Ex-Katsina Governor, Ibrahim Shema being persecuted because of 2019 - Fayose

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described the trial of

former governor of Katsina State, Ibrahim Shema by the Economic and

Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as mere political persecution,

which is part of the plot of the cabal in the All Progressives

Congress (APC) to incapacitate opposition figures in the country

financially before the 2019 general elections.
Governor Fayose, who said President Mohammadu Buhari’s second term

ambition will not be realised on the basis of intimidation, harassment

and persecution of opposition figures as well as annihilation of their

financial strength, added that; “Instead of running after those that

they perceived as threat to the President’s 2019 ambition, they should

rather save Nigerians from hunger and sufferings now ravaging the

land.”
According to his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New

Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said “it is also obvious that

those holding power in Katsina State presently are finding it

difficult to match Shema’s unprecedented performance while in office

and have opted for his persecution just to cover up their failure.

The governor lamented that all actions of the APC led federal

government were geared towards the achievement of President Buhari’s

second term and not the well-being of Nigerians, many of whom can

barely feed owing to bad policies of the government.

He said “it is another sad experience in democratic governance in

Nigeria that someone like Alhaji Shema, who performed remarkably well

as Katsina State governor and even left over N3 billion in the state’s

treasury is now being humiliated ostensibly just because some people

believed that the only way they can perpetuate themselves in power

beyond 2019 is by destroying opposition.
“Despite that Alhaji Shema made himself available to the EFCC on

September 16, 2016, he was kept in detention for more than two weeks

just to humiliate him as directed by those who presently hold power in

Katsina and Abuja. Even when Alhaji Shema was arraigned in court on

Tuesday, EFCC even went to the extent of asking the court to remand

him in prison. This is ridiculous!”
Calling on the international community, especially the United States

of America (USA) President-Elect, Donald Trump and other world leaders

to help in saving democracy in Nigeria, Governor Fayose said, “this

continuous use of EFCC and other agencies of the federal government to

humiliate and oppress those perceived as threat to the APC hold on

power beyond 2019 is a threat to democracy in the country and must not

be allowed to continue.
“The international community should ask President Buhari why only

opposition figures are the ones being arrested and tried by the EFCC.

What has happened to all those petitions submitted to the EFCC against

close aides of the president and serving members of his cabinet?

“Obviously, EFCC now exists as the APC Economic and Financial Crimes

Commission and those foreign organisations donating funds to the

commission should be mindful of their funds being used to persecute

opposition.”