Fayose not ‘opening up’ to EFCC, will only defend himself in court —Aide

Lere Olayinka, media aide to embattled former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has debunked claims that his principal has started opening up on allegations of corruption levelled against him.

Media reports quoting a source from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had claimed that Fayose, who is currently being interrogated by the anti-graft agency, had started opening up on allegations of corruption made against him by the commission.

But in a statement on Friday, Olayinka described the report “as false, misleading and a feeble attempt by the anti-graft agency to sustain its lies and campaign of calumny against the former governor.

According to Olayinka, Fayose will “only defend himself in court” and not “before a persecuting agent”.

He said, “No amount of sponsored media reports will change the fact that as at today, the EFCC does not have any evidence to prosecute the former governor in court.”

Insisting that his boss will only defend himself in the law court, he said the EFCC had demonstrated that it was out to persecute the former governor ostensibly because of his criticism of the President Muhammadu Buhari led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

“It is a fact that Fayose wrote to the EFCC on September 10, 2018 notifying the commission of his decision to make himself available on October 16, 2018. The EFCC replied by asking him not to wait till October 16 and that he should come on September 20, 2018.

“Therefore, isn’t it funny that the same EFCC that was desperate to have Fayose report on September 20 is still keeping him in detention, four days after he willingly submitted himself? Isn’t it now clear to all discerning minds that EFCC is only acting as an agent of persecution against perceived enemies of the APC and it is helping to keep Fayose out of circulation as desired by the powers that be?”

While urging members of the public to disregard any report of Fayose saying anything other than demanding that he be charged to court, Olayinka said; “Very soon, the public will still be fed with stories like; Fayose writes confessional statement and eats it, he weeps in detention, begs to return loots among other familiar lies of the EFCC.

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“Nigerians should just ignore the EFCC’s sponsored lies and continue to ask why the anti-graft agency has failed to charge Fayose to court despite the overwhelming evidence it claimed to have.

“Most importantly, Nigerians should be rest assured that Fayose will not be intimidated even if he is detained for as long as the EFCC will be ready to take him to court. He won’t say more than what he has said which is denying the EFCC allegations and that the anti-graft agency is more of a persecutor than prosecutor.”

By Ebere Ndukwu …

 

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