Law will take its course in Ekiti petition, says APC

Spokesman petitions police over alleged threat to his life

THE All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti State has reacted to the Court of Appeal judgment in the governorship petition filed by APC challenging the declaration Mr Ayodele Fayose as the winner in the June 21, 2014 governorship poll, saying the law will take its course in the final determination of the matter at the Supreme Court.

   APC State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said in a statement that though the court ruled in Fayose’s favour, it is gratifying that judicial declaration was given to APC’s complaint on illegal deployment of troops to harass and intimidate the opposition during the election. 

     He added that the party also succeeded in proving that Fayose was legally impeached in 2006 as resolved by the Appeal Court in its judgment. He stressed, however, that the party would appeal the judgment at the Supreme Court, as there are other issues that should have been addressed by the judgment.

    “The judgment has vindicated us on our complaint that it is illegal for the ruling party to deploy troops to intimidate the opponents during election to influence victory for its candidates because this is a clear infringement on the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the use of the military.

     “The recent audio leak about how the election was rigged by PDP chieftains, including the present beneficiary who used the army to terrorise innocent Ekiti citizens, has further lent credence to our petition that the election was neither free nor fair.

      “We are also vindicated that Fayose was legally impeached in 2006. As observed in the judgment, it is now left for the National Assembly to look into the nation’s law whether it is right and lawful to allow a man that is impeached over gross misconduct‎, public funds embezzlement and violation of the constitution to re-contest the position he had earlier lost over such constitutional breaches,” Olatubosun said.  

      He added, however, that other issues that were not addressed by the Appeal Court in the judgment would be trashed out at the Supreme Court. 

     He urged members to be law-abiding and wait till the party employed all constitutional means to get justice in the matter.

 Meanwhile, Olatubosun, has petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, alleging threat to his life by an aide of the state governor

     In a petition dated February 14, 2015‎ and copied to the State Director, Directorate of State Securit‎y (DSS), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Olatubosun said on 14th of February 2015, at about 11.21am, an aide of Fayose, a native of Afao-Ekiti called him on his phone number 08063273334 through his number, threatening that he would deal with me by launching an attack on me and my wife anytime soon

     Olatubosun alleged that the accused called him unprintable names, boasting that if he could not get him, “he will assassinate my wife and children”.

     His words: “I was in the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Criminal Investigation Department (AC, CID), with OC-Legal and others when his call came in and I put him on speaker. Immediately, he identified himself from Afao Ekiti. The AC, CID and the OC, Legal listened to his threat to attack me, my wife and children because I am the Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti-State who issues press releases on behalf of the APC to always criticize Governor Fayose.”