The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has absolved President Muhammadu Buhari of involvement in the military inquiry into the alleged use of soldiers to manipulate the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State.
Fayemi
Fayemi, said the decision to probe soldiers’ conduct during the election was taken by the military high command and not by Buhari as alleged by Governor Ayo Fayose during a recent press briefing in Lagos.
Appearing on a special interview programme on ADABA 88.9 FM, Akure, monitored by our reporter on Saturday evening, Fayemi described Fayose’s allegation that Buhari was planning to unseat him with the military probe as an “eruption of an infantile mind.”
The former Ekiti governor regretted that Fayose runs a “trial-and-error government” and a “government of lottery” noting that his successor never prepared for the serious business of governance hence the alleged “reduction of governance to comedy.”
Fayemi also expressed confidence that the result of the last local government election in the state won’t stand the test of legal scrutiny as his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has gone to the Court of Appeal to seek the nullification of the council poll.
He appealed to the people of the state to exercise patience under the alleged misrule and anti-people policies being forced down their throat by the Fayose regime, assuring that things will be better for them in the nearest future.
He said all segments of Ekiti population have now seen the alleged insensitivity of the current government in the imposition of higher taxes and the governor personally leading task force to harass market women and seize their goods.
Reacting to Fayose’s claim that the military probe of the alleged misuse of soldiers for electoral fraud was targeted at him (Fayose), Fayemi said the erring soldiers were not be probed on their involvement in Ekiti election alone but in other states like Osun, Rivers and Abia.
He said: “The Fayose’s allegation is rubbish and so typical of him to reduce everything to his own imagination. To the best of my knowledge, President Buhari is no longer a military ruler.
“But if the military in its wisdom decides to investigate the role of soldiers in elections in Osun, Ekiti, Rivers and Abia, what has that got to do with President Buhari or the Federal Executive Council?
“He (Fayose) is only trying to draw attention to himself. He wants a response and nobody has responded to him either at party level or governmental level.
“This is an eruption of an infantile mind, we don’t want to dignify him with any response on what he has been saying about President Buhari.”
The Ekiti State chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, criticised Governor Ayodele Fayose for confusing the people with “inconsistent debt figures.”
Fayose vows to lead opposition against APC
The party faulted Fayose’s claim during his media chat, Meet Your Governor, last Friday that the state’s debt profile had risen to N252 billion to be paid off in 2036.
The APC recalled that Fayose, shortly after his inauguration, claimed that Ekiti was owing N86 billion to be paid off in 2020, only for him to put the figure again at N56 billion.
The opposition noted that all the figures churned out by Fayose contradicted the N18.5 billion released by the Debt Management Office (DMO) .
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, the APC said it was time the governor stopped deceiving the people.
With the latest debt claim, Olatunbosun said Fayose had turned himself into a master juggler in a dishonest public show.
“During his inauguration, Fayose said former Governor Kayode Fayemi left a debt of N86 billion.
“Later, he reduced it to N56billion and now he has announced another figure of N252 billion.
“These are attempts to deny the people real development while living in private comfort as planned.
“He has come out again with the debts that will be paid off in 2036 and we wonder if he will remain governor till then.
Olatunbosun said Fayose’s motive was to deny former political office holders payment of severance allowances.
“It is regrettable that the Fayose administration has turned Ekiti State to a trading post using reckless propaganda to deceive the people.
“This is to put them in a permanent state of flux so that they won’t be able to demand their rights.
“We want to make it clear that Fayemi left a debt of N18.5 billion as he explained during his ministerial screening session and this has not been controverted.
“It is gratifying that Fayemi did not borrow to pay salaries; he borrowed to implement development projects and the projects are there for the people to see,” he said.
“The governor must pay severance allowances to former political office holders.
“We call on workers to insist on the payment of their entitlements and the people should demand performance and should not be deceived by endless lies on the state’s debt profile,” said Olatunbosun.
Senator representing Lagos State East senatorial district, Gbenga Ashafa, on Thursday lauded the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, over the confirmation of former Lagos State Governor, Babtunde Fashola; his counterpart in Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, and APC Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bola Tinubu arriving yesterday
Ashafa, in a statement signed by him to felicitate with 18 ministers who were confirmed by the Senate, noted that it was an era to make APC as a party and Nigeria proud.
According to the statement, “I, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, representing the Lagos East senatorial zone hereby congratulate the 18 eminent Nigerians, who were today (yesterday) confirmed as ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“While I recognise that the task before them is both herculean and complex, I am confident in their ability to succeed and set Nigeria on the path of greatness. With our fearless and visionary leader, President Muhammadu Buhari, as the head of this team, supported by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, I am more than assured that this new government will deliver on its promises and make our economy competitive and productive.
