Uproar as Ogun Assembly removes deputy speaker

There was uproar yesterday at the Ogun State House Assembly as the Deputy Speaker, Oludare Kadiri, was impeached by 19 out of the 26 members of the assembly.

But the embattled lawmaker and the lone Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member in the assembly, Sylvester Abiodun, labelled the removal a “kangaroo” assembly.

Kadiri’s impeachment followed the presentation of the report of the ad hoc committee led by the Majority Leader, Yusuf Sherif (Ado Odo Ota 1) on a petition for his removal from office for gross misconduct.

A member representing Ijebu North East, Abayomi Fasuwa, moved the motion for the adoption of the report seconded by Kemi Oduwole (Ijebu Ode) and supported by 19 other lawmakers at the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo.

Sherif said the committee gave all the parties involved ample opportunities to make their presentations with relevant evidence including; documents, phone recordings and printed photographs to establish their facts.

They found Kadiri “guilty of acts of gross misconduct” and therefore endorsed his removal from office as deputy speaker of the assembly.

Clarifying the voting pattern, the speaker explained that the assembly’s standing order specified that voice vote shall not be used in determining the removal of principal officers, thus the submission of the endorsement by 19 signatories who demanded his removal from office.

In a swift reaction, Kadiri said his impeachment was grossly unconstitutional and illegal.

Also speaking, the lone PDP member, Sylvester Abiodun, labelled the removal “kangaroo.”