Ekiti 2014: APC Alleges Plans to Put Fayemi Under House Arrest

June 20, 2014 – The All Progress Congress (APC) has alleged that there are plans by the Federal Government to put Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi under house arrest in its bid to capture the state.

Chairman of All Progressive Congress(APC) Chief John Oyegun who disclosed this at a press conference today in Lagos said the ruling party in its desperation to glue itself to power has perfected plans to use the military and other security agencies under its control to rig the election.

Oyegun accused the Federal Government of witch-hunting the opposition through an egregious abuse of power as well as abuse of national institutions.

“We also have it on good authority that a detachment of troops will be sent to the Ekiti State House on Saturday to escort Governor Fayemi to vote and then put him under virtual house arrest thereafter. This is totally unacceptable.

“We need to ask: What is the role of the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, in the Ekiti election? Is he now the chief enforcer for the PDP? It is important to clarify this issue,” he said.

Oyegun who was flanked by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Senator Bukola Saraki , Senator Osita Izunaso, Alhaji Lai Mohammed among other party leaders further alleged that,” within the past three days, two aircraft, one a Beechcraft 1900 and another Hawker 900, made a total of three trips to the Akure airport ferrying cargoes of money for the Ekiti election.

“When one of these cargoes burst open, Naira notes with wrappers bearing the name of a popular bank spilled out. The offloading of these cargoes, which were then loaded into bullion vans heading for Ado-Ekiti, was supervised by Minister of State for Defence, Mr. Musiliu Obanikoro, as widely reported in the media and yet un-refuted”.

Oyegun said against the background of a statement credited to a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader that huge amounts of money have been made available by the Federal Government for the Ekiti election the party has concluded plans to put the country on edge of precipice.

Advertisement

“Last week, over 200 boxes of electoral materials were intercepted by security agents in Ekiti. Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) quickly claimed that the boxes contained wasted materials, contradicting the story by the driver of the vehicle carrying the materials. To date, Nigerians have yet to be provided with full and credible information on these suspicious materials.

“On June 18th, a pro-Fayose and PDP gang was busted in a resort owned by Fayose’s Campaign Manager Thumb printing ballot papers ahead of Saturday’s election. The 22 young men, who were arrested, were also caught preparing INEC form EC8″, he alleged.

He said Ekiti State has been turned to a war zone, with thousands of armed policemen and troops as well as fearsome armoured personnel carriers dotting the entire Ekiti landscape.

“Never before has an election been held under such armed invasion! The truth is that security for any election does not have to be so invasive, except it is programmed to achieve one thing and one thing only; to intimidate voters! Against this background, my party, the APC, doubts very seriously whether a free, fair, credible and transparent elections can be held in Ekiti on Saturday”, he said.

“We call on our international partners to condemn this growing impunity by the ruling party and the government it controls at the centre. Actions have consequences, and whoever fails to condemn the acts of impunity being perpetrated by the central government will not have the moral right to condemn the reactions that such actions may elicit”.

Before the country unravels under the watch of President Goodluck Jonathan he urged the president to live up to his pledge, made several times over that he would always ensure that elections held under his watch are free and fair and that his ambition is not worth the life of any Nigerian.