Ekiti: Crisis looms as APC alleges clampdown

Crisis is looming in Ekiti State following last week’s invasion of the state by the Department of State Security (DSS) as the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that Governor Ayodele Fayose is planning a retaliatory action targeted at members of the opposition APC adding that this would be met with ‘stiff resistance’. But the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Ekiti State has commended security agencies in the handling of the charged atmosphere in the state Thus, the APC in the state threatened that it would not be the usual easy run on attacks on APC members, alleging that the governor has started mobilising to start attacks on its members after a planned invasion of DSS office in Ado-Ekiti.

The party warned that any attack would meet “a stiff resistance on the streets to defend APC members with all strength that our members can muster”. A statement by the state secretary of the party, Paul Omotoso, to the Commissioner of Police, Etop James and State Director of DSS, entitled ‘Complaint On Governor Ayodele Fayose’s Planned Mass Violence In Ekiti State’, the party said it was aware of clandestine plots by the governor to cause massive violent protest against DSS and APC members that could lead to unprecedented breach of peace in the entire state.

“Our complaint is not without foundation against the backdrop of the governor’s penchant for using state radio and television stations through inciting press releases to instigate public anger, thus creating grounds for his supporters to launch attacks against his opponents. “On Monday, a member of the House of Assembly, Gboyega Aribisogan, was on the Federal radio Progress FM inciting people and threatening to invade the offices of the State office of the Department of Security Services over the arrest of the members of the House of Assembly,” Omotoso said.

He added that for a governor renowned and versed in employing intimidation and violence to cow his opponents, “Fayose began his onslaught on the APC on Monday when his agents destroyed our gate and lock in their traditional manner in intimidating members of APC. “We are also in possession of information that of plans to mobilise the local chapters of PDP on plans to storm the office of the DSS in a violent protest over the arrest of PDP suspects by DSS in Abuja. “We also have it on good authority of plans to attack APC members in their homes and going by the recent wave of killings of River State APC members, we cannot sit down and gloss over this evil plan.

He did it successfully during the House of Assembly election last year and during the House of Assembly crisis last year using the same set of men he is mobilising for his next orgy of violence in Ekiti State. “And to ensure that he carries out his plot, Fayose has met with the leaders of the drivers’ unions in his drive to cause violence on a massive scale against APC members. “Knowing and understanding the violent nature of Governor Fayose, the APC members will have no choice than to employ self-defence to ensure security and safety of our members,” he stressed.

However, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, Chairman of CNPP, Tunji Ogunlola, said the conference was pleased with the professional conduct of the security agencies, stressing that the level-headedness and transparent conduct of their officers had greatly helped in maintaining peace and order in the state. The parties cautioned politicians against actions and inciting utterances that could cause breach of peace. They condemned the false alarm raised against DSS over alleged invasion of the House of Assembly to abduct four lawmakers, regretting that such a false alarm was capable of setting the people against the officers and men of the DSS, thus setting the state on fire.

“We have conducted our investigation and we have discovered that there was no invasion of the Assembly by DSS. “In fact, on the day in question, our investigation revealed that several members were not present in the Assembly let alone holding any meeting that they said the DSS agents stormed with gunshots before abducting members,” Ogunlola explained.

While passing a vote of confidence on the security agencies, the group urged them not to be distracted from performing their duties by politicians, even as it appealed to the lawmakers to give peace a chance as they were representing Ekiti people in general and not their political party. It expressed support for the Federal Government in its anticorruption war to save Nigeria from collapse and warned Ekiti radio and television stations against inciting broadcast that could cause breach of peace.

It also counselled the Federal Radio, Progress FM, against inciting comments by its guests on the station’s programmes and urged broadcast of issues that could promote peace in the country. On Tuesday, members of the state House of Assembly raised the alarm of imminent plot to impeach Governor Fayose with promise of $1 million accusing the DSS of coercing them to do its bidding. Also on Tuesday, the House of Representatives summoned the DSS DG to appear before it within 48 hours to explain why it stormed the state assembly to arrest some of the members.