Contrary to denials by the former Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musliu Obanikoro and Governor Ayodele Fayose that the leaked audio tape on how the Ekiti governorship election was rigged in favour of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was manipulated using technology, one of the actors at the nocturnal meeting and Minister for Police Affairs, Abdul-Jelili Adesiyan, has admitted that the meeting took place and those recorded in the audio were actually present.
The audio tape, which was recorded by an intelligence officer of the Nigerian Army, Captain Sagir Kooli and leaked online, also featured other top officials of the government and Aliyu Momoh, a Brigadier General.
Adesiyan, however, said the conversation in the tape was an argument between Fayose and Gen. Momoh after the former accused the latter of working for the then incumbent governor of the state, Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
“Fayose accused the General who supervised the Ekiti election of taking bribe from Fayemi and APC – that was two days before the election. They called me because they said the General disarmed policemen and I told him to allow the policemen to do their job”, he told the Sunday Punch newspaper.
“I was there, Fayose was there, Otunba Omisore was there, Senator Obanikoro was there. I am not denying that there was a conversation but it was not what they are saying.
“Nigerians are not dummies. These people are mischievous; somebody recorded the scene but let everybody listen to it. Listen to it yourself and get back to me”.
The minister, however, described the leaked audio recording as another dubious attempt by the All Progressive Congress, APC, to discredit the victory of Mr Fayose after their previous attempts failed.
“In order to set the record straight, we say emphatically that the offensive YouTube (audio) was unfounded and meant to hoodwink the unwary and portray the PDP and its leaders across the South West in a bad light.
“How did Omisore and those mentioned in the YouTube (audio) rig election when all the stakeholders in Ekiti voted for Fayose? Initially, the APC claimed it was stomach infrastructure that won the people’s mandate for Fayose. When that would not fly, they say it was photo-chromic rigging.
“Now, it is army and police who were coordinated to rig for Fayose; what balderdash!” he fumed.