The political crisis rocking Ekiti State deepened on Friday as Governor
Kayode Fayemi declared dusk till dawn curfew in the state.
In a live broadcast in Ado-Ekiti on Friday, Fayemi said, “There would be
no movement between the hours of 7.00 p.m and 7.00 am everyday till further
notice.
“We urge the citizenry to be vigilant and provide the security agencies
with details of suspicious activities that can undermine the peace in our
state.”
The declaration followed widespread violence across the state capital on
Friday following Thursday’s killing of a former Chairman of the National Union
of Road Transport Workers, Omolafe Aderiye, by gunmen.
The office of Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation and three vehicles in
the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress were burnt in the early
hours of Friday.
Last Monday, hoodlums invaded the Ekiti State High Court presided over
by Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi to disrupt proceedings in a case challenging the
eligibility of the Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, to contest the June 21
election won by him.
The invasion occurred shortly after the judge refused an application to
set aside an order abridging the time for the Peoples Democratic Party’s
candidate to file his defence in the case filed by two members of the Ekiti-11,
Mr. Adeniyi Ajakaiye and Olufemi Ajayi.
On Thursday, another judge, Justice John Adeyeye, was beaten by some
thugs who also tore his suit.
There was also tension at the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition
Tribunal on Thursday in a matter between the APC and Fayose.
Tracing the genesis of the violence to the Monday attack on Justice
Ogunyemi, Fayemi indicted law enforcement agencies for not doing enough to
avoid the situation.
He said, “This happened in full glare of the law enforcement agents with
inappropriate response. Clearly, these brigands exceeded the limits of
acceptable behavior, even in the most liberal of democracies, and ventured into
the realm of blatant criminality with this desecration of the hallowed chambers
of the law.
“The fact that this assault did not meet with any strong deterring
repercussions from the appropriate authorities further emboldened the
miscreants.
“They subsequently attempted to prevent the Ekiti State Governorship
Election Petition Tribunal from sitting, yesterday, Thursday, September 25. I
am advised incontrovertibly that thugs acting on the command of Mr. Ayo Fayose,
who was also present to lend his clout to the travesty, brazenly assaulted a
senior judge and urged his thugs to beat him up and tear his clothes.”
He added, “Since the beginning of this development on Monday, which is
unprecedented in the recent history of our state, I have been in touch with the
heads of all security agencies at the state and federal levels, urging them to
act quickly and firmly in the interest of public law and order. It is worrisome
that the slow and inadequate response has occasioned the avoidable escalation
of violence in our dear state.”
The governor described the use of violence and intimidation to obstruct
the course of justice as an invitation to anarchy.
He appealed to the political elite to exercise caution as the state is
in the transition era, asking stakeholders to support efforts to ensure that
Ekiti State come out of the crisis stronger.
Fayemi said, “We must rescue our state from the precarious slippery
slope that some have desperately pushed us to. We should not imperil the very
people we seek to serve by resorting to violence and brigandage. One does not
burn down his homestead to establish his claim of ownership or leadership.
“Most assuredly, the course of Justice can only be delayed, but can
never be truncated. The independence of the Judiciary is an inviolable tenet of
any democracy.”
The governor said he had directed the Attorney General of the state, Mr.
Wale Fapohunda, to issue a legal advisory to the Chief Judge, Ayodeji Daramola,
and all the parties to the existing cases in the State High Court and the Ekiti
State Governorship Elections Petitions Tribunal, on the desirability of seeking
an alternative venue for the hearing of these cases outside Ekiti State.
“The State can no longer afford to witness the bizarre spectacle of the
beating up of judicial officers and wanton intimidation of lawyers and court
personnel.”
Fayemi, who noted that the security agencies had taken control of the
situation, urged them not to relent in performing their constitutional role of
protecting lives and property in the state.
“Administrations come and go; politics can be frenetic when the stakes
are high; but by the grace of the Almighty God, our state remains for all time,
therefore the peace of our land is not negotiable.”
The Governor appealed to the people to see themselves as brothers
despite their political differences by embracing civility and empathy.
“Let us deal truthfully with our youth, who are so liable to be led
astray by unbridled political fervour, by seeing them as our children rather
than as conscripts or fodder for our objectives.
“Let us work together to stop the violence and brigandage that has
brought about serious embarrassment to our state in the last few days.”