Over recent weeks, it has emerged that as much as $2bn earmarked for the purchase of arms to prosecute the war against Boko Haram was diverted to other uses. Government ministers and Peoples Democratic Party officials are alleged to have shared the money that was distributed via the office of the national security adviser.
Former national security adviser retired Col Sambo Dasuki is currently in detention facing corruption charges over the scandal. According to the Ekiti State chapter of the APC, Governor Fayose was also a recipient of some of the money, which he used to prosecute the gubernatorial elections in the state.
Taiwo Olatunbosun, the publicity secretary of the Ekiti State chapter of the APC, said the governor must explain how much he got from the N1.4bn (£4.7m) allegedly collected from the office of the national security adviser by a former minister to prosecute the controversial Ekiti gubernatorial election of June 2014. It is believed that former defence minister Musiliu Obanikoro handed part of the cash to Governor Fayose.
Mr Olatunbosun said: “We are aware that Fayose at that time acquired a N750m building in a choice area of Abuja from the proceeds of this fund. We are equally aware that Fayose submitted a bill of N30bn (£100.8m) to the then President Goodluck Jonathan as the amount he would require to unseat the then Governor Kayode Fayemi.
“A certain amount was approved for the project out of which the soldiers, who were used to rig the election, were paid as well as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) who released the soft copies of sensitive materials to Fayose to enable him have advantage over other candidates. It is curious that when a newspaper reported that N1.4bn was traced to a former minister to prosecute Ekiti and Osun elections, it was the same time the said minister sneaked out of the country to pursue further education while his accomplice, Governor Fayose, also travelled out about the same time."
He added that Governor Fayose should come out and tell Ekiti people how much he received from the armsgate money. Mr Olatunbosun also challenged the governor to account for the property he acquired, calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to beam its searchlight on Governor Fayose to know how much is traceable to him.
According to Mr Olatunbosun, Governor Fayose had become paranoid and jittery since a newspaper reported about the amount traced to the former minister. He added that all those who shared the arms money, which resulted in the deaths of soldiers over dearth of arms, should be investigated and prosecuted.
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