Fayose ‘rejects soft landing’ as PDP alleges indefinite detention plot

Outging governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, yesterday announced his rejection of an alleged soft landing being planned for him by the presidency.

He spoke in Abuja, as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) claimed that the Federal Government had instructed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to lay siege to Fayose’s Asokoro residence at midnight and detain him indefinitely.

The governor had said: “I don’t expect anything less. That is their style. How could I have left Ekiti State to come to Abuja in readiness to appear before the EFCC and then begin to plan an escape?

“I am ready to appear before them and whatever they like they can do. If they like they can keep me indefinitely but one thing is sure, we are chasing them out of power in February 2019. I thank Nigerians for the solidarity they displayed (have) for me so far.

“I don’t want their soft-landing. I don’t want to support their president.”

But in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP alleged that “information at our disposal and all over the social media indicate that the presidency has put the commission on alert to arrest the governor midnight today (yesterday) and detain him indefinitely.

“The alleged directive by the presidency is not unconnected with the plot to use the EFCC and other security agencies to incarcerate the governor owing to his persistent criticism of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC government.”

It continued: “This uncompromising stand of the outgoing governor against the present administration was the reason Ekiti State was invaded and taken by force during the last governorship election.

“By 12 midnight on Monday (yesterday), the governor’s residence would have been surrounded by armed men of the EFCC under the pretext that they had information of his plot to escape. This is to achieve their plan to humiliate and portray him in bad light to the public by dramatising his arrest.

“Nigerians should recall that it was the governor who offered to submit himself to the EFCC despite the commission’s clear display of partisanship as demonstrated in its various actions, especially its tweet of July 16, 2018 and putting the governor on security watch list.”