The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Director General of the Department of State Services over the wanton destruction of the campaign billboard of its governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in Oye Ekiti.
The party claimed that the destruction was carried out on the orders of Governor Ayodele Fayose by supporters of the Peoples’ Democratic Party.
The APC said the supporters descended on a huge campaign billboard of Fayemi at St. Augustine Secondary School and destroyed it, while being cheered by other members of the party.
The APC, in a May 23 petition signed by its Ekiti State Secretary, Mr. Paul Omotosho, called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in the destruction of the billboard.
The statement said, “Our party members in Oye Ekiti, who witnessed the incident on Wednesday, informed us that Governor Fayose, who led the campaign team of his deputy and the governorship candidate of the PDP, Prof. Olusola Eleka, to Oye LGA, directed the local government chairman, Mr. Alonge Sunday; Oye LGA PDP Chairman, Mr. Sunday Ojo; Oye ward 1 Chairman, Ogundele Abiodun; and one Odeyemi, who is councillor for Oye Ward II, to destroy Dr. Fayemi’s billboard, which was erected in front of St Augustine Secondary School, Oye Ekiti, close to the junction towards Isan.
“The above-mentioned PDP officials promptly carried out the governor’s directive by supervising the destruction of the billboard. It is unfortunate that this barbaric act was carried out in the presence of policemen who could not make any arrest.”
“We, therefore, call on you to use your good offices to bring the above-mentioned persons to book so that we will have a peaceful election on July 14.”
But the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Jackson Adebayo, accused the APC of attempting to blackmail Fayose.
Adebayo said, “the PDP is a party of peace. Our rally in Oye was peaceful and the governor and our members were not responsible for the destruction of the billboard.
“Governor Fayose knows nothing about it and our members know nothing about it.”
Meanwhile, Fayose has dared the APC and the Independent National Electoral Commission to rig the July 14 governorship election in the state.
The governor, who said he was aware of every move by the commission, added that any plot to manipulate the election would be resisted by the people.
He said, “I dare them to come and rig election in Ekiti, I dare INEC in particular. Let me say this, they will fail woefully the way they did in Anambra, they will meet a brick wall.”
Fayose spoke at the inauguration of a new State High Court Complex in Ado Ekiti on Thursday named after the first Chief Judge of the State and the Oluyin of Iyin Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaiye.
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