A former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Tope Aluko, has said the plot to rig the June 21, 2014 governorship election was perfected inside a hotel barely a week before the poll.
He alleged that the hotel was owned by the Chief of Staff to Fayose, Chief Dipo Anisulowo, where sensitive materials like ballot papers and result sheets were delivered to PDP chieftains by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Besides, he claimed the Governor Ayodele Fayose’s administration had received the refund of the N5.2bn spent on Ado-Ifaki federal highway by former Kayode Fayemi’s administration.
The government has continued to deny receiving refund.
Speaking on a special interview programme on Adaba 88. 9 FM, Akure, on Wednesday evening, Aluko claimed that the electoral materials were delivered through Akure Airport.
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 led by a female officer stormed Anisulowo’s hotel and arrested the PDP members perfecting the rigging but that they were released within three hours following the intervention of the Federal Government.
He disclosed that a lorry conveying part of the electoral materials delivered through the Akure Airport was the one intercepted by soldiers led by the recently retired Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh.
According to him, the materials were later released after the officers received an “order from above.”
The former PDP scribe alleged that the N5.2bn refund had been diverted to the Ado Ekiti flyover project following investigation conducted by the Department of State Service, the Police and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
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 N5.2bn refunded on the Ado-Ifaki Road project carried out by Fayemi.
“You will recall that Fayose had earlier denied receipt of the N5.2bn 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.”
Aluko urged Nigerians to pray for him because of alleged plans to assassinate him.
Responding to questions, Aluko said the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, was liable for prosecution for his alleged role in an attack on the Ekiti State High 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 organise the mob to disrupt the delivery of a ruling by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi.
“Owoseni told Fayose on the telephone 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.”
Aluko maintained that he never asked for forgiveness from Fayose as “erroneously” reported in the media but that the governor and former Ekiti Assembly factional Speaker Dele Olugbemi barged into a meeting he was holding with some PDP leaders.
“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 held 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 said his trouble with Fayose began when the governor derailed from the plan and blueprint for the development of Ekiti State and not because he was not made the Chief of Staff.