Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has called on the judiciary to
rise in defence of democracy by doing justice fearlessly, speedily and
with honesty in the Ondo State election cases and other political
cases before the courts.
Governor Fayose, who hailed the President of the Court of Appeal,
Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa for the swift composition of a new panel to
hear appeals over the governorship candidate of the People’s
Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, urged the panel to be mindful of
delay tactics by the same people who wrote frivolous petition to
impugn on the integrity of the initial panel.
In a statement issued on Friday, by the Special Assistant to the
Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka,
Governor Fayose urged the new Appeal Panel to “do justice unto God and
not unto powers that be and be mindful that justice delayed is justice
denied.”
The governor condemned the silence of President Mohammadu Buhari on
the Ondo State matter, saying; “Silence of the president on a matter
that poses serious threat to democracy in the country is highly
disturbing.”
He said; “No doubt, democracy in Nigeria is being threatened by the
open collaboration of the APC led federal government with the
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and only a God
fearing judiciary can save the situation from getting out of hands.
“In its desperation to distract the PDP and rig the Ondo State
election in advance for the APC, INEC has chosen to abandon its own
law by endorsing someone who did not emerge through any known
electoral process as the candidate of the PDP, thereby plunging Ondo
State into crisis.
“There is no doubt that all other political parties in Nigeria except
the APC are now contesting elections against INEC. But like every
afflictions of the Israelites, this too will not endure forever.
“The new Appeal Panel must therefore do its job speedily and timely so
that the rez is not destroyed and in the process destroy what is
remaining of our democracy. The panel should remember the Biblical
Solomonic judgment that saved that harlot and her child and must not
allow enemies of democracy to use delay tactics to frustrate the
case.”
Speaking further, Governor Fayose said it was worrisome that in its
bid to turn Nigeria to a one-party state, the judiciary was being
harassed and intimidated to submission.
“We are at a critical junction in our history as a nation, noble men
are becoming helpless daily and we need God to intervene through the
judiciary.
“If the judiciary fails to rise to this perilous situation and save
our democracy from the hands of the APC cabal, it will not survive the
onslaught that will be brought on it sooner than later,” he said.
While calling on the people of Ondo State to stand up and defend
democracy in their State, Governor Fayose assured that anti-democracy
elements trying to manipulate the November 26 election in advance will
be defeated by the collective will of the people.
He charged the APC led federal government to put food on the tables of
Nigerians instead of preoccupying itself with its political expansion
agenda.