The Nigerian state legislature is called the House of Assembly. Over the years, they have been a feeding bottle of the incumbent governor instead of being the key instrument of checks and balances.

In Ekiti State, there has been a power tussle in the house leading to impeachment and suspension, which will be highlighted in this piece. 

 Following the death of the former speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital on October 19 after suffering cardiac arrest, the Ekiti State legislative chamber has been in disarray.

As courtesy demands, it took the house a month before a new helmsman was chosen. Ikole 1 Constituency representative in the Assembly and a two-term lawmaker emerged.

On November 15 2022, Gboyega Aribisogan was voted in as the Speaker of the House of Assembly in the state. 

Immediately after he was elected, an irreconcilable crisis crept into the house as lawmakers engineered moves to unseat him, which resulted in the assembly complex being sealed.

On November 21, 2022, the newly elected speaker was impeached and suspended indefinitely at an assembly plenary with 17 lawmakers on the ground. 

Tajudeen Akingbolu, Goke Olajide, Yemisi Ayokunle, Adeyemi Raphael Ajibade, Kemi Balogun and Tope Ogunleye were also suspended alongside the embattled speaker.

Olubunmi Adelugba from the Emure constituency has now been elected as the new speaker of the state assembly.

Aribisogan believes that the members were working alongside the immediate past governor, Kayode Fayemi, to throw him out of office as he appeared on Channels TV recently to express his grief.

On another parallel seating he presided over, the house suspended Jamiu Akeem, Arobasoye Adeoye, Bode Adeoye, Lateef Adeoye, Lukas Akanle, Lukas Toyin, Deji Ajayi and Demola Ojo for voting for his impeachment.

Speaking with journalists on Monday, Aribisogan said his impeachment was illegal because he was still the authentic speaker of the house.

He said his impeachment and suspension of other members was illegal, ultra vires, null and void which had no effect.

“The actions are not legally sustainable and will definitely be quashed in a court of competent jurisdiction”, he opined 

He also revealed that he had sued the state police command for illegally occupying the Assembly Complex.

The speaker was suspended on the ground of impairing the passage of the state’s 2022 Supplementary Budget Bill.

What are people saying?

The Ekiti Council of Elders reacted to the Assembly crisis through a statement by its President and Secretary General, Messrs Joseph Oluwasanmi and Niyi Ajibulu.

The body decried the unnecessary power tussle in the state legislature and called for the immediate restoration of relative peace in the house.

Similarly, the chairman of the Body of Benchers, Wole Olanipekun, condemned the crisis, adding that such is unacceptable in the polity. 

In another development, prominent lawyers of Ekiti origin, including Afe Babalola (SAN), Femi Falana (SAN) and Dele Adesina (SAN), described the speaker’s impeachment as a political move borne out of rascality.

In a statement jointly signed by Wole Olanipekun(SAN), Olu Daramola (SAN), Dayo Akinlaja (SAN) and Gboyega Oyewole (SAN), the lawyers concluded that the election that produced Adelugba was illegal. 

In the Assembly

Yesterday, the lawmakers called on the security agencies to summon the embattled former Speaker, Gboyega Aribisogan, over an alleged threat to their lives.

In a five-point resolution passed at plenary, the lawmakers tasked the security apparatus to look into the activities of the former speaker and the suspended members closely because the lives and properties of the legislators have been threatened recently.

Other parts of the motion were to make the suspended speaker sign an undertaking that nothing inopportune would happen to members.

They did want the resolution transmitted to Governor Biodun Oyebanji for necessary action.

As presided over by Olubunmi Adelugba, the lawmakers supported the motion.

The motion, moved by the lawmaker representing Ekiti East II, Mr Lateef Akanle, was seconded by Abiodun Fawekun.