Ajulo: Rape of democracy, intentional violation of the rule of law in Ekiti Assembly

Dr Kayode Ajulo, a constitutional and human rights lawyer, has described the impeachment of Ekiti Speaker Gboyega Aribisogan as a flagrant violation of democracy and the rule of law.

In a statement signed by him, Ajulo also joined the league of Nigeria’s leading legal luminaries in condemning the recent controversies surrounding the leadership of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

“Political actors in Ekiti should not allow selfish personal interests that brewed the sad commentary coming from Ekiti State constitute a great disservice to the State’s enviable records and indelible marks of honour to national building and development of the likes of Aare Afe Babalola, Ch. Wole Olanipekun, Femi Falana, Dele Adesina, Dayo Akinlaja and other eminent citizens of the State,” he

Recall that the Ekiti State House of Assembly held an election to select a new speaker on Tuesday, November 15th, following the death of the previous speaker, Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye, on October 19th, 2022.

Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, who polled 15 votes to Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba’s 10, won the election and was sworn in.

However, on the sixth day after being sworn in, the new speaker was reportedly impeached and suspended along with six others, even before he could begin acting in his new role, and the candidate who had contested against him, Olubunmi Adelugba, was named the new speaker.

Ajulo, who praised Aare Afe Babalola, Wole Olanipekun, Femi Falana, and other notable legal professionals from the state for their collective stance on the allegedly contentious change of leadership in the assembly, also called the event “a glaring rape of democracy and an intentional violation of the rule of law.”

The state’s legal luminaries, including Aare Afe Babalola, CON, OFR, SAN, Chief Wole Olanipekun, CFR, OFR, SAN, Dele Adesina, SAN, Olu Daramola, SAN, Femi Falana, SAN, Dayo Akinlaja, SAN, and Gboyega Oyewole, SAN, had described the event as “an act of illegality, adding that the

They stated that the current occupant of the position of Speaker of the House of Assembly must be given a fair hearing before being removed from the office, and that the alleged suspension and cessation of the salaries of the Speaker and six other members of the House are misplaced, illegal, illegitimate, and null and void.

In the statement, Ajulo described the position of these leading lawyers as a just fight to strengthen democracy and uphold the country’s laws, stating that impunity is harmful to a nation’s development.

“You cannot overestimate these notable men’s unrivaled contributions and services to the advancement of the legal profession and the overall growth of this country.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of working with almost all six of them.” They are not frivolous, and their integrity is unbroken.

“Their names are preceded by enviable track records in the legal profession and national development.”

“They had all perfectly resolved a more complex national issue at some point.” You don’t expect them to fold their arms while this is going on in the backyard, do you?

“It might be understandable if such a scenario occurred in some of the country’s more volatile states, but it is completely unthinkable to expect such in a peaceful, sophisticated, civilized, educated, egalitarian land that parades Professors and notable men who have contributed significantly to the development of this country and don’t expect a strong reaction.”

“I applaud these noble jurists for taking a united stance against this heinous and heinous assault on the symbol of democracy in their state, Ekiti.”

“Deliberate violations of the rule of law must not be tolerated in Ekiti State or elsewhere.”

As a result, Ajulo urged other prominent figures in the legal profession to join in the call to end deliberate violations of the country’s constitution.