The E-11, an Ekiti group has alleged that there are desperate plots to disrupt the hearing of a suit by it seeking to stop Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Ayo Fayose from contesting Saturday’s election.
The group said there was a plot to use thugs to create confusion around the court – a situation which will make the court to adjourn the hearing. Another source said the PDP candidate’s lawyer may tell the court that he was never served the hearing notice.
The E-Eleven – a group of professionals advocating the development of the state – is before a High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, seeking to compel Fayose to explain the circumstances surrounding his 2006 impeachment.
The plaintiff is contending that that Fayose failed to disclose vital information regarding his impeachment in 2006 in form CFO1 submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Last Thursday, the group alleged that its members were under pressure to withdraw the suit.
In a statement by its chairman Femi Ajiniran, the group alleged that since it filed the suit, its members had been receiving phone calls from people suspected to be Fayose’s loyalists, threatening to kill them or destroy their property.
“We are reliably informed that the plan was hatched at a particular hotel in GRA, Ado-Ekiti reputed to be a haven for criminals, drug addicts and people of questionable character.
“Since the hearing commenced, various members have received a deluge of nuisance phone calls from anonymous callers demanding that the case be withdrawn or they face severe consequences.
“We want to bring this to the notice of all stakeholders and the general public in our state, particularly the security agencies, that we believe this threat to be credible.
“We like to state categorically that our members who are the plaintiffs in the case have no intention whatsoever to withdraw the case; instead, we will pursue it to its logical conclusion and to the fullest extent the law of the land permits.”
Ajiniran added: “E-11 as an organisation is never known to withdraw from any cause it believes in and remains steadfast, no matter the odds, until the goal is achieved.
“We nevertheless want to use this opportunity to raise public awareness to the threat we face and to call on security agencies to do everything possible to ensure that violence and threats thereof are eliminated from our electoral process starting with the election in Ekiti now in its final days.
“We have chosen the proper cause of action which is to seek relief from the courts when our interest is jeopardised and we expect all true democrats to support this line of action. This is part of why we have the judicial arm of government.
“Rather than resort to violence, we call on all interested parties to give the judiciary a chance to perform its role as enshrined in our constitution. Let the court decide while we keep violence out of our political culture.”
The court had ordered that Fayose be served the suit through the newspapers (substituted means).
According to E-11, the substance of Fayose’s impeachment has not been overruled by any court and, therefore, is still subsisting.
It added that by the fact of his allegedly supplying false information to INEC, the court was empowered to disqualify him.
The claimants through their counsel, Rafiu Balogun, of Crystal Chambers, brought three applications, one of which is for substituted service, having been unable to deliver same to Fayose physically at his known addresses.
The PDP and INEC, the second and third defendants, have been served.
The lawyer equally prayed the court to grant the suit accelerated hearing as the first defendant in the case, Fayose, is a candidate for Saturday’s election.
He said the essence of the matter would be defeated if it is heard after the election.Justice I.O. Ogunyemi adjourned the matter till today.
State Police Spokesman Victor Babayemi, said he was unaware of a planned chaos in court. “It is all lies”, he said.
According to Babayemi, the Police had always deployed additional men to the courts each time a special case (like today’s) is coming up.
His words: “This will not be the first time Fayose would be attending court and each time the police had always done the needful by deploying men at the entrances. This is for no other reason than to ensure that proceedings of the courts go undisturbed.
“Tomorrow (today) will not be an exception. We are aware that the (Fayose) case is coming up. However, we will not ignore this report of purported plans by politicians to make attempts to disrupt proceedings. We will alert other necessary divisions and they will rally round to do the needful”, Babayemi said.
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