By Banji Ayoola
The crisis rocking the Ondo State House Of Assembly got messier on Wednesday as Hon Festus O Akingbaso, representing Idanre State Constituency, rejected his purported appointment as the new deputy minority leader.
His appointment followed the impeachment of the former deputy speaker, Hon Iroju Ogundeji on Tuesday.
Akingbaso’s rejection was contained in a letter he wrote to the speaker, Rt Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun on Tuesday.
According to the letter titled: “Letter of rejection of my appointment as Deputy Minority Leader of Ondo State House of Assembly,”: “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 the following: 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 traveled 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 traveled out of the country.
“That the office of the Deputy Minority leader is 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.
“Let me appreciate all my supporters for all the calls, show of Love and confidence you have in me.
“Finally, as a well brought up Idanre man, I do not benefit from any crisis.
“I thank you.”
Ogundeji, accused of ”gross misconduct,” had insisted that he remains the deputy speaker of the assembly, despite his Tuesday’s impeachment amidst bitter politicking.
Ogundeji who was battling to secure his reinstatement after serving a controversial suspension for about six months, denounced the action, saying he remains the deputy speaker.
The court had upturned his suspension and that of three others who were opposed to the stand of the leadership in the botched impeachment plot of the deputy governor, Abgoola Ajayi.
Iroju, representing Odigbo Constituency 2, who was impeached following a resolution of the house, was immediately replaced by Samuel Aderoboye.
The House led by its Speaker, accused Iroju of “gross misconduct” citing it as the ground for the impeachment, saying that by his conduct he had brought disrepute to the assembly.
It also claimed that 20 lawmakers signed the impeachment proceedings and that it required 18 to form two-thirds of the house.
The assembly also reconstituted its principal offices, by removing another suspended lawmaker, Tomide Akinribido of the ZLP, as the minority leader and replaced him with Festus Akingbaso of the PDP while Ogunmolasuyi was named as the new majority leader.
The House also named Taofeek Oladele as the new chief whip in place of Adeyemi Olayemi.
Ogundeji had said that the House was engaging in “legislative and parliamentary rascality,” given that they did not have the number of lawmakers to impeach him.
Citing Sections 92 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, he said the lawmakers were in error as they failed to meet the provisions of the constitution.
He said nine of the 26 members of the house were not part of the act carried out on Tuesday.
He argued that the leadership of the house had been plotting to impeach the deputy governor for a while, but could not do so because it lacked the two-third majority required by the constitution to do so.
“As I speak to you all the nine lawmakers are with me, so how did they get the number to carry out the impeachment? he queried.
“I remain the deputy speaker of the house because they do not have power to do what they have done.”
Also reacting to the development, Akinribido said that the action of the house was illegal and did not meet the required two-third majority.
There are 26 members in the assembly.
“They claimed that 20 members signed but nine of us did not sign and were not even invited to the plenary,” he said.
“So who signed? It means they have forged the signature of some of us.”
He challenged the house leadership to read out or publish the names of the 20 lawmakers for them to confirm.
