Olugboyega Aribisogan, a former speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, and two of his allies, Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu and Hon. Adegoke Olajide, have petitioned Usman Baba Alkali, the inspector general of police (IGP), regarding an alleged threat to their safety.
After Aribisogan’s impeachment, Akingholu, Olajide, and some lawmakers were all placed on indefinite leave.
Aribisogan detailed his struggle after being impeached by some of his coworkers in a petition to the IGP titled “Save my soul/appeal for police protection” dated November 7, 2022.
In the appeal, which was made yesterday available to the media, Aribisogan said that three unidentified persons had visited his private office and home to inquire about his movements ever since he announced his intention to oppose his removal in court on November 17, 2022.
“I hereby appeal to the Inspector-General of Police to spare myself and my family members from being eliminated because of my intention to run for Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly,” the petition’s opening line reads.
“The 25 members of the House of Assembly engaged in a free, fair, and transparent election of a new speaker on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, to fill the vacancy caused by the passing of the Speaker of the House, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye.”
“In accordance with the House Rules, the clerk called for nominations. Hon. Tajudeen Akingbolu made the nomination for me, Hon. Olugboyega Aribisogan, and Hon. Adegoke Olajide seconded it.
“Hon. Olubunmi Adelugba, another member, was also put forward. I received 15 votes from the members, and I was declared the winner. After being sworn in, I immediately took control of the House’s plenary session. On that particular day, a parliamentary meeting was held after the plenary session, and everyone applauded me.
I must point out that, in the days leading up to the election, a number of strong outside groups had been pressuring House members to endorse Hon. Adelugba for the Speakership.
They used their clout to have highly armed police officers called in to close off the House of Assembly premises in the early hours of the day after I was elected speaker (Wednesday, 16th November 2022), which did not sit well with them.
“When I questioned the state commissioner of police, he responded that he had sent his men to protect the facility in response to an alleged intelligence tip that some dissatisfied individuals had planted a bomb there. The police commissioner instructed me to tell the Assembly’s honorable members and staff to leave the area for a few hours while he conducted a search of the area.
“The police commissioner never spoke to me, but his officers continued to guard the Assembly complex, preventing me from entering my office. Staff employees and other honorable members were also prohibited from entering the building.
“On Sunday, November 20, 2022, in the evening, I learned that a few honorable members had received calls from powerful individuals outside of the state government who had been upset by my election as speaker of the House and threatened to deal with them if they did not accompany them to an all-night meeting that day.
The honorable members who gave in to the threats camped outside of Ado Ekiti overnight and were told they had to take part in an illegitimate impeachment of the Speaker of the House the following day.
The police officers who had been securing the Assembly Complex since the previous week permitted those honorable members access to the House Chambers at 6 am on Monday, November 21, 2022, after shepherding them there by a group of political thugs.
The members asserted that during a plenary session, I and six other members of the House were reportedly suspended from the House and I was impeached as Speaker.
I and my two colleagues who nominated me for the Speakership election petitioned the Ado Ekiti High Court to overturn the unlawful decisions made by the House of Assembly because the meeting was not lawfully called and because my alleged impeachment and suspension did not follow the proper procedures.
“As soon as I decided to appear in court on November 17, 2022, three unidentified guys came to my home and private office to inquire about my whereabouts. The next day’s evening, my neighbors likewise claimed to have seen individuals parading around my house.
“I moved my family out of my house right away, and I had to go underground out of fear for my life. But I can’t stay underground forever, therefore I’m asking the Inspector General for police protection,” he stated.
