Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has told the President Mohammadu Buhari led All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop harassing his government by threatening functionaries of the government with arrest and looking for how his election was funded, declaring that; "my election was not funded with public fund and President Buhari and his APC should also tell Nigerians how their own elections were funded." Addressing journalists in Abuja on Sunday, Governor Fayose said;
"Certain top functionaries of the Ekiti State government and some important members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, and some associates of mine, have now been pencilled down for arrest and indefinite detention by the EFCC under the guise of investigating the funds spent by the PDP on the June 21, 2014 governorship election and the Presidential election."
He disclosed that "some politicians from Ekiti State, including an Ekiti born Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and self-professed human rights activist and a Special Adviser to the Vice President are involved in the plot being coordinated through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Attorney General of the Federation."
He said the game plan was to make those to be arrested get detained indefinitely, forced them to make statements incriminating him, while at the same time feeding the public with orchestrated fake reports, using their usual media organs.
The governor however advised those behind the plot "to keep their gun power dry and should not be in a hurry, but rather, wait till the end of my tenure in 2018."
He challenged the EFCC to tell Nigerians why it was silent on the many petitions submitted to it against APC leaders, especially former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi.
Full text of the address reads:
"I called you here to intimate the public through your various medium, the new clandestine plot by the President Mohammadu Buhari led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to destabilise the Ekiti State Government, using the instrumentalities of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
"Recall that a lot has been said about my election. First they said it was photochromic and later militarization. The election was challenged up to the supreme Court and I came out victorious. Remember too that international observers including the US Govt applauded the election.
"However, those who lost the election adjudged as free, fair and credible are yet to accept the will of God and the people of Ekiti State.
"A few days ago, we got it on good authority that there was a meeting with some politicians from Ekiti State, including an Ekiti born Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and self-professed human rights activist by agents of the Federal government, with the agenda solely, on how to bring down my administration as the governor of the state.
"Activities of these elements that are obviously afraid of facing another electoral defeat in 2018 are being coordinated through the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr Babachir Lawal and the Attorney General of the Federation.
"Certain top functionaries of the Ekiti State government and some important members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, and some associates of mine, have now been pencilled down for arrest and indefinite detention by the EFCC under the guise of investigating the funds spent by the PDP on the June 21, 2014 governorship election and the Presidential election.
"The game plan is to make those to be arrested get detained indefinitely, forced to make statements incriminating me, while at the same time feeding the public with orchestrated fake reports, using their usual media organs.
"This is coming after their failure to use the Department of State Services (DSS) to coerce members of the State House of Assembly to buy into the impeachment plot against me with a view to silencing me being a major voice of the opposition.
"The plot to arrest and detain indefinitely my Chief of Staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo and four honourable members of the state House of Assembly for treason.
"To achieve this sinister plot against the government and people of Ekiti State, we have been informed that some of their trusted allies in the EFCC have been mobilised to move to Ekiti any moment from now.
"I, however, wish to advice them to keep their gun power dry and should not be in a hurry, but rather, wait till the end of my tenure in 2018.
"As a man known to keeping to his words, I want to assure them that I will be available to answer any of their questions, no matter how unreasonable.
"While we are not afraid of persecution from anyone or government agency, including the EFCC and DSS, I wish to state that the level at which the Buhari-led Federal Government is taking political vendetta and muzzling of opposition both in the PDP and within the APC, is dangerous to the survival of democracy in the country.
"Most importantly, Nigerians must begin to ask the EFCC what has happened to the several petitions against APC leaders and financiers of President Buhari’s election, including former governors.
"For instance, on September 29, 2014, the EFCC received a petition against former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi and other APC top-shots in Ekiti State. In the petition written by a group; Save Ekiti Coalition, six major complaints bordering on fraudulent practices were made with various documents attached.
"Also, on March 11, 2016, a petition on the misappropriation of N852.9m fund belonging to the Ekiti State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) was received by the ICPC. The petition, which had various documents attached was written by an Abuja based group; Vanguard for Credible Representation.
"One of the documents attached to this petition was Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) letter dated April 16, 2015, with Reference Number; UBEC/FA/SUBEB/EK/183/Vol.II/162 in which the withdrawal of the sum of N852, 936,713.92 counterpart fund belonging to the Ekiti SUBEB by Fayemi and others was described as a criminal act, that violated Section 11(2) of UBE Act 2004. It was also on the basis of this financial crime that UBEC suspended Ekiti State from accessing any further FGN-UBE Intervention Fund.
