Nigeria: Ekiti Assembly Speaker Impeached After Six Days in Office

Gboyega Aribisogan, speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly has been impeached and suspended indefinitely on Monday. His dismissal was approved by 17 of the assembly’s 25 members, who elected Olubunmi Adelugba to serve as the new speaker.

Since the passing of the previous speaker, Funminiyi Afuye on October 19 at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital following a cardiac arrest, the Assembly’s leadership has been in disarray.

Aribisogan who is Ikole constituency 1 representative was elected as the new assembly speaker on November 15. He took over from the former speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, after his death 

A day after his inauguration, the police laid siege on the assembly complex over claims that there were alleged plans to attack lawmakers. The turn of events began after Aribisogan charged Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past governor of the state, with orchestrating an impeachment conspiracy with members of the state legislature. 

Ahmad Sajoh, on behalf of Fayemi’s media office issued a statement on Monday.  

“We note the allegation by the former speaker of the Ekiti state house of Assembly, Mr. Gboyega Aribisogan, that his impeachment was masterminded by Dr. Kayode Fayemi, the immediate past Governor of the State,” Sajoh said.

“We wish to clarify that Dr. Fayemi had nothing to do with the removal of the former Speaker by his peers as this was the internal arrangement of the state house of assembly.

 “We wish to note that even as Governor, Dr. Fayemi did not interfere with the independence of the house and respected the principle of separation of powers where the house had freedom to decide on their internal affairs.”

His impeachment paved the way to make history as Olubunmi Adelugba emerges as the state’s first female speaker. Adelugba represents Emure constituency.

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