The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) former secretary in Ekiti State, Tope Aluko, has alleged that Governor Ayodele Fayose threatened former President Goodluck Jonathan before the 2014 governorship election in the state.
Aluko, who previously revealed the shocking rigging details of the election on national TV, Fayose demanded the support of Jonathan for his governorship bid if ex-president wanted to win the south-west in the 2015 election.
Aluko, according to The Nation, disclosed this in an interview programme on ADABA 88.9 FM, Akure, Ondo State capital.
He said Jonathan released huge funds for the controversial June 21, 2014, governorship election, the money which, according to him, led to a clash between Fayose and Musiliu Obanikoro.
“Fayose was threatening former President Goodluck Jonathan that he (Fayose) must deliver so that Jonathan will win in south-west. All the PDP elders were kept out of picture on the transactions and cash and some of the cash deployed did not get to their destinations,” he said.
“The presidency gave us security and money, the money was sent from a Diamond Bank branch through an account run by Sylvan MacNamara, a company owned by Obanikoro.
“My boss said he wanted to get his own in cash and that was why arrangement was made to get his own in cash and that was why such a huge amount (N2.1 billion) was ferried by plane. Obanikoro cannot claim not to have brought the money.
“He (Fayose) chose his man, Abiodun Agbele, to keep the money in a Zenith Bank account and the money was lodged at Zenith Bank, Alagbaka Branch in Akure. The transaction was not recorded and it got to a stage when it was discovered that the money was short by N80 million.
“This caused a crisis between Fayose and Obanikoro who brought money thrice from Abuja. He (Obanikoro) brought other things apart from money which I won’t disclose now and it was from it that N1 billion was released to INEC officials to manipulate Ekiti and Osun polls,” Aluko revealed.
He further stated that prior to the the governorship election in 2014, Fayose did not have up to N10 million in his personal account, adding that the Governor’s primary election was sponsored by Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria (TAN) and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).
Aluko alleged that after Fayose had won the primary, his election campaign was funded by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), which was headed by Sambo Dasuki.
According to him, oil contractors also co-funded the election campaign.
He said Zenith Bank and other corporate organizations came with business proposals after Fayose had won the election, insisting that the governor’s claim that his campaign was sponsored by Zenith Bank was a “blatant lie”.
“The cash carried on the plane was not entered into the plane manifest, the N2.1 billion was delivered to a bank at 4:30am in Ekiti. The N2.3 billion remaining from the total cash received for the election was used to buy house in Abuja and the house belongs to Fayose,” he alleged.
He said Fayose purchased five houses in choice locations in Abuja, Banana Island and Victoria Island, Lagos, with the N2.3 billion.
Aluko added that the Governor’s N3 billion Dubai property was purchased by a man identified as Bisi better known as ‘Femi Abroad.’
