A/Ibom, Abia Polls: Fayose praise the Judiciary, faults Oyegun
By; Oladele Adedayo, Ado-Ekiti.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has said the judgment of the Supreme Court on the governorship elections in Akwa Ibom and Abia states is a victory for democracy and a triumph of patriotism over dictatorship and harassment.
The governor,who stated this in Ado-Ekiti while reacting to the legal victory of Governors Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom and Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia State, at the apex court, noted that all hope was not lost as far as people see the judiciary as their last hope.
In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi,the governor commended the justices of the Supreme Court for determining to dispense justice without fear or favour despite subtle intimidation and harassment.
“Those who are true lovers of democracy and patriotic Nigerians should show the courage needed to confront those who want to subvert the will of the people freely expressed through the ballot. We must also rise up and condemn any subterranean move to cow the judicial arm to do the bidding of some powers that be.
“A situation where judicial officers are intimidated by the comments made by some people in authority is condemnable. There is separation of powers in our constitution and all arms of government know what they need to do for our country to run smoothly and not as a personal fiefdom of anybody, “he said.
Governor Fayose also decried the statement by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, describing the affirmation of the electoral victory of Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyessom Wike, as astonishing.
“One may initially think Odigie-Oyegun was merely lamenting their loss as a politician who has the interest of the people at heart. But going down his speech, the real motive for their desperation to win some states through the back door was exposed.
“His lamentation that the loss of an oil-rich state, no matter how low the price of crude oil is, revealed their greed. They are not after the welfare of the people, but are concerned with what they would gain from the commonwealth of the people. Nigerians can now see that they have nothing to offer, but are only after the ‘spoils’ of what they think they can get illegally,” he said.
