The former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has described the Peoples Democratic Party’s South-West Congress conducted on Monday as a scan.
Recall that Taofeek Arapaja, the candidate of the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, emerged as the party’s new South-West Zonal Chairman on Monday.
Arapaja polled 343 votes to defeat Dr Eddy Olafeso, a loyalist of ex-Governor Fayose, who had 330.
Fayose while speaking on the congress during an interview on Channels TV, said he has conceded and accepted the outcome.
He said he did not concede defeat because the process was transparent, but because the party must not lose its plan to take over power from the All Progressives Congress in the South-West.
He said, “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.”
When asked if the election was rigged, Fayose replied in the affirmative saying: “Very clearly.”
The former Governor added that he approached the court to obtain an order to prevent his party from conducting the congress in Oyo State over fear of violence.
He 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.
Fayose added, “They came with cutlasses and guns all night, it was in the public knowledge.”
Speaking further, he accused the collation officer, Chris Anyanwu from Imo State of discrepancies while counting the votes cast.
Despite his reservations for the zonal congress, Fayose insisted that he would not be a party to those who will say the PDP will not move forward.
“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,” he added.