Kunle Oluomo, the impeached Speaker
Breaking: Rumpus as Ogun Assembly Speaker, Kunle Oluomo, impeached
The simmering crisis in the Ogun State House of Assembly has consumed the Speaker Kunle Oluomo, who was impeached on Tuesday.
At the plenary in the House, 18 of the 26 members voted for Oluomo’s impeachment.
His impeachment was linked to allegation of embezzlement of funds, highhandedness and related offences.
Oludaisi Elemide was immediately elected as the new Speaker by the members of the House.
In his maiden speech after being elected, the new speaker asked for calm and cooperation among members.
He dismissed insinuations that the impeachment was targeted against Governor Dapo Abiodun as being speculated in some quarters.
He said it is within the constitutional rights of the members to elect their leaders any time they so decide.
The House later adjourned plenary for two weeks, with the new speaker in possession of the maze, the symbol of authority of the House.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had on September 6, 2022, arraigned Oluomo before a Federal High Court in Lagos over an alleged N2.475bn money laundering.
Oluomo was arraigned alongside three others: Oladapo Samuel, Adeyemo Taiwo, and Adeyanju Nimota Amoke (now at large) on 11 counts of conspiracy, forgery, stealing, and money laundering preferred against them by the EFCC.
The EFCC’s prosecution counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), had said the defendants committed the alleged offences between 2019 and 2022, adding that the incident took place in Ogun State.
Oyedepo told the court that they stole the sum of N2.475bn from the treasury of the Ogun State House of Assembly.
Oluomo was, however, granted bail while the trial continues.