Ondo Speaker’s removal illegal, says Mimiko

The Ondo State Governor, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, on Tuesday said the recent removal of the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mrs. Jumoke Akindele, was unconstitutional.


He said it was unconstitutional for 13 out of the 26 members of the Assembly to remove the Speaker since the law recommended two-thirds votes for such an exercise to be valid.


Mimiko spoke with State House correspondents after a closed-door meeting he had with the acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, in his office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governor, however, disclosed that as part of measures to resolve the crisis that had led to the closure of the Assembly complex, Akindele had already declared her readiness to step down.

Mimiko said, “The sitting Speaker now has made it abundantly clear that she is ready to step aside, she is ready to resign her position.

“But the group that purportedly impeached her, not even a simple majority can impeach the Speaker, it has to be two-thirds.

“That is to tell you about the fact that 13 out of 26 members of the House do not have the constitutional or legal empowerment to impeach the Speaker.

“But as I speak with you now, she is ready to step down any time, once the House is properly constituted.”

He, however, said he did not discuss the issue with Osinbajo because the matter was already being looked into.

“It is an internal matter within the House and I think some elder statesmen and leaders in the state are looking at how they can help them to get over the crisis,” he said.