The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the Ekiti
State House of Assembly have begun moves that may lead to impeachment
proceedings against Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The embattled Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, has forwarded a
notice of gross misconduct to the governor, which sources within the APC said
was served on him during the week.
A copy of the notice was also sent to his deputy, Dr.
Olusola Eleka.
But Fayose has advised the APC lawmakers to stop acting like
“jesters”, describing the purported impeachment notice as the “joke of the
century.”
According to him, the script being acted by the APC is a
failed one because no one, no matter how highly placed, will be allowed to test
the will of the Ekiti people.
In the letter by the 19 lawmakers titled, “Re: Notice of
Allegations of Gross Misconduct,” sent to Fayose, the APC lawmakers listed
eight impeachable offences against the governor. These offences bordered on
impunity, brigandage, stalking and other constitutional breaches.
These included alleged invasion of the House of Assembly
with 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 prevention of the 19 APC legislators from performing their
duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs.
Other allegations listed in the notice are: sponsoring an
unlawful impeachment process in the house, spending Ekiti State funds without
the requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the constitution and
running the government without legally constituted Executive Council in
contravention of Section 192(2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
They also accused the governor of operating an illegal 2014
budget as well as sponsoring and instigating illegal sitting of the House in
contravention of Section 96(1) of the Constitution.
It could, however, not be confirmed when and how the notice
was served on the governor.
When contacted by our correspondent on Saturday, Omirin was
silent on how the notice was served on the governor.
“I don’t want to talk about it now. But he (the governor)
has been served,” he said.
Asked how he was served, Omirin replied, “Just know we have
served him. That is the most important thing.”
Fayose was given seven days to respond to the allegations.
Reacting to the allegations, the governor in a statement
issued on Saturday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New
Media, Lere Olayinka, said Omirin had since ceased to be the Speaker, so cannot
commence any impeachment moves against him.
“The script being acted by the APC is a failed one because
no one, no matter how highly placed will be allowed to test the will of Ekiti
people.
“The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly is Dele
Olugbemi and not Dr. Adewale Omirin.
“Omirin is already in court, challenging his impeachment and
common sense dictates that when you are challenging an action already taken in
court, you have accepted the consequences of such action pending the
determination of the suit you filed.”
Speaking on the development, the Acting state Publicity
Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Joseph Adaraniwon, said the
lawmakers should not be taken seriously because they had for long abandoned
their responsibility.
He also advised them not to get carried away by the victory
of the APC candidate in the Presidential election, Major Gen. Muhammadu Buhari
(retd.)
But the State Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, said it
would be wrong to ascribe the move to the emergence of Buhari because the
lawmakers were elected representatives of the people.
“They have their constitutional roles to play. Their term
has yet to come to an end, so it will be politically mischievous and morally
indecent to say it is because of Buhari’s emergence.”
In petitions to the State Commissioner of Police, Taiwo
Lakanu, and Director of the Department of State Service, Samuel Tamuno, the
factional leader, Olugbemi, asked them to prosecute Omirin, for forgery,
impersonation and attempt to cause breach of public peace.
Olugbemi described the notice of impeachment as a ploy by
the APC to distract the state government.
PUNCH
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