By Rotimi Ojomoyela

SENIOR Advocates of Nigeria of Ekiti State origin led by Chief Afe Babalola, Wole Olanipekun and five others, yesterday, described the impeachment of the embattled Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Gboyega Aribisogan as crass exhibition of brute force and illegality.

The legal icons expressed concern over the inaction of Governor Biodun Oyebanji while the lawmakers were brazenly displaying legislative rascality with reckless abandon.

Reacting to the removal of Aribisogan from office and the subsequent election of Mrs Bunmi Adelugba, the lawyers faulted the speedy way at which the lawmakers had moved against Aribisogan under flimsy excuses and unleashed their venom on him.

Signatories to the statement were Chief Afe Babalola, SAN, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, Dele Adesina, SAN, Olu Daramola, SAN, Femi Falana, SAN, Dayo Akinlaja,  SAN and  Gboyega Oyewole, SAN.

The statement reads: “To say the very least, the situation in the Ekiti State House of Assembly should be of extremely grave concern to every decent and discerning mind.

“Before going further, it is pertinent to underscore the prime importance of the State House of Assembly in the affairs of any State in the country.

“By virtue of Section 92 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), once elected by the members of the House, as done in the case of Aribisogan, the Speaker shall continue to be in office during the lifespan of the particular House except, inter alia, removed from office by a resolution of the House of Assembly by the votes of not less than two-third majority of the House. From the short background above, it is plain as day that the elected Speaker was not allowed to function in office for the spate of one day before the sealing off of the Complex. Pray, therefore, at what point in time could he have committed any infraction of the constitution, any other law or the Rules of the House to warrant his supposed removal?”