. Inept, mediocre speaker must be removed – Ajayi
Fourteen members of the Ondo State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu have intensified efforts to impeach the Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, this week.
This is just as the embattled deputy governor called for the sack of the Assembly’s Speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun.
Already, the lawmakers, First News gathered, had planned to accomplish the impeachment of the deputy governor during their plenary within the week, having met at the weekend at a hotel in Akure to fine tune their strategies for removing Ajayi from office.
Part of the strategies already being implemented include suspension of some lawmakers loyal to the deputy governor.
Already, three of the nine lawmakers, loyal to the deputy governor, had been suspended by the Assembly for allegedly violating the rules of the House during a rowdy plenary where the House agreed to serve the deputy governor an impeachment notice.
The Speaker had also written to the Chief Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, requesting her to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct levelled against the deputy governor.
But the chief judge, in her response, said the House was yet to fulfil constitutional procedures that could make her set up the seven-man panel to probe the deputy governor.
But it was gathered that the Speaker and other pro-Akeredolu lawmakers are planning to send another letter to the chief judge to notify her of some other steps being taken in to impeach the deputy governor.
It was learnt that the Speaker had informed the lawmakers loyal to the governor to attend today’s plenary, while those loyal to Ajayi have been kept in the dark.
The Ondo Assembly has become divided over the plot to impeach the deputy governor as the deputy governor’s loyalists among the lawmakers are said to be making deft moves to frustrate every effort of their 14 other colleagues to remove Ajayi from office.
But in fighting back, the Ondo deputy governor has called for the removal of the Assembly’s Speaker.
In a statement by his media aide, Ajayi said, “We demand the immediate resignation or removal of the inept and mediocre speaker, Oloyelogun, whose incompetence has brought the exalted parliament into disrepute.
“This will go a long way to preserve our democratic gains, restore the dignity of the legislature and the principle of separation of powers.”
The deputy governor also said the decision of the chief judge in respect of the illegal and fraudulent move by a section of the Assembly to impeach him had rekindled the confidence and hope of the people in the judiciary as a bulwark against tyranny, and totalitarianism.
He added, “His lordship leaves no one in doubt about the need to adhere strictly to the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and due process in modern democracy. The decision is a triumph for the rule of law against brigandage and anarchy.
“With the decision, the judiciary of Ondo State has demonstrated its independence and thus made a clear statement about its commitment to secure and sustain the principles and lofty ideals of our constitutional democracy.”