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The Ondo State governor-elect, Rotimi Akeredolu, has been asked to steer clear of the leadership crisis rocking the state House of Assembly.
It would be recalled that on January 27, 20 out of the 26 members of the Assembly impeached and suspended the erstwhile speaker, Hon. Jumoke Akindele and some other principal officers over allegations of N15 million fraud.
The N15 million was allegedly found on the Assembly’s Pay Master, Makanjuola Adesina, who told the lawmakers that it was withdrawn on the instruction of the Speaker for an undisclosed project.
A new speaker, in the person of Hon. Malachi Coker, was elected by the members. However, seven out of the 20 members have backed out, claiming not be part of the impeachment.
Speaking to newsmen in Ibadan on Monday, spokesman of the 13-member Coker faction, Iroju Ogundeji, said that the members of the Akindele faction as well as the State governor, Olusegun Mimiko, has been asking for reconciliation without creating necessary atmoshere for reconciliation.
He said Akeredolu has also been calling them on phone to sit and dialogue with Mimiko who is allegedly in support of Akindele.
But he warned the incoming governor to stay away from the crisis which he said was purely a legislative and not an executive one.
Ogundeji, who was in Ibadan in company of other members of the Coker faction, said: “We want to use tis medium to ask the incoming governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, to steer clear of this crisis. He has been calling us to listen to the outgoing governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko who is in support of the impeached speaker. This is a legislative matter and it is a fight against corruption by ose entrusted with the peoples mandate.
We know Akeredolu and Mimiko are friends but the incoming governor should desist from meddling in our affairs or it would be interpreted to mean that he is in support of corruption and may shield corrupt officials when he finally takes over”.
READ: Our lives under threat, Ondo lawmakers cry out in Ibadan, accuse Mimiko of division plots
Spokesman of the Akindele faction over the weekend accused the Coker faction of going into hiding and making reconciliation difficult but Ogundeji said his coleagues are ready for reconcilation but not type being pursued by the Akindele faction.
He said “For genuine reconciliation to take place, they must first withdraw the case from court and then allow the new leadership to carry out their functions. Akindele has been removed and suspeneded and it remains so”.
Apart from the newly appointed speaker, Hon. Malachi Coker and spokesman, Ogundeji, other lawmakers who were part of the team that addressed newsmen include: Olamide George (new majority leader), Arowolo Samuel (new deputy speaker), Felemu Olusegun, Sunday Olajide and Araoyinbo Olugbenga.
Others are Musa Ayinde, Jamiu Sulaiman Maito, Oleyelogun B.D, Segun Ajimotokin, Oluyede Olushola and Kazeem Musa.