The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ekiti State governorship election, Professor Kolapo Olusola says he is proud of his political father, Governor Ayo Fayose.
Olusola in an interview on Channels Television’s Programme, Sunday Politics noted that his emergence as the party’s flagbearer in the July 14 gubernatorial polls was as a result of his selfless service to the people of the state and this was recognised by the governor.
“I have a political father who is Peter Ayodele Fayose and I am proud of him. The issue at stake is Ekiti State and the bulk stops at my table when I become governor.
“If I am Fayose’s boy, good. The most important thing is that Ekiti State comes first and my performance is what matters,” he said.
The governorship aspirant expressed confidence of emerging victorious in the polls. According to him, the people of the state were solidly behind him and the PDP.
“Ekiti people are behind us, they are behind Olusola Eleka and Fayose. They are behind PDP and you can be rest assured that we are going to win come July 14.”
He also criticised the All Progressives Congress’ (APC) governorship candidate, Kayode Fayemi, alleging that he plunged the state into debt while he was governor.
Olusola, who is currently the deputy governor of Ekiti State assured that if he is elected as governor, would consolidate on the achievements of Governor Fayose and make life easy for the people.
He noted that he is fit to rule Ekiti State as an academic with years of experience in teaching and mentoring.
“As a professor with 24 years teaching experience in the academics, not only that, I have mentored many people. So, I believe I have the required background, intellectual capacity and exposure to govern Ekiti State.”
The wife of Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, Mrs Chikwendu Fani-Kayode, has dismissed allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that her Access Bank account was used to launder a said sum of money.
The former Aviation Minister’s wife was purportedly arrested by some EFCC operatives alongside her eight-month-old son, Aragorn on Monday in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital in southwest Nigeria.
Her reaction came after the EFCC said it did not detain the wife of the former Aviation Minister, contradicting reports in the media and the claims of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A spokesman for the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, had earlier cleared the air on the said money laundering.
“The said account, which had a balance of 2,307,712.82 Naira was flagged following investigation into the PDP Joint Trust fund when the Commission traced 1.1 billion Naira to the Zenith Bank account of Fani-Kayode.
“It was discovered that the account had two biometric identification numbers, one for Fani-Kayode and the other for Sonia Chikwendu.
“The same BVN is linked to two other accounts in Diamond Bank and 15 accounts in Guaranty Trust Bank.”
Lie From The Pit Of Hell
Reacting to the EFCC’s report, Mrs Fani-Kayode said all that the anti-graft agency claimed was not true.
A statement by her spokesperson, Chineye Okechukwu, on Tuesday described the allegations as ‘a lie from the pit of hell’.
“The assertion by one Wilson Uwujaren, who is supposed to be the spokesman of the EFCC that Precious Chikwendu’s Access Bank account was used to launder (former President Goodluck) Jonathan campaign funds or funds from the National Security Adviser (NSA)’s office and that approximately 2.4 million Naira balance was found in the said account at the time of her arrest is a lie from the pit of hell.
“The said account was opened in 2005 at Onitsha when Precious Chikwendu was about to start at the University of Calabar.
“At that time it was not known as Access Bank but Intercontinental Bank.
“The account was used by her from 2005 till 2012 when it was abandoned and went dormant.
“It was not utilised or activated again until August 2016 when small deposits of between 200,000 Naira and 500,000 Naira were made into it and the total amount that entered into that account over a period of two months was approximately four million Naira.
“The money was spent on looking after the family, paying staff salaries and to buy groceries.
“Consequently at the time that the account was frozen last Friday, the amount that was left in it was 95,000 Naira.
“She was not notified about the freezing of the account until someone paid 200,000 Naira into it on Saturday.
“The money entered the account, but after that it could not be accessed.
“She decided to stop at the bank on her way out of Ado Ekiti on Monday in order to know what was going on and she was then detained and offered to the police and EFCC, together with her eight-month-old son, Aragorn, for arrest.
“The total amount that was in the account at the time of the arrest was 295,000 Naira which is approximately $600.
A document Mrs Fani-Kayode’s spokesperson claims is the account’s transaction statement
“This is reflected in the screenshot above together with the relevant dates.