"In another letter written on September 11, 2015, with Ref. No. PB/894/5, to the EFCC, which was acknowledge urging the commission to investigate all the various petitions submitted to it on the fraudulent acts perpetrated by the immediate past APC government in the State has not seen the light of the day but rather, the EFCC is running after vocal opponents of the APC like me, Ayodele Fayose.
"I wish to state unequivocally, that no amount of intimidation, harassment, investigation, coercion, will make me stop speaking on behalf of the common who freely gave their mandate to the APC, who are now daily failing them.
"Furthermore, it is on record that on August 11, 2015, the EFCC came up with an investigation report on the bribery allegation against Yobe State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Habu Hinna Zarma.
"In its own report, the EFCC said N15 million was indeed deposited into the INEC REC Diamond Bank Plc (account number 0029126751) and Zenith Bank Plc (account number 1001127288) by the Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to Yobe State Governor, Ibrahim Gaidam, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Zakari Deba and one Bamaaji Mohammed Kukawa.
"Despite that as at April 8, 2015 that the N8 million was lodged into the INEC REC Diamond Bank account, only N28, 143.60 was in the account and the REC personally cashed N600, 000 on April 9, 2015, the EFCC only recommended the duo of ASP Zakari Deba (Yobe State Governor’s ADC) and Bamaaji Mohammed Kukawa for prosecution.
"It will however interest Nigerians that 10 months after, those that EFCC by its own investigations, recommended for prosecution are yet to be charged to court!.. isn't this interesting?
"Nigerians must therefore begin to ask the EFCC why it has refused to act on petitions against APC members. Why is EFCC only interested in how PDP funded its elections? Was the fund used for President Buhari’s election gotten from the spirit world? Is EFCC now for persecution of PDP members? Must everyone that is not in the APC be subject of EFCC harassment?
"Can Nigerians forget in a jiffy the activities of most people in the cabinet of President Muhammadu Buhari who ran their states aground in an effort to funding president Muhammadu Buhari election.
"Please, can we ask the current government, who paid for all the chartered aircrafts used for the campaign, the payment for all logistics for the campaign?
"It is now obvious that the current government is all out to move against and silence all voices in the opposition.
"We have examples in the detention of Femi Fani-Kayode, the persecution of Olisa Metuh the immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the PDP.
"Nigerians should also be reminded of the way and manner EFCC was ran when its present Chairman, Ibrahim Magu was the Head of Economic Governance Unit during the tenure of Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. It was then that impeachment of governors was plotted, hatched and executed within the four walls of the EFCC.
"It is worthy of note that I was among the governors whose illegal impeachment was orchestrated by the EFCC with the active connivance of Magu and the Ekiti SAN self acclaimed human right activists who is once again the coordinator of the current conspiracy against my person.
"I was unjustly arrested, humiliated and incarcerated for 50 days both in EFCC cell and Ikoyi Prison over allegations of phoney poultry allegation that they could not prove in the law court at the long run as I was discharged and acquited.
"I just want to alert all Nigerians that they are at it again, but they will not succeed and I will not surrender nor lose my voice as a result of their harassment.
"I make bold to state that in the overall interest of democracy and well-being of Nigerians, I will continue to speak my mind on issues bordering on governance in Nigeria and I will not be intimidated!
"I have not heard in the history of election anywhere in the world where elections are conducted without funding.
"I wish to state that there was no government funding of my election, as my election was funded purely by the private sector and organised donations within and outside the party.
"The Buhari led administration should also be gracious enough to prove to all Nigerians that their election was not funded by public funds that has been linked to them, but which the EFCC is looking away.
"The current government should be mindful that what goes round comes round.
"Those who are presently in charge of the Federal Government should be mindful of the fact that we all own Nigeria together and all Nigerians cannot belong to the APC.
"As a government, we have been transparent in the running of Ekiti State, and for this, Ekiti State was rated as the Most Transparent State in Nigeria in terms of transparency in budgeting by Civil Resources Development Documentation Centre (CIRDDOC) in conjunction with the British Department for International Development (DFID).
"Nigeria has gotten to a level where those of us holding powers should operate beyond politics and corruption fight should not be only about those who are not on the same page with the federal government.
"Rather, it should be inclusive of everyone, irrespective of political affiliation and must be done in accordance with the rule of law."
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