One feared dead over plot to impeach Fayose

A CO-ORDINATED protest to block all major roads leading to Ado Ekiti to prevent the 19 All Progressive Congress (APC) lawmakers from entering Ado Ekiti yesterday claimed one life as police and supporters of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) clashed in Efon-Alaye.

The victim, identified as Modupe Olaiya was said to have been hit by a bullet during gun duel between party thugs and the police that fought hard to dismantle the roadblocks that paralysed commercial activities in Ado Ekiti and major border towns in the state.

The APC lawmakers had on Friday served impeachment notice on Governor Ayo Fayose alleging gross misconduct.

Fayose’s supporters had thronged major roads as early as 6am and blocked all major roads with bonfires and lorries to prevent the APC lawmakers coming from Osogbo to enter the town to continue sitting on impeachment of Fayose.

However, efforts made by the APC lawmakers to hold sitting was aborted, as soldiers stationed at Ita Ore were said to have prevented their convoy from entering the state.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Rivers State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, State PDP, Felix Obuah has faulted claims by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and its Governorship candidate in Rivers State, Mr. Dakuku Peterside that its members in the state have been subjected to continued attacks and are being killed by its political opponents, the PDP.

Obuah expressed surprise that the APC leaders and Governor Amaechi who have overtly carried out regular release of hardened criminals from prisons and detention in the State and have been ostensibly engaged as snipers and political machineries, trailing the APC political opponents, will turn around to blackmail law-abiding members of the PDP, linking them to alleged death cases in the State.

The PDP views such allegations by APC National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed and Mr. Dakuku Peterside, of the killing of APC members in Rivers State as flawed, unfounded and outright blackmail, stating that it should not surprise the public of the complicity of APC leaders in any death of its members, as it has failed to resolve many of its internal crises sparked by absence of internal democracy, greed and selfish disposition of the leaders as well as the fallout of the imposition of Dakuku Peterside, against Senator Magnus Abe, as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

A Hilux van marked AA 363 YEK, conveying gun-wielding thugs to the Assembly had collided with a police patrol van at Secretariat road in Ado Ekiti, where three people were said to have been arrested among the goons.

Apart from Ado Ekiti, pro-Fayose protests were also held in major towns like, Efon Alaaye, Iworoko, Aisegba, Ikere, Ise, Ogotun Igbemo, against the impeachment plot against the governor, thereby preventing human and vehicular movements for several hours as all major roads leading to Ekiti were blocked.

Some SSS 3 students, who are presently sitting for the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) outside the capital city could not get vehicles to convey them at the park, as party thugs told them to go back home.

The protesters, who had massed at major roads in Ajilosun, Ijigbo, Secretariat Road, Okesa, Ojumose, and old garage in Ado Ekiti as early as 6am, paralysed commercial activities in the capital town.

Civil servants and traders, who had reported to their places of work, had to return home in fear, while the commercial motorcyclists had a bad day as their businesses were obstructed by the preponderance of the barricades placed on the roads by the protesters.

To prevent the violent protest from consuming the whole state, the Police Commissioner, Mr. Taiwo Lakanu had to deploy Armoured Personnel Carriers to all the affected towns and troubled spots, while the House of Assembly complex was sealed off by heavily armed policemen, who kept vigil on the place.