APC Lawmakers Ask Chief Judge To Probe Fayose

The legislators from Ekiti state have asked the state’s chief judge to immediately set up a committee to investigate Governor Ayodele Fayose, inching closer to impeaching the governor.

Sixteen members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday, April 9, directed the chief judge to start the process of probing accusations of gross misconduct against the governor and his deputy governor.

The seven-member panel which should be established within seven days of the acquiring of the letter is to investigate accusations of impunity, violence, stalking and other unconstitutional activities the legislators levelled against Fayose and his deputy, Kolapo Olusola.

The lawmakers reached the resolve at a special sitting lead by their Speaker, Adewale Omirin, at the Mary Hills Boys’ High School, Ado Ekiti.

Omirin’s media aide, Wole Olujobi, said in a statement that the legislators in a unanimous vote supported the motion directing the chief judge to set up the panel.

The majority leader, Churchill Adedipe, clarified on Thursday that the sitting ought to have taken place in the sacred chamber on April 7, but said they were waylaid by political hoodlums who mounted roadblocks and threatened their lives.

Because of the violence, he said, they discarded the plan to go to the assembly.

He added: “Relying on Section 188 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Adedipe moved the motion empowering the CJ to set up the panel.


“His motion was seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Adetunji Orisalade, representing Ido/Osi Constituency II.

“The Assembly adjourned to the next legislative day.”

The lawmakers relied on Section 101 of the 1999 Constitution as amended which empowers the Assembly to regulate its sittings, including sitting in a public building within the state capital if the lives of members are not safe.

Meanwhile, the Chief Registrar of the state High Court, Obafemi Fasanmi, said he was not aware of the lawmakers’ letter.

Since coming to power in 2014, the Ekiti governor and the legislators have been locked in a row. Fayose later supposedly staged a purported impeachment of the speaker of the assembly, Wale Omirin.

However, the inspector general of police, Suleiman Abba, ordered Taiwo Lakanu, the Ekiti state commissioner of police, to be relieved of his job after Abba investigated an appeal alleging the connivance of the state commissioner of police with Governor Fayose in trying to prevent moves towards impeachment.

The people of Ekiti state said they would defend their governor.