Just In: Drama as Ondo Assembly defies Court’s order, bars four lawmakers from sitting

By: Ade Adeleke

It was like a movie at the main entrance of the Ondo State House of Assembly today as four suspended members of the House were allegedly prevented from entering into the premises of the Assembly complex to attend plenary sitting in Akure, in spite of the reinstatement order of the court.

It was alleged that the security men at the gate of the Assembly allegedly got the order from the Speaker of the Assembly , Mr Bamidele Oleyeloogun, that none of the suspended lawmakers should be allowed into the Assembly premises.

The Appeal Court sitting in Akure, the state capital , on Wednesday upheld the judgement of the state High Court which ordered the Assembly to reinstate the embattle lawmakers and paid them all their entitlements.

The affected three members of the Assembly, who included the Deputy Speaker Mr Iroju Ogundeji, Mrs Favour Tomomewo and Mr Wale Williams, were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, while Tomide Akinribido from Ondo west (ZLP) was also barred.

They were earlier suspended by the leadership of the House over alleged gross misconduct but the courts (both High Court and the Appeal Court) had dismissed that action of the Assembly leadership, declaring it illegal.

Speaking on the development, the Deputy Speaker, Ogundeji said the Assembly leadership has involved in contempt of the court as it ordered the security of the Assembly to bar them from going into the Assembly complex to perform their legislative duties, despite having a court judgement.

He said, “yesterday (Wednesday), the appellate court ruled that the motion brought before it concerning our suspension was frivolous and ordered that we should be reinstated to do our legislative duties immediately without hindrance, that is why we were here but on getting here ( Assembly) we saw that everywhere was locked and we were not allowed to enter.”

In a reaction, however, the Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Mr Gbenga Omole said the House had not got a copy of the judgment , saying the suspended lawmakers’ coming to the House without the copy of the judgement was mischievous and embarrassing.

“As i am speaking with you we only read the judgment on the social media we have not got the hard copy of the judgment. When they were coming they failed to bring the copy of the judgment along. But because they are mischievous, that is why they didn’t bring the copy of judgment along.” Omole explained.