A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja yesterday refused to halt the impeachment proceeding being spearheaded by the 19 All Progressives Congress, APC, members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly against Governor Ayodele Fayose, and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola.
The impeachment proceeding notice is said to have been served on the governor and his deputy by the 19 All Progressives Congress, APC, members who have been at loggerheads with the governor since he came on board last October.
Although Fayose has been working with only seven members of the PDP in the House, the APC lawmakers, which the governor does not recognise, returned to the state this week with an impeachment notice, prompting the closure of the House of Assembly by security agents.
But the governor’s bid to stop the impeachment through an interim injunction did not go through as the court rejected their prayers contained in an ex parte application seeking interim injunction to set aside the impeachment notice served on them and halt further moves to remove them from office.
The court, however, granted prayers contained in the ex parte application relating to service of the court processes on the defendants.
Justice Ahmed Mohammed ordered the defendants in the suit, including the APC factional Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr Adewale Omirin, and the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, to appear in court on April 16.
The court ordered the defendants to appear in court to show cause why the order of interim injunction being sought by the plaintiffs halting the impeachment proceedings should not be granted.
Other defendants in the suit are, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Suleiman Abba, and the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The plaintiffs in the suit are the Speaker of the House of Assembly (described as being occupied by the Peoples Democratic Party factional Speaker, Dele Olugbemi); Ekiti State House of Assembly, Fayose and Olusola.
Counsel for the plaintiffs, Mr. Ahmed Raji, had sought the interim injunction halting the impeachment moves through an ex parte application dated and filed on April 7, 2015.
He had urged the court to grant the interim injunction setting aside the impeachment notice already served on the governor and the deputy and also restraining the defendants from taking any further steps in the impeachment moves.
The lawyer argued that the act by Omirin to issue an impeachment notice and serve same on the governor and the deputy governor as Speaker of the House of Assembly amounted to impersonating the incumbent Speaker.
Security men seal Ekiti Assembly
Peace of the graveyard, where no one seems to know what will happen next is being experienced in Ekiti State after three days of rage over an attempted bid by the 19 All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly to impeach the governor, Mr Ayo Fayose.
However, armed security operatives are still keeping watch over the State House of Assembly.
They were made up of both officials of the Department of State Service, DSS, as well as regular and mobile policemen who barricaded all the entrances leading to the complex, with Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, stationed at strategic locations
Also yesterday, the governor petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba and the Executive Secretary of National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, Prof. Ben Angwe over the alleged killing of one Modupe Temitope Olaiya in Efon-Alaaye on Tuesday.
Fayose petitions IGP, others
The face-off between members of the 19 All Progressive Congress, APC, lawmakers in Ekiti State House of Assembly and the state governor,Mr Ayo Fayose yesterday took a new turn as the governor has petitioned the Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba and the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC,, Prof. Bem Angwe, over the killing of Modupe Temitope Olaiya in Efon-Alaaye on Wednesday
Olaiya was allegedly shot dead by yet to be identified person at Itawure, near Efon Alaye Wednesday during a commotion when the APC lawmakers were prevented from entering the state by the soldiers.
In a statement by the Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, in Ado Ekiti yesterday, Fayose called the attention of the duo to the ugly development and urged them to commence a full scale investigation with a view of bringing the culprits to book
The petition personally signed by Fayose was titled; “Murder of Mr Modupe Temitope Olaiya; call for investigation and prosecution of culprits.”
It read; “I write to call your attention to the murder of Mr ModupeTemitope Olaya, in Efon-Alaaye junction, Ekiti State yesterday.
“Modupe Olaiya was said to be going about his lawful business peacefully when gun shots were fired at him and other people at Efon-Alaaye junction by rampaging All Progressives Congress, APC, lawmakers, who were coming to Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital in two unmarked Toyota buses.
“The APC lawmakers were escorted by some fully armed mobile policemen, who I later discovered were brought from MOPOL 20 in Lagos State.
“Some of the mobile policemen alleged to have been identified are as follows: Sgt. Oyelakin Zacchaeus (F/No 386073) Cpl. Adewuya Clement (F/No 396903) Cpl James Ogunji (F/No 386976)
Cpl Ebute Michael (F/No 343469) Cpl. Ibrahim Zock (F/No 235510).
“To my surprise, instead of the police arresting the lawmakers, they were allowed to return to Oshogbo, Osun State where they came from.
