Governor served impeachment notice, 7 days ultimatum to respond

dimeji akinloye

April 5, 2015 2:33 PM

Fayose said the move is the 'joke of the century'.

All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in Ekiti State, 19 of them, have initiated moves that may lead to impeachment process against the state governor, Ayodele Fayose, Punch reports

The 19 All Progressives Congress lawmakers in the Ekiti State House of Assembly have begun moves that may lead to impeachment proceedings against Governor Ayodele Fayose.

The governor has been sent a notice of gross misconduct by the embattled Speaker, Dr. Adewale Omirin and copied his deputy, Dr. Olusola Eleka .

In reaction to the notice, Fayose described it as the ‘joke of the century.’ He said that APC’s move has failed already.

“The script being acted by the APC is a failed one because no one, no matter how highly placed will be allowed to test the will of Ekiti people,” Fayose said in a statement issued on Saturday, April 5, by Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka.

He added; “the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly is and not Dr. Adewale Omirin.

“Omirin is already in court, challenging his impeachment and common sense dictates that when you are challenging an action already taken in court, you have accepted the consequences of such action pending the determination of the suit you filed.”

As contained in the letter by the 19 lawmakers which was titled, “Re: Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct,” eight impeachable offences may be grounds to send Governor Fayose packing.

The offences listed in the notice are; ‘alleged invasion of the House of Assembly with thugs and miscreants, instigating an unconstitutional takeover of the House by seven legislators to sit in contravention of Section 96(2) of the 1999 Constitution, and prevention of the 19 APC legislators from performing their duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs.’

Other allegations include; ‘sponsoring an unlawful impeachment process in the house, spending Ekiti State funds without the requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the constitution and running the government without legally constituted Executive Council in contravention of Section 192(2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’

Fayose was also accused of ‘operating an illegal 2014 budget as well as sponsoring and instigating illegal sitting of the House in contravention of Section 96(1) of the Constitution.’

The governor has been given seven days ultimatum to respond to the notice.

dimeji akinloye