“I am particularly proud of the intelligence, poise and grace with which our own former state governor, Fashola, conducted himself throughout his time, addressing the Senate. His thoughts and plans were illuminating as always. He represented the state very well on that podium and will do very well in the Federal Executive Council. Of course, I have no doubt.”
The statement expressed reverence for Tinubu, adding that he should be proud of himself on a day like this. “It was his farsightedness and uncanny judement of character and talent that brought the likes of Lai Mohammed, Fayemi and Fashola to limelight. These are graduates of the Bola Tinubu School of Leadership and today, they are ministerial appointees.”
This is indeed a lifting moment for us who have climbed on Tinubu’s broad shoulders to our current heights in political and leadership accomplishments.
“May the Almighty God bless our leader, Tinubu, and increase him in wisdom and good health. As for the confirmed ministerial appointees, may you be filled with all the strength and patriotism required to deliver on your commissions. Please, make our party and nation proud!”
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, has ordered the senators from Ekiti State to give ex-governor Kayode Fayemi easy passage while observing ministerial screening at the National Assembly.
In a statement in Ado-Ekiti Thursday by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, the governor gave the advice while meeting with student leaders from the state under the aegis of Federation of Ekiti Student Union (FESSU) in his office.
Fayemi was one of the ministerial list sent to the president of the Senate, Senator Bukola Saraki by President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday.
The governor disclosed that the Ekiti project belongs to all and that everything must be done to support it.
Senate President, Bukola Saraki, on Tuesday announced the 21 ministerial nominees contained in the list sent to him by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, September 30.
Saraki, who read the list around 10:45am after opening the sealed envelope, said the list contained the first batch of nominees and that the subsequent names, according to the president, would come shortly.
The nominees include Abubakar Malami (SAN), Abdurahman Bello Dambazzau, Aisha Jumai Al Hassan, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Babatunde Raji Fashola, Adebayo Shittu, Solomon Dalong, Senator Chris Ngige, Rotimi Amaechi, and Chief Audu Ogbeh.
Others are Mrs. Amina Ibrahim, Dr. Osagie Ehaneri, Emmanuel Kachukwu, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, Eng. Suleiman Adamu, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Hon. Ahmed Musa Bello, Ibrahim Usman Jubrin, Senator Hadi Serika and Senator Udo Udoma.
Saraki said the screening of the nominees would start on Tuesday, October 13.
At last, Senate President Bukola Saraki Wednesday received the first twenty – one names of nominees to make President Buhari ministerial list , just as the names would be forwarded in batches.
President Buhari
Vanguard gathered that a former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi and his counterpart in Lagos, Babatunde Fashola were among the names forwarded to the senate.
Others in the list are, former governors, Anambra, Chris Ngige; Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu, Ekiti, Kayode Fayemi; a one time APC governorship flag bearer in Taraba, Aisha Alhassan,
Also said to be on the list are Kayode Fayemi, a former governor of Ekiti State; a former Governor of Anambra State, Chris Ngige; and a one-time Governor of Abia State, Ogbonaya Onu; Amina Mohammed; A former commissioner of Ogun State, Kunle Adeosun; Malami Abubakar (SAN) and the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Ibe Kachikwu
Kachikwu’s appointment as Vanguard reported yesterday, will be to function as the junior minister taking charge of day-to-day affairs in the sector while Buhari oversees it as stated by him at the New York on Tuesday, while attending the UN General Assembly, that he, Buhari would be minister of petroleum resources (see more on this).
A source told Vanguard that instead of thirty – six names, President Buhari sent twenty – one names as Ministerial nominees to the Senate President, with plans to send others very early on Tuesday before plenary session.
Senate President Saraki received the long awaited ministerial list from the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari at 4.59 pm.
The Chief of Staff to the President was accompanied to Saraki’s office by the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang.
There was a new twist to the submission of Ministerial list to the Senate as it was received directly by the Senate President and brought by the Chief of Staff to the President as against the tradition where the office of the Senate President through the registry receives it from the Special Adviser to the President on National Assembly Matter( Senate).
ABUJA—Former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Professor Charles Soludo, and former Governor of Ekiti State, Kayode Fayemi, were yesterday sighted at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, filling visitors’ forms on their way to the office of Alhaji Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Charles Soludo
Soludo entered the Chief of Staff’s office around 5:30p.m., followed by Fayemi about 30 minutes later.
They were visiting the Villa when expectations were high that President Buhari would soon make his ministerial list public.
It will recalled that the President had repeatedly assured Nigerians that he will form his cabinet before the end of this month.
Soludo, who was the CBN governor during the administrations of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and late Umar Yar’Adua, was critical of the immediate past government of former President, Goodluck Jonathan, on the financial management and the handling of the economy, which he said was brutally raped.
