PDP Convention: Fayose Under House Arrest

Fayose Under ‘House Arrest’ 

In another development, Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, yesterday cried out that he was placed under “house arrest” by the police while in Port Harcourt.

The governor, who was not sighted at any venue in Port Harcourt, lamented that he was not at the convention because he was placed under “house arrest” at the old Presidential Lodge, Rivers State Government House where he lodged.

Fayose, who spoke through his media aide, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said he was prevented from moving out, as the gate to the old Presidential Lodge was blocked by an armoured personnel carrier (APC).

He said all entreaties to allow Fayose to step out to attend the convention were rebuffed by the security personnel at the lodge.

But reacting to the allegations, the state Commissioner of Police Odesanya said it was unfair to make such allegations against the police.

He stated that there were other dignitaries lodged at the same venue and wondered how it was possible for others to have left the lodge while Fayose could not.

“That cannot be true. It is not to my knowledge. How did the other excellencies (governors) get out of the lodge?” he queried.

Fayose, in another statement by yet another aide, Mr. Idowu Adelusi, also said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) wanted PDP dead because the former does not want a virile opposition to challenge its obnoxious policies and inability to tackle the problems confronting the country.

Speaking in Port Harcourt, Fayose said such a development would not be in the best interest of the country and Nigerians at large.

He said a virile opposition was a vital ingredient for democracy and necessary to make democracy thrive.

Fayose said the cordoning off of the Sharks Stadium by the police on the orders of the Inspector General of Police (IG) had the input of the APC-led federal government, observing that the police only acted out the script written by the APC-led government.

“I witnessed what the police did early today in Port Harcourt, it is most unfortunate. It has shown that we are indeed in perilous times in the country.

“The APC is desperate to kill the opposition and silence others because they are afraid that their inability to properly govern the country and tackle the challenges facing us as a nation would be exposed by a virile PDP.

“The Buhari government is dictatorial. There is tension everywhere. All sectors are down and they are focusing on killing the opposition. What business has APC with PDP internal matters?

“If they said they wanted to act on court orders, why didn’t they act on more than four orders that were in favour of the Markafi group? They don’t have answers to the terrible situation in the country but they know that an organised PDP will be emboldened to challenge them,” he said.

The governor wondered what would have happened if the PDP acted like the APC and refused to hand over to the APC last year.

Fayose said it was unfortunate that Senator Sheriff had turned himself to an instrument in the hands of the APC to destabilise the PDP.

He appealed to PDP members from across the country who came to the convention not to feel discouraged, saying the truth would prevail in the long run.