Aftermath of Exco Dissolution: Battle Moves To Ekiti State Assembly; Speaker, Other Principal Officers To Go

The recent sudden dissolution of the Ekiti State Executive Council will not be limited to that arm of government as a change of leadership at the legislative arm is imminent except there is a change of plan.

Information at our disposal shows that the plan to sack the leadership of the Ekiti State House of Assembly has been perfected at a meeting in Abuja where the decision to remove anybody that is close to the immediate past Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi from sensitive positions was concluded.

Our Correspondent learnt that the decision of Governor Abiodun Oyebanji to dissolve his Cabinet was in obedience to the request of a cabal in Abuja who had promised the Governor to help him get Aso Rock’s nod for the APC ticket for his second tenure.

The request of the Abuja cabal is simply that, if Oyebanji wants his second term ticket in the forthcoming primaries, any structure of former Governor Fayemi must be uprooted.

Information at our disposal shows that the sudden dissolution of the Executive Council is to obey the cabals especially as it concerns the Commissioner for Finance, Akin Oyebode who they see as a Fayemi boy occupying the sensitive positions of Commissioner for Finance.

Akin has been having a running battle of wits with the hawks who surround the Governor.

The dissolution was also an opportunity for the Governor to discard some of his Commissioners whom he had been suspecting of holding nocturnal meetings with his major contender, Engr. Kayode Ojo, who is yet to show up.

Concerning the House of Assembly, the cabal is not happy with the way majority of house members are united solidly behind the Speaker, Adeoye Aribasoye who is a Fayemi loyalist even though the house has been in a good harmonious relationship with the Governor.

The house has never rejected any bill from the executive arm or refused to grant any of the Governors requests like screening and passing of Commissioner nominees and other appointees unlike in Lagos State where about 17 Commissioner nominees were dropped by the Obasa-led House of Assembly.

The Ekiti State House of Assembly under Aribasoye started the gale of endorsements and had done this twice.

In short, Governor Oyebanji could not have wished for a more cooperative and supportive House of Assembly. It is therefore surprising to many that an attempt was made few months ago to impeach the Speaker by some people close to the Governor but the Governor denied ever sending anybody on such errand. The recent move to remove the Speaker is the second within three months.

Our correspondent who spoke with some of the lawmakers gathered that the move may be counter productive in the sense that this is a delicate period to do such and more so when most of the just dissolved exco members are still sulking and bitter with the way they were summarily sacked.

Many of the House of Assembly members who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity were all united in their position that nothing can happen to the Speaker as he has not done anything to deserve impeachment and that if any group or cabal tries it, the result may be unpalatable to the state.

There are interesting days ahead as events unfold and the gubernatorial primaries of the APC in Ekiti State draws near.