Less than 24 hours after endorsing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s governorship bid on behalf of the Ondo State Assembly, some members of the Assembly have passed a vote of no confidence in the speaker, Olamide Oladiji.
Aiyedatiwa had on Tuesday formally declared his intention to contest the governorship election coming up in November 2024 where the speaker in his goodwill message, assured the governor of the support of the members of 18 out of the 26 members of the Assembly in getting the ticket of the All Progressives Congress and winning the main election in November.
However, in a statement signed by 13 members of the Assembly and made available to Journalists in Akure on Wednesday, some of the lawmakers distanced themselves from the endorsement, describing the statement of the speaker as embarrassing and disappointing.
The lawmakers who signed the statement include, Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi (Majority Leader), Moyinolorun Taiwo Ogunwumiju (Parliamentary Secretary), Oluwarotimi Fasonu (Chief Whip), Olajide Oguntodu (Minority Leader), Raymond Daodu (Deputy Minority Leader), and Akinsuroju Nelson.
Others are Akomolafe Temitope, Ifabiyi Olatunji, Agbulu Akeem, Christopher Ayebusiwa, Atinuke Witherspoon, Biola Oladapo and Afe Felix.
The statement reads: “At no point did the Ondo State House of Assembly deliberate the governorship ambition of any of the numerous aspirants that have indicated their interests to contest for the state’s 2024 governorship election, let alone agree to support any particular aspirant.”
According to the lawmakers, “Mr Speaker lacks the moral and legal authority to speak or pledge support for any governorship aspirant on behalf of the House without the explicit consent of members.
“Mr Speaker has, by his unconventional and false public declaration, misrepresented the honourable House, and in so doing, brought the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly into disrepute, caused needless controversies and breached our confidence in his leadership.
“Consequently, we hereby pass a vote of no-confidence in the leadership of the Speaker, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji.”
Fidelis David in Akure
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