The hitherto sympathy enjoyed by the aggrieved lawmakers of the Ekiti State House of Assembly on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is gradually fading into anger as residents of the state are queuing up behind the embattled Governor of the State, Ayodele Fayose.
Ekiti State capital, Ado-Ekiti, was shut down on Friday as workers on the platform of the various unions in the state, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and Joint Negotiating Council, marched across the streets in solidarity with the Governor and threatening to shut down the entire state if the APC lawmakers continue with moves to impeach the governor.
Prominent Ekiti indigenes, including Chief Afe Babalola, had warned against the continued plot to impeach Fayose. He advised the lawmakers to put the interest of the state first before personal interest.
The 19 lawmakers had insisted on going ahead with the impeachment even after their party lost its election case against Fayose at the Supreme Court. From their base in Osun State, they have allegedly continued to “trouble” Fayose.
For many hours on Friday, thousands of the workers lined up the streets in a protest rally against the move. They shut down businesses, enforced a sit-at-home order issued by the leaders of the unions and restricted general and vehicular movements through barricades mounted across the town. This resulted in many commuters being stranded.
The procession began at the Fajuyi Park after an early morning meeting of the labour leaders who warned that there would be crisis in the state if the lawmakers continued with their threat.
The NLC Secretary in the State, Com. Ade Obatoye, who spoke with journalists over the decision of the labour unions, said the citizens and residents of the state had been gravely affected by the action of the 19 lawmakers.
He attested to the claim by Fayose that the governor is enjoying the mandate freely given him by the people and that the lawmakers must leave the people to benefit from the mandate.
He said: “Though we agree with Hon. Adewale Omirin that he has the right to fight for his right, he must wait for the outcome of the suit he instituted against his impeachment. He cannot because of his impeachment plunge Ekiti into crisis, because he stands impeached until the court rules otherwise.
“But staying in Osun or Lagos State and be hurling stones at Ekiti is uncalled for and selfish. Former Governors Niyi Adebayo and Kayode Fayemi of the APC ruled the State in peace. But when Fayose and Segun Oni of the PDP came, trouble started. We will not allow this to continue because Ekiti belongs to all of us .
“The people of Ekiti did not only vote for Fayose, but the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, had also revalidated it.
“We appeal to the APC to wait for four years when there will chance to elect another governor and if they can appeal to our people, they can get it back, but not the way they are presently doing.
“In an atmosphere of unrest just as we are witnessing now, the citizens will bear the brunt. The will of the people must be allowed to prevail. The loser of elections must allow the winner to enjoy it.
“We beg the lawmakers to allow Fayose to settle for work so that the people can enjoy dividends of democracy in the areas of infrastructure development. Loser in Lagos governorship election, Mr. Jimi Agbaje had congratulated Mr. Akin Ambode and this is what we envisaged for Ekiti.
“If actually Omirin and his people knew they were popular, they would not have run away from the State because the people will be ready to defend them. Our advice to them is to embrace peace because we are going to resist any attempt to impeach Fayose.”
However, Obatoye did not state if the workers would continue with the industrial action, but maintained that the labour leaders would continue to monitor events and act appropriately for the interest of the state.