4 billion allegedly collected from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) by a former minister for the June 21, 2014 governorship poll in the state.
The party claimed that part of the slush funds was used to rig the election in Fayose’s favour.
In a statement on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the Ekiti APC said: “We are aware that Fayose at that time acquired a N750 million building in a choice area of Abuja from the proceeds of this fund.
“We are equally aware that Fayose submitted a bill of N30 billion to former President Goodluck Jonathan as the amount required to unseat former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
“A certain amount was approved for the project out of which soldiers, who were used to rig the election, were paid as well as electoral officials who released the soft copies of sensitive materials to Fayose.
“It was when a newspaper reported that N1.4billion was traced to a former minister to rig Ekiti and Osun elections, it was at the same time the said ex-minister ‘sneaked’ out of the country for ‘further education’. Governor Fayose also travelled out about the same time.
“We are demanding that the governor should tell Ekiti people how much he received from the Armsgate money and the property he acquired with the fund.
“We also call on the EFCC to beam its searchlight on Fayose to know how much is traceable to him and the governor of a neighbouring state who coordinated the disbursements of the funds”.
According to Olatunbosun, the APC was aware that Fayose had become paranoid and jittery since the newspaper reported the amount traced to the former minister just as he insisted that all those who shared the arms money should be investigated and prosecuted.
In a swift response, the governor through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, dismissed the opposition’s allegation, saying if the APC is sure of what it is saying and has strong evidence, it should submit it to the EFCC instead of ranting.
“Let it be known to the APC that nothing can stop Governor Ayo Fayose from criticizing the misrule and archaic policies of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Fayose is prepared more than ever before to continue to represent the voiceless Nigerians and we cannot watch it and allow Buhari to turn Nigeria into a fascist state”, Mr. Adelusi said.
