EKITI: We have no hands in court attack – PDP

The Ekiti State Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, and the Peoples Democratic Party have denied involvement in the attack on Justice Olusegun Ogunyemi of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado-Ekiti on Monday.

Addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, the PDP and Fayose, disagreed that the people that attacked the court were hoodlums.


Fayose who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, said the people were angry Okada riders and others who voted for Fayose.

He said, “His Excellency has no hand in what happened yesterday. He didnt send them. They have been coming to the court oand they have been seeing the trend.

“Their hope is Ayo Fayose and they felt their hope was about to be truncated. They are Okada riders and not hoodlums. They are angry that their mandate was about to be taken away.”

The State Publcity Secretary, Kola Oluwawole, who spoke earlier said “They are not our party members. They are angry Ekiti people who voted for Fayose alleging partiality on the part of Justice Segun Ogunyemi who is handling the case.”

He raised the alarm that the All Progressives Congress in a secret meeting held on Monday night at the Government House had marked Fayose and chieftains of the PDP in the state for attack.

To buttress this, he said, the house of a former Deputy Governor, Mrs. Abiodun Olujimi, was attacked on Monday night.

The PDP, therefore, called on the Commissioner of Police, Director of State Security Service and other security agencies to provide adequate security for the lives and properties of its leaders in the state.

Oluwawole also vowed that the party would resist any attempt by the State Chief Judge to take over the Ekiti-11 case filed against Fayose.

He said, “We heard authoritatively that Governor Kayode Fayemi earlier held a secret meeting with the State Chief Judge and Justice Segun Ogunleye, where it was resolved that the swearing in of the Governor-elect should be scuttled through black market judgment.

“The meeting of the Governor with the CJ and Justice Ogunyemi was part of current desperation of the outgoing APC government to scuttle justice.

“We are calling on the Chief Justice of Nigeria to intervene in the matter so that Ekiti State will not be thrown into violence.”

Justice Ogunyemi was attacked after ruling in a case challenging the eligibility of Fayose, to contest in the June 21 election won by him.

He refused an application to set aside an order abridging the time for the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate to file defence in the case filed on behalf of a socio-political group, the Ekiti-11 by a member, Mr. Femi Ajakaiye.

The judge had adjourned sitting till 12 noon to prepare a ruling in a similar matter filed by the Citizen Popular Party before troubles began.

As he was preparing to return for the continuation of the matter, angry youths besieged the court.

The judge was smuggled out of the chambers through the back door to avoid being lynched by the aggressors.

Other judges, lawyers and others in court, including journalists, ran for their lives as the protesters went berserk and went after perceived opponents.

The hoodlums numbering about a hundred were aggrieved about the perceived partiality of the judge in handling the case.