My impeachment notice is dead on arrival – Ondo D’ gov

The Ondo State Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi on Tuesday reacted to his impeachment notice saying, he is yet to receive the purported impeachment notice from the assembly.

The deputy governor noted that he is unruffled with the political situation surrounding his office and his recent political movement to the PDP.

The Deputy Governor in an interview insisted that the impeachment process against him remains a rumour since he had not been officially served.

Agboola noted that with what he had read on social media and heard from the news so far today that nine lawmakers had dissociated themselves from what he described as “kangaroo impeachment process”, the move is dead on arrival.

It would be recalled that nine out of 26 members of the State House of Assembly including the Deputy Speaker, Hon Iroju Ogundeji and the Majority Leader, Hon Jamiu Maito, dissociated themselves from the impeachment move which commenced today against the state deputy governor.

Other members of the Assembly who kicked against the plan to impeach the deputy governor include; Hon. Favour Tomomowo, Hon. Rasheed Olalekan Elegbeleye, Hon. Festus Akingbaso, Hon. Adewale Williams Adewinle, Hon. Samuel Demola Edmisan, Hon. Tomide Akinribido and Hon. Success Torhukerijor.

The Assembly which comprises 26 members requires 18 members to successfully carry out the impeachment.

With nine members dissociating themselves from the impeachment plan, the Assembly is yet to meet the required 18 to carry out the impeachment as clearly spelt out in Section 188 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as as amended).

The letter of impeachment which was addressed to the Clerk of the Assembly, entitled “Dissociation from the impeachment plan of the Deputy Governor”, reads “We the underlisted elected members of the Ninth Assembly session of the Ondo State House of Assembly hereby append our signatures to clarify that we have resolved not to partake in the impeachment process of the Deputy Governor.

“In view of the above, we hereby bring to the notice of Clerk, Mr Bode Adeyelu, the entire members of the House of Assembly and the general public that we do not support the impeachment process and we would not be associated with it based on personal conviction”, the Nine lawmakers said.

The deputy governor had approached the court for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights, which the impeachment seeks to breach. In a suit filed on his behalf by Dr I. Olatoke (SAN) at the Federal High Court, Akure, Agboola Ajayi is asking the court to halt the impeachment proceedings and enforce his rights to freedom of association, which is the basis for the move against him.