PDP, APC trade blames over attack on ex-gov Fayose in Ekiti

The Ekiti State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) on Sunday lashed at the state ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), over the alleged attack on former governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose.

The PDP alleged that the ruling party was behind the attack but APC in a swift reaction debunked this.

PDP made the allegations in a statement on Sunday by its chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, who claimed that some hoodlums loyal to the party on Friday attacked Fayose in an attempt to kill him.

Oguntuase added that intimidation and harassment of the opposition had been the hallmark of APC, saying hiring thugs to silent opposition was obviously the next level in advancing violence in a supposed democratic period.

He said:

“We must note that a man so consumed and corrupted by power today will by tomorrow become an ordinary man.

“It is an irony that leaders, who in obedience to a summon by a legislative body, can be ambushed shortly after the visit to be harassed and threatened with dangerous weapons.

“We don’t deserve it because nobody harassed the opposition under our watch.

In his response, the APC Deputy Chairman, Sola Elesin, dismissed PDP’s allegation.

He described the claim by PDP as a baseless accusation lacking content of validity.

Elesin also said the opposition party is economical with the truth, saying violence is not one of the ideals of the APC.

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“Nobody attacked him. He went on a surprise visit to the House of Assembly, when he has not been officially invited. It is a blatant lie.

“He came to the House and was not harassed, but to hear now that he was attacked by APC is an embarrassment to us. It has not happened in the history of progressive governance in the state to harass or intimidate political opponents.

“We have not done that in the past and we are not ready to do it anytime. If he is saying he has been attacked, it will be tantamount to falsehood.

“Nobody attacked him and if anybody attacked him, he is on his own. It was done not at the premises of the Assembly. He said he has street credibility, if that is true, would he be harassed at the market place?” he queried.

The Assembly had at its plenary session last Thursday summoned Fayose to appear before its committee on Public Account over alleged misappropriation of local government funds while in office without fixed date.

The ex-governor stormed the Assembly on Friday at about1:15 pm less than 24 four hours after the summon and went straight to the office of Speaker Funminiyi Afuye.

But the speaker told him to go back and await the official invitation letter from the legislative chamber.

Fayose alleged that he narrowly escaped being attacked after he left the Assembly as some APC thugs in an unmarked black Hilux Jeep trailed and hauled stones at his vehicle.

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