T H E M O N D AY D I S C O U R S E Ekiti Returns to the Trenches The turn of political developments in Ekiti State brings to mind a worrisome recent past, writes Olakiitan Victor
On Friday, April 5, the 19 members of the All Progressives Congress in the Ekiti State House of Assembly served Governor Ayodele Fayose with the Notice of Gross Misconduct. With this step, it was apparent that plan was underway to get at the governor and boot him out of office the second time.
Before the bold step was taken, rumour had it that there was an underground plot by the APC lawmakers to tame Fayose’s political dominance in the state. The lawmakers, led by its Speaker, Hon Adewale Omirin, had been banished from the Assembly by seven lawmakers loyal to Fayose since last year’s November, over the governor’s plot to take over the Assembly and make it a comfort zone.
However, the emergence of the APC presidential candidate in the March 28 election, General Muhammadu Buhari had sparked a fierce engagement between the lawmakers and the governor. The Buhari victory had brought about a balance of power, which makes the lawmakers, who had earlier been docile to gather more steam and see the present change of political equation as a payback time. To make matter worse for the PDP, they also now seem to enjoy some level of respect from the security apparatuses.
The offences leveled against the governor include: Invasion of the House of Assembly with thugs and miscreants; instigating unconstitutional takeover of the House by seven legislators to sit in contravention of section 96(2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; prevention of the 19 APC legislative members from performing legislative duties with the use of security agents and armed thugs as well as sponsoring an unlawful impeachment process in the house.
Other allegations listed in the notice are spending Ekiti State funds without the requisite constitutional approval in contravention of the constitution; running the government of Ekiti State without legally constituted Executive Council in contravention of Section 192(2) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; operating an illegal 2014 Budget as well as sponsoring and instigating illegal sitting of the House in contravention of Section 96(1) of the Constitution.
Soon, tongues started wagging and people became more bewildered on whether Fayose’s ascendancy onto the Ekiti political throne is jinxed. Hardly had he got into office in 2003 than the hammer of impeachment started to dangle on his head because of his protracted crisis with some elites and the then power brokers.
In a manner akin to a repeat of history, troubles started manifesting on April 1, 2014, the day Buhari was declared winner of the keenly contested presidential race. The lawmakers, who had since relocated out of the state over claims that their lives were being threatened by Fayose’s supporters, suddenly resurfaced at the Assembly and held a parliamentary session that lasted about 10 minutes. Though it sounded like ‘April fool’ to some residents and Fayose’s political family, the session was real and well planned.
A discerning mind and those familiar with the intrigues of impeachment would easily read between the lines that the bold action taken by the lawmakers had a conspiratorial undertone. They did their sitting under a relaxed atmosphere, which indicated that they were acting on a superior order. The caution taken by police and other security agencies in handling the situation, contrary to their bellicosity and combativeness against them in the past, also gave a pointer to the fact that the APC has come to take charge.
With the current development in Ekiti State, Fayose is now in the face of history. His fate now hangs in the balance and fingers remain crossed with high apprehension on whether there would be a repeat of history or not. Fayose was impeached in similar manner on October 16, 2006 during his first term by the PDP-dominated Assembly. The difference this time is that his governorship is being threatened by the opposition.
In the notice dated March 9, 2015 and entitled: ‘Notice of Allegations of Gross Misconduct’ sent to Fayose and signed by the 19 APC legislators of the House, the lawmakers catalogued eight impeachable allegations against the governor and was given seven days to respond or face impeachment.
Although the allegations constitute impeachable offences, the practicability of impeaching Fayose with the supports he enjoys among the masses looks illusive and an uphill task. The fact that Fayose would be a hard nut to crack for APC lawmakers first manifested on Easter Monday, April 6, when they preferred to take over the Assembly, rather than celebrate Easter in their respective homes.
The protests had spread to virtually all the major towns in Ekiti the next day, all in a bid to stall the sinister motive. The roads were blocked while the police and soldiers were on guard to prevent any incursion of the lawmakers into the state for midnight or daylight impeachment.