Ekiti House of Assembly impeaches Speaker Oluwawole

The Speaker of the

Oluwawole and Deputy Speaker, Sina Animasun, were impeached by lawmakers during the Assembly's plenary session on Thursday, October 11, 2018. They were impeached for alleged abuse of office and mismanagement of the resources of the House among other reasons.

Some members of the Assembly were also suspended as Adeniran Alagbada has been installed as the new Speaker and Segun Adewunmi as the new Deputy Speaker. Animasaun had been elected Deputy Speaker in May 2018 after Adewunmi was impeached for alleged gross misconduct, lack of leadership quality and acting in a way that could destabilize the state

Oluwawole says impeachment is a rape on democracy

The impeached Oluwawole has kicked against his removal which he described as illegal and a rape on democracy.

In a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Stephen Gbadamosi, he said the illegal process of impeachment was helped by security operatives who barred some members from gaining access into the chamber.

The statement read, "What was done today by some members of the House aided by armed security men is a rape on democracy and an a descent to lowest level of lawlessness and illegality.

"This is bizarre! In a democracy? This is the height of illegality and it can never stand."

He noted that the House of Assembly was already adjourned according to laid down rules and could not have been reconvened without his assent.

"I retain the power to reconvene the House and I have not done that yet. How then can some people say the House sat? This is totally illegal. The role of the police in this siege is clear.

"As I speak, I have not reconvened the State House of Assembly after it adjourned," he said.

The impeachment is reported to have been instigated by the three lawmakers of the All Progressives' Congress (APC) in collaboration with aggrieved members of the People's Democratic Party (APC) which Oluwawole belongs to.