Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, is alleging witch-hunt after his fuel station was shut by the newly inaugurated State Government under the watch of Mr. Ayo Fayose. Omirin has, however, vowed that the alleged victimisation will not make him abandon his political party, the All Progressives Party (APC) for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform Fayose used to oust APC from power.

The Fayose administration had on Tuesday announced the closure of some filling stations in the state for allegedly constituting environmental hazard.

Omirin who reacted yesterday through a statement issued in Ado Ekiti by his Special Adviser on Media, Mr Wole Olujobi, said he fulfilled all the necessary environmental laws before locating his filling station and got necessary approval. He wondered why the governor is starting early in the day victimising those who do not share his political leaning.

Omirin stressed that intimidation and coercion will not force him to betray the people that voted him into office

He said: “Hon. Joseph Olugbemi had told me two days after the governor’s inauguration that he (the governor) had made up his mind to close my filling station over refusal to join PDP. Olugbemi defected to PDP on the day Governor Fayose was inaugurated.

“I had earlier told the governor that in the interest of Ekiti people, the House of Assembly would work with him to deliver dividends of democracy to the good people of Ekiti State.

Calling the governor

“I called the governor to confirm what the honourable member told me about the plan to close my filling station. He denied having such plans, swearing that he would not engage in victimisation of his opponents. But only yesterday the governor ordered the closure of the filling station, citing environmental reasons.”

The Speaker said he had a background of political fidelity anchored on progressive democratic practice, adding that he would not abandon the principle in pursuit of selfish agenda diametrically opposed to the ethos of his political belief.

He said the present atmosphere in the state does not call for high-handedness and persecution against perceived opponents, but a collective pursuit of common goals to deliver good governance to Ekiti people. He stressed that attacks on the opponents, particularly the lawmakers, will only create conditions inimical to a cordial relationship between the Executive and Legislature necessary for smooth running of government.

Dismissing the allegation through his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, Governor Fayose said: “What Omirin said is totally false; there is no iota of truth in it. The essence of closing down those petrol stations is to ensure sanity and safety in the state capital.

“While some petrol stations were sited on public properties or residential areas, everybody knows the danger it can cause if there is fire outbreak which had happened in some towns before, leading to loss of lives and property.

“Even in Lagos State, you cannot just site petrol station anyhow. Omirin should have nothing to fear, because the Governor has nothing against him.”

•Adapted from a Vanguard report. Photo shows Fayose with a retinue of security operatives prior to his assumptation of office as governor.