Ekiti Obas Mediate in Assembly Crisis, Order Aribisogan to Withdraw Suit 

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

Traditional rulers in Ekiti State, have urged the impeached speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogan, to withdraw the suit he instituted against his sack from court, as  part of measures to prevent the crisis rocking the Assembly from festering.

This was part of the five-point resolution arrived at during a peace meeting brokered by the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers at a peace meeting held at the Ewi’s Palace in Ado Ekiti, yesterday. 

The Obas listened to both sides and concluded that the pro- Aribisogan’s lawmakers were wrong to have acted against the instruction of the party. 

The Ekiti Obas, led by their Chairman, the Onisan of Isan Ekiti, Oba Gabriel Ayodele Adejuwon, in the resolution with the two sides in the dispute reasoned that 22 members in the Assembly had thrown their weight behind the new Speaker,  Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba.

They therefore, called on Aribisogan to go back and join his colleagues and forget about laying claim to the position of Speaker for the Assembly to move forward and the state to enjoy peace.

The Obas also advised that the majority members of the House (22) must accept Aribisogan back, lift his suspension and drop other punitive measures against him, after fulfilling the conditions spelt out for others.

The Obas also resolved that the state All Progressives Congress (APC) Chairman, Paul Omotoso, should go back to the party caucus and decide what to do with Aribisogan’s matter with a view to accommodating him as a member of the party (APC). 

The monarchs noted that the party should know that some of its members were aggrieved, which might have been the reason why some of the lawmakers disobeyed the party in the first place, urging the party leadership to do the needful by always serving the interest of its members. 

In his response, Aribisogan, said he had heard what the Obas said but pointed out that he “has decided to go to court and clear his name and not to come back to the House,” saying, “once somebody is impeached, he cannot be elected until after 10 years.

“The court case was filed to enforce my fundamental human rights. I will go back to my lawyers and feed them back with the resolution of the Ekiti Obas.”

Seventeen members included Speaker Adelugba attended the meeting on the side of the majority members while on Hon Tajudeen Akingbolu attended with Aribisogan on the side of the minority.

The attempt to establish that the directive given when former Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi invited the lawmakers to his residence for that meeting on November 11 was solely his idea and not that of party leadership was debunked by the state APC Deputy Chairman, Mr. Sola Elesin. 

Elesin told the Obas that it was the caucus of the party, which comprised former Governor Niyi Adebayo, former Governor Kayode Fayemi and incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji. 

In the same fashion, the party chairman, three former deputy governors: Abiodun Aluko, Prof. Modupe Adelabu and Bisi Egbeyemi, also spoke at the occasion on behalf of the party leaders.

Aribisogan told “the Obas that it is the job of the party and whatever the party says is final and Supreme.” 

The Ewi upbraided Aribisogan for not being  patient to await what the Obas would say before taking the matter to court. 

Other Kabiyesis like Ajero, Olojudo and Elemure also said it was wrong to disobey the directive of the party and expected they would go scot free. 

Other monarchs at the meeting included Ogoga Ikere, Oba Adejimi Adu; Oloye of Oye, Oba Oluwole Ademolaju; Alara of Aramoko, Oba Adegoke Adeyemi; Owa Ajero of Ijero, Oba Adebayo Adewole; Olojudo of Ido, Oba Ilori Faboro; Olomuo of Omuo, Oba Noah Omonigbehin and Alaaye of Efon, Oba Emmanuel Aladejare.