FEATURES
Ondo Speaker Under Fire As Assembly Begins Impeachment Proceedings
The crisis rocking the Ondo State House of Assembly has deepened, with the Assembly spokesperson, Olatunji Ifabiyi, insisting that moves to impeach Speaker Olamide Oladiji are still ongoing.
Ifabiyi, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday, dismissed reports that the lawmakers had shelved the impeachment plan, describing such claims as misinformation.
He maintained that the lawmakers remained determined to remove Oladiji as Speaker despite reconciliation efforts involving Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and other leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We have been hearing reports that we have stopped the process; that is not correct; it is misinformation. We are still on it. He cannot continue as our Speaker.
“Although Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa has been speaking with some of us, that does not stop the impeachment process. There is no going back,” Ifabiyi said.
However, Oladiji strongly rejected the claim, insisting that there was no impeachment process against him.
According to the Speaker, the disagreements that triggered the crisis had been resolved following the intervention of Governor Aiyedatiwa and APC leaders.
“There is nothing like an impeachment process because the issues have been resolved. There is no impeachment.
“Mr Governor and other leaders of the party have intervened, and today we are expected to hold our parliamentary meeting,” Oladiji said.
The Speaker also dismissed reports of tension at the Assembly complex following the presence of three youth leaders on Thursday.
He explained that the visitors had come to collect recruitment forms and were known to him, adding that a misunderstanding arose after some lawmakers questioned their presence at the premises.
“I came out of my office and explained to the members that they were my guests and had visited the Assembly on previous occasions.
“They did not harass anyone, but some members insisted they should leave.
“We were able to resolve the matter, and there was nothing like an impeachment notice or impeachment process,” Oladiji added.