Ondo 2020: Why I have not withdrawn my support for Akeredolu’s reelection bid – Suspended Deputy Speaker

The Deputy Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly who also represents the Odigbo Constituency I, Mr IrojuOgundeji, shares his thoughts with Punch Newspaper about his recent suspension by the assembly and the forthcoming election in the state.

Excerpt :

You and two other lawmakers have been suspended. Is the suspension related to your decision to oppose the impeachment plan(of the deputy governor) ?

Definitely. The house was expected to resume sitting on Wednesday. Before the plenary, the speaker called me and two other colleagues to inform us that the governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, and the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Ade Adetimehin, had given him marching orders to suspend us. The speaker also said he had instructed security agents not to allow us onto the assembly premises. I asked the speaker if his action was in line with the law of the land.  

He told me he was acting on instructions from the governor and the chairman of the party. Immediately, I put a call through to the commissioner of police, who I believe is the chief police officer of the state and the one in charge of maintaining law and order. The commissioner of police told me that his men should not be dragged into an unnecessary political mess.

He said I should go and carry out my normal constitutional duty and that no police officer should disallow me from doing so. So, we all marched into the assembly chamber, where the plenary was held. No policeman harassed me; none of them disallowed me from entering the chamber and the business of the day began.

The speaker later asked the clerk of the house to read a letter, which purportedly emanated from a parliamentary meeting that was not held. The letter stated that myself and two other colleagues, Favour Tomomewo and (Adewale) Adewinle, had been suspended from office. As a result, he said we should not come near the premises of the assembly. He said we were suspended indefinitely. I told him that although he had told me before the plenary that the governor and the party chairman had directed him to suspend us, he was carrying out such an instruction against his conscience. I said no section of the constitution backed his action.

Have you now handed all the property of government in your possession to the clerk?

As I speak, I am still the deputy speaker of the assembly, the number two principal officer of the assembly. I remain the deputy speaker of the state assembly. The speaker, without mincing words, forgot to add in his ruling that my suspension had nothing to do with my office as the deputy speaker.

You were one of those that accompanied the governor to Abuja. Are you now against the second-term ambition of the governor?

I have mentioned earlier that the impeachment has nothing to do with partisan politics. It is a constitutional matter. You will recall that when the governor went to Abuja, I was one of the members of the state assembly that accompanied him.

That is to tell you that my support is for him and, as I speak, my support is still for him. I have not withdrawn my support. However, if the governor says I should sign an impeachment notice and I know within me that this is against my conscience, why should I do it?

I have decided not to support that because I am an adult and the electorate that elected me to the assembly knows that I can decide, after due consultations, what is good and right for them.

Accompanying him to submit his nomination form in Abuja and supporting his second term does not mean I should support this impeachment move when my conscience does not support it.

I do not want to do anything against my conscience that will affect my future; conscience is an open wound and nothing can heal it.

Read full interview on Punch online

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