The 19 All Progressives Congress members in Ekiti State House of Assembly have told the Clerk of the Assembly, Tola Esan, that he cannot cut short their four-year term by collaborating with Governor Ayodele Fayose to inaugurate the Fifth Assembly on June 1, 2015, four days before their term expires on June 5, 2015.
The position of the lawmakers was in reaction to the public announcement on the state radio and television by Esan directing the APC lawmakers to pack their belongings from the Assembly to allow renovation of the Assembly Complex before the June 1 inauguration of the Fifth Assembly.
Wole Olujobi, the Special Adviser to the ousted Speaker, Hon. Adewale Omirin, said in a statement that the APC lawmakers were shocked that a senior civil servant like Esan could not advice the state Governor, Ayo Fayose, and the Speaker, Hon. Dele Olugbemi, about the consequences of their act if they go ahead to inaugurate another set of lawmakers when the term of the current lawmakers has not yet expired.
Olujobi said: “We marvel at the thanks-giving message by the Clerk in the state media in what looked like a valedictory speech sending us out of our jobs and we want to warn that the consequences of any illegal inauguration of the new lawmakers will be grave as it will amount to treason to rewrite the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria because a set of lawless people have seen the nation’s law as not worth more than a paper on which it is written.
“We are shocked that the Clerk has chosen to join the political fray by collaborating with the governor and Olugbemi in their impunity and illegal conduct to commit this treasonable act.
“Let it be known to the clerk that there will be no excuses for his conduct by the time he is called to account for his actions in the brazen act to sabotage the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The new lawmakers should also note that they will bear the consequences of their action for submitting themselves to illegality and scorn for the nation’s constitution.”
The statement added that since the term of the APC lawmakers has not expired on June 1, Fayose, Olugbemi and Esan should expect APC lawmakers in the Assembly same day to perform their legal duties as allowed by the supreme law of Nigeria.
It added: “By this statement, we are telling our people that their representatives in the House of Assembly will continue to do their jobs till June 5, 2015 when our term expires and we are alerting the nation to the treasonable act being plotted by Fayose and Olugbemi in active connivance of the Clerk of the House to create conditions for a slide into anarchy in Ekiti State.
“If Fayose thinks he can continue his reign of lawlessness and impunity by continuing to trample on the constitution, we hereby serve him a notice that the end has come for his lawlessness and impunity from May 29, 2015 after a disciplined administration that upholds the sanctity of the constitution would have come on board.”
The lawmakers said it was aware of Fayose’s plan to declare a two-week recess for the new lawmakers, after which the APC lawmakers would have vacated their seats and Peoples Democratic Party now in firm control of the Assembly.
“We warn Fayose and the PDP newly-elected lawmakers that they will be committing treason if they submit themselves to any illegal oath-taking and should note that the consequences of their action will be grave in a new Nigerian governed by law from May 29,” the lawmakers warned.
The statement said all APC members would converge on the Assembly on June 1 to lend support for the APC lawmakers in the face of intimidation that Fayose was planning to illegally inaugurate the assembly.
Olujobi urged security agencies to warn Fayose against any illegal act while calling the attention of the world to the unwarranted invitation to anarchy by the governor and his collaborators.
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