The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has accused former governor Kayode Fayemi of plotting to manipulate the Supreme Court Justices to remove him from office.
The governor said the new plot was in furtherance of his earlier allegation that Fayemi, acting in collaboration with leaders of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State and Abuja, was seeking to return to power through the backdoor, by enlisting a section of the judiciary to revisit the 2014 governorship election in the state.
He referred to an interview published in a national newspaper (not The PUNCH), where Fayemi reportedly said rather than joining a ‘so-called governorship race’, his preoccupation was to get to the root of what actually transpired in Ekiti on June 21, 2014.
Addressing journalists in Ado Ekiti on Monday, Fayose alleged that Fayemi, in the last few days, had been boasting that the Supreme Court would be made to review its judgment of April 14, 2015, which validated his election.
Fayose added, “This was an election that was adjudged free, fair and credible by both local and international observers, including the United States government. These renewed efforts are consequent upon the brick wall he (Fayemi) has met on his plan to contest the 2018 governorship election as the APC candidate.
“Having realised how difficult it will be for him to clinch the APC ticket not to even talk of winning the election proper, Fayemi has opted to seek power through the backdoor, claiming that he already has the backing of three newly appointed Justices of the Supreme Court, the DSS and other top organs of the Federal Government to force the Supreme Court to review its judgment on the Ekiti State 2014 governorship election.”
But in a terse reaction, the Special Assistant on Media to Fayemi, Olayinka Oyebode, said he would not dignify the ranting of Fayose with a response.
Fayose asked what unfinished business Fayemi was talking about in an election that he clearly lost.
He stated, “What unfinished business does Fayemi have with an election that I won fair and square, defeating him in all the 16 local government areas of the state, including his home town of Isan-Ekiti?
“Mind you, that June 2014 election was the second time I would be trouncing an incumbent governor, the first being in 2003 when I defeated the sitting Alliance for Democracy governor, Otunba Niyi Adebayo.”
He advised the Supreme Court and the entire judiciary to be mindful of “this banana peel coming from the same people who orchestrated the DSS invasion of judges’ residences in the night just because they refused to assist them to perpetrate injustice.
“This is more so that Fayemi and his collaborators are the unaware that Order 8, Rule 16 of the Supreme Court expressly states that the court shall not review its judgment once given, except there is a clerical mistake or slip.
“They are also aware of the position of the Supreme Court judgment on Andy Uba that there must be an end to litigation, a position also affirmed in the case of Prof. Steve Torkuma Ugba vs. Gabriel Torwua Suswam.
“Most importantly, in Segun Oni vs Fayemi, he (Fayemi) was a beneficiary of the suis generis (time bound) nature of election matter and the matter becoming functus officio once judgment is delivered by the final court as provided by the Electoral Act, and sane minds should wonder what magic he intends to perform by going to the Supreme Court on an election matter already determined at the final court, if not that he may have indeed got the assurance of the powers that be.
“One is therefore concerned that people who go about parading credentials as democrats will be so vicious that they won’t accept defeat, close to three years after they lost an election even in their own family house.”
“We are therefore alerting Nigerians once again to this plot coming from Fayemi and his APC people who have proved over time that they are bad losers and will never respect the will of the people.”
Fayose, however, boasted that Fayemi and his backers would fail in their plot because he had the people behind him, adding that the Supreme Court would not debase itself.
“I have an unflinching confidence that the Supreme Court will not debase itself. On the 2014 Ekiti governorship election, the apex court has spoken and it has spoken so clearly.
“Day-dreamers like Fayemi can continue to hallucinate. As for me and the Ekiti people, our focus is on the 2018 governorship election. By God’s grace and the solid support and backing of Ekiti people, we will again give Fayemi and his political camp 16–0.”
Punch
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