Ondo Impeachment Saga: Nine Lawmakers Tell CJ to Stand by Constitution

By Ayodele Oni, Akure

Within 24 hours, the Chief Judge of Ondo state, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu has received two letters on the planned impeachment of the Ondo state deputy governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi.

Fourteen of the 26 members House of Assembly, on Monday, passed a motion accusing the Deputy Governor of impeachable offences and directed the Chief Judge to constitute a panel to investigate him.

Nine members of the Assembly were, however, opposed to the planned impeachment and wrote to the House about their stand.

Only Wednesday, the Media Adviser to the Deputy Governor, Mr Allen Sowore, advised the Chief Judge not to allow his office to be used for the exercise, which he called illegal.

In another letter on Thursday, the nine anti- impeachment Lawmakers maintained their position on the planned removal  of Agboola Ajayi

“We want to state and confirm to your good office that we maintain our stand by dissociating ourselves from the impeachment process. We are not in support of the impeachment based on our individual personal conviction.

“We are rest assured that your lordship will uphold section 188 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) particularly section 188 (3)(4)(5)-(11)

” It is equally worthy of note that the total membership of Ondo State House of Assembly is (26) twenty six in which the 2/3 is 18, AND THIS REMAINS THE CONSTITUTIONALLY REQUIRED NUMBER IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY ARBITRARY SUSPENSION

“We are writing to call your attention to the fact that all or some of us who are signatories to this letter may be suspended in order to circumvent the provision of the Constitution of Nigeria, which we all swore to uphold,”

This magazine gathered that in spite of the stand-off, the impeachment exercise will be carried out, especially as two members of those opposed to it were suspended from the House on Wednesday.