Immediate past Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon Dele
Olugbemi has disclosed how he took the embattled former Secretary of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the State, Mr Temitope Aluko to
Governor Ayodele Fayose on Sunday, saying; “It was a lie that Governor
Fayose stage-managed the reconciliatory meeting and that himself, and
Aluko prostrated for Fayose three times to beg the governor to forgive
him (Aluko).”
Olugbemi, who said he was surprised that Aluko could address the press
yesterday and deny that he willingly attended the Sunday night meeting
with Governor Fayose and that he spoke to the press under duress after
the meeting, disclosed that he, out of genuine concern for peace took
Aluko to Eko Hotel, Lagos venue of the meeting.”
He said; “The existing cordial relationship between Aluko and myself
brought us to a discussion that eventually led to the last Sunday
April 3, 2016 meeting.
The former speaker said Aluko cannot deny that he re-affirmed that
Governor Fayose remained his mentor, leader and father, that all his
previous actions were devils work, and that he was under spiritual
attack when he was saying all those things against the Governor.
“Even when the Governor told him to sit down, he prostrated and I also
prostrated along with him to beg the Governor for total forgiveness.
“The Governor asked Aluko four questions: whether he knew the
implication of his coming to him; why he behaved in that manner; how
old he was; and whether he wanted the reconciliation to be total or
partial and he (Aluko) replied that he knew the consequence of coming
to him and that if he did not want total reconciliation, he would not
come to see the Governor.
“At this point, Aluko stood up again, saying my mentor, my leader, my
egbon, I am your boy, you know, I am your boy. Whatever step I have
taken before now, forgive me. Aluko and myself prostrated again.”
Narrating how the meeting was arranged and held, Olugbemi said;
“Before we agreed to meet in Lagos, I first suggested that the meeting
should take place in Ekiti State Government House after the wedding of
the niece of Governor Fayose but Aluko said he was not too comfortable
with the arrangement because of fear that he might be arrested.
“I re-assured him that the intention of the meeting was not to arrest,
embarrass or humiliate him rather than to reconcile with Governor
Fayose, whom he called his mentor.
“In the morning Sunday, April 3, we agreed to meet in Lagos and I left
Ekiti for Lagos. I got to Lagos at 12 noon; I lodged in a hotel at
Magodo Area of Lagos.
“At 1 pm, Aluko called me to confirm my hotel room number and I gave
it to him. Aluko called me back and promised to be with me within 20
minutes. Fifteen minutes later, he called me again, and I told him
that I was barbing my hair at a salon in Magodo. He asked me to come
out of the salon and we met. He came in a blue Ford Jeep together
with his woman.
“I joined them in the car and we drove to my hotel room where Aluko
stayed with me till 2 pm. He later instructed me to call the Governor
to ascertain the time and place of the meeting.
“I called the Governor, he did not pick the call. I later called
Chief of Staff to the Governor. The Chief of Staff told me to call
either the ADC or CSO to the Governor for further directive. The CSO
told us that the meeting will take place at the Governor’s House
residence in Magodo at 7.30pm.
“I told Aluko but he was not too comfortable with venue of the
meeting. He said if the meeting is about reconciliation, it should
hold elsewhere and not the Governor’s residence. I pleaded with the
Governor that the meeting should hold elsewhere as demanded by Tope
Aluko, which the governor obliged.
“All these I was doing because I wanted the crisis to be totally resolved.
“Immediately we were told of a new venue for the meeting, Aluko left
my hotel room for Victoria Island and promised to come back at 7pm. At
7.45pm, Aluko came back to meet me at my Magodo hotel. At 9pm, I
called the Governor to inform him of Aluko’s arrival. The Governor
asked if I was sure Aluko was with me and I said yes.
“The Governor told to us to come to Eko Hotel and his friend will
welcome us and that he would join us later. We drove in Aluko’s car,
myself, a woman, a driver and my Personal Assistant.
“We got to the Eko Hotel at 9.50pm. We were taken to the Hotel
waiting room. Myself, Aluko, ADC, the Governor’s friend entered the
same lift to the fourth floor of the hotel.
“Inside the hotel room, we prayed and I opened the floor for
discussion as agreed by Aluko. In my submission, I pleaded with the
Governor to forgive and forget about the previous comments and
allegations made by Aluko against him since he is father to us all.
Aluko interjected and said that I should allow him to lead the talk.
“The Governor told him to stop fooling himself at 50 and since he
allowed himself to be used by the APC at 50, what legacy will he leave
for his children? The Governor told him that there is going to be
reactions to this meeting by the
APC and therefore advised Aluko switch-off his phones and rest for at
least for two weeks to avoid counter allegations. The Governor said
that the APC will fire back at Aluko because of the money he had
received from the APC to malign him.
“Aluko promised the Governor to dismantle all the structure he had put
in place to attack the Governor. The Governor said he had forgiven him
totally and that he should go and sin no more.
“The governor told Aluko that he would call soon and that he would
need to study him (Aluko) very well within two weeks because he could
go out of the meeting and say something different.
“The Governor also said it was better to let the press know that he
had reconciled with Aluko to which he initially disagreed and later
agreed to meet the press with the Governor, and myself, which we did
and the video recording is everywhere for the public to see.
“On Tuesday April 5, 2016, Aluko called me, sent a text message to me
that things were falling apart as the party, and aide of the governor
were attacking him. That he would renege on his promise. I advised
him not to take any negative action or talk to the press if he wanted
his already battered image to be rebuilt.
Unfortunately, he did not listen to my advice and having come to deny
what he willingly took part in, I have no option than to let the
public know the true story.”
