How We Illegally Impeached Fayose –Ekiti Ex-Lawmakers, Warn Against Scuttling Fayose’s Inauguration

Members of the Ekiti State House of Assembly during the first tenure of Governor-elect, Mr. Ayodele Fayose, have appealed to those trying to truncate the wish of the people of the state as shown by their overwhelming support for him in the June 21 poll, to consider the consequences of swimming against the tide.

In a statement in Ado-Ekiti yesterday, and signed by Gbadebo Ibuoye, Olubunmi Olugbade, Amogunniyi Fadare, Ayo Benson, Eyeoawa Sunday, Leo Falade and Adewole Albert, the former lawmakers also explained how they were used by external forces to illegally impeach Fayose in 2006.

The statement was entitled: ‘Governor Ayo Fayose’s purported impeachment in 2006- The truth of the matter and our side of the story’.

The ex-lawmakers recalled events that led to the eventual unidentified declaration of a State of Emergency in Ekiti, saying some forces coerced them into using the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into committing an act that was illegal.

“In 2006, the leadership of the House of Assembly, specifically the Speaker and the Majority Leader, (late Friday Aderemi and Babade Kayode) had been indicted by the House in the report of a special committee set up by the House to investigate the activities of the duo and look into the finances of the House. The committee had come out with a recommendation to replace the two of them with immediate effect having been found culpable.

“The duo ran to Governor Ayo Fayose to plead with them to persuade and prevail on the House to hold the report in abeyance to allow time to appeal to members for forgiveness and restitution, which Governor Ayo Fayose accepted in the interest of enhancing the stability of the House.

“In the process, the House leadership recruited a few disgruntled members of the House, who had personal issues against the governor into its fold and struck a deal with the members of the E-11. “The leadership of the House and the E-11 contacted the EFCC through its then dreaded chairman, Nuhu Ribadu, who effectively coerced, intimidated and forced members of the House to sign an impeachment notice prepared by the EFCC in its Lagos office,” they alleged.

While taking responsibility for being forced to truncate Fayose’s regime in 2006, the former legislators said God had used the people of the state to compensate Fayose by being elected as governor and prayed that those making efforts to truncate the people’s choice would not succeed.

 The Sun Report