9th April, 2015
The 19 APC members in Ekiti State House of Assembly has directed state Chief Judge Ayodeji Daramola to institute a panel of enquiry to investigate Governor Ayo Fayose.
The lawmakers gave the directive in a statement made available to NAN, in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday after a special session at Mary Hills Boys High School, Ado-Ekiti.
The lawmakers said they relied on Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which empowers them to sit in a public building within the state capital if conditions existed in the hallowed chamber that endangered their lives.
According to the statement, Majority Leader, Mr Churchill Adedipe, representing Irepodun/Ifelodun, explained that the sitting ought to have taken place in the hallowed chamber on April 7, 2015 but members were waylaid by thugs.
“Adedipe explained that the thugs mounted roadblocks and threatened their lives with dangerous weapons, thereby making them to abandon going to the Assembly.”
The statement said Adedipe moved the motion empowering the chief judge to set up the panel.
“His motion was seconded by Deputy Speaker Adetunji Orisalade, representing Ido/Osi constituency.”
The statement added that the seven-man penal to be constituted within seven days of receipt of the letter was to investigate Fayose and Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola, over allegations of gross misconduct raised in their impeachment notice.
It said the Speaker of the House, Dr Adewale Omirin, presided over the sitting.
The Chief Registrar of the state’s judiciary, Mr Obafemi Fasanmi, who spoke on behalf of the chief judge, denied receiving any letter asking for the constitution of panel of investigation.
The Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communication, Mr Lere Olayinka, declared that no sitting of Ekiti State House Assembly took place on Thursday.
Olayinka contended that they only sat somewhere outside the state.
“The state House of Assembly is on recess. No sitting of the House took place anywhere in the state. Neither did it take place in the chambers of the House of Assembly.
“We therefore urge the public to disregard the information being circulated by the APC that their lawmakers sat at a public school in Ado Ekiti.
“Of course, members of the House of Assembly can gather anywhere in the world to have social or political meetings, but parliamentary business is done only in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly,” he said.
Olayinka said besides, “their actions were shameful because Fayose had already gone to an Abuja High Court to halt the impeachment process and the case is still pending.
“Besides, Omirin, who claims to be the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, was impeached on Nov. 20, 2014 and he is also in a Lagos court, challenging his impeachment.”
Meanwhile, the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers has called on both Fayose and the APC caucus in the House to sheath their swords.
This is contained in a communiqué read by its Chairman and the Onitaji of Itaji-Ekiti, Oba Adamo Babalola at the end of their emergency meeting.
The communiqué said the faceoff between the executive and the legislative arms of government had been on since Fayose was sworn-in on Oct.16, 2014.
Babalola said efforts made by the council to broker peace between the feuding political gladiators had consistently been stalled.
“The position stalled all further deliberations and efforts to find an amicable settlement of the matter. The recent development in our dear state is a source of concern and embarrassment to all well-meaning people of Ekiti State.
“It is sad that unfortunate incident which resulted in the death of one Mr Modupe Olaya of Efon-Alaaye could have been avoided’’, the council said.
The monarchs called on law enforcement agencies to ensure the security and safety of lives and property during and after the April 11 House of Assembly election.
The traditional rulers also charged the INEC to be impartial during the Saturday’s poll, urging the politicians and the electorate to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act for the poll to be peaceful.