…. Want Aribisogan to withdraw court case
Traditional rulers in Ekiti State have urged the impeached Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, to withdraw the suit he has filed against his sack from office from the court.
The monarchs at a peace meeting held at the Ewi’s Palace in Ado Ekiti on Monday urged Aribisogan to obey their resolution to withdraw the case he filed in court and should know that he has a political future in the state.
This was part of the five-point resolution arrived at during a peace meeting brokered by the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers to resolve the dispute brought about by change in leadership in the Assembly.
The Ekiti Obas led by their Chairman, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Ayodele Adejuwon, in the resolution with the two sides in the dispute reasoned that 22 members in the Assembly have thrown their weight behind the new Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba.
The traditional rulers called on Aribisogan to go back and join his colleagues and forget about laying claim to the position of Speaker for the Assembly to move forward and the State to enjoy peace.
The Obas also advised that the majority members of the House (22) must accept Aribisogan back, lift his suspension and drop other punitive measures against him after fulfilling the conditions spelt out for others.
All the 16 members present with the Speaker unanimously agreed that she is the validly elected Speaker of Ekiti State house of Assembly
The Obas also resolved that the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Barrister Paul Omotoso, should go back to the party caucus and decide about what to do with Aribisogan’s matter with a view to accommodating him as a member of the party (APC).
The monarchs noted that the party should know that some of its members are aggrieved which might have been the reason why and why some of the lawmakers disobeyed the party in the first place urging the party leadership to do the needful by always serving the interest of its members.
The resolution was arrived at after the traditional rulers took excuse and met for about 30 minutes and later invited the lawmakers for the adoption of the resolution
In his response, Aribisogan said he had heard what the Obas said but pointed out that he has decided to go to court and clear his name and not to come back to the House saying “once somebody is impeached, he cannot be elected until after 10 years.”
Aribisogan said the court case was filed to enforce his fundamental human rights adding that he would go back to his lawyers and feed them back with the resolution of the Ekiti Obas.
Seven (17) members included Speaker Adelugba attended the meeting on the side of the majority members while Hon Tajudeen Akingbolu attended with Aribisogan on the side of the minority.
Earlier at the meeting, the Obas listened to both sides and concluded that the erring members led by Hon. Aribisogan were wrong to have acted against the instruction of the party.
They also observed that since all honourable members were supposed to have agreed to the directive of the party to vote only Adelugba, how did Aribisogan scored 15 votes and Adelugba the party’s choice scored 10 votes?
The answer given was that the election was compromised and that is what led to the tension in the House.
The attempt to establish that the directive given when former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi invited the lawmakers to his residence for that meeting on November 11 was solely his idea and not that of party leadership was debunked by the state APC Deputy Chairman, Mr. Sola Elesin, who told the Obas that it was the caucus of the party which comprised former Governor Niyi Adebayo, former Governor Kayode Fayemi and incumbent Gov Biodun Oyebanji.
It also included the party Chairman, the former three Deputy Governors Abiodun Aluko, Prof. Modupe Adelabu and Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi who spoke at the occasion on behalf of the party leaders.
Aribisogan told the Obas that it is the job of the party and whatever the party says is final and Supreme.
The Ewi lambasted Aribisogan that he was not patient by not waiting for what the Obas would say before taking the matter to court. Other Kabiyesis like Ajero, Olojudo and Elemure said it was wrong to disobey the directive of the party and expect they would go scot free.
Other monarchs at the meeting included
Ogoga Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu; Oloye of Oye, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju; Alara of Aramoko, Oba Adegoke Adeyemi; Owa Ajero of Ijero, Oba Adebayo Adewole; Olojudo of Ido, Oba Ilori Faboro; Olomuo of Omuo, Oba Noah Omonigbehin and Alaaye of Efon, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare.