Governor
Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State says a top management team of Zenith Bank
Plc on Thursday evening begged him over the bank’s alleged role in
funding Mr. Fayose’s election.
The
governor says Zenith Bank helped in funding his election in 2014, in
his bid to deny an allegation by the government linking him to a $2.1
billion arms money reportedly diverted by the former Goodluck Jonathan
administration.
But
Mr. Fayose accuses the bank of lying to the Economic and Financial
Crimes Commission about the transaction, and his public comments on the
case are believed aimed at getting even with the bank’s leaders.
The bank had distanced itself from the governor’s election.
But,
in a statement on Thursday, by its spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, Mr.
Fayose said the bank’s top management met with him and begged him to let
the matter be.
The statement was accompanied with photographs showing the governor and some officials he said were from the bank.
PREMIUM TIMES could not immediately confirm the identities of those in the picture.
“Their visit to the governor followed a reported denial by the bank that
it was not part of the funding of the election,” the statement said.
“The team was led by an Executive Director, Sola Oladipo.
“It also had two zonal directors of the bank and the Ado-Ekiti branch manager.
“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 with me what is not,”
the statement said.
