The Speaker of Lagos House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, may lose the position! Feelers reaching us have it that some of his colleagues in the House are not happy with all the muds that have come his way lately, and as such have resolved to do away with him.
YES International! investigations revealed that but for the swift intervention of the national leader of Action Congress of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the man would have been impeached days back. “It’s Tinubu that is protecting him. But even at that, I doubt whether he will survive our onslaught”, a member of the House who pleaded anonymity told us.
Ikuforiji and his aide, Oyebode Atoyebi, are facing a 20-count charge of fleecing the state of about N518.1 million. The EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) had earlier obtained a bench warrant against him from Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court in Lagos on December 9, 2011, which he just overturned. However, they’ve promised to report at the EFCC office on Monday, December 19. The anti-corruption agency had earlier accused both men of refusing to turn themselves in for questioning.
Godwin Obla is EFCC’s counsel while Tayo Oyetibo, SAN is standing in for Ikuforiji. The matter which has been adjourned to January 17, 2012 will decide a lot of things. Because like another House member added: “There will be no moral justification for him to continue to lead us if he fails to wash himself clean of all the allegations.
“Ideally, and like they do in saner countries, he’s supposed to step aside or even resign with what is currently on ground. But you know Nigerians, we don’t resign, we only get kicked out. However, we are watching to see how things will eventually play out. And if you ask me sincerely, I think his days as our leader in the House are not only numbered, but also seriously threatened. That’s just the truth, except we want to be deceiving ourselves. In fact, were it not for our leader, Asiwaju, he would have since gone. Impeachment proceedings would have been initiated against him. But anything can still happen o!”
NB: First published March 2012