The Ekiti State Governor and Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum, Mr Ayodele Fayose has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) led federal government to be cautious on how it handles issues bordering on religion to sustain harmony in the country.
He said this while condemning the attempt by armed men of the Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest Apostle Johnson Suleiman of The Omega Fire Ministries Worldwide in Ado Ekiti, yesterday
Fayose said “Nigerians, either Muslim or Christian deserve to be protected by the federal government, which controls all security
apparatus in the country and the moment the federal government can no longer protect Nigerians from being killed by rampaging herdsmen, citizens of the country will have no option than to defend themselves.”
His Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in a release, said Governor Fayose called on the international community to intervene before Nigeria is thrown into a major religious crisis.
Governor Fayose, who expressed surprise that a man of God was been trailed to be arrested by the men of DSS said, he expected the security operatives to invite him if they have any issue with him instead of arresting him in the dead of the night after a powerful and spirit-filled crusade in my State.
He said; “If the federal government had acted swiftly like it acted on Apostle Suleiman so-called inciting comments when people were being
killed by herdsmen across the country, so many lives would have been saved.”
“It is on record that the APC in Ekiti State issued press statements and went on social media to disparage the Redeemed Christians Church
of God (RCCG) Worldwide General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adeboye just because he praised me when he came to Ekiti. And curiously, it was
immediately Pastor Adeboye came to Ekiti State and praised me that he was forced to relinquish his position as the General Overseer of the
RCCG.
The governor urged security operatives against intimidation and arrest of men of God in the interest of peace and religious harmony in the country.
He called for the release of the head of Nigeria’s Islamic Movement (IMN), Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who has been in detention since late 2015
despite that the court ruled that he should be released, saying; “I stand for Nigeria and its people, not for any religion and it is my
position that rights of all Nigerians must be respected and protected.”
The Governor said, “I personally attended his crusade and I think it is wrong for a man of God who is armless that could be invited if they
have any issue against him. Are Christians and Moslems under different dispensation of the rule of law? That’s why I went there to rescue
him. Let them kill two of us together. But when they saw my vehicles and the crowd, they fled.
He said, “This is unacceptable, we are in a democracy “
