Ekiti APC said there would be breakdown of law and order if the Ado Ekiti chief magistrate made good the arrest order of an ex-PDP stalwart and witness, who just admitted he lied under oath at the 2014 election tribunal in the state.
The state’s opposition party insists if Tope Aluko had to be charged with perjury, other PDP members exposed in his recent confession would also face the law.
“Attempt to arrest Aluko while leaving out other people that presented same evidence at the tribunal appearances will be considered as a witch hunt being encouraged by the court to hound Aluko into jail to block transparency in the investigation of Ekiti poll fraud that brought Fayose to power,” said APC’s publicity secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, in a statement issued on Thursday.
Describing the state’s judiciary as prostrate, Olatubosun wondered how the court, shut down for months when Gov. Ayo Fayose came to power, hounding the APC chieftain around, now suddenly became alert to the perjury in a statement Aluko made on television.
“The impression being created by the court that Governor Fayose is a law unto himself or that he has the court in his pocket, is worrisome,” the party said.
Chief Magistrate Adesoji Adegboye had granted an application brought by the state’s director of public prosecution—and backed by an affidavit written by Fayose media handler—praying the court to order the state commissioner of police to arrest Aluko for investigation and prosecution.
Aluko, who recently defected to APC after a stand-off with Fayose, has since become a wanted man, a situation his party believes is created to hinder justice.
“Our party will respond with equal measure if any attempt is being promoted to block transparency in the investigation of the crime that denied our candidate a deserved victory while the man at the centre of criminally using the military and illegal printing of INEC materials to win election is being unduly protected by the same court,” said the APC.