The impeached Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Gboyega Aribisogan, has called on prominent indigenes of the state to intervene in the crisis rocking the state legislature.
Aribisogan, at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, specifically called on legal luminaries in the state to rise up and stop the political crisis in Ekiti over what he termed outside interference in the election of the Speaker of the House of Assembly.
PUNCH He had earlier announced that 17 of the 25 members of the Assembly had on Monday impeached Aribisogan and elected Olubunmi Adelugba as the new Speaker.
Following the death of former Speaker Funminiyi Afuye, the Assembly complex where members were embroiled in controversy was sealed off.
Aribosogan, who replaced Afuye as speaker last week, alleged that some people in Ekiti, who were not happy with his election to the position, were after him.
The ill-fated speaker also asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, to intervene in the case, alleging that some forces were going after the 15 lawmakers loyal to him.
He said: “I am telling the whole world that Ekiti State must be democratically rescued from former governor Fayemi (Kayode) and his cohorts. Some of us have decided to stand out and speak up and say enough about domination and oppression. Enough is enough of this dictatorship of the former governor. He has resigned. He has no authority to come and tell us who should be the speaker of the state House of Assembly.
“We are calling on all APC leaders at the local, state and national levels to face the situation and rescue Ekiti State from ex-governor Fayemi. We are calling on all eminent persons and clergymen in Ekiti to come to our rescue. We must not die. We must live. Ekiti he has to move on.
“Governor Abiodun Oyebanji, they did not want him to speak; moreover, they refused to appoint a Head of State. All the appointments so far were set up by Fayemi.
“Since we went through that democratic way of electing the new speaker, it has become a headache for him (Fayemi). I have never offended you. I served him for four years and was faithful till the end as Majority Leader (Assembly).
However, the newly inaugurated Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adelugba, said the election that created Aribosogan as Speaker last Tuesday was compromised.
Adelugba, who said the impeachment of 17 of the 25 members of the Aribosogan Assembly, confirmed election fraud, added: “What happened in the Assembly today (Monday) is about the party and not about former governor Dr. Kayode Fayemi. It is not so good for me.”
The new speaker, who spoke at the state secretariat of the All Progressives Congress in Ado Ekiti, shortly after his election and inauguration at plenary, said the reasons for Aribosogan’s removal were the sabotage of the Supplementary Appropriation Act before the Assembly.
According to him, the seven members of parliament of the Aribosogan group, who were left out of the Chamber during the plenary session, would forgive them if they repented.
There was a heavy presence of security men at the Ekiti State House of Assembly on Monday as members held a plenary session while staff of the complex were denied access to the area.
A bomb disposal truck was stationed at the entrance of the assembly complex, as were no fewer than 14 security trucks stationed at various locations around the complex, while police cordoned off the area, preventing any movement.
APC state chairman Paul Omotoso dismissed the allegation that Fayemi twisted the lawmaker’s arm and imposed on Adelugba.
Special Adviser on Media to Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Yinka Oyebode, said what happened in the House were “pure legislative issues”.
