Aluko Opens Up Again: Fayose , Obanikoro Clashed Over Arms Cash

A former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Dr. Temitope Aluko, on Tuesday said the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, and a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, clashed over the huge cash deployed for the June 21, 2014 governorship poll in the state, The Nation is reporting.

Aluko, who disclosed this during a live interview programme on ADABA 88.9 FM, monitored by The Nation correspondent, said Zenith Bank Plc did not sponsor the governor’s election campaign.

He explained that Zenith Bank Plc only gave Fayose N200 million after he had won the governorship election.

Aluko, who claimed that Fayose did not have up to N10 million in his personal account before contesting the governorship election in 2014, added that the governor’s primary election was sponsored by the Transformation Ambassadors of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.

He claimed that it was after Fayose had won the primary election that cash from the Office of the National Security Adviser and oil contractors was deployed to fund the election campaign.

He said Zenith Bank and other corporate organizations came with business proposals after Fayose had won the election, insisting that the governor’s claim that his campaign was sponsored by Zenith Bank was a “blatant lie”.

Aluko said during the interview that Fayose purchased five houses with the N2.3 billion, which was a remainder of the slush funds from ONSA, in choice locations in Abuja, Banana Island and Victoria Island, both in Lagos.

Speaking on the feud between Fayose and Obanikoro on the arms cash, Aluko stated that a crisis of confidence broke out between the duo following discovery that there was a shortfall of N80 million in the money ferried by plane to Akure, the Ondo State capital, for the governorship election.

He said: “The Presidency gave us security and money. The money was sent from a Diamond Bank branch through an account run by Sylvan MacNamara, a company owned by Obanikoro.

“My boss (Fayose) said he wanted to get his own in cash and that was why arrangement was made to get his own in cash and that was why such a huge amount (N2.1 billion) was ferried by plane. Obanikoro cannot claim not to have brought the money.

“He (Fayose) chose his man, Abiodun Agbele, to keep the money in a Zenith Bank account and the money was lodged at Zenith Bank, Alagbaka Branch in Akure. The transaction was not recorded and it got to a stage when it was discovered that the money was short by N80 million.

“This caused a crisis between Fayose and Obanikoro who brought money thrice from Abuja. He (Obanikoro) brought other things apart from money which I won’t disclose now and it was from it that N1 billion was released to INEC officials to manipulate Ekiti and Osun polls.

“Fayose was threatening former President Goodluck Jonathan that he (Fayose) must deliver so that Jonathan will win in South West. All the PDP elders were kept out of picture on the transactions and cash and some of the cash deployed did not get to their destinations.

“The cash carried on the plane was not entered into the plane manifest, the N2.1 billion was delivered to a bank at 4:30am in Ekiti. The N2.3 billion remaining from the total cash received for the election was used to buy house in Abuja and the house belongs to Fayose.

“Fayose purchased five houses in Victoria Island and Banana Island. The property in Dubai was purchased by a fellow who is known as Bisi in Ekiti but is known as Femi abroad. Questions are being asked on the N3 billion used to purchase the Dubai property but I strongly believe that we will recover our money.”

The Nation.