Ekiti State Traditional Rulers Wade into Crisis between Governor Fayose and Omirin
The Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers have interfered in the dispute between the Governor of the state, Ayodele Fayose, and the impeached Speaker of the House of Assembly, Dr. Adewale Omirin, in a move to placate both parties to end their feud.
The Council held a statutory meeting on Tuesday and released a statement through its Chairman, the Onitaji of Itaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, saying:
“As major stakeholders and leaders of our people, the Council has decided to intervene by calling the two parties to order in the overall interest of Ekiti State.
“Having painstakingly considered the issues involved, council therefore resolved to invite the two parties to a roundtable discussion geared towards restoring peace, concord and a harmonious working relationship between the two arms of government.”
The governor and the factional Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Dele Olugbemi, have declared the House open to Omirin and the 18 other All Progressives Congress lawmakers. They however maintained that Omirin cannot return to his former seat as Speaker of the House.
Omirin, who was impeached by seven Peoples Democratic Party’s legislators on Thursday had earlier said the APC lawmakers did not intend to resume legislative duties until the Governor could guarantee their safety.
Fayose however said in reply to the claim: “It is my duty to guarantee the security of lives and property of all Ekiti citizens as the Chief Security Officer.
“What Omirin and his supporters are saying are mere political statements. That they are not safe cannot be true. You know when we are playing politics, we can say anything. I have taken the oath to protect the lives and property of all Ekiti men and women, irrespective of their political beliefs and I cannot do anything to negate that oath.
“I want to emphasize that Omirin and I are brothers and I am ready to work with him. I am a man of good conscience in this matter and one with good conscience fears no foe. So, I appeal to them to return home and work for the progress of our dear State.”
Olugbemi in his statement, released by his Media Assistant, Femi Iroko, said: “It is not Governor Ayo Fayose that is preventing them from coming back to Ekiti. If he doesn’t have any sinister motive, he should be free to come back.
“When coming back, he should be ready to return as an ordinary member of the House, moreso that he has gone to the court to challenge my election as the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly. He should wait for the outcome of his court case to know what his fate is. I will welcome him just like any other member of the House elected by their constituencies.
“He should be ready to work together with us to move Ekiti forward and out of the monumental debt the former administration plunged it. Putting food on the tables of Ekiti people and putting smiles on their faces is more germaine to the Fayose administration. We must put the interest of Ekiti people above our own personal interests.”
