The City Reporters
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Ekiti State’s governor-elect, Ayodele Fayose, for reportedly slapping a Judge and prompting his “thugs” to attack and burn down the APC secretariat in the state.
Fayose, who defeated incumbent Governor Kayode Fayemi in the state’s gubernatorial election in June under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is yet to deny or admit the allegations.
Governor Fayemi declared a curfew until further notice after rival party thugs resorted to violence and vandalism over the election tribunal some now fear may be skewed in favour of the incumbent.
APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, the party said in a statement on Friday:
“Even though Mr. Fayose has not assumed office, he has succeeded in taking Ekiti State back to Egypt within a few months of his ‘election’. Not only are Judges being attacked, the kind of killings and chaos that characterised his first time in charge of the state have already started.
“He is struggling hard to ensure that Ekiti is no longer in the league of states where disputes are settled in courts, instead of on the streets, and judges preside in the administration of justice.
“According to published reports which have yet to be refuted, police personnel stood by while litigants, lawyers and other citizens were being mauled by rabid PDP thugs in the first attack, and again seemed powerless as Justice Adeyeye was being manhandled and his suit torn until the Police Commissioner arrived at the scene. If this is not an act of collusion, then it is a case of unacceptable gross incompetence for which those security agents must be brought to book.
“If the police are no longer willing and able to carry out their constitutional duties of protecting the lives and property of the citizenry, then anarchy looms.
“How can elections be free, fair and transparent in a lawless society? How can elections be credible when policemen are taking sides with the ruling party? How can elections be violence-free when candidates being put forward by the ruling party are ready to engage in jungle justice? We can only call on the international community to maintain a keen interest in events in Nigeria in the days and weeks ahead.”
