Why I went into hiding, relocate my family – Embattled Ekiti Speaker

The embattled Speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Hon. Olugboyega Aribisogan and two of his allies – Hon Tajudeen Akingbolu and Hon Adegoke Olajide have petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba Alkali over alleged security threat against their lives.

Both Akingholu and Olajide along with some lawmakers were immediately suspended indefinitely after the impeachment of Hon Aribisogan

Hon. Aribisogan in a petition to the IGP titled: ‘Save my soul/Appeal for Police protection’, dated 7th November, 2022, gave vivid account of his ordeal after the was illegal impeachment by some of his Colleagues.

According to the petition made available to news men on Tuesday, Hon. Aribisogan alleged that three unknown men visited his private office and residence to make enquiries about his whereabouts since he announced his resolve to challenge his removal in Court on 17th November, 2022.

The petition reads: “I hereby appeal to the Inspector General to save me and my family members from being eliminated because of my decision to contest for election as the Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.

“On Tuesday 15th November 2022, the twenty five members of the House of Assembly participated in a free, fair and transparent election of a new Speaker to fill the vacancy which occurred due to the death of the late Speaker of the House – Rt. Hon. Funminiyi Afuye.

“In accordance with the House Rules, the Clerk of the House called for nominations and I, Right Honourable Olugboyega Aribisogan, was nominated by Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu which nomination was seconded by Hon. Adegoke Olajide.

“Another member – Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba was also nominated. Members voted and I emerged as the winner with fifteen votes in my favour. I was immediately sworn into office and began to preside over the plenary sitting of the House. After the plenary sitting on that day, a parliamentary meeting took place, where I was congratulated by all.

“I must mention that for some days before the election, some powerful forces outside the Government of Ekiti State had been coercing members of the House to support Hon. Adelugba for the Speakership.

“My emergence as the Speaker thus did not go down well with those people and they used their influence to get heavily armed policemen to be drafted to seal off the House of Assembly Complex in the early hours of the following day (Wednesday 16th, November, 2022) of my election as Speaker.

“On enquiry, the State Commissioner of Police told me that he deployed his men to secure the Complex based on an alleged intelligence report that some disgruntled elements had planted a bomb on the premises. The Police Commissioner said that I should inform Honourable members and staff of the Assembly to vacate the premises for a few hours while he carried out a search of the premises.

“The Commissioner of Police never gave me a feedback, but his men remained at the Assembly Complex preventing me as Speaker from accessing my office. Other Honourable members and members of staff were also not allowed into the premises.

“In the evening of Sunday, 20th November, 2022, I received information that the influential people outside the Government of the State, who were displeased with my emergence as the Speaker of the House, made calls to a few Honourable members and threatened to deal with them, if the Honourable members did not follow them to an all-night meeting that day.

“The Honourable members who succumbed to the threats were camped overnight outside Ado Ekiti where they were instructed that they had to participate in an illegal impeachment of the Speaker of the House the next day.

“Those Honourable members were shepherded to the House of Assembly by a band of political thugs and allowed access to the House Chambers at 6am on Monday, 21st November, 2022 by the policemen who had sealed up the Assembly Complex since the previous week.

“The members claimed that they had a plenary meeting during which I was purportedly impeached as Speaker and suspended from the House along with six other colleagues.

“Since the meeting was not legally convened and my purported impeachment and suspension did not follow due process, I and my two colleagues who nominated me for the Speakership election, approached the Ado Ekiti High Court to nullify the illegal decisions taken by the House of Assembly.

“Immediately I announced my decision to go to Court on 17th November, 2022, three unknown men visited my private office and my residence to make enquiries about my whereabouts. My neighbours also reported seeing strangers parading around my residence in the evening of the following day.

“I immediately relocated my family members away from my house and I have had to go underground for fear of my life. I however cannot remain underground permanently which is why I am appealing to the Inspector General for police protection,” the embattled lawmaker noted.