The leadership of the All Progressives Congress has been accused of moves to prevent the prosecution of a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Jackson Adebayo, levelled the accusation in a statement on Sunday.
The statement said: “It has come to our notice that there is a sinister motive by the leaderships of the All Progressive Congress to put pressure on the presidency to halt the investigation of the former APC governor by the EFCC when it dawned on them that the various petitions before the EFCC on the financial mismanagement of the APC administration in Ekiti State between 2010 and 2014 can not be ignored again by the anti graft body in its current moves against past governors.”
Adebayo maintained that some leaders of APC were planning to approach President Muhammadu Buhari through those close to him from the North in a desperate attempt to shield Fayemi from inevitable arrest and prosecution by the EFCC because of the magnitude of the petitions before it and the veracity of the issues raised and investigated by the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police.
The PDP however noted that the body language of the President has not suggested that he was in tune with those who had approached him as the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria Police is at the advanced stage of handing over its findings to the EFCC to assist in the prosecution.
Adebayo said in the statement on Sunday: “We are aware that the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria police has reached an advanced stage in their investigation of the financial mismanagement of the immediate past government in Ekiti State and alleged outright diversion of money meant for the state to private pockets.
“We are also aware that Fayemi has approached a top security chief who is very close to the president to intervene.
“We therefore call on President Buhari not to entertain any entreaty from any quarters that can lead to evasion of justice by the former governor and his collaborators in the shady deals that has put Ekiti state in the present financial doldrums.”
Adebayo said the PDP was monitoring the development as it unfolds and will continue to support every move by government agencies to retrieve stolen money from the state from anybody no matter how highly placed the person may be.
“What is paramount to the party is for the thieves who stole Ekiti money to return it so that the people can enjoy it again,” he said.
He added that the PDP became apprehensive about this because of the APC’s culture of shielding criminals among their members from the long hands of justice.
But Fayemi has described the PDP-led government’s position on the issue as hallucination.
Speaking through his media advisor, Olayinka Oyebode, Fayemi said: “I think the PDP-led government in the state is merely hallucinating.”
“This is a pure case of hallucination. You and I know that it is the incumbent governor, Ayodele Fayose, that has a case with EFCC. And I am sure you know that his N1.3billion poultry scam case came up at the Ado-Ekiti High Court sometimes in 2014 shortly before the elections. The case could not be heard on its adjourned date owing to the closure of courts in Ekiti since last year.
“So, if there is anybody who should be running from pillar to post, begging to be bailed out of EFCC investigations or trial by the anti-corruption agencies, it should be Fayose.
“Fayemi ran one of the most responsible and corruption- free government not only in Ekiti State but in the country. He has been out of office for nine months and has not been invited by any anti- corruption agency be it EFCC, SFU or ICPC to answer any query on his government in Ekiti. His government was completely above board unlike Ayo Fayose, who apart from his EFCC N1.3b poultry fraud case is also facing an indictment from the Code of Conduct Bureau for lying on oath in his asset declaration form in 2003.
“Why will President Buhari interfere in the investigation or prosecution of any individual? That’s more in the character of PDP government and not APC dedicated to cleaning up their augean stables.
“The PDP in Ekiti sure needs help, because it is saddled with the unenviable task of inventing lies on behalf of a government that lacks character, capacity and initiative to perform.”