Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, has taken a swipe at the state’s House of Assembly over its refusal to obey a court order restraining it from proceeding with an impeachment process against the deputy governor, Mr. Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
Similarly, an All Progressives Congress (APC) pressure group, Ondo Progressive Crusaders (OPC), also in a statement on Wednesday, dismissed the Ondo legislators as “lawbreakers, and not lawmakers.”:
A Federal High Court in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, had on Tuesday restrained Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, the state’s House of Assembly, as well as the state’s Chief Judge from initiating an impeachment process against Aiyedatiwa, pending the determination of the substantive suit in motion.
But in a swift reaction, the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Hon. Olamide Oladiji, hit back, saying the court order could not stop impeachment, vowing that the Assembly would proceed with it.
Reacting in a statement, however, the Ondo State PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kennedy Peretei, scoffed at the audacity the APC-dominated Ondo State House of Assembly had to disobey a court order.
In tow, the PDP also averred that the Assembly men had been pocketed by Governor Akeredolu, which had earlier prompted them to go en masse to Ibadan, Oyo State, to receive a letter of resumption from an ailing governor who is still to show up in Ondo State.
“Much as the Ondo State House of Assembly wish to grandstand their independence and separation of power to disrespect an order of Court, the fact that they went to Ibadan to receive by hand a supposed letter of Akeredolu’s resumption in office has already compromised such independence they are mouthing.
“Besides, a lot of people believe that the Assembly has been procured by the Akeredolu family to do whatever they want. The Independence the legislators are claiming is funny because it does not exist,” Peretei mocked.
In own reaction, OPC-the Ondo APC pressure group, in a statement by its chairman, Prince Ezekiel Adinlewa, and Secretary, Mrs Folashade Oshasuyi, described the Ondo legislators as “lawbreakers, and not lawmakers in all their attitude and disposition.”
The group urged for a full application of the law against the Ondo lawmakers, stating, “It is clear that most of the legislators are itching to go to jail with their brazen declaration and willingness to disobey a valid court ruling.”
The OPC similarly called on the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to beam its searchlight on Ondo State, in probe of the festering allegation that each legislator collected N5million bribe to ensure the impeachment of the deputy governor.