Fayemi was the Director of Policy, Research and Strategy in All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential campaign organization.
I’m not available for
public service—SOLUDO
Many believed that Soludo’s critical outbursts on the eve of the presidential election in March helped to sway sympathy and votes for President Buhari even as the former CBN governor, in an interview with an online media, Premium Times, on June 7, said he was not prepared to work for the government, saying he was preoccupied with other engagements
He had said: “Nigerians and their rumours! I am glad you said they are rumours and such rumours are normal.
“For sure, I wish the new government success and for the sake of Nigeria, everyone must contribute to assist President Buhari succeed.
“I will contribute in whatever way I can. However, everyone cannot sit in government in order to serve: some will be there on full time basis, while others can contribute from outside.
“For me at this point in time, I am not disposed or available for full time public service. Perhaps in the future it could happen, but not now.
‘My hands are full’
“For now, my hands are full with several other experiments I am involved with (especially abroad) in the private sector, charity, think-tanks, and the international community.
“I am part of a major initiative in Africa’s mining and solid minerals sector, and this takes me through several African countries, among other engagements.
“I am having great fun exploring totally new vistas of opportunity that are central to Africa’s great leap in the 21st century.
“I read that President Buhari will give priority to solid minerals. We can provide free advisory services and perhaps assist to mobilize investment in the sector or in any other areas if our advice is needed.
“In effect, there are several ways we can assist the government to succeed but not necessarily to take up full time appointment. No, not now,” he was quoted as saying in the interview.
Meanwhile, it was not known whether both men later met with President Buhari as they waited for the Chief of Staff, who was in the President’s office when they arrived the State House.
The Ekiti State government has revoked the sale of the house purchased by the Mrs. Bolu Fayemi-Ayodele, the elder sister of former Governor KayodeFayemi, at the Irewolede (Fajuyi) Estate along Ilawe Road, Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Fayemi, Fayose shake hands in public
Mrs. Fayemi-Ayodele who was served with the letter conveying the revocation order on Thursday vowed to challenge the action in the court of law.
The former governor’s sister received her revocation barely 24 hours after the Corporation in a letter by its lawyer, Br. Awe, revoked house sale to the Chairman of Irewolede Residents Association, Ayo Orebe.
Confirming the receipt of letter revoking the sale of the house she purchased on mortgage in 2011 in a telephone chat on yesterday, Mrs. Fayemi-Ayodele described the action as “politically motivated.”
She said: “They brought the letter yesterday (Thursday) it was given to me to sign that I received the original copy. The official who brought the letter said he was carrying out the directive given to him and I can’t blame him for that.
“The house in question is not a rented house, it’s my personal house which was purchased on a mortgage which still subsists even though I have not completed payment. I am going to court to challenge this latest action because a case is already in court over the last eviction and if there is any case in court, parties are not expected to take any action until the case is disposed of.
“When I read the content of the letter, I told the bearer that all that was written in the letter are fallacies. I know that the action was taken because he (Fayose) believes that I am a sister to the former governor (Fayemi) and he feels that he can do anything he likes. I believe that action was politically motivated.”
Indication emerged at the weekend that three immediate past governors, Babatunde Fashola, Rotimi Amaechi and Kayode Fayemi may have been screen out of Buhari’s ministerial list by the Department of State Service (DSS) due to numerous corruption allegation against them.
Amaechi, APC governors
According to an online news, Nigerian pilot who quoted a reliable source from the DSS failed to clear them based on allegations before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) bothering on embezzlement, money laundering and fraud.
It could be recalled that over the weeks, series of allegations were made against a former governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola concerning N78.3m spent on upgrading his personal website and N139m on two boreholes.
Rotimi Amaechi is currently being probed by the current Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike who through findings had accused the former governor of siphoning and defrauding the state in billions.
Kayode Fayemi, and his two counterparts from Rivers State and Lagos State were active during President Buhari’s Presidential campaign and during the election with Amaechi doing everything humanly possible to unseat his kingsman, the immediate Past President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Though NAIJA CENTER NEWS has not confirmed this allege, the source said that when the three former governors appeared before the DSS screening committee, they were asked series of questions concerning allegations on fraud and financial embezzlement including relevant documents attached to the petitions.
Others hopeful minsters who are presently being screened by the DSS are ” a former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries Limited, Mr. Festus Odimegwu, a former Presidential candidate, Prof. Pat Utomi, and a human right lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN).
