Supporters of former governor of Ekiti State, South-West Nigeria, Mr Ayodele Fayose, on Tuesday besieged Wuse II Annex of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Abuja, in solidarity of the former governor.
Fayose, whose tenure as governor of the state, ended on Monday, reported at the EFCC office to honour an earlier invitation by the commission.
He had assured the commission that he would present himself at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, and at precisely 12.59 p.m., the former governor showed up at the commission’s Wuse office.
He was accompanied by Gov.Nyesom Wike of Rivers and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before Fayose’s arrival, some of his supporters and rights activists had thronged the EFCC’s premises.
The supporters wore T-shirts with inscriptions as “Fayose Bold, Dogged, Constant’’ and “Fayose, the Conscience of Nigeria’’.
One of the supporters and human rights activist and lawyer (SAN), Chief Mike Ozekhome, who addressed newsmen, said “This is a government governed by constitutionalism, a constitutional democracy.
“The government should not instil fear in him and people. Fayose is here, he has reported to EFCC.
“Once a person decamps to APC, he becomes politically cleansed of his political leprosy.
“We cannot continue to live in self-denial; we cannot continue to be afraid,” he said.
Another activist, Mr Deji Adeyanju, said that they were not in support of corruption, but that they were at the EFCC as stakeholders.
“It is not that we are here to support corruption; we are here to say that if the EFCC here believes that Fayose has some questions to answer, good and fine.
“We have seen how they made Babachir come here in the afternoon and he left in the evening on the same day and he answered questions and he was released.
“So, corruption is not fighting back; nobody is defending corruption. We are here as Nigerians and as stakeholders.
“I’m in the civil society; we are here to make sure that Fayose enjoys the same privileges that Babachir enjoyed when he came here,” he said.
A member of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Dayo Akinlayo, who was among the supporters, said that he was at the anti-graft agency’s office to lend support to Fayose.
“He is our brother, he is our mentor, leader, who has done wonderfully well for Ekiti.
“He has managed Ekiti resources well in spite of the meagre resources,” he said.
Fayose, whose tenure ended on Monday, had earlier said that he would report at the EFCC on Tuesday.
In a letter to the commission some time ago, he said his term of office “to which I enjoy immunity against investigation and prosecution shall lapse by effluxion of time on Monday, Oct. 15, 2018.
“As a responsible citizen of our great country, who believes in the rule of law, I wish to inform you of my decision to make myself available in your office on Tuesday, 16th October, 2018 at 1pm.
“It is to clarify issues or answer questions within my knowledge.’’ (NAN)