The Ekiti State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said it had uncovered an alleged plot by agents of Governor Ayo Fayose to attack the convoy of its presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, who visits the state for a rally on Saturday.
The party alleged that thugs have been mobilized to ambush convoys of APC members on their way to the venue of the campaign rally and cause mayhem on the day of the rally.
The APC Publicity Secretary in the state, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement on Monday said some Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) members have been recruited as “task force members” who has commenced the task of removing the posters of Buhari from where they were pasted ahead of Saturday.
Olatunbosun said the posters were being removed despite the fact that the party had paid signage fees to the state Signage Agency, describing the action as “highest height of desperation.”
The APC spokesman alleged that Fayose had already hired members of OPC with alleged help by the self-styled Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi, himself a member of Dr. Fredrick Fasheun’s faction of the group, to attack the convoys of APC members on their way to the rally as PDP did in Rivers State.
The OPC members, the party said, were engaged as task force men remove the posters of APC candidates. They are also to strike at the campaign grounds to cause stampede, the party alleged.
“Fayose’s desperation knows no bounds. He took The Punch front page advertorial on Monday depicting that Buhari will die in office like three other Presidents from the North died in office.
“This is dangerous for our national unity and ethnic harmony. Fayose is dangerous to Nigeria’s unity and the earlier the authorities, Nigerians and Ekiti people in particular appreciate this, the better for us as a nation,” Olatubosun explained.
He said the OPC members were already in town to be deployed to entry points to Ado-Ekiti where they would ambush APC members on their way to the campaign grounds.
Olatunbosun revealed that so far, the government-backed OPC men had removed Buhari’s posters pasted in his campaign office in Ado-Ekiti as well as those pasted in the party’s office in the state capital.
“This is a clear case of undermining the peace pact brokered by eminent international leaders last week.
“It is sad that after President Jonathan campaigned in Ekiti State, Fayose sent signage officials and OPC thugs to be removing our candidates’ posters after paying necessary fees to the agency.
“Fayose’s hatred for Buhari knew no bounds, as his aide was behind a fake medical report on Buhari, declaring him as a prostate cancer patient.
“Fayose’s aide forged the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital letter and forged the signature of a non-existent consultant to declare Buhari as a prostate cancer patient,” he stated.
But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the allegation as a “figment of APC imagination,” saying it harbours no plan to attack a candidate whose campaign is being trailed by health challenges and certificate controversy.”
The PDP Secretary in the state, Tope Aluko, absolved Fayose of the alleged plot, saying the governor is busy leading the party’s campaign for its national and state Assembly candidates.
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