Others on the list are: a former Chief of Army, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazu (retd.); an ex-chief executive of the Federal Inland Revenue, Mrs. Ifueko Omoigui-Okaru; a former finance commissioner in Lagos State, Mr. Wale Edun; and a former National Legal Adviser to the defunct Congress for Progressive Change, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
Stakeholders in the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), have lambasted the leaders of the party for abandoning it when they were needed most.
Fayemi, Fayose shake hands in public
This, they said, could not have arisen but for the inability of the three former governors, Niyi Adebayo, Segun Oni and the immediate past governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, to cooperate among themselves to give the party the desired leadership and sense of direction.
The party faithful who met recently at the Ikere country home of Bamidele Olumilua, former governor of the old Ondo State, lamented the
self-inflicted pains they had caused upon themselves as a result of lack of internal democracy and cohesion resulting in the nose-diving fortune of the party of late.
They however expressed their absolute trust in the leadership of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, both at the regional and national levels of APC.
In a communiqué issued after the meeting convened by Olumilua, party faithful observed that their problem in the state was as a result of the leadership problems which they suffered and are still suffering after the party lost the gubernatorial election on 21st June 2014.
“Consequent upon this leadership problem, the party became directionless and groups and caucuses started to emerge, each group with the sole aim of finding ways of bringing life into the party again,” members said, adding that the lack of cohesion greatly affected the fortune of the party because the party had been badly factionalised.
It was also noted that the party executive at the state levels could not provide necessary leadership because it was suffering from legitimacy problems arising from the imposition by the leaders who had already abandoned the party.
“Arising from this state of confusion, the party now became a serial loser of elections in Ekiti State in governorship elections, presidential elections, Senatorial elections, House of Representatives elections and House of Assembly elections were serially lost without winning any of the electoral constituencies.
“Ordinarily, this should not have been, since Ekiti is known for its progressive leaning ever since the earlier days of partisan politics.
“But having convinced ourselves that there are problems and divisions within the party in Ekiti State, we have resolved to shun any form of recriminations, as this is not time to apportion blames, and to forge a unity. Hence, we should embrace sacrifices of all sorts and all useful opinions must be considered in our efforts to regain our lost glory in Ekiti State.
“This was why some patriotic stakeholders in the party have approached the former Governor of old Ondo State, and a chieftain of the party, (Bamidele) Olumilua to rise to the challenge and come out of his retirement to provide a required leadership.
“We are therefore happy that the former governor heeded our call and started consultation with the leadership of the various groups/caucuses within the party with a view to bringing them
together, so that the party could come back to life.
“Olumilua reached out to the three former governor’s but he could not succeed in bringing them to a meeting. He also consulted with the APC Elders’ Forum in the State who welcomed the idea and game him their blessings to continue with his effort at uniting the party.”
Olumilua added that it was also resolved that all groups should come together to provide a united veritable platform for the party,
THE Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and a former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi were yesterday engaged in war of words over alleged moves to prosecute the former governor by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. While the PDP raised alarm over plans to shield Fayemi from inevitable arrest and prosecution by EFCC, the former governor said the party was merely hallucinating.
In a statement by the state’s Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr Jackson Adebayo alleged that some leaders of APC were planning to approach President Muhammadu Buhari through his closets men from the north in a “desperate attempt to shield Fayemi from inevitable arrest and prosecution by EFCC”.
The party said “it has come to our notice that there is a sinister motive by the leaderships of the All Progressive Congress to put presure 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.”,
The PDP, however, noted that “We are aware that the Special Fraud Unit of the Nigeria police have 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., “
Fayemi reacts
In his reaction, Chief Press Secretary to Fayemi, Mr Olayinka Oyebode declared that “I think the PDP-led government in the state is merely hallucinating.” Oyebode, ‘told Vanguard that “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.” Oyebode added that “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.”
Absolving the Fayemi administration of mismanagement of state funds, Oyebode said “Fayemi ran one of the most responsible and corruption-free governments 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 or ICPC.’’
The Ekiti State Government is planning to constitute a panel to investigate allegations by the Peoples Democratic Party that the former Governor of the state, Kayode Fayemi, diverted N4.1billion belonging to workers of the state.
Although the All Progressives Congress in the state and Mr. Fayemi have refused to respond to the allegations, the PDP-led government said it was prepared to ensure details of the fraud were brought to light.
The Chief Press Secretary to Ekiti State Governor, Idowu Adelusi, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the government took the allegation seriously given the hash economic realities before the state.
“We cannot allow this to go without proper investigation. A probe panel will be constituted to investigate the matter and ensure that funds belonging to the state are recovered,” he said.
Mr. Adelusi said Mr. Fayemi’s administration committed the state to debts of huge sums of money for which the state is now suffering.
“If the last administration had not committed the state in loans received from the capital market and commercial banks, what we are getting as federal allocation should have been enough to pay salaries of workers,” he said.
