Gbenga Ariyibi
10 July 2008
Ado-Ekiti — AS the 18 out of the 26 lawmakers of Ekiti State House of Assembly who masterminded the purported impeachment of the Speaker refused to show up on the premises of the House yesterday, the embattled Speaker, Mr. Femi Bamisile, insisted he remains the speaker of the House.
The new Speaker, Mr. Tunji Odeyemi, however, declared that the removal of Bamisile was final as members of the house did not breach the country's constitution or the standing order before carrying out the impeachment.
The impeachment has also been lauded by the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, Afenifere. It said the lawmakers had a sense of history and readily demonstrated the age-long tradition of Ekiti people as straight-forward and honest people who would not allow shady characters to rule over them.
Speaking with the newsmen in his office at the state House of Assembly yesterday, Bamisile insisted that his purported removal did not follow due process.
He said, though, he was not desperate to remain the Speaker, he started and presided up to the last minutes during the Tuesday's proceedings on the floor of the House where his purported impeachment was said to have taken place.
"l started the sitting and ended the day's proceedings; there was no time l got up from my seat as the Speaker.
"The process was not legal, for a man to take some people to an hotel and announce himself as the Speaker that tells much on the credibility of the fellow.
"l am now in my office doing the business of the day, yet, our brothers have gone into the wood.
"l am not saying they should not impeach me as the Speaker, but the procedure must be duly followed, " he said.
The new Speaker, Mr. Tunji Odeyemi, in his reaction said Bamisile is occupying the seat illegally and that is impersonation.
We have communicated the governor on the decision of the majority members and the legislature is a separate arm of government; the whole House has spoken and the governor cannot dictate to us on the basis of separation of power.
"We spoke with the governor yesterday so there is no cause for alarm. The interest of the state overrides any selfish or personal interest so one man cannot hold the state to ransom," he said.
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