Posted by From MATTHEW DIKE, Ado-Ekiti on
Factional Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), in Ekiti State, Mr. Adeniyi Adedipe on Thursday declared that the former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose is a victim of political vendetta, even as he gave account of how the last governorship election was allegedly rigged right inside the Government House, Ado-Ekiti before voters cast their ballots.
Factional Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), in Ekiti State, Mr. Adeniyi Adedipe on Thursday declared that the former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose is a victim of political vendetta, even as he gave account of how the last governorship election was allegedly rigged right inside the Government House, Ado-Ekiti before voters cast their ballots.
Adedipe, who addressed newsmen at his Ikere-Ekiti residence also raised an alarm that his life is under threat over his determination to testify before the election petitions tribunal in the state over how the election was massively rigged in a way that denied electorates the right to their choice.
He said it is time people realize that the former governor, Fayose was a "victim of political vendetta who was used as a sacrificial lamb by people desperate to control the political destiny of the state by all means."
Adedipe also reacted to claims by the National Coordinator of OPC, Otunba Ganiyu Adams, who declared him (Adedipe) expelled from the group, saying Adams was only dancing to the tune of the state government which he alleged had contracted him ahead of the forthcoming local government elections.
Ekiti State government, Adedipe said, invited Adams, who claimed he was in Ekiti State to organise a cultural festival and seek for cooperation between the OPC and the government.
The state government, he alleged struck a deal of N10 million with Adams, who would in return use the members of OPC in his faction to create violence during the forthcoming local government elections in the state and further throw the place into another war zone.
The Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Mr. Odunayo Ategbero debunked Adedipe's claims, saying there was no iota of truth in his statement and wondered why such a person should be taken seriously having being expelled by the OPC as confirmed by Gani Adams, who descibed him as a criminal.
Ategbero said that all the allegations made by Adedipe were false, wicked and malicious lies against the state government.
Defending the government, Ategbero said Adedipe was only trying to discredit Segun Oni-led government because of the personality clash he has with Adams, who has nothing to do with the state government.
'There is no need for OPC security in the forthcoming elections, since there are enough security agents qualified to do the job," Ategbero stated. He later went to the governor to get his reaction after which he added that Oni had challenged Adedipe to bring a sworn affidavit if he was so sure of what he was saying.
But Adedipe insisted that the rigging was perpetrated inside the deputy governor's lodge in the Government House with a popular senior government official in the Oni-led government .
"I was with them in the deputy governor's lodge in the Government House where we perfected the rigging alongside my boys, Ekiti people know all these things I am telling you."