He said Ekiti State was repaying a combined debt of N56billion which is being deducted from its allocation on a monthly basis.
Mr. Adelusi did not say when the panel would be constituted, but assured that it would not be long before the investigation would commence.
The Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State has alleged that the recent workers’ verification exercise in the state has revealed how over N4bn entitlements of workers were diverted to the All Progressives Congress.
Fayemi, Fayose shake hands in public
The party alleged that ghost workers detected during the exercise were among the approaches used to perpetrate the fraud by former Governor Kayode Fayemi’s administration.
In a statement by the state Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Jackson Adebayo, in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the party claimed that some of the civil servants who collaborated with the APC in the shady deal, and who claimed that they were short-changed, exposed the deal.
Adebayo said that the money involved in the fraud amounting to N2.1bn was withdrawn from the salary accounts of civil servants and moved to the APC secretariat for sharing from time to time in the four years that Fayemi governed the state.
The PDP spokesman also added that the missing deductions from workers’ salaries for the months of April, May, June, July and August, 2014 running to about N1.8bn were also traced to the APC secretariat, as information had it that it was packaged for the running of the party after Fayemi lost his re-election bid in June 2014.
“We have it on good authority that the missing deductions from civil servants’ salaries for five months were gathered together immediately it dawned on the Fayemi-led government that there will not be funds to maintain the party after Fayemi’s exit on October 16, 2014 because the party would not have access to the money from the ghost workers again.”
The PDP also stated that a certain amount of money set aside for the payment of members of the National Youth Service Corps which was about N220m was given to members of the state executive of the APC by Fayemi as a parting gift.
However, Fayemi’s spokesman, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, described the allegations as cheap blackmail. Oyebode told one of our correspondents on the telephone that it was unfortunate that despite winning the election over a year ago, Fayose still had no plan for the people of Ekiti.
He said, “The PDP-led government in Ekiti State is a disaster and that is why in the absence of good governance in the state, all they do is to spread rumours and cook up stories to explain their ineptitude. Today makes it a year that Fayose won the governorship election.
“This government was inaugurated about eight months ago but you cannot point at anything reasonable that it has done as a government. All they do is make allegations against Fayemi without evidence.
“It is just another ranting of an inept government.”
Ex-Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has said the All Progressives Congress has strong evidence against President Goodluck Jonathan over his alleged plot to foist an Interim Government on the country.
Fayemi
He said the allegation made by the National Leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that his life was being threatened confirmed the desperation of the Peoples Democratic Party-led Federal Government and Jonathan.
Fayemi, who said this in Aramoko Ekiti on Saturday during the 40-day Fidau for the late Pa Jejelola Akingbolu and Mrs. Raliat Akingbolu, also lambasted Governor Ayodele Fayose for allegedly lying against the APC Presidential candidate, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), over his health status.
“We have heard somebody whose own definition of politics is about lying, saying Gen. Buhari was taken to a hospital in London. Buhari never went to the hospital throughout the 10 days he was in London, because I was with him throughout.
“Fayose even used his mother as an example of how people who are old used to behave just because he wanted to drive home a point that Gen. Buhari was sick. This is like disgracing his own mother in the public and it is against the value Ekiti is known for.”
The ex-governor said Jonathan could not deny that he invited Tinubu to be part of the planned Interim Government, saying that the APC leader made the allegation in good faith and not to discredit the President or heat up the polity.
He said, “President Jonathan is becoming desperate by the day and he would stop at nothing to return to government. You know what they did in Ekiti. So, there was nothing Tinubu said that was not verifiable.
“I have evidence that he (Tinubu) was invited to be part of the Interim Government as a way of dividing us as a prominent member of our party. There is absolutely nothing they cannot do to distract us because they could see that the Presidency is gradually slipping off their hands.
“It was good that these alarms were being raised and put in the front burner that there was a sinister intention to subvert the will of the people.
“What Nigerians are looking for now is for the elections to hold on March 28 as scheduled by INEC and for the victor, who will be overwhelmingly elected by the popular votes, to be announced.
“We, as party leaders and members of opposition, are ready to congratulate the winner but if they go ahead and subvert the will of the people, they will surely go to jail.”
Fayemi assured Nigerians that Buhari would keep to his promise not to dig into the financial corruption perpetrated in the past under Jonathan if that was what members of the ruling party were afraid of.
“Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari said he won’t look into the past. He said he will draw the line on the very day he took over and I don’t know why President Jonathan, who has the paraphernalia of office, is afraid of election.
