Three out of 10 councillors of Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo, on Wednesday, removed the council’s legislative leader, Mr Robert Fiyes.
The three councillors, who briefed newsmen in Benin, attributed the removal of the leader to their refusal to defect from the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the council chairman.
They also suspended another councillor, Mr Godwin Osahenvemwen, for allegedly not supporting Gov. Godwin Obaseki, who recently announced his resignation from the ruling APC.
The councillors pledged their loyalty to the Adams Oshiomhole faction of the party in the state.
But the council chairman, Mr Destiny Enabulele, is loyal to Gov. Godwin Obaseki.
In his reaction, Fiyes told newsmen that his removal and the suspension was carried out in the private residence of a very influential chieftain of the party, who is still in the Obaseki administration.
He further said that the signatures of the seven councillors, who did not partake in the alleged removal, were forged.
“We are not aware of any impeachment.
“Our signatures were forged into a document and three of our members went to the house of a leader of APC, who is not even from our local government but in government, and purportedly removed me as the leader and suspended a councillor.
“The allegation is that we are not loyal to the council chairman, who is supporting Gov. Obaseki,’’ Fiyes said.
But when contacted, the chairman of the council, Enaulele, denied the allegation of such development.
“I am not aware of such, we operate independent arms of government.
“But I have been informed that I have a letter from the legislative arm, which I have not even seen,’’ the chairman said. (NAN)
