The Ekiti State House of Assembly members have taken their protest over the March 4, 2016, invasion of the Assembly complex and subsequent abduction of four of the assembly members by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) to the embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom.
The lawmakers, numbering about 18 and led by the Speaker, Honourable Kola Oluwawole; his deputy, Honourable Segun Adewumi and House Leader, Honourable Adetunji Akinyele, called on the international community to intervene and save democracy in Nigeria from imminent collapse.
They submitted a letter entitled; “Re: Political intolerance in Ekiti State,” and the resolution passed at its sitting of Wednesday, March 9, in which the lawmakers stated expressly that they were solidly behind the state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose and can never be coerced or induced to sign any impeachment notice against him.
Armed with placards with various inscriptions, the lawmakers said: “We want to state here categorically that no amount of intimidation, harassment and oppression will make us impeach our leader and benefactor, Governor Ayodele Fayose. The DSS should therefore know that the 2006 theory they are working on will not work this time around.”
Inscriptions on the placards read: ‘DSS harassment is about 2018, we won’t be cowed’, ‘DSS, this impunity must stop! This is democracy, not dictatorship’, ‘DSS, don’t destroy our democracy, respect rule of law’, ‘Fayose remains our leader, we won’t impeach him, Nigerians need change, not chains’, ‘Buhari, face economy and security, not opposition’ and ‘DSS, free Ekiti lawmakers; we are legislators, not criminals.’
The lawmakers, who spoke through Dr Samuel Omotoso, Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan and Honourable Adewumi, alleged that they were being harassed, with some of their houses being visited, for no just cause, by men who claimed to be DSS officials. (Tribune)