“There was nothing the PDP, even as a ruling party has not done to ensure that these elections are not held. We have heard about the sowing of fake Army uniform. We have heard about how they want to use the Army to rig the election. We have seen attempt to sack Prof. Attahiru Jega. We have heard about how they have been preaching about religion, talking about the health of Gen. Buhari and the way they had been canvassing for postponement of elections and non-usage of card readers. The big question still remain, why are they afraid of election?”
Fayemi declared that the government of Jonathan would be held responsible, if anything bad happened to Tinubu.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has said the state was in the process of filing a suit against some banks he said granted loans to the administration of ex-Governor Kayode Fayode without due process.
Fayose, who gave the hint while addressing monarchs in the state during a meeting on Thursday, said “We don’t know where the funds ended or entered”.
At the meeting, it was learnt that the monarchs agreed to pray and work for the revival of the finances of the state while also urging government to increase the drive for internally generated revenue.
Gov. Fayose lamented that dialogue with the affected banks had failed, adding that they had tagged Ekiti as insolvent and wouldn’t grant the state loans.
He said, “We are currently entering legal action against some banks because of some of the loans they gave the state, we don’t know where they entered. They granted some loans without due process. The banks have been approached but they are not willing to cooperate.
“So, what we are doing now is to approach the courts to seek a legal redress”.
During an interview monitored on Adaba 88.9 FM, a former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, spoke on an audio tape about how the June 21, 2014 governorship election was purportedly rigged in the state.JOSIAH OLUWOLE monitored the interview
Fayemi, Fayose shake hands in public
Recently, an audio file was released detailing how the Ekiti 2014 governorship election was rigged. Why did you go ahead to congratulate Fayose on June 22 with this information at your disposal?
I am glad we have come to this point in Ekiti. Even those who were deluded into believing that the voters in Ekiti voted against our party are beginning to see the comprehensive grand plan. You raised a pertinent question and I would like to answer that question. Yes, I was very careful in the couching of my statement. I said if this is the will of the Ekiti people… The qualifier there is the word ‘if’. If it is the will of the Ekiti people then I accept, but the second paragraph went into great detail, stating all of what you heard, the harassment, the arrest, the intimidation and the grand plan from Abuja, I spoke about all that.
But I also then said, that for me, the peace of Ekiti was paramount and that at that particular time, I chose peace first, justice later. Why did I say that? Part of the grand plan which is not in this tape, which you will hear later in a subsequent tape, was to kill as many Ekiti people. If people had gone out to protest, they would have been killed. Are you saying that Segun Oni lost in Ifaki? Are you saying Niyi Adebayo lost in Oye? We had 226, 000 members in our party and the votes declared for us was 120,000. You are suggesting that 100,000 of our voters either voted against us or did not vote.
That is the implication and that these people will be happy to vote for an opposition, that is the other implication. And of course, if you listen to the tape you will hear of a duplicate copy of the INEC ballot papers and computers. But was I really ready for Ekiti people’s blood to be spilled? I am not in politics as a blood-sucking ogre and I am not going to play politics on the grounds of anything but myself. I knew we were going to come to this point and those who want to challenge me on this should read my past interviews.
I had predicted we were going to get to this point because I knew blow by blow what transpired and some of the other elements who were not even involved at this level, who were involved at the Abuja level had also spoken to me about the role they played in what transpired in Ekiti, which helped us in preventing it in Osun.
So, Ekiti had to be the sacrificial lamb. People have asked me why now, why are you releasing it now? We are releasing it now because it is also part of the grand plan, we are releasing it a few days to the election, election as supposed to be February 14 and the tape was released because this was the plot for Lagos, for Oyo, for Rivers, Imo.
Specific states had been chosen to be militarised during this election and to use exactly the same compromised military officials. Why did Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh come for the Ekiti election? Because Brig. Gen. Dikko, the Brigade Commander here, refused to be a pun. Dikko blatantly told the then Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, to his face that he was not going to be his agent of manipulation and rigging and those who are aware of what Dikko did in the Ilaje/Ese-Odo federal constituency election in Ondo know why they cannot risk leaving such a professional officer here to conduct the Ekiti election. That is why after Momoh had supposedly delivered in Ekiti, they then decided that Brigadier Adeyemi, who was the Brigade Commander in Osun, had to be moved so that Momoh who had no business in Osun, because he was commanding a totally different brigade and Osun has its own brigade, was taken to Osun for the same purpose.
But we were able to counter that, thankfully. However, the issue is now out. If Ayo Fayose is telling any man in Ekiti that that is not him, then you know this is a man who is an inveterate liar. His voice cannot be mistaken anywhere. A two-year old in Ekiti will tell you this is Ayo Fayose.
What is your party, the All Progressives Congress, doing to ensure that a scenario like this does not play out in the coming elections?
