AS the activities towards the Ekiti State governorship election gather momentum, a Non-Governmental Organisation, Patriots for Better Nigeria (PBN) has warned the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state against fielding the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, as its candidate in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state.
The group stated this in Akure, Ondo state capital, during a press conference, saying its call became imperative following the minister failure to challenge a white paper report against him in the law court.
Speaking during the press conference, the Coordinator of the group, Chief Olusegun Raji, said allowing Fayemi to contest in the Ekiti gubernatorial election would confirm the general thought of selective justice in the administration of criminal justice under President Muhammad Buhari administration.
The group said ” Fayemi has been silent on his indictment and has technically brushed aside the outcome of the white paper with a wave of the hand.
“He has accepted the report without challenging it in any court of the land, thereby insulting the intellect of Ekiti people and the sensibilities of Nigerians at large for his intention and loquacious remarks of his preparedness to contest the governorship election against all odds.”
The group, however, threatened to go to court to challenge Fayemi suitability to contest that election and to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from allowing Fayemi to participate in the July 14 gubernatorial election.
Raji also called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam its searchlight and accelerate the hearing of allegations of money laundering levelled against former Executive Director of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Dr. Olufemi Thomas, who according to the is the major sponsor of another gubernatorial aspirant ambition, Chief Segun Oni.
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The group said ” Dr Thomas is facing a $2.2m graft case and alleged to have bred thousands of ghost workers at NHIS. These accounted for his arrest and arraignment at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi.
“As if these were not enough he is the coordinating sponsor for Segun Oni governorship project. ”
PBN also called on the INEC to deregister the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a political party in the country, hinging its call on the high level of corruption, rigging and negative manipulation confessed by a member of the PDP.
“We will challenge PDP suitability and eligibility to participate in the future election in the court of law because we see anybody who is still putting claims to PDP today is in fact not only anti-people buy anti-God.”
The group commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo, over his coalition initiative but warned the former President from turning the platform to a political party, saying “CNM should remain partisan platform that will support candidates of sound integrity.”