Bamigbola Gbolagunte, Akure
The fourteen members of the Ondo State House of Assembly loyal to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu have intensified efforts to impeach the deputy governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi.
The latest efforts by the lawmakers, Daily Sun learnt, will be implemented at the plenary this week.
It was learnt that the fourteen lawmakers had agreed at a meeting held at the weekend at a hotel in Akure, the state capital to ensure that Ajayi is impeached this week.
Part of the strategies of the lawmakers, according to findings by Daily Sun, include suspension of some lawmakers loyal to the deputy governor.
Already, three of the nine lawmakers loyal to the deputy governor had been suspended by the House for allegedly violating the rules of the House during a rowdy plenary where the House agreed to serve the deputy governor an impeachment notice.
The Speaker of the House, Hon Bamidele Oleyelogun, had also written to the state Chief Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Akeredolu, requesting her to set up a seven-man panel to investigate the allegation of gross misconduct levelled against the deputy governor.
But the Chief Judge in her response said the House was yet to fulfil all constitutional procedures that could make her set up the seven-man panel to probe the deputy governor.
However, the Speaker and other pro-Akeredolu lawmakers, it was learnt, are planning to send another letter to the Chief Judge notifying her of some other steps taking in the attempts to impeach the deputy governor.
The Speaker of the House, sources say, had informed pro-Akeredolu lawmakers to attend plenary on Monday while the message was not sent to those loyal to Ajayi.
Plans to impeach the deputy governor has already polarised the House of Assembly and it was gathered that the lawmakers loyal to the deputy governor are also determined to frustrate efforts by pro-Akeredolu lawmakers to impeach Ajayi.