Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji on Friday called on all political gladiators, especially those aspiring to public offices to maintain some decorum and play according to set rules and regulations ahead of the electoral season.
Mr Oyebanji also raised the alarm about an alleged plot by some opposition elements to unleash a coordinated social media on him ahead of the APC governorship primary election scheduled for 27 October.
The governor disclosed these in a statement signed by his media aide, Yinka Oyebode, on Friday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Mr Oyebode, in the statement, alleged that over 150 persons across various social media platforms, including notable influencers at the national level, have been paid to carry out the attack on the governor beginning from next week.
“The sponsors of this grand plot, sadly, are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who are bent on heating up the polity in a bid to make a cheap political point.
“Part of their grand design, as uncovered, is to discredit the governor, as well as some key figures within the party and the government, through spurious and malicious allegations, including forged documents and AI generated graphics.
“Those behind this planned social media onslaught are the same people who clandestinely launched a social media attack against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last week, using one of the federal roads in the state- the Itawure-Aramoko-Igede road as an alibi.
“Whereas the poorly coordinated social media attack on the President failed woefully because the vast majority of Ekiti people, and indeed the general public, rejected the narratives. These characters went back to the drawing board and came up with another action plan, which include inducing 150 social media attackers with huge sum of money (in foreign currency) to carry out the nefarious act of character assassination and cheap blackmail through online trending of forged documents”, he said.
Mr Oyebode said the government chose to alert the public on the alleged plot in order to avert likely breach of the peace, adding that unlike in the past, the current plot would be treated with the seriousness it deserves.
“The government has chosen to alert the public on this grand plot in order to avert likely breach of the peace, recourse to self-help and unnecessary tension in the polity which are the main intention of the masterminds of this ignoble plot.
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“Unlike previous sponsored media attacks on the governor and the State Government that were treated with kids glove, this new plot would be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Hence, the general public, security agencies and all relevant institutions are hereby put on notice.
“All political gladiators, especially those aspiring to public offices are advised to maintain some decorum and play according to set rules and regulations as we approach the electoral season.”
He said the government welcomes constructive criticism and is ready to provide sincere answers to genuine enquiries about governance and the management of our commonwealth.
“All aspirants are also urged to make their campaigns and public engagements issue-based, and stay clear of any sponsored social media attack on the person of the Governor as well as sponsored violent attacks on any citizen of the State,” the statement added.