“How Wilson of the EFCC arrived at his figure of 2.3million Naira being in the account at the time of (the) arrest is mind-boggling and absurd.
“It is nothing but a shameless and barefaced lie and he and the organisation that he works for are nothing but pernicious liars.
Lies Of The EFCC
“It is equally absurd to suggest that the said account had anything to do with Jonathan Campaign funds or Dasuki NSA funds, given the fact that the said account was not even active or functional between 2012 right up until August 2016.
“The Presidential campaign took place in 2015 and at that time, the account was dormant.
“At the time that she abandoned and stopped using the account in 2012, Precious Chikwendu had not even met Chief Fani-Kayode.
“The lies of the EFCC on this matter are sickening and they are wicked and sadistic people.
“Wilson’s assertions are just one example of such lies.
“The only reason that Precious Chikwendu’s bank accounts were frozen and she was subjected to such inhuman treatment is because she is married to Chief Femi Fani-Kayode who is a politician and a leading member of the opposition.
“They wanted to punish her and their eight month-old-son, Aragorn, just to hurt and spite Chief Fani-Kayode.
Connection With Public Funds
“Finally let me add this; it is not true that Precious Chikwendu has 17 accounts in GTB, this is another dirty EFCC lie.
“She has one current account with a merged savings account in GTB which was opened in 2012.
“Outside of that, she has a dollar account and a pounds sterling account with the same bank which were all opened on the same day in 2012.
“None of these accounts have any connection whatsoever with public funds or with Chief Femi Fani-Kayode and neither was any GTB BVN linked to his.
“Again on this issue the EFCC lied.
“Neither is it true that the EFCC were not at the bank in Ado Ekiti to arrest her because three of their operatives were actually there manning the bank door with their identity cards pinned to their jackets.
“They were backed by five fully armed policemen in uniform.
“They made it clear to Precious Chikwendu that they had been ordered to bring her to Abuja by road that same evening and that if she could not leave her son in the bank with the manager, he would have to come for the ride too.
“Had it not been for the intervention of Governor Fayose, that is exactly what would have happened and only God knows what they would have been subjected to on the way,” the statement read.
The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the purported arrest of the wife of Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, Precious Chikwendu.
Mr Fani-Kayode’s wife was said to have been arrested on Monday alongside her eight-month-old son by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes commission (EFCC) in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital in southwest Nigeria.
The party made the censure on Tuesday in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye.
The statement read: “We condemn in its entirety, the arrest and detention of Precious Chikwendu, Wife of Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, and former Spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDP-PCO) on October 17, 2016 by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
“She was arrested along with her eight-month-old son, Aragorn, and would have been detained but for the timely intervention of Governor Ayo Fayose.
“This action represents a new low in the Federal Government’s resolve to harass and persecute real and perceived enemies of the Buhari Administration under the guise of an anti-corruption crusade.
“It is reprehensible for the government to attack members of the families of its perceived enemies, especially wives and children, for any reason whatsoever.
“In addition to freezing Chief Fani-Kayod’s accounts, the Federal Government has ordered the freezing of accounts of his wife, Precious Chikwendu, several of which were opened and operated long before their marriage.
“These accounts have been frozen for no reason other than her marriage to Mr Fani-Kayode.
“The Buhari Administration cannot, and must not be allowed to continue the violation of the constitutional rights and freedom of the Nigerian people.
“This sort of tyranny must not be allowed to continue unchecked.
“We have advised the family to approach the courts and enforce their legal rights in this matter”.
EFCC Denies Claimed Arrest
The anti-graft agency, however, said it did not detain the wife of the former Aviation Minister, contrary to reports in the media and the PDP claims.
In a statement made available to the media on Monday, the Head of Media and Publicity at the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, cleared the air on the said arrest.
“The wife of Femi Fani-Kayode and her child are not in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and were never detained by the Commission.
“Contrary to the media spin about the purported arrest of mother and child, a certain Chikwendu Sonia today (Monday) attempted to withdraw money from an Access Bank account that had been placed on ‘Post No Debit’ Category, following the discovery of illicit cash flows into the account.
