…says ‘my joining PDP not impeachable offence’
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, has accused Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of bribing 26 members of the state House of Assembly with N10million each to impeach him.
Agboola boasted that as a tested politician, he had prepared himself for Akeredolu’s “kangaroo and infamous moves” now playing out among the lawmakers in the state Assembly.
The Assembly complex was on Tuesday besieged by policemen following an alleged plan by lawmakers to commence the impeachment of the embattled deputy governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi.
Reports had it that the policemen were drafted to the assembly complex to provide security for the lawmakers while they commenced Ajayi’s impeachment process.
No fewer than five police patrol vehicles conveying policemen stormed the complex located along Igbatoro road in Akure, the state capital.
News that the state governor Rotimi Akeredolu had given his nod to the lawmakers to commence the impeachment process of the deputy governor spread across the state.
Ajayi had defected to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party after months of irreconcilable differences with his principal, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
He was received by the leadership of the PDP, led by its National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, and other national officers of the party.
In a swift reaction, the deputy governor fingered Governor Akeredolu in the illegal move to impeach him, accusing him of induced each of the 26 lawmakers to the tune of N10m to impeach him.
Ajayi, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Babatope Okeowo, said, “The attention of the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, His Excellency, Agboola Ajayi has been drawn to the illegal move by the embattled Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, to impeach him through illegal and unconstitutional means.
“The illegal impeachment move would be carried out through financial inducement of members of the Ondo State House of Assembly to the tune of ten million naira each.
“As at the moment, Ondo State House of Assembly complex has been besieged by men of the Nigeria Police, while parliamentarians that are known not to believe in the charade are being prevented from entering the complex.
“We wish to state that the deputy governor is a tested politician of note, who is not unprepared for this type of kangaroo and infamous move from the desperate and drowning Governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu and his group.
“By joining the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi has not committed any impeachable offence. He has only exercised his constitutional right to freedom of association. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides as follows: “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any association for the protection of his interests.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, we state unequivocally that the Governor and his allies do not have and cannot muster the requisite majority in the House of Assembly for the removal of the Deputy Governor under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in any free, fair and transparent process.
“We remain undaunted in the move to throw off the combined weight of those kneeling on the neck of Ondo State. Our state shall not be allowed to suffocate.
“At the appropriate time, the people of Ondo State shall decide the right person, who will serve as the arrowhead of the bid to save the state from the nepotistic clique kneeling on her neck.”
While the alleged impeachment drama was playing out at the assembly, the state government, in two separate statements within two hours, announced the sack of all the aides of the deputy governor.
The sack of the aides to the deputy governor is coming barely 24 hours after his defection to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.