Finally, Fayose survives impeachment plot

After months of tension and disturbing developments in Ekiti, Ayodele Fayose, governor of the state, has survived the move by 19 lawmakers of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state house of assembly to oust him.

Fayose would be inaugurating a new assembly on Friday.

Detailing eight impeachable offences against him, the APC lawmakers had served Fayose an impeachment notice titled: ‘Re: Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct’, on April 5.

They accused him of masterminding the invasion of the state house of assembly by thugs and miscreants, instigating an unconstitutional takeover of the house by seven legislators to sit in contravention of Section 96(2) of the 1999 constitution and preventing them from performing their duties.

The governor had earlier boasted that they would not succeed but soft-pedalled when he realised that their plan was gathering momentum.

He called for truce but the lawmakers, who moved out of the state for security reasons, boycotted the meeting, which was supposed to have erudite lawyer, Afe Babalola, in attendance.

The APC legislators claimed that Fayose wanted to kidnap them.

The governor eventually met with them in Akure, capital of Ondo state, but it was even after that meeting that the impeachment plot thickened.

The last three days have been tension-soaked, as roads leading to the state from Akure were taken over by suspected thugs loyal to the governor in an attempt to prevent the lawmakers from gaining access to the state to carry out their mission.

When it was certain that the coast had been cleared, Fayose extended olive branch to the lawmakers, saying he had forgiven them for attempting to remove him from office.

“The last few months have been traumatic, especially this week. I was not given room for concentration, but I had left the battle for God to fight. I told those planning to impeach me that they will succeed‎ if they can impeach God,” read a statement issued by Idowu Adelusi, chief press secretary to the governor, on Thursday.

“I did not bring myself back to power; my coming back after eight years was divine. I defeated the APC totally in all the elections, still they did not want to concede easily until when the Ekiti people rose to defend that June 21 mandate.

“I will now squarely face the business of governance.”

Commending the people of the state for standing by him, the governor invited “them to meet him at Ijigbo junction on Friday for a ‘victory walk’ to the complex where he will inaugurate the next assembly, which will comprise 26 members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)”.

The assembly had been involved in crisis since October when Fayose assumed office.

However, the crisis reached its height in November when seven PDP members claimed to have impeached Adewale Omirin, the speaker, under controversial circumstances.