Governor Fayose of Ekiti State

Gov. Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State on Wednesday said disclosed that his election of June 21, 2014 was funded by the Zenith Bank.

This is contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi in Ado Ekiti.

Adelusi said the election was also funded through fund raising and donations from friends and associates as well as sales of campaign souvenirs.

“Far from what EFCC claimed, I have no financial transaction whatsoever with the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA) under retired Col. Sambo Dasuki and former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.”

“The management of Zenith Bank, which majorly funded my election, called me to a meeting where I was assured that fund would be provided for my election.

“I was asked to nominate a trusted ally to be related with concerning the funding and I nominated one Mr Abiodun Agbele.

“Consequently, all the payments into Abiodun Agbele’s account domiciled in Zenith Bank were directly from Zenith Bank.

“In actual fact, the account was opened by Zenith Bank hurriedly at that time.

“Agbele’s identity card which ought to have been collected before the account was opened was only collected last week in the bank’s desperation to perfect the account, obviously after submitting to inquiries by EFCC.

“Most of the funds posted into Agbele’s account were through the Ibadan, Akure and Lagos branches of the Zenith Bank and sometimes, they brought cash.

“Assuming but not conceding that cash moved from Lagos to Akure as being claimed by the EFCC was meant for my election in Ekiti, why was the cash not moved to Ado Ekiti branch of Zenith Bank or the cash handed to me directly?

“Why was it deposited into Zenith Bank, Akure; and did the bank make any report on the transaction to the appropriate authorities?

“Why did the bank send its bullion van to move the money from Akure Airport to their Akure branch if it was illegal money?

“I must say it categorically that I don’t have any link financially with Obanikoro and I know as a fact that Obanikoro has not, and cannot mention my name as beneficiary of whatever money any company in which he has interest could have gotten from the ONSA if truly Obanikoro collected money from ONSA as claimed by EFCC.

“Therefore, bringing Obanikoro and his son’s narrative or that the Zenith Bank is telling different stories, having been blackmailed and coerced into submission by the EFCC is a joke that will not fly.

“If it becomes evidently clear that those who willingly provided money for my election can no longer stand by what they did, may be because of threat from the EFCC, I will not hesitate to name names.” (NAN)