The lawmaker representing Idanre Constituency in the Ondo State House of Assembly, Festus Akingbaso, has rejected his appointment as the Assembly’s Deputy Minority Leader.
This is following the rejection of the Deputy Speaker’s impeachment, Ogundeji Iroju, by nine lawmakers.
According to Akingbaso, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, he was not aware of the purported impeachment of Iroju as Deputy Speaker, neither the move to appoint him as the Deputy Minority Leader.
The appointment of Akingbaso as the new Deputy Minority Leader of the Assembly was announced at the Assembly’s plenary to replace Tomide Akinrinbido of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, Bamidele Oleyelogun by Akingbaso, he described the resolutions of the Assembly as a ruse.
The letter read, “May I state clearly that I am presently out of the country and my absence from the Assembly was duly communicated to the House through the Speaker.
“To the best of my knowledge, before I traveled out of the country, there was no time that the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker, Rt Hon, Iroju Ogundeji was discussed either at the parliamentary or plenary.
“And I have also contacted my colleagues, especially the eight lawmakers who dissociated themselves from the plot to impeach the Deputy Governor, Hon Agboola Ajayi, and they have also affirmed that nothing of such happened since I traveled out of the country.
“That the office of the Deputy Minority leader in the business of the members of the minority parties of the House of Assembly.
“I hereby reject my purported appointment as the Deputy Minority Leader and dissociate myself from the purported impeachment move of the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly.”
