WHY THEY WANT TO SCUTTLE MY PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION —FAYOSE
WHY THEY WANT TO SCUTTLE MY PRESIDENTIAL AMBITION —FAYOSE
Ekiti State Governor, Chief Ayodele
Fayose, has said the imminent defeat of President Muhammadu Buhari in a free
and fair election in 2019 is the major reason the All Progressives Congress-led
Federal Government is harassing and intimidating his aides and associates.He
also said the blunt truth he told Nigerians during his declaration of interest
that Buhari and the APC had nothing good to offer Nigeria has pierced the
conscience of APC leaders and given them wounded heart.
He, however, said he won’t be
intimidated into abandoning a divine project of rescuing the country from
maladministration.
Fayose, who spoke through his Chief
Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi, on Friday, said notwithstanding needless
harassment, whoever thought he could stop a moving train with bare hands would
have himself to blame in the end.
The governor described the arrest of
two officials of the state by agents of the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC) as the height of impunity, as a competent court of
jurisdiction had ordered against such action.
The governor said the action of the
EFCC was in flagrant disobedience to the orders of Justice Taiwo. O. Taiwo of
the Federal High Court, Ado-Ekiti in the case of the Attorney General of Ekiti
State versus EFCC, IGP and 16 others granted on November 7, 2016.
The order reads in part: ” an order
of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd defendants (which is the EFCC
and the Inspector General of Police, their agents, privies or any other
investigative agencies, howsoever described) from arresting, detaining or
investigating any person or persons, whether past or present officials in the
Ekiti State Government, without any report of indictment from the Ekiti State
House of Assembly pending the hearing and determination of the Motion on Notice
filed in this suit.”
While contending that the order of
the court had not been vacated or appealed by the agency, the governor added
that the agency’s action showed desperation and political partisanship, as it
had earlier petitioned against Justice Taiwo asking that the case be
transferred to Akure, Ondo State.
“The new judge declined jurisdiction
because he held that the EFCC’s case lacked merit and the case file was
returned to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, who is yet to assign the
case.
“The latest action by the EFCC is
therefore premeditated, malicious, politically motivated, contemptuous and
unconstitutional in all ramifications. It is another clear and undisguised
evidence of gangsterism by an agency that derives its power from the
constitution but uses it for political vendetta against the opposition.
“While we call on all men and women
of conscience to call the EFCC and whoever is goading them along perilous path
to order, we must warn that no harm must come the way of the illegally detained
Ekiti State Government officials, who have health issues which they will be
hampered to manage effectively in EFCC’s crushing detention environment.
“Not obeying court orders is not the
hallmark of democracy, but a virtue of anti-democratic agents. Colonel Dasuki
Sambo, former National Security Adviser is still being held despite numerous
court orders to the contrary. Ibrahim el-Zakyzaky has been locked up unduly for
months, this is not the democracy we fought to enthrone in Nigeria,” he said.
The governor stressed that it was not
a coincidence that those officials were arrested while he was declaring his
intention to contest the presidential election, but noted that such gimmicks
would not deter him from pursuing his ambition.
“My ambition to contest the presidential
election in 2019 is God’s project and no human effort can thwart it. Democracy
allows for people to aspire to occupy public offices and I have not breached
any law doing that. Those who think they can get to me by harassing my aides
and supporters would soon hit a dead end,” he noted.
