Abiodun Nejo
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters were on Wednesday tear-gassed by the police at the entrance of Ekiti State Government House on their way to a rally in support of the party candidate, Professor Kolapo Olusola.
The police had earlier sealed off the pavilion around the popular Fajuyi Park in the state capital, the starting point for a Victory Walk for Olusola, saying there was no permit for the PDP to hold rally in Ado Ekiti on Wednesday.
The police said its action was to prevent breakdown of law and order in view of the tense atmosphere in the state.
Eye witnesses said Governor Ayodele Fayose, while trying to intervene, fainted and lost consciousness for over five minutes as policemen allegedly slapped and teargased him at the entrance of the Government House.
The governor was also said to have sustained neck injury as he was allegedly battered by officers from the MOPOL Unit.
Fayose, who alongside his deputy, Prof Olusola, addressed the PDP members in the Government House, said he was hit with the gun’s butt on the neck, leading to the neck injury the governor sustained.
The Governor, who appeared in neck braze, wept profusely while addressing the party members who had earlier been dispersed by policemen in front of the Government House where they converged for the botched Victory Walk.
According to the governor, the policemen allegedly confirmed to him that they were under instruction from the police High Command that he and his deputy should be disposed of.
The governor said: “I was slapped and beaten by mobile policemen in my own state. They shot at me. As I speak with you, I am in severe pains, I am experiencing pains. I plead with the international community to intervene, Nigeria is in trouble, Ekiti is in crisis.
“In the last few days, they have arrested PDP members, teachers, and civil servants, people of good conscience should come and save Ekiti. They said they were under strict instruction from the Presidency to kill me and my deputy, who is the candidate of our party.
“These are army of occupation who are here to occupy our land. I want you to stand and remain standing, I pray they don’t kill me and put Ekiti in crisis. I am passing though these pains because of my people. I will go back to the hospital after addressing you to receive further medical treatment”, he said.
Earlier before Fayose’s arrival, Olusola lamented that Ekiti was under siege, saying: “A situation whereby a policeman will slap a sitting governor is not good. The President must be warned. International community should warn President Muhammadu Buhari.
“When they were beating me and Mr Governor, I told the Commissioner of Police in charge of MOPOL unit that you are beating a Deputy Governor, he asked me “who is a deputy governor? That was the same question he asked the Governor,” Olusola said.
The Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon. Samuel Omotoso, said the PDP office in the state capital had been occupied by policemen, describing the action as a return of the country to military era.
The PDP Chairman in the State, Barrister Gboyega Oguntuase said the country’s democracy is in danger under the present IGP, lamenting: “As we speak now, the police have taken over our land, but we shall not be intimidated”.
Oguntuase, however, assured that the election of Saturday would be won by the masses of Ekiti.
Meanwhile, the police have said that security details of very important personalities in Ekiti State will be withdrawn on Election Day to ensure level-playing ground.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations, Mr Habila Joshak, who is in charge of the July 14 governorship election, said such police personnel had been mandated to report to the police state command headquarters by 6am on the Election Day.
Joshak, who addressed journalists in Ado Ekiti on preparedness of the force to perform its mandatory constitutional duties of protecting lives and property during and after the election, assured that men of the police would not intimidate anybody.
He said: “I want every registered Ekiti voter to come out and vote. I guarantee your safety. My men will be civil, so people are free to come out to vote. Nobody will be harassed, that is not part of our duties.
“Our duty is to secure not only the electoral materials but all the citizens. We are going to be professional and watchful, because we don’t want to be bedeviled with cases of hooliganism, ballot snatching and hate speeches before, during and after this election”, he said.
Joshak said he would work with one Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Mr. H.H. Karma and three other commissioners of police; Ali Janga , J.B. Kokumo and G.B. Umar, who will man each of the three senatorial districts in the state.
The police boss added that no party would be allowed to hold any political rally not approved by the police until the election is held.
On the blockage of Government House area, Joshak said the police were only preventing unauthorized rallies, saying: “We are not here to usurp the authority of Governor Ayodele Fayose. We are not here to rubbish him because he represents the people
“But we are not going to allow any authorized rally that can trigger violence in the state. You can see that the state is tensed up. As law enforcement agent, we must be proactive and take actions that can prevent crisis rather than trying to quell it after it might have broken out”, he said.
He said the Government House had not been blocked, clarifying that they policemen only blocked the road from Fajuyi to the State Secretariat
