Gov Fayose raises alarm over plan to preload smart cards and disenfranchise 50% of Ekiti electorate

• APC accuses governor of plot to compromise NYSC
The Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has again raised the alarm over the plan by the All Progressives Congress (APC), with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to manipulate the July 14 election, by dis-enfrancihising 50 per cent Ekiti electorates and by heavily preloading the smart cards readers as well as release ballot papers to members of APC to justify the preload.

Briefing newsmen in Ado Ekiti, yesterday, the governor said: “It has come to our attention that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has devised another sinister plot to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters in areas considered as strongholds of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), particular where the PDP standard bearer comes from, which is Ikere-Ekiti.

“ The APC is working in collaboration with some unscrupulous elements in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete not less than 40 per cent names from the Voter Register, using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) as a decoy and targeting Ado Ekiti, the state capital and Ikere Ekiti where the PDP candidate comes from.

“The APC did not stop at this; they are currently distributing fake empowerment forms and cash to unsuspecting electorate, using a phony organisation, with the aim of deactivating voters cards, thereby disenfranchising thousands of voters.

“They are also putting pressure on INEC to use incident forms as alternative to the Smart Card Readers, so as to be able rig the July 14 election.

“We are concerned again by APC’s plan to cause violence again the state, ahead of the election.’’

And swiftly, the APC also raised the alarm over Governor Fayose’s alleged “liaison” with the state Coordinator of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Mrs. Nwanu Eze Ukagha, to compromise the governorship election.

It demanded for immediate transfer of the state coordinator from the state to ensure a credible poll.

A petition by APC State Secretary, Paul Omotoso, to the Director General of the National Directorate of NYSC raised issues of “mutual liaisons in night meetings” between Fayose and Ukagha, saying the alarm became imperative to save the July 14 governorship poll from compromise that can spark bloody clashes.

He said: “We would not have raised any issues if the relationship between the governor and your coordinator in Ekiti State were to be based on private mutual respect, but when that relationship compromises her office with potential grave injuries to a party in a political contest, issues must be raised to avert avoidable bloody crisis.

“We have it on good authority that your coordinator in Ekiti State has been having liaisons with Governor Fayose since she assumed office in Ekiti State resorting in her regular visits to his office and regularly travels with the governor outside the state.

“Note that serving members of NYSC are crucial in election supervision and we have it on good authority that your Ekiti State coordinator keeps a band of corps members she has allegedly introduced to Governor Fayose, who regularly meets this select group of corps members to compromise the July election.”

He said the party’s fears were informed by Fayose’s alleged penchant for compromise of corps members for electoral advantage.

“Governor Fayose is not new to this kind of illegality. During the 2014 election, media reported news of night meetings with corps members to compromise the highly controversial election that returned Mr Fayose to power, details of which were contained in the popular Capt Sagir Koli audio tape, which detailed how Ekiti election was compromised in Fayose’s favour.