A fresh crisis is brewing in the Ekiti State House of Assembly over adjournment of legislative business to October by majority members who belongs to People Democratic Party (PDP). Twenty three PDP legislators of the 26-member assembly, led by the Speaker, Hon. Kola Oluwawole, at a plenary on Tuesday adjourned plenary till October 8 in protest against the governorship election result and alleged harassment of Fayose and PDP members by security agencies. The All Progressives Congress (APC) legislators, numbering three, who were in the minority insisted on having it the other way, contending long adjournment would negate the interest of the people of the state. The APC assembly members led by the Minority Leader, Chief Gboyega Aribisogan (Ikole Constituency 1), insisted the long adjournment was schemed by Governor Ayo Fayose to bind the legislative arm. Other APC members of Ekiti parliament, including Mr. Sunday Akinniyi (Ikere Constituency 1) and Mr. Adeniran Alagbada (Ise/Orun Constituency), supported this position. The three lawmakers who were erstwhile members of PDP had joined the APC over the internal crisis in the assembly. Leader of Business, Mr. Tunji Akinyele who moved the motion for the adjournment said this became imperative due to the political harassment of members by security agents. But Aribisogan said the APC Assembly members are ready for legislative business calling on the Police and Department of State Services (DSS) to give the minority lawmakers security anytime they decide to perform their constitutional duties. Aribisogan said: “That long adjournment was illegal and even the plenary held on Tuesday was illegal because it was Governor Fayose that directed the Speaker to hold that plenary without notice to all members. “It is unfortunate that we still have this executive recklessness going on in Ekiti State. Maybe the Speaker has forgotten that we now have members of APC in the House because we were neither notified nor consulted. “That is why we have resolved that we are not going on recess. We are open for our normal legislative business from Mondays to Fridays and we are calling on security agencies so that we can perform our constitutional duties without any hindrance. “We are not on recess and we are calling on Ekiti people who have one business or the other in the Assembly to come and meet us. “They (PDP legislators) are listening to the advice of one man who, perhaps has ordered the Speaker to suspend legislative activities.” Regarding whether three APC members form a quorum to perform legislative duties, Aribisogan said: “On our own, we are not on recess; it is only when you are going for plenary that you need a quorum but we can sit at parliamentary, committee and constituency meetings.” Akinniyi said: “It was an act of arrogance to have proceeded on an illegal long adjournment. It is against the rule of the House because there are two parties in the House. “It appears the Speaker is living in a fool’s paradise without giving notice to all members of the Assembly. We APC members of Ekiti State House of Assembly are alive to our responsibilities to legislative for the good of our people and perform other oversight functions,” he said.]]>

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