By Gbenga Ariyibi
Ado-Ekiti—Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has again raised an alarm over an alleged desperate bid by the cronies of All Progressives Congress, APC, to stall the inauguration of the governor -elect, Mr Ayo Fayose by filing a fresh suit in an Abuja High Court.
The party was referring to the suit with registration no FHC/Abuja/CS 709/14 between Young Democratic Party Vs INEC, Fayose and others.
The party is seeking for a court injunction stopping the inauguration of the governor -elect, Mr Ayo Fayose.
Meantime, there was heavy presence of security operatives mostly soldiers, armed policemen and men of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, around the High Court premises in Ado Ekiti, yesterday.
The security operatives condoned off the premises of the court and blocked all the major roads leading to the popular Fajuyi Park, location of the court.
According to a statement in Ado-Ekiti by the PDP’s state Publicity Secretary, Pastor Kola Oluwawole, said the party has been vindicated with the latest action by some people sympathetic to the cause of APC.
In the statement, the party urged Ekiti people and Nigerians to note that the APC and its allies were bent on fomenting trouble in the state.
”The PDP has again been vindicated about our earlier alert on the desperation of the ruling APC in Ekiti State to use the judiciary to truncate democracy in Nigeria as the party has now rushed to Abuja to file another exparte motion to stop the swearing in of the governor-elect on October 16, 2014.
”This is a confirmation of our earlier alarm and submission that the APC that gallantly lost the gubernatorial election on June 21, 2014 were desperate to scuttle democracy in Ekiti State through the back-door judicial process.
“This new, strange and desperate step by the APC ruling government has clearly demonstrated that the APC is an unrepentant enemy of democracy.
“Despite the fact that the E-11 suit is still pending and the election tribunal on standby, the fundamental question is, why does APC have to jettison the two pending cases in Ekiti State and run to Abuja to file another suit on the same matter
“It has never been in the Nigerian history that a popularly elected governor with overwhelming majority in a free and transparent election could be denied the swearing in just because some people are desperate to cling on to power,” the PDP stated.
Security beefed up
The presence of the security operatives had created tension in Ado Ekiti, the state capital as they searched vehicles moving in and out of the court premises.
Courts under the control of the state judiciary had been closed down for the past one week by the order of the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, while members of the Junior Staff Union of Nigeria, JUSUN, have joined the ongoing strike action embarked upon by the state workers.
A group called E-11, had gone to court challenging Fayose’s eligibility for the election on account of his impeachment on October 16, 2006 by the then House of Assembly.
The soldiers and other security agencies blocked the major Ado-Iyin Highway and diverted all vehicles to Adebayo-Iworoko road, which caused traffic snarl along the axis due to heavy presence of traffics.
The two gates of the court were manned by combined forces of the security operatives.
Police react
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the State Command, Mr Victor Babayemi, said the action was taken based on the directive of the chairman of the National Judicial Council and Chief Justice of the Federation, Justice Alooma Mukhtar, which ordered that security should be beefed up around the Judges to forestall attack.
Babayemi, said the presence of his men was not intended to stall the trial of Fayose or intimidate the judicial officers, saying the police are only taking a proactive measure for the State to be at peace.
He said, “We have intelligence report that some workers were planning to protest in the State today and the court and the Government House were the prime targets, so we have to take proactive measures.
“You should also remember that the NJC had directed us to beef up security in all the Courts and this is part of the measures we think we can take to prevent us from being caught unawares”
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Ekiti: PDP accuses APC of fresh plot to stall Fayose’s inauguration
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