The wife of the president, Hajia
Aisha Buhari, has said that Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State cannot hide
under the cover of immunity to avoid prosecution from several alleged criminal
offences.
Her position is contained in her
statement of claims filed before an FCT High Court in the defamation suit
challenging Governor Fayose’s allegation linking her with the Harliburton
bribery scandal in the United States.
Fayose’s counsel, Mike Ozekhome
(SAN), had in a reply to Mrs Buhari’s pre-action notice on July 8, stated that
under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution, no civil or criminal action may be
brought against the governor while in office, advising her to wait till 2018.
But in the statement filed by her
counsel, Ismaila Alasa and Mary Ekpere Eta, the president’s wife cited criminal
charges on the murder of one Tunde Omojola, diversion of N1.2bn state funds in
2004 and the invasion of the Ekiti High Court with thugs who allegedly beat up
a judge in 2014 as some of the governor’s ‘indiscretions’.
“The first defendant (Fayose) is
a well-known coward who is scared of facing the consequences of his numerous
indiscretions and sheer acts of criminality by timidly hiding under the cloak
of immunity to want to evade prosecution,” she averred.
Meanwhile, Justice Olukayode
Adeniyi has approved the service of the court papers to Fayose and his two
aides- his chief press secretary, Idowu Adelusi and his special adviser on New
Media, Lere Olayinka at the Government House, Ado Ekiti as the legal dispute
proceeded in the week.
The judge directed service of the
processes on the defendants by DHL courier service and publication in an online
media platform.
Aisha Buhari, who has lined up
205 witnesses against Fayose, is seeking N5bn as damages over the statements.
Fayose had in a media session on
June 20, alleged that one Aisha Buhari, who allegedly transferred $170, 000 to
USA congressman, William Jefferson, who was convicted in November 2009 over the
bribery scandal, was the president’s wife.
Full hearing is expected to
commence after the court’s vacation.
...theelites
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