Nine Ondo Assembly members reject removal of Deputy Speaker

TRACKING____About nine members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, on Wednesday, dissociated themselves from the impeachment and removal of Hon. Iroju Ogundeji as the Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

The lawmakers described the removal of Ogundeji by the lawmakers as unlawful saying the impeachment process failed to meet the constitutional requirements for the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker.

The lawmakers who included Rasheed Elegbeleye, Suleiman Jamiu Maito, Adewale Williams-Adewinle, Festus Akingbaso, Ogundeji Iroju, Favour Tomomowo, Tomide Akinribido. Success Tuhurkerijor, Samuel Edamisan, said there was no sitting where the lawmakers decided to remove Ogundeji.

According to the lawmakers, who noted that “section 92, subsection 2 (C )of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended requires two-third majority cum provisions of the rules and standing order of the House for the impeachment of the Speaker or his deputy.

“The same provision for the removal of Speaker and Deputy is provided for in section 9 (sub 1-IX) of the standing order of the house. It requires two-thirds majority for their removal.”

“It must be noted that impunity reign supreme in the Ondo State House of Assembly, where Rt. Hon. Bamidele Oleyelogun presides.

They maintained that the action of the lawmakers in the Assembly was impunity taken to the highest level in a state governed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Meanwhile, one of the lawmakers, Hon. Festus Akingbaso, representing Idanre State Constituency has written to the leadership of the House of Assembly, faulting the impeachment of Ogundeji.

Akingbaso in a letter titled Letter of rejection of my appointment as Deputy Minority Leader of Ondo State House of Assembly also distanced himself from the impeachment and removal of the former deputy speaker.

The letter reads: “My attention has been drawn to the purported removal of the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon Iroju Ogundeji and my appointment as Deputy Minority Leader of the Ondo State House of Assembly.

“May I state clearly that I am presently out of the country and my absence from the Assembly was duly communicated to House through the Speaker

“That to the best of my knowledge, that before I travelled out of the country, there was no time that the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon, Iroju Ogundeji was discussed either at the parliamentary or plenary.

“And I have also contacted my colleagues especially the eight lawmakers who dissociated themselves from the plot to impeach the Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi and they have also affirmed that nothing of such happened since I travelled out of the country.

The letter said further “That the office of the Deputy Minority leader in the business of the members of the minority parties of the House of Assembly.

“I hereby reject my purported appointment as the Deputy Minority Leader and dissociate myself from the purported impeachment move of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly.

It will be recalled that all the nine lawmakers kicked against the impeachment of the embattled deputy governor of the state, Hon. Agboola Ajayi.