APC, PDP in war of words as anti-Fayose protest rocks Ekiti
The Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Thursday, bickered over the developments following the freezing of Governor Ayo Fayose.
To this end, the APC, joined by the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) and other anti-Fayose groups, Thursday, trooped to the streets in Ado-Ekiti to protest alleged looting of the state resources by the governor. The group challenged the governor to waive his immunity and submit himself for probe.
But an aide to Governor Fayose, Idowu Adelusi dismissed their allegations as ‘spurious’, saying asking the governor to waive the immunity he enjoys amounts to rantings of an ignorant lot.
Recall that Governor Fayose had challenged the legality of freezing his accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti, and following the court’s order to the anti-graft agency to show cause for not upholding an Order of Exparte to de-freeze the governor’s accounts filed by his lawyer, Mike Ozekhome (SAN), the EFCC had filed affidavits at the court on July 4, leading to an adjournment of the case as requested by Ozekhome to enable him time to address the allegations.
Describing the freezing of Fayose’s in connection with the N1.3 billion slush fund from the Office of the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, to fund the governor’s campaign in 2014, as a right step, the protesters passed a confidence vote on the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari and his anti-corruption war. They urged the EFCC to dig deep into the finances of the State and prosecute whoever was indicted in the looting of the state’s treasury.
Acting chairman of APC in the state, Mrs. Kemi Olaleye, said: ““We are tired of immunity clause. Immunity has become impunity in Ekiti. We condemn Governor Fayose’s corrupt tendencies .Things must change. The EFCC must do its job and ensure that looters of Ekiti are brought to justice”, she said.
But Adelusi, who is Chief Press Secretary to Fayose, said: “The APC protesters asking Fayose to wave his immunity are doing so out of ignorance and desperation to win the state in 2018 knowing that their aim can only be achieved if Fayose is out of the way. But it is a failed agenda abinitio because we are ever ready for them on daily bases like soldiers guarding entrance of military formation . They should know that this is 2016 and not 2006.
Their whole agenda is about 2018 and their game plans are what we are now seeing using the EFCC to concoct lies and using the media to disparage Governor Fayose, but they can’t go far.
“For now, the APC and the mad dogs of President Muhammadu Buhari should not be too desperate for Fayose to defend himself against the myriads of allegations, but rather wait till 2018 for the governor to submit himself to EFCC as he did in 2007.
“Till now, even the political EFCC has not alleged Fayose of stealing Ekiti money and if it is concotting one, we shall meet in the court at the appropriate time.
It is only in Nigeria under APC – led government that Chief Jide Awe, an accused having murder case hanging on its neck will be the person who coordinated the 102 petitions written against one person. The petition itself is laughable and it shows that the writers have no common sense.
” Jide Awe and other APC members murdered 12 people during the Fayemi administration and not withstanding warrant of arrest issued on these suspects by the court, the police has refused to arrest them because of order from above.
“On the infamous 102 petitions, no professional policeman except political policeman would give such petitions a second look.
It is very shameful that these protesters have not ask their boss, Fayemi to account for the SUBEB N852m fund he misappropriated or tell Ekiti people why within four years landed the state in valley of debt and what he did with the huge loans he took from the capital market and commercial banks.
“As far as we know, no amount of harassment or intimidation or character assassination will make members of Ekiti State House of Assembly to succumb to pressures to go against the Governor. The legislators know that their governor has not done any wrong thing, “he said.
