APC calls for special monitoring of polls in Ekiti
The Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has advised the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) not to bicker after losing this week’s presidential poll.
The governor urged the APC to take its impending defeat in good faith, saying the party and its candidate would be trounced severely in the election.
Fayose stated that President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would through the election send Buhari on permanent political retirement.
Fayose, who stated this through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, said that the APC would, by the election, be taught a political lesson that elections are not won on the pages of newspapers and through sheer propaganda.
The governor said the defeat would put an end to propaganda, bad mouthing and the noise of the APC, “because lies will always fail, while truth will stand the test of time.”
Fayose said it was imperative to offer the advice because of Buhari’s antecedent of inciting people to violence as his own response to defeat in elections, adding that the APC had always believed that any election it did not win was rigged.
He said: “The reason APC will fail woefully is because people have come to know it as a party peopled by liars, deceits and hypocrites who should not be entrusted with the leadership of this country.
“Even leaders of thought in the North have since withdrawn their support when they realised the agenda of certain APC leaders against the North.
“I can say it categorically that Buhari will be beaten silly and I am advising Buhari and his APC to take the impending defeat philosophically as an act of God.
“May be after this election, the party will change its name from APC to Panadol.”
Speaking further, Fayose said the APC represented bad luck for
Nigeria, maintaining that there was nothing in the antecedents of the retired army general and other leaders of the party to suggest any good thing for the nation and the people.
He added that Buhari’s stint as Head of State was characterised by pains and woes.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State APC has said it has uncovered plot by the state leaders of the PDP to compromise INEC voting materials for a repeat of June 21 governor poll to rig the March 28 presidential poll in favour of President Goodluck Jonathan.
It asked the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, and all election monitors to put Ekiti State under special watch to forestall electoral fraud.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said this disclosure, coming from dependable sources, could not be wished away considering the latest revelations of the compromise of INEC materials by PDP in June 21 Ekiti governorship poll to give victory to Fayose.
“Our fear is not without basis. Nigerians and indeed the whole world have heard Fayose talking on Ekitigate tape about how he collected INEC’s soft copies and got them printed to manipulate the poll to secure victory. They also heard how the military provided cover to subvert democracy in Fayose’s favour.
“We are calling on Jega that we have it on good authority that Fayose has again printed fake ballot papers as usual to exchange with INEC original ballots on Friday night preceding election day.
Olatubosun alleged that the plan was to exchange the ballot papers in the night of Friday March 27 just as it was done in the night of Friday, June 20, 2015.
He urged Jega, INEC officials and security agents to ensure that ballot papers are not distributed at night, pleading that the distribution be done in the morning in the presence of party agents.
He added that Jega should put his staff under intense surveillance to avoid compromise with polls riggers.
The APC also alleged that the governor, his Ondo State ally and their agents are in possession of fake army uniforms to be worn by the thugs allegedly imported into the state three weeks ago. According to him, the thugs in security outfits are to be unleashed on APC leaders and candidates from Thursday.