The Governor of Ekiti State and the Presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC has hit back at the former National Chairman of the Party, Adams Oshiomole who he said was ‘apparently still experiencing a post traumatic stress disorder on account of his removal from office'.

Fayemi, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Yinka Oyebode, a copy of which was obtained by this newspaper on Tuesday, was reacting to an allegation by Oshiomole that Fayemi wanted him to commit an electoral fraud as the Chairman of the Party.

The former Edo State Governor in an interview monitored by this paper on Channels Television said, “I can tell you Governor Fayemi who told me bluntly to my face that ‘look Chairman, what we are saying is you can go an conduct election and fulfill all righteousness, but we are wishing this is the best person should emerge, just make sure that person emerge’, and I told Governor Fayemi,I said ‘with all due respect that will be your portion not me’.

“I can’t be used as an instrument of fraud. To invite people to buy forms, and to convince them they are going for primaries when I have already decided, regardless of how people will vote, this is the man that will prevail, you want to use me for such purpose? And I said ‘No’.

“I said at worst, if you find the numbers, you get rid of me, I would rather leave the job with my honour rather than sacrifice my honour to keep the job.”

But Fayemi in his reply described the allegation as not only false, puerile and laughable, but a figment of the imagination of the former APC Chairman.

He maintained that he has never asked Oshiomole to rig any election for him in person or any other person at that.

The Statement read, “The allegation, which was made on a national television, is not only false, puerile and laughable, it is a figment of the imagination of the former APC Chairman as Governor Fayemi has never asked Oshiomhole to rig any election for him or any other person and never had any reason to ask for such.

“Members of the public are therefore urged to disregard the allegations by Comrade Oshiomhole, who apparently is still experiencing a post-traumatic stress disorder on account of his removal as Chairman of APC.

“It is on record, Dr Fayemi was not responsible for Comrade Oshiomhole’s removal as Chairman of the APC. He has his ward executives and the courts to blame for that.

“For avoidance of doubt, Governor Fayemi has no reason to approach Comrade Oshiomhole for favours for any election. Governor Fayemi has a stellar track record of being a consummate democrat even in difficult times.

“Many Nigerians can easily recall his historic concession speech in 2014 in an election that was clearly lost to electoral sleight of hand at the behest of the then People’s democratic Party (PDP) – led  Federal Government.

“Others will also recall how he spent years in court patiently pursuing the retrieval of his stolen mandate between 2007 and 2010. He has demonstrated nothing but decency, decorum and fidelity to the rule of law in all his years in politics and public office.

While challenging the former Edo State Governor to produce an independently verified evidence to the public, Fayemi said he considered Oshiomole as a political associate except for the fundamental differences in the approach of disqualifying Godwin Obaseki from the APC primaries.

He also alleged that Oshiomole managed the Party affairs in an unconscionable autocratic manner as the Chairman of the Party.

“The Ekiti State Governor has always considered Comrade Oshiomhole a friend and political associate even if they had fundamental differences over his kangaroo approach of disqualifying Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, from the APC primaries and his unconscionable autocratic management of party affairs whilst he was chairman of the party.

“We challenge Mr Oshiomhole to provide the public with independently verifiable evidence of his unsubstantiated claims, if true.

“Governor Fayemi remains steadfast in the pursuit of his aspiration to get the APC ticket for the 2023 presidential election. No amount of mudslinging from disenchanted individuals would distract or discourage him.”