Ekiti 2014: APC Lies To Nigerians Regarding Kano Governor’s Air Travel

The claim by the All Progressives Congress, APC, that federal officials prevented the plane carrying the Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, from landing in Akure is false, PREMIUM TIMES can reveal. At the time the APC was claiming that the Kano governor was being barred from getting to Ekiti, the spokesperson of the governor told PREMIUM TIMES his boss was in Kano and had no plans to travel to Ekiti. The APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, claimed Mr. Kwankwaso and two other APC governors, Adams Oshiomhole of Edo and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers, were barred from getting to Ekiti to support Governor Kayode Fayemi’s re-election bid. “At least three Governors – Adams Oshiomhole of Edo, Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers and Rabiu Kwankwanso of Kano – have so far been prevented from making the trip,” Mr. Mohammed said. The spokesperson added that “the helicopter that was to ferry Governor Oshiomhole from Benin to Ado-Ekiti was refused permission to take off from the Benin Airport, while the plane that was flying Gov. Kwankwanso to Akure was denied permission to land”. Ekiti has no airport and so travelers by air have to first land at Akure (neighboring Ondo State) airport, then travel by road to Ekiti. When the news of the denial first spread on Thursday, PREMIUM TIMES called the Director of Press Affairs to Mr. Kwankwaso, Baba Dantiye, who said his boss had no plans to travel to Ekiti. Mr. Dantiye said Mr. Kwankwaso was at an event in Kano State and had no plans of traveling to Ekiti State.Kwankwaso 5 “The governor is in Kano here; he did not have plans of going to Akure, none that I know of,” Mr. Dantiye said. Perhaps realising that his party had released a statement to the contrary, Mr. Dantiye called back to say he was at an event with the governor and would not “want to confirm or deny” the APC’s claim. PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the event the Kano governor attended in Kano on Thursday was the graduation of 1120 mechanics and vulcanisers from the 44 local governments of the state.Kwankwaso event 2 Supporters of the governor posted pictures of the event on facebook.