Abiodun Aluko, has stated that members of his party declaring open
support for the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP), Prof. Kola Olusola for the July 14 election in Ekiti, are out
to allegedly defraud the state governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.
The ex-deputy governor said he remains the candidate of the party in
spite of the open support for the PDP purportedly being exhibited by
Chairman of the party, Chief Mathew Odeoba and a leader of the party
and governorship aspirant, Akogun Banji Ojo.
Some Accord Party members, led by Ojo, had on Monday dumped Aluko and
backed Olusola, describing the PDP candidate as the right person to
succeed his principal, Mr. Ayodele Fayose.
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday, Aluko said: "I have a
strong belief that these people only took the action to dupe Governor
Fayose."
Aluko alluded to a letter dated May 23, 2018 signed by Ojo and the
party's Director of Administration, Aina Olasunkanmi, requesting him
to make a refund of N65 million being the amount he had expended to
mobilize for the party as an aspirant before the pendulum changed.
He said he rejected the request based on conviction that it was meant
to extort him, since the party has no verifiable structure in the
state to buttress Ojo's claim.
"After my initial refusal, the national body said I should give him a
sum of N5m, but he rejected. Rather than paying such huge money, I
would rather spend in building structures for Accord and that I have
been doing," he said.
In the letter entitled : 'Reimbursement Request', Ojo said: We request
for the reimbursement of the expenses incurred in the establishment of
Accord and building of the party structure in Ekiti State.
"Therefore, we are requesting for the reimbursement of a sum of N65,
750,000.00 to cover the expenses for the running of the party."
The former deputy governor alleged that the aggrieved party members
decided to request such whooping amount on the strength of their
belief that he had billions to spend on the election being a former
number-two man.
Aluko said: "If Banji Ojo had spent as much as he claimed, why does
the party have no structure in the units, wards and local governments?
If his claim was right, why did he lost the ticket to Mrs Margaret
Ilesanmi? Because it was this woman that stepped down for me.
"Being a former deputy governor, they though I have a mint machine at
home which they thought they could suck.
"So, their opposition to my candidacy has nothing to do with my
capability or financial wherewithal, but some people are out to make
money from the governor, that was why they have been raising all
manners of false allegations to justify their pay.
"We are just trying to build structures at the wards and local
governments so that it can be on ground to win election.
"I may not have the whole money to prosecute this election, but I have
the goodwill among friends and well wishers who believed in our
ability to make a change in the lives of Ekiti, they too shall
contribute to our campaign.
"They didn't have confidence in our ability to win, so they want to
collect their gains upfront. So, I remain the candidate and we are
committed to the struggle to win this election."
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