Impeachment Ploy: Thugs Storm Ondo Assembly, Deny Anti-Akeredolu Lawmakers Entry

Miscreants believed to be supporters of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday stormed the Ondo State House of Assembly preventing nine lawmakers, who dissociated themselves from the impeachment notice signed by the the Assembly lawmakers against the state Deputy Governor, Agboola Ajayi, from gaining entry.

The invaders, who stormed the Assembly complex in large number before the Assembly opened for the business of the day, targeted only the lawmakers who didn’t support the attempt to impeach the deputy governor in June.

They were seen hanging at strategic points armed with sticks, cudgels and other items around the complex with threats to deal with the lawmakers who didn’t support impeachment attempt on the deputy governor.

It would be recalled that owing to the roles of the nine lawmakers in shooting down the impeachment moves, about five of them were suspended from the Assembly by the majority who were allegedly acting the script of the governor.

Consequently, the affected lawmakers approached the court and successfully got a verdict that quashed the suspension slammed on them by the Assembly.

They were awarded N5million each as damages to be paid by the Assembly.

Sources said the nine lawmakers were billed to resume duties on Monday at the Assembly but were ambushed by the miscreants and prevented from gaining access to the Assembly complex.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Bamidele David Oleyelogun had denied the claim that the Assembly was invaded by miscreants, saying the persons who were seen at the Assembly complex were members of Nigeria Union Road Transport Workers(NURTW) led by Jacob Adebo, popularly known as Idajo.

He said they were over 300 commercial drivers and were at the Assembly for prayer session ahead of the October 10, 2020 gubernatorial election in the state.

Commenting on the invasion, Mr.Wale Williams, Ondo West II, one of the affected lawmakers, disclosed that the acclaimed prayer session was hurriedly organised as a result of the reports on the invasion on different media platforms.

He said there was no plan to hold any prayer session by the Assembly with any group of people.