The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the Federal Government of alleged insincerity in its claim that it was committed to conducting free and fair governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states. It said the Federal Government had flooded Kogi State with huge amount of money to buy voters. But the Federal Government had denied this.
The party also accused former President Olusegun Obasanjo of persecuting Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Olisa Metuh, who said this at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, also said that it was only the ruling All Progressives Congress that was fielding candidates that had corruption cases with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Metuh said his party was not known for fielding anyone undergoing corruption as its governorship candidate, except Fayose who he said was being persecuted.
He said, “We have never fielded anyone with corruption case with the EFCC as our governorship candidate. Fayose was being persecuted by former President Obasanjo. It was a political persecution.
“We also wish to further expose the insincerity of this government, which in its attempt to forcefully take over Kogi State, is now flooding the state with corrupt money ostensibly to sway the people and purchase their mandate.
“This primitive attempt at vote-buying is not only an insult on the people of Kogi State but also a setback to efforts being made towards the conduct of credible elections in Nigeria.
“This same government that prides itself of being incorruptible is fielding persons facing corruption charges in Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections.”
Citing the issues relating with the Treasury Single Account and Kogi election, Metuh accused the Federal Government of double speak.
He said this was tantamount to corruption.
Metuh, while defending the fielding of Fayose as the governorship candidate of the then ruling party over a year ago, even when he (Fayose) was undergoing prosecution for alleged corruption practices while serving his first term as the governor of the state, said the condition under which the PDP fielded Fayose was different from those being fielded as governorship candidates by the APC in Kogi and Bayelsa states.
Prince Abubakar Audu and Chief Timipre Sylva, who are the governorship candidates of the APC in both Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively, are currently being tried for alleged corruption cases by the EFCC.
Fayose, who had served as the governor of Ekiti State, was also undergoing corruption trial when he was fielded by the PDP as its governorship candidate in 2014.
His winning the election had made the anti-graft agency to stop the prosecution, as the governor now enjoys immunity.
A top source at the EFCC told our correspondent in Abuja on condition of anonymity, that the commission would not want to respond to the PDP allegation.
He said, “You know that the case is still in court and we would not want to comment on whatever the party or anybody said.
“When the governor finishes his tenure, the court will determine the merit or otherwise of the case. For now, we won’t speak on the matter.”
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