Former Ekiti State Governor Peter Ayodele Fayose yesterday fulfilled promise to hand over himself to the EFFC at the expiration of his tenure as governor.
While Ado-Ekiti was hosting the inauguration and celebration of the new Governor Kayode Fayemi, Peter the Rock was playing to the full his personation of enfant terrible by giving himself up at the EFCC Abuja head office wearing jeans and a t-shirt with the legend ‘EFCC I’M HERE!’.
Only Fayose could’ve pulled that off. The news earlier that day was that the agency’s operatives had cordoned off the street where his Abuja home is located, probably to ensure he doesn’t change his mind or run away.
Shortly before arriving at EFCC, he tweeted:
“In few minutes, I will be at the EFCC Old Office, Wuse 2, Abuja. I’m a man who stands by his words and I hope that after today, those President Buhari’s men that have been accused of corruption will also be bold enough to submit themselves to the @officialEFCC”.
He followed that up on arrival with:
“I’m now in the custody of EFCC. While I’m here, my media aide, @OlayinkaLere will operate this twitter handle”.
That’s Fayose – controversial and unconventional to the letter – l’enfant terrible!
Ayo Fayose is not a fool. He has in the last four years said and done what some may say are uncharitable things to many people, high and mighty. But he has fought his wars and fights on one front – against his perceived enemies only; not like some other politicians who fight with everybody – enemies, friends, party members, electorate, etc.
Peter the Rock sure must know what he is doing and how it would pan out. It was Londo Mollari, the character in the science fiction television series Babylon 5, played by Peter Jurasik who once said that
“Only an idiot fights a war on two fronts. Only the heir to the throne of the kingdom of idiots would fight a war on twelve fronts”.
Fayose seems to have fought only his enemies – and to a standstill sometimes – so he surely must have some friends out there to stand up for him. He got quite a few votes the last time he contested for election so many of his people must love him.
Many analysts had suggested he might not wait till handover date before escaping abroad as happened during his first term as governor when he was said to have been spirited across the border and went to live abroad to avoid arrest, after his tenure was truncated prematurely.
EFCC accuses Fayose of issues bothering on money laundering arising from his alleged receipt of billions of Naira from the former National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki and purchasing several property in Abuja and elsewhere. He’s also alleged to have received kick-backs from contractors in Ekiti State while he was governor.
Fayose is loved and hated almost equally by many but what is yet to play out is how the anti-graft agency will treat him now that he does not have the immunity he had as governor. As a two-time governor, that should count for something, some say, even if the first term wasn’t completed. The law should take its course, others retort.
He has said he would not beg for for bail and that the EFCC should just give him a bed. But who knows – he may not sleep there for too long.
But what is the law and wisdom in all this?
We await the reports of his first day statement and interrogation in the Idiagbon House.
Fayose may not be loved by those who place paper qualification over street smartness and therefore,they call him all names.But for me,he was expressive,he fought against hypocrisy so common in our society often times mistaken as diplomacy.
His opponents described his principal then president Goodluck Jonathan as clueless and of course he fought back fearlessly against them and his words to describe their principal President Buhari.To me he’s my hero for being the lone voice at a time in the wilderness.
Truely, Fayose is not a fool. Every Nigerian knows very well that the investigatory machinery of the operatives is grossly inefficient. Suspects are smart enough to commit heinous crimes in Nigeria and cover up the clues. Defending a crime suspect in Nigerian court can be cheap because the investigators are not thorough. Hence a fairly enlightened citizen or alien can confidently spit at the face of the law and get away with it.
Kudos to Fayose for taking the bold step, knowing what obtains in Nigeria the EFCC can end up hurting him or worse still kill him in the cover up he resisted arrest if they go to arrest him. God will see him through. Amen