Ondo Assembly Recalls Suspended Members |The Source

By Ayodele Oni

The Ondo State House of  Assembly has lifted  the suspension order on four suspended lawmakers.

The lawmakers are Deputy  Speaker, Iroju Ogundeji,  Favour Tomomewo, Adewinle Adewale Williams, and Akinrindibo Leonard.

They were suspended in the wake of the botched impeachment of the State  Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi.

The decision to lift the suspension, was as a result of the order of the Court to commit to prison, the Speaker and other officers for defying the order to recall the Lawmakers.

At plenary on Monday, Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon Oleyelogun Bamidele, insisted that the Lawmakers were suspended in line with the provisions of the rules and standing orders of the House at parliamentary and ratified at plenary.

The Speaker pointed out that the four members went to court to challenge their suspension following which judgement was delivered in their favour, but maintained that the House was not served with the court judgement until recently.

” Surprisingly, the House was not served with these judgements until recently. But because their suspension was done at plenary, the House based on its regulatory proceedings, of the had to consider the judgement at its parliamentary where a resolution to seek the advice of the Judiciary and Legal  Committee on the court judgement was reached”.

“The House  Judiciary and the Legal Department advised that the house should obey the judgement for peaceful co-existence and harmonious relationship between the Judiciary and the Legislature.”

He said the Legislative Arm of Government, being a law-making organ, is a respecter of the rule of law, hence the compliance with the court order on the reinstatement of the suspended Lawmakers.

He, therefore, ruled that the indefinite suspension order placed on the four Lawmakers should be lifted to allow them perform their legislative functions as Members of the Ondo State House of Assembly.