EKITI DECIDES 2018 : CRISIS LOOMS IN EKITI ASSEMBLY AS APC LAWMAKERS REJECT LONG ADJOURNMENT
An uproar seems to be looming in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, as some All Progressives Congress, APC, legislators, yesterday, rejected the adjournment of legislative business till October.
This was as the Ekiti State Governor-elect, Dr. Kayode Fayemi was issued a Certificate of Return by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, even as he has assured the people of the state they will enjoy the benefit of good governance as from October 16 when he takes over the reins of power.
Also, the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has again claimed that the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State was not a true reflection of the wishes of the electorate.
The minority APC legislators described the long adjournment as illegal and not in the interest of the people of the state who elected them.
The majority People’s Democratic Party, PDP, legislators in the Assembly had on Tuesday adjourned legislative business till October.
The APC Assembly members, led by the Minority Leader, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan (Ikole Constituency 1) alleged that the long adjournment was masterminded by Governor Ayo Fayose in a bid to emasculate the legislative arm.
Other APC members of Ekiti parliament are Messrs. Sunday Akinniyi (Ikere Constituency 1) and Adeniran Alagbada (Ise/Orun Constituency.)
Aribisogan, Akinnyi and Alagbada defected from the PDP at different times and joined the APC over the internal crisis that rocked their former party.
The 23 PDP legislators led by the Speaker, Mr. Kola Oluwawole at a plenary on Tuesday adjourned plenary till October 8 in protest against the governorship election result and alleged harassment of Fayose and PDP members by security agencies.
The leader of Business, Mr. Tunji Akinyele, who moved the motion for the adjournment, said this became imperative due to the political harassment of members by security agents.
But Aribisogan said APC Assembly members are ready for legislative business calling on the Police and Department of State Services, DSS, to give the minority lawmakers security any time they decide to perform their constitutional duties.
Aribisogan said: “That long adjournment was illegal and even the plenary held on Tuesday was illegal because it was Governor Fayose that directed the Speaker to hold that plenary without notice to all members.
“It is unfortunate that we still have this executive recklessness going on in Ekiti State. Maybe the Speaker has forgotten that we now have members of APC in the House because we were neither notified nor consulted.”
When asked whether three APC lawmakers form a quorum to perform legislative duties, Aribisigan said: “On our part, we are not on recess; it is only when you are going for plenary that you need a quorum but we can sit at parliamentary, committee and constituency meetings.”
Akinniyi said: “It appears the Speaker is living in a fool’s paradise without giving notice to all members of the Assembly. We APC members of Ekiti State House of Assembly are alive to our responsibilities to legislate for the good of our people and perform other oversight functions.
“We have duly informed security agencies that we (APC House members) are ready to continue with our constitutional functions so that anytime we are there, they will give us security.”
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