The Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Dele Olugbemi, on Thursday directed that all parliamentary activities at the House be suspended till further notice.
Olugbemi, who is loyal to the state Governor, Ayo Fayose, gave the directive at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday.
He said the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria empowered him to close down the Assembly.
He said he was exercising the order to protect lives of members of staff of the Assembly.
He said: “We might have to send the members of staff home sine-die till when peace is restored.”
According to Olugbemi, the action was to allow members of the Assembly time to mobilise their constituents for the April 11 governorship and state Assembly elections.
He said: “The Assembly at Monday’s parliamentary meeting held on April 1, resolved to adjourn the plenary session of the House ‘sine-die’.
“Consequently, all plenary or Committee sessions of the House shall not hold till further notice.
“The security agents are enjoined to protect the Assembly premises against unlawful movement or activities around the Assembly.”
Olugbemi described the arrival of the embattled 19 All Progressives Congress at the assembly on Tuesday as “barbaric.”
He advised the 19 APC members to tow the line of the law rather than resorting to self-help, which he said might truncate the existing peace in the state.
Olugbemi said: “The former Speaker, Adewale Omirin, and his deputy, Taiwo Orisalade, have been impeached, the matter is in the court, they must wait until the court proves otherwise.”
He threatened: “If the 19 APC members of state Assembly want to resort to lawlessness, the Peoples Democratic Party members in the House will not hesitate to resist them.”
He further stated that Ekiti State people had on June 21, 2014 given their mandate to Governor Ayo Fayose, saying no act of the 19 APC members or anybody must be allowed to sabotage this decision of the masses.
He alleged that the 19 APC members were in the Assembly on Monday to cause violence.
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