- Fayose visit to Oni of no consequence – Ekiti APC
The executive governor of Ekiti State, Peter Ayodele Fayose, joined the ever growing list of dignitaries who visited the detained former minister of aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
The governor visited Fani-Kayode in EFCC custody on Tuesday afternoon and spent quite some time encouraging him. He arrived the commission about 2:15pm and was received by a team of operatives led by one Mr Madaki. He later departed the commission at 4:30pm.
Fayose’s visit is the latest among those of top dignitaries who have paid solidarity visits to the former Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Campaign Organisation.
Recall that the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Senators, leaders of the PDP and other political, religious and socio-cultural organizations are among those who have paid the former minister a visit in custody.
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode is expected to be arraigned on November 10, 2016, at a Federal High Court in Abuja.
In a related development the Ekiti State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said Fayose’s visit to a leader of the party, Chief Segun Oni last Sunday was part of the governor’s desperate moves to create distrust in the party ahead of 2018 governorship poll in the state.
The Acting Chairman of the party, Mrs Kemisola Olaleye also dismissed the various criticisms the visit had generated saying former Governor Segun Oni didn’t receive any prior notice about the visit and that the former governor shouldn’t be castigated unjustly over the matter.
Addressing party faithful at a meeting held at ward 09, Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, Olaleye said she was with Oni when Fayose paid the visit.
The party also praised President Muhammadu Buhari over his virulent fight against corruption, insecurity, and government’s efforts that led to the release of some of the abducted Chibok Girls by Boko Haram insurgents recently.
Fayose had on Sunday visited Oni, the APC National Deputy Chairman (South) in his Ifaki-Ekiti country home but said the visit was not political but to express respect to his host as a former governor and leader of the state.
She said: “I have heard our members expressing anger over the visit. Please, I want to tell you that I was with Chief Oni when Governor Fayose came.
“It was Fayose’s Chief of staff, Chief Dipo Anisulowo that actually called and said he was paying our leader a visit . Not long, we got a message inside that the governor and Anisulowo were around without prior notice.
“Even when the governor said he wanted to have a secret meeting with Oni, he rejected. He told him to say whatever he wanted to say in our presence as party leaders and confidants.
“You know 2018 is fast approaching and we have to be vigilant. Governor Fayose had said openly that he has started politics and this might be part of the game to cause distrust in our party”, she warned.
A chieftain of the party, Mr Femi Aduloju , praised Buhari for his ardent belief in corrupt-free and secured Nigeria, saying his achievements in these critical sectors have buoyed Nigerians’ confidence in the APC leadership.
He said: “We are pleading with Nigerians to be patient with President Buhari to be able to turn around the economy. We knew that the pains are too much but having done well to secure Nigeria and reduce corruption, soon the economy will bounce back.
“We must understand that no investor will come to a nation that is fighting sectarian war. If we can overcome the challenge of insurgency, investors will surely come and very soon we will begin to see the positive effects of these landmark achievements.”