Some youth in Ekiti State, including students of tertiary institutions, on Monday rallied in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, in support of embattled Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The youth frowned at what they described as the rascality flagrant and disrespect for the Rule of Law and disobedience of the constitution by the All Progressives Congress-led federal government.
PREMIUM TIMES did not cover the event but a spokesperson for Governor Ayodele Fayose, Lere Olayinka, sent us a narrative of what he said transpired at the rally.
According to Mr. Olayinka, the protesters were led by the President of the Federation of Ekiti State Students Union (FESSU), Obayemi Peters; Presidents of the Students Union Governments of the Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti (Ibrahim Oladimeji); Federal Polytechnic, Ado Ekiti (Ayegbusi Paul); College of Education, Ikere Ekiti (Onilearo Gbenga) and College of Health Technology, Ijero-Ekiti (Oyebade Adeyemi).
Mr. Olayinka, quoted Mr. Oladimeji, who he said spoke with journalists at the rally, as saying students from various institutions joined the protest in solidarity with the government and governor of Ekiti State.
According to Mr. Olayinka, Mr. Oladimeji said students do not support corruption, but that the fight against the scourge should not be selective.
Mr. Olayinka further reported, “Adebayo urged Nigerians to impress it upon the APC-led federal government to ensure that petitions against the ousted Kayode Fayemi administration is looked into, especially the N850m SUBEB fund that was diverted for other purposes beside that for which it was meant.
“Another student leader who spoke at the rally, Saliu Akeem Dennis, said the fight against corruption should not be sectional. Citing wife of the president, Mrs. Aisha Buhari’s alleged involvement in the William Jefferson bribery scandal, Saliu hammered that rather than just telling Nigerians that the Aisha Buhari mentioned in the William Jefferson bribery scandal isn’t the wife of the president, Nigerian students expect that the Buhari administration will go ahead to fish out and prosecute whoever “Aisha Buhari” from Daura is, adding that what is good for the goose should be good for the gander.
“The placard wielding crowd of protesters moved from Fajuyi area of Ado Ekiti through Okesa, Ojumose, Oke Iyinmi, Old Garage, Ijigbo, Irona, Oke Ori-Omi, Old Governor’s Office and later converged on Fajuyi.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read, “Buhari is a dictator “, “Buhari, Obey court orders and respect Human Rights, we are in Democracy”, “Buhari/APC can’t take Ekiti by force, it’s all about 2018”, “Under APC government, No money, No job, No single infrastructure”, “Corruption in EFCC today is worst ever in Nigeria”, “Probe the $60m Sahara Energy donation to APC campaign”, “Fayemi/APC ruined Ekiti economy”, “Diesel/Kerosene now #220/litre. Masses are suffering”, Probe Fayemi’s #1.5b donation to Buhari’s campaign”, Fayose: Voice of the Voiceless”, “Fayemi diverted SUBEB’s #850, probe him”, amongst others.