•No going back on impeachment – Lawmakers
•There was no invasion, issue blown out of proportion—Speaker
The impeachment move against the Speaker of the Ondo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, was on Thursday, thwarted as suspected political thugs invaded the Assembly complex, before the sitting causing tension among lawmakers and staff of the assembly complex.
The suspected hoodlums, who were said to have arrived at the complex in heat of the leadership crisis in the House, reportedly moved from one office to another without any clear explanation for their presence.
Some lawmakers, who became suspicious of their activities, were said to have confronted them and demanded to know their mission in the Assembly complex with the people reportedly failed to give any convincing explanation on their presence, but only said they were from Ondo town.
One of the lawmakers, who was said to have become angry over their presence, insisted that they should immediately leave the Assembly complex and reportedly marched them out of the premises.
For several minutes, the invaders held sway over the premises, disrupting the day’s legislative schedule and instilling palpable fear among workers, many of who locked themselves inside their offices to avoid being attacked
An official of the Assembly disclosed to Nigerian Tribune that the suspected thugs were allegedly mobilised to forestall the purported removal of the Speaker, who has been facing an impeachment battle in the Assembly.
He said it took a coordinated intervention of some of the lawmakers and security operatives to force the intruders, out of the premises.
He said: “They were moving from one office to another without any clear purpose, and no one could ascertain their specific mission.
“It took the combined efforts of one of lawmakers, some members of the House and security agencies to ensure that the hoodlums were sent out of the premises. The Speaker also hurriedly left the Assembly complex shortly after the departure of the suspected thugs”
The development reportedly angered the lawmakers, who told the Speaker that his actions were not in the interest of peace and could further worsen the crisis rocking the legislature.
The lawmakers were said to have warned Oladiji that the impeachment move against him had only been suspended and could be revisited if the issues surrounding the crisis were not resolved.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman of House Committee on Information, Mr Olatunji Fabiyi, said Oladiji’s impeachment would be carried out “definitely”
He said,” We have been hearing news that we have disembarked on the process; this is a lie that is misinformation. We are still on it, he can’t be our speaker again. Although the governor has been speaking with some of us but that does not stop the impeachment, there is no going back.”
But the Speaker said the incident was blown out of proportion saying “there’s nothing like impeachment process because the issue of impeachment has been has resolved and there is no impeachment.
“Mr. Governor and other leaders of the party have already intervened, and today we are supposed to have our parliamentary meeting,” he said.
He explained: “Today, I have about three of my youth leaders that I invited to come and pick forms for recruitment but unknowingly to them, they don’t know what is going on in the House of Assembly. Just three of them.
“Some members of the Assembly approached them and asked them the reason why they were at the House of Assembly. I came out from my office. I tried to pacify the members that they were my people and known to them all and that they were not at the complex to harass any member of the House of Assembly but they insisted they must leave.
“So there’s nothing like impeachment notice. There’s nothing like impeachment process or disruption of the impeachment process and we were able to resolve the whole matter”
The invasion of the State Assembly introduced a fresh dimension to the crisis, raising concerns over the safety of lawmakers and the sanctity of the legislative institution.
