Confusion in Ekiti over ‘impeachment’ of speaker

There was confusion in Ekiti state house of assembly on Monday when seven members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the house allegedly impeached Adewale Omirin, speaker of the house (pictured).

Armed policemen were said to have prevented 19 other lawmakers, including the substantive speaker, from gaining access to the assembly complex.

Reacting to the development which it called “Peoples Democratic Party-led and police-backed acts of impunity” in Ekiti state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged that seven of the 26-member house of assembly convened to execute an agenda of the government, including the impeachment of the speaker.

In a statement by Lai Mohammed, APC’s publicity secretary, the party accused the PDP-led state government of intimidation and impunity, saying that over 200 armed policemen guarded the seven PDP members of the house who convened “purposely to impeach the speaker, approve the list of commissioner-designates as well as the caretaker committees for the state’s local governments.”

However, Idowu Adelusi, chief press secretary to the governor of Ekiti state, dismissed the reports, saying a faction of the lawmakers only appointed a speaker plenipotentiary to preside over the business of the day.

“Nine members of the house sat today to approve the commissioner nominees, special advisers and the local government caretaker committees for the 16 local government councils,” Adelusi said in a statement.

“There are 26 members in the house and the house standing order allows a quorum of nine members to sit and appoint speaker plenipotentiary to preside. So, what transpired in the House is within the law.”

Accusing APC of being hypocritical, Adelusi said the party had shut down the houses of assembly in two states.

“APC-controlled state of Edo, we all know what is happening there. For over a year now, the state governor has prevented the lawmakers from sitting.

“He said he was going to renovate the assembly complex and PDP lawmakers have been meeting in the dilapidated complex, while APC lawmakers are meeting at the government house.

“Also another APC state of Rivers, the judiciary has been shut down for over a year too.”