✕ CLOSE Online Special City News Entrepreneurship Environment Factcheck Everything Woman Home Front Islamic Forum Life Xtra Property Travel & Leisure Viewpoint Vox Pop Women In Business Art and Ideas Bookshelf Labour Law Letters
Click Here To Listen To Trust Radio Live

After parley with Fayemi, Ekiti lawmakers elect first female Speaker

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has elected Olubunmi Adelugba, who represents Emure Constituency, as the Speaker. This follows the impeachment of Gboyega Aribisogan, who…

The Ekiti State House of Assembly has elected Olubunmi Adelugba, who represents Emure Constituency, as the Speaker.

This follows the impeachment of Gboyega Aribisogan, who only spent six days in office.

Seventeen out of the 25 members of the House made the change at their sitting in Ado-Ekiti on Monday.

The Assembly has been embroiled in controversy since the death of the former speaker, Funminiyi Afuye.

Aribisogan’s election irked party leaders who had endorsed Mrs Adelugba as new speaker.

The parliament was taken over by the police in the wake of the crisis.

Daily Trust gathered that after several meetings and the intervention of party leaders, including former Governor Kayode Fayemi, the House reconvened on Monday and sacked Mr Aribisogan.

After his impeachment, the Assembly also suspended him indefinitely along with six members loyal to him.

Those suspended are Tajudeen Akingbolu, Goke Olajide, Yemisi Ayokunle, Adeyemi Ajibade, Kemi Balogun and Tope Ogunleye.

The former speaker had earlier accused former Governor Fayemi of plotting to oust him.

He stated this while speaking to journalists in Abuja on the sidelines of a meeting held by the Conference of Speakers of State Assemblies.

According to the Speaker, the alleged plan was to use seven out of the 25-member House of Assembly to impeach him.

Aribisogan said the people behind the alleged impeachment plot took the clerk and the Sergeant-At-Arms to the House to effect the impeachment, which he described as illegal.

The Speaker said Ekiti needs to be rescued from the “clutches of vested interests that are bent on destabilising and undermining its democracy and peace.”

He said, “Some of us have decided to stand out and talk and say enough of the domination and oppression. Enough of this dictatorship.

“We are calling on all leaders of APC both at the local, state and national levels, to rise to the occasion and rescue Ekiti State.”

Ex-gov denies involvement

Meanwhile, Fayemi has denied the claim that he masterminded the impeachment of the former speaker.

Fayemi’s Media Office, in a statement by Ahmed Sajoh, said “We wish to clarify that Dr. Fayemi had nothing to do with the removal of the former Speaker by his peers as this was the internal arrangement of the State House of Assembly. 

“We wish to note that even as Governor, Dr. Fayemi did not interfere with the independence of the House and respected the principle of separation of powers where the House had freedom to decide on their internal affairs.”

 

By Balarabe Alkassim (Abuja) and Raphael Ogbonnaiye, Ado-Ekiti

VERIFIED: It is now possible to live in Nigeria and earn salary in US Dollars with premium domains, you can earn as much as $12,000 (₦18 Million).
Click here to start.