The impeachment of Bamidele Oleyelogun as Ondo state speaker and his deputy, Iroju Ogundeji on Friday, November 9, sparked a crisis that is threatening not only the assembly, but also the fragile peace within the All Progressives Congress.
Two factions in the Assembly have refused to embrace any terms of peace despite the interventions of the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, and the governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi.
A report by Premium Times claimed that Fayemi had a peace meeting with the warring factions on Wednesday, November 21, in Akure with a view to restoring normalcy to the state legislature, but the conflict has not abated.
It was gathered that the vice president had also shown interest in the matter and had counselled the parties to embrace peace.
A statement on Thursday, November 22, by the majority leader, Araoyinbo Olugbenga, who speaks for the Olamide George’s faction, said at no time was there any agreement that Messrs Oleyelogun and Ogundeji would continue to preside as speaker and deputy of the house during the interventions.
Olugbenga said: “At the meeting with Governor Fayemi yesterday, we canvassed many positions, all of which seemed abhorrent to our Governor Akeredolu.
“We suggested that being clear that the erstwhile speaker and deputy speaker had lost the confidence of the majority of members, it is morally indefensible for them to remain in office and we therefore suggested that they be given a chance to resign honourably in the interest of the state.
“Again, and contrary to all democratic ethos, ethics and practice, we suggested that the governor should nominate from amongst us a new leadership with whom he can be comfortable as most of us had expressed our unwillingness to be led by the duo. Yet again, he refused.
“We suggested that the entire House be dissolved and we be given a chance to vote in our new leaders since only 13 members had sat to elect the duo ab initio. This was also rejected by the governor.
“The governor, however, did say that every action taken by the impeached leadership since the beginning of this impasse must of necessity be deemed null and void. He opined that there was no clime where the minority would be competent or empowered to ‘discipline’ the majority. And of course, all Bills passed into law as well as all their resolutions will ipso dixit suffer the same fate.
“We further reminded Governor that as per procedure and conventions of the House from which the embattled duo had benefited and which he had ratified in the past, the duo had been properly impeached and the onus lies on them to go and prove the contrary in a court of law.
“However, as earlier mentioned, we agreed to return to Parliament to seek ways in which we can have a final resolution in a Parliamentary meeting to be headed by the Majority Leader, Hon Araoyinbo Olugbenga Joseph.
“The governor did agree that we could ensure and compel their resignation. He gave assurance that Idajo and his thugs will be withdrawn from the House and the security of all members will be guaranteed, although he was silent on the criminal nature of the first invasion of the State Assembly by Idajo and his ‘army’.
“It is with a rude shock that we heard of the hard line stance maintained by the Oleyelogun-led faction at their illegal sitting of today, the 22nd November, 2018 and their reiteration of their claim to have suspended some of us earlier on. This, to us, further underlines our conviction that they are not men of honour and integrity and are therefore not capable of leading the House.
“We wish to state that we are committed to the ideals of democracy and are committed to ensuring that the great people of Ondo State are not short-changed in their just desire and expectation for the good things of life.
“We however maintain that the impeachment of Friday 9th November, 2018 was duly and properly carried out as even their criers of forgery have been caught in their lies. The onus lies on those who maintain to the contrary to approach the courts of law. We respectfully stand upon this conviction.”
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that eighteen members of Ondo state House of Assembly reportedly shunned a meeting called by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu.
The governor was reported to have called the meeting to intervene on the leadership crisis that is rocking the assembly.
Recall that speaker of the State House of assembly Bamidele Oloyeloogun, and his deputy, Ogundeji Iroju were recently removed while Olamide George and Faloju Abimbola were subsequently elected and sworn in as the new speaker and deputy speaker respectively.
The 18 lawmakers shunned the meeting while the removed speaker, his deputy and four others loyal to them attended the meeting.
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