Fayose in victory dance as S-Court validates his election

Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, yesterday led a victory dance to celebrate  the judgment of the Supreme Court which  revalidated his election during the June 21 governorship election in the state Fayose personally led the procession made up of the crowd awaiting his return from Abuja where the judgment was delivered. Continue..

Fayose carried a placard bearing the inscription: “God, I thank you, Ekiti people, I thank you for your steadfastness,” leading the carnival-like procession through busy routes such as Fajuyi-Okesha-Okeyinmi-Oba’s market, Old Garage, Ijigbo-Mugbagba and Ajilosun streets among others..

Addressing the crowd, Fayose said he was delighted that all legal tussles weaved around his mandate as governor had died and laid to rest by the Supreme Court.

He expressed gratitude to the  judges for keeping sacred, the mandate freely given to him by Ekiti people. Fayose called on those still nursing the ambition of getting him out of office at all cost, and by all means to have a re-think, as unfolding events had proved that it was God that put him in position of leadership.

During the period the procession lasted, there was traffic gridlock on major streets of Ado-Ekiti as every available space was occupied by the jubilant residents, thereby preventing free flow of human and vehicular traffic.

Among those who accompanied the governor on the road show were a former Ekiti State deputy governor and senator-elect, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi; wife of former Lagos governor and Senator-Elect, Mrs Fatimah Raji-Rasaki, Senator Bode Ola and all the six newly elected House of Representatives members as well as all the 25 newly elected House of Assembly members

Ado Ekiti, the state capital, witnessed an unprecedented crowd immediately the news was relayed to the public as the people trooped out in their thousands to celebrate the victory of Governor Fayose at the apex court.

It was the same story at Ikere Ekiti, home town of the Deputy Governor, Dr Kolapo Olubunmi Olusola, likewise Afao Ekiti, the hometown of Fayose and virtually all the towns and villages of the state.

Some of those who trooped out in Ado Ekiti included  traders, Okada riders, students, commercial transporters   and party men and women of various political divide abandoned work immediately the judgment was delivered at about 10:am.

The jubilant crowd sang praises to God in songs like Ose ,ose oo ,ose o ,ose baba, dancing round the town and later meeting the group following the governor at Fajuyi Square.

The Supreme Court, yesterday, dashed the hopes of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to sack Governor Fayose from office.

In a unanimous judgment yesterday, a seven-man panel of Justices of the apex court led by Justice John Fabiyi, held that the appeal which was lodged against Fayose by the APC lacked merit.

The appeal had challenged the outcome of the June 21, 2014, governorship election that saw the re-emergence of Fayose as the governor of Ekiti State.

Fayose polled a total of 203,090 votes to defeat the then incumbent governor of the  state and candidate of the APC, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who garnered a total of 120, 433 votes.

Although Fayemi conceded defeat and congratulated Fayose of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, his party however proceeded to the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, alleging that the election was fraught with manifest irregularities which it said was unprecedented in the annals of the country.

Verdict leaves moral questions unanswered —Ekiti APC

Meantime, the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has reacted to the Supreme Court judgment saying that the verdict left moral questions unanswered.

The party’s Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, in a statement, said even though the party had accepted the verdict because it had no choice,  there were moral issues arising from the judgment.

He said that what flew from the judgment was that citizens can lie with ease under oath and get away with it.

He said: “At the time Mr. Fayose filled his form at INEC and lied that he had never been indicted by any panel, no judgment had been delivered to reverse his impeachment until the Supreme Court verdict of today.

‘’This implies that it is profitable to lie and cheat as the end will always justify the means.

“We had expected that the judgment would serve as a deterrent to the likes of Fayose who believes in impunity and extra-judicial method of doing things.

‘’We are shocked that a man who did not allow a case of eligibility against him to be heard till today at the state High Court after assaulting judges and desecrating the judiciary would come out clean at the topmost temple of justice.

“We accept the judgment of the Supreme Court as a law abiding party even though the moral questions it raised have refused to go.

“We call on our party members to be   law abiding and not to despair. The present wind of change which is blowing across the country will soon be felt in Ekiti as there will be an end to impunity, brigandage and gangsterism.”

Respect verdict, Omirin pleads with APC members

The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, has appealed to the members of the APC and Ekiti people in general to accept the judgment of the Supreme Court on the Ekiti State governorship election appeal petition  filed by the party.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Wole Olujobi, the Speaker said the Supreme Court as the last authority on the matter had spoken and urged the people to respect the verdict.

Noting that the judges are after all human beings who might have erred in the consideration of the petition, he said opportunities still existed that issues of similar nature might arise again in future to right the wrongs that might have been noticed in the judgment.

“This is an opportunity for Nigerians to ask questions whether it is morally right for a thieving governor to be impeached this month and next month he is recontesting the same position he lost over breach of public trust and alleged stealing.

“It is shocking that the judges could not take into account details of alleged fraud over which Fayose was indicted, particularly as the EFCC is in court trying the governor over the offence for which Fayose was indicted,” Omirin said, adding:

“For ordinary Nigerians, it was believed that the judgment would consider the particulars of the governor’s alleged fraudulent acts as established by the EFCC that necessitated the setting up of the panel which the Supreme Court is now saying was faulty .