The 19 All Progressives Congress members
of the Ekiti State House of Assembly have written to the state Chief
Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, asking him to set up a panel to
investigate the allegations contained in their impeachment notice to
Governor Ayodele Fayose.
The seven-member panel which should be
constituted within seven days of the receipt of the letter is to
investigate allegations of impunity, violence, stalking and other
constitutional breaches the lawmakers levelled against Fayose and his
deputy, Kolapo Olusola.
The legislators reached the resolution at
a special sitting presided over by their Speaker, Adewale Omirin,
at the Mary Hills Boys’ High School, Ado Ekiti.
According to a statement by Omirin’s
media aide, Wole Olujobi, the lawmakers, in a unanimous vote,
supported the motion directing the chief judge to set up the panel.
The Majority Leader, Churchill Adedipe,
who explained on Thursday that the sitting ought to have taken place in
the hallowed chamber on April 7, 2015, said they were waylaid by
political thugs who mounted roadblocks and threatened their lives.
Due to the violence, he said, they jettisoned the plan to go to the assembly.
He said, “Relying on Section 188 of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended),
Adedipe moved the motion empowering the CJ to set up the panel.
“His motion was seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Adetunji Orisalade, representing Ido/Osi Constituency II.
“The Assembly adjourned to the next legislative day.”
The lawmakers relied on Section 101 of
the 1999 Constitution as amended which empowers the Assembly to regulate
its sittings, including sitting in a public building within the state
capital if the lives of members are not safe.
The CJ could not be reached by our
correspondent in the state but the Chief Registrar of the state High
Court, Obafemi Fasanmi, said he was not aware of the lawmakers’ letter.
Journalists, who visited the school, were told by students that they saw no strange faces in their school on Thursday.
However, Fayose has argued that no sitting of the assembly took place on Thursday as claimed by the APC lawmakers.
The governor, in a statement by his
Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka,
said, “The State House of Assembly is on recess. No sitting took
place in the House of Assembly.
“Kindly disregard information being circulated by the APC that their lawmakers are sitting somewhere in Ado Ekiti.
“Of course, members of the House of Assembly can gather anywhere in the world to have social or political meetings.
“Parliamentary business is done in the hallowed chamber of the House of Assembly.
“Besides, Omirin, who claimed to be the
speaker of the assembly was impeached on November 20, 2014 and he is
in court, challenging his impeachment.”
Fayose and Olusola had during the week
raced to a Federal High Court in Abuja to stop the APC legislators
from going ahead with the impeachment process.
But they met a brick wall as the judge,
Justice Ahmed Mohammed, turned down their request and granted only the
prayers contained in their ex parte application relating to the service
of the court processes on the defendants.
Fayose and Olusola, in the ex parte
application, asked for an interim order stopping the impeachment
notice served on them and the moves to remove them from office.
Rather than granting the prayers for
interim injunction, Justice Mohammed ordered the defendants in the suit,
including Omirin, and the CJ, to appear in his court on April 16.
The APC has however reacted to the
rejection of Fayose’s request to stop impeachment proceedings against
him, saying that it was laughable that the governor who once desecrated
the judiciary could approach the same institution to protect him from
his “illegal acts.”
It also expressed surprise that the
governor could approach the FHC in Abuja for protection over a matter
that happened in Ekiti after lampooning the party. It recalled that
Fayose once ridiculed it for approaching the same court in Jos, Plateau
State, while seeking protection from his harassment and attacks.
The APC added in a statement by its
Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatubosun, that the governor was confused on
how to handle his cases in court, having desecrated the state judiciary
and instigated its workers to refuse to resume duties.
It said, “Fayose didn’t allow Ekiti
courts to function and he declared the state Chairman of the APC,
Olajide Awe, wanted over a phantom murder charge. Awe obtained an
injunction against his arrest from a FHC in Jos, which the governor
referred to as a ‘‘black market injunction.’’
“He has now run to Abuja to get an
injunction to restrain the 19 lawmakers from impeaching him but the
court in its wisdom has turned this request down.”
