Jonathan: Fayose should be given official protection

Former President Goodluck Jonathan says Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, should be given protection as the number one citizen in the state.

He said this while reacting to reports that Fayose was assaulted by policemen.

In a statement by Ikechukwu Eze, his spokesman, Jonathan said security operatives were meant to give voters the confidence to come out on election day, not to intimidate them.

“I am appealing to the security agencies deployed to Ekiti state for the governorship election to carry out their duties according to the laws of the land by securing the state in a manner that will enable a peaceful electoral process,” he said.

“If it is true that the state governor Ayodele Fayose was assaulted as reported in the media, my appeal is that such should not be allowed to happen again, since the governor’s constitutional immunity guarantees that he should be given official protection to freely conduct the business of governing the state.”

The former president appealed to the security agencies to strive to protect the laws of the land and also seek to prevent any development that could negatively impact on the process of deepening the nation’s democracy.