Victor Ezeja
Former governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, has debunked news reports of his being grilled by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged misappropriation of N4 billion while in office.
Some news reports on Thursday claimed that Dr Fayemi was being probed at the EFCC in Ilorin over alleged N4 billion fraud.
Reacting on Friday, the former governor of the Southwest state in a statement by the Head of his Media Office, Abuja, Mallam Ahmad Sajoh, said he simply made an appearance at the EFCC zonal office Ilorin on the invitation to respond to some issues raised in a frivolous petition against him and “no such allegation was raised during his conversation” with officials of the Commission.
According to the statement, the petition was lodged by a group known as called Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, who he said was trying to soil his good name and image.
The statement read: “We would like to address the concerns surrounding the invitation and subsequent visit of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), to the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
“Last month, Dr Fayemi received an invitation from the Ilorin office of the EFCC regarding a money laundering petition against him. It was during the height of the preparations for the change of government, with many activities and programmes lined up as part of the event.
“A key member of the APC, Dr. Fayemi was already committed to playing important roles at these events and his non-appearance would have impacted them significantly.
“Understanding the significance of his commitments at that time, Dr. Fayemi duly notified the EFCC of his willingness to cooperate but requested a more suitable date for his appearance.”
Fayemi, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was governor of Ekiti State from 2018 to 2022 when he handed over to the incumbent, Biodun Oyebanji, who won the June 2022 governorship election in the state.
The statement said Fayemi, who is also a former chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, visited the EFFC office on Thursday morning, accompanied by his legal Counsel, and engaged in fruitful discussions with the anti-graft agency’s investigators before being allowed to depart after a few hours.
The statement further said it is believed that Fayemi’s response during the visit has provided answers to the anti-graft agency’s inquiries regarding the petition and would be ready to cooperate should there be any need for further clarification.
“We wish to note, too, that contrary to the news that made the rounds about a purported N4b fraud case against Dr. Fayemi, no such allegation was raised in his conversation with the EFCC. All he did was respond to a frivolous petition from a faceless group, the so-called Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, which we strongly believed is a front for some anti-Fayemi politicians, who are trying to soil the former governor’s good name and image.
“Throughout his tenure, Dr. Fayemi served the people of Ekiti State with utmost dedication and is renowned for his principled leadership,” it added.
Continuing, it said: “As governor, he consistently demonstrated a profound commitment to the welfare of the citizens, driving notable advancements in infrastructure development and attracting valuable investment opportunities to the state.
“We affirm that Dr. Fayemi will continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity that he’s known for, and we trust that the truth will prevail in due course.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
