Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Babafemi Ojudu, has revealed the intricate details of how he orchestrated the impeachment of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose with the backing of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Speaking on Edmund Obilo’s podcast, State Affairs, he disclosed:
“I plotted and scripted the impeachment of Fayose in Ekiti. I used Obasanjo, and when he realized it, he fought back against me.
“I had an agreement and signed that Fayose should be impeached but make sure his deputy is not. I took all the lawmakers to Lagos, where I kept them in hotels and was feeding and taking them around.
“I was not a senator; I was a journalist who had money, and my friends gave me money. They were not happy with him. I saw that weak link and I exploited it.”
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Ojudu further recounted how Obasanjo, angered by the developments, allegedly provided the deputy governor with soldiers to return to Ekiti and proclaim herself as governor.
“Obasanjo was angry and gave the deputy governor soldiers to return to Ekiti and proclaim herself as governor. When she got there, I called people to resist her, and they had no alternative but to declare an emergency.”
Recalling the legal aftermath, Ojudu stated:
“Fayose sued me for libel, and Falana was my lawyer. I went to court and presented my facts. By the time we finished, Justice Daramola told Fayose, ‘You have no honour and integrity.’”
Fayose became the second governor of Ekiti State on 29 May 2003, after defeating incumbent Governor Niyi Adebayo in the gubernatorial elections.
His tenure, however, was abruptly cut short on 16 October 2006, following his impeachment.