Fayose planning to kill APC Lawmakers when they come into Ekiti Today

There is palpable tension in Ado-Ekiti, as residents await the arrival of two political groups laying claims to the leadership of Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Crisis broke out in the Assembly following the breakdown of communication between the two political
camps – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led executive and the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus.

The PDP caucus had announced the sack of Adewale Omirin, an APC member, who had held-sway as Speaker of the Assembly since June 2011 and appointment of an APC defectors, Dele Olugbemi as Speaker.

The new Speaker had earlier been appointed interim Speaker by the PDP caucus

The 26-member Assembly is made up 19 APC members and seven PDP members. But the PDP claimed three members of the APC, whose identity they did not reveal, are working with them in principle.

The APC caucus has been in Lagos to express their displeasure over political developments in Ekiti State.

Meanwhile, the state Police Command has raised alarm over an alleged plot by certain individuals to cause trouble in the state.

The command said it had received an intelligence report that some group of people are planning to invade the state to disrupt the peace and cause break down of law and order.

The state Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, raised the alarm in a statement issued to newsmen on Sunday.

The statement said the police chief has directed all the personnel in the state to commence high visibility patrol and stop-and-search operations to prevent criminals from infiltrating the state and possible importation of dangerous weapons.

The police commissioner warned political stakeholders in the state and their followers to respect constituted authority and due process. They are also advised to refrain from taking laws into their hands and desist from the use of thugs to pursue their agenda.

“The Command shall apply all means, legally permitted, to prevent breakdown of law and order in any part of the state and shall apply the full weight of the law on any person or group of persons that violate the peace of the state under whatever guise,” the police chief warned.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state has raised alarm over threat to the lives of state lawmakers and accused the Nigeria Police Force of partisanship in the crisis ravaging the state.

A press statement by the state Publicity Secretary of the party, Taiwo Olatubosun, said the APC is shocked by the police’s undisguised support for Governor Ayodele Fayose so far in the crisis rocking Ekiti State House of Assembly.

He criticised police support for the seven PDP state Assembly members when they sat to illegally ratify the list of commissioner-nominees and council caretaker members, and also the purported removal of the Speaker, Adewale Omirin.

Olatubosun also said the police, at the same time, denied APC lawmakers access into the Assembly complex even while allowing non-lawmakers to sit with the seven PDP legislators.

The state APC publicity secretary also frowned at the police for taking Fayose’s accusation as its official intelligence report over allegation of a plan by APC to storm Ekiti with thugs recruited from a neighbouring state to cause mayhem.

“It is curious that a day after Governor Fayose’s Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, issued a press release accusing APC of plan to storm Ekiti with thugs recruited from a neighbouring state, the police that are supposed to play a neutral role also said in their own press release, indicating that the opposition politicians are planning to recruit thugs from a neighbouring state for violence,” Olatubosun said.

He added: “We are not surprised by the police role in Ekiti crisis. The police have been working in cohort with the governor to sustain illegalities in Ekiti State. The police did nothing when Fayose’s thugs invaded the court to disrupt proceedings in the perjury case.

“They looked on when judges, lawyers and other court officials were beaten in the court premises while thugs broke into the office of the Chief Judge to tear court records.

“We have it on good record that Fayose specifically requested the police authorities in Abuja to post back to Ekiti all the policemen that he used to terrorise Ekiti people during his first tempestuous term. For instance, one of them, alias Shaba, is in town working for Fayose.

“Just last night, agents of government were in the home of Deputy Speaker, Adetunji Orisalade, as strange men in dark suits visited his Ilogbo-Ekiti home in the night, asking about his whereabouts.

“At Ikere-Ekiti, the same gang, in a black jeep with its number plate covered, visited the homes of the two lawmakers representing Ikere Local Government, Hon Sunday Adu Clement and Hon Yomi Daramola. Sunday morning, we got several reports from each of the 19 honourable members about similar threats to their lives,” Olatubosun added that everyone knows that Fayose is planning to do what he is accusing the opposition of, wondering why a governor would ask the APC lawmakers to return to Ekiti to cooperate in state’s development and at the same time laying landmines on their way to cause mayhem.

“As we talk, PDP thugs are under the tree close to a police post within the Assembly Complex smoking Indian hemp but the police and DSS are doing nothing about it,” Olatubosun added.