A mild drama ensued at the gate of the Ogun State House of Assembly, on Tuesday, as a former deputy speaker of the House, Dare Kadiri, blocked the gate of the complex with his car.
Mr Kadiri had been impeached and suspended in March 2022 by his colleague lawmakers but was reinstated by the state high court in Abeokuta.
He represents Ijebu North State Constituency 2 at the Assembly. He was impeached as deputy speaker after the House passed a petition for his removal.
The petitioners had accused him of many wrongdoings, including insubordination to the Office of the Speaker through un-authorised approval of expenditure, involving an external body in the affairs of the House without exploring internal mechanism for resolution of issues, abuse of office, threat to lives and properties, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and attempted murder allegedly in his constituency.
But on 1st April, the high court held that the suspension was an abuse of power and abuse of office by the Speaker of the Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, the House of Assembly and the Clerk of the House.
Despite the judgement, Mr Kadiri has not been allowed back to his office by the assembly authorities.
To the surprise of legislative staff and lawmakers, the embattled former deputy speaker blocked the gate to the assembly complex.
Abujapress reporter at the scene overhead Mr Kadiri telling one of the police officers pacifying him that ”If I am not allowed back to my office today no one is going into this compound with a car.”
The embattled deputy speaker sat in his car and was pressing his phone.
He blocked the gate from 8:40 a.m. until a police van arrived the scene at 9:14 a.m. and two other officers on motorcycle at 9:28am.
As of the time of filing this report, a deputy commissioner of police who also arrived the gate around 9:50 a.m. was seen speaking to Mr Kadiri through the window of his car.
Assembly workers were forced to trek through a foot path gate into the complex.
Post A Comment: