Fidelis David in Akure
The leadership crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly took a dramatic turn yesterday as the Chairman of the House Committee on Information and spokesperson for the Assembly, Olatunji Fabiyi, alleged that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa was making efforts to persuade lawmakers to abandon the impeachment process against Speaker, Olamide Oladiji.
Fabiyi claimed that 21 of the 26 lawmakers had already endorsed the Speaker’s removal and insisted there was no going back on the collective resolution of the House.
The latest development came barely 24 hours after reports emerged that Oladiji allegedly contemplated resigning over alleged mismanagement of N44 million released by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), an allegation the Speaker has also denied.
Speaking on the unfolding crisis, Fabiyi alleged that members had become concerned over alleged attempts by the executive arm of government to influence the internal affairs of the legislature.
“We still have seven days to go because I have the opinion that the government is calling some members that they should backpedal on the issue of impeachment,” Fabiyi said.
He questioned what he described as Governor Aiyedatiwa’s interest in the matter, maintaining that the impeachment move was purely an internal affair of the legislature.
“Twenty-one members have signed an impeachment against Mr. Speaker. To me, I don’t know the interest of Mr. Governor. Unless the government is telling us that they have something in common,” he stated.
According to him, the lawmakers had already informed the governor that their grievances were directed solely at the Assembly’s leadership and not at his administration.
“I have spoken to Mr. Governor already and we have made it very clear to him that we don’t have anything against him. We simply don’t want our leadership again. There is no reason why somebody should continue to perpetrate himself over us when we don’t want him anymore,” Fabiyi added.
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