Edo election was Ize-Iyamu versus INEC, Fayose asserts

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has said that the victory of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the September 28 election in Edo State was made possible with use of Federal Government agencies, including the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

According to the governor, the candidate of the the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu contested against INEC and not the All Progressives Congress, APC, or its candidate, Godwin Obaseki.

Fayose, who insisted that the win by all cost disposition of the APC was counter productive to the sustenance of democracy in the country, said the APC conspired with INEC to foist its own governor on the people.

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The governor stated this in a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, saying it was unfortunate that those whose change was made possible because the then PDP government allowed the people the freedom to make a choice have now eroded the independence of INEC.

Fayose said: “The stage for the manipulation of the election was set by the use of security agencies to postpone the election, even when there was no single security threat and what was witnessed in Edo State last Wednesday was the execution of the rigging plans perfected after the postponement.”

The governor also insisted that it has become obvious to all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and the international community that the APC led federal government will never allow free and fair election in the country as the PDP and other opposition parties now contest elections against INEC.

He said: “The power of the people to choose their governor was completely robbed at gunpoint in Edo State. Unfortunately too, these elements have even murdered the rights of Nigerians to protest against the subversion of their will and it is now obvious that only the insistence of Nigerians can save democracy in the country.

“Like I have said before, we are already seeing signs of what to come in 2019 and Nigerians should know by now that it will only take their insistence for their votes to count as long as these APC elements remain in power.”

By Timothy Enietan-Matthews….

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