The political crisis rocking Ekiti state on Wednesday assumed a dramatic dimension as lawmakers of state House of Assembly staged a protest on the highway against the freezing of the account of Governor Ayodele Fayose at the Zenith by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).
The EFCC had on June 21 frozen Fayose’s two account numbers 1003126654 and 9013074033 domiciled in Ado Ekiti branch of Zenith Bank alleging that N1.2 billion of the $2.1 billion arms fund was traced to the accounts.
The lawmakers, who sat under a canopy armed with several placards with different inscriptions such as "we are ready for arrest", "harassing Ekiti lawmakers/government won’t give you 2018," "No matter your media trial and blackmail, on Fayose we stand" and “leave Fayose alone" among others to denounce the federal government’s alleged intimidation and harassment of the governor.
Policemen in 11 Hilux pick-up vans provided security to the protesters. Six of the vans were used to block one side of the Okesa highway forcing motorists coming from Fajuyi road to divert to the other side of the road.
The lawmakers, who came to the scene with travelling bags containing their personal effects, said they were ready for the EFCC’s arrest.
The Speaker of the assembly, Hon. Kola Oluwawole, while addressing journalists said the sit-out assignment was meant to pass a note of warning to the APC-led federal government that they were solidly behind Fayose and that nobody can use them to impeach the governor.
He said: "No amount of intimidation, harassment, arrest will push us to do any dirty job. We have had enough of intimidation. They should leave Governor Fayose alone; he was duly elected by the people of Ekiti state.
"The frozen of his account without following due process is a high level of intimidation and we condemn it."
Speaking in the same vein, the deputy speaker, Segun Adewumi, said: "if Fayose builds house anywhere, it is not their business; they should wait until he finishes his tenure."
Adewumi alleged that security reports at their disposal indicated that 10 of them had been pencilled down by the federal government for arrest over trump up charges."
The House Committee chairman on Information, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, said some of the lawmakers had been receiving threatening phone calls and SMS messages to create fears in them adding that nobody could change their minds against their determination to stand by Fayose.
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