Ekiti State Governor-Elect, Ayodele Fayose has made it clear that he never slapped a judge in the state even as he called on the National Judicial Council (NJC) to investigate the allegation that he beat up a judge.
According to him: “I cannot slap a house boy, let alone a High Court Judge, and I have utmost respect for judicial officers.”
Fayose who spoke to newsmen in Abuja today is sure that investigation into the happenings in the state judiciary in recent times will expose cans of worms.
He asked the NJC, legal officers and Nigerians not to allow themselves to be confused by what he called ‘the propaganda by the All Progressives Congress (APC),’ but to look at all issues at stake dispassionately and be guided by the truth.
Fayose said that all the news about his causing troubles in the state was just a part of grand plan by the APC to cause crisis in the state with a view to preventing his inauguration on October 16.
“What I’m saying is that the National Judicial Council should launch a thorough probe of the happenings in Ekiti State judiciary and through that, the rot in the system will be exposed.
“A lot of things are happening there and there are signs that some judicial officers are conniving with the outgoing governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the APC.
“The current crisis is an agenda of the APC and their sole aim is to try and get through the back door what the people of the state did not give them on June 21 when they voted overwhelmingly for me and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The media propaganda that I beat up a judge is an APC agenda to portray me in bad light having failed to take my mandate through the back door.
“The Ekiti State Attorney General, Wale Fapounda has disclosed that he has spoken with the judge in question, and he spoke on Sunrise programme on Saturday morning on Channels TV where he made it clear that the news that I slapped the Judge was all lies.
“I did not enter Justice John Adeyeye’s court because I had no business to transact there. The Tribunal venue, where I went to, is quite a distance from Adeyeye’s court. Then the pertinent question is, at what point I met him?
“Is it that the Judge left his courtroom with his robe to face so called protesters? Investigation will reveal all these.
“Up until now, nobody has been able to provide photo or video evidence that I slapped the judge. And the APC people should know that I will not succumb to blackmail and surrender the mandate freely given to me by the people of the state.“
The Governor-elect said that PDP leaders were aware of the various petitions written to the NJC by APC leaders in Ekiti and that investigation would reveal the truth.
According to him, the actions and utterances of Governor Fayemi in recent times showed collaboration between him and some judicial officers.
“For the information of all, I am openly expressing my readiness to appear before the committee to be set up by the NJC even after I must have been sworn in, to testify on the issue if need be.
“The whole issue I can say with all intent, was part of a grand plan by the APC to cause mayhem and through it, install the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly as Acting Governor which the people of Ekiti has seen through, and are ready to stop at all costs.”
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