Chief Gboyega Aribisogan, the impeached speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, announced on Tuesday that he would start legal proceedings against the lawmakers who had wrongfully removed him from office.
The claimed impeachment of Mr. Speaker and the suspension of seven members, according to Aribisogan, who insisted that due process was not followed, are illegal, extra vires, null and void, and have no legal consequence. The activities are not legitimate and will undoubtedly be overturned in a court with appropriate jurisdiction.
In an interview with The Punch, the embattled politician, who was impeached on Monday after serving as speaker for six days, claimed that he had already taken the police to court over their alleged “illegal occupancy” of the Assembly premises for six days.
He stated: “We are going to court; there is no doubt about that. We are still consulting with our lawyers. It cannot be later than this week. Any moment from now, we are filing our papers in court.
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“We had filed an action against the police at the Federal High Court, Ado Ekiti, on Monday. It is about the illegal occupation of Ekiti State House of Assembly for six days; we have sued the police for that. The police illegally sealed the Assembly for six days. They have to explain to us with credible evidence.”
Recall that on November 15, 15 of the Assembly’s 25 members chose the former Leader of Government Business as speaker.
But since November 16, the Assembly complex has been sealed off by the police, who claimed to be acting in response to an intelligence information alleging an invasion of the House.
The Deputy Speaker, Hakeem Jamiu, presided over the plenary on Monday, where roughly 17 legislators convened and impeached Aribisogan for allegedly obstructing the passage of the 2022 Supplementary Budget Bill.
However, the newly elected speaker, Mrs. Olubunmi Adelugba, made it clear that the process leading to her emergence was peaceful, and she vowed to always be loyal to the state’s citizens.
Adelugba complimented the governor and the party leadership for their admirable roles in the APC while speaking in the governor’s office where her colleagues had introduced her to Governor Biodun Oyebanji as speaker.
The governor, Oyebanji, congratulated APC leaders for their responsiveness and handling of the crisis although denying any role in it.
He praised the lawmakers and characterised the situation as a family matter.
