Senator Babafemi Ojudu, one of the aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) gvernorship ticket in Ekiti State, has blamed former Governor of the state and current Minister of Mines and Steel, Dr Kayode Fayemi, for the violence that broke out during Saturday's primary.
The primary to select one of the 33 aspirants for the APC gubernatorial ticket was suspended after hoodlums disrupted the voting process over allegation that it was being manipulated by agents of one of the aspirants.
Speaking after the primaries was suspended, Ekiti Rebirth Organization (ERO), the campaign organization of Ojudu who is believed to be one of the leading aspirants, maintained that the election was going on peacefully until thugs it claimed were loyal to Fayemi invaded the voting section and began to smash ballot boxes.
"The gubernatorial primary was going on smoothly and the delegates were already casting their votes before thugs allegedly loyal to former governor of the state and current Minster of Mines and Steel, Dr Kayode Fayemi, smashed some ballot boxes leading to the disruption of the process," said Gboyega Adeoye, spokesperson of ERO.
Gboyega said the action led to abrupt end of the primaries with delegates and party members scampering for safety.
The campaign organization also asserted that Fayemi had instigated massive deployment of police officers to the streets of Ekiti , a situation which led to restriction of movement across the state capital days before the primary.
"Ekiti State has been under siege preparatory to the primaries as ferocious looking armed mobile policemen that came in company of the Minister, seized all the major streets for days, in reckless display of show of oppression and terror."
Gboyega also maintained that the former governor has previously promised to violently get the party ticket.
Ojudu and his campaign team, however stressed that they are ready to contain the excessses of Fayemi.
They also stated that the people of Ekiti have shown they would not support the former governor in compromising democracy in the state and Fayemi now knows he does not have Ekiti in his pocket.