Crisis hits ODHA over plot to impeach Deputy Governor.
– Steve Ovirih.
The calm and cohesion which had been the hallmark of the proceedings in the Ondo state House of Assembly, Alagbaka , seem to be ebbing into Oblivion gradually as obvious schism has shown in the legislative horizon.
At the plenary on Wednesday, the battle line was clearly drawn between the two emerging opposing camps: those who are for and against the ploy to impeach the “seceding ” Ondo state Deputy Governor, Alfred Agboola Ajayi.
While fourteen lawmakers want the Deputy Governor impeached, nine lawmakers have shown their avowed disinterestedness in any hidden or obvious attempt to get the Honorable Deputy Governor off his exalted seat. Obviously, the majority of the members of the House in terms of number wants the Deputy Governor out, but talking of the legislative figure needed to warrant the success of the impeachment process , the 9 against 14 conundrum is an albatross to the success of the plot.
Rt. Hon Bamidele Oleyeloogun at the proceedings on Wednesday , through the Clerk of the House announced the suspension of the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Ogundeji Iroju, an arrow head of the Pro Deputy Governor lawmakers. Two other legislators, among whom were the only female legislator in the 26 man Assembly, Hon Favor Tomomewo were also suspended.
The crux of the matter was that Ondo state Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the political platform that provided him and Governor Akeredolu the joint ticket which made him Deputy Governor. The Ondo state APC stakeholders had kicked that Agboola has a moral burden taking with him to the opposition Peoples Democratic party (PDP), the Deputy Governorship mandate of APC, stressing that the moral thing for the defected Deputy Governor was to show political courage by reassigning from office as Deputy Governor and not complicate perfidy by assuming that he can arrogate the people’s mandate from within the rank of the opposition.
Hon Agboola Ajayi had insisted he was not going to resign his seat because he holds the Deputy Governorship mandate in trust for the people of Ondo state and only the good people of Ondo state can ask him to resign, hence the battle had moved to the Assembly ground where the people’s representatives hold legislative business.
While the nine legislators are trumping up legislative rascality should the House of Assembly go on with the impeachment process, the 14 legislators for impeachment have upped their ante by asking the state Chief Judge to constitute an investigative panel to examine the allegations leveled against the distraught Deputy Governor.
Argument by the anti impeachment lawmakers is hinged on the constitutional provision of a proceeding of the House which must receive the 2/3 support of the whole House as they claim the whole process of the impeachment of the Deputy Governor cannot be said to have been supported by the two third majority , considering the dissociative gesture of the nine honorable members of the House.
As the matter stands, with the suspension of Hon. Ogundeji Iroju and two others, the Assembly has unfortunately inherited the squabble of the two principal arrow heads of the Executive arm of government .
A major puzzle in the Wednesday proceedings of the Assembly was the resignation of his post by the House Majority Leader, Hon. Maito.
The impeachment of Agboola Ajayi apparently appears a long battle , which victory or otherwise is too early to tell which side carries the day.
