Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose has described the Federal Government’s attempt to secretly try the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki, by using mask-wearing prosecution witnesses as satanic and mockery of democracy.
He said “It is becoming obvious that the All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government has something to hide on the travail of Col. Dasuki because if you were not afraid to call someone a thief in the market place, you should not be afraid to try such a person in the full glare of the public.”
The governor, who said Nigerians should ask the federal government why it was afraid of trying Dasuki openly, noted that; “Since names of the would-be prosecution witnesses have already been made public, what agenda is the federal pursuing by insisting that its witnesses be given protection by the court by not allowing their names and addresses to be made public in the course of the trial.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose challenged the APC-led federal government to allow live television coverage of the trial so that the federal government can tell the entire world how Dasuki actually stole the $2.1 billion arms money and he (Dasuki) will also defend himself in the full glare of the public.
The governor said; “You accused someone of corruption in the market place and the person you accused is saying he wants to defend himself in the market place too, but you, the accuser is insisting that the accused must be tried in your bedroom, I think someone is trying to hide something?”
He said it was curious that the Federal Government could approach the court for the second time, seeking for an order to conduct secret trial in a celebrated criminal matter, on which it claimed to have watertight evidences.
Governor Fayose added that even the prosecuting counsel, who filed the application, should be ashamed for allowing themselves to be used as tools to subvert democracy.
“They want Nnamdi Kanu tried secretly. They also want the former Col Dasuki (rtd) tried secretly. What are they afraid of? How is defence counsel going to cross-examine masked witnesses when their real identity cannot be ascertained? Why are the witnesses afraid to testify in an open court if truly they are witnesses of truth?
“Obviously, this is satanic. It is against all democratic norms and Nigerians must rise against it,” the governor said.
He called on the court to reject the federal government’s ploy to use masquerade as witnesses, saying; “Nigerians are now at the mercy of judiciary, which is the only institution that can save Nigeria from the full-blown dictatorship that the APC government has become.”
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