The immediate cause of the Speaker's impeachment, SaharaReporters gathered on Friday, was the Assembly's paymaster and ally of the Speaker, Mr. Makanjuola Adesina, who was caught with N15 million in cash at the Assembly Complex.
Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have decided that their decision to impeach the Speaker, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, will not be rescinded.
The angry lawmakers, led by Mr. Ogundeji Iroju, are insisting that the Speaker's impeachment was in accordance with the rules.
The immediate cause of the Speaker's impeachment, SaharaReporters gathered on Friday, was the Assembly's paymaster and ally of the Speaker, Mr. Makanjuola Adesina, who was caught with N15 million in cash at the Assembly Complex.
On interrogation by lawmakers, Mr. Adesina was said to have confessed that he was holding the money for Mrs. Akindele. This sparked rage among the lawmakers, who immediately called for a meeting at which they resolved to impeach the Speaker, Deputy Speaker Fatai Olotu and Majority Leader Ifedayo Akinsoyinu.
Mr. Bode Adeyelu, Clerk of the House, was forced into the complex to immediately swear in Mr. Malachi Coker as the acting Speaker, following the successful removal of Mrs. Akindele.
The House also elected Mr. Ayodele Arowele as Deputy Speaker and Olamide George as the Majority Leader.
Speaking with journalists at a press conference over the weekend, Mr. Iroju claimed that 20 lawmakers voted to impeach Mrs. Akindele.
He explained that a panel, to be headed by Mr. Bamidele Oleyelogun, has been set up to look into the fraud allegedly perpetrated by the ousted Speaker.
“The impeachment has come to stay and there is no going back on it because the members [lawmakers] that carried out the impeachment formed the 2/3 majority of the State House of Assembly.
“We can’t continue to fold our hands and allow a few individuals to use their office to siphon the funds of the state,” he said.
Mr. Iroju called on the State Commissioner of Police to immediately withdraw security aides attached to the removed Speaker since she has lost her position.
“We are now asking the governor to recognize the new leadership of the Assembly while the heads of the security agencies in the state should withdraw their men from Mrs. Akindele,” added Mr. Iroju.
SaharaReporters gathered that the crisis in the House has yielded more division among members.
Mrs. Akindele, however, insisted that she remains the legitimate Speaker of the House, saying the N15m found on her aide was meant for an unspecified project to be initiated by the House.
She accused the incoming government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of masterminding the impeachment of the principal officers of the House.
“It was part of an attempt to taint the leadership of the House as well as to arrest the Honorable Speaker and some other members to pave way for the illegal change of the House Leadership,” she said.
