From Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure

The leadership crisis rocking Ondo State House of Assembly may be far from being resolved as the peace meeting called by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, at the weekend, ended in a deadlock.

Governor Akeredolu, who resumed office last week, had reportedly invited the two warring factions to a peace meeting to broker peace between them, but it was gathered that no success was made out of the meeting after all.

The House of Assembly which was embroiled in crisis towards the end of former governor Olusegun Mimiko’s administration was reopened last week for legislative duties.

Although members of the Assembly were yet to resume normal legislative work in the House, the Assembly complex had been opened and career officers have resumed work.

Already, Mrs Jumoke Akindele and Malachi Coker are laying claim to the speakership of the House.

Akindele and her deputy, Fatai Olotu, were impeached in January by 13 lawmakers loyal to Coker following allegations of fraud levelled against the duo.

However, Akeredolu, in a bid to ensure peaceful working relationship with the legislature, reportedly intervened in the crisis with a view to resolving the impasse and ensuring lasting solution to the crisis.

It was gathered that although the two warring factions honoured the governor’s invitation, they, however, failed to resolved the matter.

Daily Sun gathered that Akindele was ready to resign for peace to reign in the House, but Coker’s faction insisted that she had been impeached, hence her resignation was unnecessary.

Spokesperson of the Coker’s faction, Ogundeji Iroju said Akindele’s impeachment could have been converted to resignation if she had appeared before the committee, set up by the House, to investigate allegations of fraud and financial impropriety levelled against her.

Iroju, who declared readiness of members of Coker’s faction to resume legislative duties this week, said the lawmakers have returned to Akure, the state capital, in preparation for resumption.