Governor Nyesom Wike has blasted the police for the alleged harassment of the Ondo Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi.
He also took a swipe at Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, for his silence over the attack on the deputy governor.
Ajayi was on Saturday night blocked from leaving the government house with his official vehicles on the orders of the state governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu over his planned defection to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Wike in a statement signed by his Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim said it was wrong for the Commissioner of Police, Ondo state to dabble into politics by denying Ajayi access to his residence based on his defection to another political party.
He described the act as unfortunate and condemnable in a democratically elected government.
He said: “The Nigeria Governors’ Forum should rise to the occasion and demand that those behind actions that bother on the infringement of constitutional rights be brought to book.
“I will continue to say the truth, it does not matter which political party is erring. Look at the police reducing themselves to a level where politicians will now send them to infringe on the right of a deputy governor without regards to the fact that he has immunity.
“They removed a Commissioner of Police in Rivers state because of the Calverton Helicopter saga which had to do with persons whose COVID-19 status were not known during the lockdown in the State. So, what should happen to the commissioner of police who stopped a democratically elected deputy governor from entering his house simply because of the rumour that he wanted to defect to another political party?
“If that Commissioner of Police was in Rivers State, he would have been removed. This is part of the reasons people say I criticise the Governors Forum. It is not created for any political party, it should speak against constitutional infractions.
“A deputy governor linked to the purported rumour of defection has the right of freedom of association. What is the business of a commissioner of police?
“Nobody knows where we are headed in this country. It is unfortunate that we have different laws and rules for different people,” he said.
The governor wondered why Femi Falana was not quick to condemn the role played by the police in breaching the provisions of the Nigerian constitution in Ondo State, the same way he condemned actions taken by the Rivers State Government to save the lives of Rivers people from COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “Human rights activists and people like Femi Falana are silent. Falana will not talk because the matter has to do with Ondo State governor who is his friend.
“There is no human rights issue in the Ondo State incident but when it concerns Rivers State, he will be quick to act on issues he doesn’t even have the facts. That is when you will see him come out and begin to recite constitutional provisions.
“Today, I call on Femi Falana to speak out about the violation of the fundamental human rights of the deputy governor of Ondo State.
“People think that we can be deceived when they play ethnic politics always. People should not play this game as if Nigerians are fools. When it suits them, they say one thing, when it does not suit them, they say another thing. Falana should come out and tell Nigerians his view on this issue as the world human rights defender”.
