Fifteen members of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Wednesday, called on the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in the state to come to their aid over what they called threat to their lives.
The lawmakers included thirteen (13) out of those that impeached the erstwhile Speaker of the House, Hon. Jumoke Akindele and two others. They raised the alarm in Ibadan while briefing journalists.
Speaking on behalf of his colleagues, Hon. Iroju Ogundeji revealed that since the erstwhile Speaker, Hon. Akindele was "duly and constitutionally impeached according to Section 92 of 1999 constitution as amended", they have continued to receive threat messages and telephone calls from unknown callers.
It would be recalled that some members of the Ondo State House of Assembly on Friday, January 27, impeached the erstwhile Speaker of the House, Mrs Jumoke Akindele, Deputy Speaker, Fatai Olotu and Majority Leader, Ifedayo Akinsoyinu, over alleged N15million fraud.
Ogundeji called on the Inspector General of police and Ondo State Commissioner of Police "to provide adequate security for them and protect their families."
"We have been receiving death threats in telephone calls and messages from strange and unknown people in recent times.
"We call on the IG and the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State to come to our aid and as well withdraw security aides attached to the erstwhile Speaker. We remain resolute on the side of truth we stand for we are against corruption.
"We are equally calling on heads of security agencies in the state to withdraw their men from Mrs Akindele, she is no more the Speaker Ondo State House of Assembly.
"The Speaker remains Rt Honourable Malachi Coker, and the majority of us are in support. After his emergence, the House had sat for more than two times.
"We were equally awaiting the presentation of budget to the House by Governor Mimiko before we learnt that he is on his way to Abuja.
"Twenty out of 26 members signed the notice of impeachment. The impeachment has come to stay and there is no going back on it because the members that carried out the impeachment formed the majority of the House as at then.
"Some of them who initially signed the impeachment letter have now backed out due to threats. You can confirm this from this document that we all signed. And even at that, we are 13 members on this side while the other members on the other divide are 10 because the three principal officers remain suspended."
Ogundeji added that the impeached Speaker has a record of misappropriation which the house had taken notice of and had also moved to impeach the affected officers sometimes.
He however debunked allegations that they were being sponsored by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, and the governor-elect in the state, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu.
He also accused the State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko of tactically supporting the impeached Speaker, revealing that the state governor has been calling each of them on phone to sway them to the other side.
He said "The executive arm has been interfering in the impeachment of the speaker which ought not to be so because we are an independent body. Both Mrs Akindele and Olotu should have been impeached 10 months ago for high-handedness but Governor Mimiko intervened and assisted her to escape impeachment.
"We are not against Governor Mimiko but we are against corruption. Thesse principal officers of the house have committed an offence and they must go," he said.
He also disclosed that the impeached speaker has approached the court to obtain an injunction against her impeachment on Monday but the court declined her and adjourned the case till March 6, 2017.
The Majority leader, Mr Olamide George said the impeached speaker claimed to have used the N15 million for the execution of the assembly project, but challenged her to produce the contractor and identify the project.
"The impeachment of Mrs Akindele and others has nothing to do with the new governor coming into office and it is not All Progressive Congress (APC) that is using us as it is being speculated in some quarters.
"APC has nothing to do with this. Those of us that are Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members are not thinking of crossing to APC. We shall remain and stay in PDP. We are in control of the house now because we have the mace of office and other instruments of office", he said.
