The Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation has warned Governor Ayodele Fayose over accusation that the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, is deploying his former security aides to arrest school principals and teachers who are illegally collecting teachers’ voter cards on the order of the governor.
Few days ago, a text message from the Ekiti Teaching Service Commission had directed all principals and head teachers to collect the names of all teachers in their schools, including their voter cards and bank accounts.
The Independent National Electoral Commission warned Fayose to stop the illegal practice, but the governor would not as he applied more force on the teachers to surrender their cards.
Irked by the governor’s audacity, DSS operatives stormed Ola-Oluwa Muslims Grammar School, Ado-Ekiti to arrest school officials caught in the act of illegally collecting teachers’ cards, but Fayose turned around to accuse Fayemi of using security agents to arrest the suspects.
A statement by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation, Wole Olujobi, explained that Fayemi had no hand in the arrest of the suspects.
Olujobi warned Fayose against malicious utterances to set the public against the APC governorship candidate, even as he berated the governor for blackmailing DSS operatives in the performance of their official duties.
Noting that the campaign team is aware of the media blackmail Fayose had launched against Fayemi, Olujobi said: “Fayose has refused to relent in the illegal collection of teachers’ voter cards.
“There are reports of invitations of some teachers who refused to submit their voter cards by the Teaching Service Commission on the order of the governor to answer queries for refusing to illegally transfer their voter cards to illegal hands, which prompted DSS to act to protect the teachers from illegal possession of their cards by unauthorised persons.
“Fayose is hereby warned against unguided statements and reckless lies that Fayemi sent his security aides to arrest school principals.
“Fayemi never has the power to direct DSS to arrest innocent citizens. In fact, DSS agents do not need the directive of even President Muhammadu Buhari to carry out their legal duties.
“Fayose illegally ordered teachers to submit their names, voter cards and bank account numbers and DSS warned against the illegal practice but Fayose would not stop his illegal activities and DSS agents moved to stop the trend, which is clearly a threat to the integrity of electoral process.
“We make bold to say that no former security aide of Fayemi was involved in the arrest of any one. DSS agents are performing their duties to check criminal act of illegal collection of PVCs ahead of the July 14 governorship election.
“We also warn Fayose to release the principals he is hiding in the Government House only to turn around to accuse Fayemi and DSS agents of holding the principals in DSS cells.
“But we encourage DSS to continue to play their roles to preserve the integrity of the Nigerian law, which prohibits illegal confiscation or sharing of voter cards with any one or authority.”