“She was intercepted by the bank while the Commission was notified but because it was late, the EFCC advised that the suspect be taken to the Police station for processing and release on bail.
“They were arranging to take the suspect to the police station when Governor Ayo Fayose stormed the bank with thugs and his personal security and forcefully secured the release of the suspect, with claims that the EFCC had no power to detain anybody in his state,” the statement read.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered an associate of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Abiodun Agbele to be remanded in Kuje Prisons.
He is to remain in custody till Thursday, August 4 when he will rule on his bail application.
Agbele was arraigned alongside three others before Justice Dimgba by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), on an 11-count charge bordering on money laundering to the tune of N4.6 billion allegedly transferred from the office of the National Security Adviser.
He however pleaded not guilty to all charges when it was read to him.
Arguing on his bail application, counsel to Agbele, Mr Mike Ozekhome (SAN) prayed the court to grant his client bail on self-recognition because the offences for which he is standing trial for are bailable.
He told the court that the applicant was arrested by the EFCC in his house and his international passport has been with them and was used as a condition for his administrative bail.
He added that the onus is on the EFCC, to show that if granted bail, the applicant will jump and urged the court to grant the applicant bail on grounds that he will be available for trial.
Opposing the bail application, the prosecution counsel, Mr Johnson Ojogbane urged the court to refuse the application on ground, insisting that the applicant will jump bail if granted.
He told the court that the applicant is a flight risk and had perfected plans to flee the country before he was arrested by the operatives of the anti-graft agency.
He, therefore, urged the court to refuse the application and instead commence accelerated hearing in the case.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has stressed the need for officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force to imbibe the culture of community policing in the country.
Mr Arase tasked the officers during his inspection tour to the Ekiti State Police Command on Friday.
The IGP confirmed that Nigerian security system remains one of the best in the world.
During the interactive session with the officers and men, he said that the welfare of inspectors, ranks and files remains priority .
After meeting with the officers and men at the Ekiti Police Command, Mr Arase also paid a courtesy visit to the State Governor, Ayo Fayose.
He appealed with the Governor for more security supports.
Governor Fayose, after commending the IGP for his good work in the force, also pledged his total supports for community policing in the state and in Nigeria at large.
A Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved ruling till June 5 to decide whether it has jurisdiction in a suit filed by the Peoples Democratic Party faction of the Ekiti State House of Assembly challenging the planned impeachment of Governor Ayo Fayose.
Lawyer to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ekiti State House of Assembly had challenged the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit on the grounds that it is an abuse of court process.
At the resumed hearing of the suit, the All Progressives Congress (APC) questioned the jurisdiction of the court to hear the suit because a similar suit had been filled in another court as such it would amount to an abuse of court processes.
However, the lawyer to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who opposed the application, asked the court to alternatively transfer the case to the Ekiti State division of the Federal High Court so that all the parties can have their day in court.
When asked if the case would not be futile because the seventh assembly is winding down already, Counsel to APC, Terrence Vembe, said that the legislators are free to go ahead with the case.
“We are concerned with what is going on in court here. I’m not in Ekiti, I’ve not been there for a very long time. I only know about what is going on in the court.
“The legislators are very free as air to go ahead with what they are doing (because) in the first place they are not under any obligation to obey an order of a court that does not have jurisdiction.”
However, Counsel to the PDP, Ahmed Raji, was of the view that once the new parliament comes in they may have to reconsider their stance as to whether or not to go on with the matter.
“The whole idea is to forestall an illegal impeachment, an unconstitutional impeachment, an unlawful one for that matter.
“If that threat is no longer there, the rightful thing to do is to discontinue the suit,” he said.
For now, observers are watching the outcome of this and similar suits which bothered on the impeachment of Governor Ayo Fayose.
The wife of Mr Femi Fani-Kayode, Mrs Chikwendu Fani-Kayode, has dismissed allegations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that her Access Bank account was used to launder a said sum of money.
Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja has ordered an associate of Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State, Abiodun Agbele to be remanded in Kuje Prisons.
The Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, has stressed the need for officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force to imbibe the culture of community policing in the country.
