Ondo Assembly Impeaches Deputy Speaker, Replaces Officers |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

One of the four embattled members of the Ondo state house of Assembly, Mr Iroju Ogundeji, who is deputy speaker, has been impeached.

This is the climax of the crisis and high wire politics occasioned by the botched move to remove the deputy governor of the state, Mr Agboola Ajayi.

Ogundeji, from Odigbo constituency two was immediately replaced with another Lawmaker from the area, Mr Aderoboye.

His impeachment followed the house resolution moved by the Speaker, Mr. Bamidele Oloyelogun.

The former Deputy Speaker is among the four Lawmakers that were suspended but returned to the house by a court order.

They are still being locked out of the Assembly  as the House  leadership denied receiving any court order for their return.

Ogundeji was accused of  gross misconduct, which the House  said had brought disrepute to it.

Twenty Lawmakers signed the impeachment.

Some changes were also effected in the House Committees with Tomide Akinribido of the Zenith Labour Party,(ZLP) removed as the Minority Leader and replaced by Festus Akingbaso from the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP), while Hon. Ogunmolasuyi is the new Majority Leader.

Taofeek Oladele replaced Adeyemi Olayeni as the new chief whip.

Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is expected to present to the State House of Assembly the 2021 Budget proposal on Friday, 27th November,  2020.

The crisis in the House is a fallout of the bitter political misunderstanding between  the Governor and  his deputy, Hon Agboola Ajayi.

Ajayi later resigned from the APC, without resigning as the Deputy Governor. He contested against the Governor on the ZLP ticket during the recent Governorship election, and came a distant third.

The now impeached Deputy Speaker is his ally.