The factional Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dele Olugbemi, has blasted the Forum of House of Assembly Speakers over the threat not to recognise him.
Olugbemi said the forum had no power to reject whoever the assembly elects as its speaker.
The forum, comprising the 36 speakers of the states houses of assembly, on Friday expressed support for the embattled Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adewale Omirin, describing the manner Olugbemi emerged as illegal and unconstitutional.
Speaking with journalists in his office on Monday, Olugbemi, who was elected by seven Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers on Thursday, said he remained the authentic speaker of the assembly.
He said he was dully elected by 10 of the 26 members of the assembly, having impeached and removed Omirin.
The assembly is made up of 19 APC and seven PDP lawmakers.
Olugbemi said: “The so called speakers forum is a committee of friends.
“A speaker in Edo or Sokoto or anywhere in the country cannot dictate to us in Ekiti assembly who to elect as the speaker.
“They have to recognise me.
“If they don’t recognise me, I will stop the money that goes from here to the forum.
“Anyway, we are not aware that they said so.”
The Leader of Business at the assembly, Hon. Samuel Ajibola, in his contribution, said: “It is whoever we elect in Ekiti that will represent us at the speakers’ forum.
“It is a rumour.
“A lot of speakers have been removed in this state and none has been rejected by the forum.
“In governance, there must not be a vacuum.”
Olugbemi, who maintained that six APC lawmakers were warming up to join their PDP colleagues, challenged Omirin and other APC lawmakers in Lagos State to come to Ekiti State and parade the 19 lawmakers he claimed are still together.
He said: “If they can parade their 19, I will also parade the 10 and let’s see where the other six I said are warming up to join us would be.
“They are in Lagos to source for money.
“They don’t have the mace and this is where the law says the state assembly should be.
“Our members with them told me they were going to collect money in Lagos and I gave them my blessing.
“At the end of the day, it is going to be 13-13.
“The three that sat with us said they are not going to leave their party but will cooperate with us to support this government.”
The lawmakers described the action of the APC lawmakers to stay away as a “grand plan to ground the state to a halt”.
Olugbemi, while justifying his election, said the issue of election of the speaker does not require any specific number, adding that nine members forms the quorum for any sitting.
He added: “Section 11 of the Standing Order of the house allows one-third to form the quorum of the house.
“Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution as amended empowers the house to suspend the standing order at any time to discuss a serious issue.”
On the suit filed by APC to challenge Omirin’s removal, Olugbemi said the lawmakers were ready to defend themselves.