Former Governor Ayodele Fayose, has insisted that the recently conducted South-West Congress of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State, was marred with irregularities, describing the whole exercise as a scam.
It would be recalled that the PDP held its zonal congress last Monday in Osogbo, the Osun state capital where the candidate supported by the camp of Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman.
Arapaja had 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist to ex-Ekiti Governor , Fayose who scored 330.
Reacting to the exercise while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Fayose, however submitted that he conceded and accepted the outcome not because the process was transparent, but because the party must not lose its quest to take over power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the zone.
According to him, “I have conceded, I conceded not because they won. I conceded because the PDP is a bigger picture. I want to say that conceding does not amount to defeat, it is sheer exhibiting leadership.
“Take a look at the result and the characters behind the result before I will tell you the issue. I am on one side alone; I have on the side of Governor Makinde, two former governors – Segun Oni and Olagunsoye Oyinlola. They have on their side seven deputy governors and two speakers and serving senators.
“The results in quotes, Arapaja scored 343. My candidate Eddy Olafeso scored 330, a difference of 13 votes. I’m glad because that is a show of strength. Whether the result is right or wrong, the world can see in the one-man army that has faced them all and without rigging, they lost”, he continued.
The former Ekiti state gaffer declared that the election was rigged.
Speaking further, Fayose explained that he approached the court to obtain an order to prevent the PDP from conducting the congress in Oyo State over the fear of violence.
He, then alleged that the violence came from Oyo to Osun with 200 buses bearing the number plates of Oyo, adding that they blocked the venue of the exercise.
“They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge”, he alleged.
He also accused the collation officer, Senator Chris Anyanwu from Imo State of discrepancies while counting the votes cast.
Fayose, however maintained that he wouldn’t be a party to those who will say the PDP will not move forward.
In his words, “For me, as to that election, it was a scam but I must agree as a leader of the PDP. I have been working for this party. I am one of the voices that cannot be forgotten in the PDP.
“And I will not sit down here and say because of 13 votes, because of manipulation the party must not move forward,” Fayose concluded.
