The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West has asked security agencies to probe what it called the secret trips made to the United States of America (USA) during the week by Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi and his Osun State counterpart, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola.
The party has also raised posers on the coincidence between the governors’ trips and huge cash withdrawals from state accounts at a time the courts are on holidays and many judicial officers are abroad.
PDP Zonal Publicity Secretary, Hon. Kayode Babade said in a statement issued on saturday that the party was suspicious of the secret trips because of the pending case filed at the Supreme Court by former Governor of Ekiti State, Chief Segun Oni, alleging unethical relationship between the Suspended President Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami and some chieftains of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) before, during and after the October 15, 2010 Appeal Court judgment that removed him from office.
According to the PDP, “security agencies must ask questions as to why the two governors could travel out of the country secretly unaccompanied by anyone.”
The PDP said Aregbesola travelled to the USA on Wednesday while Fayemi travelled from Lagos to the same USA on Friday. Both of them travelled with none of their aides accompanying them.
The statement reads; “We wish to draw the attention of Nigerians, especially the security agencies to the clandestine USA trip made by Governors Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State and Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State.
“It is on record that while Fayemi was alleged to have withdrew a sum of N250 million on Wednesday, Aregbesola’s agents also withdrew N400 million from a First Bank branch in Osogbo same day.
“We are also aware that some of the Supreme Court justices, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Aloma Mariam Mukhtar are presently on holiday outside the country and this clandestine trip might be aimed at putting undue pressures on them.
“Most importantly too, ACN Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu is presently in the USA and it is sure that there could not have been any reason for Fayemi and Aregbesola to have travelled to USA alone other than for sinister motives.
“Security agencies in the country must therefore investigate these clandestine trips with a view to finding out the real reason the two governors chose to travel unannounced and unaccompanied by any aide.”