Ekiti lawmakers hold plenary on highway to protest freezing of Fayose’s bank accounts

The twenty-six members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly yesterday relocated to the highway where it held plenary to protest the freezing of Governor Ayodele’ bank accounts and his alleged victimisation by agents of the Federal Government.

The placard-carrying lawmakers matched through Okesa area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital before finally settling down for a plenary under a canopy to condemn the exercise by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and alleged threat to arrest some of them.

The drama disrupted commercial activities in the area as one side of the road was closed for the protesting legislators who had their bags handy in readiness for arrest.

The anti-graft agency had last Tuesday frozen the governor’s two accounts domiciled with the Ado-Ekiti branch of Zenith Bank Plc, alleging that N1.2 billion of the $2.1 billion arms fund was traced to the accounts.

Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Ado Ekiti has summoned EFCC and the bank to appear before it on Monday, July 4, to explain their action.

However, the lawmakers have accused the All Progressive Congress (APC)-led Federal Government and the anti-corruption agency of mounting pressure on them to initiate impeachment process against the governor, warning that “none of the 26 members of the Assembly is available to be bought for the dirty job.”

Some of the brandished placards read: “We are ready for arrest”, “Harassing Ekiti lawmakers/government won’t give you 2018.”

Others have inscriptions like,”No matter your media trial and blackmail, on Fayose we stand” and “Leave Fayose alone” among others.

Policemen in 11 Hilux pick-up vans provided security to the protesters.

Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole, told reporters that the sit-out assignment was meant to pass a warning to the Federal government that they were solidly behind Fayose and that nobody could use them to impeach him.

“No amount of intimidation, harassment, arrest will push us to do any dirty job. We have had enough of intimidation. They should leave Governor Fayose alone, he was duly elected by the people of Ekiti State.