Ekiti APC Lawmakers Kick, As Assembly Goes On Long Adjournment
The majority People’s Democratic Party (PDP) legislators had at the House Plenary on Tuesday adjourned sitting to October 8, 2018.
But the minority All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers, led by Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan described the long adjournment as illegal that is not in the interest of Ekiti people of the state who elected them.
Hon Aribisogan (Ikole Constituency 1), who had since last year when he was suspended from the House and dumped PDP for APC assumed the position of the Minority Leader alleged that the adjournment was to protect the interest of Governor Ayodele Fayose in order to have a firm grip of the legislative arm.
Other members of the APC caucus in the House are Hon. Sunday Akinniyi (Ikere Constituency 1) and Hon. Adeniran Alagbada (Ise/Orun Constituency).
The trio of Aribisogan, Akinnyi and Alagbada had left PDP at different times and pitched their tents with APC citing internal crisis within the ruling party.
The twenty three PDP lawmakers led by Speaker Kola Oluwawole at a plenary on Tuesday adjourned plenary till October 8 in protest against the governorship election result and alleged harassment of Fayose and PDP members by security agencies.
The leader of Business, Hon. Akinyele Olatunji, who moved the motion for the adjournment said this became imperative due to the alleged political harassment of members by security agents.
The motion was unanimously approved by other members present at the plenary.
Aribisogan said the APC Assembly members are ready for legislative business, calling on the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) to give the minority lawmakers security anytime they decide to perform their constitutional duties.
He said, “That long adjournment was illegal and even the plenary held on Tuesday was illegal because it was Governor Fayose that directed the Speaker to hold that plenary without notice to all members.
“It is unfortunate that we still have this executive recklessness going on in Ekiti State. Maybe the Speaker has forgotten that we now have members of APC in the House because we were neither notified nor consulted.
“That is why we have resolved that we are not going on recess. We are open for our normal legislative business from Mondays to Fridays and we are calling on security agencies so that we can perform our constitutional duties without let or hindrance.
“We are not on recess and we are calling on Ekiti people who have one business or the other in the Assembly to come and meet us.
“They (PDP legislators) are listening to the advice of one man who, perhaps has ordered the Speaker to suspend legislative activities.”
On whether the three APC members form a quorum to perform legislative duties, Aribisigan said: “On our own, we are not on recess; it is only when you are going for plenary that you need a quorum but we can sit at parliamentary, committee and constituency meetings.”
Akinniyi said: “It was an act of arrogance to have proceeded on an illegal long adjournment. It is against the rule of the House because there are two parties in the House.
“It appears the Speaker is living in a fool’s paradise without giving notice to all members of the Assembly. We APC members of Ekiti State House of Assembly are live to our responsibilities to legislative for the good of our people and perform other oversight functions.
“For somebody to listen to the instruction of a governor who is in the forest to be controlling the Assembly. What they have done is highly illegal and we have resolved that the legislative business will continue.
“We have duly informed security agencies that we (APC House members) are ready to continue with our constitutional functions so that anytime we are there, they will give us security.
“The minority members will resume office anytime we want because we are not on recess and no individual, no matter how powerful, can stop us from performing our lawful duties.”
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