The Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Adewale Omirin, and his deputy, Adetunji Orisalade, have been removed from office by seven Peoples Democratic Party members of the Assembly.
The Speaker and his deputy, both members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, were impeached amid tight security provided by the police.
They were replaced with Dele Olugbemi and Abeni Olayinka. Both are members of the PDP.
There are 26 lawmakers in the House.
The seven members had on Monday sat in a similar fashion to approve the three commissioner-nominees of the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, who is also a member of the PDP.
They also approve the appointment of 12 advisers and reconstitute the caretaker committees of the 16 Local Government Areas in the state.
Mr. Olugbemi had presided over the House as Speaker pro-tempore.
The Special Adviser on Media to the Speaker, Wole Olujobi, had in a statement earlier in the morning, said the seven members were meeting to effect a change in the leadership of the legislature.
The statement said, “Seven members of PDP are meeting now with three fake members to effect change in the leadership of the Assembly.
“Like on Monday they were provided with security cover. Journalists were not informed of the sitting. They brought one journalist who is the sole reporter allowed access into the chamber.
All seven members added three fake members to their number in Ado-Ekiti. All the 19 members of APC are in a press conference in Lagos.”
However, speaking with PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Idowu Adelusi, said it was 10 members of the House and not seven that impeached the Speaker and his deputy.
He insisted that the removal of Messrs. Omirin and Orisalade, was procedurally right.
He explained that the other three members were not “fake” as claimed by the APC.
He said they were members of the APC, who had been secretly hobnobbing with the PDP members of the House.
Support PREMIUM TIMES' journalism of integrity and credibility
Good journalism costs a lot of money. Yet only good journalism can ensure the possibility of a good society, an accountable democracy, and a transparent government.
For continued free access to the best investigative journalism in the country we ask you to consider making a modest support to this noble endeavour.
By contributing to PREMIUM TIMES, you are helping to sustain a journalism of relevance and ensuring it remains free and available to all.
TEXT AD: To advertise here . Call Willie +2347088095401...
JOIN THE CONVERSATION