Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti State has accused Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari of using corrupt anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to fight corruption in Nigeria.
In a statement released on Wednesday, July 6, 2016, Governor Fayose insists that the Buhari must start the corruption fight from his party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, and his immediate aides, since “charity begins from home”.
“EFCC opinions remain their opinions and if they are so sure of whatever information they have, they should go to court and stop subjecting Nigerians to media trial and that no amount of media trial from the same elements that orchestrated my removal in 2006 can erode my popularity among Ekiti people,” Fayose said.
Reacting to EFCC planted media reports that the Ekiti governor owns properties, Fayose said that property linked to him or his company was bought legitimately and his properties were duly declared on his assets declaration form.
The statement, which was signed by a media aide to the governor, Lere Olayinka, insisted that Governor Fayose’s election campaigns was funded by Zenith Bank Plc, along with donations from friends and associates.
“As a promising candidate of my party, I cannot stop Nigerians from supporting my election like every other candidates of other political, including President Buhari,” the statement said.
Fayose said that since his campaign was funded from legitimate sources, how he spent his campaign funds was not the business of the EFCC. He called the EFCC’s attempt to link him with the office of the national security officer as a concocted story.
The governor also debunked the reported allegation by the EFCC that he received bribe from any contractor in Ekiti. “If they have anything against me, they should keep their gun powder dry because in 2006 when they took me to court, their allegations crumbled like pack of cards because court decisions are founded on facts and law, and not on media trial as currently being done by the EFCC,” the statement said.
Fayose also alleged that the APC was tele guiding the EFCC action against him in desperation to set the people against him because they know they are not on ground in Ekiti.
“Having failed to buy the conscience of Ekiti House of Assembly members, the APC people have become increasingly afraid of losing at the 2018 election and that the agencies of the federal government should know that no matter how hard they try, Ekiti electorate will not be deceived by their blackmail and media trial,” the statement said.
“The EFCC should be told in clear terms that this is 2016 and not 2006 when impeachment notices against governors were signed on the table of EFCC operatives.
“Those who are tele guiding the EFCC now should also be reminded that they did more than what they are doing now in 2006, yet I was overwhelmingly voted for by the Ekiti people eight years after the orchestrated impeachment which the Supreme Court ultimately declared illegal,” he said.
“Should Nigerians now conclude that EFCC is an appendage of APC? Is the EFCC for investigation of corrupt practices among all Nigerians or members of opposition parties alone?
“As at today, I have not been accused of stealing a dime from Ekiti treasury. EFCC has not also said that Ekiti money was stolen and that my election was funded with Ekiti State money,” the statement said.
Accusing the EFCC of carrying out the APC agenda to force him out of office as was done in 2006, the governor said, “It is sad that some politicians from Ekiti State now resume and close in EFCC offices in Lagos and Abuja and we wonder whether those politicians have now taken over the job of EFCC.”
The governor maintained that he will continue to speak his mind on issues affecting Nigerians and can never be cowed, saying, “Nigerians are suffering. States can no longer pay workers salary, a litre of kerosene is now N220, a bag of rice is now N20,000 and some people will sit in Presidential Villa and expect that all of us should keep silent? That’s not possible!
“No amount of media trial by agents of the Buhari-led APC government will make me to stop baring my mind on the cluelessness of the federal government,” the statement ended.
