Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose Thursday said he had no regret mobilizing for the success of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in March 28 election, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, just as he accused members of All Progressive Congress (APC) for leading the advocate of the use of card reader in the coming elections.
Fayose who was speaking at PDP stakes- holders meeting in Ado Ekiti Thursday said he decided to give president Jonathan 100 percent full support because of his conviction that Nigerians stand to gain a lot of things if Jonathan was elected back to office.
The governor told the partymen and women to go back to their towns and villages and continue to mobilize for the success of all the PDP candidates in the election.
He used the occasion to intimate them about the coming of the First Lady and wife of the president, Dame Patience Jonathan to the state on Monday, March 16 this year.
“I want to implore you to go back home, especially the caretaker chairmen, women leaders and other leaders of the party and mobilize for the success of the president and all our candidates in the election.
”I want everybody to note that though, the population of Lagos State may be bigger than Ekiti State, but we are noted for one thing, we used to give a block vote to our candidates here.”
Meanwhile, the governor has accused members of APC for championing the use of card reader, saying it was a ploy to rig the election.
In a statement made available to newsmen by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi in Ado Ekiti in Ado Ekiti Thursday, said the APC has a hidden agenda for advocating the use of card reader.
He explained that in as much as the usage of the card reader is noble the preparation of the INEC for it has been very poor which is believed to be a conspiracy between the electoral body with the APC if the agitation of the APC on the card reader is anything to rely upon.
Mr Fayose explained that INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega has told Nigerian that the card reader battery can go flat at most five hour which means that unless there is alternative power supply the machine will be rendered useless after the battery has gone flat.
The question now is that will the INEC provide power generators in each of the poling unit in the whole country so that by the time the battery is down the electoral officers could switch to the alternative power; Without this the introduction of the card reader is nonsense.
The governor also said that Nigerian should know that INEC has never hidden the fact that the card readers are internet base in delivery and considering the fact that most of the Nigeria towns and villages are not fixed with internet that means that the card can not deliver until when it get to where there is internet to deliver its result then it means that the usage would be a failure because a lot of contradictory information would have dealt havoc on the entire exercise before the card reader can deliver its results.
Fayose estressed that when the election in Ekiti and Osun States were conducted the Independent National Electoral Commission didn’t use the card reader ,
“APC did not cry wolf so also when the governorship elections in Anambra and Edo States were conducted without card reader APC didn’t raise a foot, but now that they know there is no way its presidential candidate can win without rigging, they want Nigeria to see sense in the usage of card reader that had never be tested or acknowledged to be free from manipulation.
“I can say boldly that the leadership of APC have hidden agenda in the usage of the card reader that is why their clamour for it has been so vociferous when they know abinitio that there is no way their patty can win this election.”
“They are looking for preemptive excuses for violence during and after the election so that they can gain some undue sympathy whereas the usage of the card reader is not important to the election as the availability of security which they campaigned against like hell on earth.”
