NHRC to invite Fayose, others over Ekiti violence

The National Human Rights Commission has said it would invite the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to appear before it when it is set to probe the allegations that he was staging attacks on members of the opposition, All Progressives Congress in the state.Executive Secretary of the commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, s‎aid this while receiving the response of Fayose to the allegations from a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party members at his office in Abuja on Friday.In its petition submitted to the commission exactly one week earlier by the secretary of the APC in Ekiti State, Omotosho Ayodele, the party alleged that both the PDP and Fayose were sending thugs to unleash violence on its members with attendant destruction of property.The APC alleged that the attacks on its members had continued despite the series of complaints lodged with the police for their intervention.But ‎Angwe, while receiving members of the PDP in Ekiti State, led by the party chairman in the state, Tope Aluko, and the Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Owoseni Ajayi, reiterated that the allegations contained in the petition would be thoroughly investigated.‎Angwe said, “We are happy that you have chosen to come to respond to the allegations against Dr. Ayodele Fayose.“Upon the receipt of the petition we had dispatched an invitation to the Governor and the PDP Chairmanin Ekiti State and we are happy that you are here to represent the Governor and that the PDP Chairman in Ekiti is here in person.“On the receipt of that petition we had said that the Commission would invoke its powers to ensure that justice is done and that whoever is found guilty of these abuses irrespective of position as there are no immunity when it comes to the abuse of the rights of Nigerians. We would invoke our powers and involve international human rights bodies to ensure that justice is done.“We also said if the petition is found not to be true we would not hesitate to punish the conveyors of the false allegation. We would in due course invite all the parties including Fayose to appear before it to state their sides of the story. I want to restate that we would be fair but firm and there is no immunity forany person that infringes on the rights of any Nigerian.”He also called on them to abide by the provisions of the peace accord signed by the presidential candidates ahead of the general elections rescheduled for March 28 and April 11.Ajayi, who presented the governor’s response to the NHRC’s Executive Secretary, accused the APC of being insincere with its allegation of violence in the state.