All is quiet at the Government House Ado-Ekiti after the security aides attached to the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose were withdrawn following the orders of the Deputy Inspector General of Police.
The DIG Operations, Habilal Joshak had earlier announced that the security aides of important personalities in Ekiti will be withdrawn in order to maintain the credibility of the Ekiti state governorship election.
He also revealed that the security aides of Governor Fayose, APC’s candidate in the upcoming election, Kayode Fayemi and other individuals have been asked to report to the police headquarters in Ado Ekiti.
Also revealed was the fact that policemen who took over the Ekiti State Government House on Monday and allegedly fired teargas canisters at Governor Ayodele Fayose had been withdrawn.
The policemen were led by the Commissioner of Police in charge of MOPOL, Mr. Eche who had blocked the road between Fajuyi Park and the Government House in order to prevent members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from holding a “victory walk”.
The policemen had also occupied the state pavilion; the campaign base of the PDP candidate, Prof. Kolapo Olusola, and dispersed members of the party who had already massed there for the victory rally.
Governor Fayose had reportedly been attacked with teargas and hit in the neck by some of the policemen. This led to him slumping for about five minutes before he was revived by his aides and party faithfuls.
Pictures had surfaced online showing Fayose in a neck brace and bidding farewell to his security aides as they were being withdrawn. Reports have it that he had come straight from the Government House clinic where he had been hospitalized following the attack.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Operations, Mr. Habilal Joshak, has however denied that he ordered his men and officers to use teargas on the crowd on National Television. According to him, he only instructed that those massing for the rally should leave because the mood of the state was not suitable for rallies, “I didn’t say they should use force” he said.
“This is an election and electioneering is a civil matter anywhere across the globe, so police as security agents can’t use force on the people. But I want to assure the good people of Ekiti State that such mistake will never repeat itself,” Joshak stated.
Although the law allows elections campaign to go on till Thursday night pending the elections on Saturday, the DIG Operations had on Wednesday barred political rallies until elections have been held.
“We are not here to usurp the authority of Governor Fayose. We are not here to rubbish him because he represents the people. But we are not going to allow any unauthorised rally that can trigger violence in the state. You can see that the state is tensed up. As law enforcement agents, we must be proactive and take actions that can prevent crisis rather than trying to quell it after it might have broken out,”