Ekiti PDP Lawmakers Impeach Omirin [Speaker]

After weeks of political brickbats and a standoff between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, PDP members of the House of Assembly, on Thursday impeached Dr Adewale Omirin as their Speaker and appointed Mr Dele Olugbemi from Ikole Constituency II, who recently defected to the PDP from the APC, as his replacement.

The members had also at the Thursday sitting impeached Mr Adetunji Orisalade from Ido/Osi II as the Deputy Speaker and appointed Mrs Abeni Olayinka, representing Ado Ekiti II, who also defected to the PDP on October 16 from the APC, as Deputy Speaker.

Leader of government business in the assembly, Mr Samuel Ajibola, said they took the action because of what he referred to as “many sins of Omirin, who was the Speaker of the assembly until 10’0 clock this morning.”

Ajiblola said: “Omirin and his deputy have absconded without official notice for more than two weeks now and business of the House of Assembly and state government cannot grind to a halt, as government is a continuum.

“We learnt that they are in Lagos and we wonder why he will go and stay in Lagos while governance in Ekiti and the people would be suffering. We had to act.

“Omirin is guilty of revealing official secret, misappropriation of assembly funds and signing of bank bonds with the past executive without the knowledge of other members of the assembly.”

On the controversy over the number of lawmakers who carried out the impeachment, it was observed that 10 members were in the chamber, but when the new speaker addressed newsmen, seven of them were with him, while they claimed that others still wanted to “remain anonymous for now.”

However, it was observed that unlike Monday’s session, there was no unusual presence of security operatives at the assembly, but plain clothed security operatives told journalists that the lawmakers said they wanted to sit in camera.

Journalists later found a way into the gallery of the assembly, where it was found that Honourable Olugbemi had already been sworn-in and already dressed in Speaker’s ceremonial regalia, presiding over the session.

During the brief sitting which lasted about 45 minutes, the lawmakers repealed the law that established the Ekiti State Peace Corps, describing the body as “a burden to the finances of the state.”

They also amended the Ekiti State logo and reversed the state’s slogan to “Fountain of Knowledge” which had earlier been tinkered with by ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi to bear “Land of Honour.”

Addressing newsmen, Olugbemi said he would “foster harmonious working relationship between the executive and legislative arms” and added that he would “continue to add accord the former speaker and his deputy the deserved respect and also draw from their wealth of experience.”

Olugbemi said: “The event that brought me into office is historic. Whatever might have transpired is democracy at play. There is a change in the leadership at the executive level; so, the only thing that is constant is change.”

Exonerating Fayose of complicity in Omirin’s trail, Olugbemi added that “my emergence as speaker is a prerogative of the lawmakers. So, my emergence has no executive influence.

“As critical stakeholders in the Ekiti project, we must fight hard to ensure that we return Ekiti to the path of glory. We will work closely with the Governor Fayose to achieve this for our people by making laws that will serve as frameworks for good governance.

“The era by which the executive and legislative arms used to engage in fight is over. We have been adjudged the best and most productive in the country and we will not deviate from this.”

Olugbemi called on the members of the public to sponsor private bills that can fast-track development across the strata of the society.

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