Ekiti House Writes Chief Judge, Seeks Panel to Probe Fayose

Ekiti State House of Assembly has written  the State Chief Judge‎. Mr. Justice Ayodeji Daramola, asking him to set up a panel to investigate allegations raised in the impeachment notice to Governor Ayodele Fayose.

A statement by Wole Olujobi, the Special Adviser to the factional Speaker, Dr Adewale Omirin, said the lawmakers held a special sitting at M‎ary Hills Boys High School, Ado-Ekiti, on Thursday, relying on Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution as amended which empowers the Assembly to regulate their sittings, including sitting in a public building within the state capital, if conditions exist in the hallowed chamber that endanger members’ lives.
Majority Leader, Churchill Adedipe, Irepodun/Ifelodun Constituency One, explained that the sitting ought to have taken place in the hallowed chamber on April 7, 2015‎ but members were prevented by thugs who mounted roadblocks and threatened them with dangerous weapons.
Relying on Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Adedipe moved the motion empowering the Chief Judge to set up the panel.
His motion was seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Adetunji Orisalade, representing Ido/Osi Constituency Two.
After debates, the lawmakers, in a unanimous vote, supported the motion‎ directing the chief judge to set up the panel.

The House subsequently adjourned to the next legislative day.
Meanwhile, Ekiti State traditional rulers yesterday expressed concern over the tension generated by the plot by the All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers to remove Fayose and urged all gladiators to resolve their differences amicably.

A statement read by the council’s chairman, the Onitaji of Itaji Ekitoi, Oba Adamo Babalola, noted that the face-off between the executive and the legislative arm had been on since Fayose was sworn in on October 16, 2014.

Oba Babalola said efforts by the council to broker peace between the governor and the APC lawmakers had consistently been stalled by claims by the two sides that the case challenging the removal of Omirin from office is pending in court and so it will be sub judice to discuss it.
“The position stalled all further deliberations and efforts to find an amicable settlement of the matter,” the statement said.
“It is sad that the unfortunate incident which resulted in the death of one Mr Modupe Olaya of Efon Alaaye could have been avoided.
“Council appreciates the representations from various individual groups and associations such as the Ekiti State Council of Elders, the labour unions, both serving and retired, religious leaders, business and professional bodies for their concerns and suggestions.
“Council hereby appeals to all political gladiators to sheathe their swords, eschew violence and give peace a chance, as we believe that violence cannot solve the problems at hand,” the council added.
The monarchs called on law enforcement agencies to ensure the security and safety of lives and property during and after the election tomorrow.
The traditional rulers charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be impartial during the poll, urging  politicians and the electorate to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act for the poll to be peaceful.

In a related development, the embattled Omirin, on Thursday told a Federal High Court in Lagos that he was no longer interested in pursuing a suit he filed to challenge his impeachment on November 20 last year.

Omirin and his deputy, Adetunji Orisalade, had filed the suit numbered FHC/L/CS/1823/14 before Justice Saliu Saidu following their impeachment by seven PDP members of the Ekiti House of Assembly.

The other plaintiffs in the suit, wherein they were challenging the legality of their impeachment, were the 17 other APC lawmakers in the Ekiti House of Assembly.

But in a letter dated April 7, 2015 and addressed to the court, the plaintiffs said they were no longer interested in pursuing the suit which they filed through their lawyer, Mr. Norrison Quakers.

The notice of discontinuance, which came after the lawmakers returned to the state and served an impeachment notice on Fayose, simply read, “Take notice that the plaintiffs doth hereby wholly discontinue Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1823/14 against all the defendants.”

The defendants referred to were Fayose who was listed as the eighth defendant. Others were the seven Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers in the Ekiti Assembly, including the Speaker who took over the affairs of the House following Omirin’s impeachment and his deputy, Dele Olugbemi and Olayinka Abeni respectively

Also sued were the Commissioner of Police in EKiti; the Inspector General of Police; the Department of State Service as well as the three commissioners cleared by the House under Olugbemi’s speakership: Owoseni Ajayi (Attorney-General), Kayode Eso (Commissioner for Works) and Toyin Ojo (Commissioner for Finance).

The suit had been bogged down by a lot of adjournments due to the difficulty to serve the court papers on Fayose and the other defendants since last year that it commenced.