The Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Kunle Oluomo, has been impeached.
He was impeached on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, following a vote by 18 out of 26 members of the legislative arm.
The impeachment followed various allegations, including embezzlement of funds and high-handedness levelled against him.
Subsequently, Oludare Elemide has been elected as the new speaker.
In his maiden speech, the new speaker asked for calm among member adding that the impeachment was not targeted against the governor of the state, Dapo Abiodun, as being speculated in some quarters.
He said that the development is within the constitutional rights of the members to elect those to lead them in the House.
The House later adjourned plenary for two weeks, with the new speaker in possession of the maze, the symbol of authority of the House.
Recall that Oluomo was arraigned By the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on September 6, 2022, before a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos over an alleged N2.475bn money laundering.
He was arraigned alongside three others: Oladapo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on 11 counts of conspiracy, forgery, stealing, and money laundering preferred against them by the EFCC.
The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had told the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences between 2019 and 2022.
He said that the incident took place in Ogun State.
Oyedepo told the court that they stole the sum of N2.475bn from the treasury of the Ogun State House of Assembly.
Oluomo was, however, granted bail while the trial continues.
