Three former governors of Ekiti State have warned that they would no longer take it lightly any attack against members of All Progressives Congress by political thugs allegedly sponsored by the Governor Ayo Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party.
The former governors – Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Asiwaju Segun Oni and Dr. Kayode Fayemi – in a statement titled: “Security situation in Ekiti State” in Ado Ekiti on Thursday, regretted series of attacks inflicted on their members and properties in recent time in the state.
The statement added: “We want to state unequivocally that we will no longer tolerate any further unprovoked attack on and willful destruction of APC branded vehicles and assets in the State.
“Keeping calm thus far is not out of weakness or incapacity to respond. We are only mindful of the lessons of history. “Please recall that the First Republic ended with the “Operation Wetie” political violence that erupted in Ekiti when similar situation of political rascality as we have now become prevalent in the West. We do not want this to happen again. Notwithstanding, if further provoked, we will have no choice but to respond in kind!”
But Fayose denied the claim in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi.
The governor said the former chief executives were making wild allegations.
He said: “I want to state clearly that nobody whether APC or non APC member has been arrested or harassed or intimidated on the instruction of Governor Ayo Fayose.
“The Governor as well has never used the police or any government’s agency to arrest or harass anybody because of the coming elections.
“Ayo Fayose is popular among Ekiti people which guarantee total victory for PDP in Ekiti State.”
Adelusi said the three former governors were making the wild allegations because they are getting disturbed of the repeat of humiliation they suffered in the hands of Fayose at the last governorship election when the three governors lost their local governments and wards to Fayose, adding that they are yet to recover from the humiliation and shock.
He said: “Fayemi, Segun Oni and Niyi Adebayo are bunch of political failures who will only accelerate the defeat of APC in Ekiti State because the ousted APC-led government in Ekiti State has mortgaged the state to debt and Ekiti people are bitter about it.”
Adelusi said no APC candidate has been bold enough to campaign for fear of being stoned by the people.
The statement added: “When their father, Pa Muhammadu Buhari is retired politically on Saturday, I wonder what will become of these former governors.”
Referring to the state House of Assembly, the former governors said they could no longer continue to live with a situation in which seven lawmakers are making laws for the state “in gross violation of our Constitution.
“It is alarming that this can be allowed to continue without anyone attempting to call the abnormality to order. Ekiti belongs to all of us and we will not allow any group of hoodlums to willfully bastardize our values and heritage.”
While restating their commitment to handing over to future youths “a banner without stain”, they called on the security forces to actively carry out their constitutional mandate and save the democracy from collapse.
Recalling the various attacks on members of the opposition in recent time by political thugs, they lamented that such party members were attacked with dangerous weapons such as guns, machetes, knives and axes.
They said: “Their most recent operation centered on Ijero Local Government. There, they created mayhem, beat and tortured the 90-year old father of the Commissioner for Finance under the Fayemi administration.
“The hoodlums destroyed shops and properties including cars belonging even to PDP members because of their perceived opposition to Fayose.
“The APC members were severely bloodied in the process.”
The former governors recalled that the attack came barely 48 hours after they visited the state Commissioner of Police as well as the state Director of the Department of State Services on the security situation in Ekiti State.
There, the governors called on the security chiefs to prevail on Fayose to put an end to the ongoing impunity, thuggery, brigandage, political rascality and torture in the state.
They said: “We had warned that if push comes to shove, the Party and all well-meaning people in the state will result to self-help to protect themselves, their assets and their rights guaranteed under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The statement further said during the visit of the Vice Presidential candidate of the APC, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, to the state on March 23rd, 2015, members of the APC riding to the reception venue in Buhari/Osinbajo and APC branded vehicles were attacked in Ado Ekiti. They added: “They were shot at and several of their vehicles, including those belonging to Hon. Mrs. Bunmi Oriniowo, APC House of Assembly candidate and Amb. Olofin, the APC Ekiti Central Senatorial candidate, were destroyed by the hoodlums.
“We want to state unequivocally that we will no longer tolerate any further unprovoked attack on and willful destruction of APC branded vehicles and assets in the state.”