Ekiti Assembly Crisis: Monarchs Intervene and Urge Ousted President to Accept Fate
Traditional rulers in Ekiti State have intervened in the crisis in the State Legislative Assembly following the election and removal of Gboyega Aribisogan as Speaker of the House.
>The monarchs, after meeting the rival groups in the house on Monday, urged Mr Aribisogan to withdraw the complaint he filed in court against his impeachment.
The peace meeting, held at the Ewi Palace of Ado Ekiti, passed a five-point resolution, including that the house lift the suspension of Mr. Aribisogan and members of his camp.
The monarchs, led by their president, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Gabriel Adejuwon, noted in the resolution that 22 members of the House already support the new president, Olubunmi Adelugba.
With this in mind, they urged Mr. Aribisogan to give up his claim to the post so that "the Assembly can move forward and the state can enjoy peace".
They also said that in addition to readmitting Mr. Aribisogan, the house should drop other punitive measures against him.
Both groups defended their actions, with the 16 members present along with the new president saying she was validly elected.
For his part, Mr. Aribisogan had told the monarchs that he had gone to court to clear his name.
Following calls from the traditional, he said he would discuss the matter with his lawyers before taking further action.
“Once a person is impeached, they can only be elected after 10 years,” he said, adding that the case was filed to uphold their basic human rights.
The state's All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Paul Omotoso, has been asked to implore his party's caucus to resolve the ousted president's status in order to restore his membership.
The monarchs recognized the supremacy of the party and accused Mr Aribisogan and his supporters of disobeying the party by not initially electing Ms Adelugba as stated.
It will be recalled that Mr. Aribisogan's election as Speaker was contrary to party directive, resulting in threats of attacks on the House.
Mr. Aribisogan's speaking out lasted only a week, as an indictment hatched by party leaders was carried out against him under the supervision of security agencies.
Leading state attorneys have questioned the impeachment process, calling for his reinstatement.
But the APC and assembly rejected their position, saying the process was in line with the 1999 Constitution and that of their party.
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Traditional rulers in Ekiti State have intervened in the crisis in the State Legislative Assembly following the election and removal of Gboyega Aribisogan as Speaker of the House.
>The monarchs, after meeting the rival groups in the house on Monday, urged Mr Aribisogan to withdraw the complaint he filed in court against his impeachment.
The peace meeting, held at the Ewi Palace of Ado Ekiti, passed a five-point resolution, including that the house lift the suspension of Mr. Aribisogan and members of his camp.
The monarchs, led by their president, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Gabriel Adejuwon, noted in the resolution that 22 members of the House already support the new president, Olubunmi Adelugba.
With this in mind, they urged Mr. Aribisogan to give up his claim to the post so that "the Assembly can move forward and the state can enjoy peace".
They also said that in addition to readmitting Mr. Aribisogan, the house should drop other punitive measures against him.
Both groups defended their actions, with the 16 members present along with the new president saying she was validly elected.
For his part, Mr. Aribisogan had told the monarchs that he had gone to court to clear his name.
Following calls from the traditional, he said he would discuss the matter with his lawyers before taking further action.
“Once a person is impeached, they can only be elected after 10 years,” he said, adding that the case was filed to uphold their basic human rights.
The state's All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman, Paul Omotoso, has been asked to implore his party's caucus to resolve the ousted president's status in order to restore his membership.
The monarchs recognized the supremacy of the party and accused Mr Aribisogan and his supporters of disobeying the party by not initially electing Ms Adelugba as stated.
It will be recalled that Mr. Aribisogan's election as Speaker was contrary to party directive, resulting in threats of attacks on the House.
Mr. Aribisogan's speaking out lasted only a week, as an indictment hatched by party leaders was carried out against him under the supervision of security agencies.
Leading state attorneys have questioned the impeachment process, calling for his reinstatement.
But the APC and assembly rejected their position, saying the process was in line with the 1999 Constitution and that of their party.
Support the integrity and credibility journalism of PREMIUM TIMES Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can guarantee the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy and a transparent government. For free and continued access to the best investigative journalism in the country, we ask that you consider providing modest support to this noble endeavour. By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you help sustain relevant journalism and keep it free and accessible to everyone.Donate
[embedded content]TEXT ANNOUNCEMENT: Call Willie - +2348098788999
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