Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, the first female Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, was on Tuesday night secretly impeached by some aggrieved legislators in the House on account of an internal crisis sparked by allegations of corruption, high-handedness and being a lackey of Governor Olusegun Mimiko, Saharareporters can authoritatively report.
Mrs. Akindele, representing Okitipupa Constituency II, and her deputy, Fatai Olotu, representing Akoko North East Constituency, were removed from office by 18 of the 26 members of House at a secretly held session in Akure, the state capital.
An impeccable source in the Assembly, who confirmed the news to Saharareporters, said the aggrieved lawmakers immediately elected Iroju Ogundeji, who represents Odigbo Constituency 1, as Speaker, while Ayodeji Arowole, representing Owo Constituency 1, was elected Deputy Speaker.
An aide to one of the lawmakers told Saharareporters in a phone interview that the lawmakers met and executed the impeachment plot at a private location in the Alagbaka Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Akure.
The aide told Saharareporters that the lawmakers had, last weekend, issued a subtle threat to Akindele at a meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmakers held at a hotel owned by one of the members of the House.
The aide, who pleaded anonymity, further revealed that the disaffected lawmakers carried out the impeachment because they perceived Akindele as a lackey of Governor Olusegun Mimiko and was considered arrogant.
“One of the members told us that part of the sins of the Speaker is that she has been giving orders to members of the House based on whatever instructions the governor was giving to her.
“She believes that the governor must always have his way. The governor uses the machinery of the Assembly to borrow huge funds and secures approval for such with forged signatures of the members of the Assembly. All these things are fraudulent, and the aggrieved members felt they couldn’t continue with her any longer.
“She is too pompous and was fond of talking down on members," the aide said.
The lawmakers were said to have also severally complained that they do not have official vehicles and sufficient funds to carry out their duties.
“They told the Speaker to plead with Mimiko to buy them vehicles, arguing that commissioners and special assistants to the Governor and his wife have official vehicles, but she made no effort," said a source.
He added that the lawmakers had been complaining about the Speaker and her deputy for a long time and considered the two officers as corrupt, given the crooked ways in which they approved funds for the governor without the consent of other lawmakers. Akindele and her deputy were also perceived to have been the only members of the House to which Mimiko extends patronage.
“She and his deputy [Olotu] were the only one enjoying the dividends from Governor Mimiko, who gave them brand new vehicles and approved security aides for them,” the source added.
A personal assistant Ogundeji, who has been elected as Akindele's replacement, told Saharareporters that his boss prefers to be reticent about the situation for now. "My boss doesn’t want to speak about the issue for now because he is not aware of the impeachment and the mention of his name as the Speaker of the Ondo Assembly.
"I believe he would react, and the Assembly members would meet when the coast his clear,” he said.
Meanwhile, Saharareporters has authoritatively gathered that the development has sparked panic within the PDP-led government, forcing Governor Mimiko to invite some leaders of the party to an emergency meeting with leaders of its youth wing in the state.
Mimiko has also summoned a secret meeting of some security chiefs in the state at a private venue in the state.
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