Impeachment: Seven Ondo lawmakers injured as thugs invade assembly

NO fewer than seven of the 18 members of the Ondo State House of Assembly who impeached the Speaker, Bamidele Oloyelogun and his Deputy, Iroju Ogundeji were injured yesterday as thugs invaded the assembly complex.

Lawmakers injured include the new speaker and his deputy, Olamide George and Bimbo Fajolu, Gbenga Araoyinbo, Malachi Coker, lfedayo Akinsoyinu, Vincent Obadiah and Siji Akindiose.

The upheaval in the state House of Assembly yesterday coincided with the ruling by the Federal High Court in Abuja rejecting the request by Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu to strike out a suit by Olusegun Abraham, challenging his (Akeredolu’s) emergence as candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the last governorship election in the state.

Meanwhile, the former speaker Jumoke Akindele escaped by the whiskers as the thugs stormed the assembly complex with guns and broken bottles and other cudgels.

Also injured were journalists, camera men with private television stations, officials of the Department of the State Services DSS and the staff of the assembly.

No fewer than five vehicles were damaged by the rampaging thugs led by the state chairman of the NURTW, Jacob Adebo.

Adebo led other members of the union to the assembly after the impeachment of the Speaker and his Deputy by 18 of the 26 members of the assembly.

The attack was done in the presence of the state Police commissioner Gbenga Adeyanju, the Chief Security Officer to the state governor, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo and some leaders of the APC in the state. They all watched helplessly.

Trouble started around 10 am when the lawmakers voted that a protem speaker be chosen to conduct the proceedings of the day. Unanimously the members picked the former female Speaker Jumoke Akindele.