By Banji Ayoola
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, has not been served any impeachment notice, his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Babatope Okeowo, told The Radiance Tuesday evening.
He spoke hours after the State House of assembly reportedly served the Deputy Governor the notice over alleged gross misconduct, abuse of office and financial recklessness among others.
Also in a statement, he described the alleged “kangaroo impeachment move” against Ajayi as “dead on arrival.”
He said: “With nine members dissociating themselves from the impeachment plan, the Assembly does not have the required 18 to carry out the impeachment as clearly spelt out in Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.”
According to the statement: “Nine members of the Ondo State House of Assembly including the Deputy Speaker, Hon Iroju Ogundeji have dissociated themselves from the impeachment move which commence today against the state deputy governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi
“Other members of the Assembly who have repudiated the plan to impeach the deputy governor include: Majority Leader, Hon Sulaiman Maito, Hon. Favour Tomomowo, Hon. Rasheed Olalekan Elegbeleye, Hon. Festus Akingbaso, Hon. Adewale Williams Adewinle, Hon. Samuel Demola Edmisan, Hon. Tomide Akinribido and Hon. Success Torhukerijor.
The Assembly which comprises 26 members requires 18 members to successfully carry out the impeachment.
“With nine members dissociating themselves from the impeachment plan, the Assembly does not have the required 18 to carry out the impeachment as clearly spelt out in Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999.
“The letter of impeachment which was addressed to the Clerk of the Assembly, entitled “Dissociation from the impeachment plan of the Deputy Governor”, reads “We the underlisted elected members of the Ninth Assembly session of the Ondo State House of Assembly hereby append our signatures to clarify that we have resolved not to partake in the impeachment process of the Deputy Governor.
“In view of the above, we hereby bring to the notice of Clerk, Mr Bode Adeyelu, the entire members of the House of Assembly and the general public that we do not support the impeachment process and we would not be associated with it based on personal conviction”
Okeowo added: “It is noteworthy to add that the deputy governor had approached the court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, which the impeachment seeks to breach.
“In a suit filed on his behalf by Dr I. Olatoke SAN at the Federal High Court, Akure, Agboola Ajayi is asking the court to halt the impeachment proceedings and enforce his rights to freedom of association, which is the basis for the move against him. By commencing the impeachment process, the Speaker might be in contempt of the court.”
Earlier in the day, the Clerk of the Assembly, Mr Bode Adeyelu at a plenary presided over by the Speaker, Mr Bamidele, read the motion for the impeachment of the deputy governor.
He was accused of alleged gross misconduct; abuse of office with actions likely to bring down Ondo state government; financial recklessness; and abandonment of office, official duty, and other assignments.
Other allegations against the deputy governor are “his actions on Sunday June 21, 2020 (which is) likely to cause breach of peace, his reference to 1983 political crisis with the intent to incite the citizens against the state government in a video clip (copy of clip attached), publications dated Tuesday June23 , 2020 on social media and print media by his sacked aide, Babatope Okeowo credited to his person and office maligning the credibility of the legislative arm of government with false allegation of cash inducement (copy attached), Petition from All Progressives Congress (APC), Ondo chapter on his alleged movement to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) having been sworn-in as the Deputy Governor on the Party’s ticket with Mr Governor for a four-year term.”
At the sitting, Oleyelogun said that the constitution empowers the assembly to investigate the allegations and proceed on impeachment of the deputy governor if necessary constitutional requirements were met.
Citing the necessary portions of the constitution, the Speaker therefore directed the Clerk to immediately serve the deputy governor notice of impeachment having been signed by 14 members of the assembly.
The 14 members who signed the impeachment notice are Honourables Aderoboye Samuel, Oladiji Olamide, Festus Adefiranye, Adeyemi Olayemi, Mohammed Taofik, Oluwole Emmanuel, Borokini Toluwani, Gbegudu Ololade, Abiodun Faleye, Felemu Olusegun, Akintomide Akinrogunde, Towase Kuti, Akinruntan Abayomi and Oluyede Olusola.
The motion was put into voice votes following which the Majority Leader, Hon Jamiu Maito, moved a motion for adjournment till Wednesday July 8. It was seconded by Oluyede Feyide, representing Ose State Constituency.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the sitting, the Chairman House Committee on Information, Hon Olugbenga Omole said complaints from some lawmakers were needless, noting that the impeachment order is a process which does not require two third of the members of the assembly.
He said: “In fact, only nine members of the 26 members are needed to sign the impeachment notice.”
But nine members, led by the Deputy Speaker, Hon Iroju Ogundeji and the Majority leader, Hon Jamiu Maito and including Honourables Rasheed Elegbeleye, Tomide Akinribido, Samuel Edamisan, Favour Tomomewo, Festus Akingbaso, Adewale Williams, Success Torhukerhijo, disassociated themselves from the purported impeachment process.
They noted that the 14 members who claimed to have signed the document failed to meet the quorum as stipulated in the constitution maintaining that such move would not work out.
All members of the assembly were present at the plenary, except Mrs Favour Tomomewo representing Ilaje Constituency 2.
Meanwhile, Security had early been beefed up at the Assembly complex.