“As I write, the entire Efon-Alaaye community is tense, with the people expecting justice to prevail on the gruesome murder of Modupe Olaiya.
“It is therefore on this note, and most importantly, the need to restore the confidence of the people in the police that I implore that you use your good offices to order a thorough investigation into the murder.
“It is also important that the involvement of the above listed mobile policemen is ascertained as they were not from Ekiti State and were not deployed to escort the lawmakers to the state by the Ekiti State Police Command.
“Thanking you for your anticipated prompt action.”
He is trying to implicate one of us – Omirin
In his reaction Omirin through Olujobi said: ‘’Governor Ayodele Fayose yesterday invited to the Government House the mother and other family members of Efon casualty felled by alleged soldiers’ bullets in Efon to implicate the member of the House of Assembly representing Efon-Alaaye, Hon. Folorunso Ogundele.
‘’In a carefully choreographed drama, Fayose called journalists, both print and electronic, to cover the spectacle. The journalists were in the Government House apparently unaware that they were being invited to help in deceiving Nigerians.
‘’We have confirmed that Fayose gave the woman huge sums of money and asked her to start crying, rolling on the floor with persistent mentioning of Honourable Ogundele as the one who shot the boy.
‘’The woman was crying and rolling on the floor when journalists were herded to the scene.
‘’In reality, the deceased, Modupe Olaiya, was actually killed by security agents while thugs armed with guns and other dangerous weapons massed up at the Itawure security check-point violently protesting to block the route through which the 19 APC lawmakers were coming to Ado-Ekiti.
‘’Residents of Efon-Alaaye have confirmed that the incident happened long before the lawmakers arrived the check-point when the thugs became unruly shooting at the security agents.
‘’In the exchange of gunfires, Modupe was felled and taken to the morgue. His body was later shown to residents by government officials alleging that Ogundele, who was no where near the scene, was implicated.
‘’The lawmakers were not even aware of the incident because they were still far away from the spot when the incident happened. So, it will be mischievous if the lawmakers are linked with the incident.
‘’Nigerians should recall that Ekiti State High Court once dismissed Fayose as incorrigible liar and peddler of mischief. Nigerians should therefore note the deceit involved in this show of shame. Is it the deceased that should visit the governor in his office or the governor that should visit the woman to sympathize with her in her house?
‘’This is another propaganda typical of Fayose’s mischief to get at the opposition. What Fayose is doing is to stoke crisis that will lead to the arrest of Honourable Ogundele so that he will not be around on Saturday for the House of Assembly poll in which the man is seeking re-election.
‘’This is another stunt from a man who trades and trafficks in lies and mischief as essential instrument of governance,’’
According to reports, the APC lawmakers who were coming from Osun State were prevented from entering the state by the gun trotting soldiers who mounted road block at Itawure junction, Efon Alaye on Tuesday. There is no clear evidence that the lawmakers have returned back to the state.
However,the fragile peace being witnessing currently in the state was not without it coma as pockets of protesters were sighted keeping vigil at the entrance of the Government House
With a number of them who came from the different towns and villages in the state vowed not to leave Ado Ekiti until the much expected peace returned back
A drive round Ado Ekiti yesterday , showed that a sizeable number of armed security operatives are still keeping watch over the State House of Assembly.
They were made up of both officials of the Department of State Services, DSS, as well as regular and mobile policemen barricaded all the entrances leading to the complex, with Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, vehicle stationed in strategic locations.
Meanwhile, business activities are gradually picking up as at the time of filing this report, while government offices that were hitherto under lock and key opened for duties, though many of the civil servants reported late for work apparently for fear of the unknown.
Also most of the banks and other business centres opened to their customers, even as markets also operated while residents, including Okada riders and commercial vehicle drivers now move about unchallenged.
Governor Fayose, has told the people of the state to go about their businesses peacefully without any molestation
In a special broadcast to the people, Fayose assured that Saturday’s State Assembly election would still be held under peaceful atmosphere despite the crisis.
The governor urged the people not to be scared in coming out to exercise their franchise and vote candidates of their choice on Saturday.
While declaring that the state remained a stronghold of PDP, he assured them that the security operatives would guaranteed their safety.
Fayose further urged them not to be deceived by alleged plans of the APC and its body of 19 lawmakers to cause disaffection among the rank and file of the electorates.
The governor accused APC of deliberately igniting the on-going crisis in order to cause postponement of Saturday’s election, knowing fully well that the party would not win any of the 26-Assembly seats.
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