Rights groups under the aegis of Coalition Of Civil Society Against Impunity have condemned the procedure adopted in impeaching the Ogun State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Olakunle Oluomo, calling for reversal of the impeachment exercise.
It would be recalled that Oluomo was impeached last week by the State House of Assembly based on various allegations levelled against him, while a new Speaker was elected and sworn in by the 26-member parliament.
Spokesperson of the coalition, Comrade Shina Loremikan, who was accompanied by Comrades Decklan Ihekaire, Aghedo Kehinde, Juli Ihejirika and Jude Ossai, expressed this concern while speaking at a press conference which took place in Ogba, Lagos and further called on all Nigerians to rise up and condemn the impeachment as, according to him, the rule of law was not followed in carrying out the exercise.
The coalition maintained that the circumstances surrounding the removal of Hon. Oluomo raised serious questions about the adherence to due process and legal procedures.
On the procedure, the coalition spokesperson, Loremikan noted that the impeachment notice was allegedly served on the Oluomo a day after he was removed from office, wondering that should be so.
He stated that the appropriate procedure is that the notice of impeachment ought to come first, saying that this would allow the Speaker to respond to allegations raised against him.
“Now the critical question is why impeachment before serving notice of impeachment?
“This act by those who know, but refuse to do the needful by not following due process calls for a total condemnation, and shouldn’t be allowed to sail through in our current democratic setting,” Loremikan said.
The activist, therefore, demanded an immediate reversal of the decision to remove the Oluomo as Speaker until the dispute was resolved through proper legal channels, declaring that such impulsive actions without proper legal basis set a dangerous precedent and contributed to the erosion of democratic values.
“Such impulsive actions without proper legal basis set a dangerous precedent and contribute to the erosion of democratic values,” Loremikan declared.
Speaking further, the coalition spokesperson argued that it was the duty of elected representatives to uphold the rule of law, saying that “any deviation from that fundamental principle erodes the trust of the public in the democratic process.
“It is imperative to state that, the position of leadership not excluding the Speakership in the State House of Assemblies is a legislative privilege to members, not a right which has a laid down constitutional procedure to attain such a leadership ladder,” he posited.
“This act by those who know, but refuse to do the needful by not following due process calls for a total condemnation, and shouldn’t be allowed to sail through in our current democratic setting,” he added.
Loremikan, therefore, emphasised the importance of transparency in governance, urging the Ogun State House of Assembly to provide a detailed account of the legal and procedural basis for the removal of Oluomo.
“The public has a right to know and understand the justifications behind such decisions that impact the democratic structure,” he demanded.
