Election funding: Zenith Bank manager goes on knees to beg Fayose

 

The election funding controversy involving Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State and Zenith Bank, took a comic turn on Thursday as a top management team of the bank, on Thursdayevening, visited the embattled governor to seemingly mend fences.

It would be recalled that the personal account of the Governor and that of a company owned by him with the bank were frozen by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on allegations that he collected N1.2 billion from the Office of the National Security Adviser, ONSA, under Sambo Dasuki to fund his election in June 2014 through a former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.

Fayose however denied collecting any money from either Dasuki or Obanikoro, claiming that his election was largely funded by Zenith Bank.

After Fayose disclosed that Zenith Bank was responsible for the funding of the election,  an online media, claiming sources in the bank, said it had denied involvement, adding that the Governor was merely desperate to hide the source of the illicit funds traced to his account.

A short statement sent to Ripples Nigeria by the Special Assistant to Governor Fayose on Media and Public Communication, Lere Olayinka, on Friday said the Zenith Bank management team was led by an Executive Director of the bank, Mr. Sola Oladipo.

It also had two zonal directors of the bank and the Ado-Ekiti branch manager in tow.

Pictures circulated by Olayinka showed a certain Bunmi Falana, who is said to be the manager of the Ado Ekiti branch of the bank on his knees, obviously begging the Governor.

When accosted by newsmen, the ED said they only came to see the governor.

Asked whether the bank really dissociated itself from the claim by the governor that it was part of the funding of the election, Shola could only mutter some inaudible words.

He eventually said the spokesman for the bank was not on the team and could not say anything.

While commenting on the development, Governor Fayose said the bank officials came to beg him over the issue.

“They were begging me and that the matter should not go beyond this level. I asked them why did they go to the EFCC to tell lies. Why did they have to lie that money came from the Office of the National Security Adviser? If the money is for me, why did they have to link me with what is not,” he said.