That is part of what we are doing now. We released this tape…the military is scampering now all over the place. Beyond this, we are also taking steps and those steps I cannot disclose here on air. But we are prepared.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has postponed the elections on the grounds that the military would not be able to secure the ballot as they would be battling Boko Haram. What does this portend for our democracy?
If you want to take an extreme view on this, there is no other word for it than treason. The upper echelon of the military is guilty of treason against the state because the first duty of any government is security and the welfare of the people. If INEC was ready by and large to conduct an election and an institution that is responsible for an aspect of the election refuses to oblige, that institution is acting unconstitutionally. And when you act unconstitutionally like that against national security, you are committing treason. That is the extreme view. If you subject it to just an objective analysis, that Ok, you said because of Boko Haram, that you cannot guarantee security, the military hierarchy admitted that 14 local government areas are affected by this out of the 774 local government areas. In 1999, elections did not take place in Bayelsa State because of militant activities but it took place in the other 35 states and the FCT. That election later took place in Bayelsa a month after.
So, there is no reason you could not have isolated the 14 local government areas affected by Boko Haram and carry on with the 760 local government areas left. But of course, we all know that this is not about security. This is about a desperate government and a desperate President that is afraid of losing, a loss that is so imminent that everybody can see and feel around them, including the President. The military became a wiling tool. Why would they not be a willing tool? You saw the way a general (Momoh) was spoken to on that day. A general in the military was insulted and derided as if he was a nobody because they have allowed their institutions to be desecrated and I keep saying that even in the military there are so many Sagir Koli (the captain who leaked the audio tape) who are unhappy about their profession being desecrated by these elements.
There are theories that the President Goodluck Jonathan government may not relinquish power on May 29, do you believe these conspiracy theories?
Well, I am not even sure whether to call them conspiracy theories any more. I have heard credibly …at least there is an element within the ruling class, considering this option. We are back to 1993, pre-June 12. We are at that stage now and you have people who just have contempt of the ordinary people of Nigeria. There is a section of the ruling party that is considering the possibility of not going into elections. I have received what I consider solid information on this, but ultimately it will fail, just as these things have failed in the past. I don’t see the provision within the law that they will use in justifying this. Yes, I am aware they have reconvened the National Assembly and this is a matter that is likely to come before the National Assembly, maybe using the Doctrine of Necessity again, but I believe that Nigerians will resist this with every fibre of their being.
What is the APC doing with the audio file, are you submitting it to security agencies, besides releasing it to the public?
We are taking all the appropriate constitutional steps to ensure that this does not go unpunished. There are soldiers willing and ready at the appropriate time to testify in court beyond Koli.
Don’t you feel the audio tape will be forgotten like that of the $3 million bribe scandal that rocked the House of Representatives in 2012?
You can understand why Mr. Fayose is doing what he is doing, including the lies about Gen. Buhari. He knows that the minute this election takes place, and a genuine winner emerges, he is as good as history. That is why he is doing what he is doing. He is a desperate man; he is even more desperate than Jonathan. He is fighting for his life. He is one of the apostles of interim government. I should let you know that. He believes that all his atrocities will come back to haunt him. The judges they have beaten up who cannot talk now, the civil servants they have harassed, the solders, even Gen. Momoh should be pitied because he is a victim, he wants promotion. It takes a very tough person to resist the kind of filthy lucre that these people offer.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Monday upheld the election of Ayodele Fayose as governor of Ekiti State during the June 21, 2014 gubernatorial election in the state.
Fayose, Omisore, Obanikoro
Mr. Fayose contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party.
In giving its ruling, the superior court upheld the judgment of the Election Tribunal which had earlier dismissed the petition by the All Progressives Congress challenging Mr. Fayose’s victory.
“We have looked carefully into this appeal, and found no merit in it and it is hereby dismissed. The judgment of the Tribunal delivered on December 19, 2014 succeeds”, the court held.
The court, however, made a definite pronouncement on the role of the military in the conduct of elections, saying it ought not to have been deployed during the poll.
Based on the provisions of the law, the court stated that the military had no role to play in electoral process, adding that whoever deployed the military during the election in Ekiti State had breached the law.
While affirming the decision of the tribunal, the court dismissed the appeal brought by the APC.
The tribunal had on December 19, 2014, upheld Mr. Fayose’s election but not satisfied with the ruling, the APC approached the Appeal Court to overturn the decision of the tribunal.
In its appeal, the APC submitted that the tribunal erred in law by dismissing the ground of certificate forgery it made against Mr. Fayose.
The party also challenged the decision of the tribunal to strike out the Chief of Army Staff and the Nigerian Army as parties to the petition.
The APC had further challenged the tribunal’s decision which denied jurisdiction to pronounce whether the Army had a role to play in an election or not.
