There was tension in Ado Ekiti on
Wednesday as the 19 All
Progressives Congress lawmakers
stormed the Ekiti State House of
Assembly to resume legislative
duties.
Their return caught workers and
the seven Peoples Democratic
Party lawmakers loyal to Governor
Ayodele Fayose unawares and
created tension as officials of the
Assembly hurriedly vacated their
offices.
The return of the lawmakers
followed Tuesday’s directive by the
state secretariat of the APC asking
them to resume legislative duties.
But over 100 soldiers and police
operatives promptly took over the
Assembly to maintain peace while
the Commissioner of Police, Taiwo
Lakanu, ordered its immediate
closure.
The 19 APC lawmakers had been on
self-exile since November 20, 2014
when the seven PDP lawmakers
impeached the Speaker, Dr.
Adewale Omirin and his deputy,
Tunji Orisalade.
Mr. Dele Olugbemi, an ally of the
governor was installed as the
Speaker by the faction and had
been presiding over the Assembly.
Those that returned to the
Assembly on Wednesday with
Omirin include Orisalade, Mrs.
Wunmi Ogunlola, Mr. Ade Ajayi and
Gbenga Odebunmi.
The Omirin-led lawmakers arrived
at the Assembly in a convoy of 14
vehicles at around 12noon and
hurriedly went into parliamentary
session which started with praise
and worship, as well as prayer said
by Mr. Folorunso Ogundele,
representing Efon constituency.
The session lasted for 10 minutes
and the lawmakers emerged from
the Assembly and briefed the
pressmen, who had patiently been
waiting outside.
Omirin, who spoke on behalf of
members, said that they were in
the assembly to begin their
legislative duty.
As they emerged from the
Assembly, some of them chanted
‘Sai Buhari Sai Baba’ – the political
slogan of the president-elect, Maj.
Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
Omirin described Olugbemi as an
impostor, saying he had come to
take his rightful place.
“Why are you surprised that we are
here? I don’t expect you to express
surprise that we are in our offices
because we were duly elected as
members of the state House of
Assembly.
“This is my office and I shouldn’t be
asked why I am here. Though we
have instituted a case against the
seven lawmakers for the fake
impeachment against me, but that
would not prevent us from doing
what we are supposed to do,”
Omirin stated.
When asked whether Buhari’s
victory prompted their action,
Omirin said “No, that is not true. It
is just a mere coincidence. Don’t
forget, the fact that I have not been
here since November does not
mean I have not been performing
my duties. So, whether Buhari is
declared winner or not, we have to
do our work.
“I have been attending Speakers’
meetings in Abuja and attending to
my people in my constituency, so
we haven’t abdicated our duties.”
Efforts made by Assistant
Commissioner of Police in charge of
operations in Ekiti State to pacify
the APC lawmakers not to
reconvene fell on deaf ears, as the
lawmakers engaged him in a verbal
war and told him that they needed
not to take any permission from the
police before holding their session.
When the factional speaker,
Olugbemi emerged from the
Assembly, he criticised the Police
Commissioner for closing down the
Assembly.
“Mr. CP, I don’t think it was right to
have closed down the Assembly.
We have the capacity to contain the
APC lawmakers. We are ready to
meet them fire for fire.”
But the CP said he took the action
to prevent violence in the state,
saying the police must be proactive
to prevent Ekiti from being plunged
into crisis.
by ROTMANLUV 2023-07-08, 17:34