Also, the APC Elders Forum, declared
that there was no escape route for Fayose beacuse he had “serially
breached the constitution, desecrated the esteemed office he occupies
and should be ready to face the consequences of his actions.”
The Publicity Secretary of Ekiti APC
Elders Forum, Bayo Orire, therefore warned the military and the police
against being used to hinder the lawmakers from carrying out their
constitutional functions.
The forum also congratulated Buhari on his victory in the March 28 presidential poll.
Also on Thusday, the Ekiti Justice
Forum urged Fayose to respond to the impeachment notice served on him
by the lawmakers with maturity and all sense of responsibility.
The forum which called on the
Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the House of
Assembly election, accused the governor of worsening the political
crisis in the state.
In a statement by its Chairman, Sesan
Fatoba; Secretary, Dare Owotomobi; and Director of Publicity, Ojo
Andrews, the group advised the governor to know that no amount of
impunity could solve any constitutional crisis.
It said, “The political tension created
in the last few days by the move of the 19 Ekiti State House of Assembly
members to commence impeachment process against Governor Fayose has
been made worse by the negative response of the governor.
“The majority of the Ekiti State House of
Assembly members being hunted by Governor Fayose are candidates in the
April 11, 2015 election.’’
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| Letter to the Chief Judge |
Ekiti monarchs urge peace
The state Council of Traditional Rulers
has also advised Fayose and the APC lawmakers to sheathe their swords
for peace to be restored in the state.
The
monarchs, in a communique read by their Chairman and the Onitaji of
Itaji Ekiti, Oba Adamo Babalola, lamented that their troubleshooting
efforts were frustrated by both parties.
They advised that since the parties were in court, any discussion or action by them would be subjudice.
The communiqué read in part, “This
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 unfortunate that the incident which resulted in the death of one Mr Modupe Olaiya of Efon Alaaye could have been avoided.
“Council appreciates the representations
from various individual groups, and associations such as, the Ekiti
State Council of Elders, the labour unions, both serving and retired,
religious leaders, business and professional bodies for their concerns
and suggestions.
“Council hereby appeals to all political
gladiators to sheathe their swords, eschew violence and give peace a
chance, as we believe that violence cannot solve the problems at hand.”
The monarchs called on the law
enforcement agencies to ensure the security of lives and property
during and after the April 11 elections.
The council said it would soon convoke an expanded meeting of stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the face-off.
Police commissioner redeployed
The state Commissioner of Police, Taiwo Lakanu, has however been redeployed.
He has been replaced with Emmanuel Ibine.
Force Public Relations Officer, Mr.
Emmanuel Ojukwu, disclosed this in an interview with one of our
correspondents in Abuja on Thursday.
Ojukwu, an acting commissioner of police, said the redeployment is with immediate effect.
The PUNCH had earlier learnt on
Thursday that an Assistant Inspector-General of Police, M. J. Gana,
was directed to take charge of the state during the elections and until
violence in the state abated.
When contacted on the redeployment of
Lakanu, the Peoples Democratic Party Publicity Secretary in the state,
Joseph Adaraniwon, said, “We have no problem with the deployment. The
power to redeploy is with the Police authorities.”
Adaraniwon’s APC counterpart, Taiwo Olatubosun, could not be reached for comments.
Ekiti State has been embroiled in crisis
since the declaration of Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of the APC
as the winner of the March 28 election.
Gunmen had attacked the APC secretariat and some members of the party in the state.
The APC members had just returned from
Ado Ekiti where they had gone to celebrate the victory of Buhari when
thugs attacked them.
The party petitioned the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, over attacks.
The petition by the state Secretary of
the party, Paul Omotoso, was also sent to the National Human Rights
Commission; the AIG in charge of Zone Eight in Lokoja; Lakanu and
the State Director of the Department of State Services, Samuel Tamuno.
Fayose also sent a petition to the IG ,
accusing an APC lawmaker of firing the shot that killed Olaiya in
Efon Alaye on Tuesday.
Fayose, in the petition, urged Abbah to investigate the role of policemen in the killing.
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