By Rotimi Ojomoyela

This is definitely not the best of time for the Apostle of Stomach Infrastructure and   the Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayodele Fayose, as there seem to have been a complete crackdown on the state by operatives of the Department of State Security, close allies of the Governor were reportedly being picked for yet to be disclosed crimes.

As at last count,   seven close allies of the Governor have been picked   and   among those that are currently cooling their heels at the facilities of the DSS are four Members of the state House of Assembly, namely, Hon Musa Arogundade, Ado-Ekiti Constituency 1, Afolabi Akanni,   Efon Constituency, names of the other two members are yet to be known.

Others are, Special Assistant to the Governor on Revenue Matters and the Chairman, Board of Internal Revenue, Mr Ropo Ogunjobi,   Mr Demola Bello, Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Kayode Oso, Commissioner for Works and Commissioner for Finance, Chief Toyin Ojo.

Others said to be on the focus of the security agencies and could be picked up anytime are the Speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole and the Chief of Staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo.

Vanguard gathered that the arrest of these people may not be unconnected with the role they played during the June 21, 2014, Governorship election and face off between Governor Fayose and the 19 APC Lawmakers.

Fayose and Buhari

The latest wave of arrest of prominent members of the state executive council and legislatures by the DSS despite assertions to the contrary is believed to be unsettling the governor and his lieutenants as the state seems set for another round of political crisis.

While it is still very early in the day to predict where the current travail of Governor Fayose would lead to, it is noteworthy that he has been trudging the path which he followed in his first term about ten years ago.

Since his emergence as the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP in the June 21, 2014, Governorship election in the state, he singlehandedly picked those that would sit in the State House of Assembly.

Invasion of the court

One of the dramatis personae in the unfolding drama had told Vanguard that the tell tale of signs of what to expect would start unfolding this month, saying it would be interesting to see how Governor Fayose would wriggle out of the seemingly intricate web of booby traps.

Digging deeper, Vanguard gathered that the legislators who were whisked away by operatives of the Department of State Security last Friday were found culpable   in the invasion of the court and the beating up of judges and the Commissioner for   Finance   was being allegedly held to explain the state’s finances.

While some political watchers in the state attributed the clampdown to the fall out of the alleged rigged election of   June 21 Governorship election, which some believed was indeed rigged going by the revelation of the alleged whistle blower, one Captain Koli of the Nigerian Army who claimed to have in his possession, an audio tape of a meeting between the incumbent governor, Mr Fayose, former Police Affairs Minister, Alhaji Jelil Adesiyan, Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, PDP candidate in Osun Governorship election,   Senator Iyiola Omisore and the army Officer who supervised the security arrangement for   the election, Brigadier General Aliyu Momoh.

Ever since the dust raised by the leakage of the audio tape, neither the governor nor the state has experienced enduring peace. It was even more critical after the military panel that investigated the issue turned its report that indicted its officers involved in the alleged rigging.

Noting that he had expected a crackdown during an encounter with some state elders on account of his criticisms of President Muhammadu Buhari, the governor said: “I expect them to ask me what are my grievances and what do I want and we would lay everything on the table”.

But Governor Fayose, who condemned the invasion of the Assembly and the arrest of the four lawmakers, is blowing hot as he on Sunday vowed not to succumb even if 1 million agents of the DSS invade the state.

The governor, who said the DSS under President Buhari was operating beyond its constitutional mandate, added that “the government of Ekiti State may have to reconsider the usefulness of men of the DSS in the government house and other institutions of the State government.”

“If Buhari likes, let him relocate all DSS men in Nigeria with the entire ammunitions in their armoury to Ekiti, the will of Ekiti people can never be broken.

They will only try, and like they have always done, they will fail because dictatorship has never triumphed over the people.

Even Buhari’s dictatorship between 1984 and 1985 ended one day and Nigerians will also outlive his present dictatorship.”

“I make bold to state that in the overall interest of democracy and well-being of Nigerians, I will continue to speak my mind on issues bordering on governance in Nigeria. I will not be intimidated!”

Fayose’s allegation

Dismissing Fayose’s allegation with a wave of the hand, Hon Taiwo   Olatunbosun, the APC Publicity Secretary in Ekiti State, said the claim that DSS invaded the House of Assembly was   a blatant lie, “even though I’m not DSS, what we know and what we have confirmed is that nobody invaded the House, some of the people that were arrested were not picked within the premises of the House and the staffers of the Assembly have confirmed that there was no invasion of the house of Assembly by any security agents”

“What we know is that Fayose is actually acting s script, there is no way Fayose and his army of marauders would go scot free with the plethora of anomalies and illegality and unconstitutionalities of his government and we should all know that it is only in Banana Republic that all these are possible.

“If Fayose can invade the temple of justice, tear the records of the judiciary and attack and beat judges, if Fayose can rule the House of Assembly and administer Ekiti State with a seven-man House of Assembly, if Fayose can impeach a substantive Speaker with a seven member House of Assembly, if Fayose can attack and destroy property of opposition in Ekiti State and if Fayose can house killers’ squad in Government House for so many months. If Fayose in concert with his political thugs thumbprint election ballot papers, then he should expect that the law will take its course.

He said   it was not out of place for security agencies to   invite anybody in this country for questioning,   Fayose or any of his cohorts should not be an exception, adding that If the Speaker is saying anything contrary, it means he has a moral burden, it means he is actually out to continue to support the position of his boss that he can not be call to question.

While analysts in the state described the invasion of the House by DSS   operatives as a brazen act of impunity taking too far   and they seemed to have aligned   with Fayose’s that it was a the plot to intimidate him over his criticism of Buhari.