Ekiti 2018: APC slams Jonathan for warning Buhari not to rig poll

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has said former President Goodluck Jonathan was not fit to demand for the conduct of a credible governorship poll on July 14.

The party said Jonathan lacked the moral justification to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to resist the temptation to deploy instruments of coercion in favour of his party (APC) at the governorship election.

It also criticized Jonathan for describing the Ado-Ekiti flyover built by Governor Ayo Fayose at the whopping cost of N17b as the best of its type in Nigeria is a slap on the faces of Ekiti people and reasonable
Nigerians in general.

The former President was in Ado-Ekiti at the weekend to commission Fajuyi-Ojumose flyover in the state capital where he described the project as the best in Nigeria.

The APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement on Monday accused Jonathan of affront, hypocrisy and dishonesty in his call on President Buhari to ensure free governorship election on July 14.

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He said: “We had thought that Jonathan would behave like a true statesman and apologise to Ekiti people over the criminal taking over of government he supervised in 2014 when he unleashed soldiers, DSS and police to chase away opposition to the bush while several opposition leaders were illegally clamped into detention to disenfranchise the opposition party in the election that returned his stooge to power.

“We condemn this unconscionable conduct by the former President who unleashed a horrendous electoral heist on Ekiti people, but who now turns around to demand for free and fair poll he could not give.

“His endorsement of Fayose after he had put Ekiti State in N56b debts and workers owed between six and 10 months’ salary arrears while Ekiti State remained at where it was in 2014 in infrastructure development is also unfortunate.

“Ekiti people will not be deceived and defrauded again after 2014 criminal takeover of government supervised by Jonathan, as Ekiti people and workers in particular live in hunger over unpaid salaries, and they have vowed to give their votes to our party with records of achievements and honesty in running a transparent government.”

Olatunbosun alleged that the cost of the flyover which was awarded N5.9 billion was jerked up to N17 billion, an act he insisted Jonathan should condemn rather than praising.

Olatunbosun added: “It is unfortunate and irresponsible to hide under partisanship to lend support for a clear case of fraud in the 800m one-lane flyover built on a dry land at a whopping cost of N17b as if the former President never supervised the construction of better flyovers at lower rates when he was president.

“Even though Fayose at various times had claimed that the flyover at Fajuyi and Ojumose stretch of the state capital is 1.3km and 1.5km, the truth is that that stretch of road is 800m and it cannot stand the standard of a better flyover in Kuto, Abeokuta, Ogun State, built at a lower cost by Governor Ibikunle Amosun, but unfortunately the former President gave a stamp of approval to a clear case of fraud in a flyover that was first awarded at the cost of N5.9b without the Tenders Board’s approval but later reviewed upward single-handedly by the governor to its present cost of N17b.

“It is also immoral to praise Fayose for diverting bailout, Paris Club refund and Budget Support Facility, all approved to pay workers’ salaries, to build a flyover at over-bloated cost of N17b awarded to Fayose’s friends’ companies outside the state after deceiving contractors of Ekiti origin during his campaigns to patronize them exclusively for all his projects.”

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