The leadership crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly took a dramatic turn on Monday 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 the collective resolution of the House.
The latest development comes barely 24 hours after reports emerged that Oladiji allegedly contemplated resigning the alleged mismanagement of N44 million released by the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), an allegation the Speaker has vehemently 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.
The lawmaker further argued that the leadership question falls exclusively within the constitutional powers of the House, urging the governor to refrain from interfering in the process.
“It is exclusively a private affair of the House. It is not an executive affair. If there is no hidden agenda, I see no reason why Mr. Governor should be protecting one Speaker. And if there is a hidden agenda, let him say it to the whole world now,” he said.
Fabiyi insisted that allowing the impeachment process to run its course would restore stability to the Assembly, saying, “Mr. Governor should just allow peace to reign in the House by allowing Mr. Speaker to step aside. It is the resolution of the whole House that Mr. Speaker should go. No going back,” he declared.
He also disclosed that lawmakers had initially believed the governor requested seven days to intervene in the crisis but later discovered the appeal was for a 14-day window.
“At the initial stage, we thought it was seven days that Mr. Governor requested from us, but it is clear to us that he begged for 14 days, not seven days. The 14 days will last till next Sunday,” Fabiyi added.
Fidelis David
