Date Published: 04/19/10

Why we impeached Ondo Speaker, PDP Lawmaker

Olusegun Mimiko

Fresh facts have emerged on how the former Speaker of Ondo State House of Assembly, Taofeek Olawale Abdusalam and his deputy, Mayowa Akinfolarin were impeached a forth night ago in Akure.

Speaking on a television programme on Monday (today), the House spokesman and former Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Hon. Kele Bolodeoku (PDP Ese-Odo) said the inability of the PDP Caucus alone to carry out the impeachment was a precursor to a parliamentary meeting where the decision to sack him was taken.

The 26-man legislature is now under the control of the ruling Labour Party with 14 members.

Bolodeoku explained that “Having got the sanction of 18 members, we have met earlier at the parliamentary and decided to remove the Speaker for ineptitude and non- display of the intelligentsia and dexterity expected of him in the handling of the House affairs, it was not a PDP affair, PDP caucus alone cannot impeach the former Speaker, we are not enough, we have to carry everbody along, remember Labour Party is intact and l addressed them in my capacity as the House spokesman on the matter.

“During the meeting, I got signatures of seven PDP members, the forgery allegation is a funny story, one of them, that is Hon Fatai Adams Adekanye

signed it, contested for the Speaker that same morning, got 6 votes, but he didn’t get to the post.

On the defection of the Speaker and two other members to the Labour Party, Bolodeoku blamed the party for the development.

“There is crisis in PDP Ondo State like in other political parties, when the Speaker, Hon Adesina was elected, instead of PDP to congratulate him, it suspended him and he cannot be in the House without a party, he won’t have gone to Labour Party, but for the suspension, the party should have allowed them to do that on their own, by and large, the crisis in PDP is not a new thing, it will be sorted out.

Absolving Governor Olusegun Mimiko from involvement in the impeachment saga, the House spokesman declared that the former Speaker would  have been impeached eight months ago, but for the Governor’s intervention.

“Rumour is one of the peculiarities of Nigerian politics, the Governor was not involved in the impeachment, we must clear that. I don’t see reason for his involvement, let me tell you, Hon Taofeek would have gone eight months ago, but the Governor prevailed on some LP members who refused to sign, Taofeek is doing business with the Governor and pretending to be a PDP member, I know long time ago that the chick will soon come home to roost.