TheCable

Gboyega Aribisogan, speaker of the Ekiti house of assembly, has accused Kayode Fayemi, immediate past governor of the state, of masterminding a plot to impeach him.

Aribisogan made the allegation on Sunday during an interview on Channels Television.

BACKGROUND

On November 15, Aribisogan, who represents Ikole constituency 1, was elected as the new speaker of the assembly.

He replaced Funminiyi Afuye, the previous speaker, who died in October after he reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest.

Twenty-four hours after he was sworn in, the police laid siege on the assembly complex over claims that some persons were planning to attack the lawmakers.

The development prevented the lawmakers from holding plenary after the election of the new speaker.

‘SOME PEOPLE DON’T WANT DEMOCRATIC PROCESSES’

Speaking during the interview, Aribisogan said he has appealed to Usman Baba, the inspector-general of police (IGP), to speak with the police command in Ekiti to reopen the assembly.

The speaker described the alarm of a threat to attack the assembly as “make-belief”.

“The commissioner of police gave an assurance that the assembly will be reopened the day next,” he said.

“He probably must have concluded his investigation but unfortunately as I’m speaking with you the complex is still under lock and key.

“That is why we have decided to call in the IGP to rein on his people to allow the house of assembly to function as a legislator not under siege.

“Perhaps, they don’t want democratic processes to take place in the assembly.”

Aribisogan alleged that Fayemi is colluding with seven lawmakers of the state assembly to impeach him on Monday.

“The majority of members of assembly voted for me but few of them who felt perhaps I did not follow the directive of the former governor, Dr Fayemi, thought that they will make the state ungovernable for even the administration,” he added.

“I didn’t have any quarrel with him (referring to Fayemi). I sent a message to him even last night asking, ‘What is happening? Am I no longer one of your loyalists? Why did you not congratulate me?

“Up till now that I’m speaking with you, he has not done anything. Otherwise, he has been going around calling our members to go and impeach me tomorrow. That is the truth.

“As I’m speaking with you, seven of our members are locked up in Fem guest house in Ado Ekiti, planning on how to impeach me tomorrow in cahoots with some of his former aides like the former commissioner for justice.”

‘PURELY LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS’ 

Also speaking during the interview, Yinka Oyebode, chief press secretary to the state governor, said the issue playing out in the state assembly is “purely legislative”.

Oyebode said the executive arm of government has little to do with the matters of the lawmakers since they are elected representatives of the people.

“What is playing out in the state house of assembly is purely legislative affairs,” Oyebode said

“I want to believe that the leadership of the house and also the leadership of the party will resolve it amicably.

“The information we have and that the police reported about the locking up of the place is that some hoodlums were about burning down the place a couple of days ago.

“Because of that, some of them were even chased away while some jerrycans of fuel and cutlasses were recovered from them.”

TheCable understands that some of the lawmakers are currently meeting in the state capital.