Ekiti Leaders Seek Fayose's Removal - Babalola
From Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja
Indications at the weekend emerged that the leaders of Ekiti State that met with President Olusegun Obasanjo recently over attempt on the life of the Ado-Ekiti Local Government chairman, Mr. Taye Fasuba, called for the removal of the state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose.
Disclosing this in Abuja at the weekend, a former governorship aspirant on the platform of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Sikiru Babalola, noted that the leaders of the state, led by Chief Afe Babalola, told the President that "with the way things are, lives and property are no longer safe."
According to him, "when the security of the state is being threatened by a man who is elected to uphold the security of the state, something has to be done. When the government becomes barbaric, it imputes anarchy.
"In order that Ekiti people don't become law unto themselves, we have called on Obasanjo to react now by having Fayose removed through the Assemblymen among whom Fayose is not popular or declare a state of emergency," Babalola said.
Explaining the rational behind the position of the Ekiti leaders, the PDP chieftain noted that, "people of honour and courage must stand up for justice, speak out loud and clear and that is what every Ekitiman is doing. We have resolved to seek for a replacement, remove Fayose from office and stop the basterdisation of governance.
"All the billboards he erected in Ado-Ekiti have been taken off and his (Fayose's) mother's shop has been razed while all Ekiti indigenes have been called upon to resign from his cabinet. We don't know him and we don't know his background," he said.
Describing the governor as "an embarrassment to Ekiti PDP," Babalola said, "if caution is not taken now, he (Fayose) would rubbish the institution of democracy.
He is at war with every Ekiti leader because of his inadequacy and dilemma." Continuing, Babalola alleged that, "there had never been any political murder or assassination in the history of Ekiti State. It was the coming of Mr Ayo Fayose that brought political assassinations and fire disaster to the state.
"Now that Ekiti people have been driven to the wall, they have started to react. The people are ready to fight back. The reaction of the people that Fayose had seen following the assassination attempt on Fasubaa marks a turning point in the resistance reaction and total rejection of his leadership in Ekiti.
"If the Police are so intimidated that they will not protect Ekiti people against assassins, Ekiti people are now ready to react and fight. It is not Ekiti people that will run away," he added.
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