Fayose addressing the media
Influential politician and Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose,
who is expected to leave office in October after handing over to the
governor-elect of the state, Kayode Fayemi, will face criminal trial
after leaving office, EFCC said in a statement on Monday.
Recall that few hours after Kayode Fayemi was announced winner of
the Ekiti guber election, the EFCC posted a tweet on its official
Twitter handle that it would resurrect a poultry scandal involving the
governor.
The anti-graft agency later deleted the tweet which was condemned by many Nigerians including the governor’s spokesperson.
Meanwhile, in a statement sent to PREMIUM Times
on Monday night, the EFCC spokesperson played down on the tweet
controversy, but said only the court could clear Fayose of his criminal
trial after leaving office.
“While it is true that there is a subsisting criminal charge
against Governor Fayose, the fate of the charge will be determined by
the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, at the expiration of his tenure, not
the EFCC,” the agency’s spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said.
Read the full EFCC statement by Uwujaren below:
“The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has observed with
interest, reactions to a tweet that purportedly appeared on the
Commission’s Twitter handle July 15, announcing the imminent revival of
the criminal case against Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State.
In the opinion of most commentators, the tweet coming a few
hours after Fayose’s protege, Kolapo Olusola of the People’s Democratic
Party lost the governorship election to his All progressives Congress
rival, Kayode Fayemi, betrayed the partisanship of the EFCC in the
political contest in Ekiti State.
Against the background, Commission is constrained to state that
the purported tweet does not represent the views of the EFCC. As a law
enforcement organization the Commission is apolitical and was not
involved in the recent Ekiti election. It therefore has no reason to
gloat over the political misfortune of any candidate or political
god-father.
While it is true that there is a subsisting criminal charge
against Governor Fayose, the fate of the charge will be determined by
the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, at the expiration of his tenure, not
the EFCC.”