Dele Olugbemi, the immediate past Speaker of the Ekiti state House of Assembly, has revealed how he took the embattled former Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Temitope Aluko, to Governor Ayodele Fayose on Sunday, March 3.
According Premium Times, Mr Olugbemi said it was a lie that Governor Fayose stage-managed the reconciliatory meeting. He said that himself, and Aluko prostrated before Fayose three times to beg the governor to forgive Mr Aluko.
Olugbemi, who said he was surprised that Aluko could address the press yesterday and deny that he willingly attended the Sunday night meeting with Governor Fayose and that he spoke to the press under duress after the meeting, disclosed that he, out of genuine concern for peace took Mr. Aluko to Eko Hotel, Lagos venue of the meeting.
He said: “The existing cordial relationship between Aluko and myself brought us to a discussion that eventually led to the last Sunday April 3, 2016 meeting.”
There is a conspiracy claim regarding the reconciliation of Temitope Aluko and Governor Ayodele Fayose
“Even when the governor told him to sit down, he prostrated and I also prostrated along with him to beg the Governor for total forgiveness.
“The Governor asked Aluko four questions: whether he knew the implication of his coming to him; why he behaved in that manner; how old he was; and whether he wanted the reconciliation to be total or partial and he (Aluko) replied that he knew the consequence of coming to him and that if he did not want total reconciliation, he would not come to see the Governor
“At this point, Aluko stood up again, saying my mentor, my leader, my egbon, I am your boy, you know, I am your boy. Whatever step I have taken before now, forgive me. Aluko and myself prostrated again.”
Narrating to newsmen how the meeting was arranged and held, Olugbemi said, “Before we agreed to meet in Lagos, I first suggested that the meeting should take place in Ekiti State Government House after the wedding of the niece of Governor Fayose but Aluko said he was not too comfortable with the arrangement because of fear that he might be arrested.
“I re-assured him that the intention of the meeting was not to arrest, embarrass or humiliate him rather than to reconcile with Governor Fayose, whom he called his mentor.
“In the morning Sunday, April 3, we agreed to meet in Lagos and I left Ekiti for Lagos. I got to Lagos at 12 noon; I lodged in a hotel at Magodo Area of Lagos.
“At 1 pm, Aluko called me to confirm my hotel room number and I gave it to him. Aluko called me back and promised to be with me within 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, he called me again, and I told him that I was barbing my hair at a salon in Magodo. He asked me to come out of the salon and we met. He came in a blue Ford Jeep together
with his woman.
“I joined them in the car and we drove to my hotel room where Aluko stayed with me till 2 pm. He later instructed me to call the Governor to ascertain the time and place of the meeting.
“I called the Governor, he did not pick the call. I later called Chief of Staff to the Governor. The Chief of Staff told me to call either the ADC or CSO to the Governor for further directive. The CSO told us that the meeting will take place at the Governor’s House residence in Magodo at 7.30pm.
“I told Aluko but he was not too comfortable with venue of the meeting. He said if the meeting is about reconciliation, it should hold elsewhere and not the Governor’s residence. I pleaded with the Governor that the meeting should hold elsewhere as demanded by Tope Aluko, which the governor obliged.
“All these I was doing because I wanted the crisis to be totally resolved.
“Immediately we were told of a new venue for the meeting, Aluko left my hotel room for Victoria Island and promised to come back at 7pm. At 7.45pm, Aluko came back to meet me at my Magodo hotel. At 9pm, I called the Governor to inform him of Aluko’s arrival. The Governor asked if I was sure Aluko was with me and I said yes.
“The governor told to us to come to Eko Hotel and his friend will welcome us and that he would join us later. We drove in Aluko’s car, myself, a woman, a driver and my Personal Assistant.
“We got to the Eko Hotel at 9.50pm. We were taken to the Hotel waiting room. Myself, Aluko, ADC, the Governor’s friend entered the same lift to the fourth floor of the hotel.
“Inside the hotel room, we prayed and I opened the floor for discussion as agreed by Aluko. In my submission, I pleaded with the Governor to forgive and forget about the previous comments and allegations made by Aluko against him since he is father to us all.
“Aluko interjected and said that I should allow him to lead the talk.
“The governor told him to stop fooling himself at 50 and since he allowed himself to be used by the APC at 50, what legacy will he leave for his children?The Governor told him that there is going to be reactions to this meeting by the APC and therefore advised Aluko switch-off his phones and rest for at least for two weeks to avoid counter allegations. The Governor said that the APC will fire back at Aluko because of the money he had received from the APC to malign him.
“Aluko promised the Governor to dismantle all the structure he had put in place to attack the Governor. The Governor said he had forgiven him totally and that he should go and sin no more.
“The governor told Aluko that he would call soon and that he would need to study him (Aluko) very well within two weeks because he could go out of the meeting and say something different.
“The Governor also said it was better to let the press know that he had reconciled with Aluko to which he initially disagreed and later agreed to meet the press with the Governor, and myself, which we did and the video recording is everywhere for the public to see.
“On Tuesday April 5, 2016, Aluko called me, sent a text message to me that things were falling apart as the party, and aide of the governor were attacking him. That he would renege on his promise. I advised him not to take any negative action or talk to the press if he wanted his already battered image to be rebuilt.
Unfortunately, he did not listen to my advice and having come to deny what he willingly took part in, I have no option than to let the public know the true story.”
In a related development, youths under the aegis of the Peoples’ Democratic Party National Youth Frontier (PDPNYF), have called on the Federal Government to desist from acts of intimidating Governor Ayodele Fayose and other members of the opposition PDP, as well as other Nigerians who do not share sympathy in the “change” mantra.
The youths also drew the attention of the international community on the dangerous implications of attempting to gag the opposition voices in Nigeria. Speaking in Abuja, after a caucus meeting, National Coordinator of the PDPNYF, Okai Austin, described the situation as “a step towards the draconian era of military rule”.
According to Okai, “President Muhammadu Buhari must realize that he is a beneficiary of democracy hence the least expected of him is to protect the rights of fellow citizens as that in itself is a constitutional responsibility he bears and must discharge to the fullest.”
Reacting to the security situation in some states across Nigeria, Okai wondered why the situations in Ekiti, Akwa Ibom and Rivers state is still lingering.
Meanwhile, the Ekiti state Government on Wednesday, April 6, announced the resignation of the state Commissioner for Works and Transportation, Mr Kayode Oso. The announcement was contained in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Modupe Alade.
According to the statement, Oso, known to be one of the closest political associates of Governor Fayose, resigned on health grounds.
“Mr Kayode Oso has worked assiduously to add value to this administration going by his effort towards the development of our state.
“His letter of resignation has been fully accepted by His Excellency, Mr Ayo Fayose.
“Oso, in his notice to the governor, stated that he decided to resign to attend to his health challenges.
“We wish him quick recovery, the Government of Ekiti State will stand by him while he overcomes his health challenges,” Alade said.
NAN reports that Oso, during the first term in office of Fayose, served as Chief of Staff to the governor and was later appointed works commissioner. A native of Ado Ekiti, Oso was again reappointed Works Commissioner on October 16, 2014, soon after the governor was sworn-in for a second term.
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