Posted by By OLA AGBAJE on
Barely a week after leading Senior Advocate and counsel to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) raised alarm over alleged threat to his life by the Ekiti-State Governor, Ayo Fayose, Lagos lawyer Femi Falana Sunday cried out that his life too was being threatened by the governor.
Barely a week after leading Senior Advocate and counsel to President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) raised alarm over alleged threat to his life by the Ekiti-State Governor, Ayo Fayose, Lagos lawyer Femi Falana Sunday cried out that his life too was being threatened by the governor.
Addressing journalists in his chamber, the National Conscience Party (NCP) gubernatorial candidate in April 2003 election in Ekiti State, showed recorded video clips of where the governor allegedly threatened him and two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) just before the bloody local government by-election of May 28, 2005 in Ifaki Local Government.
In the video clips recorded in May 25, 2005 the governor was seen in open campaign Van, spotting white long-sleeves linen and white trousers with a fez cap. He dared one Chief Adebamigbe Akilaya and Engr. Segun Oni, both PDP chieftain in the state, to come out and face him.
Falana asked the video operator to play back the portion again so that the journalists could grasp the meaning of the scene before he asked him to continue playing the video.
In the video, Fayose, said: Anybody that dares Kowe (a bird often associated with death) will go in for it. The day of election is not the day of play. The day of election is a day of show of power. Those who dare will know that one power is superior to another. I am the executive governor of this state."
Looking rather fearsome, Fayose warned: "I am not Adebayo. I will be watching you and pretend as if I don't see you, if I find you to be disloyal, may God have mercy on you". amid intermittent war song by his followers. He told the motley crowd that the only NCP man in the state House of Assembly had declared for PDP and that the remaining councilor would be taken.
"I am not the one who wrote Bible, but the Bible says we shall take from those who have few to those who have plenty".
Asked to explain how he got the tape which was recorded just few days before the by election where one Tunde Omojola, a brother-in-law of the NCP candidate, Suleiman Labaika, was killed, Falana said the video clip was brought to him by a concerned security operative in the state.
"Gentlemen, you'll be surprised that this video tape was brought here by a concerned security operative who was angered by the persistent denial of Governor Fayose in the threat to Chief Afe Babalola's life.
'He told me that he brought the tape so that I can do whatever I could to save myself from Fayose.
"Fayose was said to have been angered by my persistent defence of some of the victims of reckless intimidation which cut-across all political affiliation in the state"
Falana accused the police in the state of complicity in the litany of political killings in the state . Specifically, he said the police had refused to carry out investigation on the murder of Omojola who came home from London during the May 28, 2005 local government bye election on Ifaki Local government.
"They even refused to take statement of eye-witness complaint. It was as bad as that", Falana alleged.
In a swift reaction to Falana's allegation, the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the State Governor, Idowu Adelusi said in a telephone conversation that Falana was yet to recover from the shock of his defeat in 2003 polls, hence, his attempt to create confusion in Ekiti State.
He said: "Fayose cannot hurt a fly. Falana was only trying to whip up sentiments. My advice to Falana is that if partisan politics is not paying him, he should go back to his chambers and stop making a noise".
People of Ekiti are in love with Fayose and they will continue to support him. It is absurd and shocking for Falana to say Fayose wants to kill him. Every Tom, Dick and Harry is now coming out to say Fayose wants to kill him. These are all build up to 2007," he said.