The 19 All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly have shuned a peace meeting with the state governor, Ayo Fayose, organised by legal luminary, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN).
The 19 APC lawmakers who are determined to impeach Fayose had, at the last minute to the meeting slated for yesterday at the Afe Babalola University, announced their unwillingness to attend the meeting.
According to a statement signed on behalf of the lawmakers by Wale Olujobi, their decision not to attend the meeting was due to information that majority of their members would be arrested by the government at the venue of the meeting.
Babalola, who is the chairman of the elders committee on resolution of the ongoing tussle, expressed disappointment with the lawmakers for their decision to shun the peace meeting. However, he promised to continue to toe the path of peace and development of the state.
The senior advocate displayed several text messages exchanged between him and Speaker Adewale Omirin, where he assured him and his group that nothing would happen to them and that none of them would be arrested for any reason.
According to him, with the support of the state commissioner for police, Joshua Ibine and the state Director of DSS, Duke Fubara, no fewer than 200 security operatives were drafted to the venue of the meeting for the security and safety of the lawmakers.
Babalola said he decided to mediate in the crisis between the governor and the lawmakers because of his stake in the ‘Ekiti Project’.