Davidson Iriekpen
The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party ‘s (PDP) Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to order and immediately intervene to rescue the country from what he described as the current gross abuse of the constitution.
Reacting to the freezing of the Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose’s account by the EFCC, the governor, in a statement made available to journalists in Akure yesterday said the action of the anti graft agency has portrayed the nation as one in crisis.
Registering the danger in the decision of the EFCC to freeze Fayose’s account, Mimiko in statement yesterday, said the EFCC cannot interfere with the account of a sitting governor, adding that that would not find comfort with the position of Section 308 of the Nigerian Constitution.
According to him, if the intention is to suggest any criminal infraction or fraud against the governor, the agency should have sheath its sword until he vacates office.
“What has happened is a blatant and violent infraction on the provision of the constitution and our democracy.
“Its an attempt to subvert the constitution and it is fascist. The intention is to achieve a penal sanction without going through the due criminal procedure and criminal proceedings.”
Mimiko said the essence of Section 308 of the Constitution of the country is to save governors in the country from distractions, submitting that “what they have done now is to distract the Ekiti State Governor and this is not good for our democracy.”
Submitting that immunity is part of the constitution “which must be respected whether anybody likes it or not” the Governor’s Forum Chairman further mentioned that the EFCC action violates Section 96 of the 1999 Constitution as amended which confer on every individual right of fair hearing.
He warned that the country is beginning to manifest the signs of totalitarianism adding that the account of any individual could only be frozen after a court of competent jurisdiction as so ruled or an interim order by a court of competent jurisdiction is granted to the anti graft agency.
