Former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko, has denied reconciling his differences with Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Aluko, who went on live television to allege that the 2014 governorship election was manipulated with money and the military in Fayose’s favour, Tuesday said he was hoodwinked into the purported reconciliation with the governor at the weekend in Lagos.
The embattled politician made the revelation at a press conference in Lagos, saying Fayose stage-managed the purported reconciliation to rubbish the startling revelation he earlier made about his election.
Hear him: “I need to emphasise that all that transpired at Eko Hotel on that fateful was an organised propaganda, drama to stain my image and malign my integrity; and I believe it would be a good script for Nollywood act.”
He explained that,” I received a call from two senior members of the party; one of them is a serving senator and the other one a former governor. I was told to come to Eko Hotel to meet with them and I went in company of my wife.
“We were half way into the discussion and I was shocked to see Governor Ayo Fayose walk into the meeting at that point. It was at this point that my wife entered to inform me that she noticed the presence of pressmen downstairs and that there was a problem. But Fayose that interrupted her and said, ‘Madam there is no problem, but my wife insisted that she overheard them say they were invited by an SMS from Governor Fayose ‘because T.K Aluko is around.’
“At that point I became enraged and decided to leave the place, but I noticed Governor Fayose rushing after me in a Gestapo manner. My wife was already fidgeting and almost crying and suddenly I could not find her around me. Immediately I realised that I needed to oblige to Governor Fayose’s instruction of facing the press because of the safety of my family.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti had earlier said the purported truce between Fayose and Aluko will not alter anything on the revelations so far on the probe of the June 21, 2014 governorship election.
Ekiti APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said in a statement on Monday that the reported truce between Fayose and Aluko would not alter the revelations of the just concluded military probe of the election for which the Federal Government was accused of deploying soldiers and cash to influence the result in Fayose’s favour as revealed in a secretly recorded audio tape by Army Captain Sagir Koli.
Olatunbosun said it was mischievous to insinuate that Aluko was lured by APC to lie against Fayose and the military officers who were dismissed after they were found guilty by the Army probe panel.
“This is purely an internal matter within PDP and so APC has no hand in it. The reported meeting between Fayose and Aluko brokered by PDP leaders has proven conclusively that the latter is a full member of PDP.
“It is that recognition by PDP that made its leaders to invite the duo to a peace meeting.”
He added: “It is mischievous to insinuate that Aluko’s reconciliation with Fayose will hurt the credibility of the probe panel. We must note that Aluko swore to an oath before making his testimony at the probe panel, and so his statement remains sacrosanct till the last is heard on the matter to ensure justice in the resolution of Ekitigate.”
Olatunbosun said the military high command must note that the trick of criminals all over the world is to blackmail in order to curry undeserved sympathy.
“It is on this note that we urge the Army Council to release the full report of the probe panel to the public so that the military High Command does not fall victim to these characters in Ekiti State who are determined to discredit the military and the entire investigation process in the Ekiti State poll fraud.
“Fayose as a master of stunts can continue to entertain himself till eternity. Just as his military accomplices have met their comeuppance, so shall Fayose and his accomplices meet their waterloo at the conclusion of this battle between him and the Nigerian law,” he concluded.
Aluko had confessed in a Channels TV interview that former President Goodluck Jonathan allegedly approved $37m to buy Fayose’s victory at the June 21, 2014 gubernatorial election.
But in a video which went viral on Monday, a subdued Aluko was seen standing next to Fayose after they both met in Lagos.
Addressing journalists, Fayose said, “I am his father, I am his brother, whatever the past has held for all of us, I am still his father.”
Asked if he has forgiven Aluko, Fayose said, “Whether you are talking of forgiveness, Aluko remains my son, my boy… whatever he has said, it is time to move forward.”
Aluko also told journalists that all was well between the two of them now.
“This is about peace, this is about misunderstanding, this is about talking together, this is about family coming in, this is about well-meaning Nigerians coming in and that’s what we have achieved,” he said.
