Impeachment: We will Defend Fayose with Our Blood, Vow Ekiti PDP Lawmakers

Ayo Fayose

• Tension mounts as S’Court delivers judgment on guber election tuesday

Olakiitan Victor in Ado Ekiti

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers in the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Monday pledged to defend Governor Ayodele Fayose with the last drop of their blood, to prevent his impeachment by the 19 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

At a press conference in Ado Ekiti the factional Speaker of the assembly Hon Dele Olugbemi, accused some leaders of the APC in the South-west of sponsoring the  impeachment plot, saying he was invited to two meetings to be part of the conspiracy.

Meanwhile, there was uneasy calm in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital yesterday as news spread round the city that  the Supreme Court would  today deliver judgment in the disputed June 21, 2014 gubernatorial election in the state.
Olugbemi, who was flanked by other PDP  lawmakers, refused to mention the APC leaders allegedly involved in the impeachment plot against Fayose, but said the meetings he held with the leaders took place  in Osogbo and somewhere in Lagos.

The factional Speaker alleged that the deal the APC leaders wanted to broker with him was how he could relinquish his speakership for the speaker of the APC caucus, Hon Adewale Omirin to take over, so that Fayose could be emasculated and become an easy prey.

“Just recently, I was invited  to Osun and Lagos States at midnight. They thought I could be easily bribed and be co-opted into unholy alliance to remove Fayose. I want to tell you that the impeachment is real because  I am involved in the plan and I know those that are involved.

“I can’t imagine myself being part of the plot to remove a man that was overwhelmingly voted for by the people. The reason for my involvement brought about the tentative withdrawal  of the suit filed by APC lawmakers against me, challenging  Omirin’s removal from court.

“But  I want to say that I will mention names if they go ahead with the plan. We want to also say that we the  defendants in the suits want the continuation of the suits, we don’t want withdrawal because due process would have to be followed  in a constitutional matter like this.

“I want to say again that we are solidly behind Fayose. We are also ready to defend the mandate freely given to him by the people of the state, even if it will cost us our lives,” Olugbemi said.

Olugbemi pointed out that Omirin started displaying enmity against Fayose  right from the day of the latter’s inauguration, and alleged that the rival Speaker  stayed away from the ceremony due to political acrimony.

“This time calls for sober reflection. Why is impeachment always coming up each time Fayose is in government? Those outside Ekiti cannot determine our fate for us and I will never be part of conspiracy that will make Ekiti to hate me forever because Fayose is a man of the people.”

Referring to the suit  numbers FHC/ABJ/CS/ 885/2014 and FHC/L/CS/ 1823/2014  filed by Omirin in opposition to his speakership, Olugbemi contended that the import of the action  was that Omirin had conceded that he is no longer the Speaker of the assembly.

“We have had enough political instability in Ekiti State and this time around, those who caused Ekiti State imbroglio in 2006 will not be allowed to destabilise the state just because their party has been
voted out of power.

“Governor Fayose was elected to govern Ekiti State for four years and those throwing stones from Lagos and Osun States are warned to desist, lest they incur the wrath of Ekiti people “Having been defeated in the entire 16 councils in Ekiti State in five elections: governorship, senatorial, presidential, House of
Representatives and  the House of Assembly within 10 months, it should behoove on the APC lawmakers and their sponsors that they are not wanted in the state,” he said.

However, there was tension in Ado-Ekiti yesterday as news spread round the city that  the Supreme Court will today deliver judgment in the disputed June 21, 2014 gubernatorial election in the state.

The incumbent governor, Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party defeated  the then governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi  in all the 16 local government areas of the state. Investigation by THISDAY  revealed that what  actually fuelled the apprehension was the fact that the judgment is coming midway into the plot to remove Fayose by the 19 members of the APC in the state assembly over alleged gross misconduct.

Checks revealed that people were seen in clusters across the streets of Ado Ekiti metropolis discussing the development.

Many thought the victory recorded by Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari in the March 28 might swing the pendulum in favour of the APC, the party that is challenging Fayose’s victory.

Speaking on the development,  Fayose, in a statewide broadcast asked residents to maintain the peace and go about their lawful duties.

He  warned that nobody must do anything to plunge the state into chaos, saying the peace of the state was paramount to his government and that nothing would be spared to sustain the relative peace being enjoyed by the people.

Fayose, who thanked the people for voting overwhelmingly for PDP candidates in the just concluded state assembly election, said their action had further proved that what he was enjoying was a genuine mandate and not a stolen one has being peddled.

The governor  said he was of the belief that God would vindicate him at the end of the day, and that he would triumph over whatever plans mounted to truncate his tenure by individuals or groups of people.

A civil servant, Mr. Adelodun Okunola who works in state Local Government Service Commission,  said he had nothing much to comment on the Supreme Court judgment of tomorrow, saying what was paramount to him was peaceful coexistence of people of the state.

A farmer, Mr. Sunday Adelowo said he did not believe that people should express anxiety over the judgment since both the Election Petition Tribunal and the Appeal Court had earlier ruled in favour of the governor at various instances.

As at the time of filling these reports, men of the Nigeria police were still keeping vigil at their various places where they were posted since outbreak of impeachment crisis last week, while a couple of patrol vans were sighted moving around the state capital