Ekiti officials held over N5.8b refund, others

A new twist has been added to the unfolding drama in Ekiti State as the House of Assembly has alleged that a $1 million offer has been dangled before them to remove Governor Ayo Fayose.

The lawmakers, who addressed an emergency  briefing yesterday, claimed that eight of them have been approached by “some men who claimed to be officials of the Department of State Services (DSS)”.

They vowed not to succumb to any intimidation, harassment and coercion.

According to them, they are prepared to “spend the rest of their tenure in DSS cell, instead of joining people who were defeated in five elections to cause political instability in the state.

The Chairman, Committee on Information, Gboyega Aribisogan, claimed that a member of the Assembly, Afolabi Akanni, is being held incommunicado in DSS custody in Abuja and had not been granted access to his doctors and lawyers.

Aribisogan, who was flanked by 13 other lawmakers, including Speaker Kola Oluwawole, claimed that they are aware of an alleged plot to arrest 18 of them and “force them to sign a removal notice against Fayose”.

He said: “In the last four days, eight of our members had been visited by some men, who claimed to be DSS officials.

“Our members were told that their names were among those to be arrested and they must “cooperate” if they do not want their bank accounts frozen and kept in DSS detention indefinitely.

“They went on to promise that proper arrangement had been made for the removal of the governor, with $1 million already earmarked for sharing among ‘cooperating’ lawmakers.

“Also, our members were told that they will be provided with soft-landing in the All Progressives Congress (APC), if they cooperate.

“One of them revealed that they promised to make him the speaker and eventually the acting governor.

“We, therefore, wish to state unequivocally that we are not interested in any $1 million.

“We won’t because of any blood money join forces with enemies of our state, who are desirous of destabilising the state just because they lost power.”

They maintained that the 2006 experience, in which lawmakers were made to remove Fayose will never be repeated in the state.

THE NATION