The Ekiti State House of Assembly, has condemned the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to place two governors, of which Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State, was alleged to be victim, under security watch and travel ban.
The House, which noted that such decision could heat up the polity and throw the country into anarchy, warned that only the court of law could exercise such powers.
The Speaker of the House, Hon Kola Oluwawole said that carrying out such alleged constitutional breaches could heat up the polity and make the federating states appendages of the presidency.
Also, the Speaker appealed to the striking workers, to suspend the ongoing strike called to press for the payment of five months outstanding salaries and return to negotiation table in the interest of the state.
In Ibadan, yesterday some lawmakers from the State House of Assembly also confirmed that Governor Ayodele Fayose is one of the two serving governors who are allegedly barred by the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration from travelling out of the country.
The lawmakers led by the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Segun Adewumi gave this hint yesterday at the NUJ Press Centre, Iyaganku, Ibadan.
Making reference to a report that two serving governors in the country were placed on travel restriction by the Federal Government, they went on to say that one of the governors being referred to “is our own governor, Peter Ayodele Fayose”.
They vowed that Ekiti State people would not allow their democratically elected Governor to be rubbished by the Federal Government because he has been critical of its anti-people policies.
Other lawmakers present at the briefing included Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan and Samuel Idowu Omotosho.
Addressing a press conference in Ado Ekiti to mark the one year of the inauguration of the Assembly, Speaker Oluwawole said placing governors on travel restriction by the federal government will embarrass the nation and emasculate the constitution
“We use this medium to alert the nation that the federal government through its agents are planning to embarrass the country. The APC ruling party is contemplating anarchy by directing that two elected governors from the southern states be placed on travel restriction.
“It is unbelievable that those who claimed to be practicing rule of law would want top deliberately stand the constitution on the head and think that the people would not react.
“President Muhammadu Buhari should be reminded that it is only the court that can exercise that power and the sitting governor anywhere in the country enjoys constitutional immunity and until such is removed, no President no matter his strength could go away with blue murder.
“Ekiti State condemns such barbaric acts of the federal government and advise those contemplating such insidious act to weigh the consequences of their actions”, he said.
On the government –labour stand off on unpaid salaries, Oluwawole said the assembly has begun a process of mediation by having a meeting with the labour leaders on how the matter could be resolved amicably.
Oluwawole added that assembly had passed 13 bills into laws and 16 resolutions in the last 365 days, describing the bills as those that could impact positively on the lives of the people.
He, however, lamented that the lawmakers could not meet all their electioneering campaigns to the people due to the paucity of funds in the state.
