Ekiti 2018: Face-off between Fayose and Olujimi, puts two lawmakers on firing line

The 2018 governorship ambition of some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has gotten two members of the State House of Assembly into trouble as some members of the Assembly loyal to Governor Ayo Fayose, have started investigating them for allegedly hobnobbing with the Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Mrs Biodun Olujimi.

The two lawmakers, Hons Michael Adedeji, representing Ekiti South West constituency II and Adeojo Fajana, representing Ekiti East constituency 1, were investigated by a disciplinary committee and found to be allegedly loyal to Olujimi , who has been having a cold war with Fayose over the 2018 governorship election.

The House also found the lawmakers guilty of alleged conversion of some public utilities like roads and boreholes sunk through the instrumentality of the federal lawmaker to personal use, in an attempt to compromise the legislators, which it said constituted gross misconduct.

The Assembly at a press conference in Ado Ekiti Thursday, described as sacrilege, Senator Olujimi’s alleged claim on social media that eleven members of the Assembly are loyal to her, saying the House is an institution that was too big and independent to be in her pocket.

Briefing the newsmen on the matter, the Chairman, House Committee on Information, Hon Samuel Omotoso, said Hon Adedeji has been pardoned by the Assembly, having written apology letter to the Speaker, Hon Kola Oluwawole and for showing remorse for his action.
However, Senator Olujimi described the lawmakers’ action as a mere political calculation targeted at stopping her governorship ambition.

It has been rumoured that Governor Fayose had directed the Senator and the former Minister of State for Works, Prince Dayo Adeyeye to drop their ambitions for his preferred candidate.

Omotoso revealed that Hon Fajana is yet to appear before the panel and promised that his matter will be treated with utmost fairness anytime he appears.

Claiming that the action taken against the lawmakers were not personal but were corrective measures to protect the Assembly, Omotoso said there was nothing personal over the Assembly’s action.

“After investigation, it was discovered that truly, these honourable members have unholy alliances with Senator Olujimi. The alliance is not even the issue, but what it has brought to the people and the Assembly as an institution.

“We found out that the alliances with the Senator had made these lawmakers to consistently exhibit signs and acted disrespectfully to the office of the Speaker, thus bringing his office and integrity of the house to disrepute.

“We have seen in social media how Senator Olujimi claimed that he is in control of this house, this is not so. The PDP organogram in Ekiti is very clear, Governor Fayose is our leader, no other leader anywhere,” he said.

Omotoso added that the Assembly as a product of the law has standing orders with which it regulates self and maintain discipline among the lawmakers, saying the House won’t overlook any member’s misconduct that is capable of plunging the Assembly into opprobrium.

“We are not bothered about Senator Olujimi because these actions are not personal but directed at maintaining decent and honourable conducts among our members,” he said.

Sen. Olujimi however said, “They are just hiding behind one finger. They are playing cheap and small boys politics, using worn out tricks. Let them try new tricks. It is because they know that I have ambition to be governor of Ekiti State that they are doing this.

“The road in question is for the Constituency and the member of the House being attacked is not even close to me. It was the monarch of the town that picked the site.

The project they are talking about now has been completed six months ago. So why are they coming out with the allegation now. Can you imagine that the so called letter of apology purportedly written by the lawmaker was in the Ekiti State House of Assembly letter head paper. They are already lying behind someone.

“They are only using the members to get at me. They should be courageous to face me and not use the members who are not even close to me.”

On the allegation of sponsoring violence, she said, “where are my sponsoring violence? They have asked people to lay ambush for me if I come to Ekiti.”

Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti