Business
‘My reconciliation with Fayose isn’t real, it was staged’ – Tope Aluko reveals
Former Secretary of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Tope Aluko on Tuesday denied reconciling with the state Governor, Ayodele Fayose.
Aluko while addressing newsmen in Lagos alleged that he was under duress when he, alongside Fayose, addressed journalists, adding that the event was stage-managed by the governor and some PDP chieftains to look like a reconciliation.
His denial of truce with Fayose came barely 48 hours the duo jointly addressed journalists at the VIP section of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island.
Aluko said, “I received a call from two senior members of the party. One of them is a serving senator and the other is a former governor. I was told to come to the Eko Hotel to meet with them and I went in company with my wife.
“We were halfway into the discussion, which they tagged as a ‘Peace parley’. It should be noted that no reference was made to the 2014 (Ekiti) governorship election and the aftermath, including my revelation to the public about the way the election was rigged in favour of Ayo Fayose.
“I was shocked to see Governor Fayose walk into the meeting at this point. I won’t want to bore you with the drama and the face-off that ensued between me and Governor Fayose at the meeting.
“It is worthy of note that it was at this point that my wife barged into the meeting to inform me that she noticed the presence of pressmen downstairs, saying, ‘there is a problem’, but Fayose interrupted her and said, ‘Madam, there is no problem’.
He insisted that his earlier accusations against Fayose and former President Goodluck Jonathan both rigged the last Ekiti State election with the aide of security operatives.
Aluko said that he played along (for press interview) because he felt his life might be in danger.
Refusing to mention the names of the PDP chieftains, whom he said invited him to the hotel where the ‘truce’ was carried out, Aluko said, “My wife said she overheard them saying that they were called back through an SMS from Governor Fayose, saying ‘come back because T. K. Aluko is around’.
“At that point, I became enraged and decided to leave the place but I noticed Governor Fayose rushing after me downstairs in a Gestapo manner. My wife was already fidgeting and was almost crying, and suddenly, I could not find her around me.
“Immediately, I realised that I needed to obey to Governor Fayose’s instruction of facing the press because of the safety of my family.
“One fact remains clear, at no time did I, Temitope Aluko, refute anything I had earlier said before Nigerians and the whole world about the manipulations that characterised the 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.
“You will also notice the several counter allegations by Fayose and his media team that none of them has refuted all I have said, rather, the attack has been on the messenger and not the message.”
Aluko further apologised to Nigerians for accepting to participate in the alleged fake truce arranged by Fayose.
“I will like to apologise to all Nigerians that, perhaps, accepting the invitation was a tactical error.
“However, I wouldn’t have accepted to attend the meeting in the first place if I had known that Ayo Fayose would be in attendance. I only chose to attend in order to honour the party leaders’ invitation.
“Finally, I need to emphasise that all that transpired at the Eko Hotel on that fateful day was an organised propaganda to stain my image and malign my integrity.”f
Prof Lawan Bala Buratai Appointed Vice Chancellor of Nigerian Army University Biu After Rigorous Selection
In a significant leadership transition at one of Nigeria’s foremost military-civilian academic institutions, Professor Lawan Bala Buratai has been appointed as the new Vice Chancellor of the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB).
The appointment was announced following an intensive and merit-based selection process conducted by the Governing Council of NAUB at the Armed Forces Officers Mess and Suites, Asokoro, Abuja. The Council, under the chairmanship of Dr. Awwal Moriki, concluded its deliberations and formally presented the letter of appointment to Prof Buratai in a brief but momentous ceremony.
Dr. Moriki, while congratulating the new helmsman, described the selection as the culmination of a transparent and rigorous process aimed at identifying a visionary academic leader who embodies the university’s core values of excellence, discipline, and innovation.
With this appointment, Prof Buratai succeeds Professor Kyari Mohammed, whose single five-year tenure is widely credited with laying a strong foundation for the university’s academic and structural growth.
The Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB) was established in 2018 as a unique public institution owned by the Nigerian Army and designed to serve both military personnel and civilians. Located in Biu, Borno State, the university was conceived as a strategic response to the security and developmental challenges facing Nigeria and the wider Sahel region.
NAUB is focused on entrepreneurship, innovation, defense studies, and technology-driven research. It offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs in diverse fields ranging from engineering and environmental sciences to social sciences, computing, and military history.
What sets NAUB apart is its civil-military partnership model, which aims to foster mutual understanding and collaboration between Nigeria’s armed forces and the general populace. The university plays a key role in developing indigenous solutions to security challenges while also contributing to national capacity building and economic resilience through education.
With increasing national and international recognition, NAUB continues to attract scholars and partnerships across Africa and beyond, committed to transforming it into a world-class institution in security and development research.
Professor Lawan Buratai, a respected scholar and administrator, is expected to lead the university into its next chapter—deepening academic standards, expanding infrastructure, and strengthening NAUB’s role in national transformation.
His appointment signals a continuity of vision with a renewed focus on excellence, innovation, and service to the nation.
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