By Joseph Undu                           

A governorship aspirant and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Ekiti State, Hon. ( Engr.) Bamidele Faparusi has said the newly constituted Judicial panel by Governor Ayodele Fayose to probe his predecessor, former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was a  predetermined and well orchestrated attempt to ridicule President Muhammadu Buhari as well as smear the personality of the minister.

Faparusi & Fayose

Faparusi warned that any attempt to ridicule Fayemi will be resisted by Ekiti people. This is as he advised Fayose to be cautious of the security implications of the exercise.

Sequel to allegation of financial impropriety allegedly committed under Fayemi’s administration, Fayose had on Monday constituted a judicial panel, led by former Acting Chief Judge of the State, Justice Silas Oyewole to probe the immediate past government.

In a statement sent to Vanguard, Faparusi said the timing of the probe coming at a time the parties are already scrambling for the governorship poll slated for 2018 signaled that it was a mere political contrivance being used to distract our party .

He stated that it stands common sense on its head for a Governor who supposed to be preoccupied with how to solve the litany of hydra-headed problems pummeling the state, like non-payment of salaries and the daunting youth unemployment to get entangled with such a political misadventure.

He said: “The timing of setting up the panel has shown that it is in bad faith with a dual motive to smear Fayemi’s reputation and deride his achievements to cover-up Fayose’s shameful performance. Ekiti people are much wiser now to be able to discern his highly endemic deceptive antics.

“What has Fayose and his bunch of illiterate assembly be doing for the past three years before waking from their deep slumber to know that Fayemi must be probed?  Fayose is gradually turning Ekiti into a huge laboratory where all sorts of political experiments, shoddy ones for that matter were being practiced.

“The only positive side to his action is that he has succeeded to set a template and precedence through which his numerous criminal and financial crimes will be immediately beamed to the world after his exit. The APC will not tarry in setting up its own mock 21 –man judicial panel of enquiry to receive and begin compilation of his fraudulent actions with the hope of sending him to jail in no time after leaving office”.

On the governor’s intention to seek redress in court over possible extension of his tenure beyond 2018 on account of his impeachment in 2006, Faparusi said such could only exist in the wildest imagination of a theatric like Fayose, who sees governance as a comic relief, rather than a serious business.

Faparusi clarified that the Supreme Court in case of Muritala Nyako Vs FG ruled that a governor whose tenure was abruptly terminated via illegal impeachment can only be entitled to the perks of office throughout the time there was a vacancy and not tenure elongation.

“The governor should have known that he cannot be entitled to third term in office, neither can the oath of office be administered on him three times. What former Governor Nyako wanted to achieve was to finish the remaining nine months of his second term tenure before he was ousted and supreme court was so unequivocal that since that dispensation had lapsed, he could only be entitled to the benefits and that has become a functus officio as far as this case is concerned.

“Governor Fayose should refrain from wasting the precious time of the court by wanting to engage in mere academic exercise that has no legal fecundity, having been earlier determined by the apex court.”