Screening: APC Chieftain Petitions Yilwatda, Basiru Over Ekiti Central Senator

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Afuye Idowu, has written a petition to the party’s national chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda and the national secretary, Dr Ajibola Basiru, calling for the disqualification of an aspirant for Ekiti Central Senatorial District, Senator Cyril Fasuyi.

In a petition submitted moments before APC began screening of National Assembly aspirants, Idowu claimed that

Fasuyi, a serving senator has not meet up demands of his constituents and office.

Addressing journalists after submitting the petition at the APC national secretariat in Abuja on Friday, the APC chieftain also alleged that the federal lawmaker had violated his fundamental human rights before.

Idowu claimed his petition is based on his strong conviction that an assessment of Senator Fasuyi’s present term of office clearly indicates that he is antithetical to the ideals of the Renewed Hope Agenda and the ideology of the party.

“In the almost three years that Senator Cyril Fasuyi has been a member of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he has not personally sponsored any landmark legislation/bill that will benefit the people of Ekiti North Senatorial District, Ekiti State or Nigeria as a whole.

“He is not reported to have moved any serious motion or made any significant contributions to debates on the floor of the Senate which implies that the people of Ekiti North Senatorial District do not have a voice of representation in the Senate.

“Last year (2025), in my capacity as a concerned APC stakeholder and interested Ekiti State citizen, I did a public review of the perfomonce and cativities of some of our past and present National Legislator. My main motive was to inspire the present legislators to further improve in their service to the people that elected them.

“While other members of the National Assembly were inspired to better performance by my observations, Senator Fasuyi took offence with my comments/writings and sent thugs to harass me on several occasions.

“On Thursday, 31st of July, 2025, Senator Cyril Fasuyi instigated officers of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Ekiti State Police Command to arrest me around 9pm at a private residence based on false allegations. It is on record that prior to that arrest, I was neither informed nor invited by the police that any complaint had been made against me.

“I was detained over and taken before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate Court. Before my arraignment I was informed that I could be released only if I promised to that I would retract my previous statements about the poor performance of Senator Fasuyi and begin to praise him.

“When I declined to make such promises, I was led before the Magistrate with an application by the RRS officers that that I should be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service for fourteen (14) days while investigation into the allegations made against me by Senator Cyril Fasuyi continued…

“The reforms instituted by President Bola Tinubu since his assumption of office in May 2023 have set our country on the right path for long term progress and development. These reforms must be consolidated upon during the second term of Mr. President and so it is important that legislators who are in tune with the Renewed Hope Agenda are elected to give legislative support to the President in that regard.

“An assessment of Senator Cyril Fasuyi during the time he has so far spent as a member of the National Assembly clearly shows that he is completely antithetical to the Renewed Hope Agenda and the ideology of our great Party. This is why I am calling for the disqualification of Senator Cyril Fasuyi from participating in the forthcoming primary elections,” the petition reads.