Thirteen members of the Ondo State House of Assembly have disowned an announcement reportedly made by the speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, endorsing Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primary election.
In a statement jointly signed by the thirteen members, and tagged, ‘Ondo State House of Assembly’s speaker’s disrepect for the independence and integrity of the house in his endorsement politics’, they maintained that the assembly did not at any time passed any resolution to endorse Governor Aiyedatiwa.
The statement was jointly signed by Hon Oluwole Ogunmolasuyi, Majority Leader; Hon MoyinOlorun Taiwo Ogunwumiju, Parliamentary Secretary, Hon Oluwarotimi Babatunde Fasonu, Chief Whip; Hon Olajide Johnson Oguntodu, Minority Leader; Hon Raymond Daodu, Deputy Minority Leader and Hon Akinsuroju Akindolani Nelson.
Others are Hon Akomolafe Temitope, Hon Ifabiyi Samuel Olatunji, Hon Agbulu Tope Akeem, Hon Christopher Odunayo Ayebusiwa, Hon Atinuke Morenike Witherspoon, Hon Biola John Oladapo and Hon Afe Felix.
The thirteen assembly members, who expressed shock and disappointment in the action of the speaker, described the announcement made by him as untrue, misleading, un-parliamentary and ridiculous.
They subsequently came up with four resolutions: “1. At no point did the Ondo State House of Assembly deliberate the governorship ambition of any of the numerous aspirants that have indicated their interests to contest for the State’s 2024 Governorship Election, let alone agree to support any particular aspirant.
“2. Mr. Speaker lacks the moral and legal authorities to speak or pledge support for any governorship aspirant on behalf of the House without the explicit consent of members.
“3. Mr. Speaker has, by his unconventional and false public declaration, misrepresented the honourable House, and in so doing, brought the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly into disrepute, needless controversies and breached our confidence in his leadership.
“4. Consequently, we hereby pass a vote of no-confidence in the leadership of the Speaker, Rt Hon Olamide Oladiji.”
The statement further states, “The Ondo State House of Assembly wishes to categorically state that it has not passed any resolution to endorse the incumbent Governor of Ondo State, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, as purportedly announced by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji.
“The House of Assembly operates on democratic principles, and would formally take a collective decision, follow due process and the relevant laws governing the State where it wishes to take any decision regarding the endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate
“As Honourable members of the 10th Ondo State House of Assembly, we were shocked and disappointed to hear the public declaration made by the Honourable Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Olamide Oladiji, to the extent that the Ondo State House of Assembly has agreed to support the governorship ambition of Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa.
“The said declaration by Mr. Speaker is untrue, misleading, un-parliamentary, and, to say the least, ridiculous.
We therefore wish to inform the good people of Ondo State at home and in the diaspora that:
“The House of Assembly however reaffirms its commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring that all decisions taken are transparent enough and are in the best interest of the people of Ondo State.”
