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Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Dr Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti State, were engaged in war of words on Tuesday over alleged moves by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to prosecute the former governor.
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.
Mr Jackson Adebayo, PDP’s Publicity Secretary, alleged in a statement that some leaders of APC were planning to approach President Muhammadu Buhari through his closetsmen 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 leadership of the All Progressive Congress to put pressure 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 cannot be ignored again by the anti-graft body in its current moves against past governors.”
PDP said: “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, “I think the PDP-led government in the state is merely hallucinating.”
Oyebode said, “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 N1.3 billion poultry scam case came up at the Ado-Ekiti High Court sometime 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.’’
