The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, Dr Kayode Fayemi was interrogated by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on Thursday.
The Cable who broke the news had reported that the interrogation was based on alleged N4bn fraud committed by the former governor.
However, Fayemi refuted the “N4bn fraud claim” on Friday.
The former governor, via a statement by the Head of the Fayemi Media Office, said “no such allegation was raised during his conversation” with officials of the anti-graft agency.
According to the statement, all Fayemi did during the conversation with the officials of the EFCC in Ilorin, Kwara State, was respond to a “frivolous petition from a group that was trying to soil his good name and image.”
The statement read, “We would like to address the concerns surrounding the invitation and subsequent visit of Dr Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, to the Ilorin Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
“Last month, Dr Fayemi received an invitation from the Ilorin office of the EFCC regarding a money laundering petition against him. It was during the height of the preparations for the change of government, with many activities and programmes lined up as part of the event.
“A key member of the APC, Dr Fayemi was already committed to playing important roles at these events and his non-appearance would have impacted them significantly. Understanding the significance of his commitments at that time, Dr Fayemi duly notified the EFCC of his willingness to cooperate but requested a more suitable date for his appearance.
The statement said, Fayemi, on Thursday, accompanied by his counsel, visited the EFCC office in Ilorin, and engaged in fruitful discussions with the investigators before being allowed to depart after a few hours.
It added, “We firmly believe that Dr Fayemi’s visit has provided answers to the agency’s inquiries regarding the petition. However, should there be a need for further clarification, Dr Fayemi stands ready to cooperate fully.
“We wish to note, too, that contrary to the news that made the rounds about a purported N4b fraud case against Dr Fayemi, no such allegation was raised in his conversation with the EFCC.
“All he did was respond to a frivolous petition from a faceless group, the so-called Ekiti Patriotic Coalition, which we strongly believed is a front for some anti-Fayemi politicians, who are trying to soil the former governor’s good name and image.”
The statement said throughout Fayemi’s tenure, he served the people of Ekiti State with utmost dedication and was renowned for his principled leadership.
“As governor, he consistently demonstrated a profound commitment to the welfare of the citizens, driving notable advancements in infrastructure development and attracting valuable investment opportunities to the state.
“We affirm that Dr Fayemi will continue to uphold the highest standards of integrity that he’s known for, and we trust that the truth will prevail in due course.”