Ekiti Assembly impeaches six day-old Speaker, elects Adelugba
…Former Speaker, six loyalist lawmakers suspended indefinitely
…Fayemi accused of involvement in premature impeachment
By Bankole Taiwo
Just as he had foretold on Channels Television flagship programme, Politics on Sunday, the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Gboyega Aribisogan was impeached yesterday, six days after his election to the position.
Aribisogan has also been replaced with Olubunmi Adelugba from Emure Constituency as the first ever female Speaker in the history of the state.
Seventeen out of the 25 members of the House reportedly made the change at a sitting of the lawmakers in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.
Mr Aribisogan’s impeachment came barely a week after he was elected to replace Funminiyi Afuye, who died recently.
His election angered party leaders who had endorsed Mrs Adelugba as the new Speaker.
Following the tension that accompanied his emergence, the police had shut down the assembly complex and reported foiling an attempt by some hoodlums to set fire to it.
It was gathered that after several meetings and the intervention of party leaders, the house reconvened on Monday and removed Hon. Aribisogan.
Aside from his impeachment, he was also suspended indefinitely alongside six members loyal to him.
In his place, the 17 lawmakers elected Mrs Adelugba as the new Speaker.
Those suspended are Tajudeen Akingbolu, Goke Olajide, Yemisi Ayokunle, Adeyemi Ajibade, Kemi Balogun, andTope Ogunleye.
The House also elected a new Leader of Business in the person of Johnson Bode-Adeoye, as well as a new Chairman for Committee on Appropriation, Lateef Akanle.
Hon. Aribisogan had, on Sunday, accused former Governor, Kayode Fayemi, of orchestrating the opposition to his election.
He told Channels TV that Dr Fayemi was working with members of the state legislatures to oust him.
“The majority of members of Assembly voted for me but few of them who felt perhaps I did not follow the directive of the former Governor, Dr Fayemi, thought that they would make the state ungovernable for even the administration,” Hon. Aribisogan said on Sunday Politics on Channels Television.
“I didn’t have any quarrel with him. I sent a message to him even last night asking, ‘What is happening? Am I no longer one of your loyalists? Why did you not congratulate me?’
“Up till now that I’m speaking with you, he has not done anything. Otherwise, he has been going around calling our members to go and impeach me tomorrow. That is the truth.
“As I’m speaking with you, seven of our members are locked up in Fem Guest House in Ado Ekiti, planning on how to impeach me tomorrow in cahoots with some of his former aides like the former commissioner for justice.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Yinka Oyebode, said the issue was a party matter and that it would be wrong for Hon. Aribisogan to single out a person for blame in this saga.
It would be recalled that in September, Imo State House of Assembly removed its speaker, Kennedy Ibe.
The Assembly immediately elected Emeka Nduka as its new Speaker.
By Nduka’s election, the Imo State House of Assembly now had four Speakers in three years.
Nduka, who represents the Ehime Mbano State Constituency, was immediately sworn-in by the Clerk of the Assembly, Chinelo Emeghara, and was congratulated by the Deputy Speaker, Amara Iwuanyanwu, the Majority Leader, Kanayo Onyemaechi of Owerri West, and ranking lawmaker, Ngozi Obiefule of Isu State Constituency.
Ibe, who represents the Obowo State constituency was elected as speaker in November 2021, after Paul Emezim was impeached as the Speaker.
Curiously, Ibe was reportedly on suspension when he was elected as the number one man of the legislature.
An analyst, Mr Akinbowale Jide while speaking with our Correspondent disclosed that “in as much as it is the right of the members of the Assembly to choose whoever they want as their leader, who is usually addressed as the Speaker, it is also good that the lawmakers act in such a way that the overriding interest of the people they are representing form the basis of all their actions and decisions.
“The reason I am saying this is because of the importance of the parliament to checkmating the excesses of the executive. Unfortunately and more often than not, our Speakers are candidates of the Executive Governor, that is why they are rubber-stamp and if the Governor should get to know that you don’t want to continue being rubber-stamp, that is when trouble begins.
“As touching the removal of former Ekiti Speaker, it’s a pity that someone who was unanimously elected about six days ago is now being forced to leave because allegedly the immediate past governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi doesn’t like his face.
“This is really sad and it is not a good omen to our developing democracy. Those to be appointed as Speakers must not be because one political leader likes or doesn’t like their faces but because they have what it takes to contribute meaningfully to the delivery of good governance in their respective states. I only wish Nigerian politicians will grow up and allow right things to be done at all times.”
