Politics
Police seal Ondo House of Assembly over factional clash
To curtail the ongoing crisis in Ondo State House of Assembly, the state police command on Monday sealed the Assembly complex.
The police was said to have sealed up the complex after two warring groups laying claim to the leadership of the Assembly during their sitting on Monday were involved in serious disputation that would have snowballed into an ugly situation but for police intervention.
Some members of the Assembly had last Friday sacked the Speaker Mrs Jumoke Akindele, Deputy Speaker, Mr. Fatai Olutu and Majority Leader, Mr. Dayo Akinsoyinu over allegation of financial misappropriation.
Mr. Malachi Coker representing Ilaje Constituency 1, Mr, Ayodele Arowele from Owo Constituency 1 and Mr Olamide George, representing Akure North Constituency, were hurriedly elected by the aggrieved members as the new speaker, deputy speaker and majority leader respectively to act in those positions.
However Akindele maintained that she is still the speaker describing her removal as illegal as it did not follow constitutional requirement.
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Today’s crisis which resulted in the sealing of the Assembly complex was said to have started when members supporting Coker gained entrance to the Assembly premises around 6am and the acting speaker went and sat on the speaker’s seat for the day’s proceedings.
Akindele and her faction who later stormed the complex challenged Coker and his group leading to heated argument in the Assembly and commotion.
It was while the commotion was ongoing that the police led by the state Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Hilda Ibifuro-Harrison, intervened in the matter and sealed the complex.
Speaking with newsmen, Information Committee Chairman of the Assembly, Mr. Oluwasiji Akindiose expressed regrets over the Assembly closure and accused some fifth columnists of fueling the crisis.
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