Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says it is obvious that he
has become the headache of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari,
but not even threats to his life will make him to stop speaking his
mind.
He accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of
“acting a movie scripted President Buhari just to silence him”,
challenging the anti-graft agency to go after Sahara Energy which
allegedly donated $60 million to the campaign of the All Progressives
Congress (APC) before the election.
Fayose denied receiving any money from the office of Sambo Dasuki,
former national security adviser, and Musiliu Obanikoro, former minister
of defence, for his election.
“I have no financial transaction whatsoever with the office of the
national security adviser (ONSA) under Col Sambo Dasuki (rtd) and former
Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro either by
cash, cheque or electronic transfer,” he said in a statement signed on
his behalf by Idowu Adelusi, his chief press secretary.”
“It is obvious I have become the main headache of President Buhari’s
government… what they are doing now is part of their grand plots to
intimidate and harass me into submission but I am not someone that can
be cowed by threats of incarceration and death.
“I make bold to state that in the overall interest of democracy and
well-being of Nigerians, I will continue to speak my mind on issues
bordering on governance in Nigeria. I will not be intimidated!
“I advise that they should keep their gun pounder dry and wait till the
end of my tenure in 2018 and I want to assure them that I will be
available to answer any of their questions, no matter how unreasonable.”
On the alleged involvement of Buhari’s wife in the Halliburton scam, the
governor challenged her to visit the US to convince Nigerians that she
was not the Aisha Buhari mentioned in the judgment convicting William
Jefferson.
He alleged that she had been running away from America, saying Buhari
has gone to the country thrice in the last one year, without taking his
wife, adding that Aisha delegated Toyin Saraki, wife of the senate
president to a programme she was supposed to attend in the US.
“It is on record that the President has visited USA three times and his
wife did not travel with him. Equally, she ought to have visited USA
last year September to chair a United Nation programme but she sent wife
of the Senate President, Mrs Toyin Saraki to represent her,” the
statement read.
Fayose said Zenith Bank sponsored his election, but has now turned against him because of the current battle with the EFCC.
He threatened to “name names” if those who bankrolled his election are now sacred as a result of the recent developments.
“The management of Zenith Bank, which majorly funded my election, called
me to a meeting where I was assured that fund will be provided for my
election. I was asked to nomine a trusted ally to be related with and I
nominated Mr Abiodun Agbele,” he said.
“All the payments into Abiodun Agbele’s account domiciled in Zenith Bank
were directly from Zenith Bank. In actual fact, the account was opened
by Zenith Bank hurriedly at that time and Abiodun Agbele’s identity card
which ought to have been collected before the account was opened was
only collected last week in the bank’s desperation to perfect the
account obviously after submitting to the intimidation and harassment of
the EFCC.
“Most of the funds posted into Agbele’s account were through the Ibadan,
Akure and Lagos branches of the Zenith Bank and sometimes; they brought
cash.
“Assuming but not conceding that cash moved from Lagos to Akure as being
claimed by the EFCC in its usual manner of media trial, was meant for
my election in Ekiti, why was the cash not moved to Ado Ekiti branch of
Zenith Bank or the cash handed to me directly? Why was it deposited into
Zenith Bank, Akure and did the bank make any report on the transaction
to the appropriate authorities? Why did the bank send its bullion van to
move the money from Akure Airport to their Akure branch if it was
illegal money?
“I must say it categorically that I don’t have any link financially with
Obanikoro and I know as a fact that he (Obanikoro) has not; and cannot
mention my name, as beneficiary of whatever money any company in which
he has interest could have gotten from the ONSA if truly Obanikoro
collected money from the ONSA as being claimed by the EFCC.
“Therefore, bringing Obanikoro and his son’s narrative or that the
Zenith Bank is telling different stories, having been blackmailed and
coerced into submission by the EFCC is a joke that will not fly.
“I wish to state further that if it becomes evidently clear that those
who willingly provided money for my election can no longer stand by what
did, may be because of threat from the EFCC, I will not hesitate to
name names.”
