Ekiti poll: PDP used security operatives to put voters under pressure – Kwande

Nigeria’s former Ambassador to Switzerland and chieftain of All Progressives Congress, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, has accused the Peoples Democratic Party of using security operatives to put voters under pressure during the last governorship election in Ekiti State.
Kwande said that this forced many voters to thumbprint for the candidate of the PDP, Ayo Fayose, who eventually emerged the winner of the contest,
Kwande, who spoke with newsmen on Wednesday in his country home in Jos, the Plateau State capital, also described the election as the most expensive in the history of Nigeria.
He commended the incumbent and candidate of the APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi for accepting defeat.
He described Fayemi, owing to his action, as the real winner of the election.
Kwande said: “Governor Kayode Fayemi has set a good pace in Nigeria’s political arena by demonstrating maturity to congratulate Fayose after the election.
“This is the new change the APC had unfolded.
“This is the change I am talking about.
“Nigerians have now seen the change APC means.
“You must not win in all elections.
“Mature politics is not a do or die affair.
“A new pace has been set in Ekiti because the atmosphere was good and the number of electorate was good for experimentation and experimentation for good election has been shown in Ekiti.
“Can you imagine how a governor wins election with just 200,000 votes.
“That is what a House of Assembly member can get in some areas in the country.”
Kwande said the Ekiti State governorship election provided the PDP with the right event and size to test its might.
He accused the PDP-led Federal Government of influencing the outcome of the election.
He said: “The PDP-led government has exhibited its might as they used every sitting PDP governor to supervise an electoral ward in Ekiti State.
“And you know what it takes for a governor to supervise an electoral ward in and election and they were there to win by all means.
“And they won and I congratulate them, but the APC also won because of Fayem’si action.”
“The number was such easily used by the might of the Federal Government to reach every single voter, insisting that they must win it.
“To me, Ekiti election was the most expensive ever held in Nigeria.
“For the first time in our political history, the electorate in Ekiti State voted under duress with the heavy presence of security agents in the election.
“People should not presume that the scenario in Ekiti is an indicator to the forthcoming general election because nobody can afford such approach.
“It was not a good example for what would happen in the general election.
Although the expenditure, security and the atmosphere were quite different, I want appeal to Nigerians not to be intimidated by this current trend.
“PDP doesn’t want to accept the feelings of Nigerians that their end has come.
“That is why they are breathing in to show in Ekiti that they are a strong force to reckon with.
“But I believe the outcome of Ekiti should not scare Nigerians because such scenario is impossible in the upcoming general election come 2015.”
Kwande said for the Ekiti State scenario, both the APC and the PDP won by achieving their objectives.
He said this was because it enabled the PDP test its might and its strategy of using law enforcement agencies, while the APC demonstrated their plan for political change both positive and negative provided it will change the political irregularities in Nigeria and change of the political sphere.