Ondo Assembly Reinstates Four Suspended Lawmakers

The House of Assembly in Ondo State on Monday announced the reinstatement of four suspended members of the house, AllNews reports.

Bamidele Oleyelogun, the speaker of the house made the announcement while presiding over the plenary at the legislative chamber of the Assembly complex in Akure, the state capital.

The move by the speaker to allow the lawmakers resume plenary is reportedly in obedience to orders given by the high and appeal courts in the state.

The four reinstated lawmakers include a former deputy speaker, Iroju Ogundeji, Favour Tomomewo, Adewinle Williams, and Akinrindibo Leonard.

AllNews understands that the Assembly has been in disarray for over six months following the defection of the deputy governor, Agboola Ajayi, from the ruling All Progressive Party (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and later to Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) where he contested as the party candidate for the October 10 governorship election.

READ ALSO: Ondo Assembly Impeaches Deputy Speaker For Refusing To Sign Agboola's Impeachment Notice

After the defection, there were moves by the state assembly to impeach Ajayi as some members of the state assembly signed the impeachment process of the deputy governor but nine lawmakers refused to sign then.

Of the nine lawmakers, the assembly indefinitely suspended four: Irolu Ogundeji, deputy speaker, representing Odigbo 1 Constituency; Tomide Akinribido, representing Ondo West 1 constituency; Favour Tomomewo, representing Ilaje II constituency and Adewale Adewinle, representing Ondo West II constituency.

The embattled lawmakers later sued the assembly before a state high court in Akure and the judge who presided over the matter, Ademola Bola, ordered their reinstatement and asked the assembly’s leadership led by the speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun, to pay N5 million each to the lawmakers for their unlawful suspension.

Oleyelogun approached the Court of Appeal for a stay of execution. The appeal court, on November 20, upheld the decision of the lower court. The appeal court judge, Oyebisi Omoleye, also asked that appellants should pay the sum of N250,000 jointly to the lawmakers as damages.

Rather than obey court orders, the assembly on November 24, voted to impeach Ogundeji as deputy speaker for alleged “gross misconduct”.

The speaker of the House, Oleyelogun, said 20 lawmakers signed the impeachment proceedings and that it required 18 to form two-thirds of the house.