The embattled Deputy Governor of Ondo State, who at the weekend defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, His Excellency, Agboola Ajayi, has raised the alarm over surreptitious and illegal moves by the Ondo State governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, to impeach him through what he called “ illegal and unconstitutional means.”
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary, CPS to the Deputy Governor, Babatope Okeowo, alleged that the illegal impeachment move is nto be carried out through financial inducement of members of the Ondo State House of Assembly to the tune of N10 million naira each.
The statement alleged that the Ondo State House of Assembly complex is under siege of men and officers of the Nigeria Police, just as parliamentarians who are known not to believe in the charade are being prevented from entering the complex.
The statement added, “We wish to state that the deputy governor is a tested politician of note, who is not unprepared for this type of kangaroo and infamous move from the desperate and drowning governor of Ondo State, Arakunrin Akeredolu and his group.
“By joining People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Agboola Ajayi has not committed any impeachable offence. He has only exercised his constitutional right of freedom of association. Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) provides as follows: ‘Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and in particular, he may form or belong to any political party, trade union or any association for the protection of his interests.’
“For the avoidance of doubt, we state unequivocally that the governor and his allies do not have and cannot muster the requisite majority in the House of Assembly for the removal of the Deputy Governor under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 in any free, fair and transparent process.”
The statement added that the deputy governor remains undaunted in the move to throw off the combined weight of those kneeling on the neck of Ondo State, adding that the state shall not be allowed to suffocate, saying, “At the appropriate time, the people of Ondo State shall decide the right person, who will serve as the arrowhead of the bid to save the state from the nepotistic clique kneeling on her neck.”
