Ogun State Speaker dismisses suspension, says it is futile plot

The embattled Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Honorable Tunji Egbetokun has said the purported suspension of the G15 members is an act of illegality.

The embattled speaker at the press briefing in Lagos dismissed the suspension with a wave of hand while describing the development as an exercise in futility that is bound to fail.

According to him, the eight members who presided over the alleged suspension lacked the quorum to carry out such an exercise. All fifteen members of his camp were present at the press briefing in Lagos.



Honourable Egbetokun, his deputy and all the principal officers of the house were suspended indefinitely with Honourable Yemi Coker, representing Odeba constituency replacing him as the new speaker of the house.

The suspended speaker and 14 other principle members were suspended on allegations of cross misconduct, and misleading the people of Ogun state.
Honorable Egbetokun, who became the Speaker in May 2008 following the impeachment of former Speaker, Titi Oseni linked the purported suspension to alleged move by the Ogun state governor, Otumba Gbenga Daniel to surreptiously scuttle Wednesday's bond debate. He insists that "he still remains in power", adding that the "governor is fearful to attend the debate."

The state lawmakers had challenged the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, to a public debate, after they declined to back the N100 billion bonds, claiming there were loopholes in the documents backing the bid.

Honorable Egbetokun, who also noted that the house was on recess, maintained that such action by other rivalry camp of eleven members is tantamount to illegality, adding there was no basis for proceeding with the unconstitutionality of the acclaimed suspension.


He however said when they return from recess, he will reconvene the house and preside over the sitting since he still has the mace which is the symbol of authority.
Crisis has continually rocked the Ogun state polity in recent times over contentious issue of raising a N100 billion bond by the state government.

The current house crisis has come to a head over the weekend, leading to the sealing off of the House of Assembly premises by officials of the Nigerian police. Prior to the disturbing development, the embattled former speaker had written a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan sometime last month to intervene in the crisis. In the letter, the lawmakers called on the President to urgently intervene in the crisis.

The Speaker, in the letter addressed to Jonathan, dated August 24, 2010, painted a grim picture of the absence of the rule of law, peace and tranquility in the state.

The House leadership had urged President Jonathan to act with dispatch to ensure restoration of normalcy in the state in the interest of the people.

The state executive and legislative arms have been engaged in bitter battles over the last two years.

How can minority '9' suspend majority '15'. is that yet another doctrine of necessity as adopted during yar'adua's illness?