But in a two-hour judgment delivered by a full panel of the Court of Appeal headed by Justice Abdul Aboki, the court held that the appellants did not prove beyond reasonable doubt that the certificate of the respondent issued by the Polytechnic Ibadan was forged.
The court noted that the issuing institution which was the Polytechnic Ibadan had forwarded a letter stating that the certificate in contention was issued by it.
The court further noted that the appellants failed to provide an evidence to show that the certificate was forged.
Based on that premise, the court dismissed the ground of appeal.
On the issue of striking out the names of Chief of Army Staff and Nigerian Army from the petition by the tribunal, the court held that the tribunal was right as such office and establishment were not recognised under the law to be involved in electoral process.
The court noted that the two parties were struck out because they were not necessary parties and as such their non-joinder in the tribunal would not produce adverse effect on the appellant.
It also held that as far as the election was concerned, the military could only be categorised as agents of INEC.
The court, nevertheless upheld the decision of the tribunal, striking out the names of the Chief of Army Staff and Nigerian Army as parties to the petition.
The court also did not object to the decision of the tribunal refusing jurisdiction to determine whether the military had a role to play in an electoral process.
In the cross appeal brought by PDP and Mr. Fayose on whether APC could file a petition before the tribunal without its governorship candidate, the court held in the affirmative.
Justice Aboki held that the candidate was not a necessary party in the petition on ground that it was the party that sponsored a candidate.
Also on whether an impeachment could qualify as a ground for disqualification in an election, the court held that there was no way an impeachment could constitute a ground for disqualification.
The tribunal had in dismissing APC’s petition on December 19, 2013, held that the witnesses paraded by the petitioner were unable to provide concrete evidence to support the claims of corrupt practices at the polling units.
It also held that the testimonies made by the APC’s witnesses failed to support claims that the election did not comply substantially with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The Ekiti Justice Group (EJG) has condemned the alleged diversion of N57.34m drugs meant for Ekiti State to the campaign of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Major General Mohammadu Buhari (rtd) by the wife of former governor of the State, Mrs Bisi Fayemi.
Fayemi
The group, in a release issued in Ado Ekiti on Monday, and signed by its Secretary, Ebenezer Olaleye, urged the State government to investigate the allegation.
A text message by EKITI-UK had alleged that Fayemi’s wife donated drugs worth N57.34m to Buhari’s campaign. It was alleged that the drugs sourced from a European Donor Agency last year August for Ekiti
Free Health Mission arrived first week of January.
The drugs were said to be part of the N135m drugs Buhari’s wife, Mrs. Aishatu Buhari donated to the Internally Displaced Persons camps in Adamawa State last week Wednesday.
EJG said it was miffed that Fayemi and his wife were yet to learn their lessons after they were roundly rejected by Ekiti people.
It added; “that was the way Fayemi’s wife built a N500m Centre for Gender and Social Policy Studies for the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and donated two brand new buses to the Elizade University, Ilaramokin.
“She also donated 600 books from her library to the university while Ekiti State University was begging for attention.
“Her husband donated N1.5bn to Buhari’s campaign and she has donated drugs meant for Ekiti people to Adamawa State.
“We wonder why Fayemi and his wife hate Ekiti and its people this much.”
The executive governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose has said that a former governor of the state and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Kayode Fayemi can play an alleged audio recording on another plant.
Fayemi, Fayose shake hands in public
The governor was responding to a statement released by Fayemi that some soldiers are willing to testify in support of the leaked audio record, which exposed how some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party connived with the military to rig the June 21, 2014 governorship election in Ekiti.
Fayemi disclosed this while responding to questions on a live programme “APC Change Hour” on Akure, Ondo State-based Adaba 88.9fm.
He said “We are taking every step to ensure this does not go unpunished. There are many soldiers willing to testify.
“There are many Captain Sagir Kolis who are willing to give evidence in the court of law. I am just appealing to all Nigerians to be patient as events unfold”.
While responding through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi to NAIJA CENTER NEWS, Governor Fayose said he doesn’t have time to waste on the issue of purported audio recording, adding that he is more concerned on developing Ekiti as he promised.
He said ” We don’t have time for that. We are concerned with developing Ekiti State and to deliver our electoral pormises. Audio clip issue is a distraction which we understand.
“To the press, is worth amplifying. To Ekiti people, it is meaningless because they elected their governor.
“As i had said earlier, let them go to court and prove genuineness of their claim. The MTN call logs between Justice Ayo Salami and APC chieftains to buy judgement for Fayemi and Aregbesola could not be relying on by the court.
NAIJA CENTER, let Fayemi leave this planet and go to another planet to play his clip, we are not moved.”
