Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has countered President Jonathan’s statement concerning last month leaked Ekiti rigging audio tape.
According to Chief Fani-Kayode, the audio recording is authentic contrary to the president’s report.
It would be recalled that President Goodluck Jonathan’s outwardly dismissed the Ekiti rigging audio recording, saying it was a fabrication that is not worth his attention.
However, the spokesperson for his campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode has admitted that the tape is genuine but that the characters involved in the meeting captured in the recording were not discussing how to rig the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti state.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Mr. Fani-Kayode said his team had listened to and reviewed the recording and that it came to the conclusion that the opposition All Progressives Congress turned fact on its head by claiming that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state; former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro; and the Minister of Police Affairs, Jelili Adesiyan (who all featured in the recording), planned how to rig the election.
“We have listened to the audio clip and we make bold to say that the discussion that took place in it did not make any mention of any form of rigging in the Ekiti state governorship election and neither did it contain any evidence of any conspiracy to rig,” he said.
Mr. Fani-Kayode also said rather than attempting to orchestrate rigging, what the audio clip clearly revealed was Governor Fayose expressing concerns that a military commander was not acting on information about illegal movement of weapons into certain parts of the state.
“The Governor and others were apparently worried that safety of the voters and INEC officials could be compromised if security measures were not strictly enforced,” he said.
Mr Fani-Kayode’s admission of the authenticity of the tape is another chapter in the series of contradictory responses that has surrounded the whole saga. From Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti who finally confessed the tape is real after earlier denial, saying he was the one chastising the army general for compromising. Then to Senator Musiliu Obanikoro who according to Sahara Reporters, confessed to some colleague senators in Abuja that he did participate in the meeting held June 2014, contrary to his earlier denial. It was then the turn of Police Minister, Mr Jelili Adesiyan who admitted the tape is real, saying the conversation in the leaked tape was an argument between Fayose and Brigadier General Momoh after the former accused the later of being bribed by the then incumbent governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi.
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