The All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has asked Governor Ayodele Fayose to stop his relentless assaults on the judiciary.

The party also condemned Fayose’s threat and incitement of the public against The Punch newspapers because it reported what happened at the Ekiti State Election Petitions Tribunal, where the APC members were attacked by the “Peoples Democratic Party thugs.”

The tribunal was hearing a petition on the March 28 Ekiti Central Senatorial election between APC’s Gbenga Olofin and PDP’s candidate, Mrs. Fatima Raji-Rasaki.

The governor while administering oaths on 10 new commissioners on Wednesday had attacked The PUNCH for its report of the event, saying the newspaper was out against his government.

But the APC in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, on Thursday in Ado Ekiti, advised Fayose against extending “his harassment and clampdown on the media as he had done to the judiciary and the legislature.”

Expressing dismay over Fayose’s thugs alleged serial assaults on the judiciary, Olatubosun said Tuesday’s incident “showed clearly that the governor, who keeps an army of thugs at the ready to strike against perceived enemies, has chosen violence as an art of governance.”

According to him, the attack on APC members was because the tribunal had turned down Raji-Rasaki’s plea to reject Olofin’s request to admit the voter register and card reader as exhibits in the case.

“Seen as a blow to the case, her (Raji-Rasaki) supporters and scores of thugs in anger emerged from the nearby Government House to violently attack the APC supporters within the court premises with several of them sustaining serious injuries, forcing the presiding judge to warn the PDP leaders to control their supporters in their violent act.

“We condemn this act of violence that the governor has chosen as an instrument of governance. More condemnable is choosing the judiciary as the theatre of war.

“Last time, Fayose led thugs to the court to disrupt proceedings in the hearing on the suit challenging his qualification to contest the governorship election. To the chagrin of all, thugs in their hundreds with Fayose leading invaded the court, destroying court furniture and windows.

“Court records in the Chief Judge’s office were torn into shreds and Chief Judge’s Secretary thoroughly beaten. Not done, Justice Adeyeye       was beaten black and blue and his coat